Sports Handicapper Sean Murphy's Picks & Predictions

My selection is on Saint Louis minus the points over Duquesne at 7 pm et on Tuesday.

We'll lay the points with the Billikens as they remain largely under the radar despite their impressive 16-1 record. Saint Louis' lone defeat this season came way back on November 28th and it came by the slimmest of margins, 78-77 against a good Stanford team. Not only have the Billikens posted the considerably better overall record in this matchup this season, they've also faced the more difficult schedule by most metrics. Saint Louis enters this contest having knocked down 27 or more field goals in 11 straight games, connecting on 30 or more in seven of those games. But it's not just the Billikens offense that has thrived. They've held four straight opponents to 22 or fewer made field goals and 17 of 18 foes to 26 or fewer. Duquesne can breathe a sigh of relief after it snapped its three-game SU and ATS slide with a 74-63 win at Fordham on Saturday. That result had more to do with an awful shooting performance from the Rams (25-of-70 from the field) than anything else. Note that Duquesne has allowed four of its last six opponents to get off 66 or more field goal attempts. We've seen the Dukes beat up on a number of lesser opponents this season but they've had a difficult time stepping up in class. That's been evident lately as they've been held to fewer than 60 field goal attempts in all five of their games when listed as an underdog this season. I don't think that type of volume will keep them within arm's reach of the Billikens on Tuesday. Take Saint Louis (8*).

ACC Underdog Game of the Year. My selection is on N.C. State plus the points over Clemson at 7 pm et on Tuesday.

We'll grab all the points we can get with N.C. State in this ACC showdown on Tuesday. The Wolfpack are coming off a stunning 'upset' loss as double-digit home favorites against Georgia Tech on Saturday. Perhaps they got caught patting themselves on the back following a two-game road sweep of Boston College and Florida State with the latter victory coming by a whopping 44-point margin. While Clemson does own the better overall record in this matchup this season, N.C. State has faced the more difficult schedule by most metrics. The Tigers might be the ones patting themselves on the back in this spot as they come off a double-digit win-and-cover over Miami on Saturday, marking their ninth straight win and sixth straight ATS victory. N.C. State turned in an awful shooting performance (23-of-62 from the field) in Saturday's loss. The last time we saw it post a similarly poor performance it rebounded by going on the road and beating Boston College by eight (connecting on 30-of-62 field goal attempts in that contest). Note that the Wolfpack have made good on 28 or more field goals in seven of their last 10 games. On the flip side, their defensive play has been very consistent, holding seven straight and 10 of their last 11 opponents to 27 or fewer made field goals (including 22 or less in six of those contests). Clemson has thrived recently thanks to limiting its opponents scoring opportunities. I do think the Tigers will have their hands full here, however, noting that N.C. State has gotten off 60+ field goal attempts in three straight and 11 of 18 contests this season. We've seen a fairly firm offensive ceiling from Clemson lately as it has been held to 27 or fewer made field goals in 10 straight games, topping out at 76 points over that stretch. Take N.C. State (10*).

My selection is on Ohio State minus the points over Minnesota at 6:30 pm et on Tuesday.

Ohio State hasn't been a great bet this season but we have picked our spots wisely with it and I see this as a good opportunity to back the Buckeyes again on Tuesday. Minnesota has emptied the tank in its last three games but has little to show for it, dropping three straight competitive games against USC, Wisconsin and Illinois. The Golden Gophers mustered an uncharacteristic 65 field goal attempts in Saturday's game against the Illini but still lost by double-digits. Note that Minnesota has allowed its last five opponents to knock down a consistent 28, 25, 25, 25 and 24 field goals. The Buckeyes are well-positioned to take advantage here at home, noting they've connected on 27 or more field goals in nine of their last 13 games. On the flip side, Ohio State has held six of its last nine foes to 25 or fewer made field goals. Finally, we'll note that the Buckeyes not only own the better overall record in this matchup this season but they've also faced the more difficult schedule by most metrics. Take Ohio State (8*).

Tuesday NBA Free play. My selection is on Denver plus the points over Los Angeles at 10:10 pm et on Tuesday.

We'll grab the points with the Nuggets as they look to shake off an ugly blowout loss suffered at home against the Hornets on Sunday. That defeat snapped their four-game winning streak (3-1 ATS). Keep in mind, they were in a back-to-back situation off a hard-fought victory over the Wizards the night previous. The Lakers delivered a lopsided win over the Raptors at home on Sunday, snapping their two-game slide. Los Angeles is still just 2-5 SU and ATS over its last seven contests and hasn't posted a road victory since January 6th in New Orleans (that's their only road victory since December 20th). Look for Denver to at the very least take this game down to the wire with an excellent shot at the outright win. Take Denver.

My selection is on Toronto plus the points over Golden State at 10:10 pm et on Tuesday.

The Raptors took a bad loss on Sunday against the Lakers in Los Angeles as they jumped ahead early but completely folded over the game's final three quarters. That was an ugly defeat as Toronto was rested and just starting a five-game road trip, not to mention catching the Lakers in a back-to-back spot. I like Toronto's chances of bouncing back on Tuesday as it heads to San Francisco to take on Golden State. The Warriors got bad news on the injury front in last night's game as they lost Jimmy Butler. Golden State did notch its fourth straight win both SU and ATS as it blew Miami out of the water in that game. Here, in a back-to-back spot, and likely missing key contributors, I expect to see the Warriors fall short. Take Toronto (8*).