Big Al Mcmordie
Charlotte Bobcats at Portland Trail Blazers M
Prediction: Portland Trail Blazers
At 10:05 pm, our member selection is on the Portland Trail Blazers minus the points over Charlotte. Certainly, coach Larry Brown has his young Bobcats headed in the right direction. Charlotte has covered an incredible eight straight games, and won, perhaps, its biggest game in its franchise history with a win at Staples Center last night over the Lakers. But that win, which came in overtime, was such an emotional one, that I believe the Bobcats will suffer a letdown on this Wednesday night at the Rose Garden in Portland. These two teams actually met 11 days ago in North Carolina, and Charlotte upset Portland 102-97 as a 3-point underdog. But the Trail Blazers are a super 21-10 at home their last 31 when revenging a loss to an opponent. The Trail Blazers had last night off, so they'll be a bit more rested too. Lay the double-digits with the Blazers.
Tom Freese
Detroit Pistons at Minnesota Timberwolves
Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is 13-3-1 ATS their last 17 games and they are 6-1 ATS their last 7 games as underdogs. The Timberwolves are 7-2-1 ATS off a straight up win and they are 20-7-2 ATS vs. a team that allowed 100 or more points in their last game. Detroit is 2-10 ATS off a straight up loss and they are 3-9 ATS their last 12 games as favorites. The Pistons are 2-7 ATS their last 9 games and they are 1-4 ATS when playing with two days of rest. PLAY ON MINNESOTA -
Jrtips
DETROIT vs. MINNESOTA
Detroit looks to avoid their third straight loss Wednesday when they visit the surprising Minnesota Timberwolves. Detroit (24-19) are 20-19 since sending Chauncey Billups to Denver for Iverson and they've played poorly recently, losing eight of 11. Detroit shot a season-high 56.4 percent from the field Sunday against Houston, but gave up 39 points in the first quarter losing 108-105. Allen Iverson is averaging a career-low 17.6 points and 37.8 minutes per game since joining the Pistons, who seem to be struggling to find a role for him. Minnesota (16-27) has been surging since Jan.1. The Timberwolves have been on a tear this month, going 10-2, including three straight wins.The Timberwolves are coming off a 90-83 victory at Milwaukee on Monday. Al Jefferson had 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Ryan Gomes added 22 points as Minnesota held on after the Bucks went on a late 13-2 run. Minnesota beat the Pistons 106-80 on Nov. 23 and will be trying to sweep the season series for the first time since 2003-04. This is an example of two teams going in the opposite direction. Minnesota is playing with alot of confidence and should have no problem covering the 1 point at home against a team that keeps on changing their starting lineup in the middle of the season.TAKE MINNESOTA
Dennis Macklin
Missouri at Kansas State
Prediction: Missouri
Don't ordinarily care to lay points on the road in the particularly home court laden Big 12 but will make the exception here with the veteran Tigers. In fact, Mizzou starts five upperclassmen who will all remember the 100-63 beat down administered by Michael Beasley and Co on this floor last year. The Tigers are rock solid offensively and pressure defense will give young K State backcourt fits. The Wildcats are just 1-4 in Big 12 play this year with all four losses by eight or more and tonight they face better motivated Tiger bunch with payback on their minds. Take Missouri.
LT Profits
Vanderbilt +6.5
The Vanderbilt Commodores are in a bit of a tailspin now as they have lost three straight games, but we feel that has actually resulted in some nice line value here as they visit the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Commodores were torched for 94 points by the Florida Gators on Sunday, but they had actually been playing quite well defensively before that atrocious effort, and we look for the defense to bounce back here.
After all, Vanderbilt is still allowing just 61.6 points per game this season even after the Florida game, and they are limiting their opponents to just 38.4 percent shooting from the field. Furthermore, the 39.8 percent shooting they are allowing in two-point attempts ranks them seventh in the country in that category.
That makes for a tough matchup for the Gamecocks, as they are only converting on 49.6 percent of their two-point shots, ranking 109 in the country. Sure, South Carolina is capable of making three-pointers at 38.2 percent, but we do not feel they will shoot enough of them here to build up a hefty lead.
Finally, Vanderbilt is a much better offensive rebounding team than South Carolina, so we feel that the combination of second chance points and stiff defense should result in a tight game not decided until the final buzzer.
Pick: Vanderbilt +6.5
Wunderdog
N. Illinois at Miami Ohio
Pick: N. Illinois +17
Huskies are much improved from a team that managed just seven wins two years ago and six last year as they have already achieved six this season. Red hawks play ugly, which means defense is the strong suit here. They have only managed to top 70 points on the season one time, so a bushel of points here becomes very appealing. They have averaged under 60 over their last eight, so if the Huskies can find their way into the mid 40s they are going to be inside this number and they have failed to reach 50 just one time this season. Huskies hang around big numbers as they have been 8-3 ATS on the road at 13 or more, while the Red Hawks just 2-7 ATS at home trying to topple 13 or more on the line. Too many points here, and N. Illinois gets the call.
Chip Chirimbes
Syracuse vs. Providence
Play: Providence -2
#15 Syracuse (17-4) visits Providence (13-6) in another tough Big East battle. The Friars at an impressive 10-2 at home while the Orange have the same number of road losses two but only three wins. Syracuse has beatup on their non-conference schedule buy has now lost three of four to Big East competition. Take PROVIDENCE!
Vegas Experts
Washington Wizards at Miami Heat
This has been a low-scoring head to head series to begin with as five of the last six meetings have stayed Under the number, including the previous two this season, which saw just 174 and 181 points scored respectively. Wizards are 26-17 Under this season, the Heat are on a 62-42 Under run at home. Wizards are 8-0 Under in division play and 8-0 Under on the road when the posted number falls between 190 and 199.5. They are 16-5 Under off a loss by 15+ points.
Play on: Under
Jimmy Boyd
1 Unit on Timberwolves +1.5
Minnesota is on fire and it is still getting no respect. The Wolves have won 10 of their last 12 SU and are on a 13-3-1 ATS Run. Meanwhile, the Pistons have dropped 7 of 9 SU and ATS. Minnesota already has a 26-point win over Detroit this season and has taken the Pistons in 8 of the last 12 at the Target Center . The Timberwolves are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog while the Pistons are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games following a SU loss and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400. Take the Wolves.
Alex Smart
Golden State Warriors @ Dallas Mavericks
PICK: Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors despite of their ugly record on the season are currently playing very hard,and competitive basketball. The Warriors have won 3 of their L/5 games, and in their L/7 trips to the hardwood have lost 3 times, twice by 1 point and once by 2 points, including a 106-105 loss vs the extremely talented Cleveland Cavaliers. So even though they are on the road tonight, must not be over looked against a Dallas team that is playing with a lack of cohesiveness and consistency, and has struggled vs Golden State in the recent past, failing to cover 11 of 15 battles in this series.
Final notes & Key Trends:The Underdog has bitten the man at a 20-8-1 clip in the last 29 confrontations. The Mavericks have failed in 20 of their last 28 at home ATS and are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.
Projected score: Dallas 107 Golden State 105 -Play on Golden State to cover
Jeff Benton
OK, I’m done with Maryland. After the Terps laid that colossal egg at Duke on Saturday, I gave them a shot to redeem themselves against Boston College last night and they went out and turned a 16-point second-half lead into a seven-point loss … at home! Despite that loser, I’m still on a 45-28 roll with free plays, and I’ll improve on that mark Wednesday as I back the lowly Kings plus the big points against Boston.
Obviously, there’s no comparing these two squads – at 37-9, the Celtics are well on their way to earning another high playoff seed, while the 10-36 Kings are once again headed for the draft lottery. And certainly Boston more than proved its supremacy against the Kings exactly a month ago, when it went to Sacramento and won 108-68 as a 12½-point road favorite (easily the most lopsided result for either team this season).
However, understand the circumstances leading into that game: The Kings were in the midst of a coaching transition, and the Celtics were coming off a two-game losing streak after 19 straight wins and were looking to make a statement (and they clearly did). This time around, there’s no chip on the Celtics’ shoulder. They’ve won eight in a row and cashed in six straight, and I just don’t see them being motivated to cover this massive impost (which is by far Boston’s biggest spread of the season), particularly with a big road game at Detroit on deck Friday.
Yes, the Kings are in a brutal spot – they’ve lost six straight games; they’re closing out a six-game road trip; and they had to play LeBron and the Cavs just last night in Cleveland. But they didn’t lay down last night at all, losing just 117-110 as a 14-point underdog and playing the Cavs basically dead even for three of the four quarters. Also, the Kings have cashed in each of their last two trips to Boston, including last year’s 90-78 defeat as a 15-point underdog (and the road team is 5-0 ATS in the last five in this series).
Bottom line: Because of Sacramento’s back-to-back situation, because of what happened in last month’s meeting in California and because the Celtics are on another spread-covering spree, this line is way over-inflated. We’ll take the value and call for a Boston win in the 10- to 14-point range.
3* SACRAMENTO KINGS
Matt Rivers
For Wednesday take the points with LSU.
Has anybody noticed that Bruce Pearl's Volunteers are just not very good right now? Tennessee burned me in that last game at home as they lost to Memphis and have now dropped three of their last four games in Knoxville after not losing there for years and the lone win came against South Carolina in a non-cover. Something is clearly missing right now as UT mustered a whole 52 points in that last game is just not right.
I cannot say that I fully trust this LSU team on the road as they are fairly mediocre themselves after losing Anthony Randolph to the NBA after last season but the Tigers are capable and should be in this thing throughout. Trent Johnson has his team at 15-4 and even though they have played a bunch of creampuffs and just lost to a really good Xavier team are still feeling good about themselves. Marcus Thornton is a stud and guys like Garrett Temple, Terry Mitchell and others are competent at the very worst.
The Vols are lacking pretty much any confidence right now and until they step on the neck of an opponent are a must go against right now for sure. Actually screw that last step on the neck statement I just said, until they win a game I will gladly go against them in a spot like this.
The Tigers have covered three straight in the series and there is no reason at all why it won't become four.
Craig Davis
I'm going to back Austin Peay as the slight road dog at Eastern Kentucky.
Three things I noticed right off the bat when breaking down this game: First, EKU doesn’t play well in the role of a favorite (1-8 ATS their last nine laying points). Second, they don’t play well versus the number in their conference, covering just 3 of their last 16. Third, Austin Peay covers better on the road than they do at home, bringing the cash in seven of their last eight on the highway.
Austin Peay has beaten EKU already this season and tonight they’re getting points. That's good enough for me as they complete the season sweep.
2* AUSTIN PEAY
Karl Garrett
Sacramento at BOSTON -17
Talk about a "blowout", you can expect one tonight in Boston, as the lowly Kings come to town after an underdog cover last night at Cleveland.
Sacramento has now lost 6 straight, and tonight's game will be their 4th game in the last 5 days, ALL on the road! That grueling trek is enough to crumble any team, but when you consider the first meeting between these teams this season at Arco Arena produced a 108-63 Celtics slaughter, and when you also consider that the Kings have not topped 78-points in any of their last 3 games played against the C's, you can see why the G-Man is calling for another rout of epic proportions.
Boston is rolling strong once again, winning 8 straight, covering 7 straight, and the Celtics are 22-2 straight up at home, sporting a 15-9 home spread mark.
Man, this one is going to get very ugly, very early.
Blowout of the night in the NBA going on Boston minus the points.
5* BOSTON
Sports Gambling Hotline
South Florida +17 at LOUISVILLE
This looks like as good a spot as any to grab the bushelful of points, and go with the Bulls to stay semi-close at Louisville tonight.
The Cardinals have tangled with Big East heavyweights Villanova, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, and Syracuse over their last 5 outings, and they do have a home Saturday date with West Virginia up next. You can easily see Rick Pitino's team going through the motions, and comfortably winning this game, but not covering the big impost.
South Florida hasn't been within single digits in the last 4 series meetings, and that includes a 13-point home court loss to the Cardinals earlier this month as the 10-point home dog. A similar final tonight will have us inside this roomy impost.
Every team has a natural letdown spot, and tonight's home date sure looks like that spot for the 'Ville.
Expect Rick Pitino's team to get out in front, stay out in front, but ease up in the closing minutes, thus allowing the Bulls to leave Freedom Hall with the underdog cover.
Play on Da' Bulls!
1* SOUTH FLORIDA