Dave Cokin
Canisius @ Rider
Play: Rider -7
Big revenge spot for Rider today as they play host to Canisius. The Broncos were pounded by 18 in the prior meeting this season, but this shapes up as a solid spot for them to get even in similar fashion. It's the fourth straight road game for Canisius in just eight days and they've lost eleven in a row on this court. Rider is also off a really lousy showing before the home folks last game and I'm expecting them to bounce back here. Lay the points with Rider for the Sunday free opinion.
James Patrick Sports
Cavaliers vs. Pistons
Our selection in Sunday NBA action is Cleveland Cavaliers as the Cavs travel to Motown cashing in 37 of 53 ATS and the Pistons don't fire very well on Sunday's with a winless 0-8 ATS record and overall they have cashed just 3 of 11 games.
Marc Lawrence
Play On: Oklahoma City
Matchup of Western Conference cellar dwellers finds the Kings hosting the Thunder where Sacramento is just 8-15 ATS on this floor this season. While Oklahoma City has struggled on the scoreboard they are 15-6 ATS as road dogs this campaign. With Sacramento in a rare role of a favorite, look for the Kings to fall to 1-5-1 ATS at home against the Thunder here today.
Jeff Benton
For Sunday’s freebie, we’ll head to the NBA and play the Cavaliers minus the small price at the Pistons.
This is as much a play against Detroit as it is a play on Cleveland. The Pistons have lost three straight home games and five of their last six in their building, and overall, they’ve dropped eight of 11, both straight-up and against the number.
What’s most disturbing is that the Pistons’ three victories came against the Timberwolves, Grizzlies and Raptors – three teams that are a combined 46 games under .500! At the same time, Detroit has gone 0-5 SU and ATS in its last five against playoff-caliber opponents (home losses to the Celtics, Rockets, Mavericks and Hornets, and a blowout road loss at Utah). The other three defeats during this slump came against the Thunder (89-79) at home and the Bobcats (80-78) and Pacers (110-106) on the road.
So even though the Cavaliers haven’t exactly been road warriors lately, especially against the spread (3-7 ATS last 10 away from Cleveland), and even though they’ve lost three straight games SU and ATS to Detroit, they’re still the better bet because of how poorly the Pistons have fared lately against quality competition. And get this: The Pistons are now barely outscoring their opponents at home (94.5 ppg to 94.0 ppg) and their visitors now carry a better shooting percentage (46.2 percent to 45.3 percent for Detroit).
Throw in the fact that the Cavs are on ATS runs of 28-11 as a favorite and 37-16 overall, while the Pistons are 0-8 ATS in their last eight Sunday games and 0-4 ATS in their last four as an underdog, and this one’s a no-brainer. Look for a super-sized Super Sunday effort from LeBron James and his boys, who will be motivated to avenge one of their nine losses this season. Cleveland rolls to a double-digit win.
4♦ CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Matt Rivers
For Sunday lay the number with Illinois.
The Fighting Illini have a bunch of factors going for them today and I'll therefore lay this price at home.
For one, Illinois is really an up and coming team that has been great this season. Bruce Weber has proved his worth once again bringing the program back to quality status after the last few down seasons. Another positive factor is how bad they played in thaqt last loss at Minnesota. It was a total egg that the Illini layed and a performance that leaves a disgusting taste in the players' mouths. I can absolutely see a big-time rebound performance here as the always solid defense does its thing limiting Iowa to possibly somewhere in the 40's when this thing is said and done.
The 12-9 Hawkeyes are extremely mediocre this season and are going to have a really hard time today against a very fired up Illinois team and crowd. Todd Lickliter does not have a guy averaging more than 10 points per game and his guys have now dropped five of six. Besides scoring 73 points in a win against Wisconsin Iowa has tallied only 56, 59, 53, 49 and 49 in the other contests. Today Matt Gatens and the fellas are probably up against the best defense in the bunch and are therefore in a ton of trouble.
Illinois is going to be more than prepared today after that terrible game in Minnesota and will clamp down with the d and take care of business behind solid play from the usual suspects in Frazier, McCamey, Tisdale and Meanchem.
SPORTS ADVISORS
Cleveland (36-9, 30-15 ATS) at Detroit (25-20, 19-26 ATS)
Cleveland, which already holds a commanding 11-game lead over Detroit in the Central Division standings, looks to boost that advantage a bit more when it visits the Palace of Auburn Hills for the second time this season.
One night after getting dropped 99-88 at Orlando as a five-point underdog, the Cavaliers came home Friday and got back on track with a 112-95 victory over the Clippers. Cleveland was tied with Los Angeles at halftime, but took control of the game over the final 24 minutes and got a basket with four seconds to play to cover as 15-point home favorites. LeBron James and his crew are 5-1 SU in their last six, including 3-1 on the road, but they’re in a 4-5 ATS rut overall and a 3-7 ATS funk on the highway.
The Pistons’ freefall continued with Friday’s 86-78 home loss to the Celtics as a 5½-point underdog. Detroit, which almost certainly will see its four-year reign as Central Division champs end this season, is 3-8 SU and ATS in its last 11 games, including 1-5 SU and ATS at home. The team has averaged a paltry 89.5 ppg during its 11-game slump, tallying 87 or less six times. The winner has covered the number in each of the Pistons’ last 12 contests.
All nine of the Cavaliers’ losses have come on the road this season, including a 96-89 setback in Detroit as a 2½-point underdog back Nov. 19 in the season’s first meeting between. Detroit has taken three straight from Cleveland both SU and ATS, and the home team is on an 8-2 SU run in this series, going 7-2 ATS in the last nine. Finally, the SU winner has cashed in each of the last nine head-to-head clashes, and the favorite is on a 6-0 ATS roll.
In addition to its 3-7 ATS slump on the highway, Cleveland carries negative pointspread streaks of 3-7 versus the Eastern Conference, 2-6 on Sunday, 2-6 when playing on one day of rest, 1-5 after a SU win and 0-4 after an ATS victory. However, the Cavaliers are 37-16 ATS in their last 53 games overall, 13-5 ATS in their last 18 after a double-digit victory and 15-7 ATS in their last 22 versus winning teams.
The Pistons carry nothing but negative ATS trends, including 3-8 overall, 1-6 at home, 0-8 on Sunday, 0-5 against winning teams, 3-10 after a SU loss and 5-11 when playing on one day of rest.
This is has been a very low-scoring rivalry in recent years, as the under is 26-6 in the last 32 meetings overall and 16-5 in the last 21 clashes in Motown. Additionally, Cleveland is on “under” streaks of 25-6 against winning teams, 4-1 against both Eastern Conference and Central Division opponents, 5-1 when playing on one day of rest, 35-16 on Sunday and 17-8 after a SU win. Finally, the Pistons are on “under” stretches of 25-10-1 overall, 37-18 against the Eastern Conference, 24-6 against winning teams, 37-18 versus Eastern Conference foes, 11-2 when playing on Sunday, 15-5-1 after a SU loss and 16-6-1 after an ATS setback.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Penn State (16-5, 9-4-1 ATS) at (9) Michigan State (17-3, 9-7-1 ATS)
Penn State shoots for its fourth consecutive Big Ten victory and looks to avenge its most recent defeat when it visits East Lansing, Mich., for a showdown against Michigan State.
Since losing 78-73 to the Spartans as a five-point home underdog on Jan. 14, the Nittany Lions have reeled off three straight wins (2-1 ATS). They’ve been idle since last Saturday when they rallied to defeat Iowa 63-59, coming up short as a six-point home chalk. Penn State’s defense has been stout during the three-game run, yielding 55, 58 and 59 points and 40.3 percent shooting while the offense has shot at a 49.7 percent clip.
Michigan State is coming off back-to-back double-digit road wins over Ohio State (78-67 as a three-point chalk) and Iowa (71-56 as a 6½-point favorite). However, the last time the Spartans were at home, they suffered a stunning 70-63 loss to Northwestern as a 12-point choice, a defeat that ended the team’s 11-game winning streak. Tom Izzo’s team has scored at least 70 points in 10 of its last 14 games.
The Spartans sit atop the Big Ten standings at 7-1 (4-3-1 ATS), while Penn State is 5-3 SU and 5-2-1 ATS in league play, including 1-2 SU and 2-1 ATS on the road.
Michigan State has won 10 of the last 11 meetings in this rivalry, going 8-2-1 ATS in the last 10, all as a favorite. The Spartans are also 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS the last five times they’ve hosted the Nittany Lions, with the average margin of victory being a whopping 24.8 points per game. Last year, Penn State visited East Lansing and got walloped 86-49 as a 15-point underdog.
Penn State is on ATS runs of 11-4-1 overall, 7-2-1 in Big Ten play, 4-1 on the highway, 5-0-1 after a non-cover and 6-2-1 versus teams with a winning record. The Spartans are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 against winning teams, but they’ve failed to cash in four of their last five at home.
The last four meetings in this series have topped the posted total. Also, the over is on runs of 4-1 for Michigan State overall (all against Big Ten opponents), 4-0 for Penn State against winning teams and 5-1 for Penn State on Sunday. However, the under is 6-2 in Michigan State’s last eight home contests.
ATS ADVANTAGE: MICHIGAN STATE and OVER
Sports Gambling Hotline
Cleveland -4 at DETROIT
No issue with backing the Cavaliers on the road this Sunday, as we feel this Detroit team is dead in the water.
The Pistons gave their all on Friday at home, only to lose by 8 to the Celtics, as Detroit has now lost their last 3 at home both straight up, and against the spread. For the year, the Pistons are a money-burning 7-16 against the spread at the Auburn Palace!
Cleveland is a profitable 14-9 straight up on the road, and 13-10 against the spread in those roadies, and today is a major revenge spot for King James and his court, as the Cavs were dumped 96-89 at the Auburn Palace in the season's first meeting to make it 3 straight series losses both straight up, and against the spread at the hands of the Pistons.
That all changes today, as Detroit's mix these days is not a winning mix, and their offense too often shrivels up, and puts them in holes they are not capable of climbing out of.
The Cavaliers get their "triple-revenge" on the slumping Pistons, as Cleveland posts the road win, and cover.
Play on the Cavs.
3♦ CLEVELAND
Karl Garrett
Virginia at DUKE -22
G-Man brings a 5-2 comp play run into the Sunday card, and today I am laying the lumber with the Duke Blue Devils over the Virginia Cavaliers.
Duke has not played since losing at Wake Forest by a deuce earlier this week, and I have a feeling Coach K. was not easy on his troups this week in practice after the Blue Devils got burned on that inbounds play with under 2 seconds remaining that cost them the game.
Look for Duke to take their frustration out on a Virginia team that comes to Durham riding a 4-game losing streak, and the Wahoos have also failed the spread in 2 of their last 3 losses.
The Cavs may be 4-1 against the spread on the road this year, but their 1-4 straight up mark, and the fact they were hammered by 22-points on their last visit to Cameron Indoor last January does not bode well for a play on the points today. Duke did sweep both last season by double-digits, and that was against a far suprerior UVa team.
G-Man can only imagine the final score today, as this one sets up for a Duke blowout from the get-go.
Lay it!
3♦ DUKE
Tony Weston
Today's Selection:
Alright, we’re about to get things going in the right direction as head back to the college hardwood where we’re taking the Penn State Nittany Lions on the road at Michigan State today.
Even though Penn State is 16-5 SU this season and is 9-4-1 ATS the Nittany Lions are still underdogs of about 13 points. And we will take every one of those points as Penn State covers easily in this one.
The Nittany Lions come into this game 5-2-1 ATS their last eight games and are 5-3 SU in that stretch and have gone 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS their last three games.
For the season Penn State is 5-2 ATS on the road and is 7-2-1 ATS its last 10 games against the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are also 11-4-1 ATS their last 16 games overall and are 6-2-1 ATS their last nine games against teams with winning records.
Now they battle a Michigan State team that’s 1-4 ATS its last five home games and is 3-5 ATS on the road this year. The Spartans are also only 2-2 ATS their last four games and have not covered in either of their last two home games and are 0-3 ATS at home against Big Ten opponents this year.
Michigan State will struggle again at home against a conference opponent and not cover against the visiting Nittany Lions. Take the points and Penn State on the road in this one.
3♦ PENN STATE
LARRY NESS
Orlando Magic @ Toronto Raptors
PICK: Orlando Magic
The Magic beat the Raptors 103-90 in Orlando back on Nov 18 but then lost in Toronto to the Raptors on Jan 4, 108-102. The Raptors have gone 5-9 since that game, with two of their wins coming against the Bulls and Nets (both 21-27 teams) and the other three coming over the 11-35 Grizzlies, the 10-38 Kings and the 10-37 Wizards.The Raptors own one of the league's worst ATS marks (19-27-2), which includes a 9-13 SU and 7-14-1 ATS at home. Meanwhile. the 35-10 Magic trail only the 39-9 Celtics, the 37-9 Lakers and the 36-9 Cavs in the NBA standings. No team has a better ATS mark than the Magic (30-14-1) and Orlando is a league-best 17-6 SU and 16-6-1 ATS on the road. Both teams shoot well from three-point range, as the Magic lead the NBA with a three-point percentage of 40.0, while the Raptors have four players shooting better than 40.0 percent from beyond the arc in Parker (40.0), Bargnani (41.3), Kapono (42.9) and Calderon (45.8). Bosh (23.1-9.7) is an All-Star, O'Neal (13.1-7.0) has been in-and-out of the lineup with nagging injuries (so what else is new?) and Bargnani (13.5-4.9) is turning out to be a solid NBA player. However, Toronto's frontcourt can't match that of the Magic, which features Howard (20.1-13.9), Lewis (19.3-6.0) and Turkoglu (17.2-5.3-4.8). Toronto's PG Calderon (12.9-8.5 APG) is back after missing some time with a hamstring injury but his counterpart, Orlando's Nelson (17.0-5.3 APG), is having a breakout season. Pietrus (12.0) is finally back in the Orlando lineup but in his absence, Lee (6.7), Redick (5.4), Bogans 95.1) and Anthony Johnson (4.3-2.7 APG) all got added minutes in the backcourt, which in the long run, will only make the Magic better. Not much else to say here but that I'm laying the points.
Jeff Scott Sports
3 UNIT PLAY
Cleveland -4 over DETROIT
The Cavaliers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games as a favorite of 0.5-4.5, while the Pistons are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games following a S.U. loss, plus the fav is 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings. The Pistons are not playing good ball right now as they come in winners of just 3 of their last 11 games. Offense has really been a problem for this team as they rank 27th in scoring (93.2 ppg) and that Number dropps even further in their last 11 games as they have put up just 89.4 ppg over that stretch. That is not good news as the Pistons must now face the top scoring defense (90.9 ppg) in the league. The Cavs are also 2nd in FG% defense allowing just 42.5% of their opponent shots to connect. The Cavs offense is 10th in scoring at 101.2 ppg, while they are 4th in FG% at 47.5%. Even though the Pistons defense is tough I still see Cleveland being able to get more than enough points here to get the cover. Detroit doesn't have the offense to stay in this one and they are playing a team that has been living in their shadow for years. this is a statement game for the Cavs and they will show that times are a changing with a big win here.
POWER ANGLE PLAY
Orlando -6 over TORONTO
The Magic are 17-5 ATS in their last 22 road games vs. a team with a losing home record, while the Raptors are 12-25-2 ATS in their last 39 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record. Two things you can take from the trends above. 1st is the fact that Orlando knows how to beat up on weak teams and the 2nd is the fact that Toronto doesn't do well vs good teams. Toronto comes in having won just 3 of their last 11 games, with all three wins vs losing teams. In fact the Raptors have just 4 wins overall this year vs teams with a winning record. 1 of those wins were vs this same Orlando team the last time they played here, so the may may have some revenge on their minds. Revenge or not, this Magic team is far superior and are coeming in hot as they have won 9 of the 11 games played since the loss to the Raptors. Orlando plays well away from home and should have no problems in getting a big double digit win here.
POWER ANGLE For This Play--- The Magic is 22-4 ATS when revenging a same season loss the last 2 years.
Tom Freese
Cleveland at Detroit
Cleveland is 37-16 ATS their last 53 games and they are 8-1 ATS as favorites of 4.5 or less points. The Cavaliers are 13-5 ATS off a double digit win and they are 15-7 ATS vs. winning teams. Detroit is 3-8 ATS their last 11 games and they are 0-5 ATS their last 5 games vs. winning teams. The Pistons are 0-8 ATS on Sunday and they are 0-5 ATS vs. a team that scored 100 or more points in their last game. PLAY ON CLEVELAND -
Big Al Mcmordie
Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors
Prediction: Toronto Raptors
At 12:05 pm, our member selection is on the Toronto Raptors plus the points over Orlando, as Toronto falls into a system of mine which is 55-27 ATS since 1990. That angle plays on certain home dogs off a loss, which are matched up against foes off back-to-back SU/ATS wins. Orlando checks into today's game off a 135-111 victory over Indiana and a 99-88 triumph over Cleveland. But off those two big wins, I look for a letdown here against a Toronto team that already defeated the Magic once at home (108-102 on January 4). Orlando lost its last game on the road, 103-97, at Miami, and is a bit over-valued at this point in the season. In the January 4 game, Toronto shot 53.9% from the field, and outrebounded Orlando 46-38. Look for another solid effort in front of its home fans. Take the points.
Jrtips
MINNESOTA vs. BOSTON
The Boston Celtics have gotten back on track with a 10 game winning streak and the Minnesota Timberwolves have cooled off following their turnaround. The Celtics (39-9) look for their 11th straight victory today when they host the Timberwolves (16-29), who are trying to avoid a third consecutive loss. Coach Kevin McHale and the Timberwolves rebounded with a 12-4 mark until their recent consecutive losses. During the Celtics streak, they have won seven games by double digits and three by 20-plus points although their recent games against Minnesota have been a little closer. With the exception of a 95-78 Boston victory on Nov. 21, four of the last five meetings have been decided by single digits. Boston has won four straight over the Timberwolves and the last three meetings at the TD Banknorth Garden.Garnett has averaged 13.5 points in the previous two games and shot 70.6 percent (12-of-17). He had a team-leading 17 points at Minnesota in the Nov. 21 victory and also led Boston with 22 points in Friday's 86-78 victory at Detroit and scored eight of his team's final 10 points. Al Jefferson had 34 points and Randy Foye 27 but Minnesota couldn't stop the Los Angeles Lakers in a 132-119 loss Friday at home giving up a season high for points and allowing the Lakers to shoot 50.5 percent. Before Friday's loss, Minnesota's offense was held to less than 91 points in its previous two games. Minnesota has lost a little confidence since their winning streak and facing the hot Boston Celtics and their tough defense on a Sunday afternoon is not a place to get it back.TAKE BOSTON-13 1/2
Drew Gordon
Orlando -6' at TORONTO
Oh sure, Toronto bounces back from their 7-game losing streak by winning 3 straight against NBA doormats, and I'm suppost to buy what their selling?! Not a chance, as we saw the real Raptors reemerge against the Redd-less Bucks Friday, losing at home 96-85 as a 7-point favorites (ugly)! Now they welcome one of the East's best into town, and the results will be equally as ugly for the struggling Raptors.
First off, they have no one who can even remotely guard Dwight Howard, as he dropped 39 points on 14 of 19 shooting the last time he faced Bargnani and this soft-ass Raps frontline. With Howard allowed to score at will, the Magic's 3-point barrage can begin, which is EXACTLY what I expect will happen in this one. Note, Raptors are allowing the opposition to shoot 40% from the 3-point line over their last 5 games, which is death sentence against this Magic team.
Second, there's a little revenge to be had in this contest, because the last time these two played (when Howard dropped 39 points), the Raptors actually won at home in that contest. Don't get too excited Toronto-backers, as that win was a fluke, with Anthony Parker having one of the best games of his life, and the Raptors hitting 23 of 24 free throws contributing to the win. Not to mention, that loss set off a 7-game winning streak for the Magic, who just proved their mettle by beating the Cavaliers handily Thursday (and wins in 9 of their last 11 games overall)!
We always knew the Magic could score, but what has elevated them to the elite level is their improvement on the defensive end, allowing 94 ppg on 43% shooting this season! They've been almost as good on the road, and the fact they're facing a very inconsistent Raptors offense, only makes it that much easier today. Don't be fooled by the Raptors offensive numbers of late, as they have played a very favorable schedule over their last 4 games, but we know once they get into a hole tonight, they will NOT be able to dig themselves out. In the end, the Magic have been money on the road (16-6-1 ATS), and the Raps have been garbage at home (7-14-1 ATS), and we'll see more of the same Sunday afternoon!
Take Orlando over Toronto in this NBA match up.
3♦ ORLANDO