Jim Feist
Inner Circle Home Court Crusher
PHOENIX SUNS VS HOUSTON ROCKETS
TAKE: HOUSTON ROCKETS
Houston is on a 6-3 SU, 7-2 ATS run, overachieving because of unselfish play for coach Rick Adelman. Rockets forward Shane Battier nearly doubled his previous season high with 23 points against the Kings on Friday, extending his streak to 21 regular-season games with at least one 3-pointer. With Trevor Ariza scoring 28 and Luis Scola 20, the Rockets had three scoring at least 20 points in a game for the first time this season. They never had three players scoring at least 20 points last season. They followed that with a win at the Lakers, 101-91, as a big dog. Houston is 3-1 SU/ATS at home. After a sizzling start, the Suns are 0-2 ATS the last two games, overvalued by oddsmakers. Houston is playing good defense, allowing 45% shooting by opponents, while the finesse Suns are again playing no defense, allowing 48% shooting -- 5th worst in the league. Of the 12 games Phoenix has played, this will be their 8th road game, and that includes a long East Coast trip they've already had. An excellent situational spot for the home team. Play the Rockets!
Brandon Lang
10 DIME - SACRAMENTO KINGS - Love the way this team is playing right now.
When I think of the Bulls, I think alot about the Houston Rockets. These teams are similiar.
Aaron Brooks, who just torched the Lakers for 33 points, was held to just 10 points in the Kings 109-100 win 2 nights earlier. Brooks who managed to put up 23 shots against LA, was held to just 11 attempts by the Kings.
Enter Derrick Rose tonight. Quick, and likes to get to the rim just like Brooks. I look for Sacramento to defend him the same way.
The Kings are in the midst of a 4 game home win streak covering all 4 games over Memphis, Golden State, Oklahoma City, and Houston. Putting up a perfect 4-0 ATS mark right along with it.
For the year the Kings are 6-3 ATS, and I just love the way this team is playing right now, especially at home.
Rookie Tyreke Evans out of Memphis has been a pleasant suprise for the Kings and what I especially like is the fact in their 9 games this year Sacramento has outrebounded their opponents in 6 of those 9 games.
Even better than that is the fact in their last 3 home games versus Golden State, Oklahoma City and Houston, the Kings have outrebounded them by 18, 15 and 19 boards respectively.
You can see what this team is about right now. Sound defense, win the battle of the boards limiting 2nd chance opportunities and get to the free throw line.
In every single Kings game this year they have outshot every opponent from the line with exception of the Hornets. That tells me they are pounding the ball inside, drawing fouls and getting easy points.
Like I said at the top, like what this team is doing across the board and expect them to get their 5th win SU and ATS at home this year.
Bulls have covered just 3 games this year, only one on the road, and I really feel as this year progresses, they are going to miss Ben Gordon even more.
10 dime winner Sacramento Kings
FREE SELECTION - LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
RAS
1.5 Units UC Riverside +11.5
1 Unit Jacksonville St +5.5
igz1 sports
3* Siena -8.5
JASON JOHNSON
Arkansas vs. Louisville
Pick: Arkansas +10
You have to like what's going on at Arkansas in the third year of John Pelphrey's up-tempo offense. This team racked up 130 points on opening night, in a college game! While they may not have the talent to beat Louisville today, they do have the coaching to keep the game close. Take the points.
Wunderdog
Washington at New York Rangers
3 units UNDER 6
The New York Rangers have played six of their last eight games to the UNDER and the leading reason has been a struggling offense. The Rangers’ offense which was clicking at just shy of four goals per game through their first 12 games, has gotten out of sync and has produced just 15 in their last eight - less than two per contest. The visiting Capitals have tightened things up after losing a game by three goals or more by playing four of the last five to the UNDER following that situation. They have also played to a 6-2 UNDER mark after failing to score more than two in their last game. The Rangers are playing low vs. the Southeast at 25-11-1 in their last 37 and five of the last seven in this series have failed to reach the total as well. I'll play this one to stay UNDER the total.
Toronto at Ottawa
5 units UNDER 6
The Maple Leafs showed some offensive promise as they tallied seven goals in their first two games of the year, but have since tailed off markedly as they have failed to top the two-goal mark in 11 of their last 16. The Senators have taken a dip offensively themselves as after a spurt of seven out of eight games netting three pucks or more, they have failed to top the two mark in five of their last seven. Ottawa is staying low against the weak teams as they are now 17-8 to the UNDER vs. a team with a winning percentage of .400 or worse. Toronto has served up four straight UNDERS after being drubbed by three goals or more. In the last nine between these two clubs played in Ottawa has seen the UNDER prevail 6-2-1. Struggling offenses, high total, and head-to-head history spells UNDER in this one.
San Jose at Nashville
4 units Nashville +110
While the Sharks continue to bleed opponents dry at the Shark Tank, they have proven somewhat vulnerable on the road at times. Their season has been carried by a six-game streak where they did not suffer a loss, but otherwise they have been a break-even team. The Predators gave them a scare on the road at The Tank, where they coughed up a 3-2 lead with under seven minutes left to fall 4-3, and that should propel them here to play this game with confidence and revenge - often a deadly combo. The Sharks have had little bite vs. an opponent that scored two or less in their last game as they are just 8-24 in their last 32 facing that situation. The Predators have cashed their last four after scoring two or less in their last game. Nashville gets revenge here.
Stan Lisowski
3* New Mexico -2
Chris Jordan
200♦ SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS - Coach Bob Williams is going to enjoy the most depth and best balance he's seen in the dozen years he's been at the helm. Not only does he get plenty of experience back, but starting point guard Justin Joyner will be back on the floor after spending much of last season sidelined with a dinged-up wrist. He'll be joined by Loyola-Marymount-transfer Orlando Johnson, a 6-foot-5 scorer who is rumored to become the team's go-to guy. The kid can also hit the boards and will be an all-around threat who could end up becoming an all-conference stud.
The Gauchose are a serious threat to Long Beach State in the Big West Conference with this roster, and will outclass scrappy Weber State tonight.
The Wildcats are supposed to be the pride of the Big Sky Conference this season, but they come in off a loss to WAC-favorite Utah State, 66-60. That game was at home, so I don't see how Weber State plans on going on the road to challenge a fired-up Gauchos team that opened its season with an 85-57 blowout win over Cal State-Los Angeles. Not exactly a powerhouse foe, but neither will Weber State be ... lay it.
100♦ CANISIUS GOLDEN GRIFFINS - Five starters are back, there is some experienced depth and there are some heralded recruits to make note of. Sounds like there's plenty of reason the oddsmakers have made the Griffins a road favorite in this non-conference clash. Remember the name Frank Turner - he's an electrifying senior guard who just might end up being the MAAC's most exciting player by the end of the season. Loyola does bring back a slew of players, but it'll be without its top two scorers from last year. And even though the core is back, this is a team that ranked near the bottom half of pretty much every offensive category there is. It didn't fare too well defensively either, so the cohesiveness of Canisius will get me the money here.
Karl Garrett
20 DIMER - PHOENIX SUNS
10 DIMER - BOWLING GREEN FALCONS
20 DIMER - PHOENIX SUNS
Love what I am seeing from the Suns early on, as I would not have guessed they would be 9-2 after their first 11 games. That being said, I will roll strong with Nash and company as they pay a visit on the Rockets.
Houston has adjusted well without Yao in the middle, as they are 3-1 at home this year, and 4-0 against the spread, but they won't increase on those marks tonight.
Phoenix is on a 16-5 spread run in the series, and the road team has been the play in 22 of the last 32 series meetings.
Stoudemire does not appear to be bothered at all by his eye injury, and how about Grant Hill playing free-and-easy for the first time in a while?
Just gotta love the Suns right now...I know I do for 20 Dimes of action!
10 DIMER - BOWLING GREEN FALCONS
Early in the season, you get your "name" schools laying some big wood, and that happens to be the case tonight with Xavier, as the X-Men are laying a bushelful of points tonight to a decent Bowling Green team.
Xavier came out of the gate strong blasting Youngstown State, but that only gives us a little added line value tonight.
Remember, this is a Musketeers team that lost 3 big pieces of the squad from last year, and they do have a brand new coach.
With Xavier still in a major learning curve of Coach Mack's new system ,and new ways, expect the Falcons to make a run that keeps them inside of the number tonight.
Tom Stryker
CBB Non-Conference Crusher
Illinois
Dominic Fazzini
15 Dime - Pacers
Indiana inserted Dahntay Jones into the starting lineup four games ago, and that move has paid off in a big way.
Since the move was made the Pacers are 4-0, and Jones has averaged 18 points per game, including 25 in Indiana's 113-104 victory at Boston on Saturday.
With Jones in the starting lineup, Indiana has become a much better defensive team, and now the Pacers get to face a New Jersey team that is second-to-last in the NBA in scoring, with just 84.5 points per game.
The Nets have been even worse over their last five games, averaging 80 points per game, and they have been hit heavily by injuries this season. Six New Jersey players are expected to miss tonight's game, including starters Devin Harris an Yi Jianlian.
New Jersey dropped to 0-10 this season with its last-second 81-80 loss at Miami on Saturday night as Dwyane Wade hit a 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left.
Second-year center Roy Hibbert has really given the Pacers a solid inside presence, averaging 11.7 points, nine rebounds and 2.43 blocks, and Danny Granger has turned into one of the league's top scorers, averaging 24.9 points per game. Indiana leads the NBA in blocked shots with 8.57 per game, and is third in rebounding with 45.3 per game.
The Pacers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall, and 5-1 ATS in their last six road games. They should have no problem gaining a road win over the Nets tonight. Take Indiana in this one.
Anthony Redd
10-Dime Suns
Nick "BookieKiller" Parsons
Golden State vs Cleveland
We're going with a public favorite here, but for a number of different reasons I believe the Cavaliers will look to bury the under manned Warriors:
The Warriors just dealt their second leading scorer in Stephen Jackson and are also without a number of its starters; Kelenna Azubuike suffered a patella tendon injury in the first quarter of their 129-125 loss to the Bucks (a game where rookine Brandon Jennings poured in a double-nickle [55]) and could be done for the season.
Centers Andris Biedrins (right groin and abdominal inflammation) and Ronny Turiaf (sprained knee) are out, as is power forward Brandan Wright (shoulder), leaving Golden State with Mikki Moore and Anthony Randolph as its only healthy big bodies.
Too add insult to injury; Golden State always struggles on the road at the Quicken Loans arena; 3-13 ATS its last 16 in Cleveland.
On the other side of the court: Shaq is most likely sitting in this one; James was held to 21 points after averaging 34.3 in the previous three games, but he scored seven in the final 28.8 seconds as the Cavaliers beat the Jazz 107-103 for their fourth straight win on Saturday.
After an atypical rough start, the Cavaliers have rebounded and I believe they'll continue to build momentum; not only is Cleveland 4-2 ATS its last six overall, but its also 7-1 SU its last eight.
Bottom line: Too many factors working against the Warriors today and after Lebron and the starters put this one out of reach, look for Cleveland's bench to make a strong showing down the stretch as they'll all be expecting some game time today; look for Cleveland to move to 4-1 ATS its last five vs. good offensive teams that average 99 plus points per contest and for the Warriors to fall to 2-3 ATS this year as an underdog. 7* Cleveland.
Bob Balfe
LA Lakers -10
Opposite Action Plays
Pacers/Nets Over 190