L Ness
NBA insider - Phil 7ers
CBB
20* - Notre Dame
Weekend Wipeout Winner - UAB
20* Conf GOF - Louisville
Al
Our 3 selections for late afternoon action include South Carolina, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Our 3 evening selections are St Bonaventure, Louisville, and Evansville.
Our 3 selections in the early afternoon package are Boston College, Minnesota and Washington State.
At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors minus the points over Sacramento. Last night, we won with the Kings over Utah, and that was a big win for Reggie Theus' men, as they snapped the Jazz' 10-game win streak.
JEFFERSONSPORTS
NCAA HOOPS EARLY RELEASE
NOTRE DAME-5
Major revenge for a great home team. Harangody dominated Marquette the first time they played but the Irish shot 4-19 from 3 point range and they were killed 92-66. Shouldn't happen again. Notre Dame has been awesome at home and should be revved up for major revenge.Notre Dame avg 84 ppg. shoots 47% from the field and 44% from 3 point range at home. Marquette has struggled on road
ARMVIN SPORTS
CBB
TULANE 1
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 12
VILLANOVA -5.5
NEVADA -10
ILLINOIS STATE -6
BUTLER -6
PACIFIC -14
NHL
PHILADELPHIA -140
COLORADO at VANCOUVER Over 5
Seabass Early Games
20* N.D. -5.5
20* Minn -9
20* Iowa St +6.5
50* Ohio -4.5
50* Gtech +8.5
300* Fla -12.5
VEGAS SPORTS PICS
Marquette Golden Eagles + 5 over (at) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame (17-4, 7-2) vs. No.16 Marquette (16-5, 6-4) posted a 92-66 home win over Notre Dame on 01/12, despite attempting 10 fewer free throws. Irish are on a 33 game home win streak, the Eagles being the last team to win there.
LaSalle Explorers + 3 over Duquesne Dukes
Duquesne (14-7, 4-4) dropped its last road game losing at St. Bonaventure 74-59 on 02/02. LaSalle (9-12, 4-4) won its last home game beating St. Bonaventure 84-61 on 01/30. The Explorers are 7-3 over the Dukes last ten meetings.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets + 8.5 over (at) Connecticut Huskies
No.18 Connecticut (17-5) vs. Georgia Tech (11-10) is 4-1 last five games off winning at (13-8) Wake Forest 88-83 on 02/06, snapping the Deacon's 16 game home win streak. Teams met last season for first time since '04, Jackets at home winning 65-52.
Cincinnati Bearcats - 2.5 over (at) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers (10-14, 2-9) enters off a 52-45 home loss to (9-12) St.John's, a team playing without its leading scorer. Cincinnati (10-12, 5-5) came up big in its last road game winning at (16-7) West Virginia 62-39. Then 1-9 Big East Cincinnati lost at Rutgers 73-69 last season.
Georgetown Hoyas + 2.5 over (at) Louisville Cardinals
Louisville (17-6, 7-3) vs. No.6 Georgetown (19-2, 9-1) leads the Big East in both field goal percentage and scoring defense. Teams met last season for the first time since 2000, Hoyas led by current leading scorer Hibbert's 20 points and 11 rebounds won at Louisville 73-65
Michael Cannon
20 Dime –
OHIO
Take Ohio as the home chalk this afternoon over Western Michigan.
We’re getting some serious value with the Bobcats here on their home court. Ohio has played 10 of its last 15 games on the road, which is the reason they’ve been less than dominant since conference play started.
But now they are back in the comfy confines of their home court, where they are 8-0 SU this year, including dominating wins over Miami (OH) and Kent State.
Western Michigan is at the top of the MAC-West, but that won’t mean much here except to motivate Ohio a little more.
Ohio is 6-2 ATS in its last eight overall and its last eight vs. MAC opponents. The home team is also on a 9-1 ATS run in this series.
Take Ohio minus the number as they grab the win and cover.
10 Dime –
CAL-SANTA BARBARA
Take Cal-Santa Barbara minus the points for the win and cover tonight over UC-Irvine.
Payback time for Santa Barbara.
They were knocked off at Irvine last month, 66-63, which puts the Gauchos in double-revenge mode.
Santa-Barbara has the nation’s fourth-best 3-point shooting percentage, 15th-best 3-point defense and force the second-most turnovers in the nation.
Add all that up, put Santa Barbara on its home court and what you have is the makings of a double-digit win for the Gauchos.
Take Cal-Santa Barbara as the home chalk tonight over UC-Irvine.
5 Dime –
TCU
Take Tcu this afternoon over San Diego State.
The Horned Frogs have played the Aztecs tough over the last couple of seasons, going 3-1 ATS.
Tcu definitely hung with them last year, when the Horned Frogs were in a lot worse shape than they are now.
Tcu is scoring more than nine points per game from last year, and have averaged almost four more steals per game.
San Diego State has won the last five meetings in this series, but it’s now time for Tcu to end that run.
Take Tcu as the tiny home dog as they get it done over San Diego State.
Frank Rosenthal
NBA Hoops
511 Bulls+13
Under 203.5
513 Kings+8
Over 223
College Hoops
518 Nd-5
Under 149
521 Bc+19.5
524 Ky-6
Under 144
533 So Fl+7.5
550 Fl-12
553 Virginia+4.5
561 Central Fl+22
568 Nebraska-4
582 Nova-5.5
592 Nevada-10
594 Cal Over 158
657 Georgetown+3.5
668 Pacific Under 138.5
FERRINGO'S EARLY PLAYS
NOTE: I will have a handful (2-4) more selections added on Saturday at around 12-12:30 p.m. Also, I will update these selections if anything crazy happens to the numbers overnight.
1-Unit Play. Take #518 Notre Dame (-4) over Marquette
The Irish are hot and we’re going to the well. Marquette has been an awful road team, going 3-9 ATS and losing three of their last four by an average of 17 points. Marquette shoots just 28 percent from 3-point land on the road and the hot-shooting Irish will get some revenge for a 26-point bludgeoning they took in Wisconsin earlier this season.
5-Unit Play. Take #658 Louisville (-2.5) over Georgetown
Note: This is our Game of the Week. I know it's a little low for a GOTW play but we're trying to keep it tight these days. This play is fine at 3.0 but start to bump it down a half-Unit or a Unit if it gets to 3.5 or 4.0.
Louisville is an unranked team favored over a team in the Top Ten. That should be a huge red flag, and there is good reason for it. The Cardinals are starting to shoot a bit better, and as long as they don’t do something ridiculous as go 4-for-20 from 3-point land then they could blow this one open early. They simply play much better at home – offensively and defensively – and they should be able to neutralize Georgetown’s size with their own big men underneath. Louisville is on a nice 7-2-1 ATS rush and is 23-8-1 ATS in their last 32 conference games.
3.5-Unit Play. Take #645 Baylor (+18) over Kansas
Arizona, Depaul, and Loyola are the only three teams to cover in Lawrence this year. The thing they have that all of the other clubs who came in and took their beatings is some competency in the backcourt. They are perimeter-oriented clubs. So is Baylor. And then some. The Bears have a backcourt that can compete with Kansas for 40 minutes, and if they can keep their big men out of foul trouble they will be in this game, not just covering but with a chance to steal one. Baylor is getting the same amount of points that Missouri was getting without their best player. And the Tigers didn’t cover because of one missed layup. Baylor is getting five points less than Iowa State, a team they are twice as good as. Baylor is 7-1 ATS on the road (and their one loss was a garbage loss) and 9-3 ATS as an underdog. They’ve covered their last four trips to Kansas and the road team is 6-0 ATS in the series.
2.5-Unit Play. Take #542 Ohio (-4.5) over Western Michigan
The home team is 9-1 ATS in this series, with Ohio going 5-0 ATS as a host, and Western Michigan has been a weak road team all season long. Ohio came out flat in its last game at Eastern Michigan and had its worst shooting performance of the year. I think they got that game out of their system and bounceback with a strong performance. Ohio is 45-19-1 ATS at home, 27-11 ATS against a team with a road record, and 38-15-1 ATS on Saturdays.
2-Unit Play. Take #565 George Mason (-1.5) over Old Dominion
This just isn’t the same Old Dominion team that we’re used to and they should be getting a lot more points than this. The Monarchs are just 2-3 SU at home, losing to teams that aren’t better than Mason. Oh, and George Mason beat ODU by 33 points just two weeks ago. They aren’t going to win this one by 30 but they are going to win. They are on a 6-1-1 ATS run and the Monarchs are 0-7 ATS as a dog. The Patriots are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings and 4-1 ATS in their last five at ODU. The only reason this play isn’t higher is because Mason pressed a lot against Drexel and may not have 100 percent to give. But Mason at 90 percent is still 10 points better than OD at 100.
Kelso Sat
Chairman 10 units Louisville-2.5
Best Bets
10 units Duke -19.5
5 units Ky -6
5 units Cincy -2.5
3G SPORTS
10* marquette
10* duquesne
5* wash st.
5* georgetown
4* michigan
4* lsu
4* old dominion
Drew Gordon
1. 200,000* Bradley
2. 50,000* Purdue
3. 50,000* Rockets
1. Bradley- Tough, tough turnaround for Illinois State, coming off a heart breaking loss to Drake at home Tuesday 73-70. Word out of Redbird country is the loss was devastasting, to both players and fans alike, who have watched their chances at the Dance dwindle with losses in 4 of their last 6 games after a red-hot start. Enter Bradley, who's not only playing much better basketball, but already proved they could beat this Redbird team on their home court last season 70-62.
I'm not saying they win outright, but this game is going to be razor close, as the Braves have won 6 straight (5-1 ATS over that span) and are really starting to come together as a team. The return of a healthy Daniel Ruffin is a big part of their success, as the talented guard has only gotten better and better since coming back (25 points & 7 asissts against Missouri State in last one). No surprise the Braves have won and covered all 5 games since his return!
Biggest problem for Illinois State is their lack of depth, as we know what we'll get from G Eldridge, F Slack, and G Johnson, but after that, the pickings are slim at best. They've shown tremedous inconsistency from that point on downward on their roster, and losing 4 of their last 6 hasn't helped. In fact, looking over the Redbirds last 5 games, its clear the team has lost "the edge" they had early on, as they've softened considerably on defense, allowing 68 ppg on 46% shooting over that span! That's the last thing you want against a Bradley offense which is firing on all cylinders with Ruffin back in the lineup (71 ppg 46% from floor 45% from 3-point last 5 games)!
Speaking of defense, its been the Braves who've stepped it up over their last 5 games, locking down opponents to just 60 ppg on 39% shooting (28% from 3-point)! The way the Redbirds are playing right now, even if they do win this game, there's no way they extend the margin based on the Braves outstanding defense of late. If anything this game comes down to a late basket, but even then, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Bradley won outright here.
Take Bradley plus the points over Illinois State as your top-rated play of the day.
2. Purdue- Okay, okay, we all know about the Badgers and their outstanding record at the Kohl Center, let's just get that out of the way right now. Yes, they're excellent at home, and yes they'll most likely win this game, but not by nearly as much as Vegas wants you to believe and here's why:
First, Purdue already proved they can hang with this Badgers team by beating them earlier this season 60-56 in West Lafayette. How'd they do it? The same way they're going to grab the cash tonight, with defense, plain and simple. While its true the Badgers defense at the Kohl Center is superior, the Boilermakers aren't that far behind, as both teams are allowing about 55 ppg over their last 5 contests.
Second, let's try an remember this isn't the same Wisky team that featured stars Tucker and Taylor, but instead Trevon Hughes and a couple good, but not great frontline players in Butch and Landry. Guys, in case you haven't noticed, Wisconsin is only 4-7 ATS at the Kohl Center this season, and a big part of that is the lack of a true "go-to" player. Hughes is good, but he's still young, and his 58 assists to 55 turnover ratio is far from ideal.
Finally, the Boilermakers may not have the size down-low, but their efficient perimeter attack has proven extremely effective, winning 8 in a row & 7 of their last 8 ATS. If they go cold, they could lose this game badly, but their offense has been solid over their last 5 games, and will be good enough to keep this contest within the number tonight. Boilermakers grab the cash in Madison Saturday!
Take Purdue plus the points over Wisconsin in this Big Ten showdown.
3. Rockets- Sure, the Hawks have won 3 of their last 4 and looked good over that span, BUT, surprise those 4 games were all at home, where the Hawks are solid season. However, now back on the road, we start to see the train fall off the tracks again, as Atlanta has proven they cannot be trusted on the highway (6-15 SU & 9-12 ATS away), plain and simple.
Rockets meanwhile, have been playing damn good basketball, winning 9 of their last 10 games, including 4 in a row! They crushed a red-hot Cleveland team in their last home game 92-77, sending Lebron and company back home with their tails tucked between their legs. If Houston can dominate a match up with one of the hotter teams in the East, then they can definately win and cover against one of the more road-weary teams in the East as well.
Match ups are huge problem (literally), as rookie Al Horford is already a power forward prentending to be a center, going up against the biggest and one of the most effective centers is the NBA today, Yao Ming. While the Hawks have better athletes in the frontcourt than Houston, its clear to me that the Rockets have the better basketball players, as both Scola and Battier know their roles and play them well, especially at home. In the backcourt, Joe Johnson is more consistent than the injured T-Mac, but coming off a bad game against the Cavs, I expect T-Mac to reemerge tonight.
Another issue to consider is fatigue, as the Hawks are playing in the tail end of back-to-back, which is not the best situation for them, going 1-4 ATS over their last 5 games with no rest. Want an example? They lost badly to the Suns January 29th 125-92, and the very next day managed only 88 points in an 95-88 loss to the lowly Clippers... More of the same tonight, as I can see the Hawks coming flat and falling behind early in this one, which is a bad idea against the Rockets stingy defense.
Bottom line, the Rockets protect their house and grab the cash against a tired and road-weary Hawks squad in this one. Houston is nasty at home (just ask Clevaland) and they'll prove it once again tonight, as an overmatched Atlanta team walks into the Lions den and becomes a nice meal for Yao and company.
Take the Rockets at home BIG over the Hawks in this NBA match up.
Afternoon Action...
1. 50,000* Ohio
1. Ohio- This is a bad spot for Western Michigan, as they've proven vulnerable on the road, with losses at Kent State & Eastern Michigan, and now travel to Ohio, who's yet to lose on their home floor this season, going 8-0 SU & 7-1 ATS!
Although not really considered an offensive juggernaut, the Bobcats bring their brand of stout defense to this contest, but they're also much better at putting points on the board at home, averaging 75 ppg on 49% shooting (38% from 3-point). Needless to say, those are BIG jumps from their season averages, and its clear to anyone who's seen the Bobcats play, that their a much more dangerous team in Athens.
Want to talk about a team that struggles on the road? Let's talk about the Broncos, as their defensive numbers, in particular, balloon when they travel, allowing 71 ppg on 44% shooting away this season. Although they beat Buffalo in their last road game, it took them an overtime to do it, and they allowed 90 points to a Bulls team that averages 71 ppg on 40% shooting! The road game prior, they lost badly to Kent State 67-58... A team the Bobcats beat handily 71-59 on this court in mid-January.
Finally, you have to consider the match ups, as the thin Broncos frontline will have trouble against the Bobcats frontcourt duo of Williams and Tillman. F Leon Williams especially, as the 6'8 forward is shooting 61% on the season and averaging a double-double with 16 ppg and 10 boards/game! Western Michigan's C Joe Reitz is not only undersized at 6'7, but has real bad habit of picking up stupid fouls (72 personal fouls on season). Other than that, both backcourts are solid, but you give the nod to the Bobcats guards playing at home in this one.
Bottom line, you know you're going to get rock-solid defense from this Bobcats team game in and game out, but what makes them so dangerous at home, is their ability to match their defensive intensity with some offense... A big reason they're 8-0 & 7-1 ATS there this season! More of the same this afternoon, as Western Michigan once again gets exposed on the road in this one.
Take Ohio at home comfortably over Western Michigan in afternoon MAC action.
MR A
Houston Rockets -8.5
Golden State Warriors - 7.5
3G SPORTS
1o* Marquette
10* Duquesne
5* Wash St.
5* Georgetown
4* Michigan
4* LSU
4* Old Dominion
Rocketman
Pepperdine @ Gonzaga 8:00 PM EST
Play On: 1* Gonzaga -23
Pepperdine is allowing 81.6 points per game overall this year and 82.6 points per game on the road this season. Gonzaga is scoring 76.5 points per game overall this year while allowing only 55.7 points per game at home this season. Gonzaga is 17-6 ATS overall vs Pepperdine since 1997 including 8-2 ATS at home vs Pepperdine since 1997. Waves are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 vs. West Coast. Waves are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games following three or more consecutive home games. Waves are 2-14-1 ATS in their last 17 games vs. a team with a winning SU record. Bulldogs are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400. Bulldogs are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a losing SU record. Bulldogs are 18-6 ATS in their last 24 Saturday games. Bulldogs are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a SU loss. Bulldogs are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400. Favorite is 13-3-1 ATS in the last 17 meetings. Waves are 2-14-1 ATS in the last 17 meetings. Waves are 0-6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Gonzaga. We'll recommend a small play on Gonzaga tonight!
GINA
Saturday, February 9th, 2008 8:00 p.m. est.
Memphis Grizzlies (13-36) at New Orleans Hornets (33-15)
New Orleans has currently been a tough team to beat at home. The Hornets have won and covered the spread in seven of their last nine games at home and have beaten the Grizzlies in nine of the last 10 meetings, including five straight at New Orleans Arena.
Go with the Hornets to sting the Grizzlies in their house. Memphis has lost five straight, six of its last seven. The Grizzlies are playing poorly, averaging 91 points per game in that span and allowing 108 points.
New Orleans Hornets
Saturday, February 9th, 2008
New Orleans Hornets
Utah Jazz