THE SPORTS MEMO
ERIN RYNNING
Memphis at LA Clippers
Recommendation: Grizzlies
The Grizzlies hit La-La land with a game against the Clippers Saturday night. Note the Interesting schedule quirk in this contest, which gives up a distinct advantage in the betting marketplace. This is the second of a back-to-back for the Grizzlies.However, they won’t have to travel with a game Friday night in the Staples Center against the Lakers. On the other side of the equation, this will serve as the Clippers fourth game in five nights. In addition, their first three games of the set will all be played on the road. That makes this contest almost like another road game for the Clippers, especially concerning the travel involved. In addition, the Grizzlies are playing much better basketball of late. Mike Miller recently returned to give this team a jolt on the offensive end. They’re playing with at least two ‘game’ young point guards in Mike Conley Jr. and Kyle Lowry as well. Defensively, this team has picked it up, while playing and liking a zone defense with Hakim Warrick as the anchor. Of course, Warrick has thrived in a zone going back to his days at Syracuse. Meanwhile, the Clippers are just slogging through a disappointing season. Injuries have taken their toll in a big way, while depth in a ‘four in five’ is of grave concern. The situation is a sweet one and with the Grizzlies still trying hard, we’ll ride them in this contest to get the win
TIM TRUSHEL
Phoenix at New Jersey
Recommendation: Nets
New Jersey is not a good basketball team by any stretch of the definition.
Yet because of a very difficult set of circumstances and a brutal schedule, they do hold plenty of value in the pointspread. Consider their efforts this month having played Philadelphia, New Orleans, Denver, Utah, Cleveland, Houston, Dallas plus San Antonio twice. No surprise that any mediocre team would go 2-7 in those games. Five of the nine games against the elite have been on the road where New Jersey is a pathetic 11-23 on the season. Not coincidentally the Nets were 0-5 in those five road games. However at home they have been much more competitive splitting their games en route to an 18-18 overall mark. Along the way this month they beat the likes of Utah and Cleveland. This weekend they’ll face a Phoenix Suns team that will likely overlook the game. Phoenix will be tested in Philadelphia the night previous and will have little emphasis put on this game. On the second of back-to-back games this year Phoenix is just 5-9 against the spread and has lost three times straight up to the likes of Minnesota and Atlanta.After facing an up-tempo opponent like Philadelphia we would expect some attrition the following night in New Jersey. So while the Nets do not have an answer for Shaq, we project his effectiveness and contributions to be diminished. The loss of Jason Kidd has been a non factor and with plenty of offensive weapons, the Nets will keep up offensively and steal one at home from Phoenix. Take the points.
TEDDY COVERS
Charlotte at Portland
Recommendation: Trail Blazers
Portland has been a remarkably easy team to handicap over the course of the last few months. Since the Blazers tremendous streak of 17 wins in 18 games back in December and January, they’ve done nothing against quality opposition, going just 1-14 SU, 4-12 ATS against teams with winning records. Who have the Blazers been beating? Bad teams like the Bobcats; 14-4 against teams with losing records, including a 6-2 ATS mark against those losing teams in their last eight tries. The Blazers were able to win and cover as substantial road favorites against the Clippers this past weekend, despite a 37 percent shooting performance and 4-of-19 from three point range. The key to Portland’s success against bad teams has been two-fold. First, they have been extremely adept at pounding the ball down into the paint, feeding Joel Przybilla and LaMarcus Aldridge on nearly every possession. Secondly, the Blazers have avoided turnovers like the plague, with Brandon Roy and Steve Blake consistently making good decisions with the basketball.The Bobcats have been a pointspread disaster area on the road all year long, just 11-21-1 ATS away from home following their latest road trip, losing all five games by seven points or more in straight up fashion. It’s not hard to make a case against this struggling Charlotte team that has managed only two straight up road wins during their current 5-11 ATS run on the highway.
WINNING POINTS
UCLA over Xavier by 5
The Musketeers will not go away. Howland will probably have to employ more muscle
and less scoring to overcome this opponent. UCLA, 69-64.
Louisville over North Carolina by 1
North Carolina is Clemson, except with Hansbrough and a slightly smarter head coach and smarter supporting cast. Louisville is more versatile. LOUISVILLE, 76-75.
***BEST BET
*Detroit over Cleveland by 17
Rarely do the Pistons throw in a clunker but they did 10 days ago at Cleveland when
they lost 89-73. The Pistons were coming off a 136-120 win the night before against the racehorse Nuggets. Expect a focused and revenge-minded effort from Detroit, one of the most reliable spread teams. The Pistons last played on Thursday and that was taking on Miami, the worst team in the NBA. LeBron James is going to get his points. But the Pistons can stop the rest of the Cavaliers’ attack with their assorted zone defenses. The Cavaliers have lost seven of their last eight away matchups. DETROIT 106-89.
***BEST BET
Portland over Charlotte by 16
Depth is a problem for Charlotte and this marks its fourth game in five days. Brandon Roy is a legitimate star and LaMarcus Aldridge has also been showing star potential. The Trail Blazers are underrated defensively, ranking in the top 10. Charlotte is second-to-last in free throw percentage. PORTLAND 108-92.
Marc Lawrence
Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons
Pistons take on the Cavs in a Central division duel in the Motor CIty Saturday night. With Cleveland in a funk and Detroit looking to avenge an 89-73 loss earlier this month, the knee-jerk reaction would be to back Pistons. Not so fast, my friend. The Cavs are 10-3 ATS as dogs off a loss this season (7-1 last 8). They are also 14-4 ATS the last 18 games in this series, including 9-0 as dogs of 8 or less points.
Play on: Cleveland
Mike Rose
Kansas City Brigade +9.5
Both the San Jose Sabercats and Kansas City Brigade will look to pull themselves off the mat when they hook up in the ‘Sprint Center’ at 6:00 ET Saturday night. The defending champs lost their second game of the season last week in a hard fought battle with Dallas, while Kansas City surrendered a whopping 92 points to the winless Grand Rapids Rampage in their 40-point defeat. San Jose has split its first four games of the season, and comes into tonight’s contest a poor 1-3 ATS. It hasn’t been the greatest of starts for Head Coach Darren Arbet’s club, but the Sabercats normally start slow and turn it on after the first month of play. Last week’s effort certainly wasn’t what Head Coach Kevin Porter had envisioned after having 15 days to prepare for their battle with the Rampage, but it is what it is and the Brigade come into this game winless one the year.
Last week’s battle between the Desperados and Sabercats was deemed the game of the week, and it didn’t disappoint. San Jose trailed 29-28 at the half, and it was tied at 35 after three quarters of play. However, the fourth quarter saw them turn it over twice to allow the Desperados an extra possession and they took full advantage of it. The 59-56 final count was reached after QB Mark Grieb found a wide-open James Roe as time expired. Grieb completed 34-of-45 pass attempts for 356 yards and six touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to pick up the win. They lost SU for the second time this season after being pegged the favorite in the contest.
As mentioned up above, Kansas City was demolished by Grand Rapids last week. The 92-52 final score saw them fail to cover the six and a half-point spread and the combined score of 144 sailed over the posted total of 103. The Brigades defense was non-existent giving up a near record 95 points and nine TD passes to James MacPherson in his first ever AFL start. The only positive to come out of the game was in the play of QB Matt Kohn who tossed for 281 yards and four touchdowns, while completing 19-of-36 pass attempts in the loss.
The Brigade enters tonight’s match-up with the Sabercats on a five game losing streak that’s carried over from the end of last season. That said, they’re 5-1 SU and ATS against the Western Division in the franchises history. Look for ‘The Hangar II’ to be rocking in the first ever meeting between these two teams.
Columbus Destroyers +3.0
The 2-2 Orlando Predators hit the road after back-to-back home victories to face the Columbus Destroyers, fresh off of their first victory of the season. The Preds were fortunate to pick up the 'W' at home following a very questionable ruling that a Georgia WR was short of the end zone on the last play of the game. Orlando won 50-45. As for Columbus, they got off the schneid after a couple disappointing performances by winning in Utah 52-49 on the final play of the game. The Destroyers offense struggled, only posting five TDs on the night, but four of those five scores were put up in a 2nd half in which they outscored the Blaze 32-14.
WR TT Toliver has done it all for the Predators at the quarter pole of the season. He leads the AFL with 545 receiving yards, and tops the league for total yards per game at a whopping 236.5. His 14 TDs is second to only Soul WR Chris Jackson (16). QB Shane Stafford leads all QBs who have started at least three games with a 125.8 QB rating and is only two TD passes behind Joe Germaine for the league lead. The struggles for Orlando have come on defense, where the team gave up 64 PPG in their first three outings. However, the defense redeemed itself by coming up with four stops while holding the Force to just 45 total points.
The exact opposite story is going on in Columbus, where the Destroyers have to be scratching their heads about their futile offense. It’s averaged a shade over 6 TDs a game, a number which just isn't going to cut it, especially with a defense that has only forced three turnovers on the young season. QB Matt Nagy has been inconsistent in terms of completion percentage, but has only turned the ball over twice, which has kept Columbus alive in all four games this year.
Orlando has been deemed a 3-point chalk in this one, but bettors have cause for concern on both sides of this one. The Destroyers have lost three straight games at home, but the Predators are 3-7 ATS in their L/10 on the road. Before rolling off back-to-back home covers, they were just 2-7 in their L/9 games.
James Patrick Sports
Warriors vs. Nuggets
Our Saturday NBA selection is on one of the most obvious plays of the day. With the Warriors & Nuggets posting number’s reminiscent of the old ABA days, how can we not go OVER the Total in Denver – Golden State.
Dave Cokin
Suns @ Nets
Play: Suns -5
The Suns did a good job Friday at Philly, while the Nets were getting beaten at Indiana. Back to back for both teams should favor the Suns, as they're the deeper and more talented team, and I would expect them to comfortably handle New Jersey tonight. lay the points with Phoenix.
Greg Daraban
Memphis at LA Clippers
Two teams well out of the playoff race. The Grizzlies pulled the upset Friday in this building beating the Lakers last night 114-111. They do not have to travel, but the host Clippers do after getting crushed at Utah 121-101. Low scoring game at Los Angeles.
Take Mem/LAC Under
Big Al Mcmordie
Game: Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers
Prediction: Los Angeles Clippers
Reason: At 10:35 pm, our member selection is on the Los Angeles Clippers minus the points over Memphis. Last night, the Grizzlies got their biggest upset win of the year, 114-111, on the road vs. the Lakers. That sets up this play, as it's a classic letdown spot for the Grizzlies. Also, the Clippers have dropped 10 straight games, but favorites off 7+ losses are 32-23 ATS since 2001. The Clips have covered six of seven vs. Memphis. Lay the points.
Jimmy The Moose
Game: Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders
Prediction: Philadelphia Flyers
Reason: Must win here for the Flyers are holding on to a playoff spot. Flyers have dominated this series taking 6 of the last 7 meetings and have outscored them 12-3 in their last 3 meetings. Isles looking towards next season has lost 8 of their last 10 overall. Play on Philadelphia -.
Karl Garrett
The G-Man takes a look at a rare total play tonight, as I expect the action to be fast and furious between Louisville and North Carolina.
Both teams stayed low in their last Big Dance game, but it is hard to imagine them staying low in this game, as there is just too much firepwer on the court in this game.
Dating back to the regular season, the Heels are on 7-3-1 OVER run their last 11 games. The OVER is also on a 7-3 spread run in the Tar Heels last 10 against non-conference foes.
I know this is a rather high total, but with North Carolina having scored in the 100's in their first 2 games, something is telling me that this game is going to see a few buckets scored.
G-Man likes the high in this game boys!
2* OVER (on a 1* to 5* basis)
Vegas Sports Pics
Xavier Musketeers + 6 over UCLA Bruins
Xavier which ranks eight in the nation in scoring margin has set a school record for wins in a season. The Musketeers have covered their last seven NCAA tournament games as an underdog.
Louisville Cardinals + 6 over North Carolina Tar Heels
Louisville enters on a roll handily winning its first three tournament games off beating No.6 Tennessee 79-60 in the last round holding the Volunteers 22.5 points under their season average.
Sportsbettingstats
#13 Louisville Cardinals (27-8) vs. #1 North Carolina Tar Heels (35-2)
Louisville comes into this Elite 8 match up after an impressive victory over Tennessee 79-60, while North Carolina easily beat Washington State 68-47. Both teams have cruised into the Elite 8 and have not been challenged thus far, as the smallest margin of victory for both teams has been around 20 points. Louisville looked great against a tough Tennessee team, while North Carolina has been dominant and is going to be tough to stop. Louisville is a well-balanced team with four players averaging at least 10 points. The main duo in the win over Tennessee were Guards Andre McGee and Jerry Smith with 13 points each. In that game the Cardinals shot 26/50 for a field goal percentage of 52%. Louisville also dominated the glass out rebounding Tennessee 42-24. On defense is where the Cardinals won the game holding Tennessee to only 19/56 shooting for a paltry field goal percentage of 33.9%. Much like Louisville North Carolina is also well balanced with 4 players averaging at least 11 points a game, led by Forward and All-American candidate Tyler Hansbrough (22.6 ppg 10.2 rpg). In their win over Washington State Hansbrough was the man going for 18 points and 9 boards. In that game the Tar Heels shot 25/58 for a field goal percentage of 43.1% and out rebounded Washington State 42-28. On defense North Carolina stymied Washington State holding them to 18/57 shooting for a field goal percentage of 31.6%.
Staff Pick: This will definitely be the toughest match that either team has faced so far, but the edge has to go the Tar Heels. They have a stacked lineup and their bench players would be starters at pretty much any other school. The only chance the Cardinals have in this game is that if Center David Padgett (11.4 ppg) can match up evenly with Hansbrough. Both teams do not mind playing run and gun basketball but if it becomes a shootout the Tar Heels have the edge because they have more scoring options. The knock on the Tar Heels early in the year was their defense, but they have proven their skeptics wrong and are now solid on the defensive end. Louisville will have to play their best game of the season to win this game and North Carolina has to slip. The Tar Heels are firing on all cylinders and they will win this game. Plus the game is in Charlotte so there will be a lot of Tar Heels fans in the stands. It will not be a blowout but the Cardinals simply do not have enough talent to beat the Tar Heels who will advance to the Final 4.
Tar Heels 85 Louisville 79
SportsAdvisors
(3) Xavier (30-6, 16-16 ATS) vs (1) UCLA (34-3, 20-14-2 ATS)
UCLA was pounding 12th-seeded Western Kentucky 41-20 at halftime Thursday, but the Bruins had to fend off a furious second-half run, eventually prevailing 88-78 but failing to cover as a 12½-point chalk. UCLA notched its 13th straight win, but the Bruins are just 6-7 ATS in that stretch, including 2-5 ATS in their last seven starts.
The Bruins, on track for their third straight Final Four appearance, are 2-0 SU and ATS in Elite Eight games the past two years, edging Memphis 50-45 as a 2½-point favorite in 2006, then eliminating Pitt 64-55 as a three-point chalk last year.
Xavier had to work late Thursday, notching a 79-75 overtime win over seventh-seeded West Virginia as a 1½-point underdog to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2004. The Musketeers have now ripped of 16 wins in their last 18 games (9-9 ATS) and have cashed in their last three.
UCLA is on positive ATS streaks of 35-17 after a non-cover and 7-2-1 as a favorite of less than seven points. However, Ben Howland’s team is on negative ATS streaks of 1-4 overall – all against winning teams at neutral sites, and all with the Bruins favored – 0-4 on Saturday and 0-4 against teams with a winning percentage above .600.
The Musketeers are on a bevy of positive ATS runs, including a sterling 9-1 in the Tournament and 7-0 as a Tournament underdog. In addition, they are 6-0 ATS in non-conference play, 26-7 ATS at neutral venues, 12-2 ATS as a neutral-site pup, 20-8 ATS as an underdog, 7-3 ATS versus winning teams and 45-22-1 ATS against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Two negative notes are Xavier’s 2-6 ATS mark in its last eight games on Saturdays and a 2-4 ATS record in its last six after a SU win.
In the past two Tournaments, underdogs have gone 6-2 ATS in the round of eight, with each of those six ‘dogs winning outright to reach the Final Four. However, favorites went 5-3 ATS in the Sweet 16 and are now 34-21-1 ATS for the Tournament.
Xavier has made five fewer field goals than its first three Tournament foes and has just four more total rebounds than those foes. However, the Musketeers are outshooting their opponents 48 percent to 42.3 percent, and they’re averaging 79 points per game.
Despite struggling defensively in the second half against Western Kentucky, UCLA is still just giving up only 52 ppg on 31.7 percent shooting in the Tournament. Offensively, the Bruins average 69.7 ppg on 47.2 percent shooting.
Although Thursday’s game against Western Kentucky flew over the 137-point posted price, UCLA remains on “under” streaks of 16-5 in the Tournament (2-0 “under” in the Elite Eight), 10-2 as a Tournament favorite and 4-1 outside the Pac-10. However, for Xavier, the over is on runs of 10-1 in the Tournament (6-0 in the last six), 7-1 in non-conference play and 8-2 at neutral venues.
ATS ADVANTAGE: XAVIER
EAST REGION
(3) Louisville (27-8, 20-12-1 ATS) vs. (1) North Carolina (35-2, 23-11 ATS)
North Carolina flattened fourth-seeded Washington State 68-47 Thursday in its Sweet 16 contest, easily covering the eight-point spread. The Tar Heels have won 14 straight, and they’ve cashed in all three Tournament contests after going 3-7 ATS in the previous 10.
This is the Tar Heels’ third trip to the Elite Eight in the last four years, and they went 1-1 SU and ATS in the last two appearances, with the win coming in 2005 on their way to claiming the national title. Last year in this round, Carolina blew a six-point halftime lead and got bounced by Georgetown, losing 96-84 in overtime as a 3½-point chalk.
Louisville beat up second-seeded Tennessee 79-60 Thursday, easily cashing as a two-point favorite, moving to 3-0 ATS in the tourney. The Cardinals, who are in the Elite Eight for the first time since going all the way to the Final Four in 2005, are on a 12-2 SU and ATS tear, going 5-1 ATS in the last six.
These two teams haven’t met since the 1990s, squaring off three years in a row from 1997-99. Carolina went 2-1 in those contests, but Louisville cashed in all three games, all as an underdog.
The pointspread trends are almost all positive for Roy Williams’ troops, including 23-10 overall, 5-1 in the Tournament, 8-3 on Saturday, 21-7 against winning teams, 39-14-1 after a spread-cover and 41-17-1 in non-conference play. But the Tar Heels are 3-5 ATS in their last eight as a chalk and 1-7 ATS in their last eight as a favorite of less than seven points.
Like UNC, the Cardinals are on several positive ATS runs, including 18-5-1 overall, 6-2-1 in the Tournament, 4-0 against the ACC, 5-0 in non-conference play, 10-1 after a SU win, 13-3-1 against teams with a winning record, 9-2 after a spread-cover and 6-2-1 as a ‘dog. The lone blemish for Louisville is an 0-8 ATS mark as a neutral-site underdog.
Both of these teams have been flat-out dominant statistically through the first three games of the Tournament. North Carolina is averaging 96.3 ppg and shooting a blistering 57.8 percent from the field while holding the opposition to 40.9 percent. Meanwhile, Louisville – which has scored 79, 78 and 79 points in its first three contests – is outshooting its opponents 55.8 percent to 40.1 percent, and allowing just 56.3 ppg.
For Carolina, which ranks second in the nation in scoring offense at 89.3 ppg, the over is on streaks of 7-3-1 overall, 5-2 in the Tournament, 7-3 in non-conference play, 7-2-1 with the Tar Heels favored and 11-4 following a win of more than 20 points. On the flip side, for Louisville, the under is on runs of is 4-1-1 overall (all at neutral sites), 5-1-1 outside the Big East, 15-5-1 following a SU win and 10-4 as an underdog.
ATS ADVANTAGE: LOUISVILLE
NBA
Cleveland (40-32, 34-38 ATS) at Detroit (51-21, 38-33-1 ATS)
Two Central Division rivals that are stumbling toward the finish line clash at The Palace of Auburn Hills, as the Pistons host the Cavaliers in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference finals.
Detroit had no problems with the Heat on Thursday night, rolling to an 85-69 home victory. However, the Pistons failed to cover an astounding 20½-point spread, falling to 1-4 ATS in their last five (2-3 SU).
Cleveland was on the wrong end of a buzzer-beater on Wednesday night, losing 100-99 to the Hornets as a 1½-point home chalk. The Cavs have dropped two in a row and five of their last eight, both SU and ATS.
Going back to the end of last year’s regular season and including last year’s six-game playoff series, the home team has dominated this rivalry, going 8-1 SU. However, the Cavs have been a spread-covering machine against the Pistons over the last year, going 9-1 ATS (5-1 ATS in Detroit). In this year’s two clashes, the Pistons rolled 109-74 as a nine-point home chalk on Nov. 28, with the Cavs getting revenge 10 days ago in an 89-73 victory as a 1½-point favorite.
The underdog is 13-5 ATS in the last eight series battles.
Cleveland has dropped five straight road games (1-4 ATS) and is 1-7 in its last eight on the highway (3-5 ATS). On a positive note, LeBron and Co. are on ATS hot streaks of 7-2 after a non-cover, 18-7 in divisional clashes and 12-5 on Saturdays.
Detroit continues to sport one of the best home records in the NBA at 29-6 (21-14 ATS). That includes an ongoing five-game home winning streak (4-1 ATS). The Pistons are also 19-9 ATS in their last 28 when playing on a day of rest. However, they’re only 6-18 ATS over their last 24 Eastern Conference contests and 2-5 ATS in their last seven against Central Division rivals.
The Cavs have followed a four-game “under” streak by topping the total in their last two. Also, the over is 5-1 in Cleveland’s last six road games and 10-4-1 in its last 15 divisional tussles. Conversely, the under is on runs of 4-1 for Cleveland against the East, 4-1 for Cleveland on Saturdays, 5-0 for Detroit against the East, 4-1 for Detroit overall and 23-6 in this rivalry, including 4-1 in the last five meetings in Motown.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Golden State (47-27, 31-40 ATS) at Denver (44-28, 40-32 ATS)
Two teams in a dogfight for the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot meet in a critical contest at the Pepsi Center, where Denver hosts the Warriors in a battle of two of the NBA’s highest-scoring squads.
Golden State current occupies the coveted No. 8 spot in the West, but is just a half-game ahead of the Nuggets. Heading into Friday night’s action, only six games separated the top nine teams in the Western Conference.
The Nuggets, who crushed Dallas 118-105 as an 8½-point home chalk on Thursday, enter this contest on a four-game winning streak, and they’ve won seven of their last nine. Not only that, but Denver has been getting it done at the window, cashing in each of its last five games, nine of its last 10 and 11 of its last 13.
The Warriors have struggled with consistency over the past two weeks, alternating SU and ATS wins and losses in their last nine games, though they did crush the Blazers 111-95 as a 13-point home chalk on Thursday. Prior to that contest, Golden State had been mired in a 2-5 ATS slump.
The road underdog has taken the first two meetings of this season series, with Denver winning 124-120 as a five-point pup on Dec. 28, and the Warriors returning the favor just two days later at the Pepsi Center in a 105-95 victory as a 4½-point ‘dog. The Nuggets are 7-3 in the last 10 clashes overall (6-4 ATS) and 6-2 ATS in the last eight battles at the Pepsi Center.
The Nuggets are on ATS upticks of 16-5 at home, 10-3 versus the Western Conference and 7-1 when playing on one day of rest. However, they’re just 1-4 ATS in their last five against Pacific Division foes and 1-6 ATS in their last seven on Saturdays.
The Warriors own nothing but negative pointspread trends, including 4-12 on Saturdays, 3-10 against the West, 8-27 after a victory, 2-12 when coming off a double-digit win, 1-6 against the Northwest Division and 6-14 when playing on one day of rest.
Going back to the beginning of February, Denver is on a 20-7 “over” streak, including 10-2 “over” at home. The over is also 13-3 in Denver’s last 13 home games and 4-0 in its last four on Saturdays. Conversely, the Warriors have followed an 18-3-1 “over” tear by staying under the number in seven of its last 10. The under is also 4-1 in Golden State’s last five road games and 3-6 in its last 29 on Saturdays.
Finally, the over is 10-3 in the last 13 series meetings, though the one game in Denver this season stayed 29 points under the posted total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DENVER and OVER
Red Dog Sports
UNC/Louisville Over 72.5 (1st half)
This game is being played in Charlotte, NC and UNC will have plenty of fans there. UNC is off a slow paced game vs. Washington State yet still put up 35 in the first half. Louisville has played well and does a good job changing defenses. Will UNC be able to adjust?
Tyler Hansbrough only scored 2 points in the first half vs. WSU amd even missed 2 foul shots. UNC is one of the fastest paced teams in the country and Lawson is now closer to 100%. He should be able to break the press and lead to some easy layups as well as get 3's from Ellington and Green.
The Cardinals have played some high scoring first halves this year including the postseason game vs. Boise State that was 44-31 (75 points). Here are some others:
Providence 40-39 (79)
Seton Hall 45-43 (88)
BYU 41-37 (78)
Pitt 42-36 (78)
Marshall 37-37 (74)
Louisville gets offense from Padgett, Williams, Clark, Smith, Caracter, Sosa and Palacios. The Cards are not very good from the free throw line and that could be a factor.
The over/under for the game is 155 so they are expecting 72.5 in the first half and 82.5 in the second.
72.5 is available at Olympic but others have it at 73. I would not try above
73.
UNC is a great rebounding team that could help lead to fast breaks. The press of Louisville should lead to some steals and layups.
I think we see a score in the 41-37 range at half and above the total.
UNC/Louisville Over 72.5 (1st half)
Great Lakes
Golden State at Denver
Play on: Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are an amazing 9-1 ATS their last 10 games including 5-0 ATS their last 5 games. The Nuggets are also 11-3 ATS when playing on Saturday's this year, and 30-19 ATS in the role of a favorite this year. We look for the Denver Nuggets to grab the home ATS Win & cover tonight.
Jim Feist.
CHA Bobcats and POR Trail Blazers.
Take "POR Trail Blazers".
The Bobcats play their 9th road game here over the last 10 games! They are a long way from home as this West Coast trip winds down, and they are a tired team, going 1-4 ATS the last 5 games. It's a difficult scheduling spot, as well, playing their 4th game in 5 nights. It's the second of a back to back road spot, playing at Seattle Friday. Portland is rested and 25-10 SU at home. A great situational handicapping spot for the home team.
Play the Blazers!
Dave Cokin.
PHX Suns andNJ Nets.
Take "PHX Suns".
The Suns did a good job Friday at Philly, while the Nets were getting beaten at Indiana. Back to back for both teams should favor the Suns, as they're the deeper and more talented team, and I would expect them to comfortably handle New Jersey tonight.Lay the points with Phoenix."