Free Picks: Service Plays for Thursday March, 8

NCAAB

South Carolina vs. Alabama
The Crimson Tide look to take advantage of a South Carolina team that is 0-6 ATS in its last 6 neutral site games. Alabama is the pick (-9) according to Dunkel, which has the Crimson Tide favored by 12. Dunkel Pick: Alabama (-9)

Game 705-706: Illinois vs. Iowa (11:30 a.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois 64.109; Iowa 60.423
Dunkel Line: Illinois by 3 1/2; 139
Vegas Line: Illinois by 1 1/2; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Illinois (-1 1/2); Over

Game 707-708: Penn State vs. Indiana (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Penn State 58.659; Indiana 74.266
Dunkel Line: Indiana by 15 1/2; 131
Vegas Line: Indiana by 13; 137
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-13); Under

Game 709-710: Minnesota vs. Northwestern (5:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 63.154; Northwestern 64.290
Dunkel Line: Northwestern by 1; 134
Vegas Line: Northwestern by 2 1/2; 130
Dunkel Pick Minnesota (+2 1/2); Over

Game 711-712: Nebraska vs. Purdue (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Nebraska 59.989; Purdue 70.480
Dunkel Line: Purdue by 10 1/2; 126
Vegas Line: Purdue by 9 1/2; 128 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Purdue (-9 1/2); Under

Game 713-714: Wake Forest vs. Maryland (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wake Forest 54.637; Maryland 57.117
Dunkel Line: Maryland by 2 1/2; 133
Vegas Line: Maryland by 5; 138
Dunkel Pick: Wake Forest (+5); Under

Game 715-716: Boston College vs. NC State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston College 50.045; NC State 64.518
Dunkel Line: NC State by 14 1/2; 138
Vegas Line: NC State by 12 1/2; 132
Dunkel Pick: NC State (-12 1/2); Over

Game 717-718: Clemson vs. Virginia Tech (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Clemson 62.924; Virginia Tech 61.844
Dunkel Line: Clemson by 1;
Vegas Line: Clemson by 2 1/2; 121
Dunkel Pick: Virginia Tech (+2 1/2);

Game 719-720: Georgia Tech vs. Miami (FL) (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia Tech 56.174; Miami (FL) 64.605
Dunkel Line: Miami (FL) by 8 1/2; 121
Vegas Line: Miami (FL) by 6; 124
Dunkel Pick: Miami (FL) (-6);

Game 721-722: Connecticut vs. Syracuse (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 65.006; Syracuse 73.692
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 8 1/2; 137
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 6 1/2; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Syracuse (-6 1/2); Over

Game 723-724: Georgetown vs. Cincinnati (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgetown 67.917; Cincinnati 67.839
Dunkel Line: Even; 118
Vegas Line: Georgetown by 3; 121
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+3); Under

Game 725-726: Louisville vs. Marquette (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Louisville 64.540; Marquette 72.672
Dunkel Line: Marquette by 8; 136
Vegas Line:
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 727-728: South Florida vs. Notre Dame (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Florida 66.699; Notre Dame 66.912
Dunkel Line: Even; 120
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 729-730: Kansas State vs. Baylor (12:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas State 67.225; Baylor 70.282
Dunkel Line: Baylor by 3; 130
Vegas Line: Baylor by 2; 135
Dunkel Pick: Baylor (-2); Under

Game 731-732: Texas A&M vs. Kansas (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas A&M 60.131; Kansas 76.837
Dunkel Line: Kansas by 16 1/2; 139
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 733-734: Oklahoma State vs. Missouri (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma State 62.265; Missouri 73.500
Dunkel Line: Missouri by 11; 129
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 735-736: Texas vs. Iowa State (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas 67.602; Iowa State 65.823
Dunkel Line: Texas by 2; 144
Vegas Line: Pick; 138
Dunkel Pick: Texas; Over

Game 737-738: Arkansas vs. LSU (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arkansas 56.044; LSU 56.314
Dunkel Line: Even; 141
Vegas Line: LSU by 2 1/2; 136
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas (+2 1/2); Over

Game 739-740: South Carolina vs. Alabama (3:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Carolina 54.000; Alabama 65.834
Dunkel Line: Alabama by 12; 112
Vegas Line: Alabama by 9; 116
Dunkel Pick: Alabama (-9); Under

Game 741-742: Auburn vs. Mississippi (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Auburn 60.571; Mississippi 62.235
Dunkel Line: Mississippi by 1 1/2; 125
Vegas Line: Mississippi by 4; 120 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Auburn (+4); Over

Game 743-744: Georgia vs. Mississippi State (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia 60.046; Mississippi State 65.921
Dunkel Line: Mississippi State by 6; 119
Vegas Line: Mississippi State by 4 1/2; 123
Dunkel Pick: Mississippi State (-4 1/2); Under

Game 745-746: East Carolina vs. Southern Mississippi (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: East Carolina 55.088; Southern Mississippi 63.489
Dunkel Line: Southern Mississippi by 8 1/2; 128
Vegas Line: Southern Mississippi by 6; No Total
Dunkel Pick: Southern Mississippi (-6); N/A

Game 747-748: Marshall vs. Tulsa (3:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Marshall 60.610; Tulsa 58.419
Dunkel Line: Marshall by 2; 123
Vegas Line: Marshall by 1; No Total
Dunkel Pick: Marshall (-1); N/A

Game 749-750: UTEP vs. Memphis (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UTEP 54.843; Memphis 72.784
Dunkel Line: Memphis by 18; 126
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 751-752: UAB vs. Central Florida (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UAB 59.342; Central Florida 60.580
Dunkel Line: Central Florida by 1; 117
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 753-754: Oregon State vs. Washington (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oregon State 60.356; Washington 66.298
Dunkel Line: Washington by 6; 145
Vegas Line: Washington by 4; No Total
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-4); N/A

Game 755-756: UCLA vs. Arizona (5:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UCLA 64.921; Arizona 65.053
Dunkel Line: Even; 134
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 757-758: Stanford vs. California (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Stanford 62.474; California 67.459
Dunkel Line: California by 5; 126
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 759-760: Colorado vs. Oregon (11:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 58.846; Oregon 69.376
Dunkel Line: Oregon by 10 1/2; 140
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 761-762: Boise State vs. San Diego State (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boise State 54.921; San Diego State 64.931
Dunkel Line: San Diego State by 10; 128
Vegas Line: San Diego State by 7 1/2; 131
Dunkel Pick: San Diego State (-7 1/2); Under

Game 763-764: TCU vs. Colorado State (5:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: TCU 60.558; Colorado State 63.007
Dunkel Line: Colorado State by 2 1/2; 144
Vegas Line: Colorado State by 4; 141
Dunkel Pick: TCU (+4); Over

Game 765-766: Air Force vs. New Mexico (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Air Force 52.283; New Mexico 69.579
Dunkel Line: New Mexico by 17; 122
Vegas Line: New Mexico by 14 1/2; 124
Dunkel Pick: New Mexico (-14 1/2); Under

Game 767-768: Wyoming at UNLV (11:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wyoming 59.468; UNLV 69.336
Dunkel Line: UNLV by 10; 130
Vegas Line: UNLV by 9; 127
Dunkel Pick: UNLV (-9); Over

Game 769-770: Hawaii vs. Idaho (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Hawaii 49.748; Idaho 52.736
Dunkel Line: Idaho by 3; 141
Vegas Line: Idaho by 5 1/2; 138 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Hawaii (+5 1/2); Over

Game 771-772: Fresno State vs. New Mexico State (5:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Fresno State 53.831; New Mexico State 63.937
Dunkel Line: New Mexico State by 10; 132
Vegas Line: New Mexico State by 7 1/2; 136
Dunkel Pick: New Mexico State (-7 1/2); Under

Scott Spreitzer

Kansas State at Baylor
Prediction: Baylor

Many were singing the Bears' praises earlier this season touting Baylor as a solid Final Four contender. But they have split their last eight games, going 4-4 SU, and you don't hear Baylor mentioned in many media circles as a team to "watch out" for in the NCAA tournament. I believe this is one of the few teams worthy of a "futures bet." Baylor's length is magnified by its athleticism. Baylor has five players averaging between 13.5 ppg and 9.3 ppg. As a team, they connect on 47.2% of their shots, including over 38% from behind the arc. Kansas State will want to slow the pace of this contest. They may own the better defensive numbers, but I believe they're going to have a problem playing "keep up" on the offensive end. Besides the advantage with their "bigs," Baylor also has one of the most underrated guards in the country in Pierre Jackson, who I believe will be a difference maker in this contest. The teams split this season's two meetings and both went to the wire. Kansas State has had their problems though, against solid rebounding teams, (those that average four or more than they allow), going 1-8 ATS the last nine times. They aren't likely to get many "second chances" against the Bears. They're also on a 2-9 ATS slide against teams with a winning record. I'm laying the points with Baylor on Thursday.

Marc Lawrence

Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls
Prediction: Orlando Magic

After a sluggish start Orlando has turned on the magic, winning 13 of its 19 games since February 1st. Tonight they travel to the Windy City off a disappointing 16-point loss as nine-point chalk at Charlotte knowing they are 10-3 ATS in games off a SU and ATS loss this campaign. Playing with revenge from a 97-83 loss in the Magic Kingdom in early January, there will be no mousing around against the tired Bulls here tonight. We recommend a 1-unit play on Orlando.

Matt Fargo

Boise State vs. San Diego State
Play: San Diego State -7.5

San Diego St. closed the season with four straight wins even though two of those went into overtime. The last victory was one of those as the Aztecs defeated TCU by six points in overtime on the road which secured a share of the MWC regular season title and the top seed for the MWC Tournament. This was a huge step after a three-game losing streak prior to this and they come into the tournament with some renewed confidence which was definitely needed as things were not looking good for a while. Boise St. comes in just the opposite as it brings in a four-game losing streak and none were good ones as they were all by double-digits. The Broncos finished 3-11 in the conference and while the were solid at home during much of the season, they struggled outside of Boise, going 2-11 and one of those was a neutral court win against Idaho. The lone road conference win came at Air Force which also finished 3-11 in the conference so it has been a real struggle. The one bright spot on the road came at San Diego St. of all places as the Broncos lost by two points as a last second three-pointer just missed to win the game. That definitely got San Diego St. focused in the second meeting in Boise St. and the Aztecs responded with a big effort in a 13-point road win, one of the victories during this recent streak. That first close game helps here as well as San Diego St. will not be looking past the Broncos as they will be going for their third straight conference tournament championship. Boise St. is 1-12 ATS this season when playing against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .800 including a 0-8 ATS mark in the second half of the season. The Broncos are also 4-11 ATS this season following a loss and playing in a tournament likely won't turn that around as they are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 tournament games. San Diego St. meanwhile is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games following two or more consecutive conference wins.

Rob Vinciletti

Georgia Tech vs. Miami Florida
Play: Miami Florida -6

The Canes should dominate a Georgia Tech team that is 0-3 straight up and ats this season off a conference win and has dropped 4 of the last 5 with home loss revenge. The Yellow Jackets have dropped 12 of 16 vs winning teams and take on a Miami team that is 10-3 ats in March, 20-1 vs losing teams, including 4-0 ats of late and 11-0 vs teams who average 65 or less points. Miami is a solid 5-0 ats in their last 5 tourney games. Look for Miami to coast here.

Guillermo Sanchez Perez

San Jose Sharks @ Dallas Stars
PICK: San Jose Sharks

San Jose is 33-24-8 (14-13-5 on the road). Dallas is 36-26-5 (18-12-3 at home). The last time these teams played, San Jose won 5-2 at the "Shark Tank" on February 2nd, 2012.

A lot has changed since that win though, as the Stars have surged to the top of the Pacific Division, while the Sharks have been in free-fall.

Dallas has won 7 of 8; San Jose has lost 9 of 11.

Stars goaltender Richard Bachman made 29-saves in his team's 5-2 win over Vancouver on Tuesday; “Everything’s kind of come together at the right time and the biggest thing is just hard work."

The Sharks are obviously "hungry", and beyond anxious to return to form; “You definitely have to work your way out of slumps like this,” Joe Thornton said after his team's 3-2 setback at Edmonton on Tuesday. “All we can do is keep working and hopefully the hockey gods will be kind to us the next few games.”

This marks the opener of a four-game trip for the Sharks; “Our mettle’s being tested, there’s no doubt about it,” said coach Todd McLellan. “We’ll dig out of it and eventually find a way. You’ve got to really work your way through this before you’re going to win. I think we’re getting close and we’ve got to keep going.”

This is a big opportunity for Sharks' goaltender Antti Niemi to return form against a team that he's enjoyed plenty of success against, posting a sparkling 1.50 GAA in winning the last four in this series.

A complacent Stars team suffers a "letdown" in its first game home after a very successful 3-0 road trip, as San Jose finally returns to the winners circle with a full three-period effort.

Joseph D'Amico

Connecticut vs. Syracuse
Play: Syracuse -7

For starters, Madison Square Garden is Syracuse's second home. You are going to see an ocean of orange in the stands. They have beaten UConn both meetings this season, splitting the games against the number. Connecticut has come alive of late, however, the team depends on sophomore's Napier and Lamb. The Huskies have played 5 games since their loss to the Orange back on February 25th. They have played two games just in the last two days, including a tiresome OT game last night against West Virginia. Syracuse is fresh, only having to play one game in that span, which was a 58-49 victory over Louisville on Saturday. The Orange have won 10 in a row SU. The odds makers were inflating their numbers because they are a fan favorite. My staff and I know this number is short here. Joseph, Waiters, Triche, Fair, and Jardine are a complete, experienced, and unselfish unit. Throw in the mix a 100% healthy Fab Melo in the middle and this team is unstoppable. They virtually are assured a #1 seed in the Big Dance, but a win here will basically guarantee it. Take Syracuse.

Jim Feist

Magic vs Bulls
Pick: Under

A pair of powerhouse defensive teams in the East meet, and Chicago is in the second of a back to back spot, so it's hard to see them wanting to go uptempo. Orlando is a terrific defensive and rebounding team and the under is 8-3 in Magic's last 11 road games, plus 13-6-1 under the total in their last 20 games vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600. Chicago is 3-1-1 under the total in the Bulls last 5 games playing on no days rest and 6-0 under at home against a team wit a winning record. And when these teams meet, the Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings. Play the Magic/Bulls under the total.

Dave Cokin

Louisiana Tech vs Utah State
Pick: Utah State

This has not been a good season for Utah State, but don't count the Aggies out of the WAC Tourney. Las Vegas gives them a definite site advantage and Louisiana Tech could be drained from all their recent travel. I'll back Utah State here.

Jorge Gonzalez

Orlando Magic vs. Chicago Bulls
Play Chicago Bulls -6

The Chicago Bulls will face the Orlando Magic in a prime time TNT match-up. The Bulls may have been looking ahead to this game needing a late second shot by Derrick Rose to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 106-104. The Bulls have the best record in the league and catch the Magic at big crossroads for the season. With the trade deadline coming up next Thursday, the Magic and the effort they give on the court should be a precursor of the decision to trade Dwight Howard or keep the face of franchise in Orlando. If the team’s play is an indication of what will happen in the near future, Howard will be in anew City this time next week. The Magic is coming off a 100-84 loss to the lowly Charlotte Bobcats. The Magic was up 20 points at one point in the game before imploding. The Bulls will regain their focus here against Dwight Howard and the Magic. The Bulls may not be what the doctor ordered for the Magic. The Bulls have taken the last four games in the series because of the mismatch at the point guard position. None of the guards on the Magic can even keep pace with Rose. The stop in Chicago might just the beginning of the end for the Magic. The Magic will have to play Chicago, Indiana, San Antonio and Miami in the next six days. The Bulls team defense and effort will be the difference in this game. The Bulls will get up early and not look back. Lay the points with Chicago!

Freddy Wills

Kansas State vs. Baylor
Play: Baylor -140

Baylor lost at home and won on the road vs. Kansas State. To me I just think they have more talent with Quincy Acy and Perry Jones and Guard Pierre Jackson. Baylor seems to win when it focuses and they want a decent seed in the tournament so it’s all hands on deck in this one. Baylor was 9-3 on the road this year and will have a considerable advantage on the FT line which is why this team is 8-2 in games decided by 5 points or less. Kansas State usually loses those games because they are 264th in FT%. I’ll take Baylor to win this one.

OC Dooley

Cal-Santa Barbara -10.5

While it has been a difficult season out west for a power conference (Pac 12), very quietly a mini-dynasty is forming in the state of California. Today the Gauchos of Cal-Santa Barbara embark on a journey where they will attempt to win the Big West postseason tournament championship for a third consecutive campaign. In the past two years against league opposition the Gauchos have compiled a brilliant "24-8" overall mark and their head coach has set an all-time school record for win percentage (.567). In the 13+ seasons that Bob Williams has headed the program, Cal-Santa Barbara has compiled a grand total of 235 victories. Today they face an opponent who not only has problems scoring, Pacific also has had difficulty in this postseason tournament long term cashing tickets (5-15 ATS). The last time Pacific was on the court turned into a humiliating road loss where the offense scored a grand total of only 38 points, while shooting a dreadful 18% from the field in the second-half. For the entire season to date when the defense holds the opposition to less than 70 points, Cal-Santa Barbara is UNDEFEATED (17-0) straight-up and the odds of that happening again this afternoon are strong

Free NHL Release for 3/8: Ottawa Senators +120 over New York. Ottawa should not be an underdog at home tonight against the Rangers. But maybe that's a good thing as the underdog is 8-2 in the last ten games of this series. The Senators have won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these two clubs, including a 3-0 shutout in New York earlier this year. Over their last five games, New York has been averaging just 2.6 Goals/Game while allowing 2.6 Goals/Game. They're coming off one of their worst defeats this season, a 4-1 loss to rival New Jersey. And, Henrik Lundqvist has allowed 10 goals in his last three starts. Meanwhile, Ottawa has won 7 of their last 10. They were in a bit of an offensive drought, but enter this game coming off a 7 goal tally two nights ago in Tampa Bay. Note the Senators are 6-1 in their last 7 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game. We expect them to be highly motivated for the Rangers, as they've lost six straight to them at Scotiabank Place. Ottawa is 4-1 in their last five games as an underdog, and a solid 5-1 in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. New York is 3-7 in their last 10 games as a favorite of -110 to -150, and just 1-4 SU in their last five road games. Looks like the wrong team is favored here tonight. We'll side with the Ottawa Senators +120. Our free plays are 4-0 in their last four, and now 174-93-1 (65%) all-time. Sign up today for today's best free basketball and hockey picks at www.iseewinners.com. Thank you, and best of luck.

Craig Trapp

Texas vs. Iowa State
Play: Iowa State +1

Cyclones coming off huge win against BAY and try to keep up momentum. Even better IOWA ST has been money going 18-8-1 ATS this year. Texas is in must win mode to get in the big dance but between the bad coaching and lack of depth they are up against it. Longhorns make it official, NIT here comes the Horns.