Jimmy The Moose
Game: Colorado Avalanche at Chicago Blackhawks
Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks
Reason: Colorado has lost 2 straight and 3 of their last 5. The Blackhawks have won 3 of their last 4 games. Colorado is 5-12 in their last 17 games vs. Western Conference team's. Chicago is 7-3 in their last 10 games following a win. The Blackhawks are 7-2 in their last 9 games following a road trip of 7 days or longer. Chicago has won 2 of the last 3 meetings between the clubs.
Chicago Blackhawks
JEFF BENTON
For Sunday, we'll head down to Wake Forest and lay the points with Duke over the Demon Deacons.
I know it seems like the oddsmakers have caught up to the Blue Devils, who are 1-1-2 ATS in their last four games after opening ACC play with six consecutive spread-covers. But the fact remains that Coach K's team has won 14 consecutive games including all 10 ACC contests and during this run, only one team has come within single digits of the Dukies (Maryland lost by 9 at home). In fact, the Blue Devils are 4-0 SU and ATS in ACC road games, winnign by an average of 12 points per game.
So even though Wake has scored consecutive outright wins and is 7-1 ATS in its last eight, I just don't see the Demon Deacons hanging in this contest. For one thing, they're giving up 71 points per game in their last five outings, and now they're facing a team that scores nearly 86 per game. And for those into series history, consider this: Duke has topped Wake Forest five straight times by margins of 22, 12, 23, 18 and 10 points, covering the spread in all five contests, all as a favorite.
Bottom line: Wake Forest has shown some heart recently and has performed well at home, but the Deacons don?t have the horses to run with Duke, which has just been ripping the nets from long range (42.5 percent shooting from 3-point land in the last five games). Lay the chalk with the Blue Devils.
(Based on a 1* to 10* rating system)
2* DUKE
Ross Benjamin
Toledo @ Ball St
Play On: Ball St. -4.0
These are two horrible teams but consider the fact that Toledo is 0-14 SU on the road this season, 0-6 SU and ATS in conference away games losing by an average of 16.5 points per game, and the Rockets are receiving a small number in this spot. Ball St. comes off a confidence building road win at Buffalo in their last game.
Any conference home favorite play on 5 or more days of rest, lost to their current opponent in their only meeting of the season, is coming off a conference SU underdog win, their current opponent is off a conference SU underdog win, and has a win percentage of less than .400 is 7-0 SU and ATs since 1990. The favorite has won these 7 games by an average of 13.7 points per game.
Ball State
MATT RIVERS
For Sunday take Notre Dame.
Laying a number like this on the road is never the smartest thing but Mike Bray's Irish are a very very good team and one that has proven they can win away from South Bend where they never lose. Meanwhile Rutgers may not be the worst team in the country but they are fairly awful and right now the worst team the Big East has to offer.
Luke Harangody is turning into a total stud and can kill you in the paint. Then you have the always solid three point shooting led by Kyle McAlarney and an overall Notre Dame team which is no joke and can bury an inferior opponent which Rutgers certainly is. Also Rob Kurz is very very good and Zach Hillesland and a few others round out what is a very well balanced squad.
The Irish are 18-5 overall and 8-3 in conference and with a little look may win the Big East regular season. The Scarlet Knights had that amazing and shocking win in Pittsburgh about a month ago abut besides that have not been much of anything at all. They have lost five straight and are 0-4-1 ATS in that span.
Rutgers could hang for a bit and cover the contest I guess but they are over matched by a ton and more times than not we are looking at a double digit whacking.
Notre Dame
JAKE TIMLIN
Sunday selection is Wake Forest.
As impressed as I am with the Blue Devils I don?t like them laying a big number tonight on the road against a solid home team in Wake Forest. Not when Duke has no real motivation to kill the Demon Deacons who just happen to be great at home this year at 13-1 SU. You see with Duke all but wrapping up the league title with only one more important game left in the regular season start looking for the Blue Devils to lighten up on their opponents as they keep the back door wide open today thanks to Wake Forest being good at home. Bottom line is while I don?t expect the Demon Deacons to win outright I do expect them to play it close for the cover win.
Wake Forest
TONY WESTON
We're going to continue our winning ways with a nice Pac-10 battle between cross-town rivals UCLA and USC.
A few weeks ago UCLA was absolutely embarrassed by USC on their home court. Now, the Bruins will avenge that loss and destroy USC as payback for that 72-63 loss.
Since that loss, UCLA has gone 5-1 SU and ATS, including a 3-1 mark SU and ATS on the road against Pac-10 opponents.
USC, even though they've gone 4-2 SU and ATS since beating UCLA, has only gone 1-1 ATS and SU at home.
And for the year USC is only 4-4 ATS at home and is only 2-3 ATS their last five games with one of those games coming against UC Riverside.
UCLA, on the other hand, is 7-2-1 ATS on the road this year and will get another victory tonight.
Take the Bruins in a huge revenge game.
3* UCLA (1* to 5* Scale)
James Patrick
East vs. West
The Stars will be out on Sunday Night as the NBA All-Star spectacular tips off from the Big Easy and our Sunday selection is on the East plus the very generous number.
East
Tom Freese
Game: Ohio State at Michigan
Prediction: Ohio State
Reason: Ohio St is in a 28-7 ATS System that says to Play On road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points if they allowed 65 or less points in 5 straight games vs. an opponent who in their last game combined to score 125 points or less. Michigan is 21-32 ATS their last 53 games and they are 9-19 ATS as underdogs. The Wolverines are 2-9 ATS off 2 or more straight wins and they are 4-12 ATS after allowing 55 or less points in their last game.
PLAY ON OHIO ST
Jimmy Boyd
Saint Louis vs. Massachusetts
Take Saint Louis Billikens
1 Unit on Saint Louis +7.5 St. Louis is 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings in this series. The Billikens are rolling while the Minutemen are folding so we'll take the points today. UMass has dropped back-to-back games and 5 of its last 7. It is 0-4 ATS in its last 4 games. Saint Louis has won 2 in a row and 4 of its last 6 games. It is 4-0 ATS in its last 4. UMass may be 8-3 at home this season, but it is only 1-8 ATS in home lined games. It is just 3-7 ATS in Atlantic 10 play. Saint Louis is 15-4 ATS in February games over the last 3 seasons and 11-1 ATS after allowing 55 points or less in a win against a conference rival since 1997. The Billikens have it going defensively and that will keep this one within the number.
Will Cover
NBA ALL-STAR GAME
UNDER the TOTAL
Cover Story: The NBA All-Star Game is simply a showtime exhibition with the best players from the West and East displaying their basketball skills in front of a National TV audience and playing to an adoring crowd in attendance at the Big Easy. The public loves to play this game OVER the TOTAL as little defense is played. However, the smart player will lean to the "LOW" as we note that the UNDER has gone a very solid 11-6 ATS the last 17 games, including two of the last three. If you play the side and or total of this contest, tread lightly with a small investment of "watching money"
Sports Gambling Hotline
Today we will go against Virginia, as the Cavaliers last win comes back on January 19th when they beat this Boston College team 84-66 in Charlottesville. Since that win, the Cavs have dropped 7 in a row while covering just twice along the way.
Boston College just snapped a 6-game slide with a home rout of NC State. The Eagles are 11-6 at home this year, and they did defeat Virginia 78-73 the last time these schools met in Chestnut Hill back in January of 2007.
The Wahoos are just 3-6 against the spread on the road this year, and the Cavs are only 4-9-1 ATS their last 14 Sunday affairs.
We will lay the home impost with the BC Eagles today.
Play on BC.
Scott Spreitzer
St Louis
Redzone Sports
Ucla
Joe Wiz
St Louis
Sac St
Glen Mcgrew
Michigan
LT Profits Sports Group
Toledo may be 0-14 SU on the road, but Ball State is the worst team in the MAC at 4-19, and they make terrible favorites, sitting at 3-9 ATS at home. Take the points.
The Toledo Rockets may not be much this season, but they are virtually an automatic play today getting points from a Ball State Cardinals team that is the worst team in the MAC.
Sure, Ball State is coming off of its first road win of the year at Buffalo, but that was just the fourth win all season for the 4-19 Cardinals, and we have serious doubts about their ability to put back-to-back wins together. They had lost six consecutive games prior to that Buffalo game with three of the losses coming here at home, whee they are a woeful 3-9 against the spread while getting outscored by a bad -8.4 points per game.
Yes, the reason that Ball State are such decided favorites here is that Toledo is 0-14 straight up on the road. Still, the Rockets will never find an easier spot to notch their first road win, and they are a perfect 4-0 SU in the last four head-to-head meetings with Ball State including a 62-60 victory here in Muncie last season.
Finally, when two bad teams face each other and one is a decided favorite like this, it is usually prudent to take the points, and we will do just that here.
Toledo +4½
Michael Cannon
Notre Dame -9' at RUTGERS
Take Notre Dame as the road chalk this afternoon over Rutgers.
It's been a long time since Rutgers knocked off Villanova and Pitt in back-to-back games. Almost an entire month to be exact.
Since then Rutgers has lost five straight, going 0-4-1 ATS during that span.
Today they host a Notre Dame team that will be in a bad mood after leading most of the game at UConn only to come apart in the last few minutes and lose, 84-78.
The Irish have the unquestioned advantage in the paint with Luke Harangody, who should wind up as the Big East Player of the Year. Harangody averages 20.8 points per game and 10.4 rebounds per contest and Rutgers will be powerless to stop him today.
Take the Irish minus the points as they deliver the road blowout today over Rutgers.
2* NOTRE DAME
Joel Tyson
Virginia at BOSTON COLLEGE -5
Just can't trust this Virginia team, despite playing Carolina to a one point game last time out. Today they travel to face off with the Boston College Eagles.
The Cavaliers have managed only two wins away from home on the year and one win overall in conference play. I don't see them improving on either one of these marks today on the Eagle's home floor.
The Cavs enter today's match up with seven straight in the loss column, and over their last 10 they have dropped nine overall. Boston College I feel got some confidence back last time out as they easily beat up on the NC State Wolfpack, ending their six game losing streak.
With both clubs having similar numbers overall in the stats, it is the home/away stats that tilt my opinion the direction of BC. At home BC allows only 67.4 ppg. The Cavaliers on the other hand allow a whopping and hefty 82.2 ppg when playing the role of visitor.
The play is Boston College.
3* BOSTON COLLEGE