National Sports Service
5* Kentucky/UConn OVER 144
3* Wisconsin -4.5 over Wisconsin-Green Bay
Sports Betsnow
2 Units Portland -6
3 Units Golden State -1.5
BRANDON LANG
15 DIME - NEW MEXICO LOBOS - Love this Lobos team.
I have to admitt, I really couldn't figure out why Steve Alford bolted his coaching spot in the Big Ten with Iowa to head down to New Mexico, but obviously he had his reasons.
He has slowly put together a very strong program and his recruiting class was rated top 20 by rivals.com.
They return 3 starters from last years 24-8 squad and a bench player from last year, Darington Hobson is their leading scorer this year at over 18 points a game.
They have won every game this year, covered every game this year with exception of a push last game out at home versus New Mexico State winning by 17, falling right on the number.
Let it be known they jumped out to a 23 point halftime lead and built the lead to as high as 26 before Alford called off the dogs.
This team is balanced getting contributions from everyone and Alford says he really likes this squad a lot.
In their 2 road games this year they beat Hawaii by 10, and New Mexico State by 12, and they have won every game this year by double digits with exception of an 8 point win at home over Cal laying 5 1/2.
Their margins of victory are 16, 10, 24, 29, 25, 12, and 17.
San Diego came out of the box swinging beating Stanford, and winning 4 of their first 5 covering all 4 lined games but they have fallen losing their last 4 SU and ATS.
What is even more alarming is the 37 point loss to Washington State on a neutral floor and 32 at Fresno without leading scorer Brandon Johnson, who was suspended for disciplinary reasons.
When your best player is getting suspended this early in the year the tone of your team changes and you add the fact of an early 4 game losing streak, all is not well in sunny San Diego.
I am backing the more consistent team, which has played great basketball all year long to manhandle the Toros and do what they have done in every game this year, win by 8 points or more.
FREE SELECTION - CONNECTICUT HUSKIES
Power Play Wins
Kentucky / UCONN Over 144
Bryan Leonard
New Mexico at San Diego
Pick: San Diego +6
The Lobos enter play tonight a perfect 8-0 on the season but they have played just twice on opponent courts. They won at New Mexico State and Hawaii, two teams likely to have long seasons. New Mexico won at San Diego last season by 3 points while holding the host to only 27% shooting. That was a veteran Lobo squad as compared to this seasons young guns. Overall 8 of the 11 players on the roster are underclassmen. They have yet to take on a quality opponent away from home.
San Diego has played a very tough schedule with most of the games coming away from home. Despite a 4-5 record they have played well when stepping up in class. The Toreros have beaten Stanford, Oklahoma and Houston thus far and have the guard play to give the Lobos fits. Off an embarrassing performance at Fresno State we know the host will be fully focused here.
New Mexico is cruising right now but they haven't proven anything on the road. With a huge game against Texas A&M on deck we can't see them getting up to play a team they beat a season ago. Look for the Toreros to give it their all tonight as this one goes to the wire.
Will Cover
4* Wisc GBay
3* Georgia
KBHoops
5* UCONN Pk *P O D*
5* Harvard +12
5* Philadelphia 76ers -3.5
Pitbull
20 units S. Illinois -12.5
15 units Uconn Pk
10 units Utah +1
20 units Minny +3
10 units NJ Nets Under 218.5
Charlie
500* Warriors @ Nets Over 217
500* Purdue -23'
500* Wisconsin Green Bay +6'
30* Minnesota +4
20* Portland -6'
20* St.Johns -11'
10* Providence +2
Atlanta -11 Free Play
LARRY NESS
26* UConn PK vs Kentucky
Kentucky's program has few equals in the annals of college basketball history while Jim Calhoun has carved out quite niche for himself and the Huskies since coming to Storrs (this marks his 24th season). Surprisingly, tonight's meeting of No. 4 Kentucky and No. 14 U Conn will be just the second-ever between these perennial powers. Connecticut beat Kentucky 87-83 in the second round of the 2006 NCAA tournament. While Kentucky basketball is as "old as time," there's a "new look" in Lexington this year as John Calipari left Memphis to take over the Wildcats. Jodie Meeks (23.7) decided to leave early for the NBA (anyone miss him?), so Kentucky is led by highly-touted 6-4 freshman guard John Wall (18.1-4.1-7.7) and 6-9 junior Patrick Patterson (16.6-10.1). Two other freshman, the 6-11 Cousins (14.8-8.1) and 6-1 guard Bledsoe (10.5-3.1 APG), are also off to terrific starts with a pair of 6-7 sophs, Dodson (9.6) and Miller (8.5-3.5), rounding out the major contributors. With an 8-0 record, the Wildcats are off to their best start since the 1992-93 team opened 11-0 but Calipari knows it hasn't come easy. In the team's second game of the season, the RedHawks of Miami-Ohio took an 18-point lead in the first half before the Wildcats came all the way back to take a late lead. Mia-O tied the game with six seconds left and while Calipari was wondering whether to take a time out, freshman Wall grabbed the inbounds pass, raced by his coach in a blur and hit a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer for a 72-70 win. In just the sixth game, of his what is sure to be his ONLY college season, Wall scored 23 points, including clutch shots in the final minute that sent the game to overtime against Stanford. Kentucky closed with an eight-point run for a 73-65 victory in the championship game of the Cancun Challenge at the Moon Palace Resort. Last Saturday against then-No. 10 North Carolina, the Wildcats went on a 28-2 first-half run, building a 15-point lead at the half. Wall would bounce back from a bout with dehydration and a queasy encounter with an IV drip to finish with 16 points, including the clinching free throws with 4.3 seconds left, as the Wildcats escaped with a 68-66 win (Kentu‚cky was outscored 38-25 in the final 20 minutes against the Tar Heels, committing 12 of its 21 turnovers in the second half). As for U Conn, Calhoun may have won a third national title last year, if Jerome Dyson had not gotten hurt. Dyson tore a ligament in his right knee last February and that cost U Conn a top-notch scorer as well as depriving them of its top perimeter defender. Dyson (20.1-5.6-5.1) is back at full strength this year and is joined in the backcourt by 6-1 sophomore Kemba Walker (15.4-5.6 APG). The 6-9 Stanley Robinson missed the team's first eight games last year and never really came around until scoring 28 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in U Conn's six-OT loss to Syracuse in the Big East tourney. He then averaged 14.8-8.4 in the NCAA tourney with U Conn advancing to the final Four. Note that the other four starters in U Conn's Final 4 loss to Michigan St (Adrien and Thabeet up front plus guards Price and Austrie), are all gone. However, U Conn is just fine. The backcourt is in great shape with Dyson and Walker plus joining RobinsoTn (15.4-7.1) up front are 6-9 senior Edwards (11.6-5.7) who is getting plenty of playing time TY (about 00 MPG after averaging around 12 MPG his first three years) and 6-9 freshman Oriakhi (6.0-9.9). The 7-1 Okwandu has yet to do much but 6-6 freshman swingman Coombs-McDaniel (4.0-2.1) is showing signs he'll contribute this year. This marks the third season of the SEC/Big East Invitational and the first year in which Kentucky and UConn are taking part. Madison Square Garden is a "home away from home" for the Huskies, who have won six Big East tournaments in "the Garden" since 1990. U Conn has a bitter taste in its mouth from its last trip to NYC, as in the championship game of the NIT
Donnie Black
Duquesne +17
Nets Over 218
ANTHONY REDD
20 Dime Austin Peay
20 Dime Hofstra
20 Dime California
BEN BURNS
ESPN ANNIHILATOR
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (-3.5) over Detroit Pistons
I'm laying the points with PHILADELPHIA. The Pistons won when these teams faced each other at Detroit. Playing on their homecourt, I expect the 76ers to avenge that loss this evening. While they played them tough for a while, the 76ers couldn't keep up with Denver in their last game. They eventually lost 93-83. Prior to that, they'd quietly been on a 6-2 ATS run. Despite this season's struggles, note that they're a profitable 4-1 ATS when coming off a double-digit loss. They're a respectable 27-20 ATS in that situation the past few seasons. While the Pistons are off back to back victories, both of those games came at Detroit. On the road, they're just 2-8. That includes a 1-8 mark their last nine and an 0-5 mark their last five. Those five losses came by an average of 11 points, each of them coming by at least three. Looking back further and we find that the Pistons are just 4-16 SU and 7-12-1 ATS their last 20 road games. The 76ers have won three of their last five home meetings with the Pistons. The last time that the teams faced each other here, Philly won by five. Previous victories over the Pistons here came by seven and 20 points. In addition to playing with 'revenge,' the 76ers are desperate to snap their losing streak and they've got plenty to prove. That should be particularly true of Allen Iverson, as he'd love nothing more than to show up the Pistons, another of his former teams, on National TV. Look for them to rise to the occasion and snap their skid, covering the small number along the way. *7 annihilator
MR EAST
NCAAB WEDNESDAY BLOWOUT 78-28 ATS SYSTEM
TENNESSEE MARTIN SKYHAWKS AT MISSOURI ST BEARS
PLAY: MISSOURI ST. BEARS -17 FOR 3 UNITS
The Missouri St. Bears were expected to finish dead last in the MVC, but I think that position is being reconsidered now that the Bears have started out 7-0. Convincing wins over good Tulsa and Auburn teams should offer that evidence. The Bears have been lighting it up offensively, and the top 4 scorers all at 50% or better, and hitting a high percentage of 3's as well. Skyhawks yet to find the win column on the road, or vs a div-1 team, are a poor team. Missouri St. is not only offensive, they have held opponents to 30 or less in each of their last 2, which triggers a 78-28 ATS sytem sure to fry the books here. Missouri St. in a blowout.
Bryan Leonard
New Mexico at San Diego
Pick: San Diego +6The Lobos enter play tonight a perfect 8-0 on the season but they have played just twice on opponent courts. They won at New Mexico State and Hawaii, two teams likely to have long seasons. New Mexico won at San Diego last season by 3 points while holding the host to only 27% shooting. That was a veteran Lobo squad as compared to this seasons young guns. Overall 8 of the 11 players on the roster are underclassmen. They have yet to take on a quality opponent away from home.
San Diego has played a very tough schedule with most of the games coming away from home. Despite a 4-5 record they have played well when stepping up in class. The Toreros have beaten Stanford, Oklahoma and Houston thus far and have the guard play to give the Lobos fits. Off an embarrassing performance at Fresno State we know the host will be fully focused here.
New Mexico is cruising right now but they haven't proven anything on the road. With a huge game against Texas A&M on deck we can't see them getting up to play a team they beat a season ago. Look for the Toreros to give it their all tonight as this one goes to the wire.
Buffalo at Niagara
Pick: Under
The Bulls are coming off an embarrassing defensive performance when they let Purdue reach triple figures in a 101-65 defeat. This is a team that rebounds the ball well and plays quality defense. You can be sure Reggie Witherspoon and his coaching staff have preached defense this week in practice. Buffalo is a deep team with nine players seeing double digit minutes which means fresh legs on the defensive end of the court. It's also a veteran club with four of the top minute producers being seniors.
Niagara is playing their third straight home game. They held the previous two opponents to just 57 and 64 points. The Purple Eagles rank in the top 50 in the country defending the three and they are in the top 70 overall defensively. Like the Bulls they are an upperclass heavy lineup with their top four producers being veterans.
This regional game is key in the recruiting wars as both programs look to tap the strong northeast market. Therefore this game has more importance than most non-conference games. Last years meeting saw just 126 points scored as neither team surpassed the 35% field goal mark. We look for another low scoring game as the defenses rule the night.
Donnie Black
Duquesne +17
Nets Over 218
Columbus Under 5.5