Jeff Alexander
New Jersey Nets -1.5
This is a very difficult scheduling spot for the Jazz, who are playing their second game in as many days and fourth in 5 days. Things got even more difficult as they played a 4 OT marathon game Sunday. The Nets, who have had a day to rest, will be the fresher team tonight. The Jazz are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog of 4.5 points or less and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog of 4.5 or fewer points. Also, the home team in 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings. Bet the Nets.
Dave Price
Miami Heat -3
Look for the Heat to bounce back strong following last night's embarrassing double-digit loss to the Thunder against a team they have had plenty of success against. The Heat have won 5 in a row against the Pacers with those wins coming by an average of 12.8 points. The Heat have also won 4 straight at Indiana by an average of 11.0 points. The Heat are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a loss of more than 10 points. Take Miami.
Jimmy Boyd
Pittsburgh +1
This game is at Washington State, but I like Pitt here. I believe it to be the better team from the better league, and the Cougars likely won't have their two best players on the floor tonight.
Washington State has managed to regroup in the CBI without Faisal Aden (14.5 ppg) but lost 8 of 12 down the stretch after he tore his ACL. Now, the Cougars have been dealt another blow as leading scorer Brock Motum (18.0 ppg) is expected to miss this contest with an ankle injury. Even if Motum can go, he won't be the same player.
It was a very disappointing season for Pitt, but it has showed some life in this tournament. It also showed it can win on the road with a hard-fought victory over two-time national runner-up Butler last game.
The Panthers are 15-6 ATS as an underdog over the last 3 seasons and 13-4 ATS as a road underdog or pickem over the last 3 seasons. We'll take Pitt.
Nelly
New Jersey - over Utah
The Nets picked up a nice win on Saturday over Charlotte to snap a five-game losing streak. New Jersey owns an ugly 6-18 S/U record at home this season but they will catch the Jazz following a four-overtime loss last night. Utah had won six in a row before yesterday’s loss in Atlanta and the five starters for Utah all logged over 49 minutes in last night's game. The Jazz are 19-6 at home but just 7-17 on the road. Utah has had to play in overtime in three of the last seven games and this will be the third road game in the last four games for the Jazz. Utah is 9-15 ATS this season on the road and while New Jersey is certainly one of the worst teams in the league the Nets have shown flashes of quality play. There are former players for each team on both sides so this game will have a bit of extra intensity with the Nets being in better position to answer the call tonight.
Jeff Scott Sports
3 UNIT PLAY
Pittsburgh/ Washington State Under 132.5: (Google News Play.) The Cougars do not like to play a fast brand of ball and they do have the ability to slow down the game as evidenced by their last game vs a high scoring OSU team in a game that saw just 127 points scored, while the OL line was in the 150's.The Cougars have been playing awesome defense of late, as they have allowed just 55.6 ppg in their last 5 games, plus they allow just 61.6 ppg at home on 42% shooting. The Cougars do score 72.1 ppg at home on 48% shooting, but this Pitt team comes in playing some good defense at the moment. The Panthers have had all sorts of problems at that end of the floor this year, but in their 5 post season games (Big East and CBI Tourneys) they have allowed just 61.8 ppg on a mere 38.7% shooting. This team has really been focused at that end of the floor, while their offense has picked up a bit of late as they have averaged 71.2 ppg during the post season, but 2 of those games were at home and 2 were on a neutral court. Tonight's game is a true road game and they have averaged just 64.6 ppg on the road and, while in their last game at Butler they were able to score just 52 points during regulation. This will not be a fast paced game and with both teams playing excellent defense I will expect no more than 125 points in this one.
JEFF BENTON
Monday's freebie is the Miami Heat as the road favorite over Indiana.
Miami was just embarrassed last night in their loss at Oklahoma City, and they are just 4-9 against the spread when playing without any rest, but I do believe that after last night's humbling, they will be ready with a bounce-back effort this evening.
Indiana is just 5-7 straight up their last twelve games, and their 9-12 spread mark at home this season suggests to me that getting just three-points or so is not going to be enough tonight against this Miami team.
Miami has won five in a row in this series, and nine of the last ten meetings overall, covering in seven of those ten games.
Stick with the Heat as they make amends for last night's poor road showing against the Thunder.
4♦ MIAMI
MATT RIVERS
Late night free play winner tonight is the New Orleans Hornets in the underdog role at the Los Angeles Clippers.
Simply do not trust the Clipper Ship right now when listed as the favorite. Los Angeles just snapped a six-game overall spread losing streak with their Saturday win and cover over Memphis, but the fact remains that the Clippers are on a 2-12 spread dive their last fourteen when listed as the favorite.
New Orleans did just beat their former teammate Chris Paul and his mates last Thursday night in the Big Easy, and the Hornets have been able to cover 14 of their last 20 road games this season.
The points work tonight with the underdog Hornets as they stay close to the struggling Clippers this evening at Staples Center.
2♦ NEW ORLEANS