Stan Lisowski
Oklahoma City
The underdog is 8-3 ATS the past 11 Oklahoma City games, with 5 of their last 6 games being decided by 3 points or less. Thunder go 13-5 as an away dog, while the Cavs have some injury issues in their backcourt.
SPORTS WAGERS
DETROIT –2½ over Portland
You can look at all the stats you want and make your selections based on that if you so choose to. Wagering on the NBA is so tough and if you can find the right time to “step in” you have a great shot of cashing in and that’s precisely the situation here. Last night the Pistons were a small favorite over Indiana at home and were absolutely buried. Meanwhile, the Blazers went into Boston and nearly upset the Celtics as a 10½-point pooch, eventually losing by just three in OT. That sets up this one beautifully for a Pistons victory. Detroit was humiliated, played with no energy whatsoever while the Blazers played their hearts out for 48 minutes, went to OT on the road against one of the elite teams in the league and now they’ll have to travel again and play again. Chances are the Blazers intensity level will be way down while the Pistons will be way up. Both teams will play its third game in four days but the difference is that the Pistons have been home the whole time while Portland will have travelled for all three. Play: Detroit –2½ (Risking 2.12 units to win 2).
Sacramento +2.85/+7 over MIAMI
This is a split wager: one unit on the money line and one unit taking the points. What we have to decide here is which Heat team will show up and the guess is it’ll be the one that doesn’t give a rat’s ass whether they win or lose. Don’t get me wrong, the Heat are capable of playing a strong game against anyone but they either show up and win by 30 or pull a no-show and lose by 30. In fact, a close looks shows a whole slew of lopsided games that the Heat have been involved in one way or another. That includes a 29-point loss at Utah, an 18-point loss at Ok City, a 39-point loss at Charlotte, a 30-point win over the Pacers and a 24-point win last night in Washington. So, as you can see, the Heat either show up or they don’t and this intruder will very likely not bring out the best in the Heat because they just don’t care. What Miami will care about is its next game on Monday when the Cleveland Cavaliers come to town and that is what will be on the collective minds of this host. These Kings are so dangerous when taken lightly and they absolutely have a great shot of catching the Heat uninterested. Play: Sacramento +2.85 (Risking 1 unit) Play Sacramento +7 +1.00 (Risking 1 unit).
Chicago +6½ over HOUSTON
See no reason whatsoever to not come right back on the Bulls tonight. This team is gaining big-time steam, they’re playing great defense, they’re getting scoring from a number of different sources and they’re coming off a rock-solid effort in Phoenix in a style they do not like. This Bulls team is playing with a chip on its shoulder because of all the bad press they got the first two months of the year. They’ve found its groove and it’s not an aberration. Chicago has won five of seven and its only two losses over that stretch is when a flu bug ripped through the locker room and impacted a few key players. The Rockets are going pretty good too and in fact, picked up a win in San Antonio last night. Thing is, this isn’t about playing against the Rockets. This is about taking back significant points on a team that is playing with so much heart and determination and that wants it badly. You can see it in their eyes and body language. Play: Chicago +6½ (Risking 2.16 units to win 2).
Hollywood Sports
Nevada at Fresno State
Play: Fresno State
Nevada (12-7) earned an 88-82 win at Boise State on Wednesday -- but the Wolf Pack are 17-35 ATS in their last 52 games coming off a win. But Nevada has only won two games out of their seven played on the road this season. The Wolf Pack shoot only 43.4% from the field on the road and this bodes trouble for them against a Fresno State team that holds their opponents to only 61.2 PPG on just 38.9% shooting. The Bulldogs (10-10) look to bounce back from an embarrassing 69-43 loss to Utah State on Thursday. But Fresno State is a dangerous team. They have two tough big guys down low with NBA aspirations. 6'10" senior Sylvester Seay scores 15.9 PPG and pulls down 5.8 RPG. 6'8" sophomore Paul George averages 17 PPG along with 7.3 RPG. Fresno State has covered in seven of their last ten games as an underdog of under seven points. The Bulldogs should recover with a very good outing Saturday night against the Wolf Pack. Take the points with Fresno State.
John Martin
1 Unit on Eastern Michigan -6.5
Ball State has been atrocious this season on the road. The Cardinals are just 1-5 SU & 2-4 ATS in road games this season, losing by an average of 13.2 points/game. I'll easily lay the points today with Eastern Michigan, a team that is 6-1 SU & 3-1 ATS at home this year. They are crushing their foes at home by an average of 11.0 points/game. According to the numbers, EMU should be a double-digit home favorite today and there is about 4.5 points of value here on the home team. Cash in with Eastern Michigan as the favorite.