Jeff Alexander
Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers
LA Clippers +15
The Clippers are getting a few too many points on their home floor tonight against the Lakers. The Lakers' interior defense has hardly been tested at all during its run, but Chris Kaman will test it tonight. The Lakers are 3-12 ATS in March games over the last 2 seasons and 8-18 ATS in home games after allowing 100 points or more 2 straight games over the last 2 seasons. The Lakers are also 8-20 ATS in home games vs. good free throw shooting teams - making >=76% of their attempts over the last 2 seasons. The Clippers are going to make this a halfcourt basketball game and they are not going to settle for jump shots. The Lakers will prevail in the end, but the Clippers will keep this one well within the number.
Matt Fargo
Atlanta Hawks @ Charlotte Bobcats
PICK: under
REASON FOR PICK: These teams played just over three weeks ago and while that game did go over the total, it took overtime to do. More importantly however is how much the total has changed. It was set at 193.5 in that last meeting and now all of a sudden it is over 10 points higher than that. This adjustment is mostly due to the recent play of both teams but you need to look at who the competition was and that shows why the games ended up where they were.
Both teams played Golden St. this past week and we saw finishing scores of 253 and 227 and that no doubt has an effect on this number. The Warriors are going to try and run the opposition out of the gym and they were able to dictate the tempo in each of those games. Golden St. averages a league-high 89.1 field goal attempts per game. Both Charlotte and Atlanta are well below that average and both are actually in the bottom half of the league in field goal attempts.
The offenses of the Bobcats and Hawks average a combined 191.7 ppg on the season. And while the defenses are far from stout, they allow a combined 199.8 ppg. In home and road games, both of these averages come down even more so basing tonight’s total on recent play is the wrong way to go. In the three games played in Charlotte over the last two seasons, the posted totals have been 184.5, 195 and 193.5. The scores of those games have averaged 191.7 ppg.
On the season, Atlanta is 21st in the NBA in shooting offense, hitting 44.3 percent. Charlotte is not much better, coming in at 20th at 44.5 percent. Atlanta has been solid from the free throw line, hitting 77.4 percent but the Bobcats offset that as they are second to last in the league hitting only 71.1 percent from the stripe. The Hawks have thrived on defense against weaker opponents as 14 of their last 17 games against teams winning fewer than 40 percent of their games have gone under the total.
As mentioned, the number is shaded high because of recent games and we get a lot of value based on that. Play on the under where the total between 200 and 209.5 after two straight games where both teams scored 100 points or more going up against an opponent after a game where both teams scored 105 points or more. This situation is 39-11 to the under (78 percent) over the last five seasons including a 6-1 record (85.7 percent) this season. Play Under Atlanta Hawks/Charlotte Bobcats 1 Unit
Spritzer
direct line...........................drake
insider..............................delaware
tko...................................san fran
tko......................................wright st
tko........................................s. ill
tko..........................................hofst ra
5 star.............................murray st
ko....................................gold st
tko............................nuggets
5 star..........................hawks
Cokin
fat man plays..................upenn
big shot............................delaware
window.............................valpo
under the hat............................james mad
3 star.........................murray
3 star.............................wofford
under the hat.................nuggets
3 star......................celtics
Feist
personal best........................st petes
steam..............................north eastern
platinum............................darmouth
inner circle...........................furman
5 star mismatch gow................wofford
5 star.......................georgia st
total.....................bulls under
personal best..............hawks
platinum.......................lakers
inner circle.................gold st
3 star........................nets
Mike Wynn
Boston -11 Over Chicago
Vegas Steam Line
Cornell -7 over Penn
Scooter
Pick: Vancouver -230
Nick Parsons
Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (-) vs Edmonton
The Blue Jackets are back on home ice. However, the fact that they haven’t won here in seven weeks means we are able to get some solid line value with this underrated home favorite tonight! In their history, Columbus has never lost seven straight home games and they certainly want to avoid getting the record books tonight! Speaking of history, the Blue Jackets do not have a good one against the Oilers. However, their most recent home game against Edmonton was a 4-2 win in late December. Rick Nash scored three goals that night and he will once again be tough to contain here. Even though Blue Jackets netminder Pascal Leclaire has been in goal for some of the Blue Jackets games during their home losing streak, he also was 6-0 at Nationwide Arena with a 1.65 GAA during their home winning streak that preceded this losing streak. The Blue Jackets have outshot their last two opponents by a combined total of 77-48 and yet they’ve lost each game by a single goal. Look for a big response from Columbus tonight!
Stan Winman
Rockets
Houston just plays better against Eastern Conference teams especially the Wizards as they are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Washington. The Houston Rockets will try and win their third straight game on Tuesday night as the travel to Washington to take on the Wizards. The Rockets have played their last six games without Tracy McGrady who is expected to miss at least another week. They team has pulled together adn played more like a team without their superstar. Houston is 4-2 without McGrady and is coming off a 103-91 win on Saturday against New York.
Bottom Line: The Rockets have won four straight and 11 of 14 over Washington since the 2000-01 season. The Rockets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. the Eastern Conference. The Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a road underdog. The Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The Rockets are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 vs. the Southeast.
Take the Rockets on the road
David Chan
Indiana State at Drake Over
Bob Akmen
-- National Hockey League --
Tampa Bay Lightning / New Jersey Devils OV 5.0 (-140) / 3 units
-- National Basketball Association --
Detroit Pistons / New York Knicks OV 190.5 / 3 units
-- Arena Football --
Columbus Destroyers +9.5 / 3 units
-- College Basketball --
Northern Iowa / Southern Illinois UN 115.5 / 3 units
FERRINGO
3.5-Unit Play. Take Illinois-Chicago (-4) over Loyola
The Flames have covered five straight in this series and have won four of the last five meetings. That includes a sweep of the Ramblers last year when Loyola had a much, much better team. This is Loyola’s fifth road game in a row on the road, while UI-C is just starting to heat up from the outside. I like the veteran team here in this rivalry game.
2-Unit Play. Take Wofford (-2) over Western Carolina
The Terriers are a group of 3-point bombers and I'm betting that they are somewhat on this afternoon. Western Carolina has played well without leading scorer, Brandon Giles. But I think that his absence finally catches up with them and that Wofford is simply too much. WCU is 3-9 ATS in neutral site games and Wofford should be ready to break out in this one.
1-Unit Play. Take #764 Manhattan (-2) over St. Peters
Drew Gordon
1. 200,000* 76ers
2. 50,000* Wright State
3. 50,000* Suns
Young Gun Sports
4* Ill Chicago
3* Seattle
3* Bulls Under
3* Bradley
3* College Of Charlston
Tom Stryker
3* Drake
3* Ill Chicago
Dr Bob
2* Drake -9, 3* @ -8
Opinion
Drexel +1, 2* @ +2
Eddie Roman
15,000* Illinois State
PHILLY CONNECTION
MISSOURI STATE
Winners Edge
NBA
N O Hornets - 10 , 2 units
CBB
Bradley + 1 , 2 units
GINA
San Antonio Spurs (43-17) at Denver Nuggets (36-24)
The Nuggets have won three of their last four at the Pepsi Center, 23-7 at home this season. But, the hot Spurs have won ten straight, playing strong defensively, allowing an average of just 87.1 points per game in that span. The total has gone 'under' in the last five meetings and 11 of the last 13 battles in Denver. The last time these teams met on January, 3, 2008, Denver won 80-77 at the Pepsi Center. Look for the Spurs to choke Denver on their home court.
Take the under.