Free Picks: Service Plays for Wednesday February, 8

NCAAB

Duke at North Carolina
The Blue Devils look to take advantage of a North Carolina team that is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games against ACC opponents. Duke is the pick (+6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Tar Heels favored by only 4. Dunkel Pick: Duke (+6 1/2)

Game 523-524: George Washington at Temple (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: George Washington 53.134; Temple 71.776
Dunkel Line: Temple by 18 1/2; 138
Vegas Line: Temple by 14; 134
Dunkel Pick: Temple (-14); Over

Game 525-526: Penn State at Michigan State (6:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Penn State 59.364; Michigan State 73.865
Dunkel Line: Michigan State by 14 1/2; 119
Vegas Line: Michigan State by 16; 124 1/2
Dunkel Pick Penn State (+16); Under

Game 527-528: Drexel at James Madison (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Drexel 60.352; James Madison 55.165
Dunkel Line: Drexel by 5; 129
Vegas Line: Drexel by 7 1/2; 126
Dunkel Pick: James Madison (+7 1/2); Over

Game 529-530: Hofstra at George Mason (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Hofstra 50.880; George Mason 60.394
Dunkel Line: George Mason by 9 1/2; 126
Vegas Line: George Mason by 11; 129 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Hofstra (+11); Under

Game 531-532: Old Dominion at William & Mary (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Old Dominion 59.375; William & Mary 48.403
Dunkel Line: Old Dominion by 11; 112
Vegas Line: Old Dominion by 9 1/2; 118 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Old Dominion (-9 1/2); Under

Game 533-534: NC-Wilmington at Delaware (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NC-Wilmington 49.466; Delaware 54.207
Dunkel Line: Delaware by 5; 145
Vegas Line: Delaware by 6 1/2 140 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NC-Wilmington (+6 1/2); Over

Game 535-536: Memphis at East Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 66.728; East Carolina 57.917
Dunkel Line: Memphis by 9; 135
Vegas Line: Memphis by 6; 140 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (-6); Under

Game 537-538: Cincinnati at St. John's (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati 65.172; St. John's 63.710
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1 1/2; 138
Vegas Line: Cincinnati by 4; 133
Dunkel Pick: St. John's (+4); Over

Game 539-540: Marshall at Central Florida (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Marshall 59.229; Central Florida 62.646
Dunkel Line: Central Florida by 3 1/2; 125
Vegas Line: Central Florida by 5 1/2; 127
Dunkel Pick: Marshall (+5 1/2); Under

Game 541-542: Buffalo at Central Michigan (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 55.745; Central Michigan 51.731
Dunkel Line: Buffalo by 4; 137
Vegas Line: Buffalo by 6; 134
Dunkel Pick: Central Michigan (+6); Over

Game 543-544: Ohio at Toledo (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Ohio 60.018; Toledo 54.053
Dunkel Line: Ohio by 6; 142
Vegas Line: Ohio by 7 1/2; 135
Dunkel Pick: Toledo (+7 1/2); Over

Game 545-546: Kent State at Eastern Michigan (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kent State 59.546; Eastern Michigan 52.142
Dunkel Line: Kent State by 7 1/2; 110
Vegas Line: Kent State by 6 1/2; 118
Dunkel Pick: Kent State (-6 1/2); Under

Game 547-548: Akron at Western Michigan (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Akron 63.210; Western Michigan 56.308
Dunkel Line: Akron by 7; 144
Vegas Line: Akron by 3 1/2; 140
Dunkel Pick: Akron (-3 1/2); Over

Game 549-550: Bowling Green at Ball State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Bowling Green 55.633; Ball State 60.164
Dunkel Line: Ball State by 4 1/2; 120
Vegas Line: Ball State by 2; 124
Dunkel Pick: Ball State (-2); Under

Game 551-552: LaSalle at Richmond (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LaSalle 62.787; Richmond 61.076
Dunkel Line: LaSalle by 1 1/2; 147
Vegas Line: LaSalle by 1; 142
Dunkel Pick: LaSalle (-1); Over

Game 553-554: Northeastern at Georgia State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northeastern 53.551; Georgia State 64.653
Dunkel Line: Georgia State by 11; 115
Vegas Line: Georgia State by 9 1/2; 117 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Georgia State (-9 1/2); Under

Game 555-556: Florida State at Boston College (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida State 70.752; Boston College 54.270
Dunkel Line: Florida State by 16 1/2; 127
Vegas Line: Florida State by 13; 122
Dunkel Pick: Florida State (-13); Over

Game 557-558: Rhode Island at Xavier (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rhode Island 50.173; Xavier 67.342
Dunkel Line: Xavier by 17; 136
Vegas Line: Xavier by 15 1/2; 140 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Xavier (-15 1/2); Under

Game 559-560: Kansas at Baylor (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas 73.517; Baylor 76.572
Dunkel Line: Baylor by 3; 149
Vegas Line: Baylor by 1 1/2; 143 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baylor (-1 1/2); Over

Game 561-562: Georgetown at Syracuse (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgetown 69.360; Syracuse 76.734
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 7 1/2; 125
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 9 1/2; 130
Dunkel Pick: Georgetown (+9 1/2); Under

Game 563-564: Pittsburgh at South Florida (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 65.352; South Florida 64.368
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 119
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 2; 124 1/2
Dunkel Pick: South Florida (+2); Under

Game 565-566: St. Bonaventure at Massachusetts (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Bonaventure 61.525; Massachusetts 62.419
Dunkel Line: Massachusetts by 2; 148
Vegas Line: Massachusetts by 4 1/2; 142 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Bonaventure (+4 1/2); Over

Game 567-568: Wake Forest at Virginia (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wake Forest 53.882; Virginia 70.307
Dunkel Line: Virginia by 16 1/2; 123
Vegas Line: Virginia by 14 1/2; 118 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Virginia (-14 1/2); Over

Game 569-570: Towson at VCU (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Towson 40.272; VCU 61.163
Dunkel Line: VCU by 21; 114
Vegas Line: VCU by 24; 117
Dunkel Pick: Towson (+24); Under

Game 571-572: TCU at SMU (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: TCU 56.488; SMU 55.708
Dunkel Line: TCU by 1; 121
Vegas Line: SMU by 2; 124 1/2
Dunkel Pick: TCU (+2); Under

Game 573-574: Arkansas at Georgia (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arkansas 60.025; Georgia 63.337
Dunkel Line: Georgia by 3 1/2; 137
Vegas Line: Georgia by 1; 132 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Georgia (-1); Over

Game 575-576: Southern Mississippi at UAB (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Mississippi 64.566; UAB 60.926
Dunkel Line: Southern Mississippi by 3 1/2; 126
Vegas Line: Southern Mississippi by 2; 120 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Southern Mississippi (-2); Over

Game 577-578: Miami (OH) at Northern Illinois (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (OH) 51.469; Northern Illinois 43.842
Dunkel Line: Miami (OH) by 7 1/2; 114
Vegas Line: Miami (OH) by 9; 119
Dunkel Pick: Northern Illinois (+9); Under

Game 579-580: Rice at Houston (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rice 54.891; Houston 54.875
Dunkel Line: Even; 141
Vegas Line: Rice by 1 1/2; 145 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+1 1/2); Under

Game 581-582: Drake at Illinois State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Drake 56.461; Illinois State 65.939
Dunkel Line: Illinois State by 9 1/2; 137
Vegas Line: Illinois State by 7 1/2; 130
Dunkel Pick: Illinois State (-7 1/2); Over

Game 583-584: Indiana State at Bradley (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana State 55.396; Bradley 51.817
Dunkel Line: Indiana State by 3 1/2; 138
Vegas Line: Indiana State by 6; 134
Dunkel Pick: Bradley (+6); Over

Game 585-586: Missouri State at Southern Illinois (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri State 62.152; Southern Illinois 56.017
Dunkel Line: Missouri State by 6; 120
Vegas Line: Missouri State by 3 1/2; 124 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Missouri State (-3 1/2); Under

Game 587-588: Northern Iowa at Wichita State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Iowa 59.727; Wichita State 67.631
Dunkel Line: Wichita State by 8; 125
Vegas Line: Wichita State by 10 1/2; 130 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Northern Iowa (+10 1/2); Under

Game 589-590: South Carolina at Tennessee (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Carolina 56.882; Tennessee 66.023
Dunkel Line: Tennessee by 9; 129
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 7; 121 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee (-7); Over

Game 591-592: St. Louis at St. Joseph's (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 66.680; St. Joseph's 61.540
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 4; 133
Vegas Line: St. Louis by 2; 129 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-2); Over

Game 593-594: Michigan at Nebraska (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Michigan 67.481; Nebraska 62.803
Dunkel Line: Michigan by 4 1/2; 118
Vegas Line: Michigan by 3; 121 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Michigan (-3); Under

Game 595-596: Tulsa at UTEP (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulsa 60.332; UTEP 61.223
Dunkel Line: UTEP by 1; 133
Vegas Line: Tulsa by 1; 125
Dunkel Pick: UTEP (+1); Over

Game 597-598: LSU at Vanderbilt (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LSU 61.528; Vanderbilt 70.206
Dunkel Line: Vanderbilt by 8 1/2; 128
Vegas Line: Vanderbilt by 10; 132 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LSU (+10); Under

Game 599-600: Seton Hall at Rutgers (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seton Hall 62.070; Rutgers 60.851
Dunkel Line: Seton Hall by 1; 122
Vegas Line: Rutgers by 1 1/2; 126 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seton Hall (+1 1/2); Under

Game 601-602: Duke at North Carolina (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Duke 68.740; North Carolina 72.967
Dunkel Line: North Carolina by 4; 166
Vegas Line: North Carolina by 6 1/2; 159 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Duke (+6 1/2); Over

Game 603-604: Notre Dame at West Virginia (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Notre Dame 64.744; West Virginia 72.664
Dunkel Line: West Virginia by 8; 133
Vegas Line: West Virginia by 5 1/2; 126
Dunkel Pick: West Virginia (-5 1/2); Over

Game 605-606: Jacksonville State at Morehead State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville State 48.679; Morehead State 52.221
Dunkel Line: Morehead State by 3 1/2; 115
Vegas Line: Morehead State by 5 1/2; 119 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Jacksonville State (+5 1/2); Under

Hollywood Sports

Louisiana State at Vanderbilt
Prediction: Louisiana State

The Tigers (13-9) snapped their three-game losing streak by defeating Arkansas by a 71-65 score on Saturday. LSU has now covered the spread in 12 of their last contests against teams with a winning record. The Tigers have also covered 7 of their last 9 games on the road. Vanderbilt (16-7) looks to rebound from a two-game losing streak that culminated in their 73-65 loss at Florida on Saturday. The Commodores will be hard pressed to cover the double-digit point spread in this one as they have failed to cover the spread in 4 straight games against teams with a winning record. Vandy has not enjoyed much of a home court advantage as of late since they have failed to cover the spread in 11 of their last 14 games on their home court. Additionally, while LSU is just 3-5 on the road this season, the Commodores have failed to cover the spread in 6 of their last 8 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Vanderbilt has proven themselves vulnerable to teams that can force turnovers as they are 10th in the SEC by turning the ball over in 22.1% of their possessions. LSU is 38th in Division I by forcing turnovers in 23.5% of their opponent's possessions. The Tigers should keep this one within single digits. Take LSU plus the points in this one.

Scott Spreitzer

Indiana Pacers at Atlanta Hawks
Prediction: Atlanta Hawks

No arguing which team has been in better current form, but I expect the Hawks to salvage the final game of their 4-game homestand. Atlanta has dropped 3 straight at Philips Arena after winning 8 of their first 9. Not having Al Horford on the floor has certainly hampered this team's progress, but I'm betting they're catching the Pacers at the right moment. First of all, Joe Johnson understands he must pick up the slack and he has dominated the Pacers, averaging over 23 ppg in 9 outings. His team has covered each their last 4 home meetings with Indiana and they're 8-1 SU in Johnson's 9 career outings. Indiana's starters had to spend some energy last night, holding on for a 5-point win over Utah. The Pacers enter this one having covered just 6 of their last 24 when playing with no days off between games. The Pacers stomped Atlanta in the most recent meeting, which puts the Hawks in a solid 55-27 ATS league-wide situation. You play on favorites when they're in revenge of a double-digit road loss, providing both teams are playing .600 to .750 basketball. This is an important night for the Hawks and I believe they'll come through with a spread covering win. I'm laying the points with Atlanta on Wednesday.

Marc Lawrence

LSU @ Vanderbilt
PICK: LSU

The improved Bengals (12-9), who have already won more games this year than they did all of last season (11-21), were sent packing from the SEC tourney by the Commodores in 2011. Not only does series history (11-7 ATS, including 7-4 ATS with revenge) suggest payback is in order tonight in Memorial Gym but so does Vandy’s 1-4 ATS log at home versus a conference foe with last-season tourney revenge. Better yet for LSU backers is the fact that the third-place Commies arrive in the middle of a second-place Florida/first-place Kentucky revenge sandwich. Expect Vandy’s energy to be sapped after Saturday's loss in Gainesville here in Nashville tonight… at least that’s what their 3-7 ATS log after focusing on Florida tells us. A solid take. We recommend a 1-unit play on LSU.

Sean Murphy

Drake @ Illinois State
PICK: Under 130

We won with the 'over' in the first matchup between these two teams this season, but even after a 74-point first half, it didn't come easy, as we needed a late scoring flurry to cash our ticket.

Drake finds itself in a tough spot right now, with arguably its best player, Ben Simons, sidelined with mono.

The Bulldogs didn't fare well in their first game without their star, scoring a season-low 39 points in a blowout loss to Missouri State on Saturday. Keep in mind, they had struggled in their previous game as well, putting up only 54 points in a loss at Indiana State.

This isn't an ideal spot for the Drake offense to bounce back, as Illinois State has proven to be a tough defensive foe at home, where it allows just 56.9 points per game on 37.4% shooting.

I've called the Redbirds a 'flaky' team on more than one occasion this season, due to their inconsistent nature. They're coming off back-to-back solid performances offensively, although one of those came in a runaway win for Creighton one week ago tonight (we cashed with the Blue Jays in that 28-point rout).

It's worth noting that the Redbirds have scored over 70 points in back-to-back games, as they've yet to accomplish that feat in three consecutive contests this season.

70 could be a key number for Illinois State in this one, at least as far as the total is concerned.

Note that the Redbirds have broken the 70-point barrier only once in their last four home games, and that came on Saturday against Bradley, the worst team in the Missouri Valley Conference. That contest still only reached 126 total points, as Illinois State put forth a terrific defensive effort, holding the Braves to only 48 points.

I say that 70 points will be a key number in relation to the total, as I don't expect Drake to break 60. It's been a struggle for the Bulldogs to get into the 60s on the road in MVC play at the best of times this season. Now without Simons in the lineup, that task becomes even tougher. Note that the 'under' is 4-1-1 in Drake's six conference road games so far this season.

The 'over' has cashed in each of the last four meetings in this series, but we're dealing with a different set of circumstances tonight. Drake knows that scoring is going to be an issue, and should do all it can to keep the number of possessions down in this one.

Illinois State doesn't mind playing that type of game, as despite what we've seen over its last two contests, it is by no means an offensive powerhouse. The Redbirds have held the opposition to 54 points or less in three of their last four wins. Strong defensive play has been a key to any success they've had this season.

Nick "The BookieKiller" Parsons

Flames @ Sharks
PICK: Over

For a number of different reasons I believe the value in this contest is on the "over":

The Calgary Flames are 24-22-3-4 overall this year; they're 14-8-1-1 at home and just 10-14-2-3 on the road; they're coming off a 3-2 shootout loss at Anaheim on Sunday, which was on the heels of a 3-1 win over the Blackhawks at home three nights previous.

The O/U is 19-31-3.

“We had a couple of chances to win, but it’s not easy with their goalie,” Flames netminder Mikka Kiprusoff said.

Calgary remains just three points out of a playoff spot though with 29-games left in the season, and captain Jerome Iginla believe's his team has a legitimate shot at finally making it to the post-season after missing for two years straight:

"We've played Detroit," Iginla reasoned. "We've played Vancouver. We've played San Jose. And we've played them lately. And while we respect them, we definitely feel we can beat them ...

"I like it in Calgary. I believe we can be in the playoffs and have a shot."

On the other bench: The Sharks are 29-15-3-3 overall this year, including 17-8-2-0 at home and 12-7-1-3 on the road; after three straight victories, they're coming off a 5-3 loss at Phoenix on Saturday.

The O/U is 23-27-0.

“It wasn’t lack of offense,” said Sharks coach Todd McLellan. “We had a number of chances and ended up with three at the end. We were not competitive at the times we needed to be competitive.”

Bottom line: Both teams push the pace of this game after lacklustre efforts; you may want to consider a second look at the "over" in this contest.

David Chan

Hurricanes @ Ducks
PICK: Under

I bet value where I see it and expect this to be a tightly checked, low-scoring affair.

The 20-25-9 Carolina Hurricanes storm into Anaheim to take on the 20-24-8 Ducks.

Carolina is coming off a hard-fought 2-1 win over Los Angeles on Saturday.

It was Jeff Skinner's goal 3:02 into the final frame that was the difference; Jiri Tlutsy also tallied a marker, while goaltender Cam Ward had 24-saves:

“They came out ready to play, and it seemed like they had a step on us in the first period,” Ward said. “We weren’t too pleased with it after the first intermission, but once again, we were able to turn it around. We knew that they had some travel, so we made it difficult on them in the second and third.”

Note that Carolina entered that game with a brutal 1-13-0 record when trailing in the first period.

Also note that Ward had posted a stellar 1.88 GAA over his previous 10-home contests.

The Ducks on the other hand are coming off a 3-2 win over the Flames on Monday night.

Niklas Hagman finally beat Mikka Kiprusoff in the eighth round of the shootout:

“He’s a goalie I have practiced a lot against,” said Hagman, who used to play for the Flames. “I don’t have that many moves, and he knows my go-to moves. I tried to switch a little bit. I wanted to come with good speed and shoot it. Luckily for me, he probably thought I was going to go with my backhand.”

Jonas Hiller had 24-saves:

“We really needed those two points,” said Hiller. “It wasn’t an easy game. Both teams played really hard. It was about time we won a shootout.”

Two low-scoring, hard-hitting teams going head to head, with above average goaltenders; all signs point to a low-scoring affair!

Jim Feist

Duke vs North Carolina
Pick: Under

A big ACC showdown and marquee games like this often bring out the best defensively in both teams with so much at stake. The under is 6-0 in the Blue Devils last 6 against a team with a winning record and 7-3 under the total in their last 10 road games. Both these teams can play defense and note that the under is 6-0 in the Tar Heels last 6 vs. a team with a winning record, as well as 31-14 under the total in their last 45 against the ACC. And when these teams meet the under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in North Carolina, as well as 6-0 under in the last 6 meetings. Play Duke/North Carolina under the total.

Dave Cokin

So Mississippi vs UAB
Pick: UAB

Southern Mississippi is the better team, but this is a very dangerous spot for the Golden Eagles. They haven't played since the thrilling win over Memphis in a game they really wanted. UAB just missed upsetting this team in Hattiesburg, and the Blazers have shown improvement of late. I like the home dog tonight.

Scott Rickenbach

L.A. Clippers @ Cleveland
PICK: L.A. Clippers -6.5

Things don’t slow down in the 66-game NBA schedule. The Cleveland Cavaliers are finding that out the hard way. A night after running out of steam versus the Miami Heat, the Cavs come back home to host perhaps the most athletic squad in the NBA – the Los Angeles Clippers. Cleveland has had a busy week, highlighted by an upset win over the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks which seems to be the Cavs’ ceiling. After posting some solid wins against the spread, Cleveland is starting to come down, failing to cover in two their last three outings. One team that’s always on the rise – on and off the court – are the Clippers. Los Angeles opened its six-game road trip with back-to-back SU and ATS wins, most recently beating the Orlando Magic 107-102 in ovetime as a 1-point road favorite. Now, the Clippers look to exploit a dinged-up Cavaliers backcourt, missing Daniel Gibson, and a smaller Cleveland frontcourt. The Cavs don’t have much beef inside, with Anderson Varejao as their only true banger in the paint. Cleveland’s finesse forwards, like Antawn Jamison and Omri Casspi, will struggle to contain the Clippers athletically freakish combo of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, who should have a field day inside the key Wednesday night. Look for Los Angeles’ physical forwards to exploit a tired Cavs squad.

Nelly

Minnesota + over Memphis

The Wolves gutted out a narrow win at home over Sacramento last night in the first game without Kevin Love. They face a tough situation tonight in a second of back-to-back games against a solid Memphis team but Minnesota has won four of the last five games and last night rookie Derrick Williams along with center Nikola Pekovic stepped up in a big way to fill the void. Minnesota is 7-3 ATS on the road this season as oddly the Wolves have been a better team statistically on offense and defense away from home. Memphis has owned the recent history of this series with five consecutive wins but this was a very tight game when these teams met just over a month ago. Minnesota had 17 turnovers and Memphis had a big edge at the free throw line to squeeze out a four-point victory. Many expected Memphis to take another step forward this season after a great playoff run last year but the Grizzlies sit with a 12-13 record, worse than Minnesota's mark. The Grizzlies had a solid start but have now lost seven of the last nine games. The schedule has been a very tough of late but Memphis has even struggled in recent home games. They faced a big game with the Spurs on Monday, a series that now has some heat to it after last year's playoff upset from Memphis. The Grizzlies lost to the Spurs for the third time this season however which could set up a bit of a letdown spot. Minnesota has gone 5-3 ATS in back-to-back games this season so the situation should not be as difficult as it looks and this team has adequate depth to fill in for Love’s absence. This line has been inflated to account for the suspension but keep in mind the Grizzlies are already missing their best player with Zach Randolph's injury and Tony Allen could also miss tonight’s game. Beating Sacramento is not overly impressive but it should build confidence for a Wolves group sans its star and Minnesota can hang close in tonight's game with excellent underdog value.

SPORTS WAGERS

Indiana +140 over ATLANTA

The Hawks previous 16-5 record has now turned into a 16-8 record after they dropped three straight at home to Memphis, Philly and Phoenix. The Pacers are superior to any of those three teams and they catch the Hawks at the perfect time. As lame as this may sound, losing is different than winning. When a team is winning, they're loose and having fun. The coach is working on less things because if it ain't broke, why fix it? That's the difference between a veteran coach and a neophyte. Hawks coach Larry Drew spent years with the Pistons, Wizards and Nets before heading to Atlanta. Losing was the norm and Drew didn’t acquire the experience to turn a drought around. Now, he’s being asked to. With this group, we’re not sure he can do it. As mentioned numerous times this season, Atlanta is an imposter. It's no mystery as to why they're suddenly losing at home to teams like Phoenix. Atlanta's bench is awful. Its strength of schedule is ranked 23rd in the league and they've developed a false sense of security when defeating weak teams. They're an average rebounding team that is likely going to be dominated on the boards tonight by the Pacers. Indiana can beat you in so many ways. Unlike the Hawks, who rely heavily on Joe Johnson and Josh Smith for scoring, the Pacers have five guys averaging double figures per game and two others right on the verge of 10 per game. The Pacers are 17-7 and they have every edge tonight, outside of home court. Play: Indiana +140 (Risking 2 units).

Detroit +153 over NEW JERSEY

The Pistons are widely regarded as one of the three worst teams in the NBA and they've lived up to that with six wins in 26 games. That said, respectability is not that far off. They've had many close games in which they were in a position to win. Closing out games is a lesson that they're slowly learning and have done so in two straight games with wins over Milwaukee and New Orleans. They have recent three-point losses to the Heat, Trail Blazers and these same Nets in New Jersey exactly one week ago. The Pistons also have a recent OT loss to Atlanta in a game they led by six with 34 seconds remaining. In reality, the Pistons could easily have six wins in their last 10 games. New Jersey is banged up and they've dropped three in a row and five of six. They're considered to be the better team, playing at home, but there's a reason the odds makers made them such a enticingly short price. With Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks and Deshawn Stevenson on the rack, this Nets teams that lacks strength in all aspects of the game is nowhere close to being better than they were two weeks ago. The Pistons are. Play: Detroit +153 (Risking 2 units).

CLEVELAND +6½ over L.A. Clippers

Chauncey Billups value vastly exceeded the 14.9 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds he averaged per game. The Clippers can replace his numbers but they can't replace his experience and steadying presense on the court. Billups is out for the season after he ruptured his left Achilles' tendon in his last game. Losing a player is no big deal, as it happens every day. Losing an impact player for the season is another story, as adjustments that have to take place are permanent. The Clippers have won six of seven and are coming off an OT win in Orlando. They'll play their third straight on the road here and will continue their six-game trip in Philadelphia on Friday. The Clip Joint are sure to have a hiccup on this trip and cahnces are good it occurs here. The Cavaliers are coming off a misleading 16-point loss in Miami last night. They were down by just six going to the fourth and hung around all game until late in the fourth. The Cavs last five games have come against Boston twice, Orlando, Dallas and Miami. They went 2-3 in that set and didn't look a bit out of place in any of them. Fatigue should not be an issue, as Cleveland was off for two days prior to last night's game and they're 3-3 against the spread on zero days rest. Upset possibility. Play: Cleveland +6½ (Risking 2.1 units to win 2).

NHL Predictions

Carolina / Anaheim Ducks Under 5.5

Carolina enters this game winners of two straight and 4 of their last 6. The Hurricanes victories haven't been coming with a lot of goals though, as it is more Cam Ward carrying the team on his back. The Hurricanes have allowed just 17 goals over their last 10 games (1.70 goals against per game) - and one of those games the Canes had 5 goals against. Take that out and that is just 12 goals against in 9 games. Over their last 8 games the Hurricanes have only scored 15 goals (less than 2 per game). Carolina is just 6-13-6 on the road this season. The Ducks are coming off a 3-2 shootout victory against the Flames on Monday night. They have averaged just 2 goals per game over their last 5. Anaheim has allowed just 20 goals against over their last 10 games, and that includes a game where they allowed 6 goals against versus Dallas - take that out and it equals 14 goals against in 9 games. Cam Ward is playing sensational right now, and Jonas Hiller has been really good at times lately as well. The UNDER is 7-1 in the Hurricanes last 8 games overall and 4-0 in their last 4 road games. The UNDER is 6-1 in the Ducks last 7 games overall, and 4-1 in their last 5 games. Carolina is coming off 3 days rest, and the UNDER is 7-3-1 in their last 11 times playing on 3+ days rest. The UNDER is also 13-6-1 in the Ducks last 20 vs a team with a winning % below .400. Also take note that the Ducks have held opponents to 26 shots or less in their last 5 games, while the Hurricanes have put just 23 shots on net per game over their last 4. Looking at this from all angles I don't see it being a high scoring game. Take the UNDER tonight.

David Banks

Duke / North Carolina Under

All eyes will be on Tobacco Road Hump Day night when the 9th ranked Duke Blue Devils (19-4, 9-14 ATS) storm the Dean Dome to battle the 5th ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (20-3, 11-11 ATS); tune to ESPN at 9:00 ET to take this one in live from Chapel Hill!
Already with two losses in ACC play, Duke will attempt to avoid its first two-game losing streak of the season when it takes on its most hated rival Wednesday night. The Blue Devils return to the hardwood off their fourth outright defeat of the season after falling 78-74 to Miami in overtime on Super Bowl Sunday. The Dookies showed their resolve by battling back from a 14-point deficit at the break, but ran out of steam in the extra session to allow the Hurricanes to pull out a road win that will most definitely benefit them come selection Sunday. The loss snapped Coach Ks squads three-game win streak that came against the likes of Maryland, St. Johns, and Virginia Tech; the win at the Hokies marked the third straight game in which the Blue Devils won and covered on the road. As it is, Duke checks in 9-2 SU but just 3-3 ATS in its nine road/neutral court battles on the year.

That 90-57 beatdown incurred in Tallahassee against the Florida State Seminoles in the middle of January has long been forgotten, as the Tar Heels enter tonights grudge match winners in each of their last five games (2-3 ATS) and sit tied with the Noles atop the ACC standings. Unfortunately, the only way those teams will meet again is if they cross paths in the ACC Tournament. Regardless, Head Coach Roy Williams will have his kids ready to go against its most hated rival in this one considering the last time they took the court to battle the Dookies, it was the Blue Devils that went on to win the ACC Tourney in the championship game. UNC has shown the ability to dominate its opponents when firing on all cylinders, but it will host the Blue Devils having dropped each of its last three against the closing number. North Carolina stands a perfect 14-0 SU but just 7-6 ATS in its 13 lined games as a host.

Duke won two of the three meetings a year ago with all three of the contests combining to go under the closing number. The home team has won each of the last three regular season meetings, but the road team has beaten the oddsmakers in seven of the L/9 overall. Duke has gone 8-3 ATS the L/11 times it played following a straight up defeat, but the favorite has covered four of the L/5 in this rivalry. North Carolina checks in just 3-7-1 ATS its L/11 within the ACC, but has also covered six of its L/8 versus +.600 opposition. The under has cashed in each of the L/6 as well as each of the L/4 times these teams went at one another in Chapel Hill.