Larry Ness Comp
Louisville -3.0 vs Marquette
Analysis: Marquette cruised past Providence in its Big East opener but then shot a season-low 41.5 percent from the field as it was upset 79-64 at West Virginia on Jan 6. The Golden Eagles' poor shooting continued two nights later, connecting on just 32.8 percent of their attempts but they still managed a 61-56 win over Seton Hall. However, the Golden Eagles bounced back from those poor showings on Saturday, when they shot 46.6 percent and forcing a season-high 24 turnovers in a 92-66 victory over Notre Dame, ending the Irish's 10-game winning streak. Marquette has won nine of its last 10 games but its loss at West Virginia was its fourth straight in conference road games. The Golden Eagles haven't beaten a Big East team on the road since a 70-68 victory over South Florida on Jan 28. Beating the Cardinals will not be easy, as they have overcome injury problems to win seven of eight games. Knee injuries have limited center 6-11 David Padgett (9.8-4.0) to six games and 6-8 forward Juan Palacios (6.1-3.9) to seven but Louisville (12-4, 2-1) had both in the lineup for Sunday's 64-49 win over Rutgers. Led by the 6-6 Williams (11.6-8.0). Louisville now has a full compliment of players, all with excellent size. The 6-9 Clark (11.4-9.8) and the 6-8 Caracter (10.9-6.1) are also part of the team's frontcourt, while guards Smith (11.2) and Sosa (8.1) are the backcourt mainstays. Marquette owns that great perimeter game with James (14.9-2.7-4.5), McNeal (13.5-4.8-3.9), Matthews (10.5-4.3) and Cubillan (7.5) but will be outmanned and outclassed inside. The 6-6 Hayward (13.1-6.4) is the team's lone inside presence, as the 6-10 Barro (5.5-5.2) just never seems to make any real progress. With Marquette's recent road woes (in the Big East) and Louisville's return to health, I'll take the Cardinals.
Billy Coleman
4* Butler
4* Youngtown St.
4* Washington
3* Louisville
3* Miami Ohio
3* Oregon State
Red Dog
5* Louisville
Marco D'Angelo
CBB Side
dime bet Ill.-Chicago -3.0 vs 527 Wright St
Analysis: Illinois-Chicago plays host to Wright St tonight and they play with Double Revenge from a pair of losses last year. Expect Revenge to be served tonight as Illinois-Chicago Wins by 8-11 Points. TAKE ILLINOIS-CHICAGO and make them a SINGLE DIME PLAY
CBB Side
dime bet Stanford -4.5 vs Arizona
Analysis: Stanford is another team playing with Double Revenge from last year and will get it tonight as they return home from a Road loss at Oregon. Look for Stanford to breeze by winning tonight by 11-14 Points. TAKE STANFORD and make them a SINGLE DIME PLAY
Nick Patrick
Se Missouri State +7
South Florida +4
NBA
Utah +3
Jimmy Price
Wright State +3
Iceman Hockey 3G-Sports
Edmonton Oilers vs. Washington Capitals (NHL) - 7:05 PM EST Washington Capitals Premium Play
Play Title: NHL Game of the Week
Play Selected Money Line: -136
5* WASHINGTON CAPS
Washington is playing the fourth game of a five-game stretch at home, where they are 8-4-1 since losing seven of its first nine. The Capitals are 4-2-0 overall in 2008, scoring four goals or more in four of those games. Look for the Caps to play with confidence after sweeping the first place Senators of a home and home. Edmonton is allowing 3.25 goals on the road this season. The home team has won every game in this series since 1996. More home cooking for the Caps tonight as they get this win!
The Duke's Sports
NCAA Hoops
*Best Bet* Minnesota (+1') for 3 Units
Indiana/Minnesota 9:00: Tubby Smith is doing a great job in his first year with Minnesota and should grab his 400th win of his coaching career tonight. The Gophers showed tremendous resolve Saturday at Penn State where they came from double-digits behind to win. We'll look for that winning momentum to spill over tonight against the Hoosiers, which haven't been thoroughly tested on the road like they will tonight. Minnesota has bought into Smith's aggressive style defense while taking limiting turnovers on the offensive end; as a result, they sport a +6 turnover margin while holding teams to 58 ppg at home. The Gophers, which are on a 3-0 ATS run, sport a 4-2 SU mark in this series, and have given Indiana trouble on this floor, including a 71-59 beating last February. The dog in this series is 7-2 ATS, and with Minnesota having an extra prep day, we'll jump on the Golden Gophers.
Oregon (+2) for 2 Units
Oregon/Washington 9:00: Oregon has covered 9 of its last 10 vs PAC 10 foes and should deliver here. The Dukes have covered 3 of the last 4 in this series and sport a well rounded group of players who have played unselfishly during their 3-0 ATS run. On the other hand, the Huskies have become reliant on Brockman to carry them; consequently, they're struggling in the talented PAC 10 where they have yet to win a game. We'll take a bucket with Oregon here.
Arizona State (+6) for 2 Units
Arizona State/California 10:30: Sendek is doing a nice job turning AZ State into a respectable basketball team; we'll look for his boys to stay hungry here in Berkeley, where they've covered 8 of the last 10. The road team is 13-3 ATS in this series and we won't fight that trend. AZ State's top gun - James Harden is maturing rapidly and blends in well with the Sun Devils' supporting cast. AZ State the call.
NBA
Phoenix (-2) for 1 Unit
Phoenix/Los Angeles 10:30: The road team is 7-3 ATS in this series and we'll stay on the Suns here. The Suns, which are looking to avenge their two earlier season losses, will have an advantage in the low post without Andrew Bynum (knee). Bynum was instrumental in the recent 11-1 SU run by the Lakers; his absence in the Lakers' last game (Seattle) was apparent as Bryant had to carry them to barely escape with a win. We'll look of the Suns to shake off their recent rust on this floor (Tuesday vs Clippers) and deliver tonight.
LARRY NESS
Larry Ness' 20* Blowout Game of the Month-CBB (14-6 CBB run the last eight days!)
My 20* play is on Pacific at 10:00 ET. After three dominant years atop the Big West, Pacific fell hard last season. The Tigers won 76 games overall (49-3 in league play) in the three seasons prior to LY's 12-19 season in which they fell to 5-9 in Big West games. Fullerton accounted for THREE of those conference losses as the Titans went 20-10 last season. Despite losing long-time starting guard Brown (20.2-5.1 APG) and 6-7 forward Burns (10.5-6.7), the Titans had high hopes for this year. Head coach Bob Burton knows he team lacks size but his style of running on offense and pressing on defense is based much more on speed and athleticism than size, anyway. The team's strength is on the perimeter with guards Akognon (20.5), Robinson (15.2-6.7) and Crenshaw (9.9). Two 6-5 players, Cutley (13.3-7.0) and Morgan (6.1-6.3) actually qualify as the team's "big men." Fullerton averages 82.5 PPG, while shooting 47.2 percent (42 percent on threes). Pacific is not "all the way back," but Bob Thomason (in his 20th year in Stockton), has his team back in the thick of things in the Big West. The Tigers are 11-5 overall (2-1 in league play) and while everyone is chasing Northridge (13-3 and 5-0 in conference), don't count the Tigers out, just yet. The team is not deep but junior guards Johnson (15.6-4.7 APG) and Troyer (11.8) are an excellent duo, while inside, the 6-7 Brown (10.9-6.3) and 6-8 freshman Nunnally (8.8-5.1) will give the Titans fits. Joining the fray inside is the 6-8 LeDuc (7.6-3.2) and the 6-6 Ford (4.5-3.9) giving the homestanding Tigers a nice edge underneath. Pacific doesn't score quite like Fullerton but the Tigers are shooting 49.0 percent from the floor and almost 40 percent (39.2) on threes. Pacific's 6-1 at home (lone stumble was an inexplicable loss to Pepperdine) and the Tigers have to be looking forward to this game, after losing to the Titans three times last season. This game begins a brutal stretch for Fullerton , as the team will play SIX of its next seven games away from. Upon further consideration, the Titans just may want to skip this trip to Stockton. Blowout of the Month 20* Pacific.
Vegas Insider-CBB (10-4 with BKB Insiders since Jan 1 / 5-2 in CBB!)
My Las Vegas Insider is on Illinois-Chicago at 8:00 ET. While Wright St was setting a school-record with 23 wins last year and winning the Horizon tourney, Illinois-Chicago saw its head coach (Jimmy Collins) fight some very serious health concerns (which kept him off the bench after Christmas) and saw numerous players quit the team, as ugly rumors swirled around one of Collins' assistants. The Flames were 'lucky' to finish at 14-18 and while Collins decided to return in April, Jeffers, the team's leading scorer (15.4) and rebounnder (8.6), transferred. Starting guard Gray (11.1) also chose not to return. One couldn't have been too optimistic about the Flames' outlook this year but one would have been wrong! Mayo (18.0-3.8 APG) has been great at PG and while he's the team's lone double digit scorer, fellow guards White (9.9), Kreps (9.0) and Bush (6.7) have been nice compliments. VanderMeer (9.3-6.6), a 7-0 center, has been joined inside by three forwards, Dailey, Buttell and Boyd, who have combined to score 14 PPG and grab 12 RPG. Getting back to Wright St, the Raiders knew there was no replacing all-everything guard DeShaun Woods (started all 119 games while at the school, averaging 19.6 LY). However, guards Brown (15.5-4.5-2.3) and Duggins (14.8-3.2-3.0) have done a nice job in the backcourt so far. The 6-6 Wilson (10.1-7.1) and the 6-8 Pleiman (10.1-6.1) are the team's best insider players but the Raiders are just 9-6 overall TY, including 2-4 in the Horizon (0-2 on the road). Meanwhile, Illinois-Chicago is a surprising 9--7 (3-2 in the Horizon) and has played very well at home.The Flames are 6-0 SU at home this year, including a 3-0 SU and ATS mark in league play. Collins has done a great job getting his team 'back on track," while Wright St head coach Brad Brownwell knows LY's 23-win season is only a distant memory. Las Vegas Insider on Illinois-Chicago.
Scott Spreitzer's CBB Hammer Blowout of the Week!
I'm laying the points with Tennessee on Thursday. To say the linesmaker is begging public action on Vanderbilt would be a serious understatement. After all, we're talking about a team that's 16-1 SU, yet are receiving double-digits. That, in itself, is telling us how overrated this Commodore team actually is. We'll give them credit for the way they have protected home floor over the years in the tough SEC, but Vandy has fattened up against an incredibly soft schedule this season and received a reality check from a rebuilding Kentucky team last time out. If they thought that was a tough stop, wait until they get a load of the Volunteers, who are quietly climbing up the national polls. The sixth-ranked Vols have won nine straight and 14 of 15 to start the season. There's not a single weak-link on the offensive end, where they're scoring an average of 86.7 PPG. In fact, Tennessee has scored less than 80 points just three times this entire season. Tennessee rolls in this one, by 18-20 points. The Vols are my Thursday night Hammer GOW
ATSTALKS
10 units- under 135 Bowling Green/Buffalo
10 units- over 132 Butler/Cleveland St
8 units- Kent State +2.5 vs Miami (Oh)
8 units- Wright St +3 vs UIC
5 units- Siena -13 vs Manhattan
Seabass
10* Kent St
10* Minn Gophers
10 Stanford
20* Cal-Irvine
20* Pacific
20* Phnx Suns
20* SJ Sharks
DR CHAD THURSDAY SWEEP SESSION!!!!!!
7 unit on TENNESSEE TECH -12'
5 units on ARIZONA ST. +6 and MARQUETTE +3
Alex Smart
Arizona +5 to cover vs Stanford 2*
The Arizona Wildcats(11-5 ) despite of exhibiting some inconsistencies this season, are still a top tier team and a contender in the PAC 10. I know their on the road against a pretty good Stanford squad (13-3) that plays their best basketball at home as is evident by winning 8 of their L/9 games. But as has been the case in the past , in this series, a hard fought battle is on the agenda, with the points in my opinion being golden. Final notes & Key Trends: Arizona has won 6 straight in this series . Long term the underdog has been a solid bet when these teams go head to head, cashing 15 of the L/17 times. Standford is also 0-6 ATS in home games after failing to cover the spread last time out, which happened to them in a 66-71 loss to Oregon last time out and are 1-7 ATS L/8 against conference opposition Play on Arizona to cover
WILL SYKE FREE PLAY
FOR TODAY: PHOENIX VS LAKERS
SYKE-O-ANALYSIS: Just two nights ago we found out the impact of Andrew Bynum being out, which almost cost the Lakers the game against the Sonics, but the Lakers pulled through and won in OT by two. Tonight we find out the significance of Bynum, as the Suns will be fighting for double revenge tonight. The last time these two squared off was on Christmas day where the Lakers won by 7 points as a 2.5 point home dog, tonight the Lakers see themselves as 1.5 point home dogs. Don't be surprised to see this line climb to 2.5 or maybe 3 by game time. The Lakers we be catching a little wind as they played in OT their last game out, while the Suns were playing it soft against the Clippers preparing themselves for this game. These Suns are actually on 'double revenge' with the Lakers smoothering the Suns as 8 point dogs. And tonight the Suns find them in a WIN-WIN situation, with Bynum out, Lakers on an OT game, and playing of a double revenge. Tonight on TNT we're not taking any sides here, as it looks almost too easy to take the Suns. We'll switch gears here so we don't get psyched and take what I see has alot, and I mean ALOT of value. With a key injury out for the Lakers, and playing in OT their last time out, the Lakers know that they'll have to play defense with these guys and slow e'm down, and on offense taking time off the clock for high percentage shots, because their big man won't be there to grab the boards. With the game going over twice in both these games they played, the oddsmakers have no choice but to raise the O/U line again. So as high as this O/U line has gotten, we'll take the UNDER as I see true value and may very well be another mistake for the linesmakers.
PHOENIX/LAKERS UNDER 226
THE LAS VEGAS TECH REPORT (LVTR) SELECTION: UTAH vs DENVER
Play: UTAH JAZZ +2.5 (NBA)
Comments: THE LAS VEGAS TECH REPORT (LVTR) SELECTION: UTAH JAZZ +2.5
Utah has won 6-2 SU and ATS vs Denver as well as taking 3 out of 4 last season. Denver could very well be decimated by injuries as 4 starters are in question. Nuggets could be without Kenyon Martin, Steven Hunter, Eduardo Najero and Marcus Camby tonight. Utah has been hot but there is always risk taking them on the road. We are going to bank on Utah's dominance of Denver as of late and take advantage of the injury angle before there is a line move. We waited until mid afternoon to release this play and we have already seen a one point move of the opening 3.5 line. We'll jump in now at the 2.5 so all our clients can get that line. Expect more movement if you wait til game time to place this wager.
THE STRALEY GROUP SELECTION
Play: LOUISVILLE -3
ROCKDEMAN
Play MOOREHEAD STATE
Paul Leiner 200* Total
Cleveland/San Antonio Over
Paul Leiner 200* Total
Cleveland/San Antonio Over
Jimmy Broadway
Indiana -1.5
Gold Medal Club
CBB
50* Cleveland State +5.5
25* Saint Louis +5
10* Elon ML
10* Wright State ML
10* Louisville -3
NHL Wash -1.5, Anaheim
Spritzer
direct line release..................cal
ko..........................standford
tko.............................n texas
tko...............................uconn
situational gow.................kent st
4 star hammer.......................tennesse
5 star hammer.....................suns
Cokin
fat man plays..................minnesota,stanford
window.....................cal irv
under the hat..............clev st
3 star action................oregon
3 star action.....................ark lr
under the hat..................jazz
Ethan Law
1* WASHINGTON -1
1* TENNESSEE-MARTIN +10.5
1* IDAHO +17
1/2 * Ark St
opinions
St Louis,E Wash
Alatex Sports
15* Superplay: Miami-OH -2.5
Cleveland State +5.5
New Orleans +7.5
Special K
20* Louisville