John Martin
1 Unit on Bucks/Knicks OVER 200.5
You will rarely find a Knicks' game with a Total this low, thus all value tonight is on the OVER in this game as they host the Bucks. The Knicks score 102.7 points/game at home this season and allow 102.4 points/game on their home floor. New York is 16-5 OVER after 4 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers over the last 3 seasons. Cash in with the OVER.
Jack Jones
Sacramento Kings +3
The Suns have won four straight games against quality teams, so tonight looks like the perfect spot for a let down. Sacramento has been tough at home this year, going 13-11. Phoenix on the other hand has struggled to win on the road with their 12-15 record. They score 3 ppg less out of the desert and allow 2 ppg more. I think you have to like taking the points with the home dog in this situation.
Jimmy the Moose
Houston Rockets at Memphis Grizzlies
Big game in Memphis tonight between two teams with identical records and tied for 9th place in the tough Western Conference. Both the Rockets and Grizzlies have their eyes set on the playoffs and with 1.5 games separating them and 8th place this is a must win game for both of them.
The Rockets are 26-22 SU and 23-25 ATS this season. Houston is struggling on the road and overall coming into this one. The Rockets are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 overall and 1-7 ATS in their last 8 road games. In their last 9 games vs. a team from the Western Conference they are 2-7 at the window. In their last 5 games overall as a dog they are 1-4 ATS and in their last 7 as a road dog they are 1-6 ATS. Houston has had a couple of days off between games and in their last 5 games playing after 2-days rest they are 1-4 ATS.
Memphis is having a banner year compared to their records over the last couple of years. The 26-22 SU Grizzlies are a profitable 27-20-1 ATS on the year. At home Memphis is 18-6 SU and a money-making 15-8-1 ATS. The Grizzlies are 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. In their last 23 games overall Memphis is 15-7-1 at the window. The Grizzlies are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team from the Southwest Division.
The Rockets are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the clubs. Houston is struggling on the road of late and look for those struggles to continues vs. a very good home team. Memphis will take this one tonight.
Play on the Memphis Grizzlies -
Larry Ness
ATL -7 vs CHI
The Bulls opened a seven-game road trip back on January 18 and promptly lost the first two games. However, they then finished by winning the final five games of the trip with each win coming against a team with a winning record. No big deal you say? Well that's the first time in NBA a history a team had won five consecutive road games over opponents with winning records. Before getting too excited about the Bulls, let's note they returned home from that trip and lost 90-82 to the hapless Clippers on Tuesday. They then had their road streak snapped Wednesday in Philadelphia against a team which entered that contest with a 7-16 home record. Same old Bulls. Rose (19.9-3.7-5.9) is a terrific PG and small forward Deng (17.7-7.4) has bounced back nicely from an "off year" but still, it's hard to count on the Bulls. Noah's (11.2-12.0) had a "breakout season" but he's being shut down through All-Star break. He will miss at least four games due to plantar fasciitis. "It's frustrating," Noah said. "I can't move the way I want to." The Bulls are just 9-16 overall on the road this year (12-13 ATS) and will face one of the league's best home teams in the Hawks. Atlanta is 20-5 SU (17-8 ATS) in Phillips Arena and in Chicago's last visit (Dec 9), routed the Bulls 118-83. Jamal Crawford (17.6) has been a HUGE addition, joining Johnson (22.0-4.7-4.7) and veteran PG Bibby (8.9-4.2 APG) on the perimeter. Smith (15.0-8.4) and Williams (10.2-5.1) join center Horford (13.4-9.5) up front, giving the Hawks an outstanding six-man rotation. Atlanta's depth isn't half-bad either. The Bulls average just 95.4 PPG (27th) and will have trouble keeping up with the Hawks here, as Atlanta has averaged 106.5 PPG at its home floor. Lay the points.
SPORTS ADVISORS
Houston (26-22, 23-25 ATS) at Memphis (26-22, 27-20-1 ATS)
The Rockets and Grizzlies, who are tied for third place in the competitive Southwest Division, look to snap out of their respective slumps when they meet up for just the second time this season, this time at the FedEx Forum.
Houston has been idle since crushing the Warriors 119-97 on Tuesday, covering easily as a seven-point home favorite to snap an 0-5 ATS drought. The Rockets are still just 6-9 in their last 15 games, going 3-12 ATS. They’ve also lost five of their last six road games and failed to cash in seven of their last eight on the highway.
Memphis is coming off Tuesday’s 105-89 loss at Cleveland as a 10-point road underdog, and it has now followed up a 15-4 run (14-4-1 ATS) by losing three of its last four SU and ATS. On the bright side, the one victory was a 95-93 triumph over the defending-champion Lakers on Monday, and the Grizzlies have now won 12 of their last 13 at the FedEx Forum, and they’re 14-6-1 ATS in their last 21 home contests.
These division rivals squared off way back on Nov. 11, and Houston cruised to a 104-79 victory as a nine-point home favorite. The Rockets have won six of the last eight meetings, but Memphis is 4-1 ATS in the last five (all as an underdog), including 2-0 SU and ATS at home. In fact, the host has taken six in a row and eight of the last nine in this series (6-3 ATS).
Other than cashing in four of their last five games against divisional opponents, Houston is mired in a slew of negative ATS slumps, including 1-5 overall, 1-7 on the road, 1-4 as an underdog, 1-6 as a road pup, 1-5 after a SU win, 1-4 after a spread-cover, 0-4 against winning teams and 2-7 against the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are on ATS tears of 14-6-1 overall, 20-8-1 at home, 9-4 within the Southwest Division, 7-2-1 as a favorite of five to 10½ points (all at home), 4-1 when playing on two days’ rest and 4-1 after a non-cover.
The under is on a 19-8 roll in this rivalry, with seven of the last 10 clashes in Memphis staying low. Additionally, the under is on streaks of 5-2 for the Grizzlies overall, 5-2 for the Grizzlies on Friday, 11-5 for the Rockets on the road, 11-5 for the Rockets against divisional rivals and 7-3 for the Rockets against winning teams.
On the flip side, Houston is on “over” runs of 8-3 overall, 4-0 on Friday and 5-0 after a SU victory, while Memphis carries “over” trends of 11-4 against Western Conference teams, 4-1 against Southwest Division foes, 4-1 when coming off two days’ rest and 5-0 when favored by five to 10½ points.
ATS ADVANTAGE: MEMPHIS
Denver (33-16, 22-25-2 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (38-12, 22-26-2 ATS)
Two Western Conference powers whose best players are hobbled by left ankle injuries meet up at the Staples Center, as the Nuggets look to beat the Lakers for the second time this season.
Denver’s Carmelo Anthony has missed six straight games with a sprained ankle, and without him, his team has gone 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS. That includes Wednesday’s 109-97 loss to the Suns as a 5½-point home favorite. The Nuggets are still 13-4 in their last 17 games, including 4-2 on the road. However, George Karl’s club is in a 9-17-2 ATS funk overall, going 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 as a visitor.
The Lakers returned home Wednesday from an eight-game Eastern Conference road trip – their longest of the season – and survived a scare against Charlotte, holding on for a 99-97 victory but falling way short as a 10½-point favorite. Five players scored in double figures for Los Angeles, but Kobe Bryant wasn’t one of them, as he was held to just five points on 2-for-12 shooting in the victory. Bryant played a team-high 37 minutes but missed a portion of the game after tweaking his ankle in the first half.
The Lakers have won nine of their last 12 overall, going 6-4-2 ATS, and since a Christmas Day loss to the Cavaliers, they’re on an eight-game home winning streak (4-3-1 ATS).
Both Anthony and Bryant are listed as questionable for this game.
The Lakers beat Denver in six games in last year’s Western Conference finals, with the teams splitting the cash along the way. The Nuggets exacted a little revenge on Nov. 13 in the Mile High City, cruising 105-79 as a four-point home favorite, outscoring L.A. 47-23 in the second half. Still, Denver is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 games in this rivalry and 3-12 ATS in its last 15 trips to Hollywood.
Going back to Game 2 of last year’s playoff series, the visitor is on a 4-2 SU and ATS run when these teams meet, and the winner cashed in all six of those battles and has covered in nine of the last 10 clashes.
In addition to their aforementioned pointspread slumps of 7-19-1 overall and 3-8-1 on the road, the Nuggets are also in ATS nosedives of 4-12-2 against the Western Conference, 1-6-1 against Pacific Division squads, 1-5 on Friday, 5-12 after one day of rest and 3-7 after a SU loss. However, they have cashed in five of six after a non-cover.
Los Angeles is 4-1-1 ATS in its last six home games and 4-1 ATS in its last five after a non-cover, but it has failed to cash in four straight games against Northwest Division squads.
Denver is on several “under” streaks, including 4-1 overall, 6-1 on the highway, 11-3 against winning teams, 6-2 on Friday, 5-1 after a SU loss and 4-0 after one day of rest. Similarly, the Lakers have stayed low in five of seven against the Western Conference, five of seven versus the Northwest Division and 10 of 13 against winning teams. Finally, the under has cashed in 11 of their last 14 clashes between these teams, including five of the last six head-to-head matchups at Staples Center.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. LAKERS and UNDER
DUNKEL
Houston at Memphis
The Grizzlies look to build on their 7-2-1 ATS record in their last 10 games as a favorite between 5 and 10 1/2 points. Memphis is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Grizzlies favored by 9. Dunkel Pick: Memphis (-5)
Game 801-802: Washington at Orlando
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 112.215; Orlando 125.139
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 13; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 12; 195 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-12); Over
Game 803-804: Detroit at Indiana
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 108.638; Indiana 118.316
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 9 1/2; 192
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 4; 200
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-4); Under
Game 805-806: New Jersey at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 105.307; Boston 120.025
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 14 1/2; 189
Vegas Line & Total: Boston by 13; 187 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-13); Over
Game 807-808: Milwaukee at New York
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 118.129; New York 117.829
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 205
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 3; 200 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+3); Over
Game 809-810: Chicago at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 121.359; Atlanta 121.894
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1; 199
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 7 1/2; 197
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+7 1/2); Over
Game 811-812: Houston at Memphis
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 116.458; Memphis 125.509
Dunkel Line & Total: Memphis by 9; 202
Vegas Line & Total: Memphis by 5; 204
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (-5); Under
Game 813-814: Philadelphia at New Orleans
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 114.713; New Orleans 121.735
Dunkel Line & Total: New Orleans by 7; 195
Vegas Line & Total: New Orleans by 3; 195 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-3); Under
Game 815-816: Minnesota at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 106.276; Dallas 122.145
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 16; 202
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 10 1/2; 206 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-10 1/2); Under
Game 817-818: Phoenix at Sacramento
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 122.049; Sacramento 113.888
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 8; 215
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 3; 221 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-3); Under
Game 819-820: Denver at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 119.413; LA Lakers 127.416
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 8; 200
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 8 1/2; 202 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+8 1/2); Under
NCAAB
Princeton at Harvard
The Crimson look to bounce back from their loss at Cornell and build on their 5-0 ATS record in their last 5 games following a SU loss. Harvard is the pick (-8 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has hte Crimson favored by 14. Dunkel Pick: Harvard (-8 1/2)
Game 821-822: Yale at Cornell
Dunkel Ratings: Yale 42.828; Cornell 71.769
Dunkel Line: Cornell by 29
Vegas Line: Cornell by 21
Dunkel Pick: Cornell (-21)
Game 823-824: Pennsylvania at Dartmouth
Dunkel Ratings: Pennsylvania 40.607; Dartmouth 43.453
Dunkel Line: Dartmouth by 3
Vegas Line: Dartmouth by 2
Dunkel Pick: Dartmouth (-2)
Game 825-826: Brown at Columbia
Dunkel Ratings: Brown 41.214; Columbia 47.047
Dunkel Line: Columbia by 6
Vegas Line: Columbia by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Columbia (-4 1/2)
Game 827-828: Princeton at Harvard
Dunkel Ratings: Princeton 52.215; Harvard 66.050
Dunkel Line: Harvard by 14
Vegas Line: Harvard by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Harvard (-8 1/2)
Game 829-830: Loyola-MD at Rider
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola-MD 49.217; Rider 55.277
Dunkel Line: Rider by 6
Vegas Line: Rider by 5
Dunkel Pick: Rider (-5)
Game 831-832: Canisius at Niagara
Dunkel Ratings: Canisius 50.416; Niagara 57.094
Dunkel Line: Niagara by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Niagara by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Canisius (+8 1/2)
Game 833-834: Iona at Siena
Dunkel Ratings: Iona 58.138; Siena 67.382
Dunkel Line: Siena by 9
Vegas Line: Siena by 8
Dunkel Pick: Siena (-8)
Game 835-836: St. Peter's at Fairfield
Dunkel Ratings: St. Peter's 58.387; Fairfield 55.797
Dunkel Line: St. Peter's by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Fairfield by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Peter's (+5 1/2)
Game 837-838: Marist at Manhattan
Dunkel Ratings: Marist 38.127; Manhattan 55.769
Dunkel Line: Manhattan by 17 1/2
Vegas Line: Manhattan by 14
Dunkel Pick: Manhattan (-14)
Game 839-840: Weber State at Montana
Dunkel Ratings: Weber State 59.150; Montana 57.823
Dunkel Line: Weber State by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Montana by 5
Dunkel Pick: Weber State (+5)
Game 841-842: Idaho State at Montana State
Dunkel Ratings: Idaho State 45.367; Montana State 54.311
Dunkel Line: Montana State by 9
Vegas Line: Montana State by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Montana State (-8 1/2)
Game 843-844: Portland State at Sacramento State
Dunkel Ratings: Portland State 51.621; Sacramento State 47.370
Dunkel Line: Portland State by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Portland State by 3
Dunkel Pick: Portland State (-3)
Game 845-846: Bethune-Cookman at Coppin State
Dunkel Ratings: Bethune-Cookman 43.964; Coppin State 40.267
Dunkel Line: Bethune-Cookman by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
NHL DUNKEL
Calgary at Florida
The Flames look to build on their 7-3 record in their last 10 games versus the Eastern Conference. Calgary is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Flames favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+100)
Game 51-52: Atlanta at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 10.908; Washington 14.262
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 3 1/2; 7
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 53-54: Toronto at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 11.090; New Jersey 11.449
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-210); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-210); Under
Game 55-56: Carolina at Buffalo
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 10.717; Buffalo 12.399
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-200); Over
Game 57-58: Calgary at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 12.020; Florida 10.991
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Florida (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+100); Under
Game 59-60: Phoenix at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 12.471; Chicago 11.327
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-170); Over
EZWINNERS
Memphis Grizzlies -5
The Rockets laid a 25 point beating on the Grizzlies the first time these two teams met in Houston back in November, but both of these teams have gone in different directions since that game. The Rockets got off to a great start, something that few people expected them to do without injured stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, but they have been slumping recently losing four out of their last six games. Memphis got off to a very slow start this season, but since then they have been playing excellent basketball. The Grizzlies are on pace to win 45 games this season, which would be a 21 game improvement over last season's campaign. The frontline of Memphis has a big advantage over the small frontline of the Rockets. The Grizzlies are averaging an NBA leading 52 points per game in the paint and I expect that to continue against Houston. Memphis is one of the hottest home teams in the league while Houston is only 1-7 against the spread in their last eight road games. Lay the points.
SPORTS WAGERS
FLORIDA –1.03 over Calgary
The Flames erased that ugly loss to the Flyers with a win over the Hurricanes and all that could be said about that is big deal. The final was 4-1 but that is flattering to the Flames, as they still didn’t look that good and continued to take a whole slew of dumb penalties. Calgary’s two wins in its last 12 games have come against Carolina and Edmonton. Now they’ll hit the road and play in Florida and if you’re not at your best against this team you have virtually little chance of winning. Panthers coach, Peter DeBoer has to be considered the most underrated bench-boss in the business. The Panthers play as tough and as determined as anyone and with three full days off between games they should be full of energy and raring to go here. The Flames still remain as beatable as any team in the league and it also doesn’t hurt that this offensively challenged guest will face the league’s hottest goaltender. Calgary favored here is completely wrong. Play: Florida –1.03 (Risking 2.06 units to win 2).
GoodFella
MIN +10.5 vs DAL
This is the 2nd meeting between these two clubs this season, as the Mavs won AT Minnesota (89-77) as 10.5 pt favs back on Nov. 13th. Minnesota played Dallas very tough last season AT Dallas, falling just short (96-94) as 11.5 pt favs. The TWolves have actually coverd the spread the L/2 years when playing AT Dallas--and the TWolves come into tonights game off back to back HOME double digit wins over the Clippers and the Knicks. Tonight is the TWolves 1st game since the victory over the Knicks on Sunday--so they have had the L/4 days off & that rest should show in the 2nd half of tonights ballgame. The Mavs are a putrid (5-18 ATS) at HOME this season & that just cannot be ignored & they head out on a 3 game roadie after tonights game. Dallas snapped a 3 game losing streak with a 9 pt HOME win over Golden St. on Wednesday, but failed to cover the 12 pt spread. It also should be noted that Dirk Nowitski is laboring through a injured thumb that is bothering him & starting Center Erick Dampier is questionbale for tonights game, with a knee injury, as he sat out last game vs Golden St. Bottom line for me--I really like the way the TWolves are playing the last few games & they should be feeling pretty confident about their chances to compete tonight & I fully expect to do just that. Fading the Mavs at HOME when they are laying double digits really looks like great value here tonight & thats exactly what I'm doing. Grab the +10.5 with the Timberwolves tonight.
Scott Spreitzer
Weber State at Montana
The Wildcats begin the tough Montana, two-game road trip facing the Grizzlies tonight and Montana State on Saturday night. The good news for the Big Sky leader is that they have taken four of their last six at the two Montana schools, and they're on a five game win streak. Montana is also playing well of late, winning five of their last six outings. But I don't believe the Grizzlies will be able to handle Weber State's depth. The Wildcats feature six players averaging between 7.5 and 19.8 ppg. Leading scorer Damian Lillard is a matchup nightmare from the arc, and the team can also go inside to center Steve Panos. That's part of what makes this team so tough. Lillard and guard Nick Hansen combine to attempt over 13 "treys" per game, while the team can also pound the ball inside. The first meeting this season, won by Weber, was played at Montana's pace, yet the Wildcats won by eight points, with Lillard throwing in 30 points. Weber dominated more than the 64-56 final score would indicate. The only reason they didn't win by a wider margin was due to a bad night at the charity stripe. The 'Cats made just 17 of 31 free throws. Tonight, I expect Weber to push the tempo, taking Montana out of their comfort zone. The Wildcats have won six in a row in this series SU, and they have covered 10 straight meetings.
Play on: Weber State
VEGAS EXPERTS
Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks
What jumped out at us right away is the fact that both of these teams had gone Under in each of their last four contests. That's pretty unusual for two offensively minded clubs such as these, so we look for the scoring to return tonight in Madison Square Garden where the Knicks score and allow an average of greater than 102 points per game. New York is also 25-12 Over here off a win. Since 1996, Milwaukee is 24-10 Over when coming into a game on a streak of at least four consecutive Unders.
Play on: Over
LT Profits
Marist +14.5
Now we realize that the Marist Red Foxes have the worst record of any lined team in the country at 1-21, but remember that their lone win came vs. these Manhattan Jaspers, and even with revenge in mind, we are not convinced Manhattan us good enough to be favored by this much over anyone.
After all, the Jaspers are just 7-15 straight up themselves, and they are under .500 at home at 4-5. They enter this contest on a seven-game losing streak of their own and they are 2-12 in their last 14 games. This does not sound like a team that deserves to be favored by the mid double-digits over anyone, and if Manhattan was bad enough to lose to this Marist team on the road, do they really have the physical ability to blow them out in the rematch?
This seems unlikely to us, especially considering that the Jaspers have not enjoyed much of a home court advantage this year. Besides, according to the Pomeroy Ratings, Manhattan has an adjusted offensive efficiency rating of .953 points per possession, which ranks 253 out of 347 teams. Marist ranks 298 with a PPP of .908, but is that really enough of a disparity to justify this big spread?
Finally, the struggles of the Red Foxes are so well known that nobody wants to bet this team on the road. Well, the bookmakers are keenly aware of this and have inflated lines against Marist on the road this season. As a result, believe it or not, Marist is 5-1 against the spread in their lined road games.
This seems like a case of the books inflating the line more than usual given the opponent, perhaps because this game will be nationally televised on ESPNU, meaning that the books are expecting heavy action from those anxious to fade Marist with the ability to watch the game on TV.
We, on the other hand, will take the extra value points in this spot, as we do not see Manhattan winning by more than 10 points.
Matt Fargo
Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks
Prediction: Atlanta Hawks
It is starting to get tough to get a good read on the Bulls as they have been everywhere this season. They started their most recent roadtrip with losses against the Warriors and Clippers before rebounding to win the final five games against top quality teams in Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and New Orleans. So what has Chicago done for an encore? It lost at home against the Clippers, getting swept in the season series with the other Los Angeles and then going to Philadelphia and losing to the Sixers in overtime. Now the Bulls face an even tougher task as they head to Atlanta to face the Hawks for the third time this season. The last meeting took place in Chicago with the Bulls prevailing in overtime so Atlanta is in revenge mode after that game. The Hawks won the first meeting at home by a whopping 35 points and while the Bulls certainly have not forgotten, any sort of payback from that means little especially with a win at home shortly thereafter. The Bulls will also be shorthanded tonight as Joakim Noah is out and will be out until after the All-Star break with a foot injury. Noah was on his way to the most improved player award and hopefully he won?t miss much time. He was not a factor in the first two meetings on the scoreboard but he was a major factor on the glass as he recorded 11 rebounds in each of the two games and that is where he has thrived this season. Atlanta is coming off a very sloppy win over the Clippers on Wednesday as it trailed by three points heading into the final quarter before it was able to put it away. The Hawks were killed on the offensive glass in that game as Marcus Camby corralled 20 rebounds, 10 on each end of the floor. That would present a problem for the Hawks here but with Noah and his team leading 552 rebounds (176 offensive) not around, Atlanta is in great shape. The win over Los Angeles moved the Hawks to 20-5 at home this season and kept them on pace with Orlando in the Southeast Division, trailing the Magic by just a game and a half. That deficit makes every game important so there will be no lack of effort tonight especially with a game at lowly Washington on deck for tomorrow. The Bulls have been on a strong covering run but they are just 8-21 ATS in their last 29 games against the Southeast Division while the Hawks are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 home games against teams with a losing road record. Also, Atlanta is 11-4 ATS this season when favored by seven or more points while the Bulls are just 3-8 in their 11 games this season as an underdog of seven or more points. Atlanta takes this one going away. 3* Atlanta Hawks
Tom Freese
Philadelphia 76ers at New Orleans Hornets
Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers
New Orleans took a big hit when star guard Chris Paul went with a knee injury. He is out from 4 to 6 weeks. Paul was averaging 20.4 points a game. Forward David West will have to step up his game. West is scoring 18 points a game along with 7.6 rebounds a game. Peja Stojakovic and Emeka Okafor are going to have to step up big for this team continue to win. New Orleans is 9-23 ATS their last their last 32 games as favorites and they are 0-5 ATS their last 5 home games. Philadelphia is by Andre Iquodala and his 17.3 points a game. Allen Iverson scores 14.7 points a game Lou Williams and Elton Brand both score 14 points a game. Three other players score between 9.4 and 7.5 points a game. The Sixers are 13-5 ATS their last 18 games as road dogs and they are 10-2 ATS their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning record at home. PLAY ON PHILADELPHIA +
BEN BURNS
Toronto Maple Leafs @ New Jersey Devils
PICK: New Jersey Devils -200
The Leafs just beat the Devils a few nights ago, at Toronto. I had a play on the 'under' in that game, so was pleased to see the final score of 3-0. With tonight's rematch being played at New Jersey, I feel that its highly unlikely that the Leafs will record a second straight victory, let alone another shutout.
For starters, note that the Devils are 18-9 at home on the season. On the other hand, the Leafs are 8-22 on the road. (The Devils won the lone meeting here at NJ by a score of 5-4.)
Additionally, even including Tuesday's result, the Devils are still a profitable 20-6 (+10.2) on the season, when facing a team with a losing record, going 71-33 against losing teams that past few seasons. Conversely, the Leafs are a money-burning 8-20 (-10.7) when facing a team with a winning record.
It's also worth noting that the Devils are 10-3 (+6.7) when coming off a loss by two or more goals in their previous game and a lucrative 15-6 (+9.5) when facing a team which defeated them in the previous meeting.
With newly acquired sniper Ilya Kovalchuk expected to be in the lineup for the home team, consider laying the wood.