DAVE COKIN
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS / ATLANTA HAWKS
Take NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
The Hornets have gotten hot since the return of Tyson Chandler and they'll look to keep it rolling tonight as they head to Atlanta. New Orleans is obviously in better form right now than the Hawks, and they will also be out to avenge a loss to this team the last time they hooked up. The number looks cheap, so I'll lean to the Hornets to stay hot with another win and cover tonight.
Matt Fargo
Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers
Prediction: Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is out to prove it belongs in the Western Conference playoff talk. The Blazers have had this game circles since early January when the Lakers torched them for the second time this season by 14 points in Los Angeles. That followed up a 20-point loss to the Lakers on opening night and the Blazers want some payback. Portland has won four of its last five games with the lone setback coming against the Nuggets in an extremely tough spot of playing in the thin air with no rest from coming off a hard fought win over Indiana. The Blazers are a completely different team at home than on the road as they are 26-5 at the Rose Garden while being five games under .500 in their 31 road games. The home team has won seven straight meetings in this series while Portland has won three straight at home and that was with Portland teams not nearly as good as this edition. The Blazers are not dogged at home very often but when they are, they make it count as they are 3-1 both straight up and against the number in four home underdog spots. The only loss came against New Orleans but Portland was shorthanded as Brandon Roy missed that game. He also missed the next game and that was against, you guessed it, the Lakers in that most recent meeting. Portland is 0-3 ATS when he is not on the floor. The Blazers are 10-2 ATS in home games this season when revenging a loss and a perfect 8-0 ATS in home games when revenging a same season loss against an opponent this season. The Blazers get their revenge on Monday. 3* Portland Trailblazers
Mike Anthony
Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons
Play: Detroit Pistons -1
A tough situational spot for the visitors, playing their third game in four nights. It's also the second of a back to back road spot, after a huge win over the Celtics on Sunday afternoon on National TV. Meanwhile, the rejuvenated Pistons are rested and ready, on a 4-2 SU, 5-1 ATS run. Their scoring has been balanced and they aare playing more as a team with Iverson. The last game Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 20 points, Rodney Stuckey added 19 and Rasheed Wallace had 14. They have been clicking offensively with Hamilton starting and back as the focal point of the offense as they've used in the past. Play the Pistons Pistons at home!
Matt Rivers
For Monday take the Pistons at home.
As long as Allen Iverson continues to miss games I'll take my chances with Detroit. I've seen enough evidence to fully believe that the Pistons are clearly superior without AI around hogging the ball and jacking up shot after shot. I do admit that the million time All-Star is probably still a great basketball player but it just doesn't mesh with this team and we have pretty much seen this from day one after the trade.
Orlando has been great this season and will be a threat in the playoffs. Dwight Howard is the future face of the game and a guy that is insanely pheneomenal. But on the road and on this rough back-to-back after just playing in Beantown against the Celtics I can see a semi egg here on the road by Stan Van Gundy's group.
Rip Hamilton is once again playing the ball he is capable of. Throw in guys like Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Rasheed Wallace and others and you may not have the Pistons in their glory years at all but this team is still capable and dangerous at the Palace. Before just losing in Atlanta, Detroit won and covered four in a row including in Orlando against this same Magic squad and in Boston against the great Celtics. Just keep Iverson out and this team is just fine.
The Magic will come in here looking for revenge but the situation is difficult for today's visitors and in the end I'm all about Michael Curry's group at this cheap price!
Tom Freese
La lakers at Portland
The Lakers are 6-0 ATS when playing with two days of rest and they are 9-4 ATS vs. a team that has a win percentage of over 60%. Kobe and company are 7-3 ATS their last 10 games vs. teams with a winning home record and they are 7-3 ATS their last 10 games off an ATS win. Portland is 1-4 ATS their last 5 games as underdogs and they are 10-23 ATS when playing 8 or more games in 14 days. The Trailblazers are 6-17 ATS after failing to cover ATS in 3 or more straight games. PLAY ON LA LAKERS -
BEN BURNS
New York Rangers @ Carolina Hurricanes
PICK: Under
Both teams have been involved in some high-scoring games recently. That doesn't mean that we'll see more fireworks tonight though.
The Hurricanes have seen the 'under' go 11-7-5 the past few seasons, after playing three or more consecutive games which finished above the total. During the same stretch, the Rangers saw the 'under' go 12-4-1, after playing three or more consecutive games which finished above the total. Its also worth mentioning that the 'under' is 27-14-4 the last 45 times New York played the second of back to back games.
Eight of the last 10 meetings in this series produced five combined goals or less, including both this season - the only two which finished with more than that both landed on six. With tonight's over/under line at 5.5, consider a play on the Under.
Wunderdog
Houston at Denver
Pick: Denver -4
The Nuggets are just 3-7 in their last 10 games, and on the surface look like a fading team. A closer look shows that six of the seven losses were on the road, and the home loss was to Boston. The fact is the Nuggets are 14-3 in their last 17 home games. Houston's Achilles heel has been playing on the road as they sport just a 14-17 mark on the season. They are becoming unbeatable at home where they have won 12 straight, but the road is a completely different story. They are just 4-11 on the road in their last 15 games and that goes back to before Christmas. The Nuggets are playing their third game in four nights - usually the death knell for teams in the NBA, but the Nuggets have thrived to a 21-9 ATS mark in this situation, and I'll lay the points and go with the Nuggets here.
GREG SHAKER
George Mason Patriots at VCU Rams
Play: Under 121.5
It is Tournament time and during these games, especially Conference matchups where squads know each other very well, we see lower scoring contests. That has been the case for George Mason and VCU this year with both playing a couple of UNDERS and both doig so by going well UNDER the Posted mark. We have 2 very good D's on the court for this one as they are ranked #55 and #59 in the country in D Efficiency, and we also have a Patriots team that has an extraordinary slow pace at #301 out of 344 Division 1A Schools. While the Rams are known to whoop it up on the court occasionally, they are playing much closer to the vest now, and proved that with 61-53 effort yesterday verses ODU, who plays a similar style as they will see today. As most good D Teams do, these teams have thrived in recent play down the stretch with both limiting opponents to at or less than 36%shooting over their last 5 games. Mason is limiting their foes to just 57 over this span and VCU even better, at just 53. We simply are not going to see any kind of major activity tonight when they hit the court and the liklihood of less than 100 shots taken is very good indeed. If that happens, this number will not be obtained. I would play this one down to 118.
Rocketman
Orlando @ Detroit
Play: Detroit +2
I think the Pistons are a better team without Allen Iverson. At first thought, when the Nuggets traded Billups to the Pistons for Iverson, I thought the Pistons were getting the better deal here. Billups is a great ball player but Iverson is "The Answer" isn't he? Turns out that Iverson wasn't "The Answer" the Pistons were looking for in my opinion. The Pistons are only 31-30 this year but they have won 4 of their last 5 overall winning 2 of the last 3 without "The Answer." Detroit is getting into must win basketball to stay ahead of some teams for making the playoffs. They are 3 1/2 games from falling out of the playoff race. Detroit is 16-3 SU overall vs Orlando the past 3 years including 9-1 SU at home vs Orlando the past 3 seasons. We'll recommend a small play on Detroit tonight!
Craig Trapp
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Play: Los Angeles Lakers -2
Well all else is crazy in CBB with March Madness but the NBA still has several weeks left with all the teams fighting for seeding in the Playoffs.
This game features the best two individual perimeter players in the west with Kobe vs Roy. Last time LA went to Portland they were upset and Roy went off for 50+ points. Kobe is not one to be outdone and when he is motivated he can be very dangerous. Look for Kobe to guard ROY one on one and on the other end he will go for 40+ pts.
Lakers when in a revenge game no trends needed in this one Kobe is motivated and will lead his team to easy win. SCORE LAL 99 - POR 89
Dennis Macklin
Vancouver Canucks at Los Angeles Kings
Prediction: Vancouver Canucks
The raging Canucks have won four straight and twelve of fourteen. The Kings have won two straight after 1-7 funk but face Canuck stonewall defense that has allowed just five goals in their last five games. Kings are a nice young team whose future is in front of them but their 1-4 L5 record versus Canucks doesn't figure to improve here. Take the Canucks.
Yankee Capper
Lakers/Trailblazers Over 202
Gonzaga -7
Rangers/Hurricanes Under 5.5
Nick Parsons
Toronto @ Ottawa
Play: Toronto
It's looking more and more like the NHL playoffs will not visit Ontario for the first time since before the Ottawa Senators were established, but that won't stop the Toronto Maple Leafs as they attempt to continue their recent dominance of their provincial rivals. Toronto had earned at least a point in eight straight games (5-0-3) before its 4-1 home loss to Edmonton on Saturday night, a stretch that includes an active, season-high four-game road winning streak; and I expect another big effort this evening! Ottawa is just 5-11 its last 16 vs. division opponents; play on Toronto!
Jimmy Boyd
1 Unit on Nuggets -3.5
The motivation was there, but the Nuggets fell flat on the road again last night to give up first place in the division standings for the first time in a long time. Just how bad was last night's loss for Denver? Carmelo Anthony called it the worst one of the season based on how they played in comparison to how important it was to get a road win. Now the motivation is really there for Denver and I like this team to respond at home against a team that has beaten them in back-to-back games. Both of those losses were at Houston, not surprisingly. The Nuggets were a 3.5-point favorite at home earlier this season against the Rockets and won by 10 points. I suspect seeing their team name in second place will trigger a very strong effort tonight against a team which has struggled on the road. Houston has lost 5 of its last 6 on the road. The Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. The Nuggets are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. The Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog of 4.5 points or less. Lay the number with the Nuggets.
Jeff Alexander
1 Unit on Siena -3.5
The Saints defeated Niagara 82-65 at home earlier this season and will have home court on their side again in the MAAC title game tonight. Niagara defeated Siena in the last meeting at Niagara 100-85 and all that loss does is fuel Siena's fire here. Siena is a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS at home against Niagara the last 3 seasons and 15-5 ATS in the last 20 lined games in this matchup. Siena returns all 5 starters from a team a team which crushed Vandy in the Big Dance a season ago and it believes it can make a deeper run in '09. Anything less than a win here will be considered a major disappointment for the Saints. We'll lay this small number.