Kelso
Chairmans 25 units Cavs -3.5 v. 76ers
Best Bet 5 units Golden St -5 v. Dallas
March Madness
25 units Texas +3.5 v. Memphis
5 units Kansas -9.5 v. Davidson
ARTHUR RALPH
Super Pick Memphis/ Texas Over 143
900 GOLD KEY winner Atlanta Braves w/ Hudson
Free play Davidson
Gamblers World
TIP OF THE DAY
Davidson (10) vs. Kansas (1)
Prediction: Kansas Jayhawks
Current Line: -9 Over/Under: 144 Reason: The bigger they come, the harder they fall. Is No. 1 Kansas ready for a fall at the hands of No. 10 Davidson or will they end the road for the little giant-killing school Sunday when they meet at Ford Field? The Wildcats have felled a No. 2 (Georgetown) and a No. 3 (Wisconsin) - why not a No. 1? Because they haven't faced a team as deep and balanced as the Jayhawks. Oddsmakers currently have the Jayhawks listed as 9-point favorites versus the Wildcats, while the game's total is sitting at 144. Stephen Curry dropped 33 points to lead No. 10 Davidson over No. 3 Wisconsin in the Midwest Regional semifinals on Friday night. Davidson cashed as 4-point underdogs as the game played over the 126.5-point total set by oddsmakers. Brandon Rush scored 16 points as No. 1 Kansas defeated No. 12 Villanova 72-57 in the Midwest Regional semifinals on Friday night. Kansas covered as 11.5-point favorites as the game played under the 141.5-point total posted by sportsbooks. Team records: Davidson: 29-6 SU, 23-10 ATS Kansas: 34-3 SU, 19-14-2 ATS Davidson most recently: When playing on Sunday are 7-3 After a win are 10-0 Kansas most recently: When playing on Sunday are 7-3 After playing Villanova are 2-0 After a win are 9-1 A few trends to consider: Davidson is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games Davidson is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games Kansas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas's last 7 games
2 Minute Warning - Davidson
CASH & PROFIT EXPERTS
NBA: DALLAS +5
Michael Cannon
20 Dime
DAVIDSON
Take the points with Davidson when they take on Kansas in the Midwest Regional Final.
By now everyone who follows the tournament, and probably those that don’t, have heard about the Cinderella run Davidson is on.
It hasn’t been smoke and mirrors, either.
This team is as fundamentally sound as any team left in the Big Dance. They simply don’t waste any possessions and that’s what puts the pressure on their opponent. The Wildcats have only nine turnovers total in the last two games.
What’s more, they have the single hottest scorer in the field right now in Stephen Curry.
Curry is averaging 34 ppg in the tournament and if he was able to find openings against a defensive stalwart like Wisconsin, he’ll be able to do it again today against Kansas.
But this Davidson team is no one-trick pony. They also have Jason Richards, who has 27 assists against just four turnovers in the last three games.
With all that being said, I don’t expect Davidson to win this game. Kansas is just too good to let down today.
But it’s also very hard to go against the hottest scorer in the tournament and a team that is on a 43-19-1 ATS run in its last 63 games overall.
Take the points with Davidson as they go down swinging and stay within the number.
10 Dime
MEMPHIS
Take Memphis as the small chalk over Texas in the South Regional Final.
This Memphis offense just puts too much pressure on its opponent for me to go against it here.
Even playing in Houston, I don’t see the Longhorns being able to cope with the talent that Memphis has. There’s no doubt Texas has a great backcourt with D. J. Augustin and A. J. Abrams, but can they get it done against Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose?
I think the Texas backcourt will be so fatigued from chasing their Memphis counterparts around its going to affect them offensively.
You saw how much pressure an up-tempo attack can put on its opponent in last night’s North Carolina win.
For every score you get, it seems like you’re giving one up almost immediately on the other end.
I look for Memphis to ratchet up its offensive pressure to another level this afternoon and to keep the Longhorns on their heels.
Take Memphis as the small chalk as they advance to the Final Four with the win and cover
Frank Rosenthal
NBA HOOPS
ROCKETS+6 SB
CELTICS-21 SB
UNDER 183.5 SB+
WARRIORS-4 SB
OVER 215.5 SB
LAKERS-7 SB
UNDER 211.5 SB++
COLLEGE HOOPS
DAVIDSON+10 SB
OVER 145 SB+
TEXAS+4 SB
OVER 143.5 SB
Sebastian
100* Kansas
20* Texas
10* Spurs
10* Jazz
10* 76ers
10* Atl/Wash Over Baseball
Al
At 3:35 pm, our Northwest Division Game of the Month is on the Minnesota Timberwolves plus the points over Utah.
At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Kansas Jayhawks minus the points over Davidson.
Jeff Benton
20 Dime: KANSAS (minus the points vs. Davidson)
15 Dime: MEMPHIS (minus the points vs. Texas)
5 Dime: HEAT (plus the points vs. Celtics)
Kansas
I will not knock the Davidson Wildcats. What this team has done, led by the remarkable Stephen Curry, is beyond impressive, not only to get to the Elite Eight, but winning 25 games in a row in the process. All this said, though, Cinderella’s carriage is turning into a pumpkin tonight, as Kansas is just too damn talented, too damn athletic and too damn deep for Davidson. As many of you know, I stated way back in November that Kansas was my favorite to win it all, and aside from the occasional hiccup here and there, the Jayhawks have done nothing to sway my opinion – particularly what they’ve done through their first three Tournament games. After crushing Portland State by 24 points (as expected), Kansas buried a solid UNLV squad 75-56 as a 13½-point chalk, then pounded Villanova on Friday in a game that was not nearly as close as the 72-57 final indicated.
To get a firm grasp on just how impressive Kansas has been to this point, consider these numbers; The Jayhawks outscored their first three opponents by an average of 19 points per game (77-58), and again that could be greater had they not let off the gas against Villanova. What’s more, they have shot a ridiculous 55 percent from the field, while allowing their opponents to make just 34 percent of their attempts. But that’s not all: From three-point range – which is where Davidson makes its living – Kansas is shooting 43.9 percent. Their opponents? 26.5 percent (17-for-64).
Now check this out: As incredible as Davidson has been in the Tournament so far, the Wildcats (45.5 percent) have shot worse from the field than their opponents (50 percent). Also, Davidson has 10 fewer rebounds than its opponents, getting out-boarded in all three contests! That tells right there how much the Wildcats (mostly Curry) have relied on the three-pointer.
So I ask you: If Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin – three defensive-oriented teams that don’t have nearly the kind of explosiveness offensively as Kansas – can make half of their shots against Davidson and outrebound Davidson, what do you think the Jayhawks are going to do? Guys, Kansas is going to guard the perimeter fiercely tonight, and although Curry probably will get his – the guy is a freak of nature – I don’t see him getting much help, if any.
Lay the wood with Kansas, as the Jayhawks and Bill Self FINALLY get to the Final Four – and do so in convincing fashion.
Memphis
I told you on Friday that the Memphis Tigers have been underrated. overlooked and disrespected by everyone all season long (including by me). And I told you that the players on this team – which, I remind you, is 36-1 on the season – would absolutely use the slights as a source of motivation in Friday’s game against Michigan State. So what happened? The Tigers absolutely toyed with the Spartans all night, busting out to a 50-20 halftime lead and cruising to 92-74 victory that – like Kansas’ win over Villanova – wasn’t nearly that close.
Well, here we are two days later and once again Memphis is getting dissed – they’re barely favored over second-seeded Texas. And I promise you that coach John Calipari will have his players well aware of that fact coming into this game – just as I promise you that his players will respond as they did against Michigan State. No, I’m not saying Memphis will dismantle Texas the same way they did the Spartans (although a double-digit win wouldn’t surprise me in the least). What I am saying, however, is that the Tigers’ overall body of work is superior to the Longhorns’; their talent is superior to the Longhorns’; their height and length are superior to the Longhorns’; their depth is superior to the Longhorns’; and their coach is superior to the Longhorns’.
The only thing Memphis doesn’t do better than Texas: Shoot free throws, of course. By now we all know about the Tigers’ struggles from the charity stripe (they shoot just 60 percent for the season). However, Texas (68 percent) isn’t all that much better. And when you just focus on the last five games, well, what do you know: The Tigers are shooting 63.7 percent from the foul line, compared with the Longhorns’ 62.9 percent. Hmm … And look at what happened Friday: Memphis drained 26 of 35 free tries (74.3 percent) vs. Michigan State, while Texas went 11-for-18 (61.1 percent) against Stanford. Get the point?
Look, as I said the other day, you can knock Memphis all you want. But you cannot argue the results. Not only have the Tigers won 36 of 37 games on the season, but they’ve defeated a slew of quality opponents, including Michigan State (by 18), Oklahoma (by 10), UConn (by 11), USC (by four), Georgetown (by 14), Arizona (by 13) and Gonzaga (by 8).
Bottom line: After two failed tries in the Elite Eight the last two years, Calipari and his Tigers finish the job tonight. Lay the ridiculously cheap price with Memphis.
Heat
I’ll state right off the bat that I cannot defend the Miami Heat in their current state, which is a borderline NBA D-League team right now without Shawn Marion and DwyaneWade. And I will not knock the Boston Celtics, who have reminded us over the last 10 days that they’re the best team in the NBA. But I’m sorry, you give me 20-plus points in an NBA game – a game Boston will not take seriously, I promise you – I simply have to take them on the principle alone. After all, three days ago Miami went to Detroit as a 20½-point underdog, jumped out to 23-18 lead after the first quarter, proceeded to get outscored by 18 points the rest of the way … and still covered easily in an 85-69 loss. As a matter of fact, as bad as Miami has been, it has covered in four straight games (all as an underdog, obviously), and the Heat are 9-3 ATS in their last 12, including 5-1 ATS on the road.
Like I said, there’s now way that Boston, which has a road game at Chicago on Tuesday, will play with full intensity tonight. Remember, in a grueling 82-game season, gimme games like this are few and far between, so you can count on the C’s going through the motions tonight. And hell, even if they’re up 30 in the fourth quarter, they’re going to pull all the starters and the backdoor will be wide open. I know it seems ludicrous, folks, but take these huge points and ride Miami’s hot ATS streak.
National Sports Service
4* Texas +3
3* Kansas -9.5
3* Atlanta (Hudson) -165 over Washington (Perez)
LARRY NESS
Texas 9 Units
NO Hornets 7.5 Units
Spurs 6 Units
THE 'SPORTSMEN'
5* Texas + 1 unit
Winning Points Online
**PREFERRED
OVER 144
Davidson vs. Kansas
Kansas head coach Bill Self is sweating big-time, talking a good game about making defensive adjustments to win a game he has never advanced from, with a team of scorers. Good luck, pal,you'll need it. Davidson is just goin' out and playin' ball, running and shooting 3s, and that drags Kansas into a shootout -- not exactly twisting their players arms -- because a fast-paced game where they can all point to their double-digit scoring totals and wait to be patted on the head by somebody afterwards is what the Kansas players would prefer. Anything different simply gives Davidson a chance to hang around and be right there with a chance to win at the end, so Kansas is playing against a double-edged sword. Self blew some smoke talking up Davidson as being "bigger" than most people realize. But they are not. Davidson's 6-8 players are relative stringbeans who will not be bumping Kansas around and not taking them too much out of their offensive rhythm.
KANSAS 85-81
THE LAS VEGAS TECH REPORT
TEXAS vs MEMPHIS
Play: TEXAS +3.5 (CBB)
Odd situation here. We never felt so square taking a dog before as you get that vibe it's a public play but seems like Texas is playing with a chip on their shoulder as if nobody is giving them a chance. While all the talk have been on the teams to the far extreme sides of the coasts, people are bypassing the Big 12. We are not going to make more of this play than it is. No need to try to impress you with stats in what should be a close game. Memphis is a quality team but haven't been a prize as far as ATS play. Texas is a perfect 3-0 vs Conference USA teams. Numbers for Memphis favor an under as opposed to a ATS cover which means a close game and getting the points in our direction gives us the edge here as Vegas is not giving away money so don't expect to ride the favorites to the finals. Lets take the dog in this one for the Sunday cash.
DALLAS vs NEW YORK
Play: DALLAS vs NEW YORK OVER 96 (ARENA FOOTBALL)
We don't normally rate plays as we are firm believers in flat wagering and not cherry picking plays but if we did rate, this would be a smaller play. Everything on paper lends itself to a Dallas blowout thus the Vegas line of 12.5 to 13 but anyone who followed us on the Philly win over New York knows we bascially got a little luck on our side as a last play INT for a touchdown got us a cover in what should have been a blowout. While other services would brag and take advantage of a break, we are honest with ourselves to know we caught a lucky break which keeps us off Dallas today as New york at home seems to play tougher. Looking at Dallas matchups this season and nothing suggests any cover beyond 10 points. Dallas should get the win today but in a league made for back door covers, we will opt to play the OVER. New York had no troubles scoring on league best Philadelphia and Dallas has had no problems scoring in the mid 50's to mid 60's. Take in the theory that we believe Dallas should only have a -10 line and that adds up to a game that should go over 100. You're looking at a 96 line. Take the Over in this matchup.
NEW ORLEANS vs COLORADO
Play: COLORADO -1 (ARENA FOOTBALL)
New Orleans ranks from first to fourth in all offensive categories yet they come in as the dog. This has trap written all over it as New Orleans should be the obvious choice. As we dig deeper we find that even though Colorado is 1-3 so far this season, we see from the Arena pages that Colorado is 7-3 last 10 home games. Head coach MIKE DAILEY is one win shy of becoming fourth coach in League history to reach 100 regular-season victories...QB JOHN DUTTON ranks fourth in League in completion pct. (67.6)...WR BEN NELSON has third-most receptions on third-downs (4)...FB/LB ROBERT THOMAS tied League lead in third and one rushing (100.0)...Defense ranks second in field goal pct. (16.7)...Defense ranks fifth in passing (253.3)...DB RASHAD FLOYD has recorded league-best 43 tackles over last six regular season games. New orleans is also nursing a host of injuries on the offensive line. We maybe getting tricked here, and LVTR was the first to be on the New Orleans bandwagon as we have called all their games perfectly this season when nobody gave them a chance but everyone has caught on and you can be sure that Vegas has too. Colorado at 1-3 will turn the squares off but as you can see from the tech stats, we maybe getting some value on an under the radar team with a solid home record which is a huge advantage when wagering Arena football
Brandon Lang
25-Dime Texas
5-Dime Davidson
Free play Sixers
25 Dime Texas - Okay, so I’ve covered the whole “not all four No. 1 seeds can make the Final Four intangible,” so let’s talk about why the Longhorns will knock Memphis off that cloud, and end its season right here.
We’re going to see one of the most intriguing matchups between two of the more talented backcourts in the nation. Memphis' Derrick Rose and Texas’ D.J. Augustin are two of the nation's top point guards, and I have this clash as a dead-even wash. But when matching up Texas' A.J. Abrams and Memphis’ Antonio Anderson, I am going to side with Abrams. I know the Tigers' length and athleticism on the perimeter has been impressive, but the fact is, I’ve yet to see many defenders rattle Abrams this season.
Barnes knows he cannot afford to let Memphis’ defenders get established in the half-court defense, so you’re going to see the Longhorns push the ball quickly when the opportunity is there. I am expecting a flurry of 3-pointers on the move, something that will create points and long rebounds; now I know the latter can lead to transition opportunities on the other end of the court, but Texas’ boys are agile, and can move to the rock just as quick, in order to give the ‘Horns second-chance opportunities.
The main factor to our success in this one is Texas center Connor Atchley, who will make Memphis forward Joey Dorsey run all over the place, tiring him out and wearing him down – which will be the key late in the game. I am also much more impressed by Texas swingman Damion James, who should run Memphis’ Robert Dozier ragged throughout the game, being James like to dwell on the perimeter.
I am telling you now, if Texas can keep up with the pace Memphis likes to establish early, and Abrams can make his outside shots, the Tigers might find themselves in a late shootout from the charity stripe, which certainly falls in our favor. Texas is no great free-throw shooting team at 68 percent, but it’s much better than Memphis’ paltry 59.8 percent.
Bottom line is this game starts with coaching, and under Rick Barnes we’ve seen the ‘Horns perform particularly well historically in the underdog role; and though we’re getting points, let’s not forget we will be playing in front of a home crowd, in Houston, where about 20,000 fans should be back for this one. Grab the points in this one tonight.
5 Dime Davidson - Orlando is about 545 miles from Davidson, N.C., but there’s certainly something Magical when it comes to basketball at Davidson College. And the wizard creating all the enchantment is Stephen Curry, who has scored 103 points through his first three NCAA games, an average of 34.3 points per contest. Now there have been some impressive showings in the past when it comes to the Big Dance, but when you’re talking about a kid like this, doing what he’s done against a quicker Gonzaga team, a bigger Georgetown team and a much more physical team like Wisconsin, well, you have something special.
And nobody should be shocked, as the list of formidable foes continues to grow. Here’s the type of competition this team has seen from the start of the season – Duke, North Carolina, NC State, UCLA, Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin. Wouldn’t it be something if Curry turns the ‘Cats into this season’s George Mason. I wouldn’t be shocked of anything any more. Grab the points here.