Monmouth enters this quarterfinal with a clear scheduling advantage after receiving the tournament bye. Drexel had to play a high-energy game the day before, and that type of quick turnaround can impact shooting and defensive intensity. The Hawks also have the most dynamic player on the floor in Jason Rivera-Torres, who leads the team in both scoring and rebounding. With Monmouth’s ability to score efficiently and control the boards, the Hawks should have the edge as the game progresses.

Michigan comes into this matchup with an 18-1 record in Big Ten play and they have locked up the regular season Big Ten Title. The Wolverines are shooting 51% from the field and they have allowed fewer than 70 points in three of their last four games. Michigan State is 15-4 in Big Ten play and they are on a lengthy winning streak. The Spartans are shooting 47% from the field and they have had some close calls in three of their last five games. I do think Michigan will get the win, but this is a lot of points to lay, especially with Cason out. Take MSU to cover here.

North Dakota State enters this championship game as the more consistent and balanced team. The Bison have already defeated North Dakota convincingly in recent weeks and showed strong defensive form in the semifinal round by holding Omaha to just 50 points. While North Dakota has played tough basketball throughout the tournament, the Fighting Hawks had to survive a close semifinal and could be dealing with fatigue. With superior rebounding and defensive efficiency, North Dakota State has the advantage heading into the title game.

The Golden Hurricane's statistical superiority, home dominance, and late-season momentum make them the clear side at this number. The spread has remained sticky at 11.5 throughout line movement, and the lack of any significant line shift suggests the market agrees this number is fair — if anything, sharp action has kept it honest rather than moving it significantly in either direction.

I’ll stick with Nebraska. The Cornhuskers really need a good bounce-back game here after the road loss to UCLA, though. In that one Nebraska shot just 38.8 percent from the field, 20.8 percent (5-of-24) from outside and 50 percent (9-of-18) from the line. The Huskers also posted a 35-29 deficit on the boards and had 13 turnovers along the way. Nebraska is still 3-1 in their last four games though, scoring 74 or more points in each of the victories. Back on February 17 when these teams last met, the Cornhuskers took a 57-52 loss on the road. In that game Nebraska shot just 40.9 percent from the field with 20.8 percent from outside and a 33-22 rebounding deficit. The Huskers added 12 turnovers for 13 Iowa points, but the Hawkeyes shot just 33.3 percent from the field themselves. This rematch could go a lot of different ways, but it should be entertaining regardless.

The Celtics are slightly shorthanded with Nikola Vucevic ruled out with a right ring finger fracture, while the Cavaliers have ruled out Jarrett Allen and Max Strus, with Jaylon Tyson listed as questionable. The Celtics looked great in their first game with Tatum back in the lineup and they will like their chances against the Cavaliers, who they’ve already beaten twice this season. The Cavaliers expect to have Donovan Mitchell back in the lineup, which is a major boost, but it would be a loss if Tyson isn’t able to suit up. With that being said, I am leaning towards the healthier Celtics squad, who represent decent value as the underdogs in this spot.

The Wizards are still missing Kyshawn George, Cam Whitmore, Anthony Davis, and Tristan Vukcevic, while the Pelicans don’t have any players listed on the injury report. The Wizards have been the floor mats of the league lately and things went from bad to worse after they got beaten by the lowly Jazz on Thursday. The Pelicans haven’t been playing anywhere near their best lately, but they were close against the Suns in their last outing and I think they can finally get a much-needed win over this depleted Wizards squad. The line was always going to be hefty for this matchup, but I think the Pelicans get the job done with ease in this spot.

The Suns and the points are appealing when you consider they’re still an above-average team that’s also 36-24-3 ATS on the season. However, we’ve been backing the Hornets a ton during this run and their 41-23 ATS record is the best in the league. The Suns have lost some of their footing since Brooks got hurt, and they’re 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games. I’ll keep backing the cash cow of the NBA, which is the Hornets.

St. Louis comes into this matchup on a three game winning streak and they have allowed two goals or fewer in four of their last five games. The Blues are 10-17-3 on the road this year, while the Ducks are 21-9-1 at home. Anaheim has won seven of their last eight games and they have scored at least five goals in three of their last five. The Ducks don’t play much defense, but St. Louis is very low scoring. Take Anaheim to win by at least two goals here.

The Stars have been the far better team this season and will be looking for revenge today, as they have lost twice to the Blackhawks this season. This is also a perfect bounce spot for the Stars, who lost to the Avalanche on Friday and saw their 10-game winning streak getting snapped. The Blackhawks have been struggling mightily with a 2-8 record in their last 10 games and I expect them to get blown out today. Take the Stars on the puckline.

Colorado has been one of the most dominant home teams in the league this season, and Ball Arena has been a difficult place for opponents to steal wins. While Minnesota has played well and even beat Colorado recently, the Avalanche’s elite offense and strong defensive metrics give them a slight edge in this matchup. I expect Colorado to control the pace of the game and take advantage of their high shot volume to generate scoring opportunities.