The Duke Blue Devils are not usually an underdog against a team on a seven-game losing streak.
That's the exact situation Duke finds itself in on Big Monday in Blacksburg.
Duke has not had a great season, but it displayed signs of improvement lately that it can be one of the top contenders in the ACC.
Kansas is also a short underdog on Monday night. The Jayhawks are coming off a shellacking at home, but there is some hope they can win as an underdog against Baylor in Big 12 play.
New Mexico is another underdog to look at in the Mountain West. The Lobos' visit to Nevada might end up being the game of the night.
Monday CBB Picks
Overall Record: 67-66-5
Duke (+125) at Virginia Tech (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
I don't know how you can trust Virginia Tech in any capacity right now.
The Hokies come into Monday night on a seven-game losing streak and with a 1-7 mark in ACC play, yet somehow they are favored.
I understand that Duke is not your typical Duke team this year, but the Blue Devils have played better basketball over the last few weeks.
Jon Scheyer's team is 3-1 in its last four games and it turned a corner on Saturday with a tight home win over Miami.
Both teams have top 100 defenses, so the margins could be slim at points of the game, but there is one thing I think Duke thrives with and earns an advantage from.
Duke is fourth on KenPom in offensive rebounding. Virginia Tech is 245th. The Blue Devils average 4.3 more rebounds per game. They can create the edge on the glass and that should be the difference that helps them take a few extra shots and limit second-chance opportunities in Blacksburg.
Colgate at Boston U. (Over 143) (7 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
I initially wanted to bet Colgate on the spread, but it has moved all the way up to 7.5 over the last few hours.
I prefer the Colgate-Boston U. Over now because the first meeting between the two sides was a points factory.
Colgate beat Boston 77-71 on January 11. That is a total score five points higher than the over/under set for the rematch in Boston.
Colgate has allowed over 70 points in four of its last six games, while Boston let up over 75 points in three of the last five.
There are two average-at-best defenses in play here, and I think we see a similar score in the 70s in the second Patriot League meeting between the two sides.
Oakland at Detroit Mercy (Over 155) (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Oakland and Detroit Mercy both give up over 76 points per game.
That's a fantastic sign for a high over to hit.
Oh, and both teams average over 72 points per game as well.
Detroit has one of the best players in the country you do not know about in Antoine Davis, who is trying to break the NCAA men's all-time scoring record. Davis put up 42 and 41 points in his last two games.
Detroit is 6-1 to the over in its last seven games and Oakland had the over hit in each of its last two games.
Detroit-Oakland should be a nice alternative to any of the games on national television if they get boring.
Kansas (+115) at Baylor (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
This is more of a spot play on Kansas than anything.
The Jayhawks were blown out at home on national TV against TCU on Saturday.
Bill Self's team has a chance to put that loss in the past with a road triumph over Baylor that would put some pressure back on Kansas State in the Big 12 title race.
Baylor is on a four-game winning run, but the Bears have losses to three of the teams in the top half of the Big 12 standings. The defeats to Iowa State, TCU and Kansas State are in the back of my mind right now and that plays into my Kansas pick.
New Mexico (+145) at Nevada (9 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
New Mexico's offense is a well-oiled machine right now.
The Lobos put up over 75 points in every contest of their four-game winning streak. They hit that mark in six of their seven Mountain West games.
I'm willing to take New Mexico and its offense as an underdog against a comparable Nevada team, who comes into Monday with two losses in three games.