Jimmy The Moose
Game: Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres
Prediction: over
Reason: Montreal has played over the total in 4 of their last 5 games. Their last 4 games vs. Conference opponents have played the over. The over is 5-1-1 in Montreal's last 7 games following a win. The over is 6-2 in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The over is 4-0-1 in Buffalo's last 5 games. The Sabres last 4 home games have played over the total. The over is 4-1-1 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning home record. Play the over.
The Arena Football League Opening Kick-off From James Patrick Sports
New Orleans Voodoo vs. Los Angeles Avengers
Big Game James Patrick will be on top of all the action this season in the Arena Football League. Tonight the season kicks-off with one of the leagues most potent offenses,(Avengers), opening their home season by entertaining New Orleans. The off season acquisitions made by Los Angeles will put them in a position to challenge for the Eastern Division title this season. Head Coach Sonny Cumbie likes to light it up and look for him to do just that in this high scoring opening game. Our Friday Arena Football complimentary selection is Los Angeles – New Orleans OVER the TOTAL
Bob Akmens
Columbia -8.0
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 –
HARVARD bums you out and does NOT cover when they’re [all figures are ATS (against-the-spread)]:
A road dog of +6.5-9 points this year: 1-5 ATS last 6 games
Any kind of a road dog: 1-6 ATS last 7 games
Trying to get revenge for a home loss to the team they’re playing: 3-6 ATS last 9 games
Playing a team with any sort of winning record: 6-12 ATS last 18 games
COLUMBIA, on the other hand, makes you money and COVERS when they’re:
Playing anybody this year: 10-3 ATS last 13 games
Playing another Ivy team: 7-3 ATS last 10 games
Playing in the cold month of February: 6-2 ATS last 8 games
Playing a lousy team like Harvard with its 8-18 SU record (actually any team with a losing record): 5-1 ATS last 7 games
GO WITH COLUMBIA -8
Marc Lawrence
Game: Utah Jazz at New Orleans Hornets
Prediction: New Orleans Hornets
Note: The Stingers head back to the Hive to host the Jazz in another payback special on tap Friday night. This time it?s with nasty revenge, we might add, as New Orleans has taken it on the chops twice against Utah this season. The first loss was a 99-71 shellacking in Salt Lake City, the lowest production of the season by the Hornets. The second was a 110-88 beating, also in Utah, earlier this month. The Jazz just hosted, and beat, Detroit at the Delta Center Wednesday night, setting the table for tonight?s fray. That?s because NBA road teams are 11-22 ATS when going into revenge of more than 15 points after playing the Pistons, including 3-13 ATS as dogs. With Utah is 3-7 SU & 2-8 ATS away on Fridays off a home game, we'll stay at home with the Hornets here tonight.
EDGEONODDS
Philadelphia 76ers @ Golden State Warriors
Pick: Golden State -5.5 & OVER 215.5
Reasoning: Who needs defense when you are scoring 110 points a game? That has been the tale for the Warriors all season. Golden State ranks 1st overall in offense (110.0) a game, and last in defense (107.9) against. At home the Warriors have the knack to get teams running and playing their style of game. This has showed at the betting window. 19 of the 29 Warrior home games and flew OVER the total. The Sixers have played 4 of their last 5 games OVER the total; three of the four came on the road. Philly is averaging a total of 108 points per game in their last four. In 6 of the last 7 times Philadelphia has made the cross country trip to California the total has gone OVER with the home team covering 4 of the past 10. The Sixers are 4-10 ATS in the previous 14 meetings and just 1-5 in the past 6 played in Golden State. Today’s total sits at 215.5 which is about right on par for these two teams meeting up. Some of the past totals included 207, 214, 206 and 208. Golden State has struggled in the first half of recent ball games but always pull them out with huge 3rd and 4th quarter runs. You may very well see another one of those with Philadelphia holding leads into halftime in 5 of their last 7 ball games. Look for a high paced ball game with a big finish putting this game over the posted 215.5 total. Take the WARRIORS and the OVER.
Marc Lawrence
Utah Jazz at New Orleans Hornets
The Stingers head back to the Hive to host the Jazz in another payback special on tap Friday night. This time it’s with nasty revenge, we might add, as New Orleans has taken it on the chops twice against Utah this season. The first loss was a 99-71 shellacking in Salt Lake City, the lowest production of the season by the Hornets. The second was a 110-88 beating, also in Utah, earlier this month. The Jazz just hosted, and beat, Detroit at the Delta Center Wednesday night, setting the table for tonight’s fray. That’s because NBA road teams are 11-22 ATS when going into revenge of more than 15 points after playing the Pistons, including 3-13 ATS as dogs. With Utah is 3-7 SU & 2-8 ATS away on Fridays off a home game, we'll stay at home with the Hornets here tonight.
Vegas Experts
Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors
Toronto has covered eight of the last 10 in this series. It is 14-7 ATS at home. It has won and covered five of its last six while the Pacers are 3-8 S/U and ATS over their last 11. They are also 1-5 S/U and ATS their last six on the road and 16-30 ATS second half of the season over the last 2 seasons while TORONTO is 42-29 ATS in home games over the last 2 seasons.
Play on: Toronto
Alex Smart
Montreal Canadiens -122.0
The Montreal Canadiens enter into this tilt against the Buffalo Sabres , having lost 3 straight meetings in this series ,out scoring them during that span by a lopsided 11-3 count. I know the Habs have revenge on board , and are in good form, as is evident by winning 4 of their L6 , but the Sabres are no push overs at home, and will be ready to continue their domination of the eastern conference foes. Final notes & Trends: Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller, 10-3-2 with a 2.29 goals-against average in 15 career starts against the Canadiens. Montreal has also lost 21 of their 29 games in upstate NY. Home team s 7-1 L8 meetings in this series. Play on the Sabres
Brad Diamond
Play on: Philadelphia over Golden State
Sixers an amazing 11-2-1 ATS since January 26th and, finally getting attention nationally and on the Las Vegas highway. However, it is always dangerous when an east coast club takes on a west coast swing, while in the midst of a winning streak. Still, I must back the game Philly group who will need to play solid perimeter defense to cover the number, because this is not the hapless Orlando long range bombers hoisting
Great Lakes
Miami at Seattle
Play on: Seattle Supersonics
The Seattle Supersonics are playing better of late going 6-3 ATS in their last nine games, and 12-8 ATS vs the Miami Heat since 1996. The Seattle Supersonics is also 4-1 ATS as a favorite this year, and 8-4 ATS when playing on Friday Nights this year. We look for the Seattle Supersonics to roll over the Miami Heat for the home ATS Win & cover tonight.
John Ryan
Game: San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings
Prediction: San Jose Sharks
Reason: Ai Simulator 3* graded play on San Jose. Supporting this graded play is a system that has gone 154-119 and has made 56.6 units since 1996. Play against home teams when the money line is -100 to -150 that is a good team outscoring their opponents by 0.3+ gpg and after playing a game where 7 or more total goals were scored. Detroit has a very strong power play scoring on 20.5% of their opportunities and ranks 4th in the NHL. However, San Jose has the 2nd best PP killing team allowing opponents to score on just 13.9% of their chances. Note that San Jose is 8-2 against the money line (+6.1 Units) in road games against excellent power play teams scoring on > 19% of their chances this season. Note that Detroit is in a weak role sporting a 8-13 money line mark (-14.3 Units) against good power play killing teams that are allowing opposition to score on <14.5% of chances in the 2nd half of the year over the last 3 seasons. Take San Jose.
Vegas Sports Pics
Brown Bears - 13 over Princeton Tigers
Princeton (5-19, 2-7) is 0-14 away from home off losing at (9-15) Dartmouth 71-52 on 02/23. Brown (15-9, 7-3) needs 3 wins with 4 games remaining to break the school record for wins in a season.
Stephen Nover
Memphis Grizzlies @ Houston Rockets
PICK: Memphis Grizzlies
REASON FOR PICK: Hakim Warrick is playing well. Rudy Gay is having a breakthrough season. Hey, it's hard to find positive things to say about the Memphis Grizzlies.
Memphis has dropped 12 of its last 13. Houston has won its last 13 games. But this being the NBA, you have to zig and zag. This is a letdown spot for the Rockets. Look for Memphis to cover this large spread.
The Rockets buried Washington in their last game on Tuesday, 94-69. The Rockets were playing for the first time knowing Yao Ming would be out for the season. The Rockets were fired-up because of that. They also were catching the Wizards playing in their fourth game in five nights and off a buzzer-beating upset road victory against New Orleans.
I don't see the Rockets having that kind of emotion in their second game without Yao, especially with a nationally televised home game against Denver on Sunday up next. It will be hard for the Rockets to take the Grizzlies seriously and without Yao, they no longer have the talent to bury bad teams unless they're on their "A" game.
JEFFERSONSPORTS
BROWN-13
On to today. Brown comes in averaging 69 points at home. Princeton averages 53 points away and has not won on the road yet. Brown has not played at home since feb 9. The last two home games they played they shot 54% from the field and 63% from the field. They had won six games in a row til they lost to Cornell. That loss should give them some extra focus. I look for Brown to lay it on Princeton. Also, early money coming in on Princeton and I always like that.
BROWN-13
Dave Cokin
Manhattan and Fairfield.
Take Fairfield.
Fairfield could be a legit sleeper in the upcoming MAAC Tourney. The Stags have come on strong down the stretch and look for their sixth straight win tonight as they host a mediocre Manhattan entry. I'll go with the hot hand in this contest, Fairfield minus the spot."
Jim Feist
CHA Bobcats and BOS Celtics.
Take Under
The Celtics got their defense going on the road trip with the return of Kevin Garnett to the middle of the lineup. Their last two games went under the total, holding the Clippers to 76 and the Cavs to 87. A weak offensive Charlotte team comes to town, one averaging just 91 ppg on the road. The last meeting Boston one 95-83 in a game that sailed under the total. This one will too, play the Bobcats/Celtics under the total
NY Knicks and ORL Magic.
Take Over
Orlando is a strong offensive team because they like the uptempo style, averaging 104 ppg at home. The Knicks have been a strong offensive team of late because they don't play any defense! NY is on an 8-0 run over the total playing matador defense allowing lay up after lay up. In fact, they are 19-9 over the total on the road. Don't look for any defense, play the Knicks/Magic over the total
Mighty Quinn
Yale -6.5
RedZone Sports
Hornets.
Scott Spreitzer
Dallas
Cappers Access
Hornets
Glen Mcgrew
Cornell