Red Zone Sports
3* Pittsburgh Panthers -11
1* Memphis -4.5
Joseph D'Amico
Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks
Play: Boston Celtics +3½
The Celtics continue to prove that they are a great team. At 6-1, Boston is doing anything and everything it takes to win. On any given night, any of their 5 starters will take a game on their shoulders. They have 5 players averaging over 11 PPG. Guard Rajon Rondo has amassed 103 assists and 20 steals already this season. Pierce, Garnett, and Allen are combining for over 51.7 PPG. Glen Davis and Jermaine O’Neal are getting it done when filling in for a resting Shaq O’Neal. This team has a great coach, no ego, a ton of experience, and exudes confidence. They face off against a Dallas team that is 1-2 SU and ATS at home. The Mavs size carries them through many games. But in this contest, the Celtics match up well with them down low while Allen and Pierce can get it done from the perimeter. The ‘dog in this series is 7-3 ATS their L10 meetings. The Celtics are 5-0 ATS their L5 games played in Dallas, 4-1 ATS their L5 as a ‘dog, and 5-1 ATS their L6 road games vs. teams with a losing home record. The Mavericks are 1-5 ATS their L6 vs. the eastern Conference, 1-4 ATS their L5 vs. the NBA Atlantic, and 16-34-1 ATS their L51 games played as a home favorite.
Evan Altemus
3 Units Spurs/Bobcats Under 187
Charlotte really misses point guard Raymond Felton, who went to the Knicks in the off-season. The Bobcats offense struggled anyway even with Felton, but now they have scored above 90 points just once this season. San Antonio's games meanwhile have been higher scoring this season, mainly because they have played higher scoring teams such as Houston, Phoenix, and Indiana. Out of the last six times these two teams have played, only one game has had combined points higher than this point total, and that game only combined for 189 points. Both teams are well rested, so they should be able to play better on the defensive end. Look for this game to go under this point total.
3 Units Phoenix +5
This selection is mainly based on the situation for Memphis. The Grizzlies are playing their first game at home after a long four game road trip to the West Coast. Teams usually play poorly in their first game back home after a long road trip, and I expect that to happen with Memphis tonight. They are coming off of a good win at Sacramento and are playing as a decent sized favorite tonight. Memphis also played Phoenix tough on the road just a few days ago, so I expect the Suns not to take them lightly as a result. Phoenix is coming off of a good road win at Atlanta yesterday, and the Suns are 2-1 straight up and ATS on the road so far this season. The Suns just have to keep this game close to cover as well. Look for Phoenix to either win this game outright or cover the point spread in a loss.
EZWINNERS
2* Charlotte Bobcats +4
1* Pittsburgh Panthers -12
Craig Davis
Pittsburgh Steelers
Northcoast
2* Cincinnati +6
Tim Trushel
Bengals
Bulls
Seabass
200* Bengals
50* Mavericks
Power Play Wins
Pittsburgh Steelers -5.5
ATS Lock Club
4 Units Pitt/Cinn Over
3 Units Denver
3 Units Illinois
The Duke's Sports
Cincinnati (+6) for 2 Units
Up until last week, the Steelers were considered the hottest team in the league. Tonight, public perception is that the Steelers are in a pissy mood coming off a loss and in a double revenge state of mind. Moreover, all the talk is Tomblin is 5-0 SU on MNF and Roethlisberger is 6-1 SU in Cincinnati. That kind of speculation has driven up the line to nearly a TD from an opening of -3'. A closer look reveals that Tomblin is a mere 8-9 ATS following a loss and just 7-9-1 ATS with revenge. Furthermore, the Steelers are a money burning 1-5 ATS as road chalk on MNF. What bettors should know is that Cincinnati is in a desperation mode needing this game to save their season and that they're 5-1 ATS in their last 6 as a home dog -- a dangerous combination for a MNF home dog. The Bengals have talent and it should favorably materialize tonight in this spot. The Steelers' defense, which is 25th in the league defending the pass, was exposed last week in New Orleans with Brees effectively finding seems in the Steelers' secondary. Carson Palmer has the quick release and talented receivers to counter the Steelers' chaotic blitz packages. On the other hand, Pittsburgh's offensive line has had trouble protecting Roethlisberger on 5 to 7 step drop passes, which is why the Steelers are 29th in the league in pass yards per game. Bengals' DC Mike Zimmer should have a solid defensive scheme ready.
Wunderdog
5 Units Illinois -21
The Fighting Ilini has a lot to look forward to this season. They open the season ranked No. 13 in the nation against UC Irvine at home. The Illini have not been to the dance in two of the last three seasons, but with almost all the pieces back from last year's NIT team, things are looking up again. Demetri McCamey, now a senior and All Big-10 guard a year ago will lead the Illini attack. His backcourt running mate is D.J. Richardson who was voted the top newcomer of the year in the Big-10 a year ago, so the Illini have a pair of lethal guards. The front court is stacked as well, and with the Illinois Player of the Year, Jereme Richmond, in uniform, the Illini are talented and deep. UC Irvine hopes that new coach Russell Turner can turn around a 14-18 season as he takes the helm at UC Irvine. New systems sometimes take awhile to come together, and it will be a monumental task against an Illinois team on a mission. I like Illinois to win and cover this one.
Pro Tech Sports
5* RI/Pittsburgh Under 135.5
3* Cincinnati Under 41.5
Rocky Sheridan
5* Pittsburgh/Cincinnati Over 41
5* Suns +5
5* Nuggets +3
Jeff Benton
30 Dime Cincinnati
You probably won’t find too many handicappers willing to back a team that’s lost four games in a row (failing to cover in any of them) and is now facing a division rival that’s A) one of the five best teams in the league, and B) seething after getting pusaed around in a 10-point loss at New Orleans last week.
However, I’m not in the business of backing road favorites in divisional games, particularly when that favorite is playing its third straight game on the highway. That’s right: The Steelers are one of only a handful of teams being forced to endure a three-game road trip this season, and truth be told, they didn’t look that great in the first two contests. Before last Sunday’s loss at New Orleans – I had a 50 Dime winner on the Saints, thank you very much! – Pittsburgh held on to beat Miami 23-22 (when the officials botched a call on a Ben Roethlisberger goal-line fumble that cost the Dolphins a win).
Not only is the Steelers’ third consecutive roadie, but it’s their fifth road game out of seven. That’s a grueling schedule for any team, especially one that’s banged-up. Two weeks ago, Pittsburgh lost Pro Bowl defensive lineman/sack specialist Aaron Smith – who along with Troy Palomalu is the heart and soul of the Steelers’ defense. Additionally, the guy who starts opposite Smith (Brett Keisel) is dealing with a hamsltring injury (he’s probable after missing the last two games), and tackle Flozell Adams has a bum ankle and is questionable.
Back to the Bengals: No question they’ve underachieved big time this season. But it’s not like they haven’t been competitive. Since getting drubbed 38-24 at New England in Week 1, Cincinnati has two wins (over the Ravens and Panthers) and the four losses the last four weeks by a total of 21 points. And when you look at some key statistical indicators, you see that the Bengals are better than their record. Consider:
They’re averaging 21 points per game (same as Pittsburgh) and 355.4 total yards per contest (the Steelers average just 297.6). Defensively, Cincinnati has been no better than mediocre, allowing 23.3 points and 342 yards per game, but the Bengals have done a much better job defending the pass (221.3 ypg allowed) than the Steelers (243.1 ypg allowed). What do the Bengals like to do? Throw the football, as Cason Palmer has amassed 1,855 yards and 12 TDs thus far.
Two additional notes about the Bengals: 1) They’ve been a strong home underdog lately, cashing in five straight in that role (by comparison, the Steelers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 as a road favorite); and 2) They knocked off Pittsburgh twice last season (both times as an underdog), ending a five-game SU and ATS slide against the Steelers.
Bottom line: The Bengals need this game a whole lot more than the Steelers do, and they get this contest at home, where they’ve already proven they can beat a physical, quality divrsion rival (the 15-10 win over Baltimore in Week 2). And yesterday, we saw some quality road favorites either lost outright (Patriots, Chiefs) or failed to cover (Jets) against opponents that are no better than the Bengals.
The call here is for Cincinnati to keep this one close, if not win outright, and take advantage of a road-weary opponent that’s failed to cover in three of its last four games and is coming off consecutive sub-par performances on the road.