Wunderdog
Boston vs. Detroit
Pick: Boston -138
Boston has won eight of the last nine meetings against Detroit, including 1-0 on Oct. 29. The Bruins come off a loss to the New York Islanders on Monday as Tuukka Rask had an off night in goal allowing three goals and Zane McIntyre finished up and allowed another goal in the 4-0 loss. Rask is still 22-10-3 this season with a 2.03 goals-against average and .923 save percentage and should bounce back tonight. The Red Wings won its second straight 1-0 against Montreal on Monday with Thomas Vanek scoring the only goal and Jared Coreau making 18 saves. Detroit is just 1-6 after allowing two or fewer goals its previous game and Boston is 6-1 after allowing three goals or more in a home loss. The Red Wings have lost four of their last five following a win.
Jimmy Moore
Nebraska -1.5
The Buckeyes are off of a big home win against Michigan State so they will still be riding on that high and the road has not been kind to them this season since they only have 1 cover all season long in true road games. The home team has covered 7 of the last 8 in this series and Ohio State has only covered 8 of their last 35 road games. Look for a win here by the 'Huskers.
Dave Cokin
Missouri St. at Indiana St
Play: Indiana St Pk
This figures to be a tight game, as that's pretty much a regular occurrence for Indiana State. The Sycamores have been in five OT games, and have five others decided by one possession. One of those OT's was a loss at Missouri State. The Bears haven't played as well since Rousseau left the team for personal reasons. Probably a nail biter but off its best game in some time, I like Indiana State to pull this one out.
Teddy Covers
Memphis at Washington -2
Play: Washington -2
The markets haven’t come close to catching up with the Wizards in recent weeks, particularly on their home floor. The Wizards are 15-7 SU since their 2-8 start. At home, the numbers are even more impressive: 12-0 SU, 11-1 ATS ; a streak that dates back to early December. Shooting guard Bradley Beal: “We have that extra urge here, that will to want to win. We want to be a great team here and home, we want to have home court when playoff time comes around."
Washington’s run of success is no fluke. Point guard John Wall is playing at a superstar level, ranked #5 in the NBA (behind Westbrook, Curry, Lowry and Paul) in REAL plus/minus for point guards. Small forward Otto Porter has come into his own as well, ranked #6 at his position in REAL plus/minus, behind the likes of LeBron, Kawhi, Greek Freak, Durant and Jimmy Butler. Marcin Gortat is cleaning up in the low post, Beal is draining three’s, and despite a relatively weak bench, Scott Brooks has a surging, confident team right now.
The Wizards are rested and ready, playing only their third game in the last seven days, all at home. The Grizzlies are on the other end of the ‘rested and ready’ spectrum. This will be their 14th consecutive court change, a brutal scheduling stretch that has left them without back-2-back home games since the week before Christmas. They’ve played in all four US time zones in their last six games; looking gassed and out of sync in a home loss to Chicago in their last contest.
Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale, talking about how he’s trying to patch things through the Grizzlies rough scheduling stretch and their near constant battle with key injuries: “We’re trying to feel our way through this thing and see what works and what doesn’t work as we get these guys back healthy and getting their legs under them. We’ve just got to figure it out...and be more consistent.” That’s no bet-on quote!
Buster Sports
Bucks at Rockets
Play: Under 225
The Houston Rockets come home following a 109-103 loss in Miami last night to play an up and coming Milwaukee Bucks squad. We will be taking the UNDER as we have a total of 225 at the time of this writing which we believe is a little high. We had this total at 221 so there is plenty of value for us here. Milwaukee is ranked 10th in opponents points per game and we see them trying to play more defense than getting into a run and gun game with the Rockets. The Rockets are also fighting the injury bug. Ryan Anderson is recovering from the flu and Eric Gordon was hurt last night and even if they both play they will not be close to 100%. In the Bucks last 35 games only 2 have gone OVER today's posted total. We know Houston are the second highest scoring team in the NBA but back to back games with a club not a 100% healthy has us on the UNDER here.
David Banks
Thunder @ Warriors
Pick: Thunder 12.5
Former teammates Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant square off once again as the Thunder travels to Golden State on Wednesday night. If it’s anything like the last time, Durant will have the last laugh again. Back on Nov. 3, the Warriors blew out the Thunder, 122-96, behind 39 points from Golden State’s leading scorer. Durant averages 26 points a game, one of three Warriors averaging over 20 points a game. Steph Curry scores 24.7 per game and Klay Thompson averages 21.3.
Westbrook, the NBA’s leading scorer at 30.9 points per game, will try and help the Thunder overcome their road woes. Oklahoma City is just 10-11 away from home this season. It surely isn’t Westbrook who just recorded his 20th triple-double of the season last week in a win over Sacramento. The Thunder star is on track to become only the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double per game. Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson was the other.
The Thunder are just 5-5 in their last ten games and will have trouble controlling the Warriors’ Big Three – Durant, Curry, and Thompson. Golden State leads the NBA in scoring and Oklahoma City does not have the firepower to keep up with the Warriors. Victor Oladipo (16.4 ppg) is the team’s second-leading scorer. Golden State is difficult to beat at Oracle Arena. They are 18-3 at home this season.
Harry Bondi
WASHINGTON -2 over Memphis
Washington has really been playing well winning 5 of their last 6 and 12 straight at home. The home team has also covered 4 of the last 5 meeting between these two squads.
Eric Schroeder.
My free play is on the seventh-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers, against the rebuilding Oklahoma Sooners.
West Virginia (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) just had a close call at Texas, so there will be no taking the Sooners (7-9, 1-4) lightly.
But Oklahoma is nothing to worry about, seriously, now that Buddy Hield is in the NBA.
West Virginia has won 25 of its last 27 games, including a 21-point thrashing of then-No. 1 Baylor just eight days ago. Look for the same type of destruction, as the physical and defensive Mountaineers dominate in this win.
5* WEST VIRGINIA
Brad Wilton
Home court makes the difference tonight in Big Ten action when Ohio State visits Lincoln for a date with Nebraska.
The Buckeyes were able to end a 4-game slide with a win over Michigan State their last time out, but that win came in Columbus. On the road, Thad Matta's team is just 1-5 both straight up and against the spread.
The Cornhuskers have followed a 4 game winning streak with back-to-back conferences losses to Northwestern (at home), and Michigan (on the road). Nebraska has won 6 of their 9 home games this season, and the host in this series is on a 7-1 spread run the past 8 times these conference-rivals have squared off.
The Buckeyes are on a 2-6 spread slide in Big Ten play, and their overall road spread slide is 8-26-1 their last 35 lined games away from Columbus.
Ohio State's series win streak stands at 3 in a row, but in this near pick spot tonight, I am going with the host.
3* NEBRASKA
Brad Wilton
Series numbers show Toronto and Philly having played Over their total in 4 straight in the series, and 6 of the last 7 series meetings overall. They have also played Overs the last 4 times these teams have played in the City of Brotherly Love.
The Raptors just played last night in Brooklyn, and that game slipped Over the total. Toronto has now played Overs in 5 of their last 6 games played. For the season Toronto is also 27-14 Over the posted price for the year.
The 76ers meanwhile just played Over the total in their last game at Milwaukee, and they are 4-0 Over the total their last 4 games versus teams with a winning record.
Based on the strong series numbers both in Philly and overall, I will side with the Over in the Raptors-Sixers Wednesday showdown in Philadelphia.
4* TORONTO-PHILADELPHIA OVER
BRANDON LEE
Florida vs. South Carolina
Play: South Carolina -2
Florida is getting all kinds of love due to winning a 7-game winning streak, which includes a 5-0 start to SEC play. The thing is the Gators have had a pretty easy slate so far and I see this game at South Carolina as their biggest challenge yet. The Gamecocks simply aren't getting enough respect here. They are 14-3 overall and 10-1 at home and all 3 losses have come with their best player, Sindarius Thornwell sidelined. South Carolina is 8-1 ATS over the last 3 seasons off 3 straight wins by 10 or more, 15-6 ATS in their last 21 against a team that's won more than 60% of their games and a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games against a team with a winning road record.
DAVE PRICE
Raptors vs. 76ers
Play: 76ers +6
The Philadelphia 76ers have finally turned the corner and are playing their best basketball of the year. They are 6-2 SU & 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall. One of the losses was a 4-point setback at Boston as 11-pint dogs. The 76ers went into Milwaukee last time out and won 113-104 as 8.5-point dogs. Now they face a Toronto Raptors team in a very bad spot. The Raptors will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back here after a 119-109 win in Brooklyn last night. And leading scorer DeMar DeRozan is likely to rest tonight for the Raptors because of it. Philadelphia is 14-5 ATS revenging a home loss this season.
TEDDY DAVIS
Indiana vs. Penn State
Play: Penn State +4
I'm really surprised Indiana is actually even favored here given they are just 1-4 in road games so far and only have conference wins over Rutgers and Illinois. Penn St is playing with a ton of confidence right now with a 3-2 conference record and have beaten Minnesota and Michigan St in back to back games.
ALEX SMART
Raptors vs. 76ers
Play: Over 213½
Toronto is 2-0 against the Sixers this season, winning 122-95 on Nov. 28 at home and 123-114 on Dec. 14 in Philadelphia and I am expecting a similar combined score tonight. TORONTO is 21-11 OVER L/32 versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season with a combined average score of 218.8 ppg going on the board and 22-9 OVER versus up-tempo teams averaging 83 or more shots/game this season like Philly with a combined average of 221.1 ppg getting scored. TORONTO is 19-8 OVER L/27 when the total is greater than or equal to 210 with a combined average of 221 ppg going on the board.
MATT JOSEPHS
Colorado State vs. Fresno State
Play: Fresno State -4½
Fresno hosts Colorado State on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs have won three of their last five all at home over Boise State, Wyoming and Nevada. Fresno has a lot of weapons led by Karachi Edo and Paul Watson. They are facing a Rams team with just seven scholarship players and only three guards or so on the roster. They have won three of their last five after a three game losing streak. The problem has been their defense which needs to be better considering the offense has been inconsistent. Fresno has covered 10 of their 13 lined games including four of five at home. I like the home team in this one.