Jim Feist.
As far as the playoffs are concerned, Phoenix is in. That's not the case with Denver, which is battling Dallas and Golden State for the final two playoff slots. It's never easy to play in Denver, with the thin air, and the Nuggets are 30-7 SU, 23-14 ATS at home. They will run right at Phoenix and an aging Shaquille O'neal, as the Suns are playing their 4th game in 5 nights. The game means far more to the home team. Play the Nuggets!
Cajun Sports
Game: Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs
Rating: THREE-Star (rated 1 to 6 units)
Selection: SAN ANTONIO SPURS -8.5
Analysis: A few weeks ago it was questionable if the Champs could turn it up a notch and get themselves in the top playoff position. I think they have answered the bell and have done it the way they always have, with defense. They have pulled within a half game of the Western Conference lead by going on a 7 game win streak which includes a 6-1 run against the number. That win streak was led by defense they allowed less than 87 points per game during their recent winning streak and if this type of play continues it could become very interesting the rest of the way. Golden State is in a battle also, they are just trying to make the field and have pulled even for the last remaining playoff spot. This could actually be a first round preview of the upcoming NBA Playoffs. For this game though we have the better team playing at home fighting for home-court advantage in the playoffs with an added bonus of double-revenge. The last time these two met the Warriors put 130 points on the leagues best defense in an overtime win and you can bet the Spurs have not forgotten that January evening. In search of technical support for our selection we found several key tech indicators that back our position. GST off 1 SU win now away with a point range of 8 to 10 points are 8-22-2 ATS, as an underdog of 8 to 10 points 10-24-2 ATS, as an away underdog of 8 to 10 points they are 7-22-2 ATS. IF GST won both SU and ATS in their last game and are now away with a point range of 8 to 10 points they are 6-18-2 ATS, as an underdog they are 9-20-2 ATS and as an away underdog they are 6-18-2 ATS. SA at home with a point range of 8 to 10 points are 103-72-4 ATS, as a favorite they are 132-92-6 ATS and if they are a home favorite their record is 101-70-4 ATS. The Spurs coming in off 7 SU wins with a point range of 8 to 10 points are 20-7 ATS if they are favored the record is 19-7 ATS. SA off a SU/ATS win and the game went over the posted total and they are a home favorite in the same price range they are 21-8-1 ATS. Finally if the Spurs are coming in off three home games and are now a conference favorite their record is 10-1-1 ATS, if they are a home favorite their record is 7-1-1 ATS. We also have a system that tells us to Play On NBA home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points playing with double revenge for 2 straight losses vs. their opponent, in a game involving teams that have a winning percentage of 60% to 75% on the season, 43-15 ATS since 2002. Lay the chalk as the Spurs avenge their two previous losses and help their home-court goal for the playoffs.
Arthur Ralph
Superpick: Houston Rockets
Regular Play: Ole Miss (NIT)
Free Play: Los Angeles Angels
Bobby Maxwell
Today we're going with the Angels as they are in Minnesota taking on the Twins.
The Twins might have gotten the opener thanks to a solid bullpen but look for their bats to go silent tonight when the Angels' $10-million dollar man gets ahold of them.
That's right, it's Jon Garland on the hill for Los Angeles against the Twins. Garland comes over after seven years with the White sox that saw him win 18 games two of the last three seasons. he faced these Twins last September and lost 5-2 but allowed just five hits and only one earned run. In fact in his last six starts he allowed just nine earned runs.
Boof Bonser is on the mound for the Twins and he struggled last season going 8-12 with a 5.10 ERA. He faced the Angels back on Aug. 12 and lasted just 5.2 innings, giving up five runs (all earned) on nine hits.
Play the Angels in this one as Garland is going to have a good outing for his new teammates and he is on a mound he's familiar with pitching in the Metrodomoe numerous times in his career. Angels win this one.
3* L.A. ANGELS
The two-time defending national champions are in the NIT semifinals and playing some of the best basketball they've played all season. We weren't sold on the Gators in this tourney until they were able to go across the country to Arizona State a week ago and dismantle the Sun Devils 70-57 as a 3 1/2-point underdog.
The way Florida finished the SEC season, losing four straight both SU and ATS, it didn't look like this team could care less, but somehow coach Billy Donovan has motivated them for another postseason run, except on a smaller scale of course.
Four of the five Gators' starters hit double digits against Arizona State and big-man Marreese Speights was a beast getting 14 points and 10 boards. And look for Walter Hodge to perform well for the Gators in this one as he is the only player with real experience in last year's title run. He put up 18 and had 7 assists in Arizona last week.
UMass is just 1-5 ATS in their last six neutral site games and they haven't fared well against SEC compeition, going 0-5 ATS in the last five. Florida is 18-7-1 ATS in its last 26 neutral site games and 35-17-1 ATS in its last 53 non-conference contests.
The Gators have come together and should be able to get the win and cover tonight. Go ahead and lay the chalk with Florida as it comes out on top of this one by 12.
4* FLORIDA
Karl Garrett
Take Ohio State minus a few points over Ole Miss. I must admit I am surprised the Buckeyes aren't laying a few more in this spot, but I suppose the Rebels huge quarterfinal road win at Virginia Tech was enough proof the linesmakers needed to keep this price near a pick.
Prefer to lay what I have to lay with a Bukeyes team that was a home court wrecking ball through their first 3 games of this tourney, and has a coach who knows what it takes to take a team late into the month of March - April as the case may be now!.
Look for Ohio State to have a few fans in the seats tonight, as THE Ohio State always seems to travel well, and look for the Bucks to salt this one away late in the second half, and advance on to Thursday's title game.
3* OHIO STATE
DUNKEL INDEX - NHL
Buffalo at Toronto
The Leafs look for revenge from a home loss to the Sabres (6-2) on March 15 and have won four of six since then. Toronto is the underdog pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has the Maple Leafs favored straight up by 1/2 a goal.
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+110).
Here are all of today's games.
TUESDAY, APRIL 1
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST
Game 1-2: Florida at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 10.661; Atlanta 10.786
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Florida (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+115); Under
Game 3-4: New Jersey at NY Islanders
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 11.455; NY Islanders 10.021
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-200); 5
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-200); Over
Game 5-6: Carolina at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 11.678; Washington 11.870
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-160); 6
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-160); Under
Game 7-8: Montreal at Ottawa
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.199; Ottawa 11.708
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Ottawa (-150); 6
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (-150); Over
Game 9-10: Buffalo at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 10.762; Toronto 11.214
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-130); 6
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+110); Over
Game 11-12: Nashville at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 11.556; St. Louis 10.865
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-145); 5
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (-145); Under
Game 13-14: Calgary at Edmonton
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 11.064; Edmonton 11.522
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Edmonton (-110); 5
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (-110); Over
Game 15-16: Colorado at Vancouver
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 11.736; Vancouver 11.426
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-135); 5
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+115); Over
Game 17-18: Los Angeles at San Jose
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 10.631; San Jose 12.310
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-230); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-230); Under
DUNKEL INDEX - CBB NIT
Mississippi vs. Ohio State
The Buckeyes went 2-0 ATS this season against SEC teams (Florida and Tennessee). Ole Miss dropped eight of its last nine games away from home. Ohio State is the pick in tonight's NIT semifinals (-2) according to Dunkel, which has the Buckeyes favored by 3 1/2.
Dunkel Pick: Ohio State (-2).
Here are all of today's games.
TUESDAY, APRIL 1
Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST
Game 667-668: Massachusetts vs. Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Massachusetts 63.768; Florida 69.227
Dunkel Line: Florida by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida by 4
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-4)
Game 669-670: Mississippi vs. Ohio State
Dunkel Ratings: Mississippi 65.416; Ohio State 68.754
Dunkel Line: Ohio State by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: Ohio State by 2
Dunkel Pick: Ohio State (-2)
DUNKEL INDEX - MLB
Boston at Oakland
The A's and Red Sox resume their Tokyo series today in Oakland where A's starter Joe Blanton went 7-5 with a 2.69 ERA last season compared to Dice-K's mediocre 8-9, 4.13 mark on the road. Oakland is the underdog pick (+120) according to Dunkel, which has the A's favored straight up by 1/2 a run.
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+120).
Here are all of today's games.
TUESDAY, APRIL 1
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST
Game 951-952: NY Mets at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Martinez) 15.603; Florida (Vandenhurk) 14.126
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-210); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-210); Over
Game 953-954: Houston at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Backe) 14.052; San Diego (Young) 15.464
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: San Diego (-205); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-205); Under
Game 955-956: San Francisco at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 14.285; LA Dodgers (Lowe) 15.547
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-160); Under
Game 957-958: LA Angels at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Garland) 15.366; Minnesota (Bonser) 15.127
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-130); Under
Game 959-960: Boston at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Matsuzaka) 15.216; Oakland (Blanton) 15.306
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+120); Under
Game 961-962: Texas at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Padilla) 14.628; Seattle (Hernandez) 15.619
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Seattle (-190); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-190); Under
Jimmy Moore
Detroit -6.5
Mighty Quinn
UMass +4
Ole Miss +2
Scott Spreitzer
Twolves
#1 Sports
Bulls
Cappers Access
Umass
Ohio St
Glen Mcgrew
Rockets
Joe Wiz
Rockets
Nuggets
Razor Sharp Sports
Spurs Under
USA Sports Consulting
Toronto (R.Halladay)
MadduxSports
Chicago Bulls
GAMBLERS DATA
76'ers
VEGAS STEAMLINE
Detroit -6.5
Insider Sports Report
4* New Orleans/Orlando (NBA) OVER 208
Range 206 to 210
3* L.A. Angels (Garland) -135 over Minnesota (Bonser)
Range -120 to -155
3* Florida -3.5 over UMass (NCAAB)
Range -2 to -5.5
Fairway Jay
20* Big Drive: New Jersey -1
New Jersey Over 202.5 -110
Mississippi +2
Rob Veno
Blue Chip: Florida -4
Blue Chip: Ohio State Over 141
Brandon Lang
5 Dimes
U Mass
Mississippi
Hornets
Free pick - Nuggets
ROCKDEMANSPORTS Dog of the Day
Marlins +210
LT Profits
Massachusetts @ Florida Over 154.0
The Massachusetts Minutemen are one of the highest scoring teams in the country, and the Florida Gators do not mind running the floor either, so we look for an entertaining high scoring game in this NIT semifinal.
The Minutemen are averaging 81.5 points per game over the entire year, and their scoring does not suffer on the road either, where they average 80.6 points. This was pretty apparent in their 81-77 come-from-behind win at Syracuse last week that enabled Massachusetts to get to this point. The Minutemen have now scored 78 points or more in eight of their last 10 games, and a replay of that here would virtually guarantee an Over.
Do not sleep on the Gators offense either, as they are averaging 77.9 points on an outstanding 49.1 percent shooting from the floor. Granted, they have slipped to 72.8 points and a still excellent 48.8 percent shooting over their last five games, but they should improve on those recent point totals vs. a Massachusetts defense that is allowing 75.5 points per contest and is not as good as the defenses Florida has been facing lately.
We do expect a narrow Florida victory here, but we are much more confident that these teams will match each other basket for basket.
Massachusetts, Florida Over 154
Toronto Blue Jays +145
It is not too often that you can get Roy Halladay at this price, so the Toronto Blue Jays simply ooze value vs. the New York Yankees today.
Not only is Halladay a perennial Cy Young candidate, but he has always fared well vs. the Yankees, allowing three earned runs or less in nine of his last 10 starts against them. He also loves pitching in Yankee Stadium, and he has allowed a grand total of two earned runs in his last four starts in the House that Ruth Built, covering 30 innings. Do not forget about the Toronto bullpen either as that unit finished second in the American League in bullpen ERA last season and should be even better this year once B.J. Ryan is back and healthy.
Now granted, Chien-Ming Wang has been downright dominant at home during his brief Yankee career. However, the Yankees have lost his last three starts vs. the Blue Jays, and he allowed 12 earned runs in just 17 innings over those outings, making him vulnerable as a big favorite here. Also, we still do not have much faith in the Yankees long relievers, so if this becomes a battle of the pens, we think the Blue Jays would have the advantage.
The bottom line here is that Toronto has the better starting pitcher and the better bullpen, while the Yankees obviously have a big edge offensively. However, given Halladay?s history against them, look for the Yankee bats to be kept relatively quiet here as the Blue Jays spring the upset.
Blue Jays +145