SPORTS ADVISORS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Ohio State (11-5, 7-9 ATS) at (6) Purdue (14-1, 7-7-1 ATS)
Purdue looks to rebound from its first defeat of the season when it returns to Mackey Arena for a Big Ten battle with the Buckeyes, who have already lost three conference road games.
Ohio State dropped a 73-62 decision at Minnesota on Saturday as a four-point road underdog, falling to 1-3 SU and ATS in conference play with all three defeats coming on the road in blowout fashion (by 11, 9 and 22 points). Throw in a 74-66 non-conference loss at Butler as a five-point ‘dog, and the Buckeyes are winless on the highway this year (0-4 ATS), getting outscored by an average of 13.4 points per game (72.2-58.8).
The Boilermakers tasted defeat for the first time on Saturday, going to Wisconsin and losing 73-66 as a 1½-point road chalk. Purdue actually outshot the 17th-ranked Badgers 47.2 percent to 41.1 percent, but the Boilermakers got killed at the foul line, making 13 of 24 freebies compared with Wisconsin’s 22-for-27 effort from the charity stripe. In jumping out to a 14-0 start to this year, Purdue posted 12 double-digit wins and held all but one opponent (Tennessee) to 65 points or less.
These teams split their regular-season series last year, with Purdue rolling 75-50 as a 9½-point home favorite after losing 80-72 in overtime at Ohio State as a two-point chalk. The Boilermakers got the last laugh, though, with 65-61 victory as a 5½-point favorite in the conference tournament. Not counting tournament play, the home team has won five straight meetings (3-1-1 ATS). The Buckeyes are 13-4-1 ATS in the past 18 series clashes and 7-2 ATS in their last five trips to Purdue. Also, the ‘dog is a on a 3-1-1 ATS roll in this rivalry.
Ohio State brings a 1-7 ATS slump into this game. In addition to that and failing to cash in all four road games, the Buckeyes are 1-5 ATS in their last six after a non-cover, but 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 on Tuesday. Purdue is 6-1-1 ATS in its last eight against winning teams and 5-2 ATS in its last seven after a non-cover.
Ohio State carries “under” trends of 6-1 overall, 12-5 on the highway, 8-2 in conference action and 8-1 after a non-cover. Additionally, Purdue is on “under” stretches of 5-1 after a SU defeat and 4-1 on Tuesday. Finally, the last two meetings between these teams last year stayed low, following a 3-0 “over” surge.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OHIO STATE and UNDER
Texas A&M (12-3, 6-4 ATS) at (13) Kansas State (13-2, 7-3 ATS)
The Aggies take a three-game winning streak into the Fred Bramlage Coliseum looking to become the first team this season to win on Kansas State’s home floor in this clash of Big 12 foes.
Texas A&M tipped off Big 12 play Saturday with a 64-53 win over Nebraska as a seven-point favorite, a triumph that came on the heels of two 25-plus-point blowouts of non-lined teams Northwestern State and North Dakota. The Aggies have played just one true road game this year, and they fell 73-64 at Washington as a 7½-point underdog.
The Wildcats had their 10-game SU winning streak and six-game ATS run snapped in Saturday’s 74-68 loss at Missouri as a five-point road underdog in the conference opener for both teams. It was the first time all season that K-State failed to score at least 70 points and ended a five-game stretch in which it scored at least 85 points and averaged 89.6 ppg. The Wildcats are 9-0 at home this year – with an average final score 83.4-60.9 – and they’ve won 12 in a row at Bramlage Coliseum going back to last year’s nine-point loss to rival Kansas.
The Wildcats and Aggies battled just once last year, with Kansas State prevailing 65-60 as a 3½-point road favorite, improving to 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings. However, prior to last season, the home team had won seven straight regular-season clashes (5-2 ATS) going back to 2001-02. The ‘dog has covered in the last four matchups, with the last three being small outright upsets.
Since opening the season with four straight spread-covers, Texas A&M has gone 2-4 ATS in lined action. Still, the Aggies are on a slew of positive pointspread streaks, including 17-8 overall, 37-17 on the road, 11-3 in Big 12 play, 14-6 against winning teams and 9-4 after a non-over.
The Wildcats are on pointspread upticks of 6-1 overall, 4-1 at home and 5-1 against winning opponents, but they’re also in ATS ruts of 6-19-2 in Big 12 action, 4-10 on Tuesday, 3-13 after a SU loss and 4-16-1 after a non-cover.
The under has been the play in seven of the last eight meetings in this rivalry, with the last three in a row at K-State staying low. Additionally, Texas A&M is riding low-scoring streaks of 6-2 overall, 9-2-1 on Tuesday and 7-1 against winning teams, while the Wildcats have stayed low in four straight on Tuesday and seven of eight against winning teams. Conversely, the over is 4-1 in the Aggies’ last five conference games and 7-3 in K-State’s last 10 at home.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
(2) Kentucky (16-0, 7-7 ATS) at Florida (11-4, 5-5 ATS)
Now one of just two remaining unbeatens in Division I, the Wildcats face their first SEC road test of the season when they travel to the O’Connell Center in Gainesville to take on Florida.
After a perfect non-conference season, Kentucky came out Saturday a little sluggish in barely knocking off Georgia 76-68, falling way short of cashing as a 20-point home favorite. The Wildcats, who moved up to No. 2 in the rankings behind only undefeated Texas, have now topped 70 points in seven straight games (average of 86.4 ppg), and they’ve done so in 14 of 16 contests this year (only exception came in back-to-back games against North Carolina and UConn). This is just the second true road game for John Calipari’s troops, the first being a 90-73 rout of Indiana as a nine-point favorite.
Florida opened SEC play with Saturday’s 95-87 loss at Vanderbilt, failing to cover as a 5½-point road underdog. The defeat ended the Gators’ three-game winning streak and dropped them to 1-4 ATS in their last five lined contests. Prior to going to Vanderbilt, Billy Donovan’s squad had allowed an average of 56.4 ppg in the previous five contests. In fact, it was just the fourth time all season that an opponent scored more than 61 points against Florida.
The home team is on a 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS roll in this rivalry. Last year, Kentucky won 68-65 but failing to cover as a 4½-point home favorite and Florida prevailed 60-53 as a 5½-point chalk. The Gators are 8-2 SU in the last 10 meetings and 7-2 ATS in the last nine (4-1 ATS last five). They’ve also defeated Kentucky five straight times in Gainesville, cashing in each of the last four.
Kentucky has covered in four of its last five road games going back to last year and it is 5-1 ATS when coming off a non-cover, but it has cashed just once in its last seven SEC contests. Florida is in pointspread slumps of 1-4 overall, 2-5 at home, 2-5 in SEC play, 2-6 on Tuesday, 1-4 against winning teams and 2-7 when coming off a SU defeat.
The over is 6-1 in the Wildcats’ last seven games overall, but the under is 6-2 in their last eight on the road. The Gators are on “under” tears of 10-2 overall, 12-5 against winning teams and 4-0 when coming off either a SU or ATS defeat. Finally, last year’s two meetings stayed under the number.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
NBA
L.A. Lakers (29-8, 16-21 ATS) at San Antonio (22-13, 18-16-1 ATS)
The Lakers and Spurs hook up for the first time this season, with L.A. making the trek to the AT&T Center looking to halt a three-game road losing streak.
Los Angeles is coming off Sunday’s 95-77 rout of the Bucks as a 9½-point home favorite, but that followed a pair of losses at Portland (107-98 as a four-point favorite) and to the Clippers (102-91 as a five-point ‘dog in a game where the Clippers were the designated home team). Throw in a 118-103 loss at Phoenix, and the Lakers are 0-3 SU and ATS in their last three as a visitor.
The Lakers have followed up a five-game stretch in which they averaged 115.8 ppg by scoring just 93 ppg in the last four. Los Angeles was held under 100 points in all four contests after doing so just eight times through the first 33 games.
The Spurs, who cap a four-game home stand tonight before embarking on a four-game road trip, knocked off New Jersey 97-85 on Sunday but came up just short as a 14-point home chalk. San Antonio has followed up a five-game SU and ATS winning streak by splitting its last four contests (1-3 ATS).
The Spurs have scored more than 100 points in five of their last eight, but they’ve really turned things up defensively, holding 12 of 13 opponents under 100 points, including yielding 92 or less in four of the last five games.
The Lakers took two of three from the Spurs last year, cashing in all three games, including twice while visiting San Antonio. Going back to the 2007-08 season and including a playoff series, Los Angeles is on a 7-2 SU and ATS run against the Spurs, cashing in each of the last five games overall and each of the last three trips to the AT&T Center.
Los Angeles, which has been a big money-burner this season, is in ATS ruts of 3-5 overall, 4-9 on the road, 3-8 against Western Conference opponents, 1-5 on Tuesday and 2-5 after a SU victory. San Antonio sports several negative ATS trends as well, including 2-5 on Tuesday, 1-6 against winning teams and 1-10 when hosting a foe that has a winning road record. However, the Spurs are also 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight against the Pacific Division and 4-1-1 ATS in their last six after a non-cover.
The under is on streaks of 6-2 for the Lakers against teams with a winning record, 13-5-1 for the Lakers after an ATS triumph, 6-2 for the Spurs against winning teams, 6-2 in this rivalry and 9-3 when these teams meet in San Antonio. On the flip side, the over is on runs of 7-2 for both teams against Western Conference competition, 5-2 for San Antonio versus the Pacific Division and 13-3-1 for San Antonio on Tuesday.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. LAKERS and UNDER
BIG AL
Kentucky at Florida
Prediction: Florida
First of all, kudos to John Calipari, who has done a masterful job in bringing the Wildcats back to the top of College Basketball. However, Kentucky's 16 wins have virtually all come at home, or on neutral courts. Just one of its games has been played on an opponent's true home court, and that was against a dismal Indiana Hoosier squad, so it was no surprise that Kentucky won that game by 17 points, 90-73. This game, then, will be Kentucky's stiffest test of the season-to-date, as Florida is a solid 7-1 straight up at home this season, and the Gators already own wins over Florida State and Michigan State. Kentucky has had its problems in Gainesville over the years, with 0 wins in its last five games there, and the Wildcats also struggled a bit this past Saturday at home over a mediocre Georgia team. The Bulldogs held Kentucky to just 43.3 percent shooting (UK's 2nd lowest percentage this season), and lost by a mere eight points, 76-68. That kind of lackluster performance won't be good enough tonight in front of a rowdy Gators crowd. Take the points with the home dog.
SPORTS WAGERS
Carolina +1.37 over TORONTO
The Hurricanes are pretty much “free-rolling” these days with no pressure on them whatsoever and with no shot of going anywhere this season they’re actually playing a whole lot better. The Canes have won three of its last four and that includes a win in New York against the Rangers. In all three games they allowed just one goal against. The Canes have some young call-ups that have inserted some life into them and the whole team is playing with enthusiasm. After a nice run the Leafs have sunk back near the bottom of the East. They have to be feeling a ton of pressure after losses in five of six including three straight. They could at least be forgiven for another loss if a good team was in town but that’s not the case. A loss here would be inexcusable and the press will be all over it should that come to pass. The Leafs propensity for falling behind early is a huge problem and they’re really in a no-win situation tonight, as a win is expected and a loss will be crippling. The Leafs are not a team you want to lay juice with and again, they’ll be playing with a lot of pressure on tem in this one. Play: Carolina +1.37 (Risking 2 units).
ATLANTA -½ +1.10 over Ottawa
The Sens may snap out of it at some point but until they do why not bet against them? This is a team that is mentally beat before they even step on the ice. They’re not scoring goals and that’s playing on their minds big time, thus, it’ll be near impossible to catch this offensive juggernaut should they fall behind again. The Sens have lost four straight and over that stretch they’ve been outscored 16-4. They have two netminders that are struggling, fighting the puck and playing with no confidence whatsoever. Spezza, Alfredsson and Michalek are all still on the rack and that doesn’t leave many other options. The Thrashers are in a deep funk too but they have goal scorers and they have goaltending (most of the time). They were absolutely whacked in its last game to the tune of 8-1 by the Caps and you know for sure they’ll come out hungry tonight after that humiliation. The Thrashers have been off since Saturday and likely can’t wait to get back on the ice to erase that memory. Play: Atlanta -½ +1.10 (Risking 2 units).
PHILADELPHIA -½ +1.54 over Dallas (1st Period)
The more I observe these lines and record the outcome the more I like them and will start playing them beginning here. If your team isn’t up at least a goal by end of the first period, do you really want them the rest of the game laying a half puck with a lot less take-back? I know I don’t and what usually happens is that the dog gains steam if they have a good first period and are tied or leading after one. What I do know is that the Flyers are lighting it up big time these days and in fact, has scored 28 times in its last six games. Over that stretch of six games they scored six or more three times and that includes 6 on the Rangers and 7 on the Penguins. Meanwhile, the Stars only notable output over its last five games is when they scored four on Rick DiPietro, a guy that’s been out for over a year. Throw out that one and they’ve scored three times in the other four games and that coincides with Mike Robeiro and Nicklas Grossman getting injured. Dallas has dropped seven straight and 10 of its last 11 on the road and asking them to keep pace here is a stretch at best. Philly is playing great, they’re rested and they should have tons of energy out of the gate. Play: Philadelphia -½ +1.54 in the first period (Risking 2 units).
EDMONTON +1.02 over Nashville
This is strictly a situational play, as the Oilers have been off since Thursday while the Preds played last night in Vancouver and will play its third game in four nights. It was a good win for them last night, thus they’ll be less of a sense of urgency for this one. The Oilers are slowly returning to health and the reports are that they’ll get another healthy body back tonight in Lubomir Visnovsky and that has to help. One has to figure the Oilers to have a jump in their step tonight with all that time off in the midst of a horrible slump. This is not a bad team in terms of talent and goaltending is a bit of an issue but we’re going with the best of it here in that the Preds have to be fatigued while the young Oilers will be at home and full of energy. Play: Edmonton +1.02 (Risking 2 units).
Matt Fargo
Bradley @ Northern Iowa
PICK: Bradley +13.5
I thought the value was lost on Northern Iowa long ago yet the Panthers just keep on winning and covering. They are going for their 13th consecutive win tonight and seven of their last nine games have been won by double-digits. It doesn’t look as though Bradley will provide much of a challenge at first glance but there are some factors that put us on the Braves and a lot of those are going the contrarian way. Northern Iowa has allowed fewer than 50 points in three of its last four games as the defense has been the cornerstone during this recent run. For the season the Panthers are allowing opponents to shoot just 41.2 percent from the floor but overall, they are just +3.5 percent in shooting variance which is definitely a positive but it is far from overwhelming. On the other side, Bradley has been struggling on the defensive end, allowing as least 81 points in four straight games but it is more of a tempo issue than anything else. The Braves are allowing 43.8 percent shooting from the floor on the season which is far from horrible. Bradley comes into this game with a record of 7-8 and a lot of that is due to the schedule it has played as it has faced the 40th toughest slate in the nation. The Braves biggest win of the season came against Illinois who is 11-5 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten. For the Braves to hand a solid team from that conference a loss is impressive and it shows they are capable of winning big games so getting a line this big is a big benefit. Even with the tougher schedule played, Bradley has a 1.08 assist/turnover ratio compared to 1.04 for the Panthers and that does say a lot. The Braves also fall into a very solid contrarian situation as well. Play against double-digit favorites that have won eight or more consecutive games and possess a winning percentage greater than .800, playing a team with a losing record but with a winning percentage greater than .400. This situation is 47-10 ATS (82.5 percent) over the last five seasons. Including a perfect 4-0 ATS record this season. Northern Iowa has covered nine straight games and that alone is worth the value of the line tonight especially knowing that the Panthers are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine games as a favorite of 13 or more points. 3* Bradley Braves
JR TIPS
Magic at Kings
The Orlando Magic ended their four game losing streak which was their longest in nearly three years with a 113-81 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday to remain atop the Southeast. Orlando shot 52.4 percent and had seven players reach double figures building a 38-point lead against a Hawks team that just beat the Boston Celtics last night on the road and tonight they play their first game of their road trip against Sacramento. J.J. Redick did a solid job of filling in for the injured Vince Carter scoring 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting against the Hawks and is averaging 15.4 points on 43.4 percent shooting in his last five games. Dwight Howard has dominated the Kings averaging 27.3 points and shooting 80.0 percent in four games against them since 2007-08 beating the Kings by an average of 25.0 point. Sacramento is also snapped a losing streak of five games winning 102-100 over Denver. Rookie Tyreke Evans hit a 10-foot jumper with 0.7 seconds left finishing with 27 points and is averaging 26.3 points in his last three games although that was only Sacramento’s second win in nine games. Orlando gained a lot of confidence by blowing out the Hawks this past Saturday which is what they needed before a tough Western Conference road trip. Orlando will be ready to play this game and get off to a good start as they know they have tough games coming up in this road trip against the Nuggets and Lakers. Sacramento has no interior presence to slow down Dwight Howard and every time Howard has faced the Kings, the Magic have won by over 20 points. Once again the Sacramento has no answer for Howard tonight giving the Magic a lot of easy buckets which leads to another easy win.
TAKE ORLANDO -2.5
Bobby Maxwell
Orlando -2' at KINGS
I'm on a 47-20 run with my FREE plays, including 24-6 in the last month, and I've got a comp winner for you tonight when I go to the NBA hardwood with the Magic to wipe out the Kings in Sacramento.
Orlando has crushed the Kings the last three times they’ve met, including last year’s 139-107 victory in Sacramento, cashing as a seven-point road favorite.
The Magic have struggled lately, but ended a four-game losing streak with a 113-81 win over Atlanta on Saturday as a 3 ½-point home favorite.
Sacramento had lost five straight and seven of eight, scored a home win over the Nuggets on Saturday, winning 102-100 and pushing as a two-point favorite. The Kings haven’t played any defense this season, allowing 105.6 points a game.
Orlando gives up 96 points a game and of course have the big threat in the middle in Dwight Howard who can alter shots once the opposition gets in the lane. They are 6-2 ATS in the last eight series clashes.
Sacramento is on several negative ATS runs, including 0-3-1 at home, 6-15-1 on Tuesdays, 16-35 against Southeast Division teams and 1-4 at home against teams with winning road records.
Look for the Magic to deliver a 10-point win in this one. Play Orlando!
4♦ ORLANDO
JIM FEIST
ORLANDO MAGIC / SACRAMENTO KINGS
TAKE: OVER
The long losing streak is over for the Magic, as they trashed Atlanta. But the problem during that cold skid was defense. This is a tough situational spot for Orlando, winning at home over Atlanta but travelling 3,000 miles out to Sacramento for this one. Two of the top 11 teams in the NBA meet, with the young Kings averaging 103.8 ppg -- fourth. But the Kings defense is terrible, allowing 105.6 ppg -- 4th worst. Sacramento has scored and allowed over 100 points in 9 of the last 10 games. Look for an offensive show, play the Magic/Kings Over the total.
LT Profits
Kent State at Miami-Ohio
While we realize that this game is being played in Oxford, we still feel that the wrong team is favored when the Kent State Golden Flashes visit the Miami-Ohio Redhawks.
The Flashes are off to a nice 10-5 start, and they have already proven they can win on the road by going 4-3 in their true road games. Also, two of those three road losses came at Pittsburgh and Xavier, and while they were not expected to compete against those heavyweights, they still came within one point of covering the spread in each game. Those contests helped prepare Kent for the MAC road, and they subsequently won their MAC road opener at Ohio as four-point underdogs.
The Golden Flashes are a fundamentally sound team that protects the ball well on offense and is good at taking the ball away on defense, a combination that will win many games and will overcome playing on the road. A look at the Pomeroy Ratings further proves our point, as Kent Stare only turns the ball over on 17.7 percent of their offensive possessions, ranking 42 in the country, while their defense is forcing turnovers on 24.3 percent of possessions, ranking 27.
The Redhawks are a dismal 3-11 overall while being outscored in their games vs. Division I opponents by an average of -5.5 points per game. While that should already give some trepidation about laying points with this team, consider also that they have not protected their home court well, going just 2-2 in Oxford while getting outscored by -1.0 point per game.
What really sticks out here when we look at the Pomeroy Ratings though is that the Miami defense only forces turnovers on 17.3 percent of possessions, which ranks 323 out of 347 Division I schools. This makes for a terrible matchup vs. a Kent team that protects the ball so well, meaning that the Golden Flashes can crack the 70s here tonight.
That would be fatal to the hopes of the Redhawks winning this game, as they are only averaging 62.6 points per game and do not figure to exceed that figure by much vs. this Golden Flashes defense. Thus, look for Kent State to go to 2-0 in MAC play.
Pick: Kent State +2.5
DUNKEL INDEX
Houston at Charlotte
The Rockets look to build on their 5-2 ATS records in their last 7 games as an underdog between 1 and 4 1/2 points. Houston is the pick (+3) according to Dunkel, which has the Bobcats favored by only 1. Dunkel Pick: Houston (+3)
Game 501-502: Detroit at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 108.155; Washington 117.045
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 8; 191
Vegas Line & Total: Washington by 5; 197
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-5); Under
Game 503-504: Houston at Charlotte
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 117.793; Charlotte 118.235
Dunkel Line & Total: Charlotte by 1; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Charlotte by 3; 190 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+3); Under
Game 505-506: LA Clippers at Memphis
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 120.330; Memphis 124.163
Dunkel Line & Total: Memphis by 4; 205
Vegas Line & Total: Memphis by 5 1/2; 199
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (+5 1/2); Over
Game 507-508: LA Lakers at San Antonio
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 122.518; San Antonio 125.001
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 2 1/2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 509-510: Orlando at Sacramento
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 120.844; Sacramento 116.976
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 4; 207
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
NCAAB
Ohio State at Purdue
The Boilermakers look to take advantage of an Ohio State team that is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games as an underdog. Purdue is the pick (-9) according to Dunkel, which has the Boilermakers favored by 14. Dunkel Pick: Purdue (-9)
Game 511-512: Texas A&M at Kansas State
Dunkel Ratings: Texas A&M 67.362; Kansas State 76.442
Dunkel Line: Kansas State by 9
Vegas Line: Kansas State by 8
Dunkel Pick: Kansas State (-8)
Game 513-514: North Carolina State at Florida State
Dunkel Ratings: North Carolina State 61.768; Florida State 75.577
Dunkel Line: Florida State by 14 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida State by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida State (-8 1/2)
Game 515-516: Kent State at Miami (OH)
Dunkel Ratings: Kent State 57.423; Miami (OH) 57.472
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: Miami (OH) by 2
Dunkel Pick: Kent State (+2)
Game 517-518: Ohio State at Purdue
Dunkel Ratings: Ohio State 66.466; Purdue 80.388
Dunkel Line: Purdue by 14
Vegas Line: Purdue by 9
Dunkel Pick: Purdue (-9)
Game 519-520: VCU at Hofstra
Dunkel Ratings: VCU 60.624; Hofstra 59.626
Dunkel Line: VCU by 1
Vegas Line: VCU by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Hofstra (+1 1/2)
Game 521-522: Wyoming at TCU
Dunkel Ratings: Wyoming 50.233; TCU 59.472
Dunkel Line: TCU by 9
Vegas Line: TCU by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: TCU (-6 1/2)
Game 523-524: Missouri State at Drake
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri State 61.998; Drake 56.150
Dunkel Line: Missouri State by 6
Vegas Line: Missouri State by 5
Dunkel Pick: Missouri State (-5)
Game 525-526: Maryland at Wake Forest
Dunkel Ratings: Maryland 63.526; Wake Forest 71.754
Dunkel Line: Wake Forest by 8
Vegas Line: Wake Forest by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wake Forest (-5 1/2)
Game 527-528: Baylor at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Baylor 69.059; Colorado 61.169
Dunkel Line: Baylor by 8
Vegas Line: Baylor by 5
Dunkel Pick: Baylor (-5)
Game 529-530: Penn State at Illinois
Dunkel Ratings: Penn State 61.446; Illinois 71.576
Dunkel Line: Illinois by 10
Vegas Line: Illinois by 9
Dunkel Pick: Illinois (-9)
Game 531-532: Bradley at Northern Iowa
Dunkel Ratings: Bradley 55.722; Northern Iowa 66.203
Dunkel Line: Northern Iowa by 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Northern Iowa by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Bradley (+13 1/2)
Game 533-534: Kentucky at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Kentucky 74.246; Florida 67.532
Dunkel Line: Kentucky by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Kentucky by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kentucky (-2 1/2)
Game 535-536: Tennessee State at Iowa
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee State 45.452; Iowa 55.368
Dunkel Line: Iowa by 10
Vegas Line: Iowa by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee State (+12 1/2)
NHL
Ottawa at Atlanta
The Thrashers look to take advantage of an Ottawa team that is coming off a 4-1 loss to Carolina and is 2-7 in its last 9 games following a loss by 3 goals or more. Atlanta is the pick (-155) according to Dunkel, which has the Thrashers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-155)
Game 51-52: Carolina at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 10.932; Toronto 11.280
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto (-145); 6
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-145); Under
Game 53-54: Dallas at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 12.014; Philadelphia 11.847
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-180); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+160); Under
Game 55-56: Detroit at NY Islanders
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 11.477; NY Islanders 12.186
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+130); Over
Game 57-58: Ottawa at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 9.921; Atlanta 11.156
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta (-155); 6
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-155); Under
Game 59-60: New Jersey at NY Rangers
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 11.093; NY Rangers 11.756
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-110); 5
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-110); Under
Game 61-62: Washington at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.628; Tampa Bay 12.022
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-170); 6
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+150); Over
Game 63-64: Columbus at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 11.283; St. Louis 10.685
Dunkel Line & Total: Columbus by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Columbus (+125); Under
Game 65-66: San Jose at Phoenix
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.508; Phoenix 12.474
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+100); Under
Game 67-68: Nashville at Edmonton
Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 11.319; Edmonton 11.421
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-115); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (-105); Under
MTi Sports
Orlando Magic at Sacramento Kings
Play: Orlando
The Kings are 0-5 ATS (-12.4 ppg) at home with at least one day of rest off a win in which they trailed by 10+ points and 0-5 ATS (-14.7 ppg) as a dog off a win that broke at least a four-game losing streak. The Magic are 16-0 ATS (+9.2 ppg) on the road after a game at home in which they allowed less than 40% from the field and 10-0 ATS on the road with rest when they Jameer Nelson scored fewer than 10 points in each of their last two games.
VEGAS EXPERTS
Kentucky at Florida
Play: Florida
Unbeatens continue to fall in College Basketball with Kentucky and Texas the only remaining teams in the country without a blemish. The former will try and stay perfect Tuesday night in Gainesville and quite frankly we do not like their chances. They've lost on this floor in each of the last five seasons and this will be just UK's second "true" road game of the season. Florida has already beaten Michigan State this season and it's very rare you can catch them as a home dog (hasn't happened L3 seasons).
Steve Merril
Ohio State vs. Purdue
Play: Ohio State +9.5
Ohio St’s 11-5 record doesn’t look too impressive at all, but the Buckeyes have a valid excuse for it. Their best player, Evan Turner, did not play in three of the five losses. Those three losses came by 8, 21, and 9 points. Turner played in two of the losses, a 3-point loss to North Carolina and Saturday’s 11-point loss at Minnesota. So despite having five losses, the Buckeyes were close in four of them with a shot to win all of them late. Purdue enters tonight off their first loss of the season; a 7-point defeat at Wisconsin on Saturday. The Boilermakers were simply off their game as they only shot 30% (3-10) from three-point land and just 54.2% (13-24) from the free throw line. Those numbers at the free throw line are well below Purdue’s 73.1% seasonal average, and the misses cost them a shot at a win. And after suffering their first loss of the season, the players sometimes come out tight in their next game because they are over thinking and not just out there playing. And that usually allows the underdog to hang around longer in the game. With Turner back in the lineup, Ohio St may be the most talented team in the Big 10 from top to bottom. But the Buckeyes are still learning how to play with one another after they had to learn to play without Turner while he was out. And that has caused this team to go 4-4 over their last 8 games and just 1-7 ATS in those eight games. That, along with this quote from Turner, keeps this selection from being a bit stronger. "I think we're trying to get our mojo back," Turner said. "We haven't played together in like a month. We're just tying to get back together and find the offense we had before."
EZWINNERS
San Antonio Spurs -2
The Spurs are playing pretty well. They are getting healthy and the new players on this years roster are starting to gel with the core of this team. The Lakers are not playing their best basketball right now and they sorely miss the play of injured forward Pau Gasol. The Spurs have done very well against teams that like to play at a fast tempo this season and I look for their success to continue here. The Lakers are only 2-6 against the spread in their last eight road games against a team with a winning home record. Lay the points.
JR O'Donnell
Baylor vs. Colorado
Play: Colorado +5
The public will be riding the 24# ranked Baylor Bears (13-1) to trounce the Buffalos (9-6) tonight and our camp will be on the other side here tonight. Colo has been a dynamite play ON team @ home. #'s like 8-0 at home and winning by 18+ points gives us value in Colorado tonight. The key for us here is a home team catching 5 and shooting the rock at 79% from the f t line. Baylor shoots 65% and that is a killer on the road. The Buffs got trounced at #1 Texas but looking inside that battle they shot 54%. very respectable, Boys the public will be backing the Bears and our camp will line up on the Buffs, Laying points in conference is not a winning prop, Here's another nice stat BAYLOR 1-6 THE LAST 7 AT THE COORS CENTER
Tom Freese
Nashville Predators at Edmonton Oilers
Prediction: Nashville Predators
Simply put Nashville owns Edmonton going 12-2 the last 14 meetings including 6-1 in Edmonton. The Predators are 4-0 when play their fourth game in six nights and they are 7-1 their last 8 games vs. a team with a losing record. Edmonton is are 1-9 their last 10 home games and they are 10-25 their last 35 games overall. Clearly this not the Edmonton teams that was winning Stanley Cups with the 'GREAT ONE'.In fact this team has no shot of making the Playoffs this year. PLAY ON NASHVILLE -