Jimmy Boyd
Portland Trailblazers -3
This is a revenge game for Portland and I think they step up in a big way against the Rockets tonight. At 18-4 the Trailblazers have one of the best records in basketball, and I don't think the Rockets will be lucky enough to win two straight against them. Portland is averaging 106.2 points per game, so keeping pace with the Rockets high powered offense should be an easy task to accomplish.
This biggest advantage Portland has in this game is their defense. The Rockets are allowing 109.3 points per game on the road this season. Houston is just one game above .500 on the road, while Portland has a 9-2 record at home. The Trailblazers have held opponents to 99.9 points per game. The last time these teams met the Trailblazers were playing in a letdown spot coming off a big win over San Antonio. In this round two matchup they are playing on two days of rest after crushing the Jazz on Monday.
Matt Fargo
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Brooklyn Nets
Play: Brooklyn Nets +3
We won with Brooklyn with a free play in this spot on Tuesday and we will back the Nets once again on Thursday. They have had a rough start to the season but they have won two straight games which could be a sign of things to come as they are finally starting to get healthy. Brooklyn is coming off a win against Boston last time out at home as it shot 55.7 percent from the floor despite making eight less three-pointers than the Celtics. That win snapped a six-game home losing streak and it is vital to start a winning streak as taking care of home court is of the utmost importance in this league. The Nets will also be out playing for revenge following a seven-point loss last month in Los Angeles. The Clippers last victory also was against the Celtics but it came just last night and it was not easy. They trailed throughout most of the game and were fortunate that the calls were going their way as they took 15 more free throws than Boston did, making an additional six more. Now Los Angeles is playing its fourth back-to-back road set of the season, going 1-2 the first three times in the second leg of it. Brooklyn was able to cover the first meeting this season, which made it four straight covers for the Nets in this series, all of which have come as underdogs. This includes two outright wins at home and we can expect another one here tonight.
Dave Price
Portland Trail Blazers -3
Portland has just four losses on the season, and one of those was a 116-101 home loss to the Rockets. That defeat will be all the motivation the Blazers need tonight. The Blazers were playing just their fourth game of the season when they were defeated by the Rockets, and that game came after a big win over the Spurs so they were in a letdown spot. Houston, on the other hand, was embarrassed by the Clippers prior to that game so it was very hungry. Since that loss to Houston, Portland has been terrorizing opponents. It beat the Pacers by four points at home and the Thunder by seven points at home so it clearly has what it takes to cover this number. The Rockets have been inconsistent on the road where they are 5-4 with losses to teams like the 76ers and Jazz. The Trail Blazers are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games overall, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games and 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games. Lay the points.
Jeff Alexander
Boston College +3
Boston College is coming off back-to-back SU and ATS double-digit defeats, but both came on the road. We can expect a much better effort from Steve Donahue's squad at home where it has won its last two against Maryland. Donahue's teams are 19-8 ATS after 2 straight losses of 10 points or more. They are also 28-14 ATS after failing to cover the spread in 2 or more consecutive games. Additionally, Donahue's teams are 41-19 ATS in games when the line is +3 to -3. His Boston College teams are an impressive 38-26 ATS as an underdog and 34-21 ATS against conference opponents. The underdog is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings. Bet B.C.
Rickie Robbins
Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trailblazers
Play: Houston Rockets +3½
Two heavyweights collide on Thursday night as the Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Houston Rockets on TNT.
Head to head, the Rockets are 3-0-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings and 5-0-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Portland while the underdog is 7-2-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings and the road team is 5-1-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings. The Trail Blazers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games and 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games overall, but just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. The Rockets on the other hand are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Northwest and 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games overall.
The Portland Trail Blazers come into tonight’s showdown having only dropped four of their first 22 games of the season, which no one in their wildest dreams would have predicted at the start of the season. However, one of those defeats came at the hands of tonight’s opponent in the Houston Rockets as they ran away with a 116-101 victory back at the start of November at the Rose Garden. In fact, the Rockets have now defeated Portland in their last three meetings and the final score in each were all pretty much identical as they read like this: Houston 116 – Portland 101, Houston 116 – Portland 98 and Houston 118 – Portland 103. Not to mention the last two meetings were also in Portland.
As far as current form goes, the Trail Blazers bounced back from their home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night by winning in Utah 105-94 and improved to 9-2 against the spread in their 11 road games to date. Meanwhile, Houston suffered back-to-back losses at Utah and at home to Phoenix recently, however, they bounced back with consecutive double-digit home wins over Orlando and Golden State this week.
I loved Portland coming into the season and I still love them now, but I can’t ignore the fact that the Rockets have defeated them in their last three meetings all by over 15 points apiece. The Trail Blazers are coming off a home loss and they are 9-2 at the Rose Garden this season, so you would expect a bounce back performance out of them tonight, but I just think they are a bad match up against the Rockets. Houston has only played the three home games since the 2nd of the month so they should be well rested and prepared for tonight’s showdown. If anything, I think this is going to be a close game so the points look like the way to go.
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Dallas +109 over NASHVILLEFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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OT included. The Nashville Predators are a gritty group that always plays a sound and disciplined style. They have been that way for years and they’re usually a pretty live dog. However, as a favorite, they are far too risky against a superior foe like the one they will face here. Furthermore, the Predators goaltending is pure garbage with Carter Hutton and/or Marek Mazanec. Both goaltenders are rookies and Hutton has been bouncing around in the minors for years. Hutton’s save percentage is below an acceptable level at .901 while Mazanec’s save % has been getting progressively worse for a few games now that the film is out on him. Mazenec’s save % over his past two games was .692 and .848 respectively. At the time of the this writing, Nashville’s goaltender for tonight was unconfirmed but knowing Barry Trotz’s tendencies, he’ll likely go with Hutton because he was the goaltender in the Preds last game that snapped a five-game losing streak. Frankly, we couldn’t care less whose in net for the Preds because it’s not likely to matter. Prior to defeating the lifeless Rangers to snap that five-game losing streak, the Preds had allowed 19 goals against in those five games.
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Dallas has dropped six of their last nine games and that run has this team very undervalued. The Stars deserved much better, as they ran into some super-hot goaltending in Toronto and Edmonton among others. This is a superbly talented group that is loaded with impact players and it’s only a matter of time before they go on a serious run up the standings. The Stars have played Chicago in three of their past six games. The Stars also recently played Anaheim and St. Louis. That’s five recent games against elite talent and Dallas picked up five out of a possible 10 points against that trio. They now take a huge step down in class against a team with extremely weak goaltending. The Stars rank sixth in the NHL in shots on net per game and a few of those figure to find the back of the net here. Dallas should not be taking back a tag against Nashville when Pekka Rinne is on the rack, as they have a much better than 50% chance of winning here.
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Columbus +143 over N.Y. RANGERSFREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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OT included. What we have here is two teams going in opposite directions and it’s not in the Rangers favor. New York has dropped four of their past five games with only win over that stretch occurring against the Sabres. Not only have the Rangers been losing, they’ve been losing to teams in a funk. When New York recently lost to the Devils, New Jersey had previously lost three in a row and six of eight. When they lost to the Predators on Tuesday, Nashville came in on a five-game losing streak and when they lost to Washington, the Caps had dropped five of seven. In the Rangers last two wins over Buffalo and Vancouver, they were outshot by both those clubs and were outshot and out-chanced by Vancouver by a wide margin. The Rangers are being outworked every night and to make matters worse, Henrik Lundqvist has looked about as ordinary as any goaltender in the league this entire season. They Rangers figure to get out-worked again tonight by the most undervalued team in the NHL right now.
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The Jackets have won three of four and five of their past eight games. Two of the losses over that span occurred against Boston and Pittsburgh and the loss in Pittsburgh was undeserving. Over their past four games, Columbus has two shutout wins, followed by the tough one-goal loss in Pittsburgh, followed by a win over the Devils and they’ve been a force for over two weeks now going on three. These are all great signs that the Jackets have woken up and figured things out. Remember, this team went on a wicked tear in the final 25 games of last season and they are much better this year with two good lines, two outstanding lines and a rock solid defense. The Jackets have once again found their identity while the New York Rangers are still searching for theirs.
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WINNIPEG +105 over ColoradoFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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OT included. We’re not sure that the Avalanche deserved to be favored here. Colorado got off to a torrid start and looked terrific in doing so but they have come back down to earth with a 6-7 record over their past 13 games. The Avalanche has also lost three of their past four with only win over that span occurring by a goal over Calgary. In fact, over its past eight games, Colorado has scored just 15 goals and its power-play over that span has gone 0-22. The Avalanche are coming off a 3-1 loss at home to Phoenix and their lone goal in that game was one of the flukiest of the season by any team. This team is in a funk and once again they are overvalued.
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The Jets are rarely an easy out. They play fast, they play hard and they seldom quit. Upon returning home from a six-game trip against St. Louis on Tuesday, the Jets once again played their hearts out and had that game tied with under 4 minutes remaining in the game. They ultimately lost 2-1 but they held the Blue Notes to 20 shots on net. Winnipeg has held six of its last seven opponents to two goals or less. They have cut down on shots allowed while creating more scoring chances than the opposition on most nights. Winnipeg has been really unlucky at home recently with four straight losses at the MTS Center that began with a loss to Calgary in a game they out-shot the Flames 47-35. They subsequently lost to Chicago, Minnesota and St. Louis in their next three home games but were the better team in two of those three games. Now the Jets take a step down in class and get a very winnable home game while taking back a tag.
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Pass NFL, NBA & CBBFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
LT ProfitsFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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San Diego vs DenverFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: Chargers +10FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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The San Diego Chargers were the first team to hold the Denver Broncos below 30 points this season in a 28-20 loss in Week 10, and we like the Chargers to hang within single-digits again in this rematch. Yes, San Diego is 6-7, but it actually kept its playoff hopes alive with a 37-14 rout of the Giants Sunday, leaving the Chargers one game behind the Ravens and Dolphins, who are tied for the sixth seed in the AFC. The Chargers have more balance now that Ryan Matthews is healthy, as he rushed for 102 yards vs. the Giants and is running against a Denver defense allowing 4.6 yards per carry the last four weeks after losing run-stuffer Kevin Vickerson to a dislocated hip. Also, Wes Welker is out for the Broncos with Jacob Tamme starting in his stead. The road teams are 5-0-1 ATS in the last six head-to-head meetings overall.
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Maryland vs Boston CollegeFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: Maryland -2.5FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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The Maryland Terrapins have lost two straight since a 5-2 start, but one of those losses was at Ohio State and the other was by two points to George Washington mainly due to 18 turnovers. The Terps are ranked a very good 48th on the Pomeroy Ratings despite ranking 276th in turnover percentage, and they are rectifying that tonight by allowing freshman Roddy Peters, who leads the team in assists despite coming off the bench all year, to take over most of the ball-handling duties. This is a good spot for the switch because the Boston College Eagles are allowing 80.6 points per game while surrendering at least 78 points in seven of their nine games. The Eagles are ranked 265th in defensive efficiency and 246th in effective field goal percentage allowed, so do not expect too many stops. Maryland is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games following an ATS loss.
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3 UNIT PLAYFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Denver/ San Diego Over 56.5: Denver's offense has been scoring a ton at home this year and San Diego will not be able to just run clock and keep this offense of the field. Denver has averaged 42.3 ppg at home, while the Bolts have put up 24.6 ppg on the road and they know they will have to put up more than that here. Rivers has had a very good year and is more than capable of putting up 30+ points on this bad Denver defense that has allowed 26.5 ppg on the year and have one of the worst pass defenses in the league. The Bolts defense has been no better than Denver's, ranking 28th overall and 28th vs the pass. They do allow just 22.4 ppg, but hard to hold Denver to even close to that total on their home field. Denver games have averaged 66.1 ppg and this one could easily come close to that number.
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Dallas at NashvilleFOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
Pick: Dallas +108FOR FREE SERVlCE PLAYS VlSlT THESPREAD.COM
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Nashville has been the consummate .500 team as they entertain Dallas at home tonight. They bring with them a resume that reads 14-14-3. The problem is that home ice has not treated them any better where they are a pedestrian 6-6-3 on the season. That home mark has been deteriorating of late as they have dropped four straight here by a combined 14-5 margin against them. Dallas at 9-6-1 on the road, has done a terrific job lately by winning seven of their last nine roadies. The Stars have been strong after getting foiled on the defensive end, as they are a robust 10-2 in their last 12 after allowing 5 or more goals in their previous contest. The Predators' home woes extended when facing a team with a winning road record as they are a woeful 7-19 in their last 26. Make the play on Dallas.
Jack Jones
Portland Trail Blazers -3
This is a very generous price for the books to allow us to back one of the best teams in the league tonight. I'll gladly take advantage and back the Portland Trail Blazers as a mere 3-point favorite over the Houston Rockets inside the Moda Center.
The Blazers are 18-4 this season and have really shown me a lot. They have gone 16-6 against the spread to make backers a ton of money as well. They are scoring 106.2 points per game thanks to deadly 3-point shooting, connecting on 41.5% from distance. They space the floor as well as anyone.
Portland is going to want revenge from one of its four losses this season. It fell by a final of 101-116 at home to Houston back on November 5 as nothing went right. The Blazers shot just 41.4% from the floor, while the Rockets shot 54.7%. I look for Portland to be the more motivated team in this one, and to prevail at home as a result.
The Blazers are 9-1 against the spread after playing their last game on the road this season. Portland is 4-1 against the number in its last five home games. The Blazers are 5-0 against the spread in their last five Thursday games. Bet Portland Thursday.
Sean Higgs
San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos
Play: Denver Broncos -10
Thursday night NFL game takes us to Mile High as the San Diego Chargers take on the Denver Broncos. You can enjoy this AFC West from the comfort of your couch on the NFL Network at 8:25 pm EST. Currently, we see the Broncos being favored by 10.5 points. Denver is looking to wrap up a perfect 8-0 record at home tonight. San Diego is clinging to hope that they can somehow wrap up the last wild-card spot as they sit a game behind both the Baltimore Ravens and the Miami Dolphins.
The Chargers come in off a very good game against the New York Giants last week as they laid a 37-14 beating on the G-Men. Phillip Rivers is a game away from tossing for 4000 yards again, and has 26TDs and 9INTs on the year. Running Back Ryan Matthews is off a 100 yard game and is having a solid season helping out Rivers as he is averaging over 4 yards a rush. Antonio Gates is showing no signs of slowing down as he leads SD in receptions (68).Rookie Keenan Allen is having a super year closing in on 1000 yards receiving and 5 TDs.
The offense is not a problem for San Diego. They are 4th in total yards. They can move the ball. The defense is a leaky faucet. They are ranked 28th in total yards allowed and total passing yards. Rivers is capable of putting up points here absolutely. But if the defense can't make stops, you will be in for a long afternoon on the road.
I am sure a lot of people thought last week would the time to play against Manning and the Broncos. Off another win over KC, they could easily be in a 'let down' spot against the Titans with this division game on tap. That didn't work out for Titans backers. And I don't think it is going to work out here for Chargers backers.
This Denver team just continues to move the ball, and more importantly put 7 on the board instead of 3. Broncos clearly the class of the AFC. These guys just put up points like a Top 5 college team facing their non-conference schedule. They just eclipsed 50 points for the 3rd time this season. They are averaging a shade under 40ppg on the season.
Now, why the cover. My thinking is simple. Denver needs to keep pace with both the Patriots and the Chiefs. Pats already have the head to head win. Baring an epic collapse of them losing the rest of the year, they should stay ahead of KC. But New England is just a game back and they can't afford a slip up here. They want this home field through the play-offs.
I had San Diego at home last time these guys met. That was my only loss that week in the NFL. I'm not making that mistake again. Denver is the better team here. Manning has something to prove playing in the 'cold.' They will also want to wrap up a tidy undefeated home mark. The stage is set here on the NFL Network for something special to happen. How about another 7 TD night from Manning?
Hollywood Sports
Houston at Portland
Prediction: Over
Portland (18-4) enters this contest coming off their 105-94 win in Utah as a 7-point favorite and they have then played 5 straight games Over the Total after both a straight-up win and a point spread victory. Additionally, while the Rockets are 5-4 on the road, the Trailblazers have played 8 of their last 10 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. Houston (15-7) has played 7 of their last 8 road games Over the Total. And the Rockets have played 4 straight games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Lastly, these two teams have played 4 straight games against each other Over the Total. Look for these team trends to continue to night take the Over. B
DB Consensus
Boston Bruins at Edmonton Oilers
Pick: Boston Bruins
Boston has been red hot winning seven of their last nine games. Boston also dominates this series, head to head BOS are 10-1 in the last 11 meetings. Edmonton is 2-6 in game following its last eight wins and they beat Carolina on Tuesday.
Chris Jordan
My free play for tonight is on the Los Angeles Clippers laying a very cheap number in Brooklyn, to the Nets. It all comes down to coach Doc Rivers. He's my No. 1 reason for this play, and it's real simple...
After years with the Boston Celtics, Rivers knows the nuances of the Nets, not to mention the players on the Nets who played for him when they were all in Boston. The line is indicative of emotions running deep with Rivers while he's on this East coast tour, but trust me, after last night's 8-point win in Boston, he and the Clippers will be just fine.
The Clippers have the better - ahem, younger - talent, all due respect to the aging Nets. And overall, spanning 48 minutes, I have to take the team that puts the better product on the floor. That will be the Clippers.
Lay the short road chalk.
3♦ L.A. CLIPPERS
Jeff Benton
Your Thursday freebie is the Portland Trail Blazers in triple-revenge at home against the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets have won and covered the last 3 series meetings, including an early November 116-101 romp at the Toyota Center.
Payback time for Portland, as the Blazers have found their rhythm, and come into this game having won 16 of their last 18 games since that November 5th loss in Houston, and Portland has won 9 of their 11 home games thus far this season, while covering in 4 of their last 5 on their home hardwood.
Houston has followed a 2 game losing streak with wins and covers in their last pair, but the Rockets have been less than reliable on the road where they are just better than .500 at 5-4 both straight up and against the spread.
It has been a struggle for Portland when these teams have met recently, but tonight the sizzling Blazers are up for some revenge...triple revenge at that!
Back Portland minus the points.
3♦ PORTLAND