Scott Spreitzer
Illinois-Chicago at Butler
Prediction: Butler
I'm laying the points with Butler on Friday night. The Bulldogs had to play three league games in just six nights, but won two of them, including a rare win in Nutter Arena against Wright State. The Horizon League front-runners have now had six days off to rest-up and get set for the stretch run. It begins tonight against a struggling UIC squad. The Flames have won just three of their last 13 games and can look absolutely lost at times on the offensive end. In fact, UIC has the dubious distinction of scoring just 31 points in a 26-point loss at Wright State back in January. When you're struggling on offense, you don't want to face Butler. If ever their was a "system" program in college baskets, this is it. Each one of their last three coaches, including current coach Brad Stevens has run the same style. Stevens, in just his second season as the head honcho, owns a 51-6 SU mark thus far. The Bulldogs are a perfect 11-0 SU at home this season where they hold the opposition to just 52.5 ppg on 37% shooting. I expect this one to get ugly early and stay that way. I'm laying the points with Butler.
Ben Burns
Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars
Prediction: Dallas Stars
After an extended skid, the Canucks are playing well again these days and they showed some spirit in rallying to come back and defeat Phoenix last night. This is their third game since Tuesday though, while the Stars are playing just their second since Monday. Advantage Dallas. Indeed, the Canucks are just 5-10 the last 15 times that they played the second of back to back games, including 0-2 in 2009.
The Stars were beaten 1-0 last time out. That's not necessarily cause for concern though, as they had won seven of their previous eight games. Additionally, they're 7-4 (+3.8) on the season, after scoring one goal or less in their previous game. Looking back further and we find that Dallas has always been profitable in that situation. Since 1996, the Stars are a highly profitable 140-83 (+39.1) after scoring one goal or less in their previous game. Consider backing the favorite.
Brett Maverick Sports
Ill Chicago +12.5
Tonight all the public money is riding on Butler at 80% which is the highest of the day so far. I can understand this to an extent as Butler has cashed 5 straight in this rivalry. But we do see many flaws in this Butler Blowout that warrents a look the other direction. First off Butler has been a bad play at home this year covering only 3 of 9 times. Butler has been anything but a money maker as of late as they have covered only 2 of the last 6 contest overall. Seems the Vegas lines have caught up to Butler. With Ill Chicago leading in four major stats including offensive rebounds per game, defensive rebounds per game, free throw percentage and steals per game, the blowout by Butler does not look safe to us. A small play on Ill Chicago plus the double digits. Dont forget Butler was down by 11 points and had to rally late to get the victory in an earlier meeting, so revenge has a factor too.
John Ryan
Illinois Chicago vs. Butler
Play: Illinois Chicago +13
Ai Simulator 3* graded play on Illinois-Chicago as they travel to face Butler slated to start at 7:00 EST. AiS shows a 75% probability that IC will lose this game by 12 or fewer points. Supporting this graded play is a strong system that has produced a record of 59-27 for 69% winners since 1997. Play against a favorite off 2 or more consecutive road wins and playing on Friday nights. HC Collins is a solid 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games. IC is off a 3 game home stand and played well in their last game against Detroit. This will carry over to this challenge against ranked Butler and serves to erase the dismal performance in the second home game against Youngstown State where they shot just 31% and lost 68-60 installed as 10.5 point favorites. Take Illinois-Chicago to keep this game within double digits and possibly even tighter.
LT Profits
Yale -2
The Princeton Tigers are off to a 4-0 start both straight up and against the spread in Ivy League play, and they have won seven straight overall, but we feel those streaks will come to an end when they visit the Yale Bulldogs tonight.
Yale is 3-3 in Ivy play and just 8-12 overall, keep in mind that they have played just one conference home game so far, which was a win. Their other two conference wins came on the road at Brown and at Harvard, and the Bulldogs are 4-1 here at home this season, losing only to a Stanford team that totally outclasses and Ivy League club.
Now Princeton is 4-4 SU on the road overall, but three of those four wins came vs. teams ranked in the 300s in the Pomeroy Ratings (Army, Fordham, Dartmouth) and the fourth win came vs. number 273 Harvard. This make Yale the highest rated team the Tigers will have faced on the road to this point, and remember also that the Bulldogs are 4-0 straight up in all the head-to-head meetings the last two seasons.
Look for Yale to make it five straight in this series as small home chalk tonight.
Pick: Yale -2
Tom Freese
Harvard at Cornell
Cornell is 6-1 ATS their last 7 home games and they are and they are 6-2 ATS their last 8 games overall. The Big Red are 5-2 ATS their last 7 league games and they are 6-0 ATS vs. teams that make 37% or more of their three point shots. Harvard is 18-40-1 ATS their last 59 games overall and they are 7-20-1 ATS their last 28 road games. The Crimson are 3-12-1 ATS their last 16 games as underdogs and they are 9-23-1 ATS off an ATS loss. PLAY ON CORNELL -
Jimmy Boyd
1 Unit on Butler -13
Illinois Chicago lost at Wright State by 26 points. Butler just won at Wright State by 18 points. This one is a major mismatch. Butler is 5-1 SU and ATS in the last 6 meetings in this series, including a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS at home. While Illinois Chicago has played Butler tough at home in recent years, it has been beaten up on the road with a 26-point loss and a pair of 16-point losses the last 3 seasons. Illinois Chicago is 2-12 ATS versus excellent defensive teams - allowing <=57 points/game after 15+ games since 1997, losing in these spots by an average score of 52.4 to 69.9. Butler is 12-3 ATS as a home favorite of 12.5 to 18 points over the last 3 seasons, winning in these spots by an average score of 68.3 to 47.5. Take the Bulldogs.
DUNKEL
Illinois-Chicago at Butler
The Flames are coming off a 64-53 win over Detroit, but are just 1-6 ATS after holding teams to 60 points or less in the previous game. Butler is the pick (-12 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulldogs favored by 15 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Butler (-12 1/2).
Game 851-852: Dartmouth at Columbia
Dunkel Ratings: Dartmouth 46.165; Columbia 51.241
Dunkel Line: Columbia by 5
Vegas Line: Columbia by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dartmouth (+8 1/2)
Game 853-854: Princeton at Yale
Dunkel Ratings: Princeton 48.539; Yale 53.139
Dunkel Line: Yale by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Yale by 2
Dunkel Pick: Yale (-2)
Game 855-856: Harvard at Cornell
Dunkel Ratings: Harvard 47.371; Cornell 61.285
Dunkel Line: Cornell by 14
Vegas Line: Cornell by 15
Dunkel Pick: Harvard (+15)
Game 857-858: Illinois-Chicago at Butler
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 55.064; Butler 70.739
Dunkel Line: Butler by 15 1/2
Vegas Line: Butler by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Butler (-12 1/2)
Game 859-860: Pennsylvania at Brown
Dunkel Ratings: Pennsylvania 49.254; Brown 47.480
Dunkel Line: Pennsylvania by 2
Vegas Line: Brown by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pennsylvania (+1 1/2)
Game 861-862: Loyola-Chicago at Valparaiso
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola-Chicago 50.758; Valparaiso 55.428
Dunkel Line: Valparaiso by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Valparaiso by 5
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-Chicago (+5)
Game 863-864: Villanova at West Virginia
Dunkel Ratings: Villanova 72.502; West Virginia 77.582
Dunkel Line: West Virginia by 5
Vegas Line: West Virginia by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: West Virginia (-3 1/2)
Game 865-866: St. Peter's at Rider
Dunkel Ratings: St. Peter's 47.988; Rider 53.045
Dunkel Line: Rider by 5
Vegas Line: Rider by 9
Dunkel Pick: St. Peter's (+9)
Game 867-868: Iona at Loyola-MD
Dunkel Ratings: Iona 48.859; Loyola-MD 57.742
Dunkel Line: Loyola-MD by 9
Vegas Line: Loyola-MD by 3
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-MD (-3)
NHL
Montreal at Colorado
The Canadiens are 0-5 on Friday nights and face a Colorado team that is 5-2 at home when the total is 6 or more. The Avalanche is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has Colorado favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+100).
Game 1-2: Detroit at Columbus
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 12.659; Columbus 11.758
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-175); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-175); Under
Game 3-4: Boston at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 12.046; New Jersey 12.710
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-125); Over
Game 5-6: San Jose at Buffalo
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 12.005; Buffalo 12.442
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+140); Over
Game 7-8: NY Rangers at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 10.660; Florida 10.385
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Florida (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+105); Over
Game 9-10: Chicago at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 12.247; St. Louis 12.336
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-165); 6
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+145); Under
Game 11-12: Vancouver at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 11.720; Dallas 11.476
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+135); Under
Game 13-14: Montreal at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.165; Colorado 12.087
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-120); 6
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+100); Under
Jeff Benton
Illinois-Chicago +13 at BUTLER
For Friday’s free play, we’ll grab the big points with Illinois-Chicago at Butler.
Obviously, on paper, Butler would appear to be the easy call here. For starters, the 15th-ranked Bulldogs are 21-2, including 11-0 at home and 12-1 in Horizon League play, while Illinois-Chicago is 11-13 overall, including 5-7 on the road and 4-10 in conference, and the Flames have lost five of their last six SU and are 3-10 ATS in their last 13, including 1-5 ATS in their last six on the road. Furthermore, Butler is on a 5-0 SU and ATS run in this rivalry, including a 16-point home win last year and a 26-point home victory in 2007, and the favorite has cashed in 14 of the last 18 meetings.
However, take a look at what these teams have done recently. Yes, Illinois-Chicago is in a 1-5 funk, but the victory came Tuesday, a 64-53 rout of Detroit as a 9½-point home favorite. Prior to that the Flames were competitive in losses to Youngstown State (68-60), Cleveland State (66-63) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (63-62). Meanwhile, the Bulldogs looked very impressive in Saturday’s 69-51 rout of Wright State as a two-point road favorite, but before that they struggled to put away both Detroit (66-61) and Valparaiso (59-51), and lost outright at Wisconsin-Green Bay (75-66). During that three-game stretch, Butler went 0-3 ATS.
Also, these teams played a very competitive game nearly a month ago at Illinois-Chicago, with Butler rallying from a 28-17 halftime deficit to win 59-52 despite getting outrebounded (34-27) and shooting just 18-for-54 (33.3 percent) from the field. In fact, Butler made just seven two-point shots in the whole game. And although the Bulldogs covered that night, they were only favored by three points. Tonight, they’re a healthy double-digit chalk.
Speaking of which, Butler hasn’t exactly thrived in the role of big favorite this year, going just 2-5 ATS when laying double digits. Conversely, the Flames have been an underdog of more than 10 points just once all season. The result? A 74-55 rout of Vanderbilt as a 10½-point road pup on Dec. 3.
Do I see another outright upset here? Probably not, but it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world. Regardless, we’ve got a ton of wiggle room with the points we’re getting, and with Butler winning just two of its last seven games by double digits, this line is seriously inflated. Grab the value with the road underdog.
2♦ ILLINOIS-CHICAGO
Karl Garrett
Loyola Chicago +4' at VALPARASIO
G-Man is 9-3 the last 12 days with my comp plays, and 14-5 overall the last 19 days with my free play selections.
Take the points tonight with Loyola-Chicago as they visit Valparaiso.
Both schools are mired in losing streak, the Ramblers having dropped 5 straight, while the Crusaders have lost their 4, and 7 of their last 8.
Can't lay points of value with either side, so take the underdog who does own the decided series advantage.
Loyola-Chicago has won ALL 5 series meetings since 2002, and they have covered ALL 3 series meetings that have had a line on them. Included is a 71-56 rout of Valpo on the Ramblers home floor back on January 17th.
With both teams slumping, prefer to take the points with the underdog.
Loyola-Chicago gets the G-Man's nod.
1♦ LOYOLA-CHICAGO
Scott Delaney
Today's Selection
Now on a 5-1 run with complimentary plays after giving you Temple over St. Joe's last night. Tonight we take Villanova against West Virginia.
Little strange to have watched Notre Dame blast Louisville last night, so I wonder if this rare Friday night clash in the Big East is smart, but will still take the shot with Nova tonight.
Jay Wright's bunch is arguably the hottest team in the Big East, and that's a significant statement considering the league includes top-ranked U Conn, and Top 10 schools Pittsburgh and Louisville.
And since this is just a comp play, we can take a shot with the road team here, since the Wildcats come in after trouncing nationally ranked Marquette and Syracuse after scoring 102 points in each game, winning by 18 and 17 points, respectively.
During the team's current six-game winning streak, Villanova has also knocked off Pittsburgh by 10 points and hasn't lost since a relatively close six-point loss to U Conn on Jan. 21.
Take Villanova here, as it rolls to the win and cover.
VILLANOVA WILDCATS
Dennis Macklin
New York Rangers at Florida Panthers
Prediction: Florida Panthers
The Rangers broke through a 15 game scoring slump in last dropping a five spot on the Caps in last. That win also snapped a five game losing streak for the Broadway Blues. The Panthers came out of the break on a mission and are 6-2 in eight after the break. Thesse two have split last ten games but FLA is obviously a team on the up escalator. Take the Panthers.
Pregame.com Total of the day play (OVER - Total Play of the Day)
Villanova: The Wildcats will go for their seven straight victory and score
more than 90 points for the fourth time in a row. In fact, they have hit the
century mark in back-to-back conference games for the first time in school
history following a 102-84 win over Marquette on Tuesday. “Sometimes,
you’ve just got to outscore people,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said.
“We don’t like that, but that’s the only way we’re going to do it tonight.”
PROJECTED SCORE: 70
The UNDER is 8-2-1 in Villanova's last 11 Friday games.
West Virginia (-3.5, O/U 138): The Mountaineers will look to slow down
Villanova by controlling the pace, although that still hasn't translated to
many wins lately. They have dropped four of their last six games with the
UNDER going 4-2 during that stretch. West Virginia has allowed just 61
points per game this season but has scored more than 63 only once in
the last four games. “Our defense was good enough to win - our offense
wasn’t,” Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins said. “Nobody has ever
won 0-0. You’ve got to score the ball.”
PROJECTED SCORE: 73
The OVER is 6-2 in West Virginia's last 8 Friday games.
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Charlies Sports- free pick
college basketball. princeton @ yale-2 For Yale men’s basketball coach
James Jones there are times that Chris Andrews’ stint with the Bulldogs that
has been almost too heart-breaking to watch.Jones has seen Andrews grow
from a prep school star to a team leader but with far too many bumps and
bruises along the way. Andrews has had two torn anterior cruciate ligaments
in his four years at Yale yet never even swayed from his desire to help the
Bulldogs anyway he could. Tonight Andrews and the Bulldogs play host to
Princeton at the Lee Amphitheater, yale covers-2.
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my special system picks:
I am now on a 4 -1 run with these picks. I violated my rule about taking only
the best team of the day (one pick only rule) and I added one more which was
Gonzaga. The first pick won by a wide margin but Gonzaga just failed by one
point. I also violated my rule on that one by buying one point instead of two.
I would have had a push/cancel and gotten my money back if I had stuck by
the rules. So by violating two rules I won $20 with Utah State and I lost $20
with Gonzaga for a 0 for the day. At least I did not lose any money.
Because the spread is so huge on my system pick today: BUTLER, I am buying
three points and playing $20 instead of $30. Take Butler at -10
Jeff Alexander
1 Unit on Cornell -14.5
Cornell crushed Harvard by 33 points at home last March and I like the Big Red to put another major beatdown on the Crimson tonight. Cornell is a perfect 9-0 at home this season, winning by 20.9 points on average. Harvard is 2-10 ATS in all lined games this season, 2-13 ATS in road games over the last 2 seasons, and 0-6 ATS against conference opponents this season. Harvard is also 0-7 ATS after playing a home game this season. Cornell just crushed a Penn team on the road by 15 that Harvard lost to at home by 6. I'll lay the points here.
Drew Gordon
Loyola-Chicago +4' at VALPARAISO
Neither one of these teams is very good, but Valpo is on a whole other level of bad when you're talking about this match up. Guys, how can you possibly lay points with this Crusaders team? Yes, I know they covered 3 in a row, but that was on the road, as a double-digit dog in two of the three contests... So let's not get too carried away laying points with one of the worst teams in the Horizon (Detroit maybe worse, but Valpo just lost there SU in their last one).
I'm not saying the Ramblers are that much better, but looking over their 5-game losing streak, the only loss I didn't like was against Youngstown State, otherwise they haven't been nearly as bad as Valpo. And fact of the matter is Loyola-Chicago has OWNED this series, going 5-0 SU & 3-0 ATS!
From a match up standpoint, we saw what happened in their last meeting - a 71-56 Ramblers home win and cover January 17th. The Ramblers backcourt dominated the Crusaders, with Cerasoli and Blount combining for 43 points on 16 of 29 shooting and 6 steals! Look for more of the same in this contest, as Cerasoli is coming off a terrible 1 of 11 shooting effort and will be looking to bounce back strong.
Bottom line, in a pick between the lesser of two evils, the play here rests squarely on the road dog. I could easily see the Ramblers winning this one outright, but based on their recent play, we'll take the points and play it safe.
Take Loyola-Chicago plus the points over Valparaiso in this college hoops match up.
2♦ LOYOLA-CHICAGO