Drew Gordon
Cornell (-16') at PENNSYLVANIA
56-39-3 roll L/98 Free Plays! For tonight's complimentary play, we're looking at the Cornell/Pennsylvania match up.
From 2005 to 2008, Penn owned this series, going 6-2 SU & 6-1-1 ATS. But college basketball is cyclical, and this series has flip-flopped since last year, with a MUCH improved Cornell team winning and covering their L2 meetings in lopsided fashion. That includes their last meeting - an 83-59 smackdown of the Quakers in the Ivy League Title game!
Critics of this play will argue the "revenge angle," but I'm not convinced that's enough to make up for the gap in talent between these two schools. Of course injuries have taken their toll on Penn, but every team deals with injuries, and that's no excuse. Fact of the matter is, Penn used to be the toast of the Ivy League, and now that crown belongs to the Big Red.
Biggest disparity between these two teams comes on the offensive end, where the Quakers are struggling mightily. Penn is averaging just 57 ppg on a piss-poor 38% shooting over their L5 games! True, 4 of those 5 games were on the road, but then how do you explain home losses like their pathetic 49 points vs Drexel or scoring just 60 points versus Albany (18-point home loss in non-lined game). Cornell on the other hand, has been an offensive machine, averaging 75 ppg on nearly 46% shooting on the highway this season! I seriously doubt they will have trouble with a Quakers defense allowing 75 ppg on 47% shooting at home this season!
Bottom line, lay the points, as the cream of the Ivy League crop takes out the now bottom-feeding Quakers in this one. Every win counts for this Big Red squad, and having followed them closely all season, their 9-2 record ATS away is no accident! Big Red rolls!
Take Cornell over Pennsylvania in this college hoops match up.
2♦ CORNELL
Karl Garrett
West Virginia at PITTSBURGH (+1)
4-2 my last 6 comp play releases.
Revenge time for Pitt, as they were manhandled 9 days ago in Morgantown, 70-51 marking the second time in a row the Mountaineers have beaten them by double-digits.
Pittsburgh is a positive 13-1 straight up at home, and they have gone 6-1-2 against the spread their last 9 lined home games.
West Virginia just got stopped cold at home against Villanova on Monday, and I don't see them sweeping the regular season series from the prideful Panthers who most definitely have a payback in mind for tonight in the Steel City.
In a near pick game, will side with the double-revenging Panthers to come through.
4♦ PITTSBURGH
Chuck O'Brien
Siena (-4) at NIAGARA
Take Siena minus the points at Niagara in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference hoops action Friday as I build on a 6-2 run with complimentary plays.
These teams met about a month ago on Siena’s home court, and the Saints dominated in an 18-point victory (cashing as an eight-point favorite). Even though the scene shifts to Niagara’s home court tonight, I don’t think much has changed between these two squads. In fact, Siena comes into this contest on a 15-game winning streak, and it is a perfect 14-0 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action (including 6-0 on the road). Niagara has dropped nine of its last 16 games, including eight of 12 in conference.
Siena’s blowout of Niagara last month was hardly an aberration, either. The Saints have won eight of the last 10 battles (7-2-1 ATS), with seven of those eight wins coming by 10 points or more. Since the start of the 2007-08 season, Siena is 5-1 SU and ATS against the Purple Eagles, and dating back to the early part of the last decade, the Saints are on a 15-5-1 ATS roll in this rivalry.
On top of all that, Siena has cashed in five straight games as a short favorite (less than seven points), and it is 5-0-1 ATS in its last six as a road favorite. Niagara is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 overall and 2-6 ATS in its last eight at home. And while Siena is a perfect 14-0 in conference (and 21-4 overall), the Purple Eagles are 6-8 the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (13-13 overall).
4♦ SIENA
Michael Cannon
Siena (-4) at NIAGARA
I am now 77-66-3 with my last 145 free plays.
Take Siena as the road chalk over Niagara.
Siena is head-and-shoulders above Niagara in terms of depth and talent. The Saints are 14-0 in MAAC play and really should be ranked in the Top 25, but they haven’t cracked the polls yet.
Niagara should just be another bump in the road for the Saints as they look to continue their unbeaten conference play.
Niagara is on pointspread slides of 2-6 in its last eight home games and 4-11 in its last 15 games overall.
Siena is on a 15-5-1 ATS run in the last 21 meetings with Niagara.
Take Siena minus the points as they grab the road win and cover.
3♦ SIENA
Brett Atkins
You want a free winner tonight and I'm delivering on the college hardwood with a play on Siena as the Saints travel to take on Niagara in a MAAC contest.
Siena has won 15 straight games and they have gone 3-1-1 ATS in their last five. The Saints sit atop the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 14-0 record and have a four-game lead on their nearest competitors. Niagara is just 13-13 overall and 6-8 in conference play.
The Saints crushed the Purple Eagles 83-65 back on Jan. 9 and easily cashed as eight-point favorites. Siena has won eight of the last 10 meetings against Niagara and cashed in 15 of their last 21 series clashes.
Balance is what Siena brings to the table, with a starting five that could be led by somebody different on any night of the week. Siena is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 trips to Niagara and they are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five roadies.
Play the red-hot Saints in this one as they win this one in a blowout.
5♦ SIENA
Charley Sutton
For awhile there it looked as if the Magic would pull off the outright win against the Cavaliers. Unfortunately, Orlando faded down the stretch and ended up costing us.
I’m not sweating that, though, as I’m delivering tonight as I’m taking Cornell on the road at Penn in some Ivy League action.
Cornell comes into this game on a roll, having won eight consecutive games SU and having cashed in 4 of its last 6 games.
Consider, too, for the season the Big Red are 13-5 ATS overall and have covered in 9 of their 11 road games.
Now they get a Quakers team that’s just 1-4 ATS at home this year and is only 4-9 ATS overall. Keep in mind, too, Penn has covered in just 5 of its last 21 games when installed as a home underdog.
Also, the favorite in this series has gone 6-2-1 ATS their last 9 meetings with Cornell covering in each of the last two.
Tonight, the Big Red will cash in again.
3 ♦ CORNELL
Jay McNeil
Nice call on California getting it done over Washington last night, as I move out to a 12-3 run and look to the mid-majors for tonight's comp play!
Iona has been the feel-good story in the MAAC this season, a surprise if you will, and has been on a roll of late.
Though this is a rivalry, the 18-7 Gaels are 10-4 in MAAC action and playing too good right now. The Jaspers don't have near the talent, or momentum, that Iona has going these days.
Manhattan has lost nine of 11, while Iona is 10-2 in the New Year and currently resides in second place behind Siena.
Iona has won four of the last five meetings on the floor, while it has covered five of the last six meetings.
2♦ IONA
Joel Tyson
Winner last night for FREE on Michigan outright!
Rare free play in the MAAC tonight on Fairfield plus the points.
The Stags have lost the last 4 series meetings, including an 8-point setback at home at the end of January. To say that they are due against the Broncos would be an understatement.
Fairfield does enter this game with a positive 6-2 series spread mark at Rider in the last 8 meetings, and they have covered 7 of their last 9 on the road, including a hard-fought 2-point loss at conference heavyweight Siena their last time out.
The Broncos are just 2-6 against the spread at home this season, and I don't see them covering in this one.
4♦ FAIRFIELD
Jeff Benton
The free-play winning streak ended Thursday as Utah State came up JUST short at Boise State. Still, I’m 9-2 with my last 11 freebies, including 6-1 with the last seven, and I’ll get back on track Friday by laying the chalk with West Virginia at Pitt.
I know it’s dangerous to back a road favorite in a rivalry game – and this Pitt-West Virginia rivalry is as nasty as it gets. But it was only 12 days ago that these teams met down in Morgantown, and it was the epitome of a no-contest, as the Mountaineers routed Pitt 70-51 as a 10-point favorite. Two telling stats from that contest: West Virginia had a 42-30 rebounding edge and it held the Panthers to 30.2 percent shooting (2-for-10 from three-point land).
Even though the Mountaineers lost at home to Villanova on Monday (I had a 15 Dime winner on ‘Nova in that one!), they’re still 6-1 in their last seven games; they’re 9-2 on the road (including neutral site games); and they’ve won their last three Big East road games by margins of 19, 16 and 19 points. Meanwhile, Pitt has dropped four of its last seven games (the only wins coming at home against Robert Morris in a non-conference game and against Big East weaklings Seton Hall and St. John’s).
Finally, in recent years, this rivalry has belonged to the favorite, which is 12-5-1 ATS in the last 18 meetings. And when you consider that Pitt has won 33 of its last 34 home games yet is an underdog to a rival tonight, well, that tells me all I need to know about what team is the right side in this one!
4♦ WEST VIRGINIA
Denver Money
Portland St. +1 vs Montana
Portland State will host Montana tonight in a Big Sky Match-up. The underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings between these two teams and Portland St. is getting 1 at home tonight. Portland St is 5-5 in the Big Sky this season while Montana is 8-4. As a home dog of .5 to 6.5 the Vikings are 6-1 ATS and 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 as a home dog overall. The Grizzles are 4-9 ATS in last 13 games as a road favorite of .5 - 6.5. Montana is also 1-5 ATS in last 6 games following a SU win of more than 20 pts. (Won last game 91-68 vs. Idaho St.)
Teddy Covers
Siena @ Niagara
PICK: Siena -4
Niagara might be a senior laden squad, but they continue to lose their poise at crucial junctures, game after game, week after week. Yet another game got away from the Purple Eagles on Monday, as they frittered away a 14 point second half lead, losing at Rider. Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich has had plenty of quotes like this one this year: “It was a disappointing loss. We let a great opportunity slip away.”
Niagara does not have a particularly strong homecourt edge these days. The Purple Eagles are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight home games, with outright losses to Rider, St Peter’s and Iona here in conference play. Even a game against in-city rival Cansius last week only brought out 2400 fans, and many of those fans were supporters of the road team.
Siena hasn’t made any money for their supporters as a home favorite this year, unable to beat teams by the 15+ point margins expected by the betting markets. But as a road favorite, the Saints have been money in the bank, a perfect 7-0 ATS in this role. That’s no surprise, really – the Saints are the class of the conference, a borderline Top 25 team that shows their balance, poise and mettle in the toughest of environments. Siena has won on this floor by double digit margins twice in the last three trips to Buffalo, as part of a 8-2 SU, 7-2-1 ATS dominance in this series dating back to 2006. 2* Take Siena