Free Picks: Service Plays for Wednesday December, 5

Jesse SchuleFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Gonzaga vs. Washington St.
Pick: GonzagaFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Gonzaga will play it's first true road game against the Washington State Cougars on Wednesday night, and they come in as double digit favorites. The Cougars will be playing a ranked opponent for the first time since losing to Kansas by a margin of 37 points back on November 19. The Bulldogs average margin of victory so far this year is a whopping 27.8 points.
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The Bulldogs have yet to face a ranked opponent, however they have put together some impressive numbers while going 8-0 to start the season. They lead the nation, shooting 53% from the field, and they rank 5th in scoring, averaging 85 points per contest. Gonzaga poses matchup problems with their enormous front line, led by Kevin Olynyk. The seven footer from Canada is the team's second leading scorer, averaging 12.2 points and seven boards per game. The Bulldog's big men accounted for 64 of their 85 points, in their recent victory over Pacific.
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Gonzaga will play it's first true road game against the Washington State Cougars on Wednesday night, and they come in as double digit favorites. The Cougars will be playing a ranked opponent for the first time since losing to Kansas by a margin of 37 points back on November 19. The Bulldogs average margin of victory so far this year is a whopping 27.8 points. Granted they haven't played great teams, and they have been at home, but it's impressive nonetheless.
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The Cougars are likely to have nightmares with the size of the Bulldogs big men, with a pair of seven footers in Olynyk and Karnowski, and Sam Dower at 6-9, 255. Bulldogs coach Mark Few isn't shy about his attempts to exploit his team's size advantage: "The only way to stop our posts is to foul them," Few said.
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The Bulldogs shouldn't have any trouble covering the double digits here against Washington State.

Art AronsonFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Marshall vs. West Virginia
Pick: West VirginiaFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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I have successfully cashed in on my last two free plays this week, winning with the OVER bet in last night's on the OKC/BKN game.On Monday I won with the OVER in the LAC/UTAH game. Today i am going to college hoops and laying points.
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While it might strange that 2-3 WVU is favoured over a 5-3 Marshall on a neutral court, I agree with the odds makers on this one. However, I could easly see WVU laying even more points here.
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Granted the Mountaineers have struggled as expected to start this season. Bob Huggin's squad has been relying on transfers Juwan Staten and Aaric Murray to help in what looks to a bit of transition year for the Mountaineers basketball program. in their defense, the team has faced some pretty stiff competition in 19th ranked Gonzaga, Davidson and Oklahoma.
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WVU is 1-2 ATS this year and are coming off its best win of the season, a 94-69 trouncing of Virginia Military. The losses to Davidson and Oklahoma were very close games, where the Mountaineers lost by an average of just five points.
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The Herd is 5-3 this year but are a terrible 0-5 ATS. Marshall was favoured by 12 and 15 points in their last two games against Morehead State and UNC-Wilmington, the Herd only won the two games by a combined six points.
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The road doesn't get any easier ahead for the Mountaineers as they will face Virginia and third ranked Michigan next. Look for WVU to really press hard to win this game handily.

Matt FargoFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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North Texas vs. Saint Louis
Pick: North TexasFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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This is a game where we could see an emotional letdown from St. Louis. The Billikens were coming off a loss at Washington last Wednesday and on Saturday prior to their game Sunday at home against Valparaiso, they learned that former head coach Rick Majerus had passed away. They played one of their best games of the season on both ends of the floor in dedication to their former coach. ''Coach dedicated his life to basketball,'' forward Dwayne Evans said. ''I can't think of a better tribute than to get a win.'' St. Louis entered the season in the top 25 but it has lost three games already and there isn't a consistent floe. Part of the reason is that guard Kwamain Mitchell has yet to take the floor this season because of a foot injury that will keep him out until later this month. He was pegged to be the teams leading scorer and is an All-A-10 selection. North Texas has gotten off to a slow start at 3-5 including losses in three straight games. This includes a home loss in its conference opener against La-Lafayette but this is arguably the most talented team in the SBC. There is a new coach in Tom Benford who takes over for Johnny Jones who left for LSU and he got a cupboard that is stocked with enough talent to make a serious run. They are led by forward Tony Mitchell who is putting up great numbers once again after bypassing the NBA and he is a future first round pick. The Mean Green have four players averaging double-figures in scoring but they need to lock down better on defense. A slow start means they need a quality win so they will be up for this game and the points we are getting only help.

Stephen NoverFOR REE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Golden State Warriors vs. Detroit Pistons
Play: Detroit PistonsFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Golden State and Detroit are two teams that have been sailing under-the-radar. The Warriors have won seven of their last 10. The Pistons are 6-5 since opening the season with eight straight defeats. The Pistons have won their last five games at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
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The matchup and situation favor Detroit. So at this price, the Pistons are worthy of a play considering how well they are playing defense and being at home.
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Detroit has become a solid defensive club since getting things turned around. The Pistons are giving up 91.7 points per game during their last 11 matchups on 40.6 percent shooting. Those figures would make the Pistons the top defensive team in the NBA if they were for the entire season and not just the last 11 games. Those numbers are even better during Detroit's last five home games. The Pistons have surrendered just 86.0 points a game during this home span and 38.9 percent shooting from the floor.
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Lawrence Frank deserves some credit here. After experimenting around he's found the right rotation and starting lineup. Aside from Greg Monroe, the Pistons don't have much talent. But Frank has morale straighten out and is getting great effort from his team, especially at home. The Pistons are a revived club. They should bring lots of energy and enthusiasm to this matchup.
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The Warriors have a terrible history in Detroit losing 15 of the last 16 times there, including the past four times. Overall, Detroit has covered seven of the past nine in the series.
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Golden State has improved its defense and rebounding, but the Warriors still are vulnerable inside minus injured Andrew Bogut. The Warriors have been playing over their heads. They could start to fall back. This is their first of a seven-game road trip. Some cracks were showing this past Monday when the Warriors lost 102-94 to Orlando at home. That was a good spot for the Warriors since the Magic were coming off a huge upset of the Lakers.

Bobby Conn
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SO ILLINOIS vs. WESTERN KENTUCKY
PLAY: SO ILLINOIS
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I'll take Southern Illinois tonight. This team won't take Western Kentucky easy after the Hilltoppers came into town last year and won by 7 as 6.5 point underdogs. Both of these teams are off to good starts to the season, but I like how the Salukis have played tough opponents the last two times out. I think they get the cover in this one.

Rob VincilettiFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Timberwolves vs. Celtics
Play: Over 189½FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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This game fits a nice totals system that has cashed 10 of 12 times and plays to the over for road dogs like Minnesota that are a road dog with no rest after scoring 90 or more last night as a road dog of less than 5, vs an opponent like Boston that scored 90 or less as a road dog of 4 or less points. The Celtics have flown over both times vs Northwest Division teams. Minnesota has gone over the total all 4 times as a road dog from 6 to 9 and 6 of 7 this season vs winning teams. Look for this one to fly over the total.

Dave Cokin
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Penn State vs La Salle
Pick: La Salle
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When Tim Frazier went down for the season, he took any hopes Penn State had to have a decent campaign with him. The Nittany Lions simply cannot shoot the basketball, and that makes them less likely to shorten late game deficits when they're behind. That figures to be the case here, so I'll go ahead and lean to La Salle to win and cover.

Jim FeistFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers
Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers
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Chicago just finished up a 4-game home stand and now has to head out on the road. It's the second of a back to back spot for the Bulls, while Cleveland has home court and is rested. The Bulls are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games overall and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on no days rest. The Cavaliers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning record and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Eastern Conference. Play the Cavaliers!

JR O Donnell
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Detroit Pistons +1
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The Nasty Home Dog here going for 6 in a row @ the Palace of Auburn Hills grab our call.... Power Play Rated @ Pistons - 3 here we will gladly play K Singler and crew to hang up #7 @ home.... Play the Home Cooking Pistons + the 1.... #'s are powerful @ Pistons are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NBA Pacific.............. send it in on the Pistons to win a close one... Capped hard to the GSW @ Warriors are 2-7 ATS in the last 9 meetings. Edges here guys on the D end and protecting the rock... Pistons have held opponents to close to 40% shooting during this run... they play the D boys .... We feel that the GSW are a soft 10-7 ball club..... Pistons get after them tonight.

Andrew LangeFOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Colorado St at Colorado
Play: ColoradoFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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I don’t see a lot of difference between these two teams but I do feel that the situation favors the home side. Last time out, Colorado had a two-point halftime lead at Wyoming before falling apart in the second half. The Cowboys are a solid team (see: last night’s win at Illinois State) but everything went their way including some favorable calls and a few bailout threes. Head coach Tad Boyle on his team’s effort against Wyoming: "And we've got five Colorado Buffaloes bending over, standing at the waist trying to get it. He just out scrapped us," Boyle lamented. "That was the epitome of why the Wyoming Cowboys won, and why the Colorado Buffaloes lost." I’ve watched enough of Colorado to know that Boulder is a special venue and I expect their best effort of the season. CSU has done no wrong this season including a road win at Washington. Like Wyoming, this is a tough team that isn't going to be completely overwhelmed by the venue. The key to this game could come down to rebounding. Colorado State has been amazing on the glass and Colorado will need to avoid giving up second chances. In the end, we have the home side off a road loss returning home for a revenge spot (CSU won by 1 in Fort Collins; Colorado shot 13-of-29 from the free throw line). I’ll end up splitting the game with a half unit on the first half and a half unit on the game.

Rob VenoFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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San Jose St at UC Davis
Play: UC DavisFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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We alerted the listening audience to the improvement of UC Davis during last Wednesday’s Sportsmemo podcast. Later that night, they went into the Lawlor Events Center as +11.5 point underdogs and easily covered in their 84-83 near upset of Nevada. Three days later they opened as 9.5-point underdogs at Idaho and were pounded by the betting market down to +6.5 and finally closed at +8.5. The result was a ticket cashing for almost all of their backers as the Aggies came within seven, 73-66. The 1-4 SU record and 4-1 ATS mark are a clear indication that UC Davis has been undervalued in the early going. The team’s -1.6 point differential after five games also signals value.
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The reasons for the swift change from last season’s debacle to the eye opening start of this campaign are multiple. For starters, the team has a much better grasp of second year head coach Jim Les’ system. Secondly, the team went through a depletion of the roster last year where all of their core senior leadership departed and left them with little to no game experience. They are now playing far more like a veteran squad. The presence of Arizona transfer Corey Hawkins (son of ex- Bradley and NBA shooting great Hersey Hawkins). After sitting out last season, the 6-3 sophomore has given the squad a go-to player and he currently leads UCD with 21.7 points per game. Their smallish four guard lineup has found stability with seniors Ryan Sypkens (17.4 ppg), Ryan Howley (11.2 rpg) and PG Paolo Mancasola (24 assists, 10 turnovers last 4 games).
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Tonight they face a near carbon copy of themselves philosophy wise as San Jose State (75.1 possessions per game) loves to push the pace as much as Davis (74.4). However, prefer the sharing multi-pronged home squad which has six players who have between 25-72 shot attempts while SJSU top gun James Kinney has more than twice as many as the next player (117-55). UC Davis is hitting 55% of their two-point field goals (16th in the nation) and 48.6% overall which are extremely strong numbers. In total, they rank in the top 20 nationally in five offensive shooting efficiency categories. Each team has played about the same strength of schedule and they covered against their toughest opponent but I’m going to side with the rapidly improving UC-Davis side which should make the home floor work tonight.

SPORTS WAGERS
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ATLANTA -2 over DenverFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Hawks are plenty rested after being off since Friday and should come out with plenty of energy after losing previous home game to the Cavaliers. Reports suggest the players are still stewing over that one. Prior to that, the Hawks had won six straight games. A healthy Al Horford is giving Atlanta 16 points and 10 rebounds a night while serving as the team's emotional and defensive anchor. The Hawks lead the NBA in points allowed per possession after finishing sixth last year. They’ve also owned this visitor in this building with 18 wins in the last 21 games here.
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Denver started the season underachieving and things are not getting better, especially on the road, where they have just four wins in 12 tries. More noteworthy is that the Nuggets are 1-7 on the road when allowing 100 points or more. Atlanta has scored 100 or more in five of its past seven and could easily surpass that number tonight. With games this weekend in Indiana and New York and coming off a win at home, this is exactly the kind of spot the Nuggets have looked so ordinary in all season and that’s to be expected again here.
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Milwaukee +9 over SAN ANTONIOFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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In terms of situational betting, this is about as good a spot to fade the Spurs as any you’ll find. San Antonio returned home from a six-game trip, capped off by the notorious Miami game, to play Memphis. They trailed by 13 in the fourth quarter to the Grizz before rallying to send it into OT and subsequently winning by four. This is the second game back after trip and it’s sandwiched between Miami, Memphis and in-state rival Houston, who they have on deck.
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The Bucks’ stock has sunk to a season low with six losses in eight games, capped off by a blowout loss in New Orleans on Monday. The Bucks are a decent 4-4 on the road and they’re also 2-0 against the spread when taking back 7½ or more this season. Milwaukee catches the Spurs at an opportune time. With an abundance of points to play with in a letdown spot, the underdog gets the nod.
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Marshall +5 over WEST VIRGINIAFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Mountaineers are the newest member of the Big-12 and this West Virgnia squad is much different than last season's team that went 19-14. It has a couple of A-10 transfers in Aaric Murray and Juwan Staten to go along with Boston College transfer, Matt Humphrey. Deniz Kilicli is the team's top returning scorer with just over 10 pts. per game. WVU is still a work in progress that really hasn’t had time to gel and it is showing. The Mountaineers’ two wins have come against Virginia Military Academy and Davidson.
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Marshall comes in with a 5-3 record, they’ve won three straight and they’ve played three more games than the Mountaineers. Early in the year, the extra work is an advantage. They’ve also won 20 or more games in three straight years and could easily top that mark again this season. The Herd is an outstanding rebounding club, attacking with aggression and now rank 16th in the country with 42 boards a game. Marshall has strong guard, more experience and will be completely fired up for this annual showdown. Getting points only adds to its appeal. Upset alert.

WunderdogFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Buffalo at Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Pick: Buffalo +5.5FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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These teams are not out of the gate the way they had hoped. Buffalo enters this contest at 2-7, while Wisconsin-Milwaukee comes in at a disappointing 2-5. The Bulls have been beating themselves as they have failed to take care of the ball. Buffalo has turned the ball over an average of 17 times per contest, often leading to their demise. They should be helped by the fact that the Panthers are not a stellar defensive team by any stretch, and average only 5 steals a game. The Bulls have shot the ball well enough, and I think they will do a better job against a lackluster Wisc.-Milw. team on the defensive end. The Bulls have had success vs. the Horizon Conference where they have posted a 9-3 ATS mark in their last 12. Play on Buffalo.

Jack JonesFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Boston Celtics -5.5FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Boston Celtics get Rajon Rondo back from his two-game suspension tonight as they look to bounce back from a loss last time out. They last played on Saturday, December 1st in an 88-91 loss at Milwaukee. They have had plenty of time to rest while also preparing for the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.
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"It was difficult," Rondo told the team's official website. "I love being around the guys. I love coming into practice and being around the team and playing, but I had to miss that for a couple of days.
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"We've got to get this show on the road. We've got to have a great December. I mean, I want to get better. I want to run off about eight or nine games straight."
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Trying to start a run like that against the Timberwolves seems to be ideal since Boston has won 10 straight meetings while holding them to an average of 91.6 points and 42.1 percent shooting. The Celtics are averaging 106.8 points while winning six in a row at home over Minnesota dating to a loss on March 6, 2005.
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While the Celtics come in well-rested and ready to go, the Timberwolves will be playing the second of a back-to-back after winning at Philadelphia last night. Playing on zero rest is extra tough for a Minnesota team that is without four key players in Andre Kirilenko (back), Brandon Roy (knee), Ricky Rubio (knee) and Chase Budinger (knee).
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The Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. loss. Boston is 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. Minnesota is 3-13 ATS after covering 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread over the last 2 seasons. Bet the Celtics Wednesday.