Steve Janus
4* Heavy Hitter Play on Mavs + 2.5
4* Heavy Hitter on Lakers + 7.5
Sportsbookfreepicks
NHL
Boston +190
NBA
San Antonio +7.5
BlackWidowSports
1* on Denver -4
Denver beat Florida International in their last home meeting by a final of 80-55. You can expect another similar 25-point blowout tonight when Denver gets done with FIU. Denver is 7-1 at home this season in large part to their defensive efforts. Denver is giving up just 53 points a game at home this season. Considering Florida International is winless on the road with an 0-7 record and scoring just 59 points a game, you can bet they will struggle mightily in this road game tonight. Denver is 6-0 ATS in January games over the past 2 seasons. Take Denver and lay the points.
RAS Totals
UL UNDER 130'... 1/2
CS Northridge OVER 146... 1
Hawaii OVER 146'... 1/2
Wunderdog
Game: Providence at Notre Dame
Pick: 3 units on Notre Dame -8.5 (-110) (risk 3 to win 2.7)
Providence has been vulnerable to teams that can bury three-pointers all season. Teams that can score on the perimeter have really crippled the Friars zone, as evidenced by losses to Marquette, Seton Hall and Rhode Island. Notre Dame hasn't lost in this building in an eternity and Connecticut is the only team to defeat a pointspread this low in South Bend this season. In that game they were down by 20 at one point. Harangody gives Irish inside out presence, and will be tough to defend. The Friars have dropped two straight and are shooting poorly in their last three, hitting just 37, 38 and 43 percent respectively. That won't be enough vs. a dominant Irish team on their home floor.
Game: Wisconsin Green Bay at Wright State
Pick: 3 units on Wisconsin Green Bay +5.5 (-110) (risk 3 to win 2.7)
Wisconsin Green Bay has just two road wins on the season, and a closer look gives an indication why. They have played at Ohio State, Massachusettes, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Butler and Valpo. Not too many teams in this conference are getting wins in any of those places. That means they are 11-2 vs all others, so they come into this contest a bit under the radar. This is a good shooting team, hitting 45% and 78% of their FTs. Those six teams shot a combined 49% vs the Phoenix, while all others are at about 40%, so W-GB is more than capable of defending Wright State. They can really dial it up from long distance, as they possess three players connecting on over 41%. Wright State comes home after three straight road wins, but to teams with a combined record of 21-38. Their last three against teams with a winning record have all gone in the loss column. And, they are just 2-5 ATS last seven at home. The Phoenix have a shot to get the win here, so we will grab the points.
Game: Minnesota at Michigan
Pick: 5 units on Minnesota -3 (-110) (risk 5 to win 4.6)
What happened to both of these clubs? After starting 9-2, the Gophers have dropped five of seven. Michigan has lost nine of ten to drop to 5-15 on the season. But let's look at the overall teams here. One team is 5-15 and the other is 12-6. One team has all 5 starters back from last season while the other has just 1. Why such a low line? Yes, the game is in Ann Arbor. But, Minnesota is the much better ballclub. Minnesota is 4-4 on the road, outscoring opponents by 3 ppg. Michigan is 3-6 at home, losing by 2 ppg. In converence play, Michigan is just 1-7. It's not just year for Michigan. Over the past two seasons they are 11-22 ATS vs. winning teams and 8-17 ATS vs. teams that allow 64 or fewer points per game (Minnesota allows 63.1 per game). In the underdog role, they are 7-18 ATS over that span. Maybe at some point John Beilein will turn things around here, but not tonight. Minnesota rolls.
Game: Temple at Fordham
Pick: 4 units on Temple +0 (-110) (risk 4 to win 3.6)
Temple features a strong tandem in Dionte Christmas and Mark Tyndale who combine for over half of the team's total scoring. Christmas pours in nearly 21 per game along with 6.3 rpg. This team is playing great defense of late, allowing just 60.8 ppg over their last five games. They get a Fordham team that is struggling to score (62.6 per game ove rtheir last five). Fordham is just 6-16 ATS the past three seasons vs. teams that hit 45%+ from the field (Temple averages 46.5%). The Rams are also just 11-22 ATS as an underdog over the past three seasons.
Game: Florida International at Denver
Pick: 3 units on Denver -4 (-110) (risk 3 to win 2.7)
Florida International is 6-6 at home but they have yet to find the win column in seven tries on the road this season. They are shooting a dismal 40.8% from the field away from home, leading to just 59.3 ppg. That's just not going to get it done. Denver is another team that struggles on offense, but at least they have the defense to keep them in games. They are allowing just 53.1 ppg at home on the season, the main reason they are 7-1 here. FIU allows 22 ppg more per game than that on the road. FIU is 4-12 ATS the past two seasons vs. losing teams. Denver is 14-4 ATS over that span at home vs. conference opponents. They are also 26-13 ATs in their last 39 home games coming off a road loss and 13-4 ATS in their last 17 home games after scoring 50 points or less.
Game: Montana at Portland State
Pick: 3 units on Portland State -5 (-110) (risk 3 to win 2.7)
Portland State has been off for nearly two weeks while Montana has played three games during that span. Will the layoff help or hurt the Vikings? We think it helps. They are off a hard fought OT win so have felt good. And they will obviously be verywell rested and prepared for this game. They are 6-1 at home, scoring 78.4 ppg here. Over their last five games overall they have averaged 77.4. Montana has lost all six games ATS over the pat two seasons vs. teams with a winning record after 15 games. Montana has covered the spread in two of their last three games but they are a perfect 0-8 ATS in that situation teh past two seasons.
Game: New Mexico State at Hawaii
Pick: 4 units on New Mexico State -3 (-110) (risk 4 to win 3.6)
The Aggies have taken on a very difficult road slate early, which should pay off in a vist off the mainland tonight at Hawaii. New Mexico State has been on the road vs W. Virginia, Duke,T exas, Louisville and Boise State already, and have now won six of eight. This team is beginning to gel. They can score, with six double-digit scorers, and a few others that contribute significantly as well. The Warriors not like teams of old that put away opponents at home as they are just .500 this year. When you consider the home slate has been laiden with cupcakes, the 6-6 mark becomes suspect. Four of the home wins are to 4-18 Coppin State, 3-17 Alcorn State, 4-14 Long Beach State and 9-12 Centanary. None of the six wins have come vs a team over .500. The Warriors are really giving it up on the defensive end, and New Mexico State has a lot of answers on the offensive end.
Game: Cleveland at Seattle
Pick: 3 units on Cleveland -4 (-110) (risk 3 to win 2.7)
The Cavs have quietly come on very strong. After starting poorly at 14-17, they have won seven of their last eight and 11 of their last 13. They have gone from mediocre to dominant. Seattle has been awful. They finally snapped a 14-game losing streak with a win over San Antonio on Tuesday. That win will keep Cleveland's guard up here. We like the surging Cavs vs. a still-terrible Sonics team.
Bob Balfe
NBA Basketball
Spurs +7.5 over Suns
College Basketball
Michigan +3 over Minnesota
Savannah Sports
2*CS-Northridge Under 147
Hockey
3 Vancouver -109
SPC Sports
Western Kentucky -13.5
Wright State -5.5
Weber State -9
Black Magic Sports
A 5-0 Sweep Wednesday was just what the doctor ordered! Our Big East GOTY Play on the Cincinnati Bearcats wins outright by 23 points as 14-point underdogs over West Virginia. Now that's how a Game of the Year play is supposed to finish. There is no time to let up Thursday as we keep the pressure on your man with 3 more winners.
NCAA Basketball:
5 Unit Black Magic WAC Game of the Week on New Mexico State -2.5
New Mexico State is picking up the pace this season following their 25-9 record from last year. They are playing team basketball en route to a 6-2 record over their last 8 games. A 30-point blowout over a very good Utah State team last time out shows you where they stand right now. New Mexico State is 4-1 SU and ATS in their last 5 meetings with Hawaii. Hawaii is 2-8 ATS in home games this year. Hawaii is 3-13 ATS after covering 2 of their last 3 against the spread over the last 3 seasons. New Mexico State is 12-3 ATS when the line is +3 to -3 over the past 3 seasons. Cash in with New Mexico State as the favorite.
3 Unit Sharp Play on NC State +18.5
NC State will give Duke a run for their money just as Maryland did last week. The Blue Devils are in line for a slip-up, especially with the way the Wolfpack are playing lately. NC State is 9-3 in their last 12 games overall, beating a good Florida State team on the road in their last outing. NC State upset Duke in last year?s NCAA Tournament in the first round. Duke is 2-10 ATS after covering 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread over the last 2 seasons. NC State is 11-3 ATS in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons. Cash in with NC State as the underdog.
NBA:
3 Unit Sharp Play on Detroit Pistons -7.5
Detroit will stomp the Lakers at home without Andrew Bynum playing for L.A. The Lakers are just 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games while playing the bulk of those contests without Bynum. Detroit is giving up just over 86 points a game at home, outscoring their opponents by nearly 13 points per outing. The Lakers lost by 15 points in their last game at Detroit. The Pistons own an 8-3 ATS mark in their last 11 home games with the Lakers. Detroit is 17-4 ATS versus teams who attempt 18 or more 3 point shots/game on the season this season. The Lakers have been forced to shoot way too many jump shots without Bynum and it will once again be their demise tonight. Cash in with Detroit as the favorite.
Dr Bob
COLLEGE
4 Star Selection
Wisconsin Milwaukee (-2 ½) over DETROIT
Detroit has lost 13 games in a row and things aren’t likely to get any better tonight against an underrated Milwaukee squad that is 9-1 straight up and 7-3 ATS since kicking a few players off the team in mid-December. The players that are left all play with passion and they have responded to coach Rob Jeter’s disciplinary actions against those former players. My ratings favor Wisconsin Milwaukee by 6 points and Detroit applies to a very negative 18-75-5 ATS situation. Milwaukee’s only bad game with their current rotation was a 2 point home win over Detroit, but that close call will assure that they do not take this game for granted. Also, the fact the Milwaukee won that game despite shooting a horrendous 32% from the field and 22% from 3-point range suggests just how much of an advantage that they have over the Titans. The line of 2 ½ points on this game is based on using all of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s games for the season, but the Panthers are clearly a better team with their current roster than they were before the dismissals. I’ll take Wisconsin-Milwaukee in a 4-Star Best Bet at -4 points or less, for 3- Stars from -4 ½ to -6 points and for 2-Stars at -6 ½ points.
4-Stars at -4 or less, 3-Stars from -4 1/2 to -6, 2-Stars at -6 1/2.
3 Star Selection
Minnesota (-2 1/2) over MICHIGAN
Apparently the oddsmakers have lost faith in Minnesota after 3 straight games in which the Gophers lost and failed to cover the spread. Those losses to Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State simply showed me that Minnesota continues not to be good enough to beat good teams. However, those losses certainly don’t indicate that the Gophers can’t still beat the likes of a 5-13 Michigan team that is just 1-9 in their last 10 games (with the one win coming against lowly Northwestern). Minnesota is now 0-6 straight up and 1-5 ATS against the best 6 teams that they faced (Florida State, UNLV, Michigan State (twice), Indiana, and Ohio State), all of which are going to be playing in the NIT or NCAA Tournament this season. The Gophers are 12-0 straight up and 6-1 ATS (the only spread loss in a 17 point win as a 19 ½ point favorite) against the 12 teams that they’ve faced that aren’t likely to see post-season action - and Michigan can be added to that list of mediocre and bad teams. Minnesota has played two road games against teams of Michigan’s caliber (actually a bit better than Michigan) and the Gophers won those games by 10 points at Iowa State and by 3 points at Penn State. Michigan, meanwhile, has their 5 wins against Radford, Brown, Eastern Washington, Oakland, and Northwestern, and the best of those teams (Oakland) is about 7 points worse than Minnesota. Aside from the line value (my ratings favor Minnesota by 4 ½) the Gophers apply to a 62-23-1 ATS road favorite bounce-back situation and a 53-17-3 ATS bounce-back situation that are both set up by their recent string of losses to good teams. I’ll take Minnesota in a 3-Star Best Bet at -4 points or less, for 4-Stars at -2 or less and for 2- Stars at -4 ½ or -5 points.
3-Stars at -4 or less, 4-Stars at -2 or less, 2-Stars at -4 1/2 or -5 points.
2 Star Selection
Arkansas Little Rock (+13 1/2) over WESTERN KENTUCKY
Western Kentucky is now just 13-40-2 ATS in conference games after a victory under coach Darrin Horn after relaxing with a big lead in what turned out to be a 9 point home win over a horrible Arkansas State team that was without their All-Sun Belt star Adrian Banks. The Hilltoppers are even more likely to letdown following a comfortable win, as they are just 6-34-2 ATS in Sun Belt games after winning by 5 points or more, including an incredible 1-26-2 ATS if facing a team that is 1 game below .500 or better (0-26-2 ATS if not an underdog of more than 2 points). Arkansas Little Rock is 14-6 and the Trojans have a history under coach Steve Shields of playing their best against the better teams in the league. ALR is 22-12 ATS as a regular season underdog in conference play, including 13-2 ATS if the opponent has a win percentage of greater than .600. The Trojans have only been a double-digit dog twice in league play under Shields and they covered easily both times (lost by 4 points in each game). My ratings favor Western Kentucky by 13 ½ points, but the Hilltoppers have been 3 ½ points worse the last 5 years under Horn in conference games after a win and I’ll take Arkansas Little Rock in a 2-Star Best Bet at +13 points or more.
2-Stars at +13 or more.
Opinion
Arizona State (+13 ½) over UCLA
Arizona State is the surprise team of the Pac-10 and the Sun Devils are still a bit underrated heading into this clash with highly ranked UCLA. Arizona State is 5-2 ATS in Pac-10 play this season and the Sun Devils are 11-2-1 ATS in their last 14 games as a conference dog of 5 points or more. UCLA has been a good bet in general under coach Ben Howland (82-59-1 ATS), but the Bruins are just 3-7 ATS as a home favorite of more than 10 points against fellow Pac-10 teams, including 0-2 ATS this season. My ratings only favor UCLA by 12 points in this game and ASU would apply to a very good 116-41-4 ATS big road underdog bounce-back situation if they become an underdog of 14 points or more. I’ll lean with ASU at +13 or +13 ½ points and I’ll take Arizona State in a 2-Star Best Bet at +14 points or more.
OPINION - 2-Star Best Bet at +14 or more only.
Indiancowboy
Eastern Washington -1 (POD)
We wanted to close off the month strong and we certainly did that with the sweep yesterday. I mentioned that I was likely to take it easy today to close off the month with a possibility of a 30% return of investment so just going with 1 play and gearing up february. Similar to what John McCain's mother said about the Republican party having to hold their breath and take their son, much is the same case with Eastern Washington. Why a game out west in Eastern Washington? Well, I have it red flagged for several reasons. Remember yesterday when we took the Timberwolves on a home and home and it cashed ? In fact, remember the Raptors also cashed on the home and home if you kept track. Much is the same case here but it has gone under the radar but my spreadsheets and program catch such features. People that think only betting on televised games or headliner games are simply incorrect. Money can be made from all lines. Always remember, "a line is a line". I don't care if it is a prop bet, the Wnba - my favorite sport to cap - if it is a quarter, a half, a future bet or whatever it may be, "a line is a line". Eastern Washington has lost to this team the last 3 times including 69-74, five days ago. Why is this important? Well, consider this: They were 10 point underdogs that nearly won outright. They now play this team immediately at home where they will be fired up and have defeated some of the best teams in the league. I have Eastern Washington as a top 260 team and Montana State as a top 230 team - but Eastern Washington is a top 175 team at home as the splits make a clear difference here. This Eastern Washington team beat a better Portland State team at home who is a top 160 team and beat a similar ranked Northern Colorado team at home. Lots of incentive here for EW to get revenge in a home and home as the Montana State Bobcats are just 3-9 ATS in their last 12 against the Big Sky and EW is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 ballgames against a team with a winning record - meaning they are still under the radar and show up against the better teams in the nation. There is a reason why a 10 point dog the other day is now a 1 point favorite, I believe the Eagles surprise a lot of folks tonight and get their due.
Cal Sports
5* UL Laf
4* S. Alabama
3* Minn U.
3* Cal Full.
Will Cover
5* Pistons
Tom Stryker
3*Minnesota
Accu Picks
3*South Alabama
JB
Spurs
Jeffersonsports
NBA
San Antonio Under 203
NCAA
Wisconsin-4
Detroit+3.5
Rocketman
3* Mavs
3* Sonics
Mike Wynn
15* Best bet Cal Northridge
10* Nevada
10* Washington
10* South Alabama
Sports Investors
Cleveland State
LAS VEGAS TECH REPORT
Play: SOUTH ALABAMA -2
Comments: LAS VEGAS TECH REPORT (LVTR) SELECTION: SOUTH ALABAMA -2 South Alabama comes in undefeated in the Sun Belt conference at 9-0 with victories between 7 to 11 points against the conference on the road. We are only asking for 2 tonight and we feel confident with this visiting team as they are 3-0 on the road vs the conference. North Texas is on a 3 game skid and have been giving up too many points at an average of 78 ppg's. We like this situation as we don't feel like the lines makers will be paying much attention to this game and it shows with a modest -2 line on the better team in this Sun Belt matchup.
LAS VEGAS TECH REPORT (LVTR): LA LAKERS vs DETROIT PISTONS
Play: DETROIT PISTONS -7 ( WE ARE LINE SPECIFIC HERE SO BUY HOOK IF NEEDED)
Comments: LAS VEGAS TECH REPORT (LVTR) SELECTION: DETROIT PISTONS -7 ( WE ARE LINE SPECIFIC HERE SO BUY HOOK IF NEEDED)
Lakers as most of you know begin a 9 game road trip with a team that has picked up a few too many injuries at the wrong time. They'll be facing a Detroit team with momentum on their side having won their last three games and have been dominant at home going 15-4 SU and 13-6 ATS at the Palace covering the number for bettors at 9-2 consecutive. Lakers have had it tough since Bynum has been injured losing 4 of their last 6 games, 2-5-1 ATS and on game 1 of a back to back. Even at full strength, Lakers have been owned in this building as Detroit has beat them 8-2 consecutive going 7-3 ATS. Add another 4 wins if you'd like to take it back to 2004. Piston lost to the Lakers in LA without Billups and McDyes in that game ladst time these two teams met. This sets up a revenge game much like we saw last night with our winning call on Toronto. You have a revenge minded team at home against an injured team who also might be without Luke Walton this evening. This one is our bounce back winner for Thursday night. Take the Pistons to win big but knowing there are no absolutes in wagering and no such things as locks, lets protect our investment and purchase the hook to insure a comfortable win.
The Killer Move's picks for Thursday
10* San Antonio/Phoenix OVER
10* Dallas/Boston UNDER (NBA)
10* Middle Tennessee/UL Lafayette UNDER