JEFFERSONSPORTS
DETROIT-11.5
I like the pistons to get some big revenge after getting blasted by Orlando at home then going on the road to face the Bucks and getting beat again. Now they play the bucks at home. Line is 11.5 now, i bet it goes up, ill take the pistons to get some revenge. Bucks are hitting like 20% ats when they are road dogs in this spread range and the pistons are hitting about 65% with this ats range. That with the revenge gives me reason enough to take a shot on detroit here. DETROIT-11.5
DALLAS-5-7 hopefully (no line yet)
Also will take a shot with the MAVS as long as they are between 5 and 7 points. There is no line yet. I think with Kidd, Howard, and Dirk this team will be tough to beat. They will have extra focus for the Grizzlies after coming off two tough losses to the suns and the hornets. I think Dallas rolls even without stackhouse. Miller will be out for Memphis it looks like as well. DALLAS-5-7 hopefully. Don't play over 8. Good luck,
THE SPORTS REPORTER
BEST BET
DENVER over CHICAGO by 12
Tonight’s ESPN game features the Denver Nuggets traveling to Chicago after two full
days of rest after playing the Celtics on Tuesday. Allen Iverson had been speaking openly about his shooting woes prior to the All Star break and should be back to his usual scoring form after working on his shot over the past ten days. The Bulls have been completely unable to regain their mojo of last year and simply do not have the firepower to compete with Denver’s scoring ability, a problem compounded by injuries and lack of practice and lineup continuity. DENVER 109-97
WINNING POINTS
BEST BET*
Houston over *New Orleans by 6
The Rockets were red-hot entering the All-Star break winning 12 of their last 13.
Houston ranked second in defensive field goal percentage and fourth in scoring
defense. The Rockets have a strong enough zone defense to bother Chris Paul. Since
coming back from a knee injury, Tracy McGrady has consistently been playing at a
high level averaging 21 points and better than six assists and five rebounds per game.New Orleans’ defense had slipped a bit. The Hornets gave up 451 points in their last four games before the All-Star break, an average of 112.7 points. HOUSTON 98-92.
BEST BET*
*Detroit over Milwaukee by 21
Cohesion and chemistry. These are two crucial areas the Bucks are deficient in. They
have Eastern Conference playoff talent, but the team isn’t responding anymore to
coach Larry Krystkowiak. The entered All-Star break mired in a 1-7 slump, while
showing no signs of any fourth-quarter toughness. Chauncey Billups should have no
problem breaking down the Bucks’ passive defense. Detroit won its last 10 games
going into the break and the veteran Pistons should be well-rested and primed to continue their momentum. They’ve already beaten Milwaukee twice in two games by a combined 71 points. DETROIT 104-83.
BEST BET*
*Golden State over Atlanta by 20
After some early promise, the Hawks have begun their annual disappointing play.
They have been bad on the road failing to cover eight of their past 10 away contests
entering a five-game road swing following the All-Star break. This marks their third
game in four nights. The small, but athletic, Warriors match up well to the Hawks.
Atlanta doesn’t have the rebounders to slow down the Warriors’ fast-break game or the defenders to shut down their breakneck pace. GOLDEN STATE 121-101.
Josh Dean
25* Columbia Pk
15* Kings -1.5
5* Philly +7.5
5* Boston +2
Free B: Bucks +12
Vegas Experts
New Jersey Nets at Indiana Pacers
In recent meetings between the team's the games have been high scoring. The Nets have played the over in two straight games. The over is 5-0 in the Nets last 5 games vs. a team with a losing record. The Pacers have played the over in 8 of their last 9 games vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 6-2-2 in the Pacers last 10 home games. The over is 6-0 in the Nets last 6 trips to Indiana. The over is a profitable 14-3 in the last 17 meetings between the clubs.Good Luck - Jimmy the Moose
Matt Fargo
New Jersey Nets vs. Indiana Pacers
Play:New Jersey Nets
While it is unlikely the Nets are going to contend for a playoff run, the trade of Jason Kidd was the best thing that could have happened to them. Kidd was the captain and one of the leaders but he didn’t act like it when he publicly demanded out of New Jersey. Now that he is gone, the team can relax and continue to remain in the playoff race. Playing with a purpose and determination, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson helped lead the Nets to a gritty 110-102 overtime victory over the Bulls Wednesday night.
Indiana remains on the outside looking in as it is two and a half games out of the playoffs and going nowhere fast. The Pacers dropped their first game after the All-Star break, losing by nine points at home against the Cavaliers. The Pacers are 2-10 in their past 12 games and since Christmas they have gone 6-20. This includes a 3-9 record at home where they are just 10-16 on the season. They are one of only 10 teams in the NBA that has a losing record at home.
The Pacers don't have a point guard, they don't have a player in the paint and they don't have a go-to player. Jermaine O'Neal (sore left knee), G Jamaal Tinsley (sore left knee) and C David Harrison (sprained right ankle) all sat out with injuries against Cleveland and will all likely sit out again. O'Neal has missed 14 straight games, while Tinsley has missed five in a row. The go to guy is the biggest factor and that showed yet again against Cleveland when the Pacers were outscored 14-5 to end the game.
New Jersey has won four of its last five games and even though only one of those came without Kidd, it is the best run since early January when the Nets won five straight and seven of eight games. New Jersey is 15-12 against teams ranked outside the top 16 while Indiana is just 11-11. This is the first meeting this season between the two teams although New Jersey has owned this series with wins in seven straight games and covers in five straight contests.
The Nets are coming off that home win over the Bulls where they were getting 3.5 points and they are 19-6 ATS in road games off an upset win as a home underdog since 1996. They are also 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games against teams that have won fewer than 40 percent of their home games. Indiana meanwhile is just 5-15 ATS over the last three seasons against teams with a winning percentage between 40 and 49 percent. Don’t be surprised to see the Nets win this one outright. Play New Jersey Nets 1 Unit
Nelly
New York + over Toronto
The Knicks may be the butt of many jokes around the league but New York is actually starting to put together some solid performances, although without consistency. The Knicks delivered an awful performance in Philadelphia on Wednesday but the game came a night after an overtime victory in Washington facing a 76ers team that had just been blown out. Look for the Knicks to respond Friday as New York has played well against some of the better teams in the league. The Knicks are actually 13-6 ATS in the last 19 games and 8-2 in the last ten games as an underdog. This game falls in a tough spot for Toronto as the Raptors played a great first post-break game to beat Orlando convincingly at home. The Raptors are much less effective away from home and Toronto had some match-up problems in a close win over New York in January. Toronto has a solid team but the Raptors have not been able to get on a roll this year. The Raptors have covered in three consecutive games just once in the past ten weeks. Look for New York to deliver a strong performance at home coming off Wednesday's ugly loss.
13 games line up on the huge NBA schedule Friday following the exciting trade deadline action this week. Now that the teams are set, who is ready to make a splash tonight with a big win? We have a pick in the early ESPN match-up between Denver and Chicago as both teams need big second half runs to enter secure playoff positioning. Denver has had a solid first-half but still sits on the edge of the playoff picture and despite a disastrous start to the season the Bulls are still within reach of earning a playoff spot in the East. Nelly's has the winning pick in this game Friday night, we correctly called the winner the first time these teams met this season and we will be right again.
Dave Cokin
UC Santa Barbara @ 538 Utah State
Play: UCSB +5.5
Utah State is always tough at home, but I'm going against the Aggies in Friday Bracket Buster action. UC Santa Barbara is the better team on my numbers, and while that trip to Logan is never a cinch, the Gauchos have traveled well all season. I also feel the WAC is way down this year, and hope to take advantage of that here. It's always tough to read the mindset of teams that are in tight league races suddenly playing a non-conference contest in the heat of a pennant race. But if these teams play to their respective form, I like Santa Barbara's chances of at least getting the cover.
Marc Lawrence
Play On: Yale
Note: The Bulldogs takes on the Big Red in an Ivy League clash at Newman Arena tonight with history and game-setup in their favor. That's because Yale is 8-4 ATS in the last twelve meetings between these two, including 3-0 with revenge and 5-1 when playing with three or more days of rest. With the Bulldogs playing off a loss with 21-point revenge, we'll stand up and Yale tonight.
Princeton (5-17) at Harvard (6-18)
Bottom squads highlight the Ivy league slate in this one in Boston. The host Crimson have 3 scorers that rank in the top 13 in the league Lin 12.2,Houseman 11.5, and Magnarelli 10.8.Princeton is down from previous years.Harvard is getting better each week for HC Tommy Amaker.Tonight they win Lavietes Pavilion
Take Harvard
Vegas Sports Pics
Yale Bulldogs + 8.5 over (at) Cornell Big Red
Cornell (16-5, 8-0) vs. Yale (10-12, 4-4) is 3-1 last four games shooting 50.7 percent allowing 42 percent shooting. Bulldogs lost at Cornell 60-59 last season, 68-64 the previous season.
Bob Akmens
Pennsylvania @ Dartmouth u134.5
This play is the result of a successful computer model that has allowed Bob Akmens Sports to finish in first-place in 152 different categories of documented monitored handicapping contests since 1978.
The computer models I’ve developed for each sport look at the most-predictive variables that go into the winning and losing of games.
Several interesting factors in today’s play are as follows –
PENN goes UNDER the total when [all figures are ATS (against-the-spread)]:
Favored this year: 4-2 UNDERS last 6 games
Playing in the month of February: 15-10 UNDER last 25
Playing on Friday nights: 11-7 UNDER last 18
Playing with either 5 or 6 days rest: 7-4 UNDER last 11; 10-6 UNDER last 16
Playing vs poor offensive teams scoring 64 ppg or less: 11-7 UNDER last 18
DARTMOUTH goes UNDER the total when:
All games this year: 10-3 UNDERS last 13 games
They’re a dog: 10-2 UNDERS last 12 games
They’re a home dog of 3 points or less: 10-2 UNDERS last 12 games
Favored this year: 4-2 UNDERS last 6 games
They play other Ivy’s: 7-1 UNDERS last 8
Playing in the month of February: 22-8 UNDER last 30
Playing in the month of February: 15-10 UNDER last 25
Playing after an Ivy game: 5-1 UNDER last 6
Playing in the month of February: 15-10 UNDER last 25
Revenging a road loss vs an opponent: 19-5 UNDERS last 24
Off of a loss to an Ivy rival: 5-1 UNDERS last 6; 18-10 UNDERS last 28
Not covering for at least 3 in a row: 5-1 UNDER last 6
Playing a team with a losing record: 5-2 UNDER last 7
GO WITH PENN/DARTMOUTH UNDER 134.5
Sports Gambling Hotline
Philadelphia +7' at ORLANDO
NBA action tonight, and we will grab the points with the 76ers as they take on Orlando.
The Sixers did drop the first meeting of the season against the Magic 108-106, but they did cover in that one plus the 4-points. Philly has dropped 3 in a row to Orlando, but the 76ers are 4-1 against the spread in the last 5 meetings, and are 7-3 ATS the last 10 times these teams have faced each other.
Orlando comes into this one at 3-4 straight up their last 7 games, while the Sixers are on a 9-1-1 spread run their last 11 games, and have won outright in 6 of their last 7.
Finally, the underdog in this series is on a 21-7 long term spread run the last 28 meetings.
Play on the 76ers.
1* PHILADELPHIA
Bobby Maxwell
Houston at NEW ORLEANS -4'
Improved to 6-3 with our last nine FREE plays Thursday as the Rockets came through with a win and cover hosting the Heat. Today we're looking at a Houston game again, but this time the comp play is coming on New Orleans.
This is a matchup between two of the hottest teams in the NBA but we're going to side with the red-hot home team as the Hornets should be able to hold off the Rockets tonight.
Houston is playing its third game in four night and is coming off a 112-100 win Thursday at home over the Heat. That's just two days after they opened the second half with a 93-85 win over Cleveland, downing the Cavs as one-point favorites.
New Orleans has been playing great ball all season and have put together a five-game winning streak that includes a 104-93 home win over the Mavericks Wednesday as 3 1/2-point home favorites. The Hornets are shooting 49.1 percent from the floor during this five-game streak and averaging 111.8 points per game.
New Orleans won the first meeting between these two on Jan. 13, 87-82 as a one-point road underdog. The Hornets are 4-1 SU (5-0 ATS) in the last five meetings with Houston and 8-2 SU and ATS in the last 10 series contests.
The Hornets at home are definitely the right play in this one as they are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 at home and 42-20-1 ATS in their last 63 overall. We like Chris Paul and the Hornets to get the win and cover tonight
3* NEW ORLEANS
Karl Garrett
Milwaukee at DETROIT -12
The G-Man on a 26-18 comp play run.
I can smell a blowout tonight as the Detroit Pistons look to avenge Wednesday's 103-98 setback at the Bradley Center. The Pistons had won 10 in a row before the All Star break, but have come out a little flat to start the second half.
Expect them to take no prisoners tonight against a Bucks team that is 6-23 straight up on the road, and 12-16 against the spread in their roadies.
The Pistons are a positive 16-10 against the spread at the Auburn Palace this year, and prior to Wednesday's setback at Milwaukee, Detroit had won the previous 5 series tilts, and had covered in the previous 3 wins.
The G-Man can't see the Pistons losing streak hitting 3 in a row, especially when they are in quick turnaround revenge.
Lay the wood with Detroit tonight.
2* DETROIT
Jim Feist
HOU Rockets and NOR Hornets.
Take NOR Hornets
There aren't a lot of teams that can throw a big man at Yao Ming, but New Orleans can, with 25-year old 7-footer Tyson Chandler in the middle. He.'s a valuable role player who is content with grabbing rebounds and playing defense. They've met once this season and New Orleans won 87-82 at Houston as a dog, with Chandler playing Ming almost even in minutes and rebounds. That allows sparkplugs Chris Paul and David West to tear it up on offense and control the tempo. New Orleans is 18-8 SU, 15-11 ATS at home. They are also rested while Houston is playing its 3rd game in 4 nights. Play the Hornets!
Dave Cokin
Santa Barbara and Utah St.
Take Santa Barbara
Utah State is always tough at home, but I'm going against the Aggies in Friday Bracket Buster action. UC Santa Barbara is the better team on my numbers, and while that trip to Logan is never a cinch, the Gauchos have traveled well all season. I also feel the WAC is way down this year, and hope to take advantage of that here. It's always tough to read the mindset of teams that are in tight league races suddenly playing a non-conference contest in the heat of a pennant race. But if these teams play to their respective form, I like Santa Barbara's chances of at least getting the cover."
Ben Burns
Game: Portland Trail Blazers at Seattle SuperSonics
Prediction: under
Reason: Tonight's game marks the second game of a "home and home" series, as these teams faced each other at Portland last night. Prior to that game (played after press-time) the last time they faced each other was on Christmas Day. In what ESPN had originally hoped would be an exciting Greg Oden vs. Kevin Durant clash, the Blazers and Sonics combined for a mere 168 combined points. That brought the "under" to 3-1 the last four series meetings, including a 170-point affair in the most recent meeting here in Seattle. Playing the second of back to back games, I won't be surprised if we see another relatively low-scoring affair here. The Blazers have seen the "under" go 7-4-1 this season when playing the second of back to back games. Meanwhile, we find the "under" at 6-3 when the Sonics have played the second of back to back games. Looking back further and we find the "under" at 13-4 the last 17 times that the Sonics played the second of back to back games. Consider a play on the UNDER
John Fina
Selection: Cornell -8.5
We will lay the points with Cornell! The Cornell offense is much better then the Yale offense. Cornell (at home) is scoring an average of 79.8 points per game, while Yale (on the road) is scoring an average of only 63.5 points per game. This means the Cornell offense is scoring an average of 16.3 points per game more then the Yale offense. In addition, the favorite has done well in this series. In fact, the favorite is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings between these teams. Cornell is 3-1 ATS in their last 4 meetings against Yale, and should be able to get another blowout win tonight! Take Cornell -8.5!
MATT RIVERS
For Friday take the points with the Bucks.
I'm not calling for a second straight outright here in this back end of the home and home series but Milwaukee is not a terrible team despite the shoddy 20-34 record and if they can win as the six or so point dog at home then why can't they at least be competitive here
Sure Detroit may be the best team in the East, right alongside Boston, and are a well oiled and experienced machine but they still do not appear to be a blowout team that should cover large numbers.
The Bucks have been banged up and overall pretty miserable this season but there is some talent there with Michael Redd, Mo Williams, Andruw Bogut, Yi, Charlie Villaneuva and others and believe it or not these guys are still in the playoff hunt as the Eastern Conference is that bad. Obviously Larry Krystowiak's team does not do much in the paint normally and that could hurt here but today's visitors do have the potential to bomb away and with a quality backcourt can hold their own against Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton.
Detroit should get their revenge for sure and pull this thing out but the number is good enough for me to grab what I believe to be a much better team than their record shows in Milwaukee.