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The Western Conference playoff race is reaching a fever pitch as the Los Angeles Lakers travel to the Toyota Center to take on the Houston Rockets this Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 PM on ESPN. This is a massive game for seeding because the Lakers currently sit in third place with a 43-25 record, while the Rockets are right on their heels in fourth at 41-26. Los Angeles is arguably the hottest team in the league right now, carrying a six-game winning streak into Houston. They just beat these same Rockets a few days ago in a 100-92 defensive struggle. The Rockets are looking for immediate revenge on their home floor, where they have been much tougher all

Bradley gets this NIT matchup at home, hosting Dayton at Carver Arena in Peoria on Wednesday night with tip set for 9:00 PM ET on ESPNU. Bradley comes in at 21-12 overall after going 14-8 in Missouri Valley play, while Dayton finished 23-11 with a 14-7 mark in the Atlantic 10. The market is telling us this should be tight, with Dayton laying just 1.5 on the road, and that feels right. These teams are close enough on paper that the smaller details matter more than usual. Bradley enters off a close loss to Northern Iowa, but its broader form still looks solid, and the Braves have generally been one of those teams that can make life uncomfortable at home

Sam Houston heads to Albuquerque for an NIT road test against New Mexico on Wednesday night, with tipoff set for 9:00 PM ET at The Pit on ESPN+. The Bearkats enter 22-11 after a strong Conference USA season, while the Lobos bring a 23-10 mark and the edge of playing at home in one of the louder buildings in the Mountain West. The market has New Mexico installed as a sizable favorite at -11.5, which tells you plenty about how much respect bettors give the Lobos in this spot. There is also a real contrast in style here. Sam Houston has been productive offensively and rebounds well enough to stay dangerous, but this is a major step up in venue

SMU and Miami (OH) meet in one of the most interesting First Four games on the board Wednesday night at UD Arena in Dayton, with tipoff set for 9:15 PM ET on truTV. SMU comes in at 20-13 after a grind through the ACC, while Miami (OH) enters 31-1 after seeing its perfect season end in the MAC tournament. That contrast is really the story here. One team has dealt with a major step up in competition all season. The other has been dominant for months and now has to prove that dominance translates on this stage. There is pressure on both sides, but it feels a little different. SMU is trying to justify the committee’s faith after landing an