Carlos Salazar
Clemson at Notre Dame
Play: Notre Dame -4.5
Carlos is going with the home favorite today as Clemson has struggled this season on the road and Notre Dame has played some of their best ball of the season at home. Look for Notre Dame to win by 10 points on Tuesday night.
DAVE COKIN
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT WICHITA STATE
PLAY: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS +17
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If you’re into situational handicapping, there’s a plain as day spot on the Tuesday night schedule.
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When matching up Southern Illinois and Wichita State, there is basically nothing that indicates the Salukis are going to be able to remain within hailing distance. It’s a mismatch right down the line. Wichita State power rates as close to a 20 point favorite tonight. And the fact is that if the powerful Shockers see fit, they’re going to be able to win this game by however much they want.
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But this is also the definition of a dead spot for the favorite. Wichita State had two real challenges remaining on their Missouri Valley slate to get past en route to what is now a likely perfect regular season. The Shockers passed each test with flying colors, dispatching both Indiana State and Northern Iowa on the road
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I don’t see how Wichita State can avoid being a little relaxed tonight. They already took care of Southern Illinois on the road, and while the Salukis are on a current 4-0 run, they just aren’t likely to present much of a threat.
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All of the above adds up this being a game where the Shockers do what’s necessary to get the win, but not a whole lot more. I’d be shocked for the most part if we see this juggernaut anywhere near its peak tonight. I see a Salukis squad that’s actually playing pretty well of late being able to hang around and compete. Look for Southern Illinois plus the points to pay off tonight.
The Prez
Clemson at Notre Dame
Play: Under 120
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Notre Dame has found the going tough in the ACC after defeating Duke in their first league contest as the new member of the conference. Since that opening league win in league play the Irish have struggled to a 3-7 ACC record and their matchup against a physical and defensive oriented team in Clemson, even at home, is a difficult test, especially in the paint. The Tigers pack it in tight and are extremely deliberate offensively and the school leads the conference in points allowed per game (55.1).. Notre Dame's offense numbers are somewhat skewed. The Irish have a points per game average of 80, but when examined closer there has been a huge gap between non-conference games and league averages. The Irish have not scored more than 66 points in any game (regulation time) since defeating VT at home by a 70-63 margin. And one has to go back to their first ACC contest, the aforementioned against Duke to find the Irish offense exceeding 70 points.
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Clemson doesn't have the personality to be offensively explosive and in combination with their walk-about the crew has scored fewer than 50 points in four of its last nine games. The issue of concern in this contest is the strength and prowess of the Tigers frontcourt and the Irish rank at the bottom of the league in the rebounding department.
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Notre Dame is a mere 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 home games and 3-12 in contests against ACC schools. Consider the fact that in Saturday's game against North Carolina the Tar Heel shot just 36 percent (12 of 33) in the first half and were never really threatened by ND for the entire second half. The Irish gave up 9 offensive rebounds, too, a number that will doom this team against Clemson.
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As attractive as it is to take Clemson and the points tonight the Total is arguably the best value. When playing a school with a winning percentage of .600 or greater the UNDER has been the money maker when making wagers in Irish contests -- the UNDER is 59-28 in the last 87 Notre Dame games against those teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better.
Jimmy Boyd
Texas -4½
It is going to take some time for Oklahoma State to adjust to Marcus Smart being absent from the lineup. That puts a lot of value on the Longhorns at home in this matchup. Texas is 12-2 at home this season, and I don't think they will have any problem beating up on an Oklahoma State team that has lost five of its last six games. The Cowboys were already struggling with Smart, and things will only get worse without him.
The Longhorns are averaging 77 points per game at home this season. They should have no problem scoring points on this Cowboys defense that has surrendered 72.8 points per game on the road. The Texas defense has been solid this year. Their opponents have an offensive scoring average of 74.3 points per game, yet the Longhorns have allowed 69.9 points per game overall and 68.3 points per game when playing at home. The loss of Smart is going to hurt the Cowboys the most on the boards. He was second in rebounding for Oklahoma State, and without him they are at a big disadvantage against a Longhorns team that is +8 in rebounding margin this season.
Matt Fargo
Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Play: Los Angeles Lakers -1½
There hasn't been much to cheer about in Los Angeles at the Staples Center unless the Clippers are in town as the Lakers have been downright awful at home. They are 0-5 in their last five home games and 2-11 in their last 13 games on their home floor since the start of December. The saving grace is that one of those wins came against Utah last month so there should at least be the confidence of that coming in. Los Angeles has been riddled with injuries all season and it continues but they take a step down in competition tonight and have covered the lone game as a favorite in this price range, against Utah. The Jazz come in following a home win over Miami so this is the ideal situation for a letdown. Utah has been decent at home but is just 6-19 on the road and overall it is just 4-12 in its previous 16 games following a win. The Jazz are 0-3 ATS in their last three road games and while they are playing with revenge, road revenge is not a good scenario and they are 16-30 ATS in their last 46 games revenging a road loss. Also, Utah is 4-12 ATS in its last 16 games after playing a non-conference games and it falls into a bad situation as we play against road teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 that are revenging a loss where opponent scored 110 or more points, playing a team with a losing record. This situation is 49-21 ATS (70 percent) over the last five seasons.
Scott Spreitzer
Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls
Play: Atlanta Hawks +2
The Hawks have dropped three straight, but they have had a couple of nights off since a 79-76 loss to Toronto. Atlanta's in a nice situation tonight facing a Bulls' team that's obviously not at full strength and they're off a 6-game road trip that finished with 4 straight games on the west coast. Chicago is off a roller-coaster trip, playing well enough to win on the road in San Antonio and Phoenix, but poorly enough to lose by 29 at Sacramento and 15 at Golden State. I do believe it's going to take a game to get back on track at home. The Bulls have covered just 5 of their last 22 off a road trip of at least 7 days and I expect another loss here. I'm recommending a play on the Hawks plus the points on Tuesday night.
Bill Biles
Florida vs. Tennessee
Play: Florida -1½
Florida has won 15 straight games and has allowed just 57.9 points per game to rank sixth among all Division I teams in scoring defense. Florida buried Tennessee 67-41 earlier in the year and I expect the same to happen in this one.
Doug Upstone
Washington Wizards vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Play: Memphis Grizzlies -4
On Tuesday, Play On defensive teams like Memphis who concede 92-98 points a game, against a weaker defensive team like Washington (98-102 PPG allowed) after 42 or more games into the season, after scoring 90 points or less in two straight games, The rationale behind this free pick is teams like the Grizzlies are due for a better offensive showing, while still maintaining their defensive acumen and are 33-11 ATS since 2009.
Michael Alexander
Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Play: Los Angeles Lakers -1½
Los Angeles is a half-game ahead of the Jazz in the West and missed a chance to make it a full game with a 92-86 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. The Lakers got only 24 points from the starting five but stayed in the game thanks to a season-high 27 points and 10 rebounds from Chris Kaman off the bench. Kaman is seeing his time increase without Gasol in the lineup and the veteran has scored in double figures in each of the last three contests. He posted 19 points and 10 boards in a 105-103 loss at Utah on Dec. 27. The Lakers earned a 110-99 home win over the Jazz on Jan. 3
Jeff Clement
Wake Forest vs. NC State
Play: NC State -5.5
Wake Forest(14-9) vs. N.C. State(15-8). Wake Forest is 4-10 ATS last 14 road games and N.C. State is 5-2 ATS at home vs. teams with losing records. Wake is 1-4 ATs last 5 meetings at N.C. St. N.C. St. is a 7 Unit Play!
LT Profits
Wake Forest vs NC State
Pick: NC State -5.5
The NC State Wolfpack have won four of their last five games to improve to 15-8 overall and 5-5 in the ACC, and this is a big home game vs. a beatable opponent in the Wake Forest Demon Deacons because NC State plays four of its next six games on the road including difficult tests at top ranked Syracuse and at Pittsburgh. The Wolfpack boast the leading scorer in the ACC in T.J. Warren and they should have no problem getting him shots because they have protected the ball very well, ranking 61st in the country in offensive turnover percentage while Wake Forest applies no pressure, ranking 284th in defensive turnover percentage. Wake is a young team lead by four sophomores, so not surprisingly the Deacons are 1-5 on the road while losing by an average of -12.5 points. Wake Forest is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 road games.
Oklahoma City vs Portland
Pick: Under 210.5
This is a very big game in the Western Conference as while the top seeded Oklahoma City Thunder lead the third seeded Portland Trail Blazers by four games, Portland would clinch the tiebreaker advantage over the Thunder with a win here as the Blazers have won two of the first three head-to-head meetings and this is the last meeting of the season. Thus, look for the Thunder to bring their intensity tonight to try and prevent that from happening, and what sets Oklahoma City apart from Portland is it defense. The Thunder are ranked seventh in the NBA in points against and third in defensive efficiency, and look for that Oklahoma City stop unit to slow down the highest scoring team in the NBA in Portland and keep this game lower scoring than this bloated posted total suggests. The ‘under’ is 6-1 in the last seven head-to-head meetings.
Fezzik
Michigan +4
Solid spot for the dog here, Michigan off their losses this year have played cupcakes for the most part, but they have won all their games off losses, a 3 point win vs. Stanford, and 4 blowout wins vs. bad teams all by 20+.
hese rivals played two games close to the vest last year, both games decided by 1 possession.
Buckeys went "allin" to save their season off a 1-5 Big 10 disaster run, and have won3 straight, but the spots in those games were good for them, now the spot is bad.........
Larry Ness
Marquette at Seton Hall
Prediction: Seton Hall
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Villanova and Creighton are NCAA locks plus Xavier is likely to get a bid out of the Big East, as well. Providence and Georgetown are long shots, although I would imagine hope both schools are still optimistic. However, in the case of Marquette and Seton Hall (each 13-10), hopes of a "Big Dance" invite seem unlikely. in Marquette's case, the Golden Eagles' streak of EIGHT consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances is clearly in jeopardy.
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Marquette visits Seton Hall on Tuesday in a Big East Conference matchup looking to win consecutive games for the first time in nearly two months. Marquette last posted back-to-back victories Dec 14 and Dec. 17, alternating losses and wins the last 12 games.
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Seton Hall comes in 13-10 overall like Marquette but is 4-6 in Big East play, compared to 5-5 for the Golden Eagles. These team met exactly one month ago (Jan 11) in Milwaukee, when Marquette nearly squandered a 16-point second-half lead, before holding on for a 67-66 victory. The Golden Eagles shot 56% in the first half to lead 40-26 but Seton Hall cut the margin to 65-63 with 23 seconds left, before falling by a single point.
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In that contest, 6-6 swingman Edwin was just coming back from a knee injury and was held to seven points on 3 of 11 shooting. However, he then averaged 20.8 points in a five-game span, before being held to eight points at Villanova in Seton Hall's last game. Edwin (13.9) is the team's second-leading scorer to guard Gibbs (14.5-3.4-4.4), a duo joined on the perimeter by Oliver (11.9) and Sina (6.3). Up front, 6-9 center Teague (10.4-8.0) is surrounded by a pair of 6-9 forwards in Auda (8.7-4.5) and Mobley (8.5-4.9). Note that Teague missed the first game with Marquette, recovering from a concussion (Seton Hall opened 1-3 in Big East play without him).
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Marquette misses LY's leading scorer Blue (14.8) and backcourt partner Cadougan (8.5-3.8 APG). The current starting lineup includes three guards, with Thomas (7.0) being the highest scorer, joined by Derrick Wilson (5.3-3.8-4.1) and Johnson (4.9). Mayo (9.5) comes off the bench and is the backcourt's top point-producer. The 6-9 Gardner (14.6-6.0) and the 6-7 Jamil Wilson (11.5-5.3) are Marquette's best players but that frontcourt duo has gotten very little help from the very disappointing 6-11 Otule (6.0-4.3), who has been dropped from the starting lineup.
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Marquette is 1-4 SU and ATS on the Big East road (lone win and cover was an OT victory at Georgetown) and if Seton Hall could almost win at Marquette with Edwin having an "off" game and center Teague not playing a single minute, the Pirates should have little trouble winning here at the Prudential Center in Newark. Take the home team and lay the 'short' price.
Wunderdog
Michigan at Ohio State
Pick: Ohio State -165
The Ohio State Buckeyes were a perfect 15-0 to start the season, and then the wheels fell off. The Buckeyes' ensuing six games saw them go a miserable 1-5. They have since gotten things back together, and own a three game winning streak as they take on Michigan tonight at home. Michigan is now the team in question. After winning 10 straight games, the Wolverines have fallen prey to the loss column in two of their last three contests. They have fallen hard, as they have lost each by double-digits. The Buckeyes seem to be the "healed" team here while Michigan has to be feeling a loss of confidence right now. This game could be close, but the home team has the winning attitude, and is playing better right now. Play Ohio State on the moneyline.
River City Sharps
Tennessee +2
OK, so tonight we have a marquee matchup in the SEC between the third ranked Florida Gators and the Tennessee Volunteers. We look right now at the current line, which sits at Florida -2. Keep in mind that in the first game these two teams played on January 25th, the Gators absolutely destroyed the Volunteers 67-41. So we have a two point line in a game between two quality teams where the first game was decided by 26 points. Also, we currently have about 80% of the public backing the Gators as the short priced road favorite. Walmart must be having a big sale on CRAZY and we have lots of people stocking up....but it ain't gonna be the Sharps! Here are a few things to keep in mind with this game tonight...First, the Vols are 11-2 at home, 6-3 ATS in those games and are scoring almost 80 ppg. Conversely, the Gators (who can struggle to score at times) are only averaging 69 ppg away from the OCC. Second, everyone needs to remember who Florida plays this weekend...oh yeah, that program with 8 National Titles in Lexington, KY, and hosting College Game Day on Saturday! Look ahead spot for the Gators? Maybe and maybe not, but certainly worth considering. The Volunteers are sitting squarely on the "bubble" right now and need a marquee win in a league where you can't find lots of opportunities. Tonight is their night and we think that Tennessee takes care of the Gators at home.