Free Picks: Service Plays for Thursday, January 23

DUNKEL INDEX

NCAAB

Stanford at UCLA
The Cardinal (12-5) travel to UCLA tonight to face a Bruins team that is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Stanford is the pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has the Bruins favored by only 3. Dunkel Pick: Stanford (+6)

Game 505-506: Seton Hall at St. John's (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seton Hall 62.012; St. John's 62.947
Dunkel Line: St. John's by 1
Vegas Line: St. John's by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seton Hall (+4 1/2)

Game 507-508: Valparaiso at Youngstown State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Valparaiso 54.493; Youngstown State 54.966
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: Youngstown State by 4
Dunkel Pick: Valparaiso (+4)

Game 509-510: Southern Mississippi at Old Dominion (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Mississippi 62.975; Old Dominion 55.230
Dunkel Line: Southern Mississippi by 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Southern Mississippi by 5
Dunkel Pick: Southern Mississippi (-5)

Game 511-512: Tulane at East Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulane 49.620; East Carolina 53.720
Dunkel Line: East Carolina by 4
Vegas Line: East Carolina by 8
Dunkel Pick: Tulane (+8)

Game 513-514: Illinois at Ohio State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois 64.943; Ohio State 72.175
Dunkel Line: Ohio State by 7
Vegas Line: Ohio State by 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Illinois (+10 1/2)

Game 515-516: Western Michigan at Kent State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Western Michigan 52.013; Kent State 58.910
Dunkel Line: Kent State by 7
Vegas Line: Kent State by 5
Dunkel Pick: Kent State (-5)

Game 517-518: Florida at Alabama (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 70.244; Alabama 68.272
Dunkel Line: Florida by 2
Vegas Line: Florida by 5
Dunkel Pick: Alabama (+5)

Game 519-520: Charlotte at Louisiana Tech (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 54.831; Louisiana Tech 74.047
Dunkel Line: Louisiana Tech by 19
Vegas Line: Louisiana Tech by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Louisiana Tech (-12 1/2)

Game 521-522: Houston at Memphis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 58.894; Memphis 70.328
Dunkel Line: Memphis by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Memphis by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+13 1/2)

Game 523-524: UAB at North Texas (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UAB 56.616; North Texas 53.034
Dunkel Line: UAB by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: UAB by 2
Dunkel Pick: UAB (-2)

Game 525-526: Buffalo at Ball State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 55.010; Ball State 50.884
Dunkel Line: Buffalo by 4
Vegas Line: Buffalo by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ball State (+7 1/2)

Game 527-528: Marshall at Rice (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Marshall 46.169; Rice 51.116
Dunkel Line: Rice by 5
Vegas Line: Rice by 1
Dunkel Pick: Rice (-1)

Game 529-530: Texas State at AR-Little Rock (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas State 46.046; AR-Little Rock 54.399
Dunkel Line: AR-Little Rock by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: AR-Little Rock by 5
Dunkel Pick: AR-Little Rock (-5)

Game 531-532: Nebraska at Penn State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Nebraska 58.342; Penn State 64.568
Dunkel Line: Penn State by 6
Vegas Line: Penn State by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Penn State (-3 1/2)

Game 533-534: Western Kentucky at UL-Monroe (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Western Kentucky 51.708; UL-Monroe 53.301
Dunkel Line: UL-Monroe by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Western Kentucky by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UL-Monroe (+1 1/2)

Game 535-536: Georgia State at UL-Lafayette (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia State 58.000; UL-Lafayette 60.893
Dunkel Line: UL-Lafayette by 3
Vegas Line: Pick
Dunkel Pick: UL-Lafayette

Game 537-538: Central Florida at Cincinnati (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Central Florida 57.374; Cincinnati 74.420
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 17
Vegas Line: Cincinnati by 14 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-14 1/2)

Game 539-540: Troy at TX-Arlington (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Troy 46.523; TX-Arlington 54.961
Dunkel Line: TX-Arlington by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: TX-Arlington by 7
Dunkel Pick: TX-Arlington (-7)

Game 541-542: Colorado at Arizona (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 68.072; Arizona 78.992
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 11
Vegas Line: Arizona by 14 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+14 1/2)

Game 543-544: Middle Tennessee State at Tulsa (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Middle Tennessee State 57.362; Tulsa 59.218
Dunkel Line: Tulsa by 2
Vegas Line: Tulsa by 4
Dunkel Pick: Middle Tennessee State (+4)

Game 545-546: Utah at Arizona State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 62.700; Arizona State 69.790
Dunkel Line: Arizona State by 7
Vegas Line: Arizona State by 5
Dunkel Pick: Arizona State (-5)

Game 547-548: San Diego at Gonzaga (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego 52.684; Gonzaga 76.623
Dunkel Line: Gonzaga by 24
Vegas Line: Gonzaga by 17 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Gonzaga (-17 1/2)

Game 549-550: BYU at Portland (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BYU 65.551; Portland 59.162
Dunkel Line: BYU by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: BYU by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: BYU (-4 1/2)

Game 551-552: Loyola Marymount at Pacific (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola Marymount 51.665; Pacific 60.798
Dunkel Line: Pacific by 9
Vegas Line: Pacific by 7
Dunkel Pick: Pacific (-7)

Game 553-554: Pepperdine at St. Mary's (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pepperdine 53.968; St. Mary's 67.818
Dunkel Line: St. Mary's by 14
Vegas Line: St. Mary's by 11
Dunkel Pick: St. Mary's (-11)

Game 555-556: CS-Northridge at UC-Irvine (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: CS-Northridge 48.698; UC-Irvine 63.728
Dunkel Line: UC-Irvine by 15
Vegas Line: UC-Irvine by 13
Dunkel Pick: UC-Irvine (-13)

Game 557-558: UC-Santa Barbara at UC-Riverside (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UC-Santa Barbara 57.381; UC-Riverside 49.385
Dunkel Line: UC-Santa Barbara by 8
Vegas Line: UC-Santa Barbara by 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UC-Riverside (+10 1/2)

Game 559-560: Cal Poly at CS-Fullerton (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cal Poly 56.909; CS-Fullerton 49.018
Dunkel Line: Cal Poly by 8
Vegas Line: Cal Poly by 2
Dunkel Pick: Cal Poly (-2)

Game 561-562: Hawaii at UC-Davis (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Hawaii 57.642; UC-Davis 44.959
Dunkel Line: Hawaii by 12 1/2
Vegas Line: Hawaii by 8
Dunkel Pick: Hawaii (-8)

Game 563-564: Oregon at Washington (11:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oregon 69.782; Washington 65.129
Dunkel Line: Oregon by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Oregon by 2
Dunkel Pick: Oregon (-2)

Game 565-566: Stanford at UCLA (11:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Stanford 68.451; UCLA 71.695
Dunkel Line: UCLA by 3
Vegas Line: UCLA by 6
Dunkel Pick: Stanford (+6)

Game 567-568: Davidson at Western Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Davidson 52.891; Western Carolina 57.850
Dunkel Line: Western Carolina by 5
Vegas Line: Davidson by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Western Carolina (+2 1/2)

Game 569-570: Appalachian State at The Citadel (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Appalachian State 43.405; The Citadel 38.951
Dunkel Line: Appalachian State by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Appalachian State by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Appalachian State (-1 1/2)

Game 571-572: Wofford at Georgia Southern (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wofford 47.448; Georgia Southern 45.408
Dunkel Line: Wofford by 2
Vegas Line: Georgia Southern by 1
Dunkel Pick: Wofford (+1)

Game 573-574: Elon at Chattanooga (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Elon 51.774; Chattanooga 47.095
Dunkel Line: Elon by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Elon by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Elon (-2 1/2)

Game 575-576: St. Peter's at Siena (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Peter's 51.023; Siena 52.657
Dunkel Line: Siena by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Siena by 4
Dunkel Pick: St. Peter's (+4)

Game 577-578: Fairfield at Monmouth (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Fairfield 49.397; Monmouth 50.463
Dunkel Line: Monmouth by 1
Vegas Line: Monmouth by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Fairfield (+3 1/2)

Game 579-580: Denver at NE-Omaha (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 58.127; NE-Omaha 54.042
Dunkel Line: Denver by 4
Vegas Line: NE-Omaha by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+1 1/2)

Game 581-582: Eastern Illinois at Tennessee-Martin (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Illinois 44.648; Tennessee-Martin 43.259
Dunkel Line: Eastern Illinois by 1
Vegas Line: Tennessee-Martin by 3
Dunkel Pick: Eastern Illinois (+3)

Game 583-584: Morehead State at Belmont (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Morehead State 49.957; Belmont 58.638
Dunkel Line: Belmont by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Belmont by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Belmont (-7 1/2)

Game 585-586: Eastern Kentucky at Tennessee State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Kentucky 54.628; Tennessee State 43.731
Dunkel Line: Eastern Kentucky by 11
Vegas Line: Eastern Kentucky by 8
Dunkel Pick: Eastern Kentucky (-8)

Game 587-588: NC-Greensboro at Samford (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NC-Greensboro 44.003; Samford 50.022
Dunkel Line: Samford by 6
Vegas Line: Samford by 4
Dunkel Pick: Samford (-4)

Game 589-590: Jacksonville State at Austin Peay (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville State 45.032; Austin Peay 45.137
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: Austin Peay by 3
Dunkel Pick: Jacksonville State (+3)

Game 591-592: Sacramento State at North Dakota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento State 45.188; North Dakota 50.920
Dunkel Line: North Dakota by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: North Dakota by 9
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento State (+9)

Game 593-594: SIU-Edwardsville at SE Missouri State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: SIU-Edwardsville 41.298; SE Missouri State 53.631
Dunkel Line: SE Missouri State by 12 1/2
Vegas Line: SE Missouri State by 10
Dunkel Pick: SE Missouri State (-10)

Game 595-596: South Dakota at Western Illinois (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Dakota 50.976; Western Illinois 50.944
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: Western Illinois by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: South Dakota (+2 1/2)

Game 597-598: Tennessee Tech at Murray State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee Tech 46.667; Murray State 52.763
Dunkel Line: Murray State by 6
Vegas Line: Murray State by 8
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee Tech (+8)

Game 599-600: Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Arizona 53.436; Northern Colorado 58.258
Dunkel Line: Northern Colorado by 5
Vegas Line: Northern Colorado by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Northern Arizona (+7 1/2)

Game 601-602: Southern Utah at Eastern Washington (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Utah 32.165; Eastern Washington 47.043
Dunkel Line: Eastern Washington by 15
Vegas Line: Eastern Washington by 18
Dunkel Pick: Southern Utah (+18)

Game 603-604: Montana at Idaho State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montana 49.147; Idaho State 47.095
Dunkel Line: Montana by 2
Vegas Line: Pick
Dunkel Pick: Montana

Game 605-606: Montana State at Weber State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montana State 51.014; Weber State 56.310
Dunkel Line: Weber State by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Weber State by 8
Dunkel Pick: Montana State (+8)

Bryan Power
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Los Angeles vs. Anaheim
Pick: Los Angeles
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For the first time all season, the Anaheim Ducks dropped a home game in regulation. Of all teams, it was the Winnipeg Jets that beat them Tuesday and while I'm not necessarily ready to say one loss is going to start something much bigger, things get no easier Thursday night when they host the division rival Kings....
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Though they currently lead the league w/ 79 points, Anaheim has dropped two of its last three overall and will be playing Los Angeles twice in a row, here and an outdoor game Saturday night at Dodgers Stadium. While the novelty of that second matchup is more likely to grab the headlines, the Kings need to have their full focus on this game Thursday night. That's because they've lost three in a row, all on the road, out East. They now trail the Ducks by 15 points in the Pacific Division and while they realistically have zero chance at catching up, the club's focus should be on second place San Jose, who is six points ahead of them and would have home ice advantage in a potential first round playoff series.
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Tuesday saw LA run into a red-hot Columbus team and having struggling goaltender Martin Jones in net didn't help matters. Fortunately for tonight, it looks to be Jonathan Quick back between the pipes. Quick had started the previous eight games since returning from injury and while the team went just 4-2-2 in those games, his save percentage over his last four starts has been a solid .945. The Kings did win here at the Pond earlier in the season, 3-2 in a shootout back on December 3rd. That was one of only three home losses suffered by the Ducks all season. Lost in Anaheim's magical season is the fact that G Jonas Hiller is actually having somewhat of a down year. He was chased by Winnipeg Tuesday after allowing all three goals. He's lost his last two starts. Despite what their point total says, I do not believe the Ducks are the best team in the league. Look for LA to send them to a second straight home defeat.

Marc LawrenceFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Stanford vs. UCLAFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: StanfordFREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Revenge again rears its profitable head in this showdown between two quality foes. The Cardinal got dumped twice by the Bruins last year, and that’s proved to be a money-making situation for Stanford backers when their team isn’t favored. That's because the Tree-huggers have posted a strong 11-3-1 ATS mark as dogs with double revenge-exact from the previous season, including 5-0-1 ATS the last six and 9-1 ATS if the Cardinal own a win percentage of less than .800. Whew. First-year UCLA HC Steve Alford has his team off to a respectable 13-4 SU start but that glowing total masks the disturbing fact that the Bruins have gone 12-0 SU and 7-3 ATS versus .600 or less opposition while going only 1-4 SUATS versus greater than .600 foes, including a 74-69 setback at Utah this past Saturday. Yes, the Cardinal have been maddeningly inconsistent under HC Johnny Dawkins but this team looks experienced and deep enough – especially on defense – to finally live up to its potential. In fact, we’re betting on it. We recommend a 1-unit play on Stanford.

Jesse Schule
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Philadelphia vs. Columbus
Pick: Columbus
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The Flyers have lost back to back games to the Isles and Canes, and they will play their third game in four night's on the road in Columbus tonight.
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While technically they didn't play due to inclement weather on Tuesday, it was hardly a day off. The players would have gone through their normal game day routines, showing up at the rink for the morning skate, and getting geared up to play.
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That means tonight's game makes it four straight days without an off day. Needless to say, not an ideal spot when up against a feisty team like the Blue Jackets that are battling hard to get into the playoffs.
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Columbus has won seven in a row, and Sergei Bobrovsky is back between the pipes, playing a lot like he did a year ago. He's now 8-0 with a 2.13 GAA in his last eight starts.
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Nathan Horton has also been instrumental in the Jackets' recent winning streak, he's got six points in nine games since his debut earlier this month. "We're on a roll, but we're not where we want to be," Horton said. "We want to get back in the playoffs and stay there. We needed a winning streak; now we need to keep the thing going."

Nick Parsons
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Toronto vs. Dallas
Pick: Under
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The Leafs have been the "hottest" team in the league over the last two weeks, winners of six straight.
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Dallas has been solid this season, is 11-8-5 at home and is coming off a 4-0 win over the Wild.
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Toronto has played to five straight "overs", however when it played the Stars at home back on December 5th, it would walk away with a hard-fought 3-2 win in OT and when the final horn does blare at the end of tonight's game, I'm ultimately expecting a similar combined final score.
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Note that Toronto has seen the total go "under" the number in ten of 19 non-conference games this year, while Dallas has seen it dip below the number in six of 11 this season after a win by 2 goals or more and in eight of 15 after scoring 4 goals or more in its previous contest.
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I have a hard time seeing the Leafs continuing to play at such a high level and believe we'll finally see a lower-scoring defensive battle when this club takes the ice on Thursday night; the situation, the numbers and the trends all point to the "under" as the sharp wager in this one.

Art Aronson

Stanford vs. UCLA
Pick: UCLA

The UCLA Bruins (14-4) is an impressive 4-0 ATS and 3-1 SU versus the Stanford Cardinal (12-5) the past three seasons and I expect we see it earn a nice win at home here. The Bruins struggled in a 69-74 loss at Utah in their last game and I expect major motivation to win big in this spot. Stanford is just 5-5 SU and 4-5 ATS versus teams with a winning record this season. UCLA is 9-3 ATS as a favorite and is a sterling 11-1 on home court this season. Stanford is indeed coming off back to back wins but both were on the road and I expect a letdown here. It will be hard for the Cardinal to keep up with a Bruins team that is averaging 87.2 points per game at home this season. Stanford is averaging 71.6 points per game on the road. Consider laying the points with UCLA.

Larry NessFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Texas State vs. Arkansas-Little RockFREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: Arkansas-Little RockFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Arkansas-Little Rock now owns "the dean" of Sun Belt coaches in Scott Shields (with Troy's Maestri and South Alabama's Arrow leaving), as he enters his 11th season. FOUR starters are back from last year's 17-15 team, most notably the 6-10 Neighbour (17.8-7.2), guard Hagins (11.9-3.6-3.1) and the very athletic 6-7 White (11.4-5.9). The Trojans are just 9-9 overall but 4-2 in Sun Belt play and figure the be Georgia State's (12-6 / 5-0 in Sun Belt play) biggest competition.
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Texas State checks in at 5-13 overall (1-4 in league play) and except for the team's "hard to explain" 61-36 win at UL-Monroe, the Bobcats are 1-6 SU on the road, going 1-5 ATS. The 6-7 Joel Wright (14.8-6.3) is the team's lone double digit scorer and I doubt the Bobcats will come anywhere near as close as their 63-59 home loss to the Trojans (back on Jan 2).

Jim Feist

Nuggets vs. Trailblazers
Play: Over 220

A pair of uptempo offensive teams meet, two potential playoff opponents: Portland is the No. 3 seed in the West, Denver is chasing Phoenix and Memphis for the last playoff spot. Denver is dynamite on offense, 11th in the NBA in points scored, 5th in rebounds behind sparkplug guards Ty Lawson and Nate Robinson, the latter coming off the bench. Denver is on a 5-0 run over the total, plus the over is 11-5-1 in the Nuggets last 17 road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. But Denver is 9-11 on the road and not playing well on a 1-3 SU/ATS run overall. Defense has bene the big problem, allowing 117, 117, 116, 118 the last 4 games. They are off a 117-103 loss at Phoenix allowing 50% shooting, 8-19 from three-point land. "Once again our defense failed us," Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said. They take on an even better offensive tea. Portland (31-11) is tops in the NBA in scoring, so they will run right at Denver. The over is 14-4 in the Trail Blazers last 18 vs. the Western Conference and the over is 28-11 in their last 39 home games. When these teams meet the over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings, including 4-1 over the total in the last 5 meetings in Portland. Play the Nuggets/Blazers over the total.

Rob Vinciletti

Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Play: Western Kentucky -1

Western Kentucky has won 10 of the last 11 vs LA. Monroe, the last 3 by double digits. The Hilltoppers have won 6 of 7 this season vs losing teams. LA. Monroe has a dismal 3-28 record vs teams that are over .500 and are 4-20 to the spread in lined hoe games. Monroe has last and failed to cover both times as a home dog of 3 or less. Western Kentucky has a better RPI ranking and is the better team overall.

Rob Vinciletti's Featured Package

Don Best DB ConsensusFREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Oregon at WashingtonFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: OverFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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The Fighting Ducks are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 road games, but only 4-15-2 ATS in their last 21 vs. Pac-12. The Huskies 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games, yet they are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Thursday games. The only thing that seems to be a common factor is the tendency to go over. The over is 7-3 in Washington's last 10 home games and the over is 9-4 the last 13 times these teams have played.

Brandon ShivelyFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami HeatSERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Play: Miami Heat -12FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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I am fully aware that the Miami Heat are struggling to cover spreads. It did not surprise me that they barely squeaked out a win Tuesday night vs. Boston as this was their first game back off a 6 game road trip. I am very confident that they will build a big lead on the Lakers tonight and not let up one bit. This is one of those games where Miami wins by 20+ in convincing fashion. The Lakers are on their 5th road game now out of a 8 game trip and they will run out of gas in this one. They already have a depleted roster as we all know and are coming off a tough two point loss at Chicago on Monday which can be a bit deflating. Big, powerful forwards and centers are what give the Heat problems. Well, the Lakers have no threat in the interior. Gasol is a soft finesse player so he and Bosh matchup well in this game, but Bosh will be the better player in this game. The Lakers backcourt is basically some D-League players in my opinion with Kendall Marshall and Jodie Meeks. Nick Young has not seen a shot he doesn't like and he will shoot them right out of this game tonight. The Heat are playing on TNT and I like Lebron and CO. to put on a clinic and silence are critics temporarily. I advise a solid 5% wager on the Miami Heat. Head-to-Head Trends: The home team is 5-1 ATS the last 6 meetings. The Lakers are 2-9 ATS the last 11 meetings. The Lakers are 0-5 ATS the last 5 meetings in Miami Play on : Miami Heat

Brandon Shively's Featured Package

EZWINNERSFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Alabama +5FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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I'm playing the line in this game more so than I am playing the Tide. Florida comes into this game at 15-2 and ranked #6 in the nation while Alabama comes in with a losing record at 8-9 and is off of a a blowout 68-47 road loss to previously ranked Missouri. Alabama has also lost fourteen straight games against teams ranked in the Top 25 making this line seem a low to me. The Gators were horrible in close games last season, but this year they have turned that around and are winning those close games. Something tells me that that will be the case in this one as I expect the Tide to give Florida a run for their money. Take the points.

Carlos Salazar

Denver at Portland
Play: Portland -7

The Western Conference features scoring, scoring and more scoring. This game Thursday night will be no different other than Portland getting about 20 point more than the Nuggets. Bet this one before the linesmakers realize their mistake.

Carlos Salazar's Featured Package

DAVE COKIN
INSTEAD OF LEACHING OFF OTHERS WORK GO GET IT YOURSELF VIKESFAG
BYU AT PORTLAND
PLAY: BYU -4.5
INSTEAD OF LEACHING OFF OTHERS WORK GO GET IT YOURSELF VIKESFAG
Sometimes all it takes is a subtle maneuver to trigger the right response. BYU coach Dave Rose went this route five games back and the subsequent result has been a big turnaround for the Cougars.
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BYU was laboring at 8-7 and had lost four straight when Rose made the decision to move Skyler Halford into the starting lineup while bringing Matt Carlino off the bench. The move seems to have paid off. Carlino is still seeing plenty of action. He’s also playing much better ball in this role, shooting much more selectively and effectively as well. As for the Cougars as a team, they’re a perfect 5-0 with the newly configured lineup.
INSTEAD OF LEACHING OFF OTHERS WORK GO GET IT YOURSELF VIKESFAG
Portland has had some good moments en route to a respectable 11-8 ledger. The Pilots enjoyed their best win that I can remember as they upset Gonzaga. They also have a pair of decent wins against Columbia and Penn out of the Ivy League. But Portland is off a momentum stopping loss at Pepperdine and they’ve also absorbed a couple of shaky losses to teams they probably shouldn’t have lost to.
INSTEAD OF LEACHING OFF OTHERS WORK GO GET IT YOURSELF VIKESFAG
I don’t see this as an easy game for BYU, but this is still what should be a top 50 entry against one that is outside my top 100. I also very much like the current form of the Cougars. It’s their third straight away game, but they looked strong in last weekend’s sweep at San Francisco and Santa Clara.
INSTEAD OF LEACHING OFF OTHERS WORK GO GET IT YOURSELF VIKESFAG
The one caveat here is the potential look ahead to Gonzaga on Saturday. That’s obviously a huge game and the Cougars are not going to get through this date if they don’t maintain their focus. But I’m generally going to trust the actual data rather than guessing on mindset and I really like the way the Cougars are playing right now. I’ll side with BYU to grind out the win and cover as road chalk tonight.