Jimmy Boyd
Spurs -8½
I have no problem laying a big number on the road with the Spurs against the Mavericks. San Antonio will be in a foul mood Wednesday, as they had their 9-game winning streak snapped at home against the Magic of all teams. The Spurs simply didn't have it, as they shot just 36.8% (28-76) from the field and a mere 25% (5-20) from 3-point range. They were also sloppy with the ball, committing a season-high 18 turnovers.
No Spurs player played more than 32 minutes, so we should see a full roster from SA tonight. Even if Popovich decides to rest some players, this Mavs team is one they can beat by double-digits with their reserves. Dallas comes in off a surprising 91-81 win over the Pelicans, but are still a mere 3-13 on the season, scoring just 91.5 ppg.
These two teams recently played in San Antonio on 11/21. The Spurs won 96-91, but if you remember that was the game where Popovich blasted his players for how poorly they played in the win. That's going to only add more fuel to the fire here for San Antonio, who comes in a perfect 10-0 SU and 8-1-1 ATS on the road this season.
Spurs are 20-6 ATS in their last 26 off an upset loss as a favorite of 10 or more points, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 when playing on 0 days of rest. Mavs are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 home games against a team with a winning road record and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 after covering the number in their last contest.
Matt Josephs
New Hampshire vs. Providence
Play: New Hampshire +13
New Hampshire won't be too intimidated playing on the road after winning at Temple and Winthrop already this season. They play some solid defense and will need it in what could be a low scoring affair. New Hampshire is facing Providence who is holding teams to just 57.7 points per game. The Wildcats have some size and are led by Tanner Leissner who is coming off a 31 point performance in their win over Detroit. Providence is coming off a 1-1 time in Destin, Florida and has a home game against Rhode Island next. I think the spot means a decent play for the road team in this one.
Jack Jones
Knicks vs. Wolves
Play: Wolves -3½
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the statistical profile of a .500 team despite their 5-12 record. They are only getting outscored by 0.9 points per game on the season. They problem is that they have dominated in the first half, but they haven't been able to close out games in the second half. They've already lost four times in which they led by at least 15 points.
I think the Timberwolves will come out with a chip on their shoulder tonight at home against the New York Knicks while finally putting together 48-minute game. They are clearly undervalued right now due to their record, and I believe it's about time to start backing them because of it.
The New York Knicks have been awful on the road this season. They are just 1-6 SU & 2-5 ATS on the road compared to 7-3 SU & 7-3 ATS at home. The Knicks are getting outscored by an average of 11.4 points per game on the road. They are giving up 111.7 points per game away from home as well. Minnesota is outscoring opponents by 5.9 points per game at home.
Tom Thibodeau is 46-23 ATS off a home loss in all games he has coached. The Timberwolves are 21-9 ATS in their last 30 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Big Al
San Jose vs. Los Angeles
Pick: San Jose
The Sharks know that the SAP Center in San Jose is their official home ice, but they must feel like their "unofficial" home is the Staples Center in Los Angeles. That's because the Sharks have been deadlier in L.A. recently than they have been just about anywhere else. The Sharks have won each of the last five meetings here at Staples, and that includes all three games here in last Spring's first playoff round. Of course, winning on enemy ice is nothing new for the Sharks, who sported the best road record of any team in the NHL Last season at 28-13. These two division rivals have almost identical records on the season so far, making this a critical contest as both the Kings and Sharks try to keep pace with the Oilers in the Pacific Division. For the Kings, goalie Peter Budaj has done a nice job of filling in for superstar Jonathan Quick, who will be out for three months with a strained groin. But Budaj is still a 34-year-old journeyman who last carried the load in net for an NHL team six years ago when he was a member of the Colorado Avalanche. The Sharks are 6-1 in the last seven meetings.
Larry Ness
Indiana vs. Portland
Pick: Portland
The 9-9 Indiana Pacers open a five-game road trip in Portland, one which which won’t end until Dec 9 in Dallas. The 9-10 Portland Blazers will be taking the court off a 130-114 thumping at the hands the Rockets this past Sunday, a game in which Houston connected on 56.1 percent from the floor, including 17 of 36 on threes.
The Blazers are tired of talking about getting better at the defensive end. "We keep preaching it, but it's getting old," guard Allen Crabbe said. "At some point, it has to click. We keep telling ourselves we have to get better, but at some point, we have to get it going." However, here’s the rub, they’ve had trouble stopping anybody. Portland owns the worst defensive efficiency rating in the NBA (109.80) and is giving up more points (113.7 PPG) than any team in the league other than the Brooklyn Nets (114.0). Cleveland blitzed them for 137 points, Golden State for 127, Houston for 126 and 130, even Phoenix for 121. "We talked about not taking steps back," head coach Nate McMillan said. "We've played some good games, and then you can't recognize the team the next game. We need to build some momentum at this point in the season."
The Pacers lost the first two games of a four-game homestand but then routed the Nets 118-97 and stunned the Clippers, 90-71! Was it good defense or did the Clippers just shoot poorly? LA connected on just 31.4 percent from the floor, including 4 of 24 on threes. The Pacers’ recent back-to-back home wins came without the services of star forward Paul George (20.8-6.9-3.5), who has missed six of the past seven games and will also sit out Wednesday's contest with ankle and back injuries. The 6-11 Myles Turner (14.7-7.6) has stepped up in just his second season and is ably backed up by veteran Al Jefferson (7.0-4.4). The trade for PG Jeff Teague (14.6-6.8 APG) has been a good one plus the Pacers have a trio of players capable of scoring in SF Miles (13.0), PF Young (12.1-6.1) and SG Ellis (10.6-3.7-4.2). The current bad news is that like George, Miles won’t play here.
Portland guards Lillard (28.2) and McCollum (22.3) are the second-highest scoring duo in the NBA (next to Durant and Curry) but only only SF Harkless (12.7) joins them in double digits. Still, Portland is one of the NBA’s best offensive teams, ranking third with 109.7 PPG and the Pacers are 1-5 SU & ATS on the road primarily because they can’t stop teams from scoring away from home, allowing 114.7 PPG. Lay the points with the Blazers.
SPORTS WAGERS
San Jose +118 over LOS ANGELES
OT included. The Kings want this one badly. Los Angeles not only lost to San Jose in last year’s playoffs, they lost in five games and looked like they didn’t belong on the same ice as the Sharks for long stretches during that series. In what was being billed as a great battle between evenly matched teams, it wasn’t close. To add more misery to the Kings’ plight, these two met on opening night and San Jose won that one too. Yes indeed, Los Angeles wants redemption here in a bad way.
That brings us to Pittsburgh’s domination over San Jose in last year’s final. Boy oh boy did San Jose ever want redemption for the humiliation that the Penguins put them through in the Cup final. The Penguins didn’t just win that series, they abused the Sharks in much the same way that San Jose abused the Kings. Well, San Jose didn’t have to wait long for a chance at redemption when the NHL scheduled two early games this season between Pittsburgh and San Jose. Desperately wanting to beat Pittsburgh, San Jose lost both times while getting outscored 8-2 in those two games. The point is, when a team has the blueprint to beat another team, it’s a psychological advantage that is twofold. For one, the team that keeps winning knows they can win while the team that keeps losing is mentally beaten before the puck even drops. So put this one in the same category as Pittsburgh over San Jose. The Kings cannot beat the Sharks and aside from all that, San Jose is simply the better team.
SPORTS WAGERS
PHOENIX +193 over Atlanta
We’re approaching this one from a couple of compelling narratives. First off, Phoenix holds advantages over Atlanta in many key statistics that are worth focusing on. The Suns turn the ball over less than Atlanta and commit fewer errors. In addition, Phoenix is better overall on the boards than Atlanta and they are also far more proficient from the charity stripe. In fact, Atlanta is one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the league, as they are ranked 29th. While arguments can be made against Phoenix by virtue of their typically porous defense, Atlanta’s inability to close out games gives Phoenix’s high-powered offense second and third chances, which allows them to hang around and also gives them a belief they can win outright. The Suns also feature a dynamic backcourt in Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker. While the Suns may have fallen at home to the Nuggets in their last contest, the Bledsoe/Booker combination amassed 65 points between the two of them, as well as nine boards, 10 assists and three steals. Not too shabby for a couple of overlooked wing men playing on a maligned franchise.
Golden State games attract a ton of interest and huge viewing audiences so all those folks saw Atlanta go into Golden State on Monday as a 14-point dog and come within a fraction of pulling off the upset. Atlanta played a near flawless game and they also played their hearts out for 48 minutes. After playing in Golden State like it was the 7th game of a playoff series, we’re suggesting that the Hawks “blew their load” on Monday and will have little left for the Suns. It is also the last of a five-game trip for the Hawks so they have to be even more spent. While Atlanta stands at 10-8, the Hawks have gone 1-6 in their last seven, falling in five or their last six on the road. Atlanta bodes fairly decent defensive numbers but their offense is virtually non-existent. Atlanta’s impressive frontcourt, which features the likes of Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard poses problems for teams all the time but that does not play into the Suns inefficiencies. Phoenix will rarely even attempt to make the focal point of their strategy points in the paint. The Suns will keep it academic and place the rock in the hands of their snipers (Bledsoe and Booker) and attack from the perimeter. Situationally speaking, this is as good as it gets for a dangerous dog in their own barn and while the points are appealing, we’re moving in aggressively with the Suns outright.
Otto Sports
North Carolina at Indiana
Play: Indiana +4
With James Blackmon upgraded to probable and NCAA Tournament revenge in effect, I'll take a look at supporting Indiana as a home underdog against North Carolina this evening. The Hoosiers aren't without deficiencies, most notably on the defensive end. A big key to tonight's game is how Indiana handles UNC on the interior. If Thomas Bryant gets into foul trouble, it really puts pressure on the Hoosiers' offense to perform at an ultra-high level. North Carolina looked impressive in its run to the Maui Invitational title. They however had a rather easy path by drawing Chaminade in the first round, and undersized Oklahoma State team in the semifinals and offensively challenged Wisconsin in the title game. Loaded with athletes and depth (no player is currently averaging more than 30 minutes per game) it was the perfect set up and they obviously took advantage. Now, UNC must go on the road to face a top-tier offense at a very tough venue. Last season, in their only two non-conference road games, North Carolina lost outright to Northern Iowa and Texas. In last year's tournament, the Tar Heels played nearly the perfect game against IU: 1.42 points per possession, 11-of-20 from three, and 26-of-33 from the charity stripe. Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige -- who have since graduated -- combined or 41 points. UNC closed that game as a -5 favorite and is now laying -4. They deserve to be favorites but I think there's enoug
Bob Valentino
My free play is on the California Golden Bears tonight, as I think they're in a huge mismatch against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, when the two meet at Haas Pavilion.
At 4-1 this season, Cal is getting things done by crashing the boards and making it hard for opponents to score with second-chance opportunitie. The Bears boast the seventh-best rebounding margin in the country, while they're limiting the opposition to 37.5 percent shooting and just 62.2 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Golden Bears are averaging 72 points per game, and it may not be much, but that's okay when their defense is playing well enough to overcome scoring slouches.
Since Cal is 4-0 at home this year, I don't see this team having a scoring slouch tonight, especially against a team that has traveled across the country and will be playing at 9 p.m. eastern.
Take the Bears, as they'll win by at least 15.
1* CALIFORNIA
Brad Wilton
Steve Alford entered this season on the proverbial coaching "hot seat", but his Bruins have raced out to a 7-0 start, and are enjoying a Top-Ten ranking in the early stages of the long college season.
The Bruins have a healthy 96+ points per game average, and have now covered in each of their last 4 wins, and are 5-2 against the spread for the season.
Cal Riverside is just 1-3 to start the season, and have failed in 2 of their 3 lined games.
The Highlanders are averaging just over 61 points per game on the year, and they simply don't have the firepower to keep this game from getting away from them over the course of the full 40 minutes.
UCLA will be right around the century mark in this blowout win.
5* UCLA
Chris Jordan
Let's get to my complimentary winner for Wednesday night, as I keep it close to home with the UNLV Runnin' Rebels' visit to Cedar City, Utah, where they'll take on a live dog in the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.
Dangerous game for the Runnin' Rebs, and my money is on Southern Utah to keep this one close. This is personal. After spending three seasons on the UNLV coaching staff, coach Todd Simon - who was shunned during a rugged coaching search for UNLV last March - will take on his former Runnin' Rebels in the Centrum Arena.
This is a game he wants. Real bad.
The Thunderbirds head into the match-up with a 2-4 record after a 101-56 victory over Life Pacific in the Centrum, where they're 2-0 this season. In both wins, the T-Birds scored in triple digits.
The Runnin' Rebels have a new look to them, so coach Marvin Menzies has had to blend personalities and create a new chemistry for this storied program, but there are some holdovers from last season, and Simon may or may not have an idea what some tendencies are. Nevertheless, he certainly has some insight to the program, as he remains close with certain personnel, and should be prepared for the uptempo team out of the Mountain West.
It is freezing cold in Cedar City, and the Rebels may be dealing with the altitude issue up there. It won't be as easy a trip as the Rebels may think.
Let's take a shot here with the home underdog.
1* SOUTHERN UTAH
Eric Schroeder
The Los Angeles Lakers will be good down the line, and they have the potential to challenge for one of the Western Conference's eight playoff spots. It'll be hard, but it can be done. Right now, however, they may be on the brink of experiencing their roughest patch of the season, on the road with a depleted backcourt.
Last week, the Lakers lost starting point guard D'Angelo Russell to a left knee injury that could sideline him for a couple more weeks. After last night, it looks like shooting guard Nick Young could miss time after suffering a right Achilles tendon strain against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Jose Calderon and Jordan Clarkson will lead the backcourt in the team's second road game in as many nights, and the Chicago Bulls are going to take full advantage by running things up.
Chicago won four of six games during a grueling road trip and eclipsed the 100-point plateau in each of its past three contests. The Bulls are 4-1 at the United Center this season, with their only loss coming against the New York Knicks.
Chicago outdueled Los Angeles 118-110 on Nov. 20 at the Staples Center, and tonight it will be by much worse.
3* BULLS
Brett Atkins
Wednesday's comp play release is the Atlanta Hawks to end their losing streak with the win and cover at Phoenix.
The Hawks have lost their last 3 on their current 5 game road swing that concludes tonight in the Valley of the Sun. Overall, Atlanta is on a 1-6 slide their last 7 games, and have only covered twice in that stretch.
That will change tonight against a Phoenix team that has been playing worse than the Hawks with just 2 straight up wins over their last 9 games contested.
The Hawks have claimed 3 of the last 4 series meetings, with the last win coming by double-digits in April at the Philips Arena.
Atlanta is too good to keep losing at the pace they have been. Look for the bleeding to stop tonight against the Suns.
Lay it with the Hawks.
1* ATLANTA
Zack Cimini
Miami vs. Denver
Pick: Miami
We're seeing movement against the Heat as injuries mount against them with Dion Waiters out, Justice Winslow, and possibly Tyler Johnson. With the Nuggets scoring at a high volume rate, there should be prime concerns to back the Heat. Still, I look for the Heat to take a few wrinkles from last year's game in Miami in which they frustrated the Nuggets defensively. Grab the Heat here on over reaction from key injuries.
Bob Balfe
Nuggets -6
The Heat are not a quality NBA line up and on top of that have a lot of injuries. It will be a tough task for Miami tonight on the road against a big physical Nuggets team that could well start to surge with the excellent recent play of Wilson Chandler.