Free Picks: Service Plays for Wednesday, January 25

NCAAB

Minnesota at Michigan State
The Spartans look to take advantage of a Minnesota team that is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 road games as an underdog of 7 to 12 1/2 points. Michigan State is the pick (-10 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Spartans favored by 14. Dunkel Pick: Michigan State (-10 1/2)

Game 741-742: Penn State at Ohio State (6:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Penn State 59.186; Ohio State 80.139
Dunkel Line: Ohio State by 21; 122
Vegas Line: Ohio State by 23 1/2; 127 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Penn State (+23 1/2); Under

Game 743-744: Delaware at Northeastern (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Delaware 51.116; Northeastern 57.911
Dunkel Line: Northeastern by 7; 131
Vegas Line: Northeastern by 5 1/2; 129 1/2
Dunkel Pick Northeastern (-5 1/2); Over

Game 745-746: George Mason at Hofstra (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: George Mason 61.567; Hofstra 56.752
Dunkel Line: George Mason by 5; 142
Vegas Line: George Mason by 3 1/2; 136
Dunkel Pick: George Mason (-3 1/2); Over

Game 747-748: VCU at Towson (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: VCU 60.235; Towson 40.567
Dunkel Line: VCU by 19 1/2; 111
Vegas Line: VCU by 21; 116
Dunkel Pick: Towson (+21); Under

Game 749-750: Providence at Pittsburgh (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Providence 56.379; Pittsburgh 66.631
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 10 1/2; 131
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 8 1/2; 135
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-8 1/2); Under

Game 751-752: Villanova at Louisville (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Villanova 60.687; Louisville 67.078
Dunkel Line: Louisville by 6 1/2; 142
Vegas Line: Louisville by 8 1/2; 138
Dunkel Pick: Villanova (+8 1/2); Over

Game 753-754: West Virginia at St. John's (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: West Virginia 68.401; St. John's 62.514
Dunkel Line: West Virginia by 6; 138
Vegas Line: West Virginia by 8; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. John's (+8); Over

Game 755-756: Georgia State at Drexel (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia State 58.230; Drexel 67.637
Dunkel Line: Drexel by 9 1/2; 108
Vegas Line: Drexel by 5 1/2; 114 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Drexel (-5 1/2); Under

Game 757-758: Fordham at Richmond (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Fordham 48.331; Richmond 65.128
Dunkel Line: Richmond by 17; 130
Vegas Line: Richmond by 13; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Richmond (-13); Under

Game 759-760: St. Bonaventure at Rhode Island (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Bonaventure 60.428; Rhode Island 57.645
Dunkel Line: St. Bonaventure by 3; 142
Vegas Line: St. Bonaventure by 5; 137
Dunkel Pick: Rhode Island (+5); Over

Game 761-762: Florida State at Wake Forest (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida State 63.308; Wake Forest 57.849
Dunkel Line: Florida State by 5 1/2; 139
Vegas Line: Florida State by 8 1/2; 135
Dunkel Pick: Wake Forest (+8 1/2); Over

Game 763-764: George Washington at LaSalle (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: George Washington 50.725; LaSalle 67.192
Dunkel Line: LaSalle by 16 1/2; 127
Vegas Line: LaSalle by 10 1/2; 132 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LaSalle (-10 1/2); Under

Game 765-766: Dayton at St. Joseph's (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dayton 60.215; St. Joseph's 66.598
Dunkel Line: St. Joseph's by 6 1/2; 144
Vegas Line: St. Joseph's by 4; 141
Dunkel Pick: St. Joseph's (-4); Over

Game 767-768: Missouri State at Illinois State (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri State 59.349; Illinois State 60.283
Dunkel Line: Illinois State by 1; 126
Vegas Line: Illinois State by 2 1/2; 130
Dunkel Pick: Missouri State (+2 1/2); Under

Game 769-770: BYU at Virginia Tech (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BYU 62.983; Virginia Tech 64.290
Dunkel Line: Virginia Tech by 1 1/2; 146
Vegas Line: Virginia Tech by 2 1/2; 140
Dunkel Pick: BYU (+2 1/2); Over

Game 771-772: Southern Mississippi at East Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Mississippi 61.815; East Carolina 56.243
Dunkel Line: Southern Mississippi by 5 1/2; 132
Vegas Line: Southern Mississippi by 3; 135 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Southern Mississippi (-3); Under

Game 773-774: St. Louis at Xavier (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 64.657; Xavier 65.387
Dunkel Line: Xavier by 1; 133
Vegas Line: Xavier by 2 1/2; 128
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+2 1/2); Over

Game 775-776: Old Dominion at NC-Wilmington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Old Dominion 58.695; NC-Wilmington 53.819
Dunkel Line: Old Dominion by 5; 122
Vegas Line: Old Dominion by 2 1/2; 128
Dunkel Pick: Old Dominion (-2 1/2); Under

Game 777-778: DePaul at Rutgers (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: DePaul 53.684; Rutgers 67.776
Dunkel Line: Rutgers by 14; 153
Vegas Line: Rutgers by 10 1/2; 145
Dunkel Pick: Rutgers (-10 1/2); Over

Game 779-780: Illinois-Chicago at Wright State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 49.791; Wright State 57.362
Dunkel Line: Wright State by 7 1/2; 108
Vegas Line: Wright State by 8; 115 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Illinois-Chicago (+8); Under

Game 781-782: UAB at Marshall (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UAB 55.131; Marshall 66.259
Dunkel Line: Marshall by 11; 112
Vegas Line: Marshall by 9 1/2; 118
Dunkel Pick: Marshall (-9 1/2); Under

Game 783-784: Loyola-Chicago at Detroit (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola-Chicago 44.043; Detroit 56.580
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 12 1/2; 128
Vegas Line: Detroit by 14 1/2; 124 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-Chicago (+14 1/2); Over

Game 785-786: Toledo at Miami (OH) (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toledo 45.117; Miami (OH) 58.555
Dunkel Line: Miami (OH) by 13 1/2; 122
Vegas Line: Miami (OH) by 8; 128
Dunkel Pick: Miami (OH) (-8); Under

Game 787-788: Central Michigan at Bowling Green (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Central Michigan 48.415; Bowling Green 53.747
Dunkel Line: Bowling Green by 5 1/2; 138
Vegas Line: Bowling Green by 8; 132
Dunkel Pick: Central Michigan (+8); Over

Game 789-790: Western Michigan at Ohio (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Western Michigan 55.826; Ohio 65.057
Dunkel Line: Ohio by 9; 144
Vegas Line: Ohio by 11; 139 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Western Michigan (+11); Over

Game 791-792: Northern Illinois at Kent State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Illinois 40.011; Kent State 64.541
Dunkel Line: Kent State by 24 1/2; 125
Vegas Line: Kent State by 21 1/2; 130
Dunkel Pick: Kent State (-21 1/2); Under

Game 793-794: Northern Iowa at Indiana State (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Iowa 61.202; Indiana State 56.552
Dunkel Line: Northern Iowa by 4 1/2; 120
Vegas Line: Northern Iowa by 2; 125 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Northern Iowa (-2); Under

Game 795-796: Air Force at TCU (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Air Force 55.996; TCU 56.973
Dunkel Line: TCU by 1; 135
Vegas Line: TCU by 4; 128 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Air Force (+4); Over

Game 797-798: Temple at Charlotte (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Temple 62.452; Charlotte 62.914
Dunkel Line: Even; 135
Vegas Line: Temple by 2 1/2; 139
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+2 1/2); Under

Game 799-800: Missouri at Oklahoma State (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri 73.271; Oklahoma State 63.001
Dunkel Line: Missouri by 10 1/2; 147
Vegas Line: Missouri by 8 1/2; 141
Dunkel Pick: Missouri (-8 1/2); Over

Game 801-802: Central Florida at Tulsa (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Central Florida 60.518; Tulsa 62.014
Dunkel Line: Tulsa by 1 1/2; 117
Vegas Line: Tulsa by 3; 121
Dunkel Pick: Central Florida (+3); Under

Game 803-804: Notre Dame at Seton Hall (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Notre Dame 62.273; Seton Hall 73.125
Dunkel Line: Seton Hall by 11; 134
Vegas Line: Seton Hall by 6 1/2; 129
Dunkel Pick: Seton Hall (-6 1/2); Over

Game 805-806: LSU at Mississippi State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LSU 60.374; Mississippi State 71.109
Dunkel Line: Mississippi State by 10 1/2; 126
Vegas Line: Mississippi State by 8 1/2; 131
Dunkel Pick: Mississippi State (-8 1/2); Under

Game 807-808: Creighton at Drake (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Creighton 66.121; Drake 63.970
Dunkel Line: Creighton by 2; 152
Vegas Line: Creighton by 6; 148 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Drake (+6); Over

Game 809-810: Evansville at Wichita State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Evansville 58.604; Wichita State 72.005
Dunkel Line: Wichita State by 13 1/2; 154
Vegas Line: Wichita State by 15 1/2; 146
Dunkel Pick: Evansville (+15 1/2); Over

Game 811-812: Rice at Memphis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rice 54.584; Memphis 71.971
Dunkel Line: Memphis by 17 1/2; 131
Vegas Line: Memphis by 13; 136
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (-13); Under

Game 813-814: SMU at Tulane (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: SMU 56.335; Tulane 57.923
Dunkel Line: Tulane by 1 1/2; 101
Vegas Line: Tulane by 4; 107 1/2
Dunkel Pick: SMU (+4); Under

Game 815-816: Alabama at South Carolina (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Alabama 68.586; South Carolina 60.553
Dunkel Line: Alabama by 8; 122
Vegas Line: Alabama by 6; 119
Dunkel Pick: Alabama (-6); Over

Game 817-818: North Texas at UL-Lafayette (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: North Texas 54.525; UL-Lafayette 59.270
Dunkel Line: UL-Lafayette by 4 1/2; 142
Vegas Line: UL-Lafayette by 6 1/2; 138 1/2
Dunkel Pick: North Texas (+6 1/2); Over

Game 819-820: Minnesota at Michigan State (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 63.622; Michigan State 78.159
Dunkel Line: Michigan State by 14 1/2; 128
Vegas Line: Michigan State by 10 1/2; 133 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Michigan State (-10 1/2); Under

Game 821-822: Kansas State at Texas Tech (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas State 69.200; Texas Tech 54.439
Dunkel Line: Kansas State by 15; 129
Vegas Line: Kansas State by 11; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas State (-11); Under

Game 823-824: Duke at Maryland (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Duke 71.432; Maryland 62.310
Dunkel Line: Duke by 9; 156
Vegas Line: Duke by 11; 149 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Maryland (+11); Over

Game 825-826: Auburn at Arkansas (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Auburn 53.466; Arkansas 67.265
Dunkel Line: Arkansas by 14; 130
Vegas Line: Arkansas by 10; 134
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas (-10); Under

Game 827-828: UNLV at Boise State (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UNLV 70.019; Boise State 61.753
Dunkel Line: UNLV by 8 1/2; 154
Vegas Line: UNLV by 9 1/2; 147
Dunkel Pick: Boise State (+9 1/2); Over

Game 829-830: Colorado State at New Mexico (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado State 59.231; New Mexico 70.384
Dunkel Line: New Mexico by 11; 144
Vegas Line: New Mexico by 12 1/2; 139
Dunkel Pick: Colorado State (+12 1/2); Over

Marc Lawrence

St. Louis at Xavier
Play: St. Louis

If you dont know what a Billiken is, you havent been paying attention to Saint Louis rise from the ashes off last years dreadful 12-19 campaign. Currently in the thick of the Atlantic-10 race thanks to the leagues top scoring defense (allowing just over 56 PPG), the new-look Bills have not gone quietly in their four defeats, losing by an average of less than 6 PPG. Here theyll look to return the favor for a double salvo laid on them by the X-Men last season, a distinct possibility since Xavier stands just 2-6 ATS in the series if theyre playing less-than .790 basketball (0-2 ATS versus revenge). Truthfully, the Musketeers have not been the same since they dropped the gloves in a fists-are-flying scrape with Cincinnati: they were 8-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in the first eight games the season but have gone just 5-5 SU and 3-6-1 ATS after they became pugilists. SLU head coach Rick Majerus has settled into a 9-man rotation that has been so effective the visitors will be making just their second appearance as an underdog this campaign. The Billikens perfect 7-0 ATS record as conference road dogs with double revenge cements it. Even if tonights haymakers are more of the twine-tickling variety than bare knuckles, expect Saint Louis to land the decisive punch in this upset. And down goes Xavier. We recommend a 1-unit play on St. Louis.

Scott Spreitzer

Northern Iowa at Indiana State
Prediction: Northern Iowa

The Sycamores are a head-scratcher with the bulk of last year's Big Dance squad back this year. We knew they lacked a strong and consistent interior game - but maybe their current 9th place spot in the 10 team MVC standings can be partially blamed on Jake Odum's ongoing foot injury. Odum has been playing, but he's not the same, suffering from Plantar Fasciitis. Meanwhile, the Panthers already own road wins outside of the conference over Iowa State & Old Dominion - and could use a conference road win here after suffering a loss in Peoria to Bradley. Northern Iowa won the first meeting by 17 points over Indiana State and I don't believe the change of venue is going to change the SU winner in this one. The Sycamores enter on a 0-7 ATS slide. More of the same. I'm laying the short number with Northern Iowa.

Hollywood Sports

Central Florida at Tulsa
Play: Central Florida

The Knights (15-4) come off a gritty 48-41 win at UAB on Saturday -- and they have covered the point spread in 5 straight games after a win. Central Florida has also covered the spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a strong defensive effort where they held their last opponent to 50 points or less. The Knights are 5-1 in Conference USA play -- and the deeper metrics reveal they are 2nd in the conference with a net Points-Per-Possession efficiency margin of +0.12 (Offensive PPP: 1.05; Defensive PPP: 0.93) against fellow Conference USA competition. Looking at offensive and defensive scoring rates that are independent of the pace of play is a very revealing mechanism to evaluate the overall relative strength of teams -- especially when within the context of similar conference competition. Central Florida's strong defensive play is translating in hostile environments where they are holding teams to 60.6 PPG on 40.4% shooting. UCF has covered the spread in 5 of their last 7 games on the road. Tulsa (11-9) enters this game coming off a dominant 70-46 win at Rice on Saturday -- but they have failed to cover the spread in 6 straight gams after a victory by at least 20 points. The Golden Hurricanes also possess a strong net PPP efficiency margin of +0.10 (Offensive PPP: 1.01; Defensive PPP: 0.91) which is 3rd best in the conference -- but still behind the Knights. Look for this to be a low scoring defensive struggle where those 3 or so points that UCF is getting becoming very valuable. Four of Tulsa's last six games have been settled by four points or less. The Golden Hurricanes have failed to cover the spread in 4 of their last 5 games against opponents with a winning percentage over 60%. And Tulsa has not been dominant at home as they are only 6-4 on their home court with a mere +2.3 net point differential. The Golden Hurricanes have also failed to cover the spread in 6 of their last 7 games at home. In this tight contest, take the points with Central Florida in a game they can very much win.

Rob Vinciletti

George Mason vs. Hofstra
Play: George Mason -3.5

George Mason has won and covered 4 of 5 as a road favorite from -3.5 to -6. They are 7-0 with 1 or less day of rest and 27-4 vs losing teams the past few seasons. Host is 1-6 ats at home this year and has lost and failed to cover 3 of the last 4 times as home dog from +3.5 to +6. From an RPI Ranking stand point George Mason is 11-1 vs teams ranked 151 or higher, while Hofstra is 1-7 vs teams that are ranked 101 or lower. Look or George Mason to get the win and cover here tonight.

Ben Burns

Red Wings @ Canadiens
PICK: Under 5.5

The Red Wings have seen seven straight games fall below the total. They allowed two goals or less in all seven of those games, a total of only 11. Now, they'll face a low-scoring Montreal team which averages only 2.6 goals per game and which has seen the "under" go 6-1-1 its last eight games. Seven of those games produced five or fewer combined goals. Yet, we're still getting an O/U line of 5.5 here. Looking at the recent meetings between these teams and we find the "under" at 6-1-1 since 2002. Seven of those games also produced five or fewer combined goals. As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Consider the Under 5.5 goals.

Bryan Power

New Jersey @ Philadelphia
PICK: Philadelphia -11

Play on Philadelphia at 7:05 ET. Two days ago in this space I used the Sixers, who raced out to a 30-point halftime lead against sorry Washington en route to an easy win and cover. Then, last night was yet another FREE NBA Winner as the Knicks destroyed the Bobcats 111-76! Tonight, it's back to Philly as they welcome in yet another sad sack team, in this case the New Jersey Nets. The Sixers have been the most profitable team to bet on in the early going this season w/ a 13-4 ATS overall record that includes an 8-1 ATS mark at home & 12-2 ATS when favored. They have an average margin victory here at home approaching 20 PPG. They won by 20 here over Washington in their most recent game. New Jersey is off a 15-point road loss to Chicago. Lay the points one more time.

Sean Murphy

Creighton @ Drake
PICK: Under 148.5

These two teams have met three times since the start of last season, with those games totaling 130, 131, and 135 points.

Creighton does possess one of the strongest offenses in the nation, averaging 81.4 points per game on 51.4% shooting, but it's not as if the Blue Jays have rolled through MVC play uncontested. They've been held to fewer than 70 points in four of their nine conference games.

Drake does offer a significant challenged (as evidenced by the rather short pointspread). The Bulldogs have played much better defense at home this season, allowing just under 64 ppg on 40% shooting.

The biggest problem for Drake has been its inconsistent offense. The Bulldogs saw their four-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday, thanks to an ugly 52-point effort against Northern Iowa. Note that Drake was held to only 59 points in its first meeting with Creighton this season.

The Blue Jays aren't known as a dominant defensive team, but they have steadily improved in that regard over the course of the season. Over their last five games, they've been lights out, holding the opposition to 39.8% shooting. Having held Drake to 57, 67, and 59 points in their last three meetings, this is certainly a matchup they can handle.

We're seeing a total in the high-140s in a game where each team might barely creep into the 50s in terms of shot attempts. Look for Creighton to turn in a third consecutive strong defensive effort, while Drake should step up its game back at home following that ugly loss on Sunday.

Stephen Nover

Notre Dame @ Seton Hall
PICK: Seton Hall 6.5

The combination of Seton Hall being rested and undefeated at home and Notre Dame owning just one road win and in a huge letdown spot puts me squarely on the Pirates.

Seton Hall is 10-0 at home with Big East victories against Connecticut by 12, West Virginia by 19 and DePaul by 21.

Notre Dame is 1-5 straight-up and ATS on the road and at neutral sites. The Irish pulled off one of the biggest wins of the season this past Saturday knocking off top-ranked Syracuse. The Irish are 2-7 ATS following a straight-up victory.

The Pirates haven't played in a week. They had cracked the Top 25, but suffered bad road losses in their last two games to South Florida and Villanova. The problem for the Pirates on the road was they got out of their game and started launching 3-pointers.

Before this, the Pirates hadn't been outrebounded during their first 14 games. I see them getting back to their style at home taking advantage of star Herb Pope inside. The Pirates have had a week to regroup.

Notre Dame's lone road win was against disappointing Louisville in double overtime. The timing is right for the Pirates. I see them winning this matchup by double-digits.

Jim Feist

Miami vs Detroit
Pick: Under

Last place Detroit has a terrible offense, 30th in the NBA in scoring. Miami comes to town capable of playing any style and the Heat has gone back to being a monster defensive team in two of the last four games, holding the Lakers to 87 and the Bucks to 82 (both under the total). It's the second of a back to back spot for Miami, so don't look for them to go uptempo: the under is 5-1 in Heat last 6 games playing on no days rest. And when these teams meet the under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings. Play the Heat/Pistons under the total.

JR O'Donnell

La Salle -11.5

GW comes in with a new coach, a new system and a record of 8-11 (1-6 SU/ATS on the road), while the Explorers are 14-6 (9-1 SU home & 9-4-1 ATS overall). LaSalle has an edge in the backcourt with a super bench & these {Explorers} average 75.3 at home and surrender only 61.9, while GW averages 56.4 on the road and allow 65.2. GW has no signature wins, and losses to Cal -27, Syracuse -35, St Bonaventure -10, St Louis -22 and Harvard -21. LaSalle has wins over Xavier and UMASS plus a strong home court to defend. With 10 straight home wins they are beginning to truly believe in themselves.

David Banks

Clippers / Lakers Under

The “Battle for LA” will take place on the pro hardwood Wednesday night when Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers (9-5, 8-6 ATS) square off against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers (10-8, 7-11 ATS) for the second time this season; tip-off from the Staples Center is set to go live on NBA TV at 10:30 ET.

The Pacific Division has been the laughing stock of the league for a number of years now, but the Clippers finally look to have the pieces in place to make it more than just a one-horse race. LA opened up some eyes during Blake Griffin’s rookie campaign, and now that he has some other top tier talent surrounding him, the squad has excelled under second year Coach Vinnie Del Negro. Though Chris Paul has been sidelined with a hamstring injury over the course of the team’s last five games, the “Clip Joint” still sits perched atop the division standings holding a one-game lead over the annual division winning Lakers. Last we saw Chauncey Billups and his mates, they bounced back from a crushing last second loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves by winning and covering the 9.5-point spread in a 103-91 beatdown of the Toronto Raptors. The win improved the squad to 8-2 SU & 7-3 ATS in the Staples Center.

It’s been a rough go of it for Kobe and the Lakers ever since the strike shortened season began in late December. After dropping its season opener in the closing moments to Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls, LA dropped its next game at Sacramento before rattling off its first three wins of the season. Things looked to be back on track after the team won five in a row (3-2 ATS), but the Lakers will enter tonight’s spot losers of three in a row after the Indiana Pacers got the best of them their last time out; LA has failed to cover each of its last six games (2-4 SU). Save for Kobe who leads the league with a 30.5 points per game scoring average, only Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol check in averaging double digits with the team averaging a paltry 92.3 PPG (#20). Thankfully, the Lakers still play solid defense giving up just 90.5 PPG (#6) on 41.4 percent shooting from the field (#3). LA’s 9-2 SU but just 6-5 ATS as a host to date.

The listed home team has won nine of these in-city rivals L/10 overall match-ups and covered the closing number in seven of the L/8; the ‘over’ is 5-3 during that stretch. The underdog has covered eight of the L/11 confrontations, but the Clippers have gone just 3-7 ATS their L/10 against +.500 opposition. The Lakers are 4-1 SU & 3-2 ATS the L/5 times they went off the board favored by four-points or less, but they’ve failed to cover each of their L/4 off a SU loss and gone 3-10-1 ATS their L/14 versus divisional opposition.

NHL Predictions

Detroit Red Wings -147

Detroit has won 7 straight games and 8 of their last 9. On the season the Red Wings are 33-15-1, although just 13-13 on the road. Tonight's opponent is a struggling Montreal Canadiens team that has lost 5 of their last 7 games. The Canadiens are coming off a Saturday night win in Toronto, but the Canadiens were outplayed for a lot of that game. Montreal is just 18-21-9 on the season, and 8-9-7 at home. In fact the Canadiens have won just 4 of their last 13 home games overall. These two teams don't meet often, but the Red Wings have taken 4 of the last 5 meetings and 4 of 5 in Montreal as well. Take note that the Red Wings are allowing just 2.24 goals against per game this season, and a lower 1.40 against/game in their last 5. Detroit is 17-5 in their last 22 vs Eastern Conference opponents, while the Canadiens are 0-4 in their last 4 vs Western Conference teams. Dating back to last season the Red Wings are 46-19 in their last 65 vs a team with a losing record. The Canadiens are just 4-14 in their last 18 as an underdog and 1-7 in their last 8 vs a team with a winning % above .600. When the Red Wings show up to play they are no doubt one of the NHL's best teams. The same cannot be said for the Canadiens, who find themselves struggling quite a bit right now. With a day off since their last win and being the only game on the NHL board tonight + playing in a big market Canadian city I can't see the Red Wings taking it easy tonight. Look for the Red Wings to keep on rolling in Montreal.

JEFF BENTON

Your Wednesday NBA freebie is Utah at home over Toronto.

Big number tonight, but the Jazz will be up to the task, as the Raptors are just 2-3 against the spread when playing this season with no rest. Yes, Toronto did end an eight-game losing streak with the win in Phoenix last night, but at just 1-11 against the spread the last dozen times they have faced the Jazz, chances of a second win in a row seem very remote.

Utah has won eight of their first ten games at home this season, and have covered in seven of those ten, so look for them to stretch the final margin tonight before this game goes final.

The Jazz has been idle since Saturday, so look for the extra rest to treat the home team just fine in this Wednesday night battle. The favorite in this series has covered seven of the last eight meetings, and the favorite covers again tonight.

This one turns into a blowout. Lay it with the Jazz.

3♦ UTAH

Your Wednesday night freebie is the Wake Forest Demon Deacons as the home underdog against Florida State.

Can you say letdown?

Florida State is off two of their biggest wins in school history, as the Seminoles have upset both North Carolina and Duke in recent play, part of their current four game winning streak.

Tonight is the night the Sems suffer a little bit of a letdown, and while the outright home upset win by the Deacons is improbable, Wake Forest is improved enough this season to take State right down to the bitter end.

Jeff Bzdelik's team stands at 11-8 this year, and they are off a small upset win over the weekend at Boston College to improve to 3-1-1 against the spread their last five games.

With Florida State just 3-5 against the spread in their lined away games this season, and just 3-6 against the spread the last nine series meetings, the chances of another Deamon Deacons cover seem better than average tonight, especially at home.

Sems survive, but just barely.

Take Wake plus the points!

1♦ WAKE FOREST