Jack Jones
New Orleans Hornets -3.5
This is a very generous line in getting the New Orleans Hornets as only a 3.5-point home favorite over the Detroit Pistons Friday night. The Hornets are one of the most underrated teams in the league as they have been much more competitive since getting Eric Gordon back from injury. However, their 20-39 record on the season has them consistently undervalued.
New Orleans is going to come into this game highly motivated for a victory after getting embarrassed at Oklahoma City 74-119 on Wednesday. I like its chances of bouncing back considering Detroit is just 8-20 on the road this season where it is getting outscored by 7.0 points/game.
The Pistons have been simply atrocious since trading away Tayshaun Prince, and with a key injury to top reserve Andre Drummond. They have lost three of their last four games in blowout fashion by 11 to Atlanta, 18 to Indiana, and 32 to Indiana. Their lone win during this stretch came by a single point over the lowly Washington Wizards.
New Orleans thumped Detroit 105-86 on the road on February 11th in their first meeting of the season. The Pistons are just 8-17 ATS revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points this season. The Hornets are 15-4 ATS off a road loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons. Bet New Orleans Friday.
Steve Janus
Kings/Spurs OVER 212.5
I expect a very high-scoring game tonight between the Kings and Spurs. San Antonio is going to be extremely focused offensively after losing at home to the Suns 101-105 on Wednesday. The Spurs come in averaging 105 ppg at home, but should be up around 120 against a Kings defense that is allowing 116 ppg over their last 5 contest. Sacramento should also have no little trouble surpassing the 100-point mark, as they come in averaging 112 ppg over their last 5 and are playing with a ton of confidence right now.
The OVER is 4-0 in the the Kings last 4 road games vs a team with a winning home record, 13-3 in their last 16 games following a double-digit straight up win and 42-18-2 in their last 62 vs the Southwest division. The OVER is also 5-1-1 in the Spurs last 7 vs a team with a losing record and 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these two teams when they face off in San Antonio.
Dave Price
Indiana Pacers -1.5
Toronto has played the Pacers extremely tough this season and has actually won the last two meetings by two points on Indiana's home floor. Those losses can't be sitting well with the Pacers, and I expect them to do something about it tonight. While Indiana has lost both of this season's home meetings with the Raptors, it has won three in a row north of the border. Indiana is a terrific 24-12 ATS when laying points this season. It is also on strong 15-6 ATS when it checks into a matchup off 1 or more consecutive losses this season. In addition, road favorites that check in off a home loss and are out for revenge for an upset loss to an opponent are 113-66 ATS since 1996. Take the Pacers.
Dennis Macklin
Fairfield +1
Really like the spot for a Fairfield team that has turned it up a notch coming down the stretch. The Stags have won seven of nine and despite being off a disappoint bracketbuster home loss to Albany, have won their last two MAAC road game in impressive fashion. The other loss was in the Stags current run was vs Manhattan on February 1st when they were waxed 62-40 (-9.5) by the lowly Jaspers. Fairfield could only manage 15-59 (25.4%) from the field that night and figure to be much better here. Manhattan is also on the improve having won five of six but just think they may be running into a buzzsaw at Draddy Gymnasium here tonight. Fairfield by eight.
Dave Cokin
Marist at Siena
Pick: Marist
Last time I got involved with Siena was playing against them last Sunday in what turned out to be a bizarre loser. The Saints appeared dead with under one minute remaining and down eight points. Thanks to a series of Radford blunders, the game ended up in overtime and Siena then completed the improbable comeback with what turned out to be an eight point win. The Saints will probably get Hymes, their best guy, back tonight after he missed the Radford game. But this is still a terrible basketball team and I cannot see Siena getting a series sweep against a Marist entry that has shown some improvement. Look for the road team to get a little revenge along the win and cover tonight.
Jim Feist
Yale at Columbia
Pick: Over
Oddsmakers haven't caught up to Yale's offense yet, with the over 12-3-1 in the Bulldogs last 16 overall. They come off a loss and tje over is 6-0-1 in Bulldogs last 7 games following a loss. Yale is on a 3-0 run over the total scoring 75 and 78 points in the wins, but off a 72-66 loss to Dartmouth. These teams just met two weeks ago and Yale shot 62% in a 75-56 win, sailing over the total. The over is 7-1-1 in Bulldogs last 9 vs. the Ivy League. Play Yale/Columbia over the total.
Don Best Consensus
Yale at Columbia
Pick: Yale
Yale (11-16, 5-5) visits Columbia (11-13, 3-7) in Ivy league play on Friday in a rematch of a game played just 2 weeks earlier. In that aforementioned meeting, Yale destroyed Columbia 75-56. In their last 5 games, Yale has been scoring at a rate of 69.8 ppg while Columbia has been scoring at a rate of 57.4 ppg. Not only is Yale the better team & getting points in this game, but Yale is also 8-0 ATS in the last 8 meetings vs. Columbia. Play Yale.
Joe Gavazzi
Dartmouth vs. Pennsylvania
Play: Pennsylvania
In this matchup the Big Green has reverted to their accustomed spot at bottom of the Ivy standings. Recently, they are 0-5 SU, 0-4-1 ATS with every loss by nine or more points. That includes a home loss to the Quakers at Leede Arena on Feb 16th, 67-57. Penn has battle brilliantly in the face of losing two of their best players, Dougherty and Rennard in early February -- Going 3-3 SUATS in their absence. Reaching 500 mark in league play would be a big deal for a Penn team who is suffering a rare down season as they go through a rebuilding and injury plagued year. Long Friday afternoon drive from Hanover to Phila, hardly a plus for the towel tossing Big Green.
Jeff Alexander
New Orleans Hornets -3.5
New Orleans hammered the Pistons last month, but don't count on Detroit returning the favor. The Pistons are just 8-20 on the road and 13-23 ATS in their last 36 revenge opportunities. The Hornets were completely humiliated at OKC last time out but have typically responded well following beatdowns. They are 15-4 ATS off a road loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
NHL Predictions
Oilers / Blues Under 5
The Oilers are coming off a 5-1 victory in Dallas last night, while the Blues are coming off a 3-0 loss at home vs Chicago. The Blues have been struggling losing their 3 of their last 4 games and scoring just 3 goals over that span (being shutout twice). After Edmonton's 5 goal game last night they are sitting 25th in the NHL in goals per game (St Louis is 12th but have been sliding since a hot start). The Oilers are 13th in goals against per game, while the Blues are 18th giving up 2.84 goals against per game. The Blues were without Jaroslav Halak for a number of games, but he is confirmed for tonight in back to back games. He is 4-1-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .904 SV%. Devan Dubnyk will start for Edmonton and he is 6-5-3 with a 2.66 GAA and .921 SV%. Note that the UNDER is 24-6-4 in the Oilers last 34 games overall and 6-1 in their last 7 road games. The UNDER is 4-0 in the Blues last 4 games, and 10-2-3 in their last 15 games playing on 0 days rest. With two good goalies between the pipes tonight and neither team lighting it up lately I have this one going UNDER the total.
Bob Balfe
New York Knicks -2.5
Its very rare that a team as bad as the Wizards can be leading the league against the spread. This line should be a couple of points more, but because Washington has cashed tickets vegas has to make the line more appealing for Knick bettors. New York is flat out a better team and we will take this value as more or less they just have to win the game unless we get very unlucky and win by a point or two. Take the Knicks.
San Antonio Spurs/Sacramento Kings over 212
The Kings have really been scoring well as of late, but they can’t play defense for the life of them. I think the Spurs know they are going to have to break 100 to beat a team like the Kings. This should be a fun game for San Antonio to play in. This should be a shootout right from the start. The Kings should win big, but that 15 point line is just a little bit too much for my liking. Take the Over.
Harry Bondi
NEW ORLEANS (-3.5) over Detroit
We look for a strong game from a Hornets team that is coming off an embarrassing 20 point loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday and who have been good at home. New Orleans is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 home games and even without first round pick Anthony Davis will have enough to get by a Pistons squad that has lost three of their last four.