Free Picks: Service Plays for Saturday, March 23

DUNKEL INDEX

VCU vs. Michigan
The Wolverines look to take advantage of a VCU team that is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games versus teams with a winning record. Michigan is the pick (-3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Wolverines favored by 5 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Michigan (-3 1/2)

Game 515-516: Butler vs. Marquette (7:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Butler 67.652; Marquette 66.537
Dunkel Line: Butler by 1; 129
Vegas Line: Marquette by 2; 125 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Butler (+2); Over

Game 517-518: Colorado State vs. Louisville (5:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado State 64.212; Louisville 78.407
Dunkel Line: Louisville by 14; 132
Vegas Line: Louisville by 10 1/2; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Louisville (-10 1/2); Under

Game 519-520: Memphis vs. Michigan State (2:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 68.525; Michigan State 72.498
Dunkel Line: Michigan State by 4; 138
Vegas Line: Michigan State by 6; 131
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+6); Over

Game 521-522: VCU vs. Michigan (12:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: VCU 67.852; Michigan 73.313
Dunkel Line: Michigan by 5 1/2; 139
Vegas Line: Michigan by 3 1/2; 143
Dunkel Pick: Michigan (-3 1/2); Under

Game 523-524: Wichita State vs. Gonzaga (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wichita State 67.345; Gonzaga 71.285
Dunkel Line: Gonzaga by 4; 132
Vegas Line: Gonzaga by 6 1/2; 128 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wichita State (+6 1/2); Over

Game 525-526: Harvard vs. Arizona (6:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Harvard 58.400; Arizona 65.486
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 7; 130
Vegas Line: Arizona by 10; 132 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Harvard (+10); Under

Game 527-528: Oregon vs. St. Louis (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oregon 68.413; St. Louis 70.924
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2 1/2; 129
Vegas Line: St. Louis by 4; 124
Dunkel Pick: Oregon (+4); Over

Game 529-530: California vs. Syracuse (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: California 62.529; Syracuse 72.131
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 9 1/2; 122
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 7; 125 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Syracuse (-7); Under

Game 531-532: Stanford at Alabama (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Stanford 67.438; Alabama 68.737
Dunkel Line: Alabama by 1 1/2; 132
Vegas Line: Alabama by 4; 128 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Stanford (+4); Over

Game 537-538: Rider at East Carolina (7:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rider 55.864; East Carolina 59.233
Dunkel Line: East Carolina by 3 1/2; 138
Vegas Line: East Carolina by 4 1/2; 143 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Rider (+4 1/2); Under

Game 539-540: Eastern Kentucky at Evansville (1:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Kentucky 59.388; Evansville 62.027
Dunkel Line: Evansville by 2 1/2; 149
Vegas Line: Evansville by 5; 143 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Eastern Kentucky (+5); Over

Game 541-542: Tulane at Bradley (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulane 55.865; Bradley 56.977
Dunkel Line: Bradley by 1; 141
Vegas Line: Bradley by 2 1/2; 145
Dunkel Pick: Tulane (+2 1/2); Under

Game 543-544: Illinois-Chicago at Northern Iowa (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 53.118; Northern Iowa 63.399
Dunkel Line: Northern Iowa by 10 1/2; 133
Vegas Line: Northern Iowa by 13; 129 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Illinois-Chicago (+13); Over

Game 545-546: Canisius at Youngstown State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Canisius 52.995; Youngstown State 56.322
Dunkel Line: Youngstown State by 3 1/2; 147
Vegas Line: Youngstown State by 2; 152
Dunkel Pick: Youngstown State (-2); Under

Game 547-548: Air Force at Weber State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Air Force 57.702; Weber State 66.715
Dunkel Line: Weber State by 9; 133
Vegas Line: Weber State by 8; 138 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Weber State (-8); Under

Marc LawrenceFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Brooklyn Nets at Los Angeles ClippersFREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Prediction: Los Angeles ClippersFORFREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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When the Clippers host the Nets in this bi-coastal confrontation at the Staples Center Saturday evening, Los Angeles will take the floor looking to avenge a 10-point defeat suffered at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn earlier this season. That's good news for Clippers backers as they are 8-3 ATS in games off a win with revenge this season. With the Nets in off a same season revenge win over Dallas, and just 4-11 ATS in game after meeting the Mavericks, look for the host team in this series to improve to 22-5 ATS here tonight. We recommend a 1-unit play on the Clippers.

David ChanFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Illinois-Chicago vs. Northern IowaFREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: Northern IowaFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Situational Analysis
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Illinois Chicago is coming off an 80-69 win over Chicago State in the CIT on March 20th. Daniel Barnes had 22 points.
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Northern Iowa is coming off a 77-66 win over North Dakota on the 20th. Anthony James had 24 points.
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Statistical Analysis
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Note that Illinois Chicago has struggled in every other arena for bettors this year, other than its own, going just 5-8 ATS in road contests.
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Note that Northern Iowa is 5-4 ATS this year vs. good defensive teams that allow 64 points or less per contest.
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Pick Analysis
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I simply can't understate how important being able to play on their home floor will be for the Panthers in the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament tonight. UNI is 14-3 at home this year, and one more victory would set the single-season record for home wins. UIC on the other hand earned its first ever postseason victory last time out. Experience and familiar surroundings tip the scales in favor of the home side in this one; consider laying the points!

Art AronsonFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Vancouver vs. Los AngelesFREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: Los AngelesFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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These teams have played twice this year: LA won 3-2 on January 28th at home. Vancouver would return the favor in a 5-2 win on its home ice on March 2nd. Vancouver is 15-9-6 overall, and 7-4-3 on the road. The Canucks are coming off a 2-1 win at Phoenix on Thursday. Cory Schneider had 33 saves, and Vancouver would grind out a much needed victory: ''(The effort) has been there for a long time, working hard, but sometimes maybe trying to make it too cute, too complicated, and you bring it back to basics,'' Schneider said. ''It wasn't necessarily pretty all the time, a Picasso, but it was effective." LA is 17-11-2 overall, and 12-3-1 at home. The Kings are coming off a 2-0 loss to Dallas on Thursday. LA will look get right back on track, and to take advantage of a banged up Canucks team that has simply too many key players out at the moment, including Ryan Kesler, Manny Halhotra, Zach Kassian and David Booth. Vancouver gets caught looking ahead to its game in Colorado tomorrow night, and LA finds a way to get the job done on its home ice. Consider laying this reasonable price.

Teddy CoversFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Oregon vs. Saint LouisFREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: Saint LouisFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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St Louis is real deal; the best mid-major team in the country right now (sorry, Gonzaga). And the Billikens are as hot as any team in the country right now; 16-1 SU in their last 17 games, the lone loss coming on the road in overtime at Xavier.
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St Louis hasn’t just been winning – they’ve been killing teams! 12 of their 16 wins during this span have come by double digit margins and none have come by less than four points; enough to cover Saturday’s spread. We’re not just talking about beating patsies either – three wins over Butler, two over VCU, along with blowouts over LaSalle, Dayton and St Joe’s.
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And look at how well the Atlantic-10 conference has done here in the postseason! In the Big Dance alone, we’ve seen Temple’s win over NC State, VCU’s blowout over Akron, St Louis’s smackdown over New Mexico State, LaSalle’s outright uspets over Kansas State and Boise; Butler’s win over Bucknell: 6-0 SU and ATS for the conference heading into the weekend! Clearly, the A-10, as a conference, is undervalued right now! And St Louis has been dominating the A-10 for the last two months!
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Meanwhile, Oregon is an overvalued commodity right now after winning the PAC-12 tournament last weekend in a series of games where, quite literally, everything broke right for the Ducks, even down to UCLA’s Jordan Adams’ ankle in the championship game. Their win over Oklahoma State on Thursday had as much to do with the Cowboys missing open shots as any other single factor. Look for the #12 seed to get soundly bounced here! Take St Louis.

Rob VincilettiFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Bradley -2½FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Bradley is a small favorite here but does have some nice angles that apply. They are 13-4 at home this season and 11-3 that past few years with 10 spread wins if the total in their home games is 140 to 145. In games they have been favored in this season they have won 8 of 9. Tulane has never played well in this role. The Green Wave are 0-7 straight up and ats as a road dog of 3 or less and are just 6-10 vs winning teams this season. In road games where the total is 140 to 145 they are 0-9 straight up the past few years and 3-6 ats. Look for Bradley to advance here tonight and emerge with a win and cover.

Jim FeistFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Detroit Pistons vs Charlotte Bobcats
Pick: Detroit PistonsFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Are there any teams the Pistons can match up against? Yes! The Pistons are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings with Charlotte, including 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Charlotte. Charlotte is a mess, 27th in the NBA in scoring, 28th in rebounds and 28th in points allowed...bad across the board! The Bobcats are 20-45 ATS in their last 65 home games and 15-35-1 ATS in their last 51 games overall. And when a bad team comes on the schedule, Charlotte can't take advantage: The Bobcats are 9-24 ATS in their last 33 games vs. a team with a losing record. Play the Pistons.

Vegas ConnectionFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Wichita State vs GonzagaFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: Wichita StateFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Wichita St. 27-8 vs 524 Gonzaga 32-2 Energy Solutions Salt Lake Utah Gonzaga sure got a scare from Southern Thursday. Now the real test as they must face a fast tough Wichita St team. The Shockers can play just ask Pitt they hammered the Panthers 73-55 and they not only can cover they can win. Take Wichita St

SpartanFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Colorado St. +10.5FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Trust me, the fact that Colorado State took out Missouri so handily was no fluke guys. They are a very well coached team that plays with composure and never loses it's cool. This senior laden line up will not be intimidated by the Louisville. They crash the boards relentlessly and can stroke the ball. Rick Petino's kids had better be fully prepared for a long nights work. Unless the Rams just have one of those nights, I say they make Louisville work to earn this one. I'm suggesting a modest wager on Colorado State.

Bruce MarshallFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Tulane vs. BradleyFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: BradleyFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Unlike the NCAA Tourney, the CIT is not contested at a series of neutral sites. Homecourt edge is part of the equation, and here is where Tulane is at a likely disadvantage. That’s because the Wave’s best efforts this season were almost all at home in New Orleans; on the road, Tulane was only 2-6 SU vs. a very modest Conference USA slate. A win vs. beatable South Alabama in the opening round of this event is hardly a “buy” signal on a Wave squad that has lost 5 of its last 7 games SU. Bradley is battle-hardened by the combative Missouri Valley wars, and the Braves will have a bit sharper edge on the attack end if 6-9 sr. C Will Egolf continues his recent production stream (37 points last two, including 22 vs. Green Bay in the first round), forcing Tulane to defend the paint and prevent defensive “cheating” on the perimeter against high-scoring G Walt Lemon, Jr. (15.6 ppg).

Jimmy BoydFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Colorado State +11FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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A win streak like Louisville is on can have a tendency to push a line higher than it should be. This is why you should always play against favorites of 10 or more points after 10 or more consecutive wins. This system is 173-106 over the last five seasons. Louisville may have 11 consecutive wins, but in that stretch they have not faced a team like Colorado State. The Rams are one of the best rebounding teams in the country.
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These teams are dead even in many ways. Both are averaging just over 73 points per game, both have a solid defense and they both do a good job of avoiding turnovers. The Colorado State Rams won 26 games this season so Louisville had better be ready for a battle. The Rams also have one of the best coaches in college basketball with Larry Eustachy. He has been successful at every school he has coached and this Colorado State team is one of the most talented teams he has coached.

Dave PriceFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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California +7½FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Cal is very good defensively, good enough to slow down a Syracuse squad that has been extremely offensively challenged at times. The Golden Bears held UNLV to 61 points on 32.2% shooting in their round of 64 victory. They've held 5 of their last 7 opponents to 34.5% shooting or less. Syracuse shot the ball very well against an overmatched Montana squad in its opening round win. However, it had shot 40.8% or worse in 5 of its previous 7 games. The Orange have shot worse than 40% 7 times in their last 13 games. Syracuse is darn good defensively as well, but Cal has gone 8-1 ATS down the stretch versus good defensive teams that hold their opponents to 64.0 ppg or less. Ball security is a big reason for Cal's success against quality teams. The Golden Bears aren't very generous. They've had 14 turnovers or fewer in each of their last 6 games. This run is telling as Cal is 18-9 ATS under coach Mike Montgomery after 5 straight games of committing 14 or less turnovers. Take the points.

Don Best Consensus

Toronto Raptors AT New York Knicks
Pick: New York Knicks

Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 0 days rest. Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. Play New York

Dave CokinFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Butler vs MarquetteFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: ButlerFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Let's face it, trying to get the best of Brad Stevens just isn't worth the risk. I'm just happy I didn't bite on Bucknell in the Thursday hookup. The Bulldogs looked like they might be in some trouble in the second half. But this is a team that simply does not lose its cool, and they quickly regained control of the proceedings and grabbed the solid win. Marquette, on the other hand, was phenomenally lucky in what amounts to a miracle win over Davidson. The Eagles don't shoot the three ball well at all, but knocked down three in a row when they were most needed, and then cashed in on an astonishing turnover by the Wildcats for the win. This is the second meeting between these two this season, with Butler winning a 72-71 thriller very early in the campaign. I would not be at all surprised to see a similarly tight duel today. But if that's the case, I know who I want to be siding with at crunch time. Put me down for Butler and Brad Stevens plus the available points.