EZWINNERS
Wright State Raiders -1
This play falls into one of my favorite systems that has been very successful so far this season. Unranked home teams laying points against a ranked road team are 7-2-1 against the spread this year and that's the scenario that we have in this match up. Butler beat Wright State three times last season, but that was without Wright State's best player guard Vaughn Duggins who was injured. The Bulldogs are only 1-7 against the spread in their last eight meetings with the Raiders in games played at Wright State. Lay the points.
DUNKEL INDEX
Chicago at Milwaukee
The Bulls look to build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 games as an underdog. Chicago is the pick (+4) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulls favored by 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+4)
Game 801-802: Orlando at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 122.937; Washington 116.862
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 6; 212
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 8; 201
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+8); Over
Game 803-804: Toronto at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 116.632; Philadelphia 120.636
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 4; 199
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 208
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-1 1/2); Under
Game 805-806: Utah at Memphis
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 116.423; Memphis 128.024
Dunkel Line & Total: Memphis by 11 1/2; 207
Vegas Line & Total: Memphis by 4; 204
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (-4); Over
Game 807-808: Boston at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 118.874; Atlanta 125.578
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 6 1/2; 204
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 3; 195
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-3); Over
Game 809-810: New Jersey at New Orleans
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 105.329; New Orleans 121.944
Dunkel Line & Total: New Orleans by 16 1/2; 186
Vegas Line & Total: New Orleans by 10; 193
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-10); Under
Game 811-812: Indiana at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 109.105; Minnesota 116.064
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 7; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 2 1/2; 213
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-2 1/2); Under
Game 813-814: Chicago at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 117.332; Milwaukee 114.958
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 2 1/2; 185
Vegas Line & Total: Milwaukee by 4; 194 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+4); Under
Game 815-816: Dallas at San Antonio
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 121.466; San Antonio 123.154
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 1 1/2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 4 1/2; 194 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+4 1/2); Over
Game 817-818: Miami at Phoenix
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 120.453; Phoenix 122.174
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1 1/2; 219
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 6 1/2; 213
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+6 1/2); Over
Game 819-820: LA Lakers at Portland
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 122.518; Portland 121.870
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 1; 196
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 3 1/2; 194 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Portland (+3 1/2); Over
Game 821-822: Sacramento at Golden State
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento 114.699; Golden State 116.485
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 2; 228
Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 3 1/2; 229
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (+3 1/2); Under
Game 823-824: Cleveland at Denver
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 128.437; Denver 121.744
Dunkel Line & Total: Cleveland by 6 1/2; 213
Vegas Line & Total: Pick; 202
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland; Over
NCAAB
St. Mary's (CA) at San Francisco
The Gaels look to build on their 11-1 ATS record in their last 12 games as a favorite. St. Mary's (CA) is the pick (-10 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Gaels favored by 13. Dunkel Pick: St. Mary's (CA) (-10 1/2)
Game 825-826: Butler at Wright State
Dunkel Ratings: Butler 69.224; Wright State 66.426
Dunkel Line: Butler by 3
Vegas Line: Wright State by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Butler (+1 1/2)
Game 827-828: Valparaiso at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Valparaiso 51.262; Detroit 55.613
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Valparaiso (+9 1/2)
Game 829-830: Washington State at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Washington State 63.759; Arizona 66.076
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona by 3
Dunkel Pick: Washington State (+3)
Game 831-832: St. Mary's (CA) at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: St. Mary's (CA) 65.713; San Francisco 52.855
Dunkel Line: St. Mary's (CA) by 13
Vegas Line: St. Mary's (CA) by 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Mary's (CA) (-10 1/2)
Game 833-834: Pacific at Cal Poly
Dunkel Ratings: Pacific 57.692; Cal Poly 49.326
Dunkel Line: Pacific by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Pacific by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pacific (-6 1/2)
Game 835-836: Washington at Arizona State
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 70.866; Arizona State 69.137
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona State by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+3 1/2)
Game 837-838: UC-Davis at UC-Santa Barbara
Dunkel Ratings: UC-Davis 48.307; UC-Santa Barbara 54.093
Dunkel Line: UC-Santa Barbara by 6
Vegas Line: UC-Santa Barbara by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UC-Davis (+9 1/2)
Game 839-840: San Diego at Santa Clara
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego 54.003; Santa Clara 52.848
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1
Vegas Line: San Diego by 3
Dunkel Pick: Santa Clara (+3)
Game 841-842: St. Peter's at Manhattan
Dunkel Ratings: St. Peter's 50.321; Manhattan 51.018
Dunkel Line: Manhattan by 1
Vegas Line: Manhattan by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Peter's (+3 1/2)
Game 843-844: Loyola-MD at Fairfield
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola-MD 51.830; Fairfield 59.673
Dunkel Line: Fairfield by 8
Vegas Line: Fairfield by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-MD (+8 1/2)
Game 845-846: Eastern Washington at Montana
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Washington 40.330; Montana 58.793
Dunkel Line: Montana by 18 1/2
Vegas Line: Montana by 15
Dunkel Pick: Montana (-15)
Game 847-848: Portland State at Montana State
Dunkel Ratings: Portland State 54.169; Montana State 56.140
Dunkel Line: Montana State by 2
Vegas Line: Montana State by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Portland State (+4 1/2)
NHL
NY Islanders at Dallas
The Islanders look to take advantage of a Dallas team that is coming off a 5-2 loss to the Rangers and is 2-5 in its last 7 games after scoring 2 goals or less in the previous game. New York is the pick (+150) according to Dunkel, which has the Islanders favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+150)
Game 51-52: Colorado at Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 10.818; Carolina 11.150
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Colorado (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+120); Over
Game 53-54: Tampa Bay at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 10.739; New Jersey 12.128
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-210); 5
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-210); Over
Game 55-56: Toronto at Buffalo
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 10.083; Buffalo 11.881
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-200); 6
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-200); Under
Game 57-58: NY Islanders at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 11.098; Dallas 10.773
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+150); Under
Game 59-60: Columbus at Calgary
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 10.086; Calgary 12.110
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Calgary (-230); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-230); Under
Brett Atkins
Tonight's free winner comes from the college hardwood as I'm jumping on Arizona in the Wildcats' Pac-10 matchup with Washington State in Tucson.
Home team has the advantage here and I like what I saw from Arizona on Saturday as they went into Pauley Pavilion and hammered UCLA 77-63 as a six-point underdog.
The Wildcats have been playing solid defense lately, limiting a very good USC to 56 points in a 56-50 loss as 8 ½-point underdogs, and limiting UCLA to just 63. They got a great game from Kyle Fogg in the win over UCLA as he put up 25 points and grabbed five rebounds. Jamelle Horne and Derrick Williams also had solid outings with 17 and 16 points respectively.
Arizona is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 Pac-10 contests, 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14 as a home favorite and 14-5-1 as a favorite anywhere.
Washington State is on ATS slides of 1-4 overall, 1-11 as a road ‘dog of up to 6 ½ points, 3-8-1 on the road and 2-7-1 on the road against teams with winning home records.
The Wildcats have cashed in three of the last four against the Cougars and if they play like that did at UCLA, this is going to be easy work for them. Lay the chalk and play Arizona.
3♦ ARIZONA
Jay McNeil
I'm now on an 11-5 roll with my free plays after the Knicks' victory over Charlotte on Thursday. And now I've got another NBA winner lined up for today!
The Wizards are in complete turmoil right now with the Gilbert Arenas gun situation affecting the entire team, with many players facing fines for a pregame incident Tuesday night in Philadelphia, where Arenas pointed his index fingers to "shoot" at teammates, who responded by surrounding Arenas in a circle and laughing.
Playing without Arenas Wednesday at Cleveland, Washington struggled in a 121-98 loss, its fifth defeat in six games.
The Wizards have lost five straight games at home, and they have also lost five straight against Orlando playing without Arenas, including all four meetings last season.
The Magic are on a three-game losing streak, and playing against a downtrodden Washington team is just what they need to get back on track.
Orlando star Dwight Howard is averaging 22.5 points and 14.8 rebounds in his last four games against the Wizards.
4♦ ORLANDO
Charley Sutton
Bad call with Penn State as Michigan pulls off the outright victory. I’m not dwelling on that as I’m handing you a strong winner with the Suns at home against the visiting Miami Heat.
These two hooked up about two months ago, early in the NBA season, with the Suns getting the outright win at the Heat, winning 104-96 as a 4 1/2 point underdog.
Now the Suns are home where they’ve gone 11-6 ATS.
Coming into this game the Suns have gone 4-1 SU and ATS their last 5 games, including back-to-back wins SU and ATS.
Now they battle a Heat team that’s record just one win SU and ATS its last 5 games and has failed to cover in each of its last 2 games on the road, losing to two Western Conference teams, falling 95-91 at the Hornets then 108-78 at the Spurs on Dec. 30 and 31.
The Heat will drop another one on the road and lose big at the Suns tonight.
3 ♦ SUNS
Joel Tyson
The Lakers just had a 4-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday, as they were stunned by the Clippers in a game in which they were listed as the visitor.
Now LA has to head up to the Rose Garden to face a Portland team that has bested them the last 8 times they have tangled in Rip City.
Portland has dropped their last pair, and with Cleveland coming to town on Sunday, it is time for the Blazers to get the shi$ together in a hurry.
With the Lakers just 4-8 against the spread on the road this year, look for Portland to make it 9 straight home wins over Los Angeles.
Take the Blazers as the small home dog.
1♦ PORTLAND
Pete Angelo
Utah at Memphis
Utah has owned the Grizzlies, and the trend should continue tonight.
The Jazz set a season high with 39 assists and shot 56.8 percent in a 117-94 massacre over Memphis two nights back.
Just because the venue has changed, doesn't mean the teams have.
Utah has won 11 straight over the Grizz, the longest streak of any NBA team against the Grizzlies. And, it's bee done with an abundance of offense. The Jazz are averaging 112.5 points while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from beyond the arc during that run.
Look for the Jazz to go nuts tonight.
4♦ UTAH JAZZ
Chuck O'Brien
Take the Hornets and lay the big points against the Nets in Friday’s NBA action.
Don’t look now, but New Orleans is riding a season-best four-game SU and ATS winning streak, and all four wins were against quality opponents (Heat, Rockets, Jazz and Thunder) and all were in down-to-the-wire fashion (by margins of 4, 4, 4 and 5 points). The latter two were road upsets at Utah and Oklahoma City.
The Hornets have played lock-down defense during their winning streak, allowing 91, 95, 87 and 92 points (average of 91.3 ppg), and now they face a New Jersey team that has scored 89, 76 and 86 points in its last three games (all losses to the Cavaliers, Bucks and Hawks). The lowly Nets (still with just three wins on the season) have scored in triple digits just once in their last 11 games, tallying less than 90 points six times!
Not only does New Jersey have THE worst record in the NBA (it’s not even close), but its 11-24 ATS mark is also the worst in the league. On the road this year, the Nets are 1-17 SU and 5-13 ATS. Conversely, the Hornets are 13-3 on their home court and a respectable 9-7 ATS (4-1 ATS last five at home).
The Hornets have won four straight games against the Nets, and the last two in New Orleans were double-digit blowouts (with the Hornets cashing in both). And those past New Jersey teams weren’t nearly as inept as this one.
3♦ HORNETS
John Ryan
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Play: Portland Trail Blazers +3
Ai Simulator 3* graded play on Portland as they host the Lakers set to start at 10:05 EST. AiS shows a 74% probability that Portland will lose this game by 3 or fewer points and has a 56% probability of winning the game. The Clippers won SU against the Lakers and was another 7* Titan winner. Portland has the same opportunity and even better personnel than the Clippers. Supporting this graded play is a system that has produced a record of 46-19 ATS for 71% winners since 1996. Play on home dogs after 2 or more consecutive overs and is a good team outscoring their opponents by 3+ points/game. AiS shows an 88% probability that Portland will score between 99 and 104 points. Note that hey are a solid 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) when they score 99 to 104 points in a game over the last 2 seasons. Portland is also in a solid situation for an ATS win noting they are 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in home games versus good shooting teams making >=46% of their shots over the last 2 seasons. The Lakers are certainly an elite team and are hitting 46% from the field ranking 13th in the league. lakers are still the favorite to win the World Championship, but in this game Portland has an excellent opportunity to hand them another loss. Take Portland.
Tom Freese
Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs
Prediction: Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 10-4 ATS their last 14 road games and they are 43-21-1 ATS when playing with two days of rest. The Mavericks are 5-1 ATS as underdogs of 0.5 to 4.5 points and they are 11-4 ATS their last 15 games at San Antonio. The Spurs are 5-17 ATS vs. a team with a win percentage of over 60% and they are 6-16 ATS in home games with revenge. San Antonio is 5-16 ATS when playing with revenge from a road loss and they are 2-8 ATS as home favorites 0.5 to 4.5 points. PLAY ON DALLAS +
WUNDERDOG
Game: Indiana at Minnesota
Pick: Indiana +4
Since the benching of TJ Ford and the insertion of Roy Hibbert and Luther Head, this Pacers team has taken on new life. Head has averaged 21.8 points per game in four starts while Hibbert has added 20 per game over the same span. Ford just wasn't getting it done, scoring little and turning the ball over. He'll be back at some point but for now it's good that he's out. The T-Wolves are just 4-15 on the season here at home (19-40 ATS at home since last season) so getting two buckets against them spells value. The Pacers match up well against Minnesota, as evidenced by their 11 point win in their last matchup. The Timberwolves are just 7-20 ATS at home since last season vs. teams like the Pacers that average 18+ three-point shots per game. This season overall they are 6-15 ATS vs. teams that make 6+ long-range shots per game. I'm fading Minnesota here.
Bryan Leonard
Toronto at Philadelphia The Raptors are a healthy team who is starting to put it all together. They have won 7 of their last 8 games including winning 2 of 3 against Boston, San Antonio and Orlando. The Magic victory was especially sweet because Chis Bosh had an off night. He should really come out determined tonight when matched up against a fading Thaddeus Young, a player who looks to have hit a wall right now. Toronto has won 3 of 5 meetings in Philadelphia and is playing with great confidence right now.
The Sixers on the other hand have dropped 8 of 9 straight up at home and 13 of 14 here ATS. They have lost 9 of the last 13 meetings in this series as they have severe matchup problems with Toronto. In fact, they are on a 5-15-1 spread run hosting the Raptors. Philadelphia is struggling right now with their defensive rotations and for what it's worth Allen Iverson is a game time decision. Regardless if AI plays the Raptors win this game in straight up fashion.
PLAY TORONTO
Jack Jones
Memphis Grizzlies -3 over Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz just blew out the Memphis Grizzlies back in Salt Lake, but now Memphis gets to exact a little revenge playing on their home floor. This is an under-rated Grizzlies team who has done a good job this season revenging road losses, going a perfect 7-0 ATS this year an winning by an average of ten points per game.
The Jazz are a completely different team when they take the road with a 6-10 record. Memphis on the other hand is 10-5 on their home floor. With those kind of home/road dichotomy it's tough not to like taking the home team, especially with this low number.
SPORTS WAGERS
Sacramento +1.72 over GOLDEN STATE
The Kings have won just three road games in 15 tries but this looks like a good spot for them. Sac-town was playing some very decent basketball right around Christmas when they took the Lakers and Cav’s both to OT before losing. They then beat the Nuggets and subsequently ran out of steam with four successive losses. They’ve now had two full days off and they also take to the road for just the second time in two weeks. It’ll be good for them to get away from home, regroup and see if they can get this thing going again. There’s no denying they’re one of the most talented and exciting young clubs in the game. The Warriors, too, are young and exciting but have been for about 20 years now. They’ll return home from a four-game trip on just one days rest and although they’re getting healthier, this is a vulnerable spot to be in. Golden State has the Cav’s on deck and could be a little flat tonight. Expect the Kings to be energized and ready to go. Play: Sacramento +1.72 (Risking 2 units).
PHILADELPHIA –2 over Toronto
The Raps stock is gaining steam and after Wednesday’s win in Orlando it’s as high as it’s been in some time now. Thing is, this is a team that loses focus real fast and more often than not lose after a big win. Toronto is just 6-13 on the road and they wanted that win over Orlando as badly as any game this year. They hung on for dear life after Orlando rallied from a 12-point, fourth quarter deficit. Now the Raps will take a step down in class after that big win and they have the Celtics at home on Sunday. Meanwhile, the 76ers returned home from a long six-game excursion amidst all the controversy over the Gilbert Arenas incident. Washington won that game and now the 76ers will play its second game back at home after the trip. Philly had a very nice trip and in fact, picked up three wins in Portland, Sacramento and Denver. Those are three good wins indeed. The 76ers are 14 games under .500 and they’re probably not going anywhere but they’re a whole lot better than its record indicates and they really showed signs of life on that last trip. This is a great spot for them to get it going at home and again, it’s a very vulnerable spot for the visitor. Play: Philadelphia –2 (Risking 2.1 units to win 2).
Michael Cannon
Valparaiso at DETROIT -10
Take Detroit as the home chalk over Valparaiso.
Detroit has already matched last year’s win total in the Horizon League and they are in a prime position to grab another easy win tonight.
Valpo is a terrible defensive team, giving up a whopping 85 ppg on the road this year.
Detroit has been getting good production on the inside from 6-9 Indiana transfer Eli Holman, who is averaging a double-double this season.
The Titans also have good depth at point guard, and they all have different strengths.
Take Detroit minus the points as they grab the home win and cover.
3♦ DETROIT