Free Picks: Service Plays for Tuesday March, 6

Pennsylvania at Princeton
The Quakers are coming off a 68-47 win over Yale and look to build on their 4-1 ATS record in their last 5 games after allowing 50 points or less in their previous game. Pennsylvania is the pick (+4) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by only 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Pennsylvania (+4)

Game 563-564: Pennsylvania at Princeton (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pennsylvania 58.043; Princeton 59.407
Dunkel Line: Princeton by 1 1/2; 122
Vegas Line: Princeton by 4; 119 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pennsylvania (+4); Over

Game 565-566: DePaul vs. Connecticut (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: DePaul 56.045; Connecticut 67.162
Dunkel Line: Connecticut by 11; 142
Vegas Line: Connecticut by 8 1/2; 145
Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (-8 1/2); Under

Game 567-568: Pittsburgh vs. St. John's (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 61.008; St. John's 57.219
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 4; 137
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 5 1/2; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick St. John's (+5 1/2); Over

Game 569-570: Providence vs. Seton Hall (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Providence 60.924; Seton Hall 67.205
Dunkel Line: Seton Hall by 7; 135
Vegas Line: Seton Hall by 5 1/2; 137 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seton Hall (-5 1/2); Under

Game 571-572: Villanova vs. Rutgers (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Villanova 61.240; Rutgers 60.765
Dunkel Line: Villanova by 1; 133
Vegas Line: Villanova by 2; 136 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Rutgers (+2); Under

Game 573-574: Charlotte at St. Joseph's (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 53.081; St. Joseph's 67.659
Dunkel Line: St. Joseph's by 14 1/2; 142
Vegas Line: St. Joseph's by 9; 137
Dunkel Pick: St. Joseph's (-9); Over

Game 575-576: Duquesne at Massachusetts (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Duquesne 56.681; Massachusetts 58.505
Dunkel Line: Massachusetts by 2; 145
Vegas Line: Massachusetts by 5 1/2; 150 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Duquesne (+5 1/2); Under

Game 577-578: George Washington at Dayton (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: George Washington 54.280; Dayton 66.887
Dunkel Line: Dayton by 12 1/2; 137
Vegas Line: Dayton by 9 1/2; 132 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dayton (-9 1/2); Over

Game 579-580: Richmond at LaSalle (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Richmond 60.514; LaSalle 64.800
Dunkel Line: LaSalle by 4 1/2; 139
Vegas Line: LaSalle by 6; 135
Dunkel Pick: Richmond (+6); Over

Game 581-582: Detroit at Valparaiso (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 59.621; Valparaiso 66.352
Dunkel Line: Valparaiso by 6 1/2; 134
Vegas Line: Valparaiso by 2 1/2; 138
Dunkel Pick: Valparaiso (-2 1/2); Under

Game 585-586: Portland State vs. Weber State (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland State 50.804; Weber State 58.299
Dunkel Line: Weber State by 7 1/2; 146
Vegas Line: Weber State by 5 1/2; 150 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Weber State (-5 1/2); Under

Game 587-588: Eastern Washington at Montana (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Washington 48.629; Montana 56.534
Dunkel Line: Montana by 8; 137
Vegas Line: Montana by 11; 133 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Eastern Washington (+11); Over

Game 589-590: Morgan State vs. Hampton (11:00 a.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Morgan State 44.560; Hampton 44.276
Dunkel Line: Even; 128
Vegas Line: Morgan State by 2 1/2; 131 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Hampton (+2 1/2); Under

Game 591-592: Howard vs. North Carolina A&T (1:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Howard 37.747; North Carolina A&T 43.856
Dunkel Line: North Carolina A&T by 6; 137
Vegas Line: North Carolina A&T by 4; 133
Dunkel Pick: North Carolina A&T (-4); Over

Game 593-594: MD-Eastern Shore vs. North Carolina Central (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: MD-Eastern Shore 36.231; North Carolina Central 49.834
Dunkel Line: North Carolina Central by 13 1/2; 122
Vegas Line: North Carolina Central by 10 1/2; 126 1/2
Dunkel Pick: North Carolina Central (-10 1/2); Under

Game 595-596: South Carolina State vs. Bethune-Cookman (6:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Carolina State 35.272; Bethune-Cookman 44.019
Dunkel Line: Bethune-Cookman by 8 1/2; 144
Vegas Line: Bethune-Cookman by 10 1/2; 140
Dunkel Pick: South Carolina State (+10 1/2); Over

Game 597-598: Florida A&M vs. Coppin State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida A&M 38.354; Coppin State 42.292
Dunkel Line: Coppin State by 4; 152
Vegas Line: Coppin State by 8; 156 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida A&M (+8); Under

Game 599-600: Western Illinois vs. South Dakota State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Western Illinois 53.078; South Dakota State 67.626
Dunkel Line: South Dakota State by 14 1/2; 125
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Marc Lawrence

Pennsylvania at Princeton
Prediction: Princeton

The 2nd and 3rd best teams in the Ivy League meet when Princeton hosts Penn in a crucial showdown at Jadwin Gym Tuesday evening . The need to win is huge for the visiting Quakers who would notch their 20th victory of the season and guarantee a playoff with Harvard for the right to an invite into the upcoming NCAA tournament. On the other side of the coin, the Tigers need two more wins - here tonight and in a postseason game - to record a 20-win season as well. Revenge from a 15-point loss suffered earlier this year in Philadelphia finds Princeton looking to improve on its 6-0 ATS mark the last four years when looking to avenge a same season defeat. Meanwhile, both teams are riding hot streaks with Penn entering on a seven-game win run while the TIgers are 6-1 SU and 7-0 ATS in their last seven contests. With the pressure squarely on the Quakers and Princeton 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS as an Ivy League host this season, look for Penn to fall is 1-6 straight up in this series here tonight. We recommend a 1-unit play on Princeton.

Scott Spreitzer

Providence at Seton Hall
Prediction: Providence

Seton Hall has dug themselves a hole and they're no longer clinging to an at-large berth in all likelihood. The Pirates have dropped two straight and three of four. They have struggled on the offensive end more often than not over the past 11 games, scoring an average of just 61.5 ppg. Take away a "bust-out" 94 point performance against St. John's and that average dips to 58.3 ppg over their last 10. Hard to believe with the triumvirate of Jordan Theodore, Herb Pope, and Fuquan Edwin all wearing Seton Hall colors. But the three do have a tendency to get into foul trouble, not to mention they have been known to lose focus for key stretches of games. The Friars have been a tad under-valued, covering three in a row and seven of their last 10. They held Seton Hall to 34.3% shooting in this season's lone meeting, but couldn't overcome a big disadvantage from behind the arc, losing 66-57. They held the "big 3" to 17 of 46, 37% shooting and I expect more of the same in this one. The Pirates have dropped nine of their last 13 games and I believe they're going to be in a serious fight tonight. I'm grabbing the points with Providence on Tuesday night.

Rob Vinciletti

Pennsylvania vs. Princeton
Play: Princeton -3.5

Princeton has covered 8 of 10 vs winning teams and are a solid 7-0 at home when the total is 120 to 130. They have won and covered all 4 times as a home favorite from -3.5 to -6 and 13 of 17 vs an opponent who allows 64 or less. They are also a super 9-1 with road loss revenge. Penn has lost 8 of 11 on Tuesday nights and 4 of the last 5 in the series. Look for Princeton to get some revenge here tonight.

Matt Fargo

Providence @ Seton Hall
PICK: Seton Hall -5.5

It has been a roller coaster of a season for Seton Hall and now it is down to its last stand. The Pirates were ranked at one point after starting the year with a 15-2 record and an NCAA Tournament berth was almost assured but then the implosion took place as they lost six straight games including a couple blowout losses. Seton Hall responded with four wins in its next five games but it ended the season with bad losses against Rutgers and DePaul, which most likely punched their ticket to the NIT.

Providence started the season pretty strong as well as it opened 11-2 in non-conference action but we knew it would not last as the schedule was filled with cupcakes and this young team could not survive the rugged Big East. Sure enough, the Friars lost their first four conference games and all pretty badly before an upset at Louisville in early January. Providence would go on to win only three more games with the last two coming by only a combined four points.

Seton Hall seniors Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope have been the foundation of the team all season, and neither is playing at their best right now. If there’s a rebound and a magical run in New York, those are the guys who will have to carry the Pirates and we have seen in the past, they are more than capable. While the last two games have been nightmares, there is still the possibility of the Pirates crashing the Big Dance but they need to go a long way here with some major upsets.

Seton Hall won the first meeting by nine points in Providence and they did so by getting outshot by close to nine percent from the floor. The Pirates got by with good perimeter defense, strong rebounding and a lack of turnovers. They have struggled in these departments recently but if those three are working, the Friars cannot win as it goes against their weaknesses. Seton Hall has covered five of its last seven games while Providence is 8-18 ATS in its last 26 games following a loss.

Dave Cokin

Western Kentucky vs North Texas
Pick: Western Kentucky

Talk about a major roll. Ever since Western Kentucky changed coaches, they've shown more energy and now that Ray Harper has the full time job, the Hilltoppers are on fire. I like their chances of keeping it going tonight as they face North Texas with an NCAA invite for the winner. Western Kentucky is the choice.

Jim Feist

Villanova vs Rutgers
Pick: Over

Villanova had a lot of things go wrong this season, but offense was not one of them, averaging 71.6 ppg -- 5th best in the rugged Big East. The uptempo style is why they are tops in the conference in rebounding and they are tops in free throw shooting. It's the defense that's the problem, second worst in the conference in points allowed. The over is 20-6 in the Wildcats last 26 overall. They take on a Rutgers team that is on a 5-1 run over the total. And what happens when these teams meet? The over is 11-1 in the last 12 meetings! Play Villanova/Rutgers over the total.

Free NBA release for 3/6: Detroit Pistons +5.5 over the LA Lakers. Let's get this straight: 94% of the betting public is placing their money on one of the worst money teams of all-time (LA Lakers), to fly across the country after a physically and emotionally draining game with the Miami Heat, to not only beat but cover against a team that is 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 home games (Detroit Pistons). We'd have to say the value is in Detroit tonight. First of all, the Lakers may be 17-2 at the Staples Center, but they're still just 6-12 on the road. In comparing LAs road vs Detroits home statistics, the Pistons home stats are outperforming the Lakers road stats in overall scoring, shooting %, 3-point shooting, assists, and overall defense. Detroit is 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 home games playing the dog role, including 3-0-1 ATS when catching 5.0-10.5 at home. LA is just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games, and 0-4 in their last 4 road games as a favorite. LA has owned this series for some time now, but this isn't the same Lakers team this year. What we'll most likely see is an unmotivated Lakers club facing a highly motivated young Pistons club instead. 94%??? No wonder why the book business is booming! We'll place a unit on the home dog here, Detroit +5.5. Our free plays are 172-93-1 (65%) all-time. Sign up today at iseewinners.com to receive the best free basketball picks on the internet via email. Thank you, and best of luck tonight.

Jeff Scott Sports

4 UNIT PLAY

POWER ANGLE PLAY

Eastern Washington/ Montana Over 133.5: The Grizzlies do not get involved in many high scoring games because of their tough defensive play, but i feel that the Eagles have more than enough offense to crack that defense. Eastern Washington comes in averaging 72.9 ppg over and 76 ppg in their last 5 games, plus in conference play they have averaged 73.2 ppg. The Eagles are not a great shooting team overall (41 %), burt they are 96th in the country in draining the three (36%) and they are also solid from the FT line (70.6%), so this team does have a way to manufacture points. Oh and by the way the Eagles are also 23rd in the nation in shots per game (59.6). Boy do they love to run and that has also led to them giving up a bunch of points as well. Overall the Eagles are 277th in points allowed (71.3 ppg), 251st in FG% defense (44.70 and 300th in 3-point defense (37%), while on the road they have allowed 74.2 ppg on 46.4% shooting. The Grizzlies should really be able to put some points on the board vs this team as they are 122nd in scoring (70.0 ppg), 53rd in shooting (46.3%) and 62nd from long range (36.9%), while at home they have put up 71.9 ppg on 47.9% shooting overall and 38% from long range. This is a very good long range team and should get plenty of points from beyond the arc vs this bad Eagles perimeter defense. The Grizzlies do play great defense, but I have to believe that in the pace that will be played tonight the Eagles should be able to hit at least 63 points, while the Grizzlies should be good for no less than 71 points. Still, i will call for this one to be played in the 140's. POWER ANGLE FOR THIS PLAY--- Play Over in all games where the total is between 130 and 139.5 points and a poor shooting team (E. WASHINGTON)- shooting <=42% on the season vs an opponents that has allowed a shooting pct. of 37% or less for 3 straight games. This play is 35-12 since 1997.

2 UNIT PLAY

Pittsburgh/ St John's Over 134.5: Despite the fact that Pitt plays a lot of low scoring games they are still 119th in the nation in shots per game (55.8), while St Johns is 111th (56th), so both teams are not exactly slow down teams. I feel this will be a wide open game. Pitt hasn't scored a ton this year by the Redmen allow over 70 ppg and 68.6 ppg in their last 5 games overall. Pitt has been much weaker on defense this year as they have allowed 66.5 ppg overall and 66.9 ppg when they take to the road. This should also be a close game and that will bring thoise late FT's into the mix as well. Im looking at a game in the 140's here.

Steve Janus

St Joseph's -9

A lot of people are going to look and see that Charlotte went on the road and beat St. Joseph's 57-52 back on Jan. 7 as a 9.5-point underdog and instantly side with the 49ers again in this one. I'm not buying into that.

St Joseph's finished the year 11-3 at home which is a very good sign that the first game was a bit of a fluke. I guarantee the Hawks' players haven't forgot about losing to Charlotte. Look for St Joseph's to come extremely motivated and focused on making sure they take Charlotte seriously.

Not only have the Hawks been a good home team straight up, but they are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games as a home favorite and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

This play becomes even stronger with St Joseph's loss straight up and ATS at St Bonaventure in their last game. The Hawks are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games following a S.U. loss and 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS loss.

Craig Trapp

Providence vs. Seton Hall
Play: Over 136½

Both teams total averages are much lower than you would expect, Big East conference had some great defenses this year but neither of these will be confused with those. Both teams need to play up tempo to win and add the tournament desperation and think we have remedy for easy over.

Vegas Experts

Houston Rockets at Boston Celtics
Play: Boston Celtics

These two teams are going in very different directions right now with the Celtics on a four-game losing skid and Houston 0-3 SU/ATS last 3. Despite this, Boston is just 2-7 ATS last nine and this had led tonight's line to be lower than it should be considering Houston has been outscored by an average of 13.3 pts per game its last three road games. The Celtics allow an average of just 85 PPG here at home and have scored over 100 points each of their last three contests.

Ben Burns

Hurricanes @ Capitals
PICK: Under 5.5

These teams have faced each other three times in 2012. All three meetings have produced five or fewer combined goals. They've averaged less than four. With the Capitals having scored exactly ZERO goals their last two games, this one figures to also be low-scoring.

Off a second straight shutout loss, note that the "under" is now 27-13-2 the past few seasons, when the Caps had scored one goal or less in their previous game.

During that stretch, note that the "under" is also a healthy 33-22 when the Caps have played a home game with an O/U line of 5.5.

The Hurricanes are off a 4-3 OT loss last time out. However, four of their last six games have still finished with five or fewer combined goals. Consider the Under.

Mitch Wilson

U.Mass - 5 vs. Duquesne

Duquesne has owned this series including a pummeling of UMass by 11 back in January in their one meeting this season but it's tourney time and the home crowd and some emotion do come into play. Duquesne has lost four of their last five and UMass slumped towards the end of the year but most of those losses were on the road.

Dayton -9.5 vs. George Washington

Laying this kind of number in tourney play isn't usually a great startegyt but these two teams just met literally 3 days ago in the same areana and Dayton DRILLED G-Dub by 16. GW has been a punching bag all season and they get punched around again here.

Pittsburgh -5 vs, St. Johns

These two teams have been lousy this year and while St. John's always seems to benefit from the home crowd in the Big East TOurney there hasn't been anything that has helped this team this year. To make it worse for the Johnnies they draw a day game and they would have seen a lot more help in ht enight session. Pittsburgh has good numbers and bad results but I wouldn't be overly shocked if they made some noise in this thing.

Providence-Seton Hall OVER 136

Combined these teams on average don't put up these kind of numbers but if you just look at their games against the lower half of the Big East, where both of these guys are in the big picture, then the scores are much higher with both regularly in the 70-90 range. Neither of them have to worry about the Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, Notre Dame, etc. defenses here, just the sieve on the other side of the court.

Villanova -1.5 Vs. Rutgers

These two teams split their season series with the home team winning each one but they also just played five days ago and the game, outcome, and cover were never in doubt as Villanova outright dominated. This one may be tighter but Villanova looked like a real team against Rutgers for maybe the first time all year, a sign of things to come here.