Will Cover
4* Richmond
3* E.Michigan
Lenny Del Genio
20* Total of the Month
Lakers/Heat Over 187.5
Scott Spreitzer
4* Richmond
3* Ari St
3* New Mex St
3* Evansville
4* Jazz
Marty Otto
Big O: Richmond -3.5
Dayton has a tendency, because of their strong defense, to play a solid half or a solid stretch of about 25 minutes of competitive basketball on the road. Eventually though, their struggles on offense shine through. The Flyers have blown winnable games away from home to Duquesne, St. Louis, and St. Joe's. These are games upper echelon teams win. Dayton's home/road split is quite pronounced. They are 14-1 at UD Arena averaging 75 points per game while shooting 48% from the floor and 36% from distance. On the road those averages drop significantly: 64 points per game, 41% shooting and 29% from distance. Tonight they face arguably the best defensive team in the conference which must be a concern given Dayton's offensive struggles in hostile environments. Richmond is no fluke, they are a legit top 25 team. They have knocked off ODU, Missouri, Mississippi St and Florida out of conference. They took Wake Forest to OT on the road. They won by 17 points on this floor against top 25 and A10 leader Temple. They just recently took Xavier (one of the other conference leaders) to OT on their own floor. This is a Spider team that has forced 15 turnovers while allowing just nine assists per game in conference play, by far and away the best in the A10. They have allowed just 26% three-point shooting and less than 40% shooting in conference play, top three in both categories. They also rank fourth in offensive efficiency. Add in a solid situational factor with the home finale for influential seniors David Gonzalvez and Ryan Butler, a reported "white out" in the stands and double revenge from last year and we get a great play. Take Richmond.
Sportsbetsnow
3 Units Miami Heat +4.5
3 Units Jazz/Suns over 213
3 Units Chicago Bulls -5.5
Tim Trushel
Rutgers
Billy Coleman
4* Richmond -3
3* Cent Mich +4.5
3* OU/BGSU Over 135
Teddy June
Rutgers
Evansville
NHL PRO PICKS
NY Rangers +132
Ottawa -104
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Fantasy Sports Gametime
100* Drake +3.5
100* Dayton +4
50* Lakers -5
Scott Delaney
60-Dime RICHMOND SPIDERS
Tonight is Senior Night, and with the Spiders playing their last regular-season home game, and the fans planning to ‘white out’ the arena, I think the atmosphere calls for a play on the home team in this one. Richmond has defeated Dayton three-straight times in the Robins Center, including an 80-63 win over then No. 16 ranked Dayton in the Flyers’ last visit on Jan. 26, 2008.
Richmond clinched a bye in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament for the second time in the last three years, and even though it may seem there is nothing to play for, this is most certainly a game the Spiders want to win after suffering a two-point double-overtime loss to now No. 25 ranked Xavier on Sunday. That loss ended the Spiders’ two-week visit in the Top 25, so I’m sure they’ll be out to avenge the loss for the home crowd.
Richmond, which is 23rd in the nation and third in the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense (60.8 points per game), is also in double revenge against the Flyers, who won last season’s regular-season meeting and the A-10 Conference Tournament clash.
This year the Spiders are much better, and they certainly haven’t forgotten being eliminated from last season’s tourney. Play the small home chalk tonight.
Craig Davis
50 Dime – OLE MISS
15 Dime – LAKERS
OLE MISS - I don't normally like to lay this many dimes on a team giving double digits, but tonight's game in Oxford is going to get ugly from the early going and it won't get any better for the road Tigers. LSU did the unthinkable last week by winning its first SEC game... an 11-point home win over erratic Arkansas. I'm not taking anything away from the Tigers for that win... it was clearly a complete team effort and they should be very proud. But let's be honest the 'Hogs suck on the road and have been known to score 80+ one week only to turn around and score in the 50s the next week. But what I want you to focus on is how LSU responded to their first conference win of the year... a 15-point loss to Auburn.
Taking nothing away from Auburn, I don't believe they are as talented as Ole Miss and if they can beat this LSU bunch by 15, it's only a matter of time before the Rebels get up by 15 and then completely run the Tigers out of the gym. LSU has just 10 wins on the season... and ALL of them came at home. They haven't won a single game on the road or at a neutral site, losing by an average 16 PPG away from home. LSU is averaging right around 57 PPG on the road while Ole Miss chips in around 80 per game at home... and nothing in my research leads me to believe the Rebs can't get to 80 again tonight.
In their earlier meeting, Ole Miss went to Baton Rouge and walked out with a 10-point win (73-63) on the strength of three scorers in double figures and three others scoring at least eight points. LSU, on the other hand, had two players play the entire 40 minutes and tired down the stretch. These are two teams headed in different directions as LSU is simply looking forward to baseball season while the Rebels are looking for a big statement win for the Tourney Selection Committee. I'm not saying the Rebels aren't going to be invited to the Big Dance, but a HUGE win this evening can't hurt.
Ole Miss has covered 14 of 23 lined games this season while the Tigers are just 8-16 ATS (3-8 ATS on the road). Do you really think LSU is excited to still be playing? I don't... and it will show tonight. The Rebels want to end the regular season in style, on Senior Night, with a double digit win over a very shallow LSU squad. The Rebs get the job done in style as your top play of the day.
LA LAKERS - With no disrespect meant to Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are simply a better team and are looking forward to the challenge of going on the road to play a quality opponent. After their 20+ point home win over Indiana the other night, I think the Lakers will welcome the challenge of getting back on the road and facing a team like this. The Lakers actually have a better road record than the Heat have a home record, and have won three of their last four road games by an average of almost 10 PPG. Miami is just starting to get its feet wet again with Dwayne Wade back in the lineup, but this is hardly the opponent you want to face when things seem to be turning around again.
Miami used 35 points from Wade in a 110-106 home win over Golden State, but if the Heat are going to win tonight they're going to need the same type of production from Wade that he delivered against the Warriors... and that simply won't happen. They'll also need a supporting player to step up, whether it be Michael Beasley or Jermaine O'Neal, helping to take the attention off Wade.
Miami has lost four of their last five SU and has failed to cover the Vegas line in their last four straight games. They aren't rebounding like they should and they clearly aren't shooting a good enough percentage from the field. What it boils down to is this: The Lakers are deeper and more talented and would love nothing more than to steal a win on the road, especially to begin an East Coast trip. The Lake-show has covered five of their last six after scoring 100 or more in their previous game, 4-1-1 ATS in their last six following an ATS win, and 7-2 ATS in their last nine vs. a team with a losing percentage. Bonus play of the day on the Lakers
BRANDON LANG
15 DIME - OREGON STATE BEAVERS
You say Oregon State basketball and people think about how the head coach has a sister married to the President of the United States.
However, there is more going on with this team than what is going on in the White House.
They come home after a rock solid win at USC 49-44 as an 8 point underdog.
Now they take that mojo and get a Washington State team they battled hard the first meeting in Pullman losing 65-60 as a 7 point underdog.
Now back home, and winners of 3 of their last 5 SU, and an even more impressive 5 of their last 7 ATS, this team is capable of good things as evidenced by their effort against the best team in the PAC-10 in Cal.$ When you start knocking off a team like that by 16 as a 6 point underdog back on February 18th, I like your chances in this spot here.
As for Washington State, things are going bad fast at 3-7 SU last 10 and 4-6 ATS and an 0-4 SU run their last 4 on the PAC-10 road losing 3 of them by 12 points or more.
You throw in the Cougars 2-8 ATS last 10 meetings and 1-7 ATS last 8 trips to Corvallis and the planets are aligned for Oregon State to get another rock solid at home.
And the fact in their last 27 games versus a team with a winning SU record they are a sizzling red-hot 23-4 ATS.
Love the Beavers tonight.
FREE PICK - RICHMOND SPIDERS
ATS Lock Club
4 Units Rutgers +4
4 Units San Jose State +6.5
3 Units Eastern Michigan -4.5
3 Units Boise State -10
Wayne Root
4* Dayton (+4) over Richmond
3* Washington St (+3½) over Oregon State