Kenny Walker
Feb 21 '18, 6:30 PM in 7h
NCAA-B | Seton Hall vs Providence
Play on: Providence -1½ -105 at 5Dimes
Free Pick on Providence -1½
Dennis Macklin
Feb 21 '18, 8:00 PM in 9h
NCAA-B | Loyola-Chicago vs Southern Illinois
Play on: Southern Illinois +3 -105 at 5Dimes
DMack's Free Play for Wednesday, February 21, 2018, is on the Southern Illinois Salukis
Loyola has won 12 of 13 and Southern Illinois has won 8 of 9 so something has to give. Loyola was the first games of the home-and-home 79-65 in a game that both teams committed 20 turnovers. Southern Illinois is a very different team since winning six straight at home and showing grit in winning their last two games in OT. The Ramblers are just 5-5 as road favorites while MVC home dogs are 7-1 this year. Grab the points with a team with a big chance to win straight up.
Tommy Brunson
Wednesday's comp play is Georgetown as the home underdog against Xavier.
Always a good idea in games involving the Hoyas to look at the underdog first, as the underdog in Georgetown's lined games this season is 14-7 against the spread.
Patrick Ewing's team has covered each of their last 5 games - all of them as the underdog - including an underdog cover in the first regular season meeting with Xavier, as 96-91 overtime loss at the Cintas Center back on February 3rd as the +14 1/2 point pup.
Xavier meanwhile, is hitting the road fresh off seeing their 9-game winning streak come to an ugly halt, as they lost touch pretty early at home over the weekend against Villanova, 95-79. I am sure the X-Men want to get that bad taste out of their mouths tonight, but based on the underdog numbers I listed above, not so sure Xavier will be able to pull away in D.C. early this Wednesday.
Let's take the Hoyas plus the points, as the underdog barks loud again to make it 6 straight dog covers for the 'Town.
3* GEORGETOWN
Tommy Brunson
Look for things to get a little ugly in Charlottesville this Wednesday night when the # 1 Cavaliers play host to the "wave the white flag of surrender" Yellow Jackets.
The combination of injuries and the tabloid distraction that coach Josh Pastner is now embroiled in has this Georgia Tech team that made it all the way to the NIT Championship Game last March to a dismal 11-16 mark for the year. The Jackets have lost 5 in a row, and 9 of their last 10. It is a stretch that started with a 64-48 home loss to the Cavs back on January 18th as the +7 point home dog.
UVa has now won 3 straight, and 6 of the last 7 series meetings over G-Tech, and they have covered in 5 of those 7 games. Tech averaging a measly 49 points per game along the way!
The Cavaliers are not just winning games - 16-1 their last 17 games straight up - but they are also covering in their games at 11-3-1 in their 15 lined affairs.
Yeah, this is a big number, but you either lay it with the defensively-smothering Wahoos or you stay far away from it.
Personally, I choose to lay it.
Cavs the call.
3* VIRGINIA
Chris Jordan
I gave you the Washington Capitals as my freebie on Monday, and I gave you the Nashville Predators as my free winner last night. Tonight I'm giving you the Anaheim Ducks over the Dallas Stars.
With a night off, after going into T Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip and becoming just the fifth team to beat the Golden Knights in regulation on their home ice, the Ducks are going to be revved up for this game. They will certainly be playing in front of a rowdy crowd, as Anaheim not only beat Vegas in Sin City, but became just the third team to shut out the second-best scoring team in the NHL.
Anaheim showed how 'heavy' it can play, by stopping Vegas' speed every time someone touched the puck. And after starting goalie John Gibson stopped all 13 shots he saw, but didn't return in the third period due to a lower body injury, reserve goalie Ryan Miller played cleanup and stopped 20 shots to preserve the win.
The Ducks had a rough start to the season, but they're 100 percent healthy, and I got news for you, this is a dangerous team come playoff team. They can skate with you, they can play physical, they have solid defense and goaltending, and for tonight, they're at home looking to celebrate the jackpot they hit in Vegas.
Take the home team in this Western Conference showdown.
5* DUCKS