The Cleveland State Vikings are locked in a three way tie for first in the Horizon Conference, and they are on the road at Detroit Friday. The Titans are slumping, coming in as losers as three straight and five of their last six. The gap in talent here isn't close, and I don't think home court will be enough to level the playing field. My money is on the Vikes.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Home Cookin' - The Titans have lost three of their last four at home, and some of those losses came against the cellar dwellers of the conference. They were upset by a score of 83-73 in a home loss to the UIC Flames on Sunday, and prior to that they needed overtime to defeat the last place Youngstown State Penguins 93-87.

2. Line Value - The Vikings have won three straight in this series by an average margin of greater than seven points. They are only asked to cover a handful of points here, despite the fact that they won by a score of 86-78 in their last trip to Detroit.

3. X-Factor - The Vikes have a long history of being a good bet on the road, in fact they are 20-6-1 ATS in their last 27 road games.

Selection: This is a play on the Cleveland State Vikings (10*)