TIM TRUSHEL
Wizards Under
Baylor
KELSO
3 units Dayton -5.5
5 units Baylor -2
5 units Lakers -8
25 units Maryland -8
ADDED PLAYS
5 units Mich +4.5
4 units Boston Coll +3
3 units Kentucky -7
ATS FINANCIAL
4 Units N Carolina St +1
3 Units Dayton -5
RAS
Marquette Ov 139
Dayton Un 142
MATT FARGO
5* Michigan +4
MTi Sports
4* Lakers/Wizards Under 199
4* Timberwolves +6.5
5* LA Lakers/Washington Under 199
SEABASS
50 Charlotte Bobcats
30 Minnesota Timberwolves
100 Michigan
50 Boston College
50 NC State
50 South Carolina
50 Anaheim Ducks Over
50 NJ Devils
The Duke's Sports
Michigan (+4) for 3 Units
Whatever negative press that surrounds Wolverines basketball is not having an effect on their bottom line in the 'Vegas books; after all, Michigan has covered four straight,including going on the road to Purdue on Saturday without their star player - Manny Harris - and covering. Tonight, Manny Harris is back in the fray, and as we see it - his "behavioral issue" is water under the bridge. Coach Beilein will have them playing together and competitive. The Wolverines are in need of a another signature win (1st came January 17th against then #15 U Conn) to keep their season alive, and we'll grab them here. Michigan is 5-2 ATS as a home dog and covered 2 of the last 3 in this series. Michigan State has repeatedly been sluggish on Tuesdays at 6-18-2 ATS and should fall to a fired up Wolverines team.
Chris Jordan
ACC GAME OF THE YEAR
600♦ MARYLAND TERRAPINS
100♦ MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
100♦ RHODE ISLAND RAMS
100♦ GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Maryland Terrapins: Miami has more wins than Maryland, 15 victories versus 13, but the Terrapins are 3-1 in ACC play while the Hurricanes are just 1-4 and roll into this one mired in a three-game conference losing streak. Perhaps the recent inconsistency is because Miami has yet to settle in on a starting lineup. That can pose a problem in a competitive league when you’re more than halfway through your season.
The Terps, meanwhile, have put the same starting lineup in each of their four conference contests; Miami has started eight players in five ACC games. Making matters worse, the discrepancy starts at the point guard position, where the Hurricanes have two options: freshman Durand Scott and redshirt sophomore Malcolm Grant. And since both play the position so differently, it’s hard for the supporting cast to gel with whichever floor general is on the court.
That lack of cohesiveness poses a huge problem tonight, as Maryland has an experienced backcourt that brings stability to the starting five, which means the Terrapins are going to start each game in the same flow.
The trio of senior guards Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez and sophomore guard Sean Mosley had led the Terps to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, where they’re tied with Virginia. It’s a trio that has been battle tested before, as it helped boost Maryland into the second round of last year’s Big Dance. That’s huge for coach Gary Williams, who can count on those three to make adjustments and cater the system to the opponent they’re playing. With Miami coach Frank Haith unsure who he’ll put on the floor, he simply doesn’t have that luxury.
Fact is, things are good in College Park, something I didn’t think I’d be saying after I saw this team lose three of four after a 4-0 start against its cupcake-schedule, not to mention a surprising loss to William and Mary on Dec. 30.
But this offense is steamrolling along, having topped the 80-point plateau in four of its last six games, and in 10 of its 18 games this season. The Terrapins are playing at an extremely high level and are very confident right now. Maryland is ranked first or second in the league in six major statistical categories - field-goal percentage (.486), scoring margin (plus-16.5), 3-point percentage (.390), assists (16.6 per game), turnover margin (plus-4.4) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4).
And what I liked most after seeing the Terps dispatch North Carolina State on Saturday, 88-64, was how they limited the celebration. The Terps continue to rely on their tenacious, pressing, trapping defense that Haith said will “embarrass” unprepared teams … or, in my eyes, inconsistent lineups that aren’t steady – like these Hurricanes.
The home team has won six of the last eight meetings, while the straight-up winner has covered six of the last eight. Miami has lost four straight to the books, and only 11 of their 19 opponents have even been board teams (which means eight games didn’t even have a line because the opponent was off the radar). In the meantime, Maryland’s preseason schedule included the likes of Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Indiana and Villanova. The Terps have only played four teams that aren’t normally on the board.
Looking deeper inside the betting numbers, Maryland is on ATS streaks of 4-0 versus winning teams, 7-0 in ACC play, 9-2 after a blowout win of more than 20 points and 7-0 in ACC play. On the other hand, Miami is on ATS slides of 2-5 off an ATS loss, 0-7 on Tuesday nights and 0-4 overall (all in ACC play).
Lay the chalk, as the Terps should win this going away!!!
Michigan State Spartans: I know it’s always tough to lay the chalk with the road team in an intra-state rivalry, but I can’t help but notice the tremendous amount of pressure the Wolverines are playing under right now. That can lead to tentativeness, which leads to mistakes, which leads to teams like Michigan State taking full advantage. Michigan has lost on the road to mediocre Utah and Indiana, it lost at home to Boston College, has shown vulnerability in second-half collapses at Wisconsin and in tournament play against Alabama and when hosting Northwestern.
This is simply a team that is not well put together and is playing with a lack of cohesiveness. That’s probably why the Wolverines are 10-9, including wins over Northern Michigan, Houston Baptist, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Coppin State. To me, that means this team is 6-9 right now.
I’d rather side with the fourth-ranked Spartans, who are on ATS runs of 25-3 when laying points in this range, 11-1 when laying chalk on the road in this range, 13-5 when visiting teams with a winning home mark, 14-6 on the road and 5-2 overall (all in Big 10 play). Lay the road chalk with Sparty here, as Tom Izzo will have his troops ready to roll.
Rhode Island Rams: Amazing what a win or a loss can do to a couple of teams in a highly competitive conference. There are 14 teams in the Atlantic 10, and seven of them have a better than .500 league record, including these two, who are tied at 3-2. Dayton, the preseason favorite to win the conference, was stunned Saturday by Saint Joseph’s, which was 1-3 at the time, while Rhode Island was knocked off by Xavier, which is sitting a half-game behind first-place Temple.
So what gives tonight in this A-10 showdown between middle-of-the-road teams? Simple, I honestly believe this is a game that comes down to who’s holding the rock last. Dayton could be short-handed, as 6-foot-9 sophomore Luke Fabrizius – arguably the team’s best outside shooter – has an injured right knee and is questionable for tonight. He is hitting 49 percent, 23-for-53 on three-pointers, and if he does play, I see the Rams playing a physical game to oppose him.
Though it’s always tough to visit a hostile environment in conference play, the Rams are on a 10-3 ATS road streak, while they’ve covered five of their last seven as a road underdog. Let’s take a shot with this pup tonight.
Golden State Warriors: I don’t know how Sacramento is laying points in this game, other than it being the home team. To be laying nearly a touchdown is crazy for a team that has lost seven straight and 14 of 16, including a 108-101 loss in Oakland to these same Warriors on Jan. 8.
The Kings have lost three straight by double digits and have failed to reach 85 points in two straight games. They return home after concluding a 0-6 road trip with a 115-84 loss to Miami, and I don’t believe the venue will make a difference, as the Kings have lost four of five at Arco Arena.
True, the Warriors are in just as bad shape with a worse record than Sacramento’s, but they’re competing right now, despite having lost five of seven. Golden State has covered four straight games, and is on additional ATS runs of 5-0 versus Western Conference teams, 4-0 against Pacific Division opponents, 10-1 when catching points, 5-1 as a road pup and 16-5 off an ATS cover.
On the flipside, the Kings come into this one mired in ATS ruts of 3-7 against intra-division foes, 1-7 off an ATS loss, 0-5 at home, 1-9 after losing straight up and 3-13 overall. Take the points tonight, as the Warriors will cover this number by challenging for the outright win.
Vic Monte Sports
500* Phoenix Suns -5.5
What more can I say? 13-3 in my 16 plays this year. I can not be stopped. Yesterday's game was close when St. Joes was down 2-0. After an 8-0 run it was never in doubt. I put another 500* in the bank and I am doing it again tonight. Lets take it to Pro Ball and make some money on the Suns.
Life is good in the desert. Just, not away from it. Its unfortunate the Suns can't get it together away from home but inside the US Airways Center the Suns are the hottest thing in Arizona. With their trademark run and gun offense this team is scoring 110 a game good for top honors in the league. They are unconscious from beyond the arc shooting 41% as a team and as perfect as you can be from the field scoring 48% of their shots. They force you to play their style, you have no choice. If you choose not to run, they will pick you apart. If you choose to run, your in trouble because you can not run as good as them. Its like a bad sci-fi movie. The crowd gets into the game and the Suns continue to run and run and run.
The Suns traveled to Charlotte just five games ago. They were absolutely destroyed. Charlotte exploded for 74 in the first half and never looked back coasting to a 26 point victory. Remember what I said though, the Suns are not the team we know away from home. I know that Steve Nash and company have that game in their heads and will show the Bobcats their version of a 125 points tonight at home. Not only do I know that but so do the books. In Charlotte the Bobcats were a 3 point favorite. Here we see them as a 5.5 point dog. This makes me feel even more confident about this selection.
That 8 point swing from last game tells me this one is not going to be close. If it was going to be a battle, the line would be 2 or 3. With it sitting at 5.5, it tells me that Phoenix is going to be up double digits for most of the game. Charlotte is not going to hold the lead in this game. The books only shot at winning is a backdoor cover which we have seen in Suns games before, but not tonight. That revenge factor will ensure this. The Suns are not going to let off the gas, they are going to burry the Bobcats for 48 minutes tonight.
If your still not feeling the desert spirit, consider this. Charlotte is 3-17 on the road this season overall. The home team has covered the last three meetings between these two and the favorite has won ATS in 7 of the last 9. 500* Syndicate - Suns
The Boooj
10 Units South Carolina (+7) over Kentucky
Executive
400% Miami,Oh -3
400% Baylor -1'
SPORTS UNLIMITED
5* Charlotte Bobcats
4* Miami Ohio
SPORTS BANK
400 Boston College