SPORTS ADVISORS
(1) Duke (18-1, 10-7-1 ATS) at (6) Wake Forest (16-1, 8-5 ATS)
Back on top of the national rankings for the first time since 2006, Duke faces its toughest ACC foe to date when it travels to Veterans Memorial Coliseum for a clash with sixth-ranked Wake Forest.
The Blue Devils pummeled Maryland 85-44 as a 15-point home favorite Saturday, posting their largest margin of victory ever against the Terrapins. Duke, which is the third different No. 1 team in the last three weeks, has won 10 in a row, going 5-3-1 ATS in lined contests, with eight of the victories coming by double digits. During the run, coach Mike Krzyzewski’s club has posted an average margin of victory of 22.7 points per game, including 21 ppg in ACC play.
Wake Forest has been idle since last Wednesday, when it suffered its first loss of the season, a 78-71 setback to Virginia Tech as a 13-point favorite, snapping a 5-0 ATS run. The loss came just two days after the Demon Deacons took over the top spot in the rankings. Wake Forest has scored 78 and 71 points in its last two games after notching more than 80 points in 12 of its first 15 games.
Duke is 5-0 SU and 3-2 ATS in conference play (2-0, 1-1 ATS) on the road), while the Demon Deacons are 3-1 SU and ATS in the ACC. The Blue Devils are putting up 72.4 ppg and yielding a paltry 51.6 ppg in conference, with Wake Forest averaging 81 ppg and giving up 74.5 ppg in league action.
The Demon Deacons ended a five-game SU and a six-game ATS losing skid to Duke with last year’s surprising 86-73 rout of the Blue Devils as an 8½-point underdog. The home team has won eight of the last nine clashes going back to 2003 and is 13-2 ATS in the last 15 battles.
The Blue Devils, who are coming off a three-game homestand, are 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS on the highway. They’re also 4-1 ATS in their last five games after a victory of 20 points or more. Wake Forest is 9-1 in its gym (4-2 ATS in lined games), and the Deacons are on ATS streaks of 5-1 against winning teams, 5-2 on Wednesday and 7-0 at home against teams with a winning road record.
Duke is on “under” streaks of 20-6 overall, 4-1 on the highway, 10-1 in ACC play, 5-0 on Wednesday and 10-2 after a spread-cover. On the flip side, Wake Forest has gone over the total in five of its last seven at home and seven of its last 10 against winning teams, and the over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in this rivalry and 4-1 in the last five clashes in Winston Salem.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
(3) Pitt (18-1, 8-5-1 ATS) at (21) Villanova (15-4, 8-7 ATS)
Pitt shoots for its third consecutive Big East victory and second in a row on the road when it visits the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia for a battle with inconsistent Villanova.
The Panthers have bounced back from their only loss of the season – a 69-63 setback at Louisville as a two-point underdog – with a pair of impressive wins and covers. They knocked off Syracuse 78-60 as a nine-point home favorite 11 days ago, then went to West Virginia on Sunday and punked the Mountaineers 79-67 as a one-point pup. Pitt has scored at least 70 points in all but two of 19 games and it has held its last six opponents under 70 points, giving up 63.2 ppg during this stretch.
Villanova shook off a tough 89-83 loss at then-No. 3 UConn a week ago with Saturday’s 70-61 victory at South Florida, cashing as a six-point road chalk. The Wildcats have alternated SU wins and losses in their last seven games, but they’ve followed up an 0-3 ATS slide with three straight spread-covers.
Pitt is 6-1 SU and 4-3 ATS in Big East play, including 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS on the road, and the Panthers are averaging 76.1 ppg and allowing 64.4 ppg in league play. Villanova has split its first six Big East contests both SU and ATS, putting up 75 ppg but allowing 72 ppg.
The Panthers are on a 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS roll in this rivalry, but the schools split last year’s two meetings with Villanova eking out a 64-63 victory as a three-point home favorite and Pitt taking a 69-57 decision as a seven-point home chalk. The underdog is 3-1 ATS in the last four battles.
Pitt is on ATS streaks of 6-2-1 on the road, 7-3 in Big East play and 4-1 versus winning teams, but it has failed to cash in five of its last six on Wednesday. Villanova is 4-1 ATS in its last five on Wednesday and 4-0 ATS in its last four at home against teams with a winning road record.
For Pitt, the over is on streaks of 13-4 in league action, 5-1 on Wednesday and 4-0 after a spread-cover. The Wildcats are on “over” stretches of 5-1 overall and 6-1 in Big East action, and the under is 18-6 in Villanova’s last 24 at home and 5-0 in its last five against winning teams. Also, the last five meetings in this rivalry have stayed low.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PITT
(5) North Carolina (17-2, 8-9 ATS) at Florida State (16-4, 9-4-1 ATS)
North Carolina goes after its fourth straight win overall and its 10th consecutive victory over Florida State as this ACC rivalry resumes with a matchup at the Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla.
Since dropping their first two conference games to Boston College and Wake Forest, the Tar Heels have regained their dominant form with three straight double-digit victories over Virginia (83-61), Miami, Fla. (82-65) and Clemson (94-70), going 2-1 ATS during the winning streak. In last Wednesday’s rout of Clemson, North Carolina shot 53 percent from the field and held the one-loss Tigers to 35.3 percent and easily cashed as a 13-point home chalk.
Florida State rolled past Virginia 73-62 as a one-point favorite, improving to 3-1 (2-1-1 ATS) in its last four games, three of which were played on the road. Like UNC, the Seminoles are 3-2 in the ACC (3-1-1 ATS), and in their two league games, they lost 66-58 to Duke but covered as a 9½-point underdog and edged Maryland 76-73 in overtime, falling short as a four-point favorite.
The Tar Heels have scored at least 90 points 10 times in their last 16 games, and they’ve eclipsed the 80-point mark in 17 of 19 contests this season, helping them rank second in the nation in scoring (93 ppg) and 10th in shooting (49.2 percent). In ACC play, Roy Williams’ squad is averaging 85.2 ppg and giving up 74.6 ppg. Meanwhile, the Seminoles are outscoring conference foes by just three ppg (71-68).
North Carolina posted three double-digit victories over Florida State last year, but went just 1-2 ATS. The Tar Heels won 84-73 in overtime as a 9½-point road chalk in their one visit to Tallahassee, then prevailed 90-77 at home and 82-70 in the ACC tournament, coming up just short as a 16-point and 13½-point favorite, respectively. UNC is 9-0 in the last nine meetings (5-4 ATS), going 3-0 SU and ATS at Florida State. Finally, the visitor is 6-2 ATS in the last eight head-to-head meetings.
North Carolina is just 4-7 ATS in its last 11, alternating spread-covers in the last eight games. The Heels are also in ATS funks of 2-6 in league play and 2-7 after a SU win, but they’re also on positive pointspread stretches of 6-0 on Wednesday, 39-18-1 after a spread-cover and 37-15 after a victory over more than 20 points. The Seminoles are on ATS runs of 4-1-1 overall, 7-1-2 in ACC action, 9-4-1 after a SU win and 11-5-2 against winning teams, but they’re 5-13-1 ATS in their last 19 home games and 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight on Wednesday.
The under is 4-1 in North Carolina’s last five on the road and 14-6 in FSU’s last 20 on Wednesday, but the Heels have topped the total in seven of their last nine on Wednesday. Finally, the under is 3-1-1 in the last five meetings in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NORTH CAROLINA
NBA
Atlanta (26-18, 23-21 ATS) at New York (19-25, 25-19 ATS)
The Hawks look to rebound from Monday’s ugly loss at Miami when they head up the eastern seaboard for an Eastern Conference clash with the surging Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
One day after falling 104-99 to Phoenix as a four-point home chalk, Atlanta went to Miami and got drilled 95-79 as a three-point underdog, the first time this season the Hawks scored fewer than 83 points. Although it preceded these two losses with a three-game winning streak, Atlanta is just 5-8 SU and 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games, including 2-5 SU and 3-4 ATS on the road.
New York is coming off Monday’s 104-98 victory over the Rockets as a 1½-point home underdog, improving to 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in its last five games, including 4-0 SU and ATS at home. During this five-game run, the Knicks are averaging 107.6 ppg (47 percent shooting) and giving up 101.8 ppg (44.1 percent).
The Knicks are 13-9 SU and ATS at home, with the SU winner cashing in 20 of those 22 contests. Meanwhile, the Hawks are 9-13 (13-9 ATS) as a visitor.
Atlanta is riding a five-game winning streak against the Knicks, but New York is 5-2 ATS in the last seven clashes. In this year’s lone previous meeting, the Hawks prevailed 98-95, but the Knicks easily got the money as a 10-point underdog. The pup is 4-2 ATS in the last six battles, with the visitor grabbing the cash in each of those six contests.
The Hawks are 4-1 ATS in their last five on Wednesday, but otherwise they carry negative pointspread trends of 4-9 overall, 2-6 against the Eastern Conference, 1-4 against the Atlantic Division, 1-4 when playing on one day of rest and 1-4 after a double-digit defeat. In addition to cashing in five straight overall and four straight at home, New York is on ATS runs of 4-0 when playing on one day of rest and 5-1 against the Southeast Division.
In this rivalry, the over is on streaks of 11-5 overall and 5-2 when playing at the Garden. Also, the over is on runs of 5-2 for Atlanta against the Eastern Conference and 20-6 for New York on Wednesday. Conversely, though, the under is on stretches of 9-4-1 for the Hawks on the road, 11-4 for the Hawks when playing on one day of rest, 5-1 for the Hawks against the Atlantic Division, 20-8 for the Knicks overall, 4-1 for the Knicks at the Garden, 12-4 for the Knicks against the East and 10-2 for the Knicks when playing on one day of rest.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NEW YORK
Denver (30-15, 26-18-1 ATS) at New Orleans (27-14, 18-21-2 ATS)
Two of the top teams in the Western Conference get together for the third time this season and the first time in the Big Easy as the Hornets host the streaking Nuggets.
New Orleans improved to 4-1 in its last five games (3-2 ATS) with Monday’s 101-86 victory over the 76ers as a three-point home favorite, as All-Star point guard Chris Paul (27 points, 10 rebounds, 15 assists) recorded his league-leading fifth triple-double of the season and came within three steals of a quadruple-double. The Hornets have scored more than 100 points in four straight games (103.5 ppg) after accomplishing the feat just five times in hits pervious 22 contests.
Denver’s brief two-game road trip began with last night’s 100-85 victory at Memphis, easily cashing as a 6½-point road favorite. The Nuggets have won three in a row and are 10-3 in their last 13. Also, they’re on an 8-3 ATS roll, including four straight spread-covers. George Karl’s team has scored at least 105 points in 11 of its last 15 games, topping 110 points eight times during this stretch, including in the last three games in a row.
While the Hornets are 15-5 at home, they’re just 9-10-1 ATS. With last night’s win at Memphis, the Nuggets are 12-9 SU and ATS on the highway, including 4-5 SU and ATS in the last nine.
The teams split their first two meetings this season, both in Denver and both by nearly identical scores. The Hornets took the first clash 105-101 as a one-point favorite on Feb. 27 and the Nuggets got revenge with a 105-100 win as a four-point chalk on Jan. 3. That latter triumph by Denver ended New Orleans’ 4-0 ATS run in this rivalry. The visitor has cashed in 10 of the last 14 series battles.
The Nuggets are on ATS streaks of 4-0 overall, 4-0 against the Western Conference and 13-5 against the Southwest Division. New Orleans is on pointspread runs of 37-16-1 on Wednesday, 13-3 at home against squads with a winning road record and 10-3 as a favorite of less than six points, but the Hornets have failed to cash in four of their past five against the Northwest Division.
The over is on streaks of 5-1 for Denver on the road, 4-0 for Denver on Wednesday, 6-2 for Denver against the Southwest Division, 8-2 for Denver against winning teams, 6-0 for the Hornets versus the Western Conference, 5-2 for the Hornets versus the Northwest Division, 7-3 for the Hornets against winning teams and 6-1 for the Hornets on Wednesday. However, the under is on runs of 6-2 for the Nuggets overall, 8-2 for New Orleans at home and 18-7 for New Orleans when playing on one day of rest.
Finally, the over is 3-0 in the last three meetings in this rivalry and 3-1 in the last four clashes in New Orleans.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DENVER and OVER
Philadelphia (21-22 SU and ATS) at Houston (28-18, 21-25 ATS)
The Rockets return home from a disappointing three-game Eastern Conference road swing, and awaiting them will be the 76ers, who are searching for their fourth consecutive upset win over Houston.
Houston dropped two of three on its trip, opening with a 107-102 loss at Indiana as a one-point favorite and concluding with Monday’s 104-98 setback at New York as a 1½-point chalk. In between, the Rockets knocked off Detroit 108-105 as a three-point underdog. Prior to the journey, Houston had won three in a row and six of its last seven, but Rick Adelman’s squad has alternated ATS wins and losses in its last 13 games.
Philadelphia has followed up a season-best seven-game winning streak by dropping two of its last three, including Monday’s 101-86 loss at New Orleans as a three-point road underdog. Also, the 76ers have failed to cover in three straight games after going 8-0 ATS in their previous eight. The SU winner is 39-4 ATS in Philly’s games this season.
The Rockets have won three in a row and five of six at the Toyota Center, but they’re just 3-6 ATS in their last nine at home. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s loss at New Orleans on Monday ended a three-game SU and a four-game ATS run on the highway.
The 76ers swept the season series from the Rockets last year, winning 100-88 as a 5½-point home underdog and 111-107 as a nine-point road pup. Then on Jan. 6, Philadelphia pulled off its third straight upset win over Houston, 104-96 as a three-point ‘dog, a victory that jumpstarted the Sixers’ recent eight-game winning streak. In this rivalry, the underdog is 14-3 in the last 17 meetings, including six outright upsets in the last eight, and the visitor has cashed in 12 of the last 16.
Philadelphia is on ATS runs of 8-3 overall, 4-1 on the road, 6-1 as an underdog, 4-0 on Wednesday, 10-3 against the Southwest Division and 5-1 after a double-digit defeat. Houston’s pointspread streaks including 4-1 after an outright loss and 6-0 after a non-cover, but the Rockets are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 as a favorite, 2-6 ATS in their last eight when playing on one day of rest and 1-7 ATS in their last eight against losing teams.
The last six meetings in this rivalry have gone over the total. Also, the over is 8-3 in the Sixers’ last 11 road games, 7-0 in their last seven after a SU defeat, 5-1 in their last six after a non-cover, 6-0 in their last six against winning teams and 11-5 in their last 16 on Wednesday. Houston has topped the total in six straight games after a defeat, but the under is 11-2 in its last 13 on Wednesday, 5-1 in its last six against the Eastern Conference and 4-1 in its last five versus the Atlantic Division.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PHILADELPHIA and OVER
DUNKEL
Atlanta at New York
The Hawks look to build on their 14-5 ATS record as an underdog this season. Atlanta is the underdog pick (+2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the game even. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+2 1/2).
Game 501-502: Milwaukee at Indiana
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 113.938; Indiana 119.793
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 6; 208 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 503-504: Sacramento at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento 108.577; Boston 129.377
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 21; 201 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Boston by 16 1/2; 203
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-16 1/2); Under
Game 505-506: Washington at Miami
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 110.300; Miami 122.038
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 12; 182 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 9; 190
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-9); Under
Game 507-508: Toronto at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 117.717; New Jersey 115.793
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 2; 189 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 195
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+1); Under
Game 509-510: Atlanta at New York
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 119.099; New York 119.433
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 205 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 2 1/2; 207
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+2 1/2); Under
Game 511-512: Denver at New Orleans
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 119.039; New Orleans 124.531
Dunkel Line & Total: New Orleans by 5 1/2; 195
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 513-514: Memphis at Oklahoma City
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 109.281; Oklahoma City 118.833
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 9 1/2; 199
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 7; 195 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-7); Over
Game 515-516: Detroit at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 117.148; Minnesota 121.544
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 4 1/2; 192
Vegas Line & Total: Pick; 188 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota; Over
Game 517-518: Philadelphia at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 120.021; Houston 124.044
Dunkel Line & Total: Houston by 4; 204 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 519-520: Golden State at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 114.975; Dallas 121.848
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 7; 219
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 521-522: Charlotte at Portland
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 116.585; Portland 124.086
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 7 1/2; 176
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 9 1/2; 180
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+9 1/2); Under
Game 523-524: Chicago at LA Clippers
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 114.593; LA Clippers 112.353
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 2; 200 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
NCAAB
Missouri at Kansas State
The high-scoring Tigers (85.4 points per game) look to take advantage of a KSU team that is 0-3 ATS against good offensive teams (77+ points per game) this season. Missouri is the pick (-3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by 8 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Missouri (-3 1/2).
Game 525-526: Michigan at Ohio State
Dunkel Ratings: Michigan 66.296; Ohio State 68.379
Dunkel Line: Ohio State by 2
Vegas Line: Ohio State by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Michigan (+4 1/2)
Game 527-528: Fordham at St. Bonaventure
Dunkel Ratings: Fordham 45.687; St. Bonaventure 54.888
Dunkel Line: St. Bonaventure by 9
Vegas Line: St. Bonaventure by 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Fordham (+10 1/2)
Game 529-530: Syracuse at Providence
Dunkel Ratings: Syracuse 69.981; Providence 68.804
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 1
Vegas Line: Providence by 1
Dunkel Pick: Syracuse (+1)
Game 531-532: George Washington at LaSalle
Dunkel Ratings: George Washington 49.641; LaSalle 61.633
Dunkel Line: LaSalle by 12
Vegas Line: LaSalle by 8
Dunkel Pick: LaSalle (-8)
Game 533-534: St. Joseph's at Richmond
Dunkel Ratings: St. Joseph's 59.795; Richmond 59.216
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: Richmond by 2
Dunkel Pick: St. Joseph's (+2)
Game 535-536: Old Dominion at James Madison
Dunkel Ratings: Old Dominion 56.578; James Madison 59.259
Dunkel Line: James Madison by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: James Madison by 1
Dunkel Pick: James Madison (-1)
Game 537-538: Vanderbilt at South Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Vanderbilt 61.534; South Carolina 67.922
Dunkel Line: South Carolina by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: South Carolina by 8
Dunkel Pick: Vanderbilt (+8)
Game 539-540: SMU at Central Florida
Dunkel Ratings: SMU 51.536; Central Florida 63.035
Dunkel Line: Central Florida by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Central Florida by 13
Dunkel Pick: SMU (+13)
Game 541-542: Ball State at Bowling Green
Dunkel Ratings: Ball State 50.829; Bowling Green 55.311
Dunkel Line: Bowling Green by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Bowling Green by 8
Dunkel Pick: Ball State (+8)
Game 543-544: St. John's at West Virginia
Dunkel Ratings: St. John's 58.116; West Virginia 77.914
Dunkel Line: West Virginia by 20
Vegas Line: West Virginia by 17
Dunkel Pick: West Virginia (-17)
Game 545-546: Duke at Wake Forest
Dunkel Ratings: Duke 80.767; Wake Forest 75.216
Dunkel Line: Duke by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Duke by 1
Dunkel Pick: Duke (-1)
Game 547-548: Temple at Rhode Island
Dunkel Ratings: Temple 62.141; Rhode Island 67.902
Dunkel Line: Rhode Island by 6
Vegas Line: Rhode Island by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Rhode Island (-2 1/2)
Game 549-550: Georgia State at Drexel
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia State 45.322; Drexel 59.776
Dunkel Line: Drexel by 14 1/2
Vegas Line: Drexel by 10
Dunkel Pick: Drexel (-10)
Game 551-552: Akron at Toledo
Dunkel Ratings: Akron 57.432; Toledo 48.250
Dunkel Line: Akron by 9
Vegas Line: Akron by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Akron (-6 1/2)
Game 553-554: Pittsburgh at Villanova
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 78.691; Villanova 72.009
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 4
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-4)
Game 555-556: Towson at William & Mary
Dunkel Ratings: Towson 42.255; William & Mary 52.235
Dunkel Line: William & Mary by 10
Vegas Line: William & Mary by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: William & Mary (-6 1/2)
Game 557-558: Memphis at East Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 74.125; East Carolina 56.361
Dunkel Line: Memphis by 18
Vegas Line: Memphis by 14
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (-14)
Game 559-560: Northern Illinois at Miami (OH)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Illinois 45.412; Miami (OH) 64.971
Dunkel Line: Miami (OH) by 19 1/2
Vegas Line: Miami (OH) by 18
Dunkel Pick: Miami (OH) (-18)
Game 561-562: Hofstra at NC Wilmington
Dunkel Ratings: Hofstra 51.119; NC Wilmington 41.237
Dunkel Line: Hofstra by 10
Vegas Line: Hofstra by 7
Dunkel Pick: Hofstra (-7)
Game 563-564: South Florida at Louisville
Dunkel Ratings: South Florida 60.840; Louisville 76.421
Dunkel Line: Louisville by 15 1/2
Vegas Line: Louisville by 18
Dunkel Pick: South Florida (+18)
Game 565-566: Georgetown at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Georgetown 73.282; Cincinnati 64.061
Dunkel Line: Georgetown by 9
Vegas Line: Georgetown by 5
Dunkel Pick: Georgetown (-5)
Game 567-568: Charlotte at Xavier
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 55.125; Xavier 75.396
Dunkel Line: Xavier by 20
Vegas Line: Xavier by 17
Dunkel Pick: Xavier (-17)
Game 569-570: Kansas at Nebraska
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas 72.984; Nebraska 67.133
Dunkel Line: Kansas by 6
Vegas Line: Kansas by 5
Dunkel Pick: Kansas (-5)
Game 571-572: Ohio at Central Michigan
Dunkel Ratings: Ohio 57.847; Central Michigan 47.933
Dunkel Line: Ohio by 10
Vegas Line: Ohio by 4
Dunkel Pick: Ohio (-4)
Game 573-574: Loyola-Chicago at WI-Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola-Chicago 53.125; WI-Milwaukee 62.957
Dunkel Line: WI-Milwaukee by 10
Vegas Line: WI-Milwaukee by 6
Dunkel Pick: WI-Milwaukee (-6)
Game 575-576: Wichita State at Bradley
Dunkel Ratings: Wichita State 57.083; Bradley 61.483
Dunkel Line: Bradley by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Bradley by 6
Dunkel Pick: Wichita State (+6)
Game 577-578: UTEP at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: UTEP 62.515; Houston 69.653
Dunkel Line: Houston by 7
Vegas Line: Houston by 5
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-5)
Game 579-580: LSU at Tennessee
Dunkel Ratings: LSU 67.282; Tennessee 69.945
Dunkel Line: Tennessee by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LSU (+7 1/2)
Game 581-582: Missouri State at Southern Illinois
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri State 56.759; Southern Illinois 61.725
Dunkel Line: Southern Illinois by 5
Vegas Line: Southern Illinois by 8
Dunkel Pick: Missouri State (+8)
Game 583-584: Evansville at Drake
Dunkel Ratings: Evansville 54.786; Drake 65.975
Dunkel Line: Drake by 11
Vegas Line: Drake by 8
Dunkel Pick: Drake (-8)
Game 585-586: Illinois State at Northern Iowa
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois State 63.985; Northern Iowa 64.745
Dunkel Line: Northern Iowa by 1
Vegas Line: Northern Iowa by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Illinois State (+3 1/2)
Game 587-588: UAB at Tulsa
Dunkel Ratings: UAB 61.880; Tulsa 70.406
Dunkel Line: Tulsa by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Tulsa by 4
Dunkel Pick: Tulsa (-4)
Game 589-590: Georgia at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia 57.894; Florida 72.437
Dunkel Line: Florida by 14 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida by 16 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Georgia (+16 1/2)
Game 591-592: Illinois-Chicago at WI-Green Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 57.634; WI-Green Bay 64.170
Dunkel Line: WI-Green Bay by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: WI-Green Bay by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Illinois-Chicago (+7 1/2)
Game 593-594: Tulane at Rice
Dunkel Ratings: Tulane 51.344; Rice 53.885
Dunkel Line: Rice by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Pick
Dunkel Pick: Rice
Game 595-596: Indiana at Northwestern
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 52.140; Northwestern 64.196
Dunkel Line: Northwestern by 12
Vegas Line: Northwestern by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+13 1/2)
Game 597-598: Connecticut at DePaul
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 74.745; DePaul 56.570
Dunkel Line: Connecticut by 18
Vegas Line: Connecticut by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (-12 1/2)
Game 599-600: Missouri at Kansas State
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri 74.396; Kansas State 65.924
Dunkel Line: Missouri by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Missouri by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Missouri (-3 1/2)
Game 601-602: North Carolina at Florida State
Dunkel Ratings: North Carolina 79.007; Florida State 69.136
Dunkel Line: North Carolina by 10
Vegas Line: North Carolina by 11 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida State (+11 1/2)
Game 603-604: Texas Tech at Texas A&M
Dunkel Ratings: Texas Tech 56.774; Texas A&M 66.936
Dunkel Line: Texas A&M by 10
Vegas Line: Texas A&M by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas A&M (-8 1/2)
Game 605-606: Colorado State at New Mexico
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado State 53.860; New Mexico 70.000
Dunkel Line: New Mexico by 16
Vegas Line: New Mexico by 17 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado State (+17 1/2)
Game 607-608: TCU at San Diego State
Dunkel Ratings: TCU 58.008; San Diego State 68.033
Dunkel Line: San Diego State by 10
Vegas Line: San Diego State by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: TCU (+12 1/2)
Game 609-610: Davidson at TN-Chattanooga
Dunkel Ratings: Davidson 68.016; TN-Chattanooga 55.549
Dunkel Line: Davidson by 12 1/2
Vegas Line: Davidson by 11
Dunkel Pick: Davidson (-11)
NHL
Chicago at Anaheim
The Blackhawks try to rebound from a shutout in St. Louis their last time out, but are just 1-5 after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game. The Ducks are the underdog pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has Anaheim favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (+115).
Game 1-2: NY Rangers at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.332; Pittsburgh 12.422
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 3-4: Buffalo at Calgary
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 11.985; Calgary 11.725
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Calgary (-175); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+155); Over
Game 5-6: Chicago at Anaheim
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 11.514; Anaheim 12.531
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (+115); Over
Game 7-8: Nashville at Vancouver
Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 10.564; Vancouver 10.321
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-180); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (+160); Over
Cajun Sports
Texas Tech vs. Texas A&M -8.5
PLAY: 2* Texas A&M -8.5
Reed Arena will be the site of tonights Big 12 Conference clash between the host Texas A&M Aggies and the visiting Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Red Raiders enter tonights game having lost two of their last three games including their most recent loss at Missouri 97 to 86. A&M on the other hand has lost three straight with losses to Oklahoma at home and to Kansas and Texas on the highway.
Texas Tech is 11-8 SU and 4-8 against the spread this season. They have really struggled when hitting the highway posting a record of 1-6 SU and 3-3 ATS scoring 73.4 points per game against teams that allow 70.6 points per game. Defensively Texas Tech is allowing 87.9 points per game to teams that would normally only score 73.4 points per game. There is no secret as to why they are 1-6 on the road this season, 87+ points per game allowed will cause problems every time.
Texas A&M is 15-5 SU and 6-7 against the spread this year. They have been extremely solid at home going 11-1 SU but struggling against the spread with a 1-4 ATS record. The Aggies are also decent in the points per game differential as they are averaging 70.9 points per game versus teams that allow 68.2 points per game, defensively they are only allowing 60.2 points per game to teams that average better than 70 points per game.
On the technical front we see that Texas Tech has struggled in the role of underdog posting a record of 60-87 ATS since 1997. They have also cost their backers when they play away from home with a 49-72 ATS resume. The Red Raiders are money burning 31-56 ATS when playing against a team with a win percentage of 60 to 80 percent after 15 or more games in the season. If Texas Tech went over the total in their last game and are now on the conference road they are 6-21 ATS, if they are installed as an underdog their record is 4-16 ATS and if they happen to win their last game against the spread they are 3-12 ATS in their next contest. Texas A&M is 9-2 ATS when facing Texas Tech at home since 1997 and they are a perfect 6-0 ATS if they are coming into this matchup off a straight up loss in their last game.
Our Team Performance Ratings Index projects a Texas A&M win and cover with the Aggies having a 10.2 point advantage in tonights contest.
Texas Tech is active in a College Basketball System that tells us to Play Against CBB road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after a road game where both teams scored 75 points or more, playing only their 2nd game in 8 days, 52-34 ATS the last five seasons.
Lay the chalk with the host as the Aggies get back on the winning track against their in-state rival Texas Tech Raiders on Wednesday night in College Station.
PROJECTED FINAL SCORE: (2*) Texas A&M 79 Texas Tech 64
Dave Cokin
Pittsburgh @ Villanova
Play: Pittsburgh -4
The Big East has incredible depth, but the more I see, the more I am convinced that Pitt has a little more than anyone else. They did lose at Louisville, but the Panthers were the better team for most of that game and would have won were it not for DeJuan Blair's foul trouble in that contest. Sam Young and Blair are a devastating combo. 'Nova is a very solid team, but they have shot the ball erratically lately and they're sure not beating the Panthers in the paint. It's certainly not a cinch, but I like Pitt to win this convincingly enough to beat the number.
Marc Lawrence
Play On: UAB
The Blazers are doing a nice job of flying under the radar as they poise themselves for a 2nd half run at a post-season tourney invite. Last year UAB saw their hopes of an invitation to the Big Dance thwarted when Tulsa upset the then-No. 2 seed in the CUSA tourney. Rest assured this game has since been circled in red ink. And Birmingham brings plenty of ATS arsenal into this game, too. A neat 8-2 ATS log as dogs when playing with conference tourney loss revenge sets the table. Toss is a 5-1 ATS mark in this series when playing with 3 or more days of rest. Take the points with UAB.
JIM FEIST
DENVER NUGGETS / NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
Take "NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
You need to have a lot of energy to run around the floor defending (or trying to defend) sparkplug Chris Paul. For this game, not only is Denver a long way from home, but it's their 3rd game in 4 nights and the second of a back to back road spot. Paul had 27 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds and seven steals for his league-leading fifth triple-double of the season, and the New Orleans Hornets defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 101-86 on Monday night. James Posey and Rasual Butler had 13 points apiece, including three 3-pointers each for the Hornets, as this bench continues to get better. New Orleans is 15-5 at home. Denver isn't known for defense and the team is 23-7 when Peja Stojakovic scores in double digits, 4-7 when he doesn't. He'll get double figures this game. Play the Hornets.
Michael Cannon
Atlanta at NEW YORK -2
Take the Knicks as the small home chalk over the Hawks.
New York is catching the Hawks at just the right time. Atlanta has lost its last two, including a 95-79 beat down by the Heat. The Hawks are just 5-8 SU and 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games, including 2-5 SU and 3-4 ATS on the road.
Plus Atlanta will be without its biggest inside presence, Al Horford.
The Knicks are 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings with the Hawks, plus New York is on ATS runs of 4-0 when playing on one day of rest and 5-1 against the Southeast Division.
New York is 13-9 SUATS at home this year, and they are 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in the last five overall.
Take the Knicks as they grab the home win and cover.
2♦ NEW YORK
North Carolina -11' at FLORIDA STATE
Take North Carolina as the big road chalk over Florida State.
I know the Seminoles are capable of knocking anyone off on their home court, but not with the way North Carolina is playing right now.
The Tarheels have won three straight overall and are on a nine-game winning streak against the Seminoles. North Carolina has won by double-digits in each game of its three-game streak and defeated Florida State in all three matchups last year by double-digits.
North Carolina is on positive ATS runs of 6-0 on Wednesday, 39-18-1 after an ATS win and 37-15 after a win over more than 20 points.
Florida State is just 5-13-1 ATS in its last 19 home games and 2-5-1 ATS in its last eight on Wednesday.
Take the Tarheels minus the points as they grab the road win and cover.
3♦ NORTH CAROLINA
Bobby Maxwell
Toronto at NEW JERSEY (pk)
Four straight FREE winners for you after the Kings covered the number in Cleveland on Tuesday. No. 5 in a row comes tonight as we go with the Nets at home against the Raptors.
The Nets have taken two of three from the Raptors this season and they'll make it three of four with this one. Look for big things from Nets' point gard Devin Harris who is averaging 21.5 points and 6.4 assists per game.
New Jersey is back at home after four-games on the highway that saw them go 2-2 ATS but lose at Oklahoma City on Monday as a 1 1/2-point underdog. Toronto has won two in a row, but that's only after losing seven straight (2-4-1 ATS). The Raptors got a 113-97 home win over the Kings on Sunday as nine-point favorites.
The Nets got a 94-87 win in Toronto on Dec. 15 as 4 1/2-point pups and got a 129-127 overtime win against Toronto on Nov. 21 as 8 1/2-point underdogs. The Raptors are on ATS slides of 1-4 on Wednesdays, 8-17 after a straight-up win, 2-5 against the Atlantic Division and 8-20 after a spread-cover.
We're going to play the Nets at home in this one to get the job done.
4♦ NEW JERSEY
Pittsburgh -3' at VILLANOVA
Tuesday's FREE winner rolled right in with the Kings easily getting within the number at Cleveland. That makes it four straight comp winners for us with a fifth on the way tonight as we go to the college hardwood for a play on Pitt as they take on Villanova.
After suffering their first loss of the season, Pitt has rebounded will with two impressive wins and they'll make it three in a row when they head to Philly tonight to take on Villanova.
The Panthers got a 78-60 win over Syracuse as a nine-point home favorite 11 days ago and then on Sunday they went to West Virginia and scored a 79-67 victory as a one-point road 'dog. This team has scored 70 points or more in all but two games this season and they all just 63.2 points.
Pitt is 6-1 SU in Big East action, including 3-1 (2-2 ATS) on the road. The two teams split their series last year with the home team getting each game but Pitt covered the spread both times. The Panthers are on ATS runs of 6-2-1 on the road, 7-3 in Big East play and 4-1 agaisnt teams wtih a winning record.
Look for the Panthers to keep it rolling and make it three big wins in a row. Play Pitt.
3♦ PITTSBURGH
Frank Jordan
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks
Play: Atlanta Hawks +2
Atlanta has lost each of their last two games, 6 of 10 and has just 9 wins in 22 road games so far this season. The Knicks are 13-9 at home and have won 6 of their last 10 games, but over all the Knicks are under .500 at 19-25. Look for the Hawks to fly into snowy New York and come away winners. Play Atlanta
Smooth44
WAKE FOREST +2
This might be one of the stronger set ups we have seen so far this year. Wake coming off a their first loss of the year, a tough loss, to Va Tech while Duke is coming off that huge blowout win against Maryland. The difference tonight will be Wake's ability to control the boards while protecting the perimeter and making it difficult for Duke to shoot the 3, two things the Deacons have done well all season long. Kudos to VT for knocking off Wake on Saturday but we must also realize they caught the Deacons in the perfect sandwich spot - off a huge win over Clemson and with this Duke game on deck. I look for Wake to get back on track in style.
Info Plays
3* on Miami Heat -9
Reasons why the Heat cover the spread Wednesday:
1.) Washington is 3-19 in road games, including 9-13 ATS. Miami is 14-7 at home, and should crush the lowly Washington Wizards tonight without a sweat. The Wizards are getting outscored by 9.4 PPG on the road this season, and against a good home team Wednesday, they will not be able to stay within double-digits.
2.) Washington’s last 4 losses have come by double-digits. The Wizards lost at Golden State by 21, at the Lakers by 20, at Portland by 13 and then at home to Phoenix by 16. Washington is simply too beat up to even compete right now. Miami has managed to stay healthy, and it’s really paying dividends as this team is well on their way to the playoffs. The Wizards are just going through the motions and looking forward to the All-Star Break right now.
3.) System Play. We’ll Play Against - Underdogs (WASHINGTON) - in a game involving two average offensive teams (92-98 PPG) after 42+ games, after allowing 100 points or more 5 straight games. This is a 23-5 ATS System hitting 82.1% over the last 5 seasons. The Wizards are playing no defense right now, allowing 109.2 PPG over their last 5 games. What makes it worse is that they can’t seem to find the basket on offense either, scoring just 95.8 PPG during this stretch. Even worse, the Heat are 0-9 SU & 2-7 ATS in Division Games and scoring just 84.6 PPG. The Wizards are playing with no heart. Bet the Heat at home.
Black Widow Sports
1* on Kings/Celtics Over 204.5
The Sacramento Kings are scoring a ton of points lately, but they are giving up even more. Sacramento has scored 102 points or more in 8 of their last 10 games overall. But the Kings have given up 106 or more points in 9 of those 10 games. The Kings are scoring 109.8 points per game over their last 10 contests, while giving up 117.9 points per game over their last 10. Now that’s some terrible defense, and the Celtics should be able to put up at least 120 points tonight. Boston did just break out to score 124 points in their last game against Dallas, and they’ve had 2 days’ rest in between games so they’ll be fresh and looking to get up and down the court to exploit the Kings’ defense. Sacramento is 36-20 OVER (+14.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent of 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons. 18-5 OVER (+12.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons. The Kings are 15-3 OVER (+11.7 Units) in road games vs. top caliber teams - outscoring their opponents by 9+ points/game since 1996. Take the OVER 204.5 points here.
John Martin
1 Unit on Minnesota Timberwolves PK
Minnesota is a team that you want to back right now with your money. The T’Wolves have won 10 of their last 12 games overall. Minnesota is 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 games. The Timberwolves have found their rhythm and they host a Detroit Pistons team tonight that is headed in the opposite direction. Detroit is 2-7 SU & 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games heading in. Minnesota has had success against Detroit at home, winning 8 of their last 12 home meetings with the Pistons. With two teams meeting up tonight that are headed in opposite directions, we’ll side with the hot team at home actually catching points. Cash in with Minnesota as the underdog.
Brett Maverick Sports
Knicks +2
Tonight our free selection goes against a huge public onslaught on the Knicks. Early numbers show 80% moving on New York. We know the Hawks have dominated this series winning 5 straight in including a 98-95 win this season. Off a horrible first half in its last outing(record low 27 points at the half) look for Atlanta to be focused in all four quarters tonight.
Jeff Alexander
1 Unit on Syracuse +2
Cuse has lost 2 straight to Pitt and Louisville and it will be ready to beat up on an inferior opponent tonight. The Orange have absolutely owned this matchup, going 8-3 SU and ATS in the last 11 meetings and 5-1 SU and ATS in the last 6 at Providence. Here's the key: Providence is 2-12 ATS in home games when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 80%) after 15 or more games since 1997, losing by an average score of 67.7 to 75.9 in these spots. Take Syracuse!