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Washington Wizards +1FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Atlanta fell below the .500 mark heading into the All-Star break and dropped their first game last night against the Eastern Conference leading Indiana Pacers. The injury to starting center Al Horford who was lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle wasn't felt right away, but the Hawks are feeling the loss now. The Hawks are not shooting the ball well from long-range like they were earlier in the season and Paul Millsap is the only player on the Atlanta roster that can provide any type of inside scoring presence. The Hawks were blown out in back-to-back road games last week and have lost six in a row straight up and are 0-5-1 against the spread in those games. The Hawks have scored more than 85 points just twice in that span. The Wizards are coming off of a loss last night as well, but Washington wants to hang on to a playoff spot and the Wizards have actually played pretty well on the road this season and I look for that to continue against this fading Atlanta team. Play on Washington.
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Chicago vs. TorontoFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Play: Chicago +3FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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This play features the 27-25 Bulls at the 29-24 Raptors. Raptors are the slightly better team but they played last night and the Bulls are fresh off the All-Star break. Also we have a revenge factor in play tonight as the Raptors won in Chicago 85-79 earlier this season. Bull and Raptors have both won 3 straight. I gave out the Bulls on my radio show Monday and not much has changed.
Carlos Salazar
Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks
Play: Washington Wizards +1
The Wizards step up on Wednesday night and get the 2nd-half of the season off to a huge start with a victory in Atlanta. Look for Wall and Beal to lead the Wizards to a 10 point road win.
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CREIGHTON AT MARQUETTEFREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
PLAY: MARQUETTE +3FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Must win does not necessarily translate into will win. Bettors frequently fall into the trap of firing on a team that needs to win a particular game and end up disappointed when the results don’t pan out.
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But there are definitely scenarios where going with the must win entry produces profits and I can see that being the case tonight. Creighton is visiting Marquette in a Big East showdown, and I believe there’s a pretty decent case to be made for the Golden Eagles.
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There’s no doubt as to the better team here. It’s Creighton, and they left little doubt as to that fact in the first meeting with Marquette. The Bluejays dominated for the full 40 minutes en route to a very easy win.
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But I see this as a potential flat spot for the road favorite. Creighton is off a huge blowout win over Villanova. That victory put the Bluejays back into first place in the Big East, and having swept the Wildcats, Creighton is now in great shape to win the league. They could relax a bit mentally tonight, and that’s when life on the road can get very tough for even the best teams.
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I consider this a must win for Marquette. The Golden Eagles are presently in okay shape overall at 15-10 with a winning record in league play. But they’re skating on thin ice, with not a single signature win on their resume. This team definitely needs to knock off a ranked opponent if they want to cement that NCAA invite.
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Marquette is playing its best basketball of the season right now. They’re off three straight wins, and I really like the fact they’re upped their percentage on three-balls in this mini-run. The recent improvement for Marquette is a key, as this is a team that has been a very strong closer for the most part since Buzz Williams assumed the coaching reigns.
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I’m looking at tonight’s clash as the biggest game Marquette has played all season. It’s not anywhere close to that for Creighton, so the situation becomes the great equalizer to me. I’m expecting a dynamite duel tonight between these two teams, and I’m siding with Marquette plus the points to come through.
Scott Spreitzer
UCLA vs. California
Play: California -2
While all the talk in the Pac-12 has been about Arizona and UCLA, we should note that Cal is just one game behind the Bruins for second place in the conference. Tonight, they'll aim for their 4th straight home win over UCLA. The Bears will look to atone for their last home game, a loss to rival Stanford. That contest was Cal's first following their win over then #1-ranked Arizona and they definitely looked flat and sluggish. Cal's home stats are impressive nonetheless. They have held their 13 "guests" to an average of 62.7 ppg on 37% shooting. Cal is a much better rebounding team at home than UCLA is on the road and the Golden Bears average 16.8 apg with a fantastic 1.78 assist-to-turnover ratio. UCLA heads into this one averaging just 1.2 ppg more than they allow on the road where they have made just 40.5% of their FGA. And finally, Cal is on a 7-2 ATS run in this series, including a 4-0 ATS run at home. I'm recommending a play on Cal on Wednesday night.
Doug Upstone
Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks
Play: Atlanta Hawks -1
On Wednesday, Play Against all teams when the line is +3 to -3, revenging a loss and coming off a road defeat in their last game. This free play seems pretty clear, the motivation is in place and the opposing team is coming in with a negative frame of mind. This season, this situation is 18-4 ATS, 81.8 percent and Atlanta and Portland both apply tonight.
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Delaware vs HofstraFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: Hofstra +4.5FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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The Delaware Blue Hens are coming off of their first CAA loss of the season where they were trounced at Towson 78-63, still leaving them at 19-8 overall and at 11-1 with a two-game lead over Towson atop the conference. However, they are still without their stat-filler Jarvis Threatt and his 17.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game for the rest of this month while he serves his suspension, as well as their also suspended sixth man Marvin King-Davis for that same span. The Hofstra Pride are 8-19 overall, but they have been competitive as evidenced by their fine 12-8-2 ATS record, which does not vary much from Delaware’s 12-7 ATS mark. The Pride also hung tough while covering in a seven-point loss at Delaware the first time these teams met. Hofstra is 11-4-1 ATS in its last 16 conference games.
Tony George
Cincinnati -6.5
Could be a look past spot here but Central Florida is a bad team, 1-9 SU their last 10 games and their offense struggles against good teams. UCF scored 55 against U Conn, 51 the last time they played Cincy in a blowout loss on the road, and they managed 46 against SMU. The Knights are scoring just 69 ppg and allowing 78 ppg on defense in their last 5.
Cincy has a few issues to work out as their 3 point percentage is an issue but this is clearly a team they can beat up on the road, and in this climate of road wins in any conference never coming easy, most all coaches will amp their players up for beatable road teams and put up some points on them. Out of 17 games Central Florida has managed just 5 point spread covers this season. Cincy's defense allowing just 57 ppg on the season which is very tough, will have a struggling offense back on their heels here and should be the difference in the game.
Teddy Covers
New York at New Orleans
Play: New York +3.5
The Knicks showed heart and fight last night, rallying from 18 points down to take a fourth quarter lead before allowing the Grizzlies to score the final seven points of the game. Memphis got the win, Knicks backers got the money.
Tonight, the Knicks take a major step down in class as they travel to lottery bound New Orleans. They got the rust off last night, in sharp contrast to the Pelicans, who haven’t played in a week. New York has dominated this series despite their long-term struggles; 9-2 ATS in the last eleven meetings including five consecutive wins on this floor in New Orleans. This is one road venue where the Knicks enjoy a level of confidence.
We’re getting an attractive pointspread to support the Knicks tonight, in large part because the Pelicans had a solid stretch of basketball heading into the break; 8-5 in their last 13 ballgames. Much of that success was schedule related, taking advantage of a relatively weak slate of opponents, including the Bucks, Cavs, Pistons and Magic. At 7.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the West, there’s no sense of urgency for the home favorite here.
It’s ‘circle the wagons’ time for the Knicks, who fell behind Cleveland last night; now sitting in the #11 spot in the East, 3.5 games behind Charlotte for that last playoff spot. Unlike the Pelicans, New York got healthier over the break; with JR Smith and Iman Shumpert both returning to the lineup last night. Look for that added depth to help New York keep this one close tonight.
Dave Price
Chicago Bulls +3
The Bulls fit neatly into a pair of very lucrative systems. You want to back February road teams off two or more consecutive home wins as doing so has produced a 53-28 ATS (65.4%) result the last five seasons. You also want to back teams when the line is +3 to -3 that are seeking revenge for an upset loss at home, provided they are playing three games or less in 10 days. Doing so has produced a 39-15 ATS (72.2%) mark since 1996. Chicago will be the fresher side having had last night off. It will also be the hungrier side as it looks to avenge two straight losses to the Raptors. The road team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings, and the underdog is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings. Take the points.
Patrick Webb
Boston College vs. Syracuse
Play: Under 132
Given the pace that these two teams play in conference play, Syracuse's offensive 5 game trend and the previous meeting at Boston College this is a near lock. BC is extremely reliant on three point shooting- getting nearly 40% of their points from beyond the arc. BC scored only 59 points at home versus Syracuse despite hitting 9-21 from three, a number they are unlikely to reproduce given Syracuse's defensive three point percentage at 33.8%. Boston College committed 16 turnovers at home vs. Syracuse and managed only 6 offensive boards on 17 missed shots. BC actually shot 50% from the field but managed only 34 attempts from the field. BC did well at getting to the foul line but hit only 16 of 26 attempts and will likely not get 26 attempts at Syracuse.
Syracuse has struggled offensively over the last 5 games posting totals of 91, 61, 56, 58 and 57 points. The 91 points was an OT thriller vs. Duke and seems to be an extreme outlier as Syracuse has scored 67 or less in the other 9 games of their last 10. BC would prefer to play at a faster pace, but can't afford to turn the ball over at a similar rate as the last meeting. The Under is 5-1 in Syracuse's last 6 games thanks in part to their stifling defense, slow pace and struggles from the field.
TJ Pemberton
New York Knicks vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Play: New York Knicks +3½
The Knicks have played New Orleans well and this is a spot they can find themselves back in the winning column. The Knicks are also Knicks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. NBA Southwest. The Knicks are Knicks are 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings in New Orleans & are 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings. Th road team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings & the underdog is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
Jack Jones
Utah Jazz +4
Quietly, the Utah Jazz (19-33) have been playing their best basketball of the season heading into the All-Star Break. I look for them to continue their stellar play recently as they return from the break and host the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night.
Utah has won three straight games coming in, which included a 94-89 home victory over the defending champion Miami Heat to really prove what it is capable of. The Jazz have gone a respectable 12-14 at home this season as Salt Lake City continues to be one of the toughest places to play in the league.
Brooklyn is just 8-16 on the road this season. The Jazz have won four of their last five meetings with the Nets. Dating back further, Utah is 8-2 SU & 8-2 ATS in its last 10 meetings with Brooklyn since 2008. It's clear that this has been a one-sided series.
Plays on home underdogs (UTAH) - extremely well rested team - playing 5 or less games in 14 days, with a losing record are 45-18 (71.4%) ATS over the last five seasons. The Nets are 16-33-1 ATS in their last 50 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. Utah is 34-19 ATS in its last 53 home games following an ATS loss. Bet the Jazz Wednesday.
Steve Rosen
Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Play: Cleveland Cavaliers -6
Lets break another free winner down! Magic are horrible. They just played last night and lost to the Bucks! They played Cleveland already twice this season and lost both games SU and ATS. Cleveland on the other hand keeps building more and more momentum and now come home after dominating the Sixers 114-85! Not only that, but they have won SU and ATS their last 5 games! Cleveland will win this by at least 8, i predict by 10-11 points!
Jeff Alexander
Marquette +3
This is a letdown spot for Creighton following a big 21-point win over Villanova. Playing against favorites off a blowout win of 20 points or more over a conference opponent has resulted in a 37-15 ATS record the last 5 seasons if they have a win percentage of 80% or higher and are playing a team with a 51-60% win rate. Creighton crushed Marquette 67-49 in the conference opener for both teams, but the Golden Eagles are greatly improved since that meeting, have been very tough at home all season and will be extremely motivated by that loss. Marquette is on an outstanding 30-16 ATS run in home games when the line is +3 to -3. Bet Marquette.