Jim Feist

The Saint Louis Billikens (11-7, 4-1 A-10) will host the La Salle Explorers (10-7, 2-2 A-10) on Wednesday at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. Led by center Robbie Avila, who averages 18.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, the Billikens have demonstrated a balanced offensive and defensive approach. Guard Isaiah Swope contributes significantly with 17.7 points and 5.0 assists per game. The team averages 75.8 points per game while allowing 70.1 points to opponents. Guard Corey McKeithan leads the Explorers with 16.3 points and 2.8 assists per game. Forward Jahlil White adds 9.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. La Salle averages 77.8 points per game but allows 75 points to opponents, indicating a more offense-driven style of play. Points Per Game: La Salle holds a slight edge, averaging 77.8 points compared to Saint Louis' 75.8. Points Allowed Per Game: Saint Louis has a stronger defense, allowing 70.1 points, while La Salle permits 75 points. Saint Louis: The Billikens secured a 63-59 victory over Richmond on January 18, 2025, showcasing their defensive capabilities. La Salle: The Explorers suffered a 60-82 loss to Massachusetts on January 19, 2025, indicating potential vulnerabilities. I'll take the points here with LaSalle.

The St. John's Red Storm (16-3, 4-2 Big East) are set to host the Xavier Musketeers (9-6, 1-3 Big East) on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. St. John's has reentered the Associated Press Top 25 at No. 20, marking their highest ranking since the 2014-15 season. Under head coach Rick Pitino, the team has achieved a 16-3 overall record, including a perfect week with victories over Georgetown and Seton Hall. RJ Luis Jr.: Leading scorer with 16.9 points per game, contributing significantly to the team's offense. Xavier Musketeers: Recent Performance: Xavier has faced challenges recently, with a 1-3 record in Big East play. The Musketeers are looking to rebound and improve their standing within the conference. Zach Freemantle: Leading the team with 16.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, he is a pivotal figure in Xavier's lineup. St. John's, riding a wave of momentum and boasting a strong home-court advantage at Madison Square Garden, will aim to continue their impressive form. Xavier, despite recent struggles, possesses the talent to challenge the Red Storm, making this a potentially competitive matchup. This Big East showdown offers St. John's an opportunity to solidify their top-25 ranking, while Xavier seeks a statement win to turn their conference play around. Take the points with Xavier here on Wednesday.

The James Madison Dukes (10-9, 3-4 Sun Belt) are set to face the Old Dominion Monarchs (8-11, 4-3 Sun Belt) on Wednesday at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Averaging 72.7 points per game, the Dukes have a field goal percentage of 43.9%. Defense: Allowing 69.7 points per game, with opponents shooting 44% from the field. Mark Freeman: Leading scorer with 12.4 points per game and 3.4 assists per game. AJ Smith: Top rebounder with 6.3 rebounds per game. Old Dominion Monarchs: Offense Averaging 67.9 points per game, shooting 39.9% from the field. Defense: Conceding 72.4 points per game, with opponents shooting 43.3%. Robert Davis Jr.: Leading scorer with 15.1 points per game. Sean Durugordon: Leading rebounder with 7.9 rebounds per game. Take James Madison here on the road Wednesday.

The Charlotte 49ers (7-12, 0-6 AAC) are set to host the South Florida Bulls (10-8, 3-2 AAC) on Wednesday, at Dale F. Halton Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. Averaging 70.4 points per game, the 49ers are led by guard Nik Graves, who contributes 16.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Defense: Allowing 73.6 points per game, Charlotte has faced challenges in containing opponents, as evidenced by their recent 77-68 loss to Memphis. South Florida Bulls: Offense: Scoring 78.1 points per game, the Bulls feature guard Jayden Reid, who averages 13.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Defense: Conceding 73.7 points per game, South Florida aims to improve its defensive consistency. I'll take the points with Charlotte here on Wednesday.

The George Washington Revolutionaries (13-5, 2-3 Atlantic 10) are set to face the Massachusetts Minutemen (8-11, 3-3 Atlantic 10) on Wednesday at 7:00 PM ET at the William D. Mullins Memorial Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. Offense: Averaging 78.4 points per game, the Revolutionaries are led by forward Darren Buchanan Jr., who contributes 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Defense: Allowing 67.0 points per game, George Washington emphasizes a balanced defensive approach. Recent Performance: The team is looking to rebound after a narrow 80-77 double-overtime loss to George Mason on January 18, 2025. Massachusetts Minutemen: Scoring 73.7 points per game, the Minutemen rely on guard Rahsool Diggins, who averages 13.9 points and 3.1 assists per game. Conceding 74.8 points per game, Massachusetts aims to tighten its defensive play. Massachusetts secured a 76-72 victory over Dayton on January 8, 2025, showcasing their potential in conference play. Take the road team here on Wednesday in George Washington.

The Stanford Cardinal (11-6, 3-3 ACC) are set to host the Miami Hurricanes (4-13, 0-6 ACC) on Wednesday at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California. The Cardinal are led by center Maxime Raynaud, who averages 21.4 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, showcasing his dominance in the paint. Guard Jaylen Blakes contributes significantly with 15.3 points and 5.3 assists per game, facilitating the team's offensive flow. Stanford emphasizes a balanced defensive approach, aiming to contain opponents' scoring opportunities. The Hurricanes have faced challenges this season, reflected in their 4-13 record. They are striving to find consistency in their offensive play to improve their standing in the conference. Miami's defense has been tested throughout the season, and they will need to tighten their defensive strategies to contend with Stanford's key players. Stanford enters the matchup with a stronger record and the advantage of playing on their home court. The performance of Maxime Raynaud and Jaylen Blakes will be crucial for the Cardinal. Miami will need to elevate their play on both ends of the court to challenge Stanford effectively. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8:00 PM PT and will be broadcast on ESPNU. I look for Stanford to blowout Miami who is making the long trip from the East Coast to the West coast for this contest. Play Stanford as your ACC Game of the Year.  

The Phoenix Suns take on the Brooklyn Nets tonight. The Suns (21-21) are aiming to conclude their five-game road trip on a positive note. Despite a recent 118-92 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Durant has been a consistent scorer, recently posting 23 points. Devin Booker, averaging 25.5 points per game, had a streak of five consecutive 30-point games before being limited to 15 points against the Cavaliers. Bradley Beal, contributing 14.7 points per game off the bench, is questionable for this matchup due to a sprained left ankle. The Nets (14-30) are struggling, currently on an eight-game home losing streak and holding a 5-20 record since their last meeting with the Suns. In their recent 99-95 loss to the New York Knicks, the team shot 37.2%, their second-lowest percentage this season. D'Angelo Russell and Cameron Johnson combined for 39 points but were inefficient, shooting 12-of-37 from the field. With offensive talents like Durant and Booker, the Suns have the potential for high-scoring games. However, their recent performance against the Cavaliers indicates possible inconsistencies. The Nets have struggled offensively, being held under 100 points for the 12th time this season in their last game. The Nets are 29th in the NBA in scoring with a 106.4 ppg average while the Suns come in at 14th in scoring with a 112.7 ppg average. The Nets will continue to struggle offensively and with that I'm looking at another low scoring game here on Wednesday. Take the UNDER.

The UMass Lowell River Hawks are set to host the Maine Black Bears on Thursday at the Costello Athletic Center in Lowell, Massachusetts. As of January 23, 2025, the Maine Black Bears hold a 12-8 overall record with a 4-1 mark in America East Conference play, placing them second in the conference standings. The UMass Lowell River Hawks stand at 13-6 overall and 2-2 in conference play, currently fourth in the standings. Maine is on a four-game winning streak, with their most recent victory being an 87-62 win over UMBC on January 18, 2025. The River Hawks are looking to rebound after an 85-62 loss to Bryant on January 18, 2025. Maine Black Bears: A. Lopez: Leading the team with an average of 15.2 points per game, shooting 49.3% from the field and 89.8% from the free-throw line. Q. Burns: Averaging 6.3 rebounds per game, contributing significantly to Maine's defense. UMass Lowell River Hawks: M. Brooks: Leading scorer with 14.8 points per game, boasting a 70.1% field goal percentage, and averaging 8.1 rebounds per game. Q. Mincey: Facilitating the offense with 2.7 assists per game. Maine Black Bears are averaging 72.5 points per game while allowing 66.1 points to opponents. Shooting 46.9% from the field and averaging 30.7 rebounds per game. UMass Lowell River Hawks are averaging 81.3 points per game, conceding 72.6 points on average. Shooting 49.1% from the field and averaging 36.9 rebounds per game. This matchup features Maine's solid defense against UMass Lowell's high-scoring offense. I like Mass Lowell in this one. Lay the small points with the River Hawks.

The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers are set to face the Georgia Southern Eagles on Thursday at Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro, Georgia. As of January 16, 2025, both teams held identical records of 8-9 overall and 1-4 in Sun Belt Conference play. In their most recent encounter on January 16, 2025, Georgia Southern secured a narrow 88-87 overtime victory against Coastal Carolina. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers: Jordan Battle: Leading scorer in the previous matchup with 16 points and eight rebounds. Rasheed Jones: Contributed 15 points and three steals. Georgia Southern Eagles: Bradley Douglas: Scored 20 points, including six in overtime, and grabbed six rebounds. Eren Banks: Tallied 19 points with efficient shooting. Coastal Carolina averages 68.4 points per game while allowing 68.2 points to opponents. Georgia Southern averages 73.6 points per game but concedes 79.2 points on average. Given the recent overtime thriller between these teams, another closely contested game is anticipated. Coastal Carolina will aim to tighten their defense to counter Georgia Southern's higher-scoring offense. I'll take the points here early on Thursday with the Chanticleers.

The San Antonio Spurs are set to face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Notably, this game will take place at the Accor Arena in Paris, France, as part of the NBA's international series. San Antonio Spurs are 19-22 and in 12th in the Western Conference. The Spurs are on a three-game losing streak and have a 2-6 record in January. Indiana Pacers are 24-19 and 5th in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers are 8-1 in January, with their only loss coming against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 11. San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama: Averaging 25.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. Chris Paul: Contributing 9.4 points and 8.3 assists per game. Indiana Pacers: Pascal Siakam: Leading the team with 19.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Tyrese Haliburton: Averaging 17.6 points and 8.6 assists per game. This matchup is part of the NBA's initiative to expand its global reach, bringing regular-season games to international venues. The Accor Arena in Paris will provide a unique backdrop for this contest. The Spurs will look to leverage the support for Victor Wembanyama, a French native, to snap their current losing streak. Wembanyama has faced challenges in January, with his scoring average dropping from 28.5 points per game in December to 20.5 points per game in the new year. The Pacers, on the other hand, aim to continue their strong performance this month. Tyrese Haliburton, who previously won an Olympic gold medal at the Accor Arena, will be a key player to watch. I'm taking the Spurs here in this early Thursday game as they look to snap their recent losing skip. Play San Antonio.