Scott Delaney
Milwaukee at Cleveland
I know we're talking about arguably the best team in basketball here, but something tells me the Bucks are going to shock some folks and give the Cavaliers a competitive game tonight.
After all, Milwaukee has covered the last two meetings after the Bucks nabbed a 92-85 home victory earlier this month.
Milwaukee is 5-1 against the spread on its last six visits to Cleveland, while the road team is on a 10-4 ATS roll.
The Bucks have become one of the league's biggest suprises by climbing to fifth in the Eastern Conference and look like they'll finish second in the Central Division, behind Cleveland, after five straight years of finishing in the cellar.
They might not win this game, but the Bucks will certainly give their best and will end up covering this one.
4♦ BUCKS
Craig Davis
Tonight's free play winner #3 in a row is on St. Louis. Although I haven't been a big fan of this team throughout the year, you can't argue with their success at home. And Vegas knows how well both of these teams play at home... that's why the line went from VCU -9 1/2 when they were at home to being a virtual pick 'em now that the game is in St. Louis. So, in essence, we have a 9- or 10-point line shift because we change venues? That tells me the oddsmakers believe the Billikens have a tremendous advantage at home (as does VCU), and I think they're begging us to take VCU because the line is so low. I'm not falling for it. St. Louis is 18-3 at home, 11-4 ATS in their 15 lined home games this year, and 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games overall. How? They do it with defense. Although their offense isn't quite up to par with VCU, they do really put on the defensive clamps when they play at home, allowing just 57 PPG. VCU, on the other hand, allows 72 PPG away from home, and I gotta believe they won't play with the same defensive intensity they did the other night. The Billikens are in a do-or-die situation right now, and I think they dig deep to find a little extra "mojo" in front of the home crowd. I think this game goes back to Virginia.
3♦ ST. LOUIS
Brett Atkins
I'm on a 3-0-1 streak with my free plays and delivered on Tuesday as the Suns went into Chicago and got the win and cover. Tonight I'm on the NBA court again with a comp winner on the Bucks getting way too many points against the Cavaliers in Cleveland.
Milwaukee has been one of the most surprising teams in the NBA this season and since they got guard John Salmons, this team has skyrocketed up the Eastern Conference standings.
He has given them a proven scorer, plus the emergence of center Andrew Bogut giving the Bucks what they'd been waiting for with the overall No. 1 pick.
Milwaukee has had success in Cleveland in their past, cashing in five of the last six as the road team is on a 10-4 ATS run in this series. The Bucks scored a win over the Cavaliers back on March 6 in Milwaukee. They are on surges of 20-7 ATS on the road, 15-3 on the second night of a back-to-back and 5-0 as road 'dogs.
3♦ MILWAUKEE
Jay McNeil
Oklahoma City at Boston
Boston comes in on winning runs of 6-0 straight-up and 6-1 against the number in this showdown, including 4-0 SU and ATS the last four meetings.
Back on Dec. 4, the Celtics routed Oklahoma City 105-87 as the four-point road chalk. And since the home team is 11-5 ATS the last 16 meetings, and the Celtics are 7-1 ATS the last eight times these two have met in Beantown, I'll lay the points with the Eastern Conference powerhouse.
2♦ CELTICS
Joel Tyson
Big Monday home win for the Mavericks over the Nuggets, but I expect the matchup problems Dallas has against Memphis to resurface this Wednesday night in the Land of Elvis.
The Grizzlies have won outright in 3 of the last 4 series meetings, and better still they have covered in ALL 4 of those meetings.
Memphis is also on a 4-1 straight up run their last 5 at home, while Dallas has dropped 2 of their last 3 on the highway, and have a big showdown with Orlando at home on Thursday.
Grizzlies the call.
1♦ MEMPHIS
Matt Rivers
Take the Thunder plus the points over the Celtics.
Boston has failed to cover three of its last four while Oklahoma City is on a 3-1 SUATS uptick.
The Celtics are on pointspread slides of 0-7-1 at home against teams with a winning road mark, 5-15-1 against teams with a winning percentage above .600, 5-13-1 against the Western Conference and 19-40-1 at TD Garden.
The Thunder are 19-9 ATS in their last 28 roadies, 14-6 ATS against winning teams and 10-3 ATS in road games against teams with a winning home record.
Take the points with the Thunder as they stay within the number.
3♦ OKLAHOMA CITY