Cajun Sports
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls
Play: Chicago Bulls -6.5
The United Center will be the site of tonight’s Eastern Conference clash between the host Chicago Bulls and the visiting Bucks from Milwaukee. The Bulls have been money-makers lately when playing in the Second City cashing in five of their last six times to post. This game holds a ton of importance for the Bulls because if they can capture a win here that would give them the season series between these two teams along with the time-breaker. It’s crucial because the Bulls are a few percentage points behind the Bucks as they enter tonight’s contest. Some very good teams have come into the United Center and lost SU during the Bulls recent surge including the Pistons, Magic, Nuggets and the Rockets so a win over the Bucks is certainly attainable at this point. The changes Chicago made before the trade deadline have done wonders for their lack of depth in fact the injury to Luol Deng has allowed Salmons to come in and average 15 points per game on 49 percent from the field. Miller has been coming in off the bench and providing double-digit points and seven boards per contest, all huge improvements over the previous Bulls team that was taking the floor earlier in the season. Will they make the playoffs and if so can they advance, not likely but they can get us a SU and ATS win over a Bucks team that has lost 8 of their last 10 on the highway and covered in only three of those games, all systems go for a play on the Bulls tonight. NBA teams that have lost their last two games ATS and are now installed as an underdog are only 92-123-5 ATS this season. NBA teams coming in off a SU loss and going ‘under’ in their last game with a line range of 6 to 7.5 points are only 33-52 ATS if they happen to be on the road that record is 14-27 ATS. NBA Division Home Favorites coming off an ATS win at home in their last game are 20-8 ATS in their next game. NBA Division Home Favorites coming off a home ATS win and going ‘under’ in their previous game are 13-2 ATS in their next game. Lay the chalk with the host as the Chicago Bulls take advantage of a Bucks team mired in a slump and advance their cause for post-season position.
Graded Selection: 2* Chicago Bulls 110 Milwaukee Bucks 92
Marc Lawrence
Play On: Notre Dame
The Irish close out the regular season at home looking to avenge a same season loss against the the Red Storm, who enter off an upset revenge win over Georgetown in their Last Home Game on Tuesday. With Notre Dame off an embarrassing 17-point home loss against Villanova on Monday, look for the Irish to fight their way to victory in this senior-sendoff here tonight.
Jimmy The Moose
Calgary Flames at Carolina Hurricanes
Prediction: Calgary Flames
The Flames improved themselves at the trade deadline and their additions paid off in last night's 5-1 win in Philadelphia. The Flames are 6-1 in their last 7 games. IN their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning record they are 7-1. Calgary has won their last 6 road games. The Hurricanes are playing well but they are running into a red hot Flames team. Carolina is 4-10 in their last 14 games vs. a team from the Northwest Division. The Hurricanes are 1-4-1 in the last 6 meetings with Calgary. Play on the Calgary Flames -.
Bob Harvey
Tennessee-Martin -4
Look for a big effort tonight from the Skyhawks of Tennessee-Martin as they face Morehead State in the semi-finals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.
The Skyhawks are 22-8 and seeded No. 1 in the eight-team tournament. They’re coming off a lopsided 93-75 win over Tennessee-Tech in the first round of the OVC tourney. Senior Lester Hudson scored a career-high with 42 points to lead his squad into the tournaments “Final Four”. The win came just days after Hudson was named the OVC player of the year for the second straight season. T-M punched their ticket to the tournament as the top seed by winning the regular season championship last Saturday night with a 79-65 decision over Morehead State.
The Skyhawks are on ATS runs of 3-0 and 7-3 while the Eagles are 7-3 ATS in their last ten. T-M is also 14-5 ATS against conference opponents.
Tennessee-Martin is hosting this years tournament which gives them a huge advantage over the field. They’ve also got the best player in the conference in Hudson. That’s going to be a tough combination for Morehead State to overcome.
Lay the small number take T-M-U.
James Patrick Sports
Cavaliers vs. Celtics
In Friday NBA action our selection is Boston Celtics. The World Champions have had the Cavaliers number in Beantown winning 8 in a row here.
Dave Cokin
Princeton @ Columbia
Play: Columbia -2
Thanks to the puzzling inconsistency by Cornell, Princeton is still alive in the Ivy League. But two things are working against the Tigers tonight. One is the fact that they have Cornell on deck tomorrow, and there is the possibility of a look ahead as they beat Columbia by a whopping 28 points in the first meeting. Plus, the Lions have played well at home in conference play, with only a loss to the Big Red marring their slate. This should be pretty close, but I'm leaning to Columbia to do enough to grab the win.
Matt Fargo
William & Mary at James Madison
Prediction: James Madison
James Madison does not come into this game with a ton of momentum after dropping its last two regular season games. That is not a concern here however as the Dukes are two wins away from 20 victories on the season and they come into this game with confidence and a solid corps of leadership. This is an experienced team that was picked to finish in the top half of the CAA and that it nearly did, finishing 9-9 in the conference which put them into seventh place. Getting past the first round should not be a problem and one thing going for James Madison is what its opponent did last season. William & Mary was the Cinderella of the conference tournament last season, Georgia St., Old Dominion and VCU before losing to George Mason in the championship game. That is good for the Dukes as they will no doubt not take the Tribe lightly and they will be focused knowing they have a shot to do what William & Mary did last season. James Madison won both meetings this season and while winning and sweeping a team three times is difficult, the matchup can provide an easier way to get it done. The Dukes like to run while William & Mary likes to slow it down. The tempo was dictated by the Dukes in the first two games and we can figure on them doing it again. The Tribe allowed 70 or more points in conference action only four times and two of those times it was James Madison that surpassed that total. The Dukes set school records for three-pointers made this season with 219 and attempted with 606 this year, while being on pace to set the school record for free-throw percentage at 75.4 percent. Three starters were better than 80 percent?G Devon Moore at 83.3 percent on 102 attempts, F Kyle Swanston at 82.4 percent on 74 attempts and G Pierre Curtis at 81.1 percent on 122 attempts. The Tribe meanwhile are hitting only 66.2 percent on the season including 63.8 percent over their last five games. These percentage variances alone can decide a win or a loss as well as a cover, especially with a line as low as this one is. The Dukes season was not magical but if they can get hot on offense, this team can make a Tribe-like run this weekend. 3* James Madison Dukes
Nick Jones
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Play: Minnesota Timberwolves +15½
The T'Wolves are showing plenty of value in tonight's match up with the Lakers. It is always best to play on underdogs of 10 or more points like Minnesota when they have gone under the total by 24 points or more combined in their last three games and facing an opponent who has gone under the total by a combined 54 points or more in their last ten games. This system is 35-7 ATS since 1996. The reason this system has been so successful is simple. When teams aren't scoring, they certainly aren't blowing anyone out. If the T'Wolves keep this game relatively low scoring the Lakers are prone to actually score less too which seems to be in contrast to popular belief. Take advantage of this generous line and watch your bankroll climb!
Rob Vinciletti
So Illinois vs. Bradley
Play: Bradley -2
On Friday afternoon the comp play for Friday is on Bradley.Game 842 at 3:30 eastern.Bradley has better overall numbers in this one.They come in at 9-2 vs losing teams,10-1 su when favored and a stat I really like here.They are 10-1 su vs teams who score 64 or less on the season.Southern Illinois is not as strong this year as years past.The Salukis are just 5-11 su when facing winning teams,3-11 as underdog and 1-4 su if they shot 50% or better from the field in there last game.These two teams split the season series the winner moves.Back Bradley.
JIM FEIST
DENVER NUGGETS / UTAH JAZZ
Take UTAH JAZZ
It's never easy to play in Salt Lake City, and this is a difficult scheduling spot for the visitors. Denver is playing its 3rd game in 4 nights, plus the second of a back to back spot. Denver has been slumping, on a recent 2-5 SU/ATS run. Utah is rested and playing well, fighting to hold onto the No. 7 seed in the West. Carlos Boozer had his best game since returning after missing three months with a knee injury, scoring 20 points and pulling down 17 rebounds as the Utah Jazz increased their winning streak to nine with a 101-94 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. A great situational spot for the home team. Play the Utah Jazz.
Red Dog Sports
W&M/JMU under 130
JMU's point guard did not play in the last few games for the Dukes and will not be 100% for this game. JMU won both games vs. the Tribe by 9 points. W&M made it to the championship game last year and their game totals in this tourney were 115, 123, 110 and 127.
JMU plays 3 freshmen who have never played in the CAA tourney and this tournament is known for plenty of unders (especially VCU playing unders in their hometown of Richmond while playing overs on the road.)
W&M is led by David Schneider who will use up plenty of clock dribbling the ball around the perimeter. JMU is much more athletic than their opponent so look for W&M to aim for a low score in this neutral setting.
W&M/JMU under 130
Jeff Benton
For Friday's free play, we'll head to the pro hardwood and back the Cavaliers plus the couple of points at Boston in tonight’s marquee NBA showdown.
For starters, history is split on this contest. By that I mean the home team has won 17 consecutive meetings between these teams, a trend that obviously favors the Celtics. However, Cleveland has brought home the money 17 times in the last 24 meetings (including two pushes). That includes an ongoing 7-0 ATS run and a 9-1 ATS surge in the last 10! Also, the Cavs have covered in six of the last seven at Boston.
So with those trends sort of canceling each other out, this play comes down to the simple fact that Cleveland is playing better basketball right now, while the Celtics have proven anything but invincible on their home court lately.
The Cavaliers are on a 9-1 run (8-2 ATS) overall – including four straight wins coming into tonight – and they’ve won five of their last six on the road. Meanwhile, Boston has lost three of its last four at home and has failed to cover in five straight as a host. That includes Sunday’s stunning 105-95 loss to previously floundering Detroit as a 9½-point favorite. Also, the Celtics are just 7-5 in their last 12 games, failing to get the money in each of the last four, and they’ve dropped five of seven against the number since Kevin Garnett went down with his knee injury.
Bottom line: Cleveland (40-20 ATS) continues to sport the best pointspread mark in the league, in no small thanks to MVP lock LeBron James. And when you consider the way the King is ruling the NBA castle right now, plus the KG injury, plus the Cavs’ incredible ATS success against Boston the last few years, plus Cleveland’s amazing success son Friday (13-3 ATS in their last 16 Friday games), how do you not grab the couple of points in this one?
4♦ CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Bobby Maxwell
St. John's at NOTRE DAME -12'
Tonight we're going with Notre Dame to crush St. John's in Big East action from South Bend, Indiana.
It's nothing but must-wins now for Notre Dame as the Irish have to win tonight and likely get to the finals of the Big East Tournament to earn a berth to the Big Dance. And the winning starts now as the Irish host St. John's.
Plus there's a revenge factor for Notre Dame as they went to St. John's in early January and got beat 71-65 as 8 1/2-point underdogs. The Irish have got to win this one after back-to-back losses at UConn on Saturday and then a surprising home loss on Monday to Villanova, falling 77-60 as 2 1/2-point favorites.
The Irish have to get more points out of their backcourt after a terrible 4-of-18 shooting performance against Villanova on Monday.
St. John's has won two straight and covered five of the last six, but they are just 3-6 SU in their last nine overall.
Neither team has been much to speak of at the betting window, with the Red Storm going just 2-7 ATS on the road in their last nine and Notre Dame just 3-12 ATS in their last 15 overall.
The Irish have to crank it into must-win mode. So we'll play them to come out inspired today against St. John's. Go ahead and lay the chalk.
3♦ NOTRE DAME
DUNKEL
Phoenix at Houston
The Rockets look to take advantage of a Phoenix team that is 0-4 ATS as a road underdog of 6 1/2 to 9 points. Houston is the pick (-6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Rockets favored by 9. Dunkel Pick: Houston (-6 1/2).
Game 801-802: New Jersey at Orlando
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 114.967 Orlando 121.517
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 6 1/2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 10; 203
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (+10); Under
Game 803-804: Atlanta at Charlotte
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 115.545; Charlotte 120.044
Dunkel Line & Total: Charlotte by 4 1/2; 189
Vegas Line & Total: Charlotte by 2; 185
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (-2); Over
Game 805-806: Miami at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 114.747; Toronto 116.585
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 2; 197
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 1; 204 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+1); Under
Game 807-808: Golden State at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 115.572; Detroit 122.863
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 7 1/2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 809-810: Cleveland at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 123.537; Boston 128.030
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 4 1/2; 183
Vegas Line & Total: Boston by 1 1/2; 184
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-1 1/2); Under
Game 811-812: Phoenix at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 118.988; Houston 127.968
Dunkel Line & Total: Houston by 9; 229
Vegas Line & Total: Houston by 6 1/2; 225 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-6 1/2); Over
Game 813-814: Washington at San Antonio
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 110.456; San Antonio 125.622
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 15; 183 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 815-816: Milwaukee at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 114.499; Chicago 123.972
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 9 1/2; 210
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 6 1/2; 206
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-6 1/2); Over
Game 817-818: Denver at Utah
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 118.906; Utah 129.112
Dunkel Line & Total: Utah by 10; 206
Vegas Line & Total: Utah by 9; 210 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Utah (-9); Under
Game 819-820: Minnesota at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 111.359; LA Lakers 125.246
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 14; 212
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 16; 215 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+16); Under
NCAAB
Towson vs. Drexel
The Dragons come into the CAA Tournament with an 11-3 ATS mark as a favorite facing a Towson team that was 5-10 ATS against teams with a winning record. Drexel is the pick (-7) according to Dunkel, which has the Dragons favored by 10 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Drexel (-7).
Game 821-822: St. John's at Notre Dame
Dunkel Ratings: St. John's 57.878; Notre Dame 73.899
Dunkel Line: Notre Dame by 15
Vegas Line: Notre Dame by 11 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Notre Dame (-11 1/2)
Game 823-824: Dartmouth at Yale
Dunkel Ratings: Dartmouth 49.504; Yale 55.120
Dunkel Line: Yale by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Yale by 9
Dunkel Pick: Dartmouth (+9)
Game 825-826: Princeton at Columbia
Dunkel Ratings: Princeton 47.822; Columbia 53.312
Dunkel Line: Columbia by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Columbia by 2
Dunkel Pick: Columbia (-2)
Game 827-828: Harvard at Brown
Dunkel Ratings: Harvard 48.989; Brown 44.234
Dunkel Line: Harvard by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Harvard by 2
Dunkel Pick: Harvard (-2)
Game 829-830: Pennsylvania at Cornell
Dunkel Ratings: Pennsylvania 45.672; Cornell 63.101
Dunkel Line: Cornell by 17 1/2
Vegas Line: Cornell by 15
Dunkel Pick: Cornell (-15)
Game 831-832: Delaware vs. Georgia State
Dunkel Ratings: Delaware 50.226; Georgia State 52.183
Dunkel Line: Georgia State by 2
Vegas Line: Delaware by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Georgia State (+2 1/2)
Game 833-834: NC Wilmington vs. Hofstra
Dunkel Ratings: NC Wilmington 43.522; Hofstra 50.565
Dunkel Line: Hofstra by 7
Vegas Line: Hofstra by 8
Dunkel Pick: NC Wilmington (+8)
Game 835-836: William & Mary vs. James Madison
Dunkel Ratings: William & Mary 49.946; James Madison 54.996
Dunkel Line: James Madison by 5
Vegas Line: James Madison by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: James Madison (-2 1/2)
Game 837-838: Towson vs. Drexel
Dunkel Ratings: Towson 45.332; Drexel 55.777
Dunkel Line: Drexel by 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Drexel by 7
Dunkel Pick: Drexel (-7)
Game 839-840: Indiana State vs. Northern Iowa
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana State 57.317; Northern Iowa 60.461
Dunkel Line: Northern Iowa by 3
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 841-842: Southern Illinois vs. Bradley
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Illinois 55.887; Bradley 58.400
Dunkel Line: Bradley by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Bradley by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Bradley (-1 1/2)
Game 843-844: Wichita State vs. Creighton
Dunkel Ratings: Wichita State 59.607; Creighton 64.988
Dunkel Line: Creighton by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 845-846: Evansville vs. Illinois State
Dunkel Ratings: Evansville 57.233; Illinois State 63.008
Dunkel Line: Illinois State by 6
Vegas Line: Illinois State by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Illinois State (-4 1/2)
Game 847-848: WI-Milwaukee vs. Wright State
Dunkel Ratings: WI-Milwaukee 54.505; Wright State 58.351
Dunkel Line: Wright State by 4
Vegas Line: Wright State by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wright State (-3 1/2)
Game 849-850: Illinois-Chicago vs. Cleveland State
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 57.701; Cleveland State 60.184
Dunkel Line: Cleveland State by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland State by 4
Dunkel Pick: Illinois-Chicago (+4)
Game 851-852: Loyola Marymount vs. San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola Marymount 40.004; San Diego 53.442
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 13 1/2
Vegas Line: San Diego by 14 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Loyola Marymount (+14 1/2)
Game 853-854: San Francisco vs. Pepperdine
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 48.650; Pepperdine 44.214
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: San Francisco by 5
Dunkel Pick: Pepperdine (+5)
Game 855-856: Georgia Southern vs. Appalachian State
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia Southern 37.936; Appalachian State 48.401
Dunkel Line: Appalachian State by 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Appalachian State by 7
Dunkel Pick: Appalachian State (-7)
Game 857-858: NC Greensboro vs. College of Charleston
Dunkel Ratings: NC Greensboro 41.138; College of Charleston 53.180
Dunkel Line: College of Charleston by 12
Vegas Line: College of Charleston by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NC Greensboro (+12 1/2)
Game 859-860: Elon vs. Wofford
Dunkel Ratings: Elon 44.601; Wofford 50.081
Dunkel Line: Wofford by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Wofford by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Elon (+6 1/2)
Game 861-862: Furman vs. Samford
Dunkel Ratings: Furman 42.222; Samford 48.815
Dunkel Line: Samford by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Samford by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Furman (+7 1/2)
Game 863-864: Morehead State vs. TN-Martin
Dunkel Ratings: Morehead State 51.940; TN-Martin 58.799
Dunkel Line: TN-Martin by 7
Vegas Line: TN-Martin by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: TN-Martin (-4 1/2)
Game 865-866: Murray State vs. Austin Peay
Dunkel Ratings: Murray State 56.859; Austin Peay 50.453
Dunkel Line: Murray State by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Murray State by 3
Dunkel Pick: Murray State (-3)
Game 867-868: Canisius vs. Loyola-MD
Dunkel Ratings: Canisius 46.543; Loyola-MD 47.901
Dunkel Line: Loyola-MD by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Canisius by 1
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-MD (+1)
Game 869-870: Marist vs. Iona
Dunkel Ratings: Marist 44.394; Iona 50.812
Dunkel Line: Iona by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Iona by 4
Dunkel Pick: Iona (-4)
NHL
Montreal at Atlanta
The Thrashers look to take advantage of a Montreal team that is just 4-8 on the road when the total is 6 or more. Atlanta is the underdog pick (+135) according to Dunkel, which has the Thrashers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+135).
Game 51-52: Calgary at Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 12.674; Carolina 11.215
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Carolina (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+100); Under
Game 53-54: Phoenix at Buffalo
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 10.989; Buffalo 11.492
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-240); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-240); Under
Game 55-56: Montreal at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.095; Atlanta 11.660
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-155); 6
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+135); Over
Game 57-58: St. Louis at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 10.879; Tampa Bay 11.197
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+125); Under
Game 59-60: Dallas at Anaheim
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 11.664; Anaheim 11.038
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+125); Over
Scott Spreitzer
St. John's at Notre Dame
It's been a disappointing season for the Irish, but they can build momentum for the Big East tourney with tonight's contest. After losing two straight to UConn and Villanova, the Irish will have a shot at revenge on senior night. Their perimeter game will take on the nation's 290th-ranked three-point defense. The Johnnies allow a hefty 36.4% from "long-distance", along with a hefty 45% from the field, overall. The Notre Dame backcourt is licking their chops for this one. Once they draw the defense out, Luke Harangody can exploit the Red Storm inside just like he did in the first matchup when he scored 28 points on 50% shooting, while grabbing 14 rebounds. Notre Dame gets their revenge on Friday with a lopsided decision.
Play on: Notre Dame