If you know the answer to the following questions, you’re in good shape for your attack on Vegas and offshore sportsbooks on Sunday.

1. Will Toronto’s Early Attack Work?  The Raptors aren’t any good, but they are often effective in these early Sunday home games by going right to the attack against opponents who still rubbing the sleep from their eyes.  Of course that style of play would be playing right into the Knicks’ hands.  Will the Raptors alter their usual Sunday strategy?  Totals players want to know.

2. Can the Suns Control Pace Against the Celtics?  With new head coach Alvin Gentry committed to running and spreading the floor to open up the middle, the Suns are 3-0 with the wins being by a combined 422-337.  Of course, those wins were against the Clippers (twice) and Thunder, a pair of teams that make anyone’s list of bottom 5 defenses.  Boston will be different, but Boston is without Kevin Garnett, and they are prone to playing faster games when KG-less.

3. Can Syracuse Step Up? Syracuse is 1-6 both straight up and against the spread against Big East teams that entered the weekend with a winning record. Boeheim’s bunch appears to be in a good spot here, with over a week off and in a solid revenge spot on their home court.  This dinged up Syracuse used the time off to do some healing, and the return to health of Arinze Onuaku is particularly important.  Syracuse’s only win and cover against a winning Big East team was in a similarly good spot at home against West Virginia.  Can they take advantage of this “rest & revenge” situation to gain a second quality conference win?

4. How Ugly Will the Big Ten Be Today?  After Purdue won but failed to cover their home game against Indiana Saturday, there have been 28 Big Ten conference games in February.  26 times a team has failed to reach 60 points.  10 of those low scorers stayed below 50. Yikes.  Be prepared for an unattractive trio of games in that loop today.

5. Who wins the battle of Arizona?   A lot of people saw ascendant Arizona State taking over the Grand Canyon State when the Sun Devils beat the Wildcats 53-47 in a Big 10-type game that saw both teams shoot below 30% from the field.  But ‘zona has won 7 straight since then.  ASU has won 4 straight themselves.  Those streaks combine for 10-1 against the spread, as Arizona’s 3-point win laying 4 at Oregon State is the lone non-cover by these two hot teams as of late.

Good luck on Sunday.