KBHOOPS
5* Temple -3.5 *POD*
4* Ohio State -7
4* Texas A&M +6.5
4* St. Louis +4.5
3* Missouri -13.5
3* Marquette -2
3* Purdue -2
igz1 sports
4* Texas A&M +6.5
4* Saint Louis +5
4* Towson/William Mary Under 136.5
3* Temple -3.5
3* Dayton/Temple Over 118.5
3* Memphis -1.5
3* Washington +1
3* Memphis/Washington Over 199.5
Rex Rodgers
3* Canada pk -130
Tony Taylor
4* Kent St -4.5
3* Virginia Commonwealth -16
3* Cal Santa Barbara -8.5
3* Hawks/Twolves Over 204
Las Vegas Sports Advisors
10* GOM Russia +125
MR EAST
NBA WEDNESDAY WHIPLASH
LA LAKERS @ DALLAS
3 UNITS: UNDER 195
The Lakers have long been considered an offensive first team, but this team is very good on the defensive end. The last 12 Laker games have seen the opponent crack the 100 mark just 1 time. They have also packed that defense and taken it on the road, as they have allowed just 90.3ppg in their last 7 away from LA. Mavs have held 5 straight teams to under the century mark as well, and after allowing 131 to the Lake Show last time, they are going to bring some defensive grit to this one. Lakers have played to an 8-0 mark to the under in their last 8 posted as a dog. Dallas has been 7-1 to the under as a small favorite of up to 4.5. This one stays under the total.
Trace Adams
2000♦ - Marquette Golden Eagles
500♦ - Memphis Tigers
I went against Marquette last Thursday night when they hosted Pitt with a successful 2000♦ winner on the Panthers. Followed it up with a 1000♦ winner on the Golden Eagles on Sunday as they won in overtime at Cincinnati.
Going to go to the well once again in a big way with Buzz Peterson's crew, as I have a feeling they will pull away from the Johnnies in this spot and solidfy their Big Dance at-large credentials.
Marquette is 6-1 straight up their last 7 games, and while St. John's has gone on a nice late-season 3-1 run both straight up, and against the spread, the Red Storm has not been able to dent the in any of the 6 meetings these schools have had dating back to 2003, as the Eagles are 6-0 straight up, and 5-1 against the spread.
The Red Storm still go through too many scoring droughts to be trusted plus only a few points at home, and Marquette is sure to "D" them up in this one.
With the Golden Eagles riding a 9-3 spread run their last 12 overall, and a 12-4 spread run their last 16 in Big East play, have to back Marquette minus the road chalk tonight.
2000♦ - Marquette Golden Eagles
Memphis is starting to click once again, winners of 4 in a row since their loss to Gonzaga at home on February 6th.
Houston is no better than 13-13 this season, and they did lose a 92-77 decision at Memphis on January 23rd, the 10th win in as many tries for the Tigers against the Cougars since 2006!
Houston comes into this one having lost their last pair, and 4 of their last 6, and at just 4-7 against the spread at home this campaign, there really is not much value in this small home dog on Wednesday.
Memphis is 7-1 against the spread in the last 8 series meetings, while Houston is on a money-burning 4-12 home spread slide their last 16 lined games.
Have to go with the Tigers tonight.
500♦ - Memphis Tigers
Billy Coleman
4* Ball State
4* Marquette
4* Purdue
3* Central Mich
3* Nebraska-Iowa St Under
3* Memphis
3* Detroit-LAC Under 190
ASA
Eastern Michigan at Ball State
Pick: BALL Ball State -1
This is a huge game for the Cards who are playing their final home game and currently own a 1-game lead over Central Michigan for 1st place in the MAC. Only three games remain and BSU is on their way to a possible MAC Title. The Cardinals are hosting a Ball State team that should be a bit gassed playing their third straight road game in the last 7 days. Not only that, the Eagles are not a deep team with all five starters playing at least 34 minutes in their loss @ Detroit on Saturday.
BSU is on quite a roll. They have actually covered 11 of their last 12 games! They have done it with a fantastic defense that has allowed MAC opponents to shoot only 38% on the season (1st in the league). They have a big advantage here over their counterparts as EMU ranks 9th in the MAC in defensive FG% allowed. Ball State can struggle to put the ball in the basket and at times that hurts them vs. very good offensive teams that can light up the scoreboard. That's not the case in this one as Eastern shoots only 41% in league play topping 69 points only once in their last 12 games. They will struggle big time again here vs. the #1 defense in the MAC as we mentioned.
The Cards have been playing very solid ball on their home court. They have won 6 of their last 7 in Muncie with their only loss coming in OT vs. Akron, who with Kent are the two best teams in the entire conference. They've done it with their defense as they have allowed only 57 PPG at home during those 6 wins. The Redbirds are also a decent rebounding team and if they are ahead late and EMU sends them to the stripe, BSU is the second best FT shooting team in the conference. Those are the ingredients for winning a "tight lined" game like we have here.
These two met earlier in the year and Eastern escaped with a 4 point win. The Eagles were killed by poor free throw shooting as they have been for much of the year. In that game they hit only 9 of 23 from the line (39%) and on the year they rank 11th in that category in MAC play. That will be a big factor again in this one. BSU is hot covering 8 straight at home. It's a huge game for them, while not as much for EMU who really have no hopes of catching them for the conference title. The Eagles have their Senior Day on Saturday followed up by a big rivalry game @ Central Michigan to close out the year. We wouldn't fault them for being "lax" in this semi-meaningless road game (remember their third straight away from home). Lay this small number with the motivated Cardinals.
Don Wallace Sports
4* Oklahoma City +3.5
4* Minnesota +12.5
TEDDY COVERS
3* Washington +1
4* Maryland -4.5
3* Auburn +9.5
3* Depaul +13.5
4* Ball st. PK
LARRY NESS
8* PENN STATE +7.5
8* IOWA STATE -4.5
8* SOUTHERN MISS +4
BEN BURNS
10* TV TOM LAKERS/MAVERICKS UNDER 194.5
8* OLE MISS -9
8* AIR FORCE +6
8* TEXAS -9
DAVID MALINSKY
4* MILWAUKEE/NEW ORLEANS UNDER 194
Every once in a while over the course of the long NBA season you get a result that simply lacks merit, yet still clogs statistical databases. That can be particularly true of the last game before, or first game after, the All Star break, when playing rhythms can be broken. As such the 127 points that Houston rang up on this court a week ago, a night in which the Rockets hit a sizzling 16-23 from 3-point range, works for us here. It keeps the markets confused as to just how well the Bucks are playing defensively, and it was also an embarrassment that led to an even sharper focus on that end of the court in subsequent games. It all adds up to excellent value for this setting.
In their last three games before the break the Bucks allowed 81, 93 and 77 points. In the three games since the Houston fiasco it has been 85, 88 and 67. This is genuinely becoming a Scott Skiles team, one that is scrapping hard at the defensive end, and with John Salmons, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Carlos Delfino in the lineup there are some excellent wingspans on the perimeter, to go with Andew Bogut’s continued development inside (now second in the NBA in blocked shots). The fact that they are also winning these games (9-3 SU in their last 12) to move into playoff positioning helps them all to buy into the concept, and they basically know that they have to, because of offensive limitations. They have eight wins in the past month in games in which they scored 97 points or less, and the offensive issues are not going to go away – Brandon Jennings hit the rookie wall early, which takes away much of their explosiveness, and note that even in the current 3-0 SU run he has shot an awful 7-36 from the field.
Because of the short-handed roster New Orleans is in no hurry, literally, to force tempo here. This will be the first back-to-back sequence for the Hornets since the All Star break, and it is not helped by Darren Collison having to go 43:27 at Cleveland last night. This will be the first back-to-back for Collison as an NBA starter, which will slow the New Orleans pace, and before attaching too much credit to the 95 points the Hornets scored against a good Cavalier defense, note that the 37-point outburst off the bench by Marcus Thornton was simply one of those spins of the roulette wheel that occasionally happen in this league. With the game on the line in the second half (they led 56-53 at intermission) they were held to just 39 points, a much better indication of their true performance in that game.
Wayne Root
Vegas Legend - Clemson +5
Milliionaire - Notre Dame -1
Perfect Play - LSU +2