Wunderdog
Buffalo at Bowling Green
Pick: Buffalo +3.5
Buffalo may be better than even their 6-4 record would indicate. Their four losses have come to Missouri, Pittsburgh, Central Michigan and Western Michigan. They have yet to lose to a team from the MAC East. They are playing their best football of the season, and this game vs. Bowling Green, and the finale vs. Kent State are both winnable games. You can bet they are pumped up for their last two, as the Bulls have never been to a Bowl game in the school's history! QB Drew Wiley has been outstanding, passing for 2,398 yards 18 TD's vs. just four INT's. Running back James Starks is healthy again, and has produced 1,028 yards and 11 TD's, so the Bulls have great balance. The Falcons have been very inconsistent, as they have losses to E. Michigan at home, and also dropped a game to Miami, Ohio at home. They are just 5-5, and have not had to play any of the top teams from the West. Tyler Sheehan has moved the team in the air, but the Falcons don't have a running game, as their top gainer on land has less than 400 yards rushing. Buffalo is the better team, and has more balance and better weapons in this one. They are 8-1 ATS since last season coming off a win as they are here. And, under head coach Turner Gill, this Buffalo team is 18-8 ATS as an underdog. I'll back the Bulls as a live dog here.
Marc Lawrence
Play On: Minnesota Timberwolves
The defending champion Boston Celtics take their act to Minnesota when they meet the Timberwolves in the Twin Cities Friday night. Aside from the fact that Boston battled Detroit in the Garden last night we can't help but notice the Timberwolves' 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS mark in this series in games in which the Celtics played the night before. Toss in Minny's 6-1 ATS mark as a non-division home dog in games off a SU home dog win and suddenly the points look attractive here tonight. Take the Timberwolves in this ideal letdown spot tonight.
Dave Cokin
Mississippi @ Utah
Play: Mississippi -1'
I see Ole Miss and Utah being pretty close on paper, and the oddsmaker obviously agrees with the short tag here. But off the early returns, it's clear to me that the Rebels are a little ahead of the Utes right now. They're being more efficient with the rock and they're also forcing more turnovers. The site also tilts slightly to Ole Miss with this contest taking place in Florida, so the Rebels are the choice.
Jimmy The Moose
Orlando Magic at Indiana Pacers
Prediction: Orlando Magic
The Magic are 8-3 SU but only 6-5 ATS this season. Tonight look for them to get the SU win and cash in at the window. In their last 7 games the Magic are 5-2 ATS. Orlando is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played with 2 days rest between action. The Pacers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a SU win. Indiana is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 home games vs. a team with a winning % on the road of .600 or better. The road team is 13-6-1 ATS in the last 20 meetings between the clubs. Play on the Orlando Magic -.
Carlo Campanella
Fresno St. at San Jose St. November
Prediction: San Jose St.
Fresno State (6-4) is a small road Favorite at San Jose State (6-5) on Friday Night Football, but the Oddsmakers have the WRONG team Favored as Fresno State is 1-8 ATS in the road Favorite role this season and a disappointing 0-6 ATS against Conference rivals! Sure, they enter this off a 24-17 victory over New Mexico State, however, they failed to cover the spread as 17 point Favorites and had lost their previous 2 games. San Jose State has won 3 of their 5 home contests this season and owns an impressive 11-3 ATS record during their last 14 as hosts. Get the points with the OUTRIGHT winner on Friday!
Jack Clayton
Fresno at San Jose
Pick: Fresno State
Fresno (6-4) needs the game and has so much balance on this offense, averaging 30 points and over 200 yards rushing. I lilke this new offensive coordinator in Doug Nussmeier, the former quarterbacks coach for the St. Louis Rams, bringing is pro style attack to Fresno. I like San Jose coach Dick Tomey, but his QB play has regressed all season. Play Fresno State.
R&R Totals
Tennessee @ Middle Tennessee State
Play: UNDER THE TOTAL
Pure Lock
FRESNO STATE @ SAN JOSE STATE
PLAY: SAN JOSE STATE (+) PTS
Sports Gambling Hotline
Buffalo +4 at BOWLING GREEN
We like the streaking Bulls plus the points in this MAC battle tonight from Doyt Perry Stadium.
Buffalo comes in with a ton of momentum, as they have have won 4 straight games, and have covered their last 3. A win today by the Bulls assures them of at least a tie for the MAC East crown, and would put them in the MAC Championship Game, so a lot is on the line for Turner Gill's team in this one.
It also helps that Buffalo has covered 6 straight road games when catching points, and they are 2-0 against the spread the last pair of series meetings as the underdog.
Bowling Green has been playing on an uptick, as the Falcons have won their last pair, and have covered their last 3, but their overall mark at home is a dismal 3-12 against the spread their last 15 on line.
We will take the points with the "road warrior" Bulls to stay inside of the number in this critical MAC East showdown.
Play on Buffalo.
5♦ BUFFALO
Bobby Maxwell
Tennessee -9 at M. TENNESSEE
The Volunteers continue their streak of playing the small in-state schools when they go to Middle Tennessee. We love the way this Tennessee team has played in the first two with a killer instinct and they should make it three in a row tonight.
The Vols crushed Chattanooga 114-75 last Saturday and then demolished Tennessee-Martin 91-64 on Tuesday. They have had at least five players in double figures in each game and forward Wayne Chism has stepped to the forefront for this team, getting a double-double in both games. They can also go inside to sophomore Brian williams who got a career-high 21 points and 12 rebounds in their last outing.
Tennessee won all four of their non-conference road games last season and they have won six straight over Middle Tennessee, including a 109-40 route last season. So a team that won by 69 points a year ago is now a less than double-digit favorite? We'll gladly lay the chalk in this one and play the Vols.
The Blue Raiders have lost 18 straight games against ranked opponents since 1996 with four of those losses coming to Tennessee. Play the Vols tonight.
4♦ TENNESSEE
Nostradamus
Valparaiso +6
St Bonaventure -3
Portland -10
Bowling Green -4
Miami (ohio) +3
San Jose St +3.5
Atlanta -7.5
Tom Freese
Denver at La Lakers
The Lakers are 22-2 Straight Up and 16-6-2 ATS their last 24 home games vs. the Nuggets and they are 9-2 ATS off a double digit win in their last game. Kobe and company are 20-6-1 ATS their last 27 conference games and they are 12-5-1 ATS off an ATS win. Denver is 6-16 ATS after winning four of their last five games and they are 2-5 ATS their last seven games vs. winning teams. PLAY ON LA LAKERS -
SPORTS ADVISORS
Miami (Ohio) (2-8, 4-5 ATS) at Toledo (2-8, 5-5 ATS)
Two teams basically playing out the string meet in a Mid-American Conference game in Toledo when the Redhawks and Rockets go in search of just their third win of the year.
Miami (Ohio) has lost three straight (1-2 ATS) and six of the last seven (3-4 ATS) and sit at the bottom of the MAC’s East Division with a 1-5 league mark (3-3 ATS). The Redhawks fell 31-16 to unbeaten Ball State on Nov. 11, but they cashed as 17½-point home ‘dogs. QB Daniel Raudabaugh had one of his better games, throwing for 254 yards and a TD.
Toledo has dropped four straight (2-2 ATS) and seven of its last eight (4-4 ATS), and it is tied for last in the MAC’s West Division with an identical 1-5 SU and 3-3 ATS league record. The Rockets have dropped four straight at home (2-2 ATS) and they haven’t won a game since upsetting Michigan 13-10 on Oct. 11. Last week, Toledo fell 27-17 at Western Michigan, but cashed as 14-point pups. The defense, which has given up at least 24 points in seven of its last eight games (all losses), is the worst in the MAC, allowing 32.5 points per game.
The home is on a 4-1 SU and ATS streak in this rivalry, but the last time these two met was in 2004 when they played twice within a month, once in the regular season and once in the MAC title game. Miami won the regular-season battle at home 23-16 as six-point favorites but lost 35-27 as a 1½-point pup in the conference championship game.
The Redhawks are on ATS slides of 3-8 in MAC contests, 2-6 against teams with a losing record and 1-5 in November contests, but they are a solid 9-5 ATS in their last 14 on the road. Toledo is 5-2 ATS in its last seven home games and 4-1 ATS in its last five against losing teams.
It’s been all “unders” for Miami (Ohio) lately, including 4-1 overall, 7-2 on the road, 5-1 in conference games and 10-4 against teams with a losing record. For the Rockets, the over is 11-4 in their last 15 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 against teams with a losing record, but otherwise Toledo is on under runs of 5-1-1 overall, 6-1-1 in MAC games and 7-1 coming off a straight-up loss. Also, the under is 3-0 in the last three meetings between these schools.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Buffalo (6-4, 7-3 ATS) at Bowling Green (5-5, 7-3 ATS)
The Bulls go in search of their fifth straight victory and a MAC East Division title when they take the field in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Buffalo leads the East Division by a game over Bowling Green and Akron and can secure its place in the MAC title game with a win, leading. Last week, the Bulls earned a 43-40 overtime win at Akron, cashing in as a 2½-point pup, making them bowl-eligible for the first time and putting them in control of their own destiny for the division crown. Coach Turner Gil’s squad is in the top-10 in the country with a plus-13 turnover margin, and they’ve got a steady QB in Drew Willy, who has thrown 126 consecutive passes without an INT. Going back to the mid point of last season, Willy has a 29-4 TD-to-INT ratio.
Bowling Green has won two straight, but has been idle since crushing Ohio 28-3 as a 2½-point road favorite back on Nov. 8. That win has put the Falcons in control of their own destiny, as the can claim the MAC East title with a win tonight and a win at Toledo next week. Junior QB Tyler Sheehan leads the Falcons offense with 2,129 passing yards and 16 TD passes (7 INTs), and he also has a team-high five rushing touchdowns and a receiving score.
Bowling Green has won four straight in this series (2-2 ATS), including last year’s 31-17 road victory as a one-point ‘dog. The last time these two squared off in Ohio, the Falcons scored a thrilling 48-40 overtime win, but came nowhere close to covering as 22-point favorites.
Buffalo is on a plethora of ATS streaks, including 7-3 overall, 7-0 on the road (5-0 this year), 8-3 in MAC games, 6-2 in November contests and 5-0 after a straight-up win. Meanwhile, Bowling Green is on ATS slides of 3-13 at home (0-3 this year) and 1-4 after a straight-up win, but the Falcons are on positive ATS streaks of 10-4 overall, 7-2 in MAC contests and 5-0 in November.
For the Bulls, the over is on runs of 4-0 overall, 19-7 in conference games and 4-1 in November. Conversely, Bowling Green sports “under” streaks of 4-1 overall, 6-1 in MAC contests, 5-2 coming off a spread-cover and 7-2 on grass.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
Fresno State (6-4, 1-9 ATS) at San Jose State (6-5, 5-5 ATS)
Fresno State will try to continue its mastery over the Spartans when these two Western Athletic Conference rivals clash in San Jose.
The Bulldogs have won nine of the last 10 meetings (6-4 ATS) with San Jose State and blanked the Spartans last year 30-0, easily cashing as a 13-point home favorite. Fresno is 3-1 (2-2 ATS) in its last four visits to San Jose, but the one loss came in its most recent trip in 2006, when the Spartans prevailed 24-14 as a three-point home chalk. The straight-up winner is 7-3 ATS in this rivalry dating back to 1998.
The Bulldogs had high hopes coming into this season, but poor defense has killed the team, yielding 28 points in seven straight games prior to last week’s 24-17 home win over New Mexico State. However, Fresno State failed to cover as 17-point home favorites, the team’s ninth straight ATS setback. Going back to the end of the 2005 season, Pat Hill’s troops are just 9-28 against the number.
San Jose State has dropped two straight and three of four, and last week the Spartans got steamrolled at Nevada, losing 41-17 as a 15½-point road ‘dog for their fourth straight non-cover, all in WAC play. San Jose State’s defense has allowed 770 rushing yards the last three weeks, including 333 to the Wolf Pack on Saturday. Offensively, the Spartans have produced a total of 16 points in their last two at home, losses to Boise State (33-16) and Louisiana Tech (21-0).
In addition to its current 9-28 ATS slide, Fresno State is mired in pointspread funks of 7-19 in WAC games, 3-12 against teams with a winning record, 1-5 in true road games, 0-4 in November, 0-6 on Fridays and 16-35-1 after a non-cover. The Spartans are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 at home, but the two non-covers have come in their last two at Spartan Stadium.
The Bulldogs are on over streaks of 5-2-1 overall, 4-1-1 on the road, 6-2-1 after a non-cover and 4-1-1 following a straight-up win. On the flip side, San Jose State carries “under” trends of 22-8-1 overall, 20-6-1 in conference action, 10-4 in November, 22-6-1 on grass and 11-4-1 after a non-cover. The under is also 7-1 in the last eight meetings between these regional rivals.
ATS ADVANTAGE: SAN JOSE STATE and UNDER
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Seton Hall (3-0, 2-0 ATS) vs. (13) Memphis (3-0, 2-1 ATS), at Puerto Rico
Seton Hall, which opened last season on a 6-0 run, tries to stay perfect through four games this season when it takes on 13th-ranked Memphis in the semifinals of the Puerto Rico Season Tip-Off in San Juan.
The Pirates rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to beat No. 19 Southern California 63-61 on Thursday, pulling off the upset as eight-point ‘dogs. Seton Hall stepped up the defense in the second half, limiting the Trojans to just 24.1 percent shooting after allowing them to ht 62.5 percent of their shots in the opening 20 minutes. It was the Pirates’ first win over a Top-25 team since coach Bobby Gonzalez took over two seasons ago (1-10 SU).
Memphis moved into the semifinals with an 83-71 win over Chattanooga on Thursday, but the Tigers came nowhere near covering as 22½-point favorites. Shawn Taggart led the way with a 16-point, 11-rebound performance as the Tigers continue to spread to the wealth with five players already averaging double-digits in points.
The Tigers went 3-0 (2-1 ATS) against Big East teams last season, but they haven’t faced Seton Hall since 1974.
The Pirates are in ATS slumps of 5-8 overall, 5-17 in neutral-site contests, 2-4-1 in non-conference action and 1-6 on Fridays, but they have cashed in five of their last six after a SU win. Memphis is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games overall dating back to last year’s NCAA Tournament run and 5-2 ATS in its last seven non-conference games.
For the Tigers, the over is on runs of 6-3 overall (all in non-conference action), 6-0 against the Big East and 5-2 at neutral sites. Seton Hall has stayed below the total in six straight lined contests overall and four straight in neutral venues, but the Pirates have topped the number in four of six non-conference contests.
ATS ADVANTAGE: MEMPHIS
Michigan (3-0, 2-0 ATS) vs. (10) Duke (4-0, 2-2 ATS), at New York
The Wolverines already pulled off one upset of a Top 10 team in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York, and now they shoot for two in a row when they take on Duke in the championship game.
Michigan stunned No. 4 UCLA 55-52 on Thursday, winning as a nine-point underdog, and snapping the Wolverines’ 12-game losing streak against ranked opponents and a four-game skid to UCLA. Michigan’s 1-3-1 zone defense shut down the Bruins, limiting them to 42 percent shooting and forcing them into 17 turnovers.
Duke played a poor first half against Southern Illinois on Thursday at the Garden, but pulled away for an easy 83-58 win and cover as a 15-point favorite. The Blue Devils went almost seven minutes without a basket in the first half, but used a 13-3 run at the end of the half to take a six-point lead in the locker room, then outscored the Salukis 54-35 the rest of the way. Duke held Southern Illinois to 35.1 percent shooting and had a commanding 40-22 rebounding edge.
The Wolverines have lost six straight to the Blue Devils, including last year’s 95-67 loss as a 24-point road underdog in the first meeting between these schools since 2002. Not only do these squads face off tonight, but they’re also scheduled to play each other on Dec. 6 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michigan has cashed in four of its last five games dating to the end of last season, but otherwise the Wolverines are on ATS slides of 2-5 in neutral-site contests, 4-13 in non-conference games, 0-4 against the ACC and 2-5 on Fridays. The Blue Devils are on ATS slides of 6-11-1 overall (all as a favorite), 8-20 at neutral sites, 3-7 in non-conference play, 2-15 on Fridays and 0-5 after a spread-cover.
The Blue Devils are on “under” runs of 8-2 overall, 7-1 at neutral sites, 27-11 in non-league action and 5-2 on Fridays. For the Wolverines, the under is 7-1 in their last eight overall, but the over is 9-4 in their last 13 non-league games and 5-0 in their last five against the ACC.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DUKE
NBA
Utah (8-4, 6-6 ATS) at San Antonio (5-6, 4-7 ATS)
The Spurs will try to make it four wins in their last five games when they host the Jazz tonight in San Antonio.
Utah comes into this one riding a two-game SU and ATS winning streak after losing four of five on an East Coast road trip (1-4 ATS). On Wednesday, the Jazz scored a 105-94 home win over the Bucks, narrowly covering as 10½-point favorites. With point guard Deron Williams out all season with ankle issues, the Jazz have gotten outstanding play from reserve guard Ronnie Price, who had 16 points and six assists against Milwaukee.
The Spurs had a three-game SU and ATS losing streak stopped in Wednesday’s 91-81 loss to the Nuggets as a one-point home favorite. With guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker sidelined with injuries, San Antonio has had trouble scoring, failing to reach the 100-point mark in seven straight games and staying below 90 points in five of its last seven.
The home team has won nine of the last 10 meetings (SU and ATS) between these two, including the last five in a row, and the SU winner is 10-0 ATS in those 10 clashes. In the final meeting last year, San Antonio prevailed 109-80 as a 4½-point chalk. The favorite is 16-5 ATS in the last 21 matchups, and Utah has failed to win or cover in its last eight consecutive visits to San Antonio.
Utah is just 1-4 ATS in its last five road games, but the Jazz are 14-5 ATS in their last 19 against the Southwest Division and 4-1 ATS in their last five against Western Conference squads. The Spurs are in several ATS ruts, including 4-9 overall, 3-7 against the Western Conference, 2-5 at home, 3-10 against the Northwest Division and 2-5 when playing on a day’s rest.
The under is 13-5-1 in Utah’s last 19 against Southwest Division teams, but otherwise the team is on over streaks of 4-0 overall, 5-2 after a spread-cover and 4-1 on Friday. For San Antonio, the under is on runs of 19-7-1 overall, 7-0 over the last two weeks, 5-0 at home, 16-5-1 against Western Conference teams, 36-16 when playing with a day of rest and 8-2 on Fridays.
Finally, the over is 8-3 in the last 11 series meetings, including 6-0 in the last six in San Antonio.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Denver (8-4, 8-3-1 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (9-1, 7-3 ATS)
The Nuggets make a stop at the Staples Center in Los Angeles looking to extend their four-game winning streak and trying to halt an eight-game losing skid against the Lakers.
Denver has won seven of its last eight games, including Wednesday’s 91-81 victory in San Antonio as a one-point ‘dog. Since the addition of point guard Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets are playing better defense, holding the opposition to 92.5 points a game in its last seven after allowing 104 ppg in four contests without Billups.
The Lakers were in Phoenix on Thursday and dominated the Suns 105-92 as a 4½-point road chalk. Los Angeles has topped the 100-point mark seven times in its last nine games (6-3 ATS), they are outscoring the opposition by 14 ppg (105-91) and the defense is limiting opponents to 41.8 percent shooting from the field.
Denver hasn’t beaten Los Angeles since April 9, 2007, losing eight straight, including a four-game playoff sweep last spring as well as a 104-97 loss in Colorado on Nov. 1. However, the Nuggets cashed as 8½-point home underdogs in that contest, ending an 0-7 ATS slide against L.A.
Denver is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 Friday tip-offs, and the Nuggets are on further ATS streaks of 5-2 on the road and 6-2 against the Western Conference. Los Angeles is on a slew of ATS runs, including 12-5-1 after a spread-cover, 20-6-1 against Western Conference teams, 5-1 after a straight-up win, 9-2 after a double-digit victory and 4-1 on the second night of a back-to-back.
The over is 35-17 in Denver’s last 52 games on Friday, but the under is on runs of 15-6 overall, 13-4 against the Western Conference and 8-3 after a straight-up win. For the Lakers, the over is on stretches of 5-2 overall, 4-0 at home and 12-5 on Fridays, but they’ve stayed below the total in 10 of their last 13 against the Western Conference.
The under is 4-0 in the last four head-to-head meetings and 8-3 the last 11 matchups in Hollywood.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. LAKERS
MTi Sports
Game: Los Angeles Clippers at Philadelphia 76ers
Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers are off a loss in Minnesota that broke a three-game winning streak and the Clippers are off a come-from-behind win in Oklahoma City that broke a three-games losing streak. All signs point to Philadelphia here. The 76ers are 7-0 ATS off a loss that broke a three-game win streak and the Clippers are 0-12 ATS with rest off a win that broke at least a three-game losing streak! In addition LA is 0-9 ATS (-10.9 ppg) after a game in which they had an assist to turnover ratio of at least two and 0-7 ATS (-9.1 ppg) as a road dog off a win in which they trailed by 10+ points. Perhaps laying the points is a wise choice here.
Wild Bill
Buffalo +3 1/2 (5 units)
Clips-76ers Over 192 1/2 (5 units)
76ers -9 1/2 (5 units)
Nets +9 1/2 (5 units)
Pacers-Magic Under 205 (5 units)
Atlanta -7 1/2 (5 units)
Lakers -8 (5 units)
Missouri -10 (5 units)
Delaware +3 1/2 (5 units)
Pitt -20 1/2 (5 units)
Tennessee -10 1/2 (5 units)
Pepperdine +14 1/2 (5 units)
No. Illinois +6 (5 units)
Sac St +29 (5 units)
Drew Gordon
Fresno State at SAN JOSE STATE +3
Coming off a blowout loss at Nevada, I can understand why bettors would be inclined to lay the points with the road team in this one. However, before you go fading the Spartans tonight at home, you should consider a couple things:
A. Fresno State has set their backers bankrolls on fire, going a mind-boggling 0-9 ATS over their last 9 games! True, the Spartans haven't covered in almost a month, but losing 9 straight ATS is the FAR stronger trend, especially when you dig a little deeper into this match up.
B. We expect San Jose State to be highly focused in this contest for a variety of reasons, but most importantly this is their home finale. Coming off that ugly loss at Nevada, look for the Spartans to rebound nicely now back in San Jose tonight.
C. Have you seen this Bulldogs defense play on the road? Unlike Nevada rock-solid defense last week, this Fresno State team allows 31 ppg on 224 rushing yards per game when they travel... That's a recipe for disaster against a highly motivated Spartans team looking for redemption, after getting shutdown by Nevada last week.
D. Finally, with a bowl bid on the line, both teams will be amped for this one. However, while we expect a strong effort from San Jose State in their home finale tonight, the same cannot be said for the Bulldogs, who have a big game at Boise State on deck. In other words, we know the Spartans will 100% focused on this game, but what about the Bulldogs?
Bottom line, take the home dog in this WAC match up, as the Spartans deliver the cash in their finale tonight. Motivation is key in this contest, and with Boise State on deck, the Bulldogs may be lacking in that department... That's bad news considering their already lackadasical defensive efforts on the road. San Jose State protects its house Friday night!
Take San Jose State plus the points over Fresno State in this college football match up.
2♦ SAN JOSE STATE
New Jersey at TORONTO -8'
2-0 Free Play Sweep Thursday (4-0 L2 days), including the Celtics routing the Pistons 98-80 & Michigan outright over UCLA 55-52 on the college Hardwood! More winners to come Friday...
Of course, taking the Nets plus the points looks tempting, but taking the easy route, in this case, would be a BIG mistake and here's why:
First off, the Nets haven't played well north of the border, going just 2-6 ATS over their last 8 meetings in Toronto. That includes an absolute rout by the Raptors over the Nets 113-85 in their last match up at the Air Canada Centre, not surprisingly as a 10'-point favorite! Go back to the match up before that one (in Toronto) and the Raptors dominated again, 109-91, once again as a double-digit favorite (-10 in that case)... Starting to see a pattern yet?!
Second, unlike last year's Nets, that had Richard Jefferson to compliment Carter and Harris, this year's version is lacking that dedicated 3rd scorer, as the drop-off from their two stars is tremendous (next best players averages 10 ppg and that's journeyman Keyon Dooling). Herein lies the problem for the Nets, because while they're roster got younger (and less talented), the Raptors were busy scooping up Jermaine O'Neal, who's finally playing well and gives them a tremendously talented frontcourt, coupled with Bosh and Bargnani.
Speaking of the match ups, you tell me how rookie Brook Lopez gets anything done against O'Neal? Or for that matter, how do Simmons and Yi Jianlian match up with Bosh and Bargnani (who's playing well, coming off 25-point effort in his last one)? This game is match up nightmare for the Nets, and the fact they do NOT travel well, only strengthens this play (see road losses at Indiana and at Miami).
Bottom line, lay the points with the Raptors at home in this one, as they dominated a much more talented Nets team last year in Toronto, and they'll do it once again tonight. Match ups are all wrong for New Jersey, and that much will become clear early on, as the Raptors take the Nets behind the woodshed.
Take Toronto comfortably over New Jersey in this NBA match up.
3♦ TORONTO