Rob VincilettiFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Washington Wizards vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Play: Milwaukee BucksFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Bucks look to rebound here as they are coming off an upset home loss to Detroit on Saturday. We note that home favorites with 1 day of rest that were home favorites of 5 or more and scored 100 or more despite shooting 45% or less are 21-4 with 18 spread wins vs an opponent that scored 90 or less at home. The Bucks are 16-6 ats off back to back losses and are 3-1 ats as a home favorite from -3.5 to -6. In game following a straight up favored loss they are 6-2 ats. Washington is a terrible 4-15 with just 5 spread wins and as a road dog from +3.5 to +6. Look for the Bucks to get the win and cover.
Jim Feist
Boston Celtics at Charlotte Bobcats
Pick: Charlotte Bobcats
Always nice to catch the old Celtics in the second of a back-to-back spot, just as we do here on Monday. And with the Celtics laying around 5-points, I wouldn't be surprised with a straight-up win by the Cats. In addition, the Celtics haven't been a good road bet, going 4-11 ATS in their last 15 away contests. The dog has also fared well in this series with the point-taker going 17-6-1 ATS the last 24 meetings. Take the Cats here on Monday.
Dave Cokin
Kansas State at Kansas
Pick: Kansas
Not a whole lot going right for Kansas right now. The Jayhawks are on their longest losing streak in years, and not much seems to be working. They called a players only meeting during the week, but followed it up with another loss as they went down in Oklahoma. So it's probably not the best time to consider laying points with KU. Enter the slump busters. That would be Kansas State, the ultimate personal punching bag of Jayhawks hoops for what seems like forever. Welcome to one of the most lopsided series in the game. Kansas has absolutely owned this rivalry and I can't imagine them being happier to welcome the Wildcats than they will be tonight. Off the numbers, this line is probably a little high, particularly given the current Jayhawks form. But that stuff goes out the window when these two meet, and I'm expecting to rock with the chalk tonight as KU takes out some frustration on what amounts to their little buddies in basketball. Kansas minus the points.
SPORTS WAGERSFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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CHARLOTTE +4½ over BostonFREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Celtics have won seven in a row. The Bobcats have fewer wins than any team in the Association. To put that a little more into perspective, the Los Angeles Clippers are a five-point choice tonight in Philadelphia so how can it be that the Celtics are less in Charlotte? We can see the warning sign from here.
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Boston is coming off an impressive home win last night over Denver, snapping the Nuggets nine-game winning streak. The victory was not without a price as the game went 7 quarters where Paul Pierce logged 54 minutes, Kevin Garnett 47 minutes, Jason Terry played 42 off the bench and Avery Bradley chipped in 45 tough minutes. The Celtics were gassed when the final buzzer went off, as they slowly sauntered off the court. Boston has Chicago on deck on Wednesday and this line strongly suggests the Celtics are going to lay an egg here. Situation and price calls for a play on the Bobcats.
Pass CBB
SPORTS WAGERSFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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TORONTO -102 over Philadelphia
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OT Included. We’re all aware of the Maple Leafs home woes but that’s just an anomaly that will be corrected. What’s more notable is that the Maple Leafs are winning games on the road, they’re getting solid goaltending they’re lightning quick and they’re also a physically tough team. For the first time in a very long time, Toronto fans have a product they can get excited about. On Saturday night, the Maple Leafs went into Montreal and played near flawless hockey for 60 minutes. It was Toronto’s best performance in years and you could sense that game may be a turning point for this franchise. The Leafs confidence and belief in Randy Carlyle’s system is soaring.
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Philadelphia is coming off a 4-3 OT win over Carolina that capped a four-game home stand in which the Flyers picked up seven out of a possible eight points. It’s impressive on paper indeed but not so much on the ice. Two games went to OT, the Flyers were outplayed in both games against the Hurricanes and their other game was a 2-1 win over the Lightning. It was so close that Philadelphia could have easily picked up two points out of eight instead of seven and had that come to pass, we would not be talking about them being the chalk in this game. The Flyers are just 1-5 on the road and there’s no question they’re slower than Toronto, they have not played as well as Toronto and they are falsely billed as the favorite in Toronto.
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Minnesota -107 over CALGARY
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OT included. Strong goaltending is crucial to success and the Flames skaters just don’t have the same confidence in Leland Irving as they do in the injured Miikka Kiprusoff. When the No. 1 goalie goes down, players become tentative. They’re afraid of making mistakes and if they fall behind, it makes it that much more difficult to rally. Calgary returns home from a three-game trip here minus Kiprusoff, Mikael Backlund and quite possibly Michael Cammalleri. The Flames just aren’t good enough to compensate for the loss of three key players. Calgary is just 1-3-1 at home and has allowed 20 goals against.
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The Wild are coming off a tidy 2-1 OT victory against the then red-hot Predators. That could certainly start a run as they played a strong game from start to finish. The Wild still aren’t scoring much but guys like Zach Parise, Dany Heatley Devin Setouguchi, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Mikko Koivu are all proven producers and they’ll start finding the back of the net soon. The Wild are getting plenty of chances and that’s always a good sign. Minnesota has yet to win on the road and you can expect a spirited effort here to change that.
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St. Louis Blues -155FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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After an incredible start to the season by going 6-1, the Blues have hit a wall. They have lost four straight games, three coming in regulation, and one look at he scores will tell you why. They have allowed at least five goals in each game and backup goalie Brian Elliott is responsible. The good news is that starting goalie Jaroslav Halak has been activated after missing time with a groin injury and he has been very solid. He was 3-0 with a 2.10 GAA in his first three starts and he looks to keep that momentum going. Halak is 6-2-0 with a 1.70 GAA and two shutouts lifetime against Los Angeles. The Kings are coming off a devastating loss in Detroit as they tied the game with under a minute left in regulation only to give up the game winning goal with just five seconds remaining. They are now 3-5-2 on the season including 2-4-1 on the road and that loss to the Red Wings is going to be tough to recover from. Scoring has been a major issue for Los Angeles as it is 25th in the NHL with just 2.10 gpg, and goalie Jonathan Quick hasn’t been nearly as good as he was last season as he is ranked 46th in the league in save percentage at .891. The Blue will be out for some payback after the Kings swept them out of the playoffs a season ago, all game decided by two or more goals. The Kings didn’t face Halak in last year’s playoffs as he missed the round because of an ankle injury so that is an added asset here. St. Louis is 12-4 in its last 16 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400 and the Kings are 1-4 in their last five games against teams with a winning record.
Teddy CoversFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Brooklyn vs. IndianaFREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: IndianaFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Brooklyn is falling apart before our eyes. They’ve lost six of nine, snapping any momentum they had gained from their strong run when PJ Carlesimo initially took over for Avery Johnson as the head coach.
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The worst part of the Nets recent decline has been their complete lack of effort once they fall behind. Their six losses during this skid have come by 25, 15, 9, 20, 13 and 24 points. In other words, when things start to go south for this team, they tend to go south in a hurry!
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Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson doesn’t sound too convinced that his team will be able to turn it around on the second night of back-2-backs on the road against an elite level foe. Shooting guard Joe Johnson: “I don't know what it is, but you know, it just seems when a team makes a run on us, man, it just takes the air out of us. It shouldn't be that way. We should be able to respond, but it hasn't been the case.”
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The really bad news for Brooklyn is that Indiana is pumped up for tonight’s game after seeing their winning streak snapped last Friday vs. Toronto in the mother of all bad scheduling spots. Head coach Frank Vogel: ‘The bigger picture for us is we felt like we let one slip away the other night. Every game matters, it doesn't matter who our opponent is. Every game is huge right now. We're a half-game ahead of Chicago right now in our division." For a team that is 19-10 ATS as favorites this year, we can expect another comfortable win and cover in that role tonight. Take the Pacers.
Bruce MarshallFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Idaho State vs. Weber St.FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: Weber St.FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Weber State is still in chase mode in the Big Sky as it looks to collar Montana for the top spot in the league table; the next showdown vs. the Grizzlies comes later this week. But in this tune-up game at Logan, don't expect the Wildcats to go falt against a beatable Idaho State squad. The Bengals are hard-pressed to reach 50 points most nights; indeed, they're reached the 60-point plateau only five times in 22 games!) and own no shot-creating elements other than G Melvin Morgan. Weber State's full-court pressure can turn opponents quickly, and the Wildcats' 50.6% FG shooting ranks third in the country. Deep and well-balanced WSU, which already won by 16 at Pocatello on Jan. 14, extends the margin at the Dee Events Center. Play Weber State
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Philadelphia 76ers +5FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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This line is an overreaction to LA's 102-88 win over the Knicks yesterday. Prior to that win, the Clippers had lost 4 of 6 on their current road trip with those wins coming against the struggling T-Wolves and Magic. Chris Paul is back after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but this will be his third game in 4 days and I believe he will be feeling the effects. Philly is quietly playing well. It has won 5 of 7 with wins over the Knicks and a greatly improved Washington squad during this stretch. It also has a 3-point loss to a very good Memphis team during this span. Philly has won 2 of the last 3 meeting in this series with the loss coming by a single point. Also, the 76ers have won or lost by less than 5.5 points in 15 straight home meetings against the Clippers. Take the points.
Jack JonesFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Detroit Pistons -5FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Detroit Pistons are playing arguably their best basketball of the season right now. They are coming off back-to-back wins over playoff contenders. They beat San Antonio 109-99 at home as a 5-point dog on Friday before going on the road and knocking off Milwaukee 105-100 as a 7.5-point dog Saturday.
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Now, I look for the Pistons to make easy work of the New Orleans Hornets tonight. New Orleans is coming off an 89-102 loss at Toronto Sunday, and this is a tired team. The Hornets will be playing the second of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days.
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New Orleans is just 9-19 on the road this season, while Detroit is a very respectable 14-13 at home. Making matters worse for the Hornets is the fact that they are expected to be without second-leading scorer Eric Gordon (16.4 PPG), who is listed as doubtful with a knee injury.
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The home team is 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings between Detroit and New Orleans. Detroit is 13-3 ATS in home games versus horrible foul drawing teams - attempting <=21 free throws/game over the last 2 seasons. The Pistons are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record. The Hornets are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 0 days rest. Bet the Pistons Monday.
Cajun SportsFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Boston Celtics -3.5FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Charlotte is 0-17-1 ATS w/no more than 1 day of rest off a road loss in which they scored less than eleven percent of their points from behind the arc. Bobcats are 1-11 ATS hm off rd gm. Bobcats are 34-62 ATS at home including 7-17 ATS their last 24. No reason to believe the Bobcats can handle a red-hot Celtics squad on Monday night. TPR Index projects a point differential of 6.4-points in favor of Boston. Boston improves to 6-0 both straight up and against the spread tonight!
Wunderdog
Minnesota at Calgary
Pick: Calgary -110
Minnesota has been a .500 team in the early going, thanks to a favorable early slate that has seen them on home ice for the bulk of their games. They have not been finding the net in recent games, having scored just 5 goals in their last four. They have been awful on the road, where they have yet to win in four tries and have allowed 15 goals in the four roadies, not a good sign for a struggling offense. Calgary, after a very sluggish start, has been showing some energy and getting a boost having now won two of their last three games. The Wild has had problems getting out of scoring droughts and are now own a woeful 11-32 mark in their last 43 after scoring 2 or less in their last game. Take Calgary in this one.
NHL PredictionsFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Carolina / New York Islanders Over 5.5FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Carolina Hurricanes are 5-4-1 on the season and come into this game off a 4-3 loss in Philadelphia on Saturday. The Hurricanes have scored 3+ goals in their last 4 games. The Islanders are 4-6-1 on the year and just 1-4 at home. They've scored just 5 goals over their last 4 games, but they've had their chances with 28+ shots in their last three games. They had 43 shots on goal in their game vs Buffalo on Saturday but only managed to get 2 pucks by a hot Ryan Miller. Despite the recent scoring slump the Islanders are still 8th in the NHL with 2.91 goals per game. Carolina is 12th with 2.80 goals per game. The Hurricanes are 22nd in the league in goals against per game, while the Islanders are 26th. Also take note that the Hurricanes lead the league in shots per game with 36.5 but are giving up a league worst 34.1 shots against per game. I wouldn't be surprised to see b0th teams have plenty of chances to score tonight. We aren't sure who is net for either team, but both of their starters have a GAA of 3.00 or higher. Take note that the OVER is 14-6-1 in the Islanders last 21 overall. The OVER is also 4-1 in their last 5 meetings and 6-2 in their last 8 meetings in New York. I'm on the OVER.
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Phoenix / Colorado Under 5.5FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Coyotes are coming off a 1-0 shootout victory yesterday in San Jose with Mike Smith recording the shutout. Phoenix has won 3 of their last 4 games despite only scoring 7 goals over that 4 game span. The Avalanche are losers of 2 straight games, and are coming off a 3-0 shutout loss vs Anaheim. The Avs have lost 5 of their last 7 games and in those 5 losses they have just 3 goals. Colorado is 25th in the league with just 2.10 goals per game, while the Coyotes are 20th with 2.58. The Avs are giving up just 2.60 goals per game which is good for 13th in the NHL, while the Coyotes are 17th with 2.67 goals against per game. Take note that the UNDER is 5-2 in the Coyotes last 7 games overall, and 8-3-2 in their last 13 road games including last season. The UNDER is 7-1-1 in the Avalanche's last 9 overall and 4-0-1 in their last 5 home games. The UNDER is 9-4-1 in these two teams last 14 meetings overall and 6-1 in their last 7 meetings in Colorado. Semyon Varlamov is confirmed for Colorado and he has a solid 2.55 GAA and .910 SV%. The Coyotes might go back to Mike Smith even on a back to back, and he is coming off a shutout win yesterday. We are going to lay a bit of chalk getting the UNDER at 5.5.
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Indiana Pacers -7.5FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Brooklyn Nets (29-21, 22-25-3 ATS) are in a rather brutal scheduling situation here that may be extremely hard to overcome when they visit the Indiana Pacers (31-20, 28-23 ATS) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN on Monday night at 7:05 ET. This would be a tough enough spot for the Nets even under the best of circumstances, having to go on the road for the second game of a back-to-back after hosting the team with the best record in the NBA in the San Antonio Spurs Sunday. As fate would have it though, for the second time in as many nights Brooklyn is facing a division leader that is coming off of a streak-snapping loss, basically assuring that the Nets will receive the team's best shot.
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Sunday, the Nets faced an angry Spurs team that just had an 11-game winning streak snapped in an upset loss at Detroit on Friday. Now, they are facing a Pacers' team that should be in an ornery mood after having its 15-game home winning streak snapped in an upset overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors here in Indianapolis in its last game, also on Friday. Even with that 100-98 defeat, Indiana is still 20-4 straight up and 15-9 ATS at home, where the Pacers are limiting opponents to just 88.7 points per game, helping lead a current 11-5 ATS run here. Indiana is currently second in the NBA in points against overall at 90.2 per game and it impressively leads the league in both field goal percentage against (41.9) and three-point defense (32.5 percent). More importantly is that while the Pacers still rank just 28th in points scored at 92.8 per game, the offense has been coming around nicely as of late averaging 102.8 points over the last eight games! On top of all this, this is a nice revenge spot for the Pacers as they actually outplayed the Nets for the most part in a 97-86 loss at Brooklyn on January 13th, but they may have been victims of some home cooking as the Nets had 31 free throw attempts in that contest while making 25 of them while Indiana was only granted 12 foul shots and made 10.
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Besides the tricky scheduling dynamic for Brooklyn in this spot, the Nets are simply not playing as well right now as they were immediately after interim coach P.J. Carlesimo took over for the fired Avery Johnson. Prior to Sunday's home date with San Antonio, the Nets were coming off of an 89-74 road less on Friday to the 14-35 Washington Wizards where Brooklyn hit on just 25-of-76 field goal attempts for an atrocious 32.9 percent. Yes that still leaves the Nets at 15-7 straight up since the coaching change, but they have been burning money as of late while going 2-6 ATS over the last eight games. That streak includes going 1-3 both straight up and ATS on the road with all three losses coming by double-digits and the only win being by thee points over a bad Pistons team at Auburn Hills.
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The Nets are 12-25 ATS in their last 37 games vs. the Central Division and 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games playing the second of a back-to-back. The Pacers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games vs. teams with winning straight up records.
Jeff Alexander
New Orleans Hornets +5
Detroit is coming off back-to-back upset wins over the Spurs and Bucks and is being overvalued here as a result. The Hornets were kicked at Toronto yesterday but are 14-4 ATS off a road loss of 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons. Also, they are 18-9 ATS as a road underdog this season and 40-22 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 2 seasons. Bet New Orleans.