Nick "BookieKiller" Parsons
Toronto -160
For a number of different reasons I believe the value in this matchup is on the home side:
New York lost 6-2 last night to the Flyers and are once again going to be in tough this evening.
The Isles are just 2-4 their last six and the achilles heel of this team remains its poor play away from friendly confines; 5-17 dating back to last season on the road.
On the other side of the ice: The Maple Leafs look to win two in a row at home for the first time this season.
Alexei Ponikarovsky scored a pair of goals 28 seconds apart and added an assist, while Matt Stajan and Lee Stempniak each had a goal with an assist in Toronto’s 5-2 win over Atlanta on Monday.
The victory was the Maple Leafs’ first at home on a weekday, and improved their mark at the Air Canada Centre to 3-7-3. The result also matched a season high for goals at home for Toronto (9-13-7), which had lost 3-0 to Buffalo in its previous game there Nov. 30; I expect this team to continue to build momentum.
Keep in mind that Toronto is 5-2 its last seven overall and always plays tough at the Air Canada center vs. NY; 13-3-1 its last 17 vs. the Islanders in Toronto.
Bottom line: There is no need to over-analyze this one; these are two teams moving in opposite directions right now and the Islanders played less than 24 hours ago.
The Leafs will also be playing with revenge on their minds, as they lost last time out to the Isles on Nov. 23rd; look for TORONTO to do just enough to continue its streak and get the win here in front of the hometown crowd! Take the Maple Leafs.
Marc Lawrence
Milwaukee -3
The Bucks host the Raptors in this Eastern Conference battle Wednesday night knowing they are 4-0 ATS in this series when both teams played the day before. They are also 4-0 ATS in games without rest this season. Inside this series, Milwaukee is 10-3 SU and ATS when Toronto is of back-to-back wins, including 5-0 SU and ATS when the Bucks are off back-to-back losses. With the Raptors back on the road off a mini-one game home stand last night, look for the Bucks to get the money here tonight. We recommend a 4-unit play on Milwaukee.
Ron Raymond
Utah / Lakers Over 206
When UTAH team played as a Road team - playing on Wednesday - with 1 day off - Coming off a 1 game win - Allowed 105 or less points AGAINST in their last game; the OVER is 8-3-0 for the Jazz in this spot. Take the Over.
Opposite Action Plays
UCONN
Bob Balfe
NJ Nets -1.5
Evan Altemus
Atlanta -10.5
Under normal conditions, I may not have selected this game, but tonight's game is going to be on ESPN with a national audience. That makes all the difference to this young Atlanta team that is close to unbeatable at home when motivated. The Hawks also have shown the ability to blow teams out at home when motivated, even quality opponents. Meanwhile,Chicago is playing horrible right now, and they are coming off of a loss to New Jersey,one of the worst teams in the NBA. To make matters worse, that game was at home, where Chicago usually plays well. I look for them to struggle in this game coming off of a game last night. This game sets up as a perfect storm for Atlanta because of the way the Bulls offense has struggled, plus with the lack of effort Chicago shows away from home. Atlanta has also dominated this series recently, covering the point spread in three straight games and winning outright in four straight games. Look for the Hawks to get a blowout home win.
4 UNIT SELECTION HAWKS
Rocketman
Atlanta -10
Chicago is 7-12 on the season while Atlanta is now 14-6 overall this year. Chicago is 3-10 ATS last 3 years as a road underdog of 9 1/2 to 12 points. Chicago is allowing 102.8 points per game on the road this year. Atlanta is scoring 103.7 points per game overall this year and 110.4 points per game at home this season. Bulls are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 vs. NBA Southeast. Bulls are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 Wednesday games. Bulls are 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games overall. Bulls are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. Bulls are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning SU record. Bulls are 3-12-2 ATS in their last 17 vs. Eastern Conference. Bulls are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Bulls are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss. Bulls are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games. Bulls are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Bulls are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog. Bulls are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog. Bulls are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. Bulls are 1-11-2 ATS in their last 14 games following a SU loss. Bulls are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5. Bulls are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. Bulls are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as a road underdog of 5.0-10.5. Bulls are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games playing on 0 days rest. Hawks are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 Wednesday games. Hawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400. Hawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. Hawks are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games as a home favorite of 5.0-10.5. Hawks are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games as a home favorite. Hawks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. Hawks are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 home games. Hawks are 14-6-1 ATS in their last 21 games overall. Hawks are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5. Hawks are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games following a ATS win. Favorite is 16-7 ATS in the last 23 meetings. We'll play Atlanta for 3 units tonight!
Lenny Del Genio
Milwaukee -3
The Bucks hot start has become a distant memory thanks to eight losses in their last nine games. However, Toronto is one team they can take advantage of. Not only do the Raptors allow over 111 PPG on the road this season, but they have been dreadful in the second game of back to back situations. In November, they were 0-4 SU/ATS, losing to Dallas, Orlando, Utah and Charlotte by an average of more than 21 PPG. Their first December game in this situation saw them get clobbered 146-115 in Atlanta. This past Sunday, they finally covered in this spot, blowing out a struggling Chicago team 110-78, but note the term "struggling." In fact, four of the team's five non-covers in this situation have come on the road. Milwaukee started the season by going 8-2 ATS in their first 10 games at the Bradley Center. Both teams went Under in their last game and that sets up a play on the Bucks. Toronto is 12-26 ATS when coming off back to back Unders while Milwaukee is a perfect 7-0 ATS this season when coming off an Under. Take Milwaukee.
Fantasy Sports Gametime
50* Play New Jersey (-210) over Carolina
50* Play Chicago (-190) over NY Rangers
BLACK WIDOW
6* W idow Wiseguy CBB UNDERDOG OF THE MONTH on Rider +2
Rider is 4-0 at home this season and should not be catching points against La Salle. Both of La Salle's losses have come on the road this season with double-digit losses to both South Carolina and Villanova. La Salle is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) after having won 4 of their last 5 games since 1997. The Explorers are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record. The Rider Broncs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a home underdog. Take Rider and the points.
5* Wiseguy CBB "Late-Night" BAILOUT on New Mexico -5
New Mexico is 8-0 this season and laying a very small number against a poor San Diego team tonight, thus we'll side with the superior team in likely a double-digit win. The Lobos are also 7-1 ATS this season, with their lone loss against the spread coming in their last game in a 17-point win over New Mexico State as a 17.5-point favorite. This team is N CA A T our name nt bound. San Diego is 0-4 SU & 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games, losing to Washington State by 37, S an D iego Sta te by 7, UC-Riverside by 3 and F res no St ate by 32. All of those four teams are nowhere near the caliber as New Mexico. New Mexico is 17-4 ATS (+12.6 Units) after allowing 25 points or less in the first half last game over the last 3 seasons. San Diego is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) when playing their 3rd game in a week over the last 2 seasons. Take New Mexico and lay the points.
4* on St. Joseph's +15.5
St. Joseph's is simply catching too many points against Villanova here Wednesday. This team only has one loss by more than 12 points this season, and that came against Purdue who are one of the best teams in the country. Villanova is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in road games after 3 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers since 1997. St. Joseph's is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) in road games vs. top caliber teams - outscoring their opponents by 12+ points/game since 1997. This team lost 56-59 to Villanova in last year's meeting with the Wildcats, and they have been known for playing the best teams in the country very tough over the last decade. Take St. Joseph's and the points.
Tim Trushel
20* Indiana Over
BIG AL
NBA ROADKILL BLOWOUT WINNER
At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the San Antonio Spurs minus the points over Sacramento. The Spurs suffered their 3rd straight loss on Monday when they fell at Utah, 104-101. They had a good chance to win the game when, trailing by 1, Matt Bonner threw up a runner, but the ball went around the rim, and out, and after two free throws, Utah walked away with the 3-point win. That defeat came on the heels of two other close losses -- both at home -- to Denver and Boston. But off three consecutive defeats, we'll play on the Spurs here, as San Antonio is a solid 37-23 ATS since 1990 off 3+ losses, including 6-0 ATS when its foe is unrested (Sacramento played at New Orleans last night) and the Spurs are off an ATS loss. These two teams met earlier in the season here at the AT&T Center, and the Spurs came away with a 19-point win, as 16-point favorites. But now, on the heels of the Spurs' losing streak, a big adjustment is being made by the oddsmakers, and the Spurs find themselves only a 12-point home favorite at the time of this writing (a staggering 4 points less than in November). That's way too low, considering that San Antone has won six straight in this series, and 13 of 14 overall. And here, in the Alamo City, the Spurs have won 10 of 11 vs. Sacramento. This will be a blowout. Lay the points.
Frank Patron
10000 Unit NBA Underdog Of The Month #2
Chicago +10.5
Craig Davis
20 Dime - HAWKS
10 Dime - WARRIORS
ATLANTA HAWKS --- Complete mismatch here, as we get a tired and weary Chicago team leaving home where they just lost to the lowly New Jersey Nets (giving them just their second win of the season). Now, the Bulls have to lick their wounds, hop on a red-eye flight to Atlanta and get ready for a well-rested Atlanta Hawks team that has lost just two games at home all season. The Hawks haven't played since an 80-75 win over the Dallas Mavericks on December 5th. When getting 3+ days of rest, the Hawks are a respectable 2-1 ATS, and the last time they were in this situation they came back home to score 146 points in a 146-115 win over the Raptors.
The amount of points the Hawks might score tonight is endless, not only because of the rest but because of their 80-point output in the last game. If they can win (and cover) scoring just 80 points, just imagine what they're going to do tonight when they score over 100. They average 104 PPG for the season, but over 110 at home while allowing just 98 PPG, and with nothing of major importance on the horizon this isn't going to be one of those "look ahead" games. The Hawks haven't been treating the home folks kindly recently, dropping two of their last three, so they're looking to take it out on the Bulls tonight.
Chicago, to put it mildly, is in a major funk. They have injury issues all over the place, they don't have a tremendous amount of depth, and they're limping in off the heels of that horrible loss last night. You thik they want to be playing a road game tonight? They won't show up, period. The biggest difference between this year's team and last year's team that took the Celtics to the brink in the playoffs is the play (or lack thereof) of John Salmons. When he initially came over from Sacramento, Salmons was hitting everything and provided that much needed spark they were seeking. This year, he's been a train wreck. Just 12 PPG over his last three and less than 40% from the field through the first quarter of the season.
When you compare that to his 47% shooting the last three season, this year has been a huge disappointment so far. His FT% is down 8 points, his 3-point shooting percentage is also down 8 points as compared to the previous three seasons. Unless he gets it turned around, this team is going to continue to struggle as they have so many times already this year, especially on the road (2-9). Chicago hasn't covered a number yet this season on the second game of back-to-back nights (0-4 ATS) and tonight they should be even further "down in the dumps" after giving New Jersey just their second win of the season. This one won't be close... I'm calling for a 20-point Hawks win.
GOLDEN STATE --- Two things in our favor here tonight. First, New Jersey absolutely has to have an amazing amount of confidence after going into Chicago and getting their second win of the season, 101-100. Talk about over-confident... well, maybe it's not even overconfidence... maybe it's just a relief that they earned their second win of the season. Either way, there is absolutely no chance this team wins two games in a row. They haven't done it yet this season and I don't know why it would start tonight.
Secondly, the Golden State Warriors just scored a season-low 88 points in a blowout loss at Oklahoma City... and for a team that averages 109 PPG, that last output can't sit well with them. It just can't. In fact, the last two times the Warriors failed to reach triple figures, they came back the next game to score 108 and 126, respectively. And considering the Nets have scored 100 or more points just three times all season (never back-to-back), it's absolutely impossible for me to see them doing it tonight. They scored 101 in last night's upset win over the Bulls and nothing can convince me they get to that point total again this evening.
That win, combined with Golden State's most recent loss, gives us tremendous line value here tonight. Had things been different the last few nights, Golden State would likely be giving five or six points tonight. The Warriors are an amazing 13-3 ATS over their last 16 vs. teams from the Atlantic division and they've covered 9 of their last 13 overall this season. Meanwhile, the Nets are not only losing games, they aren't covering the number, having dropped 8 of their last 10 games ATS. All I'm asking Golden State to do here tonight is win the game by a few points... something that should be easily attainable under the circumstances.
ATS LOCK CLUB
4 Units Wash St
3 Units UCONN
3 Units Wisc GB