Dave Cokin
San Diego @ St. Mary's
Play: San Diego +11.5
St. Mary's will be out to avenge their loss at San Diego, but I don't think it comes that easy for the Gaels. The Toreros are a very respectable third-best WCC team, and they're a sensational road team vs. the line. USD is 18-5 ATS in away games, and they've covered eight of nine catching double digits. The home team figures to win outright, but I like improving San Diego to stay within the generous spread.
Nelly
Chicago + over Dallas
Jason Kidd delivered on Sunday with a 17 assist performance but the Mavericks will be overvalued playing the next night back at home. The final score looks like it was a blowout for Dallas in Minnesota but the win required enduring a fierce battle with 13 lead changes before the Mavericks pulled away late. The Timberwolves did not get any breaks in that game at home as the Mavericks were awarded 18 more free throw attempts. The Mavericks have a great nucleus now but it is an aging team that might have trouble facing a quick turnaround against a young Bulls squad. The Bulls lost in Houston last night but Chicago will face shorter travel and will be hungry after a disappointing loss on Sunday. Dallas is just 8-15 ATS in games against the Eastern Conference this season and this could be a letdown spot for Dallas after a nice win to wrap up a long road trip. The Bulls have covered in seven of the last ten games and Chicago still has a lot to play for with its revamped young roster.
Jimmy The Moose
Game: Toronto Raptors at Indiana Pacers
Prediction: Toronto Raptors
Reason: The Raptors are 3-1 SU and ATS in their last 4 games. Indiana is 1-4 SU and ATS in their last 5 games. The Raptors are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a losing record. In their last 17 games as a favorite, Toronto is 12-5 at the window. Indiana is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a home dog. In their last 11 games played with 1 day rest between games the Pacers are 3-8 ATS. Toronto is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 trips to Indiana. The Pacers are 8-20 ATS in the last 28 meetings between the clubs.
Play on the Raptors
THE SPORTS REPORTER
BEST BET
*WISCONSIN MILWAUKEE over VALPARAISO by 13
There was a lot of bull talk going around about Valpo making a powerful splash in this, their first go-round in the Horizon. But it seems that was largely . . . simply . . . bull. Crusaders broke out of a five-game slide (including a home loss to Loyola Chicago and a 24-point road loss to Illinois-Chicago) with a spanking of Youngstown State last Saturday.Obviously, that proves little. Using a tight rotation brought on by attrition, UWM took Green Bay by 10, coming off a three-game L streak, but two of those were away from home, and the third was against Butler, so all’s forgiven. The dashing of high expectations suggests Valpo won’t fully recover. Embrace the gutty home side.
WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE, 73-60.
BEST BET
DETROIT over *DENVER by 8
This could be extremely interesting if the Nuggets pull off the long rumored Ron Artest trade, but regardless of whether or not that trade comes to fruition, the Nuggets won’t be able to hang with the Pistons, whose cohesive team play can overcome any offensive gameplan. If Artest has joined the ranks, the Nuggets will suffer from post-trade chemistry problems. If he hasn’t, the Pistons will have one less obstacle to deal with. A loselose situation, if you will.
DETROIT 104-96
POINTWISE
WISC-MILWAUKEE over Valparaiso RATING: 5
Vegas Sports Pics
Marquette Golden Eagles - 1 over (at) Villanova Wildcats
No.25 Marquette (20-6, 10-5) is 3-1 last four road games, the loss coming at (now 17-0 home) Notre Dame 86-83. Teams met once last season, Marquette at home beat Villanova 80-67 with Eagle's current top four scorers combining for 67 points.
Texas Longhorns + 3 over (at) Kansas State Wildcats
No.24 Kansas State (18-8, 6-4) vs. No.7 Texas (23-4, 10-2) looking to hold its one game Big 12 lead is 5-2 vs ranked teams including victories over (at) then No.1 UCLA and (neutral site) now No.1 Tennessee. Horns are 6-3 vs KSU under coach Barnes.
Vegas Experts
Texas Longhorns at Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State beat Kansas here at home in January 84-75 but has since gone 3-4 in Big 12 play. However, the losses all came on the Conference road while here at home it is 6-0. Texas is cruising along at 23-4 and 10-2 in the Big 12 but its two losses (to Missouri and Oklahoma) came on the Conference road. Last two in this series have been decided by one point with the road sides winning and Kansas State getting the money. There was a 73-72 win by the Wildcats in Austin last year and a 65-64 win by the eight-point choice Longhorns here in 2006.
Play on: Kansas State
Marc Lawrence
Game: Washington Wizards at New Orleans Hornets
Prediction: New Orleans Hornets
Note: Hornets return to their Hive looking to extract a bit of revenge against the Wizards. Washington checks in off a mini one-game homestand, a role in which they?ve struggled, going 41-56-8 ATS. Inside those numbers they are 2-17 SU & 2-15-2 ATS this decade when facing a non-conference opponent. Worse yet, the Wizards are looking dead ahead to a same season revenger tomorrow night at Houston. Meanwhile, New Orleans has responded well when seeking revenge this season, going 16-7 SU & ATS in game prior to the All-Star break. Can?t see them letting up here off back-to-back losses, especially against at team they?ve defeated 10 times in a row as a host. Tie that into the Wizards? putrid 8-28 ATS mark in straight-up losses against avenging non-conference foes and we have the makings of the Killer Bees at their very best here tonight. KEY STAT: Washington is 1-10-2 ATS in games after facing Charlotte.
Greg Daraban
Atlanta (22-31) at San Antonio (37-17)
Two teams going in opposite directions. Atlanta has lost 7 of 10. The Spurs have won 5 straight and 9 of 10. They win and cover.
Take San Antonio
EdgeOnOdds
Toronto Raptors @ Indiana Pacers
Pick: Over 207.5
Reasoning: The Raptors and Pacers kick off a new week of betting in the NBA. Both of these teams are heading in different directions. Indiana has dropped 4 of their last 5 while the Raptors have won 4 of their last 6. The total in this game is set a little bit low for the style these two teams play. Toronto has the 8th ranked defense and it shows on their home court. This season the Raps have played 50% of their home games under the total. On the road they have kept only 9 of their 26 games under the total. Toronto being a younger team they often fall into the trap of playing the other teams game. Tonight you will see that with an Pacers team that scores over 104 points per game and can not keep teams below 105. At home this year the pacers have played over the total 15 of 25 times. Ever since O’Neal went out with a knee injury on the 29th the pacers have lost almost all inside presence. With Jermaine out of the lineup the over has profited players with a 6-4-4 record. The last game played in Indiana in November flew way over the set total of 195 with a combined score of 213. Jump on OVER 207.5 today in what has all the makings of a high paced high scoring ball game.
Peter Loshak
Wisconsin-Milwaukee is seeking revenge from a 2-point loss at Valparaiso back in January. Make your play on the Panthers at home tonight when they host the Crusaders.
The overnight line for a key Horizon League matchup on Monday between Valparaiso and Wisconsin-Milwaukee has caught my eye. UWM was installed as only a two-point favorite at opening, a line which has since risen a half-point, and I think it is still a little low. I’ll take a shot with the Panthers at that line, which may well have risen a bit further still by game time.
Both teams played in the BracketBuster series of mid-major showdowns on Saturday, which may serve to set UWM up for a strong showing on Monday. Valparaiso beat MAC mediocrity Miami-Ohio in double OT on the road, while UWM lost on the road to Bradley, a decent MVC squad. Valparaiso’s game may have taken a lot out of them, while UWM may have gotten a bit of a wake-up call to get back down to winning.
UWM has now lost five out of their last six, but four of those games were on the road and their two home games consisted of a solid win over Wisconsin-Green Bay, a similar team to Valparaiso, and a tough OT loss to nationally ranked Horizon League powerhouse Butler. All of the Panthers' losing has taken place against tough teams in tough circumstances, and I don’t think it is indicative of any kind of fundamental slide on their part. But all those losses are, I think, what is serving to keep their line for this game lower that it ought to be.
Valparaiso, for their part, is a solid Horizon team. Their BracketBuster win showed notably resilient character, and they are clearly a team that does have ability to compete well. But they are also still a team that for the most part, loses its road games against capable conference foes. The Crusaders have lost their last four conference road games in a row, all against competition roughly equivalent to Milwaukee's.
With their OT loss to Butler and their BracketBuster loss on Saturday, I think UWM will be unusually eager to secure a win here, and Valparaiso may well not have the fortitude to stand up to UWM’s determination in this instance. So I’ll go with what I see as value on the side of the Panthers -2½ on Monday evening.
Scott Spreitzer
Raptors
Cappers Access
Villanova
Kansas St
Joe Wiz
Coll Of Charleston
Valpo
Mighty Quinn
Valparaiso
Redzone Sports
Wash
Glen Mcgrew
Gonzaga
Arthur Ralph
Marquette
Sports Gambling Hotline
Marquette at VILLANOVA -1
Should be a good one in the Big East tonight, but we are going to side with the home team in this battle, as Villanova appears to have shaken off their recent 1-6 tailspin.
The Wildcats have rattled off 3 wins in a row, including a gut-check 67-65 win over red-hot Connecticut over the weekend.
Marquette is on a bit of a roll as well, as Tom Crean's team has won 4 straight, and are on a 5-game spread winning streak as well. Our feeling is the home court edge will make the difference tonight, as 5 of Marquette's 6 losses this season have come on the road.
The Golden Eagles have solidified their credentials for next month's Big Dance, while Villanova could use another big win to add to their resume. Look for that win to come tonight over Top-25 Marquette.
Play on the Wildcats.
4* VILLANOVA
Matt Rivers
Take the Pacers at home.
Indiana is a disappointing and beat up club that doesn't really defend that much and the Pacers are up against a talented Raptors' squad but the situation is not ripe at all for the visting boys from Canada.
Tonight marks the third game in four days for Toronto after that home-and-home split with the Knicks as well as the dreaded back-to-back with travel. Sure Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani and Toronto are better than Indiana but there is going to be an exhaustion factor that should be too much to overcome.
Danny Granger has been very good and Mike Dunleavy is alright himself. Add in the home court, the more rested team and a few points and I'll take my chances on the 22-34 Pacers.
Indiana has dropped 11 of 14 but they are still not a terrible team and if there is any spot for them to grab a solid win this is it. The situation is great for Reggie Miller's old team to get a recent rare win.
Jim Feist
DET Pistons @ DEN Nuggets
It’s always tough for teams in any sport to head to Denver because of the high altitude. Detroit is not only a long way from home, but in a difficult scheduling spot, playing the second of a back to back road game. The Pistons played Sunday at Phoenix in a national TV showdown, and now have to fly to Denver. The Nuggets are rested and like to run, running right at the tired veteran Detroit legs. They are also money makers at home, at 22-6 SU, 17-11 ATS.
Play the Nuggets
Alex Smart
Game: Washington Wizards vs. New Orleans Hornets
Prediction: Washington Wizards
Reason: The Washington Wizards enter into this tilt against the New Orleans Hornets off a lop sided win vs the Charlotte Bobcats last time out. They won that contest despite of playing without Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas. The Wizards have proved that they own a cohesive bench that is able to play with heart and determination, making them a good bet as double digit underdogs in this spot. Final notes & Key Trends: Washington has covered 4 straight as road dogs and are 20-7 ATS L27 away as a dog of 6.5 to 12 points.
Play on the Wizards