Jeff Scott Sports
3 UNIT PLAYS
Syracuse/ Detroit Over 151: Syracuse games have averaged just 141.4 ppg, But that is mostly due to their defense that has allowed just 54.7 ppg on 36.7% shooting. I feel that this Detroit offense can score more than that here. The Cuse will look to push the tempo and Detroit will oblige. the titans are a poor shooting team (39.4%), but they do score 73.9 pg overall and 65.6 ppg on the road, but in a high paced game i feel they can score around 70 points tonight. Anything in the upper 60's from Detroit would be great, because i just don't see the Orange being held below 85 points in this one. Syracuse averages 84.7 ppg overall, but 87 ppg at home. They also shoot very well (47.4%) and are 19th in the nation in points per possession (1.104). Detroit has not been very good on defense as they have allowed 74.5 ppg on 47.9% shooting on the road and they are 247th in the nation in defensive points per possession (1.024). Would not surprise me to see the Orange hit 90+ in this one. especially since the are going for Boeheim's 900th win. The Cuse will look to get as many points as they can for him tonight. Look for this one to be in the 160's.
Vanderbilt/ Cornell Under 126.5: Really hard to imagine that this game puts more than 120 points one the board in this one. This Cornell offense is not all that good as they check in averaging just 64.9 ppg overall (239th) on 40.5% shooting (275th). Even worse is their road games, where they have averaged just 46.5 ppg on 30.5% shooting. Big thing about two of those road games, they were vs BCS schools (Wisconsin and Arizona State). Both those teams have played good defense this year and so does Vanderbilt. The Commodores come in allowing just 60.6 ppg overall, which is 72nd in the country. At home they are even stingier, allowing just 57.7 ppg. I really don't see Cornell hitting more than 55 in this one. On offense Vanderbilt plays a slow down pace (272nd in spg) and have averaged just 60.6 ppg (297th) on just 41.6% shooting (247th). At Home they do average 67.7 ppg, but in their last 5 games overall they have averaged just 59 ppg on 40.6% shooting. A struggling offense indeed and Cornell doesn't give up a ton of points, allowing 68.5 ppg overall and 67.2 ppg on the road. Look for this game to just sneak over 115 points.
Bob Balfe
Jets / Titans Under 42
Great MNF matchup. I know you have been looking forward to this one for weeks. I know its painful to have to watch this game, but I ask you who is going to score in this game? Which player is going to step up and be the man? The Jets are really thin at receiver and will also be without their tight end. The Titans Offensive Line is thin and losing Tight End Cook for the year is a huge blow to this team. Chris Johnson has backed his way out of being called elite and I just do not see the Titans moving the ball in the air against a very good Jets Secondary. The tight ends being out this game is huge. These quarterbacks stink and now will be without their dump off men trying to gain a few yards when everyone is covered. I also don’t trust these teams to go on long drives that result into touchdowns. They will either kick the field goal or like clockwork turn the ball over. I know its boring to take the Under, but unless there are defensive scores and special teams score I just can’t see this game being high scoring at all. Take the Under.
Charlie Sports
Los Angeles Clippers at Detroit Pistons
Play: Detroit Pistons
The (17-6) Los Angeles Clippers of the Western Conference Pacific division will take on the (7-19) Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference Central division in 2012 NBA action. The Clippers are 4-1 straight up their last 5 vs. Detroit, the Clippers are also on a 9 game winning streak and have covered 5 of their last 6 Against The Spread. Detroit is only 2-5 ATS their last 7 overall, but the Clippers have been on the road for a while. Detroit gets the home cover.
Jeff Scott Sports
4 UNIT PLAY
Phoenix/ Sacramento Under 198: A rather high OU number considering the fact that Sacramento road games have averaged just 194.5 pg, while Phoenix home games have averaged just 193.5 ppg. The Only reason I can see why this line would be that high is because of Sacramento's last 5 games that have averaged 202.4 ppg. Well there are two teams playing in this one and we note that Phoenix' last 5 games have averaged just 188 ppg. The Kings have allowed 106.4 ppg in their last 5 games and 102.4 ppg on the road, but Phoenix is having some scoring problems of late, averaging 92.6 ppg in their last 10, failing to hit the century mark in any of those games. The Suns have allowed 101.3 ppg overall, but at home they have played very good defense, allowing just 95.3 ppg, while the Kings average just 92.4 ppg on the road. I expect both teams to struggle to score as this one is played in the 180's.
3 UNIT PLAY
Chicago/ Memphis Over 180: I have been very successful in playing Unders in Memphis games, but I will head the other way with this one. Bulls games have been very low scoring this year, but their last 5 have still averaged 184.6 ppg, while their road games have put up 192.7 ppg. The Bulls have scored pretty well on the road, where they have averaged 98 ppg and should be able to crack this Memphis defense that has allowed just 89.5 ppg at home. I expect no less than 90 points in this one from Chicago. Memphis on offense averages 97.1 ppg overall and 97.4 ppg at home and should have no problems hitting at least 90 points vs a Chicago defense that has allowed 90.8 ppg in their last 5 overall and 94.8 ppg on the road. I clearly expect 185+ points in this one as both teams hit the 90 point mark.
Andrew Lange
UL-Monroe at Florida State
Play: Florida State
UL-Monroe is arguably the worst team in college basketball. Already this season we've seen them lose to Oklahoma by 34, Arkansas-Little Rock by 25 and last time out, at home, by 29 to Southern. Last year's ULM team won three games and they were forced to reload with JC players. They've purposely scheduled fewer games so the kids can hit the books harder in order to boost the team's APR. The bottom line is if and when ULM covers, it will come as a result of other teams clearing their bench and calling off the dogs not because they came through the backdoor with a flurry of points late. Florida State is going through a transition and head coach Leonard Hamilton's main concern is getting his kids to buy into his style of play. There have been pitfalls including home losses to South Alabama and Mercer but when focused, the Seminoles have shown they still have the ability to outclass teams at home (see: 95-68 vs. Buffalo; 91-59 vs. Maine). With finals out of the way and nothing significant looming on deck until the weekend, I expect the Seminoles to be focused for this contest.
Scott Delaney
My free pick run is now at 54-32-2, and tonight I look to improve on that number with a play on short chalk in a game with some old rivals.
So let me get this straight, the Valparaiso Crusaders are 7-3 on the season, and yes will have a quick turnaround, playing its second road game in a three-day span tonight. But let's not get lost in the travel theory, this game is at former Mid-Con rival Oakland, and the Crusaders will be looking for their second straight road win after Saturday night’s victory at Missouri State.
Oakland, which is 3-7, has had nine days off since its last game and could very well be thrown off by the physical nature the Crusaders are bringing in. The Grizzlies have won their only two home games so far this year, but both were against non-Division I foes.
And even though the Grizzlies score more than 71 points per game, they also surrender nearly 76 points per game.
Now they host a Valpo team that owns a sizable 17-4 lead in the all-time series over Oakland. Notably, all four of Oakland’s wins have come in the last five meetings, including an 82-80 Crusader loss last season at the ARC. But be aware, the Golden Grizzlies are in rebuilding mode this year, and won't be as scrappy as they've been the past couple years.
Oakland has dropped four straight to the books now, and tonight Valpo won't make it any easier.
3♦ VALPARAISO
Chuck O'Brien
North Dakota may have retired its longtime "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo prior to the 2012-13 athletics season, and won't operate with an official nickname until 2015, but I can assure you it's ready to make a shift to the Big Sky Conference tonight. It will undoubtedly be in the right spot to win its first league game, tonight in Cedar City, Utah against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.
And though this is always a tough little town to play in, trust me when I tell you this non-nicknamed team is ready for its debut and should win the game outright.
Though the UND comes in with a 2-6 mark, a couple of losses to note include Kansas State out of the Big 12, and a pair of mid-major postseason teams from last year - Northern Iowa (smaller dance) and South Dakota State (larger dance).
And three of North Dakota's losses have come by five points or less, so I would have to say coming down to the caliber level of play the Thunderbirds offer is going to be easier than some might think.
JUCO transfer Alonzo Traylor has been coming along nicely, and I think could have another career night since joining UND, after recording the best game of his brief UND career last Thursday versus Presentation College. Traylor went 8-for-8 from the floor and scored a season-high 17 points. His perfect shooting night helped UND snap a five-game losing skid in the team's final tuneup before Big Sky play.
This is not a bad lineup, either, as UND's probable starters, as it has three juniors and two seniors in the starting lineup. Look for a spirited effort, while I think the T-Birds will be looking ahead to Friday the 21st, when they head to Denver, a much more established opponent they might be worried about.
Take the road underdog in this one, as I think UND aims to steal a win.
2♦ NORTH DAKOTA
Craig Davis
Monday free play on the Thunder minus the points.
I've given you the Thunder at least 20 times over the past two seasons and I think it's safe to say the winning percentage has been 65 or better.
I know this team inside and out... and each year they get one step further in their quest for the NBA Title.
First it was just making the playoffs after a dismal season the year before. They pushed the Lakers to six games and honestly were just as good, in my opinion.
Then a Western Conference Finals exit vs. the Mavericks where they really learned a lot about themselves. Though the Mavs were clearly better than OKC that year, the Thunder made a few key moves in the off-season so that they swapped places with Dallas last year and made it all the way to the NBA Finals.
This year... it's championship or bust.
For San Antonio, it's kinda the same thing every season. Okay, let's get through the regular season with one of the best records and with as few injuries as possible.
Then we'll turn it on in the playoffs and hope we have enough legs at the end. Last year the Thunder thwarted those efforts with a nice come-from-behind series win but an eventual loss to the Heat in the Finals.
This year OKC started 1-2 but have reeled off 10 straight wins recently and continue to be the most impressive team in the NBA... in my opinion.
3♦ OKLAHOMA CITY
Jeff Benton
Sunday freebie winner on Green Bay, now 49-38 with my comp play selections.
For Monday night, freebie winner is the streaking Clippers to win and cover in the Motor City against the Pistons.
Life is good in "Lob City", as the Clips have reeled off nine straight victories coming into tonight's road game, and they have covered in seven of those nine wins.
Detroit on the other hand has dropped four straight and eight of their last ten games overall. The points have been of little help either, as the Pistons are on a 1-6 run when listed as the underdog their last seven times in that role.
This is the last game of the Clippers road swing before a Wednesday night home game against the Hornets, and Los Angeles has posted an average win on this trek by over 15 ppg.
The Clippers are looking to match the longest winning streak in the franchise's existence - 11 wins in a row when they were the Buffalo Braves back in 1974-75. Look for the Clips to get one game closer to their record with the easy win and cover over Detroit.
4♦ L.A. CLIPPERS
Chris Jordan
My comp play tonight is in college basketball, where I've been tearing things up over the first five weeks of the season, going 18-9 overall and making $1 bettors a cool $2,450 already. Hope you've been along for the ride.
Today you're getting my top college hoops play at no charge since my premium selection is on the NFL game, and I want you playing Arkansas Little Rock (+2), a slight home underdog to Louisiana Tech, as the Trojans wrap up their non-conference slate in a rematch against the Bulldogs.
UALR comes into this one boasting a 7-0 mark at home this season, and an eight-game home winning streak dating back to last year. And not only would a win tonight set a new Jack Stephens Center record for most-consecutive home wins for the Trojans, but with them touting a 99-40 home mark under the direction of coach Steve Shields, milestone home win No. 100 would be out of the way as well.
Little Rock's scoring defense (62.9 ppg) and defensive field-goal percentage (40.1) rank third in the Sun Belt Conference, while its defensive 3-point field-goal percentage (26.5) is tops in the league. That defense is going to be smothering tonight, against a La Tech team that has dropped two of its last three games, most recently losing at McNeese State by an 80-72 final on Dec. 12.
The Bulldogs are 2-3 on the season in true road games, while the Trojans roll in on a non-conference ATS win streak of 9-4.
UALR has won the last three meetings in this series, when played in Little Rock, and it'll come in with revenge after Louisiana Tech topped the Trojans in what was the second game of the season for both teams, back on Nov. 14, 70-52.
4♦ ARKANSAS LITTLE ROCK
Matt Rivers
70-58 free play run.
For Monday, lay it with the Thunder at home over the Spurs.
San Antonio is no slouch, but they are also no match right now for the Thunder, as OKC is showing that they are among the elite in this league on a nightly basis.
Oklahoma City has won 10 in a row and 13 of their last 14 overall. They have also covered seven of their last nine when laying single digits.
This is a revenge game for the Thunder, as San Antonio was a two point winner at home over Oklahoma City back on November 1st.
San Antone is fresh off a home pounding they administered to Boston, but the Spurs have dropped their last pair of road games, and I see that streak reaching three in a row at the hands of the mighty Thunder tonight.
Lay it with OKC.
2♦ OKLAHOMA CITY