Brad Wilton
Have to be careful backing the Monmouth Hawks as we head down the stretch, as the linesmakers have asked the New Jersey school to cover some inflated numbers lately.
The Hawks are riding a righteous 8 game straight up winning streak, but against the spread things have been a little bit tougher, as Monmouth is off a spread fail at Marist last time out, and is only 4-6 against the spread their last 10 games - all listed as the favorite.
Included in that stretch is a loss in Jersey City to the Peacocks, who comfortably took the first meeting this season by 10-points as the +5 1/2 point home dog.
St. Peter's have proven to be a tough out on the road, as they have covered in 7 of their 8 lined road games this season, including an overtime loss at Iona their last time on the planks.
Series numbers also show Pete's as giving Monmouth issues, as the Peacocks have a winning straight up mark at 4-3 dating to 2014, and 2 of the past 5 showdowns have needed overtime to decide.
Monmouth in a close one tonight. Take St. Peter's plus the generous spot.
2* ST. PETER'S
Eric Schroeder
My free play for tonight is on the Houston Rockets, over the Chicago Bulls.
I know Chicago opened a six-game road trip by pounding the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-100 on Wednesday, but to string a pair of performances together, especially against the offensively proficient Rockets, will be tough.
The Bulls' offensive issues and continued struggles to maintain momentum leads me to believe they will fall flat tonight.
I'd rather side with a Rockets team that will be hungry after an epic collapse last night against the Atlanta Hawks. Houston blew a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 113-108 loss to the Hawks.
The Rockets are mired in a 5-8 slump following a nine-game winning streak, and they could use a momentous home win over a team like the Bulls to reignite their fire.
Take the home chalk here.
1* ROCKETS
Jack Brayman
My free play for Friday night is on the Denver Nuggets over the Milwaukee Bucks, who head into the Mile High City mired in a four-game losing streak.
Not only are the Bucks struggling, but to shake things up with the roster, they dealt center Miles Plumlee to the Charlotte Hornets for centers Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes. And to make room for both new arrivals, the Bucks released forward Steven Novak. But there is no guarantee the newcomers will play tonight. And if they do, there's no telling what sort of chemistry the team will have.
I know the Nuggets are a bit dinged up, but they took yesterday off from practice and will come in well rested for their short-handed guests. Denver has lost two straight and has a tough slate with eight games left before the All-Star break.
Treating this like a must-win, the Nuggets will take advantage of their opportunity to get a win against a team that is struggling, as the Bucks have lost nine of their last 10.
Take Denver tonight.
2* NUGGETS
Frank Sawyer
Lakers +11½
Los Angeles (17-35) has lost four of their last five games with their 116-108 loss at Washington last night. But the Lakers have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up loss. The Lakers have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. Boston (31-18) has won five in a row with their 109-104 win over Toronto on Wednesday. But the Celtics have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. That is not a good sign from a team that has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of the last 7 meetings between these historic rivals.
Big Al
Edmonton vs. Carolina
Pick: Edmonton
Once again, the Edmonton Oilers are suffering from several injuries on their roster. The difference this time is that none of the players who are currently sidelined are considered vital in terms of their roles and ice time. That certainly wasn't the case over the past several years when the Oilers seemed to lose star after star to various maladies. LW Jujhar Khaira (wrist) is listed as no higher than 6th on the depth chart while RWs Tyler Pitlick (torn ACL) and Liro Pakarinen (knee) are similarly at the bottom of the depth chart at their position. And injured D Darnell Nurse (ankle surgery) is no better than 5th on the defensive depth chart. Perhaps the Oilers should feel good about playing in Raleigh tonight as they lost their last game at home, 5-2 to the Minnesota Wild, but won three straight road games by a combined score of 15-4 prior to that. They are 7-2 overall in their last nine games, and while the Hurricanes won their last contest, 5-1 over the Flyers, that was their first victory in their last six, going back almost three weeks. The Oilers are 5-2 in the last seven meetings while the 'Canes are 29-61 in their last 90 games vs. teams with a winning record.