Nostradamus
Ball St -14.5
Orlando -13
Cleveland -11
Detroit -8.5
Milwaukee -4.5
Edmonton +100
Jack Jones
1* Oklahoma -16.5
I really wanted to pull the trigger here on Oklahoma but that is a lot of points to be laying to a Missouri team that is playing the next best thing to a home game there at Arrowhead in Kansas City. Oklahoma is 6-0 ATS vs. poor passing defenses - allowing a comp. pct. of 58% or worse this season and the Sooners are 7-0 ATS after scoring 50 points or more last game this season. Missouri just lost to Kansas last week in a big rivalry game that there is no way they looked past, so has this team given up? They did play Oklahoma State tough earlier in the year, but got blown out by Texas. I might play Oklahoma tonight just to have action on the game, but don't feel great enough about it to make an investment play on them.
Jeff Alexander Sports
1 Unit on Portland Trail Blazers +8
Boston is 11-1 at home this season but only 6-6 ATS. Odds makers have been overvaluing the defending champs on their home floor all season long and tonight's line is no exception. The Blazers are blistering hot having won 6 straight and they have more to prove tonight. Win or lose, everyone expects Boston to be right in the thick of things at the end of the season. Portland is a young team which must continue to prove itself against the NBA's elite. The Blazers went to Detroit and won by 11 points on December 30th and now I like them to give the Celtics all they want and more. One major key here is that Boston's defense has been solid but not dazzling and that leaves the door open for the Blazers to stay in this game. Boston is just 1-10 ATS in home games after 2 straight games forcing opponent to commit 11 or less turnovers since 1996. Boston is losing in these spots by an average score of 96.8 to 99.1. Take the points.
Dennis Macklin
Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars
Prediction: Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars made the playoffs last year but tonight find themselves dead last in their division and dead last in the Western Conference. They've split games since the Sean Avery fiasco and return home tonight where they can circle the wagons against a Colorado team they've beat six of nine and fourof five on this ice. The Stars problems are painfully obvious. They haven't played much defense allowing 3.7 gpg and they're 2-11 against sub-.500 opponents. This is a statement game from a reeling team looking to get untracked against team they've owned at very manageable price. Take Dallas.
MTi Sports
New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks
Prediction: Over
The Hawks are 6-0 OU (+29.2 ppg) with at most one day of rest after a win in which they shot at least 10 percentage points higher than their season-to-date average and the Knicks are 7-0 OU (+13.2 ppg) on the road after a double-digit loss in which they scored less than 15% of their points from the free throw line. Consider New York and Atlanta OVER.
Minnesota Timberwolves at New Jersey Nets
Prediction: Over
The Nets are 9-0 OU (+16.9 ppg) as a home favorite with at least one day of rest after a double digit loss in which they allowed at least 50% from the field and the Timberwolves are 12-0 OU (+12.6 ppg) after a game on the road in which less than 45% of their baskets were assisted. Consider Minnesota and New Jersey OVER.
Chris Jordan
East Carolina +13' at TULSA
There have been plenty of highs and lows with this East Carolina team this season, but even 12 weeks after the fact, there’s something to be said about a team that notches back-to-back upsets of Top 25 teams to open the season.
ECU comes into the game averaging 23.5 points per game and 340.8 total yards per game, while Tulsa averages 49.3 ppg behind an impressive 578.9 total ypg. And even though mediocrity would best describe the Pirates’ offense, when comparing it to the high-octane Hurricane, it’s the defensive effort of these teams that has me intrigued in taking double digits in a conference championship game.
But on defense, the Pirates are holding foes to 20.5 points and 329.4 yards per game, and even more impressively is the 34 percent conversion rate they yield on 3rd down. This is a stop unit that has found a knack for creating the big play, forcing 25 turnovers and recording 27 sacks. On the flipside, Tulsa has become a vulnerable team on defense, likely because of how much time is spent on the field thanks to that potent offense. And since the Tulsa D is allowing 29.2 points and 400.6 yards per game, it will even things out in this contest.
Looking inside the numbers, the Pirates have covered five straight against teams sporting winning records, while the Hurricane are 3-7 ATS in the same role and 5-11 when coming in off an ATS loss. Using that 5-1 SU run to burst into the conference title game, I’ll take the points with East Carolina.
3♦ EAST CAROLINA
Sports Gambling Hotline
Oklahoma City at ORLANDO -13
Big number in this Oklahoma City-Orlando game tonight, but when you consider the Thunder is just 2-17 straight up this year, with just one road outright win in 9 tries, you are inclined to take your chances with the double-digit favorite.
Orlando has won 10 of their last 12 games straight up, and they have easily handled the Sonics/Thunder the last 5 times these teams have met, covering the last 4 tilts. Included is a 109-92 shellacking back on November 12th. In fact, the last 4 Orlando series wins have ALL come by double-digits!
When its a choice of Dwight Howard in the middle versus Chris Wilcox, or Nick Collison, there is no choice!
Lay away, as Orlando easily dispatches the lowly Thunder once again.
Play on the Magic.
5♦ ORLANDO
Karl Garrett
Philadelphia +8' at DETROIT
Tonight, an underdog play in the NBA, as I will take my chances with the 76ers plus what I feel is a very generous impost.
Philly is just 1-5 both straight up, and against the spread their last 6 games, but I get the feeling the Pistons are going to bring out the 76ers "A"-Game tonight.
Philadelphia put up a 6-game playoff fight against Detroit last postseason, and should feel pretty familiar playing against the Pistons in this spot.
Detroit is just 5-3 straight up at home, and a money-burning 3-5 against the spread in those 8 home games.
Simply put, this is just too many points for Detroit to be laying against an underachieving team that is looking for a spark.
Take the Sixers plus the points.
1♦ PHILADELPHIA
Drew Gordon
LA Clippers -1 at MEMPHIS
Clippers are starting to figure things out, and its been a boon to their backers, winners off 6 of their last 8 ATS, including 4 straight! Granted, they're only 2-8 SU over that stretch, but tonight, they've get just what the doctor ordered to end their drought - the sputtering Memphis Grizzlies.
While its safe to say both of these teams are near the bottom of the NBA totem pole, the Clippers are still a MUCH better team than the Grizzlies. Looking over their starting 5's, there's no doubt you give the Clips the edge. they've got a big edge at PG with Davis, and Gordon is almost as good as Mayo. While down-low Randolph, Thornton, and Camby make up a great frontcourt (when they're motivated), one that should easily dispatch the Grizzlies youngsters Arthur and Gasol.
While the Clippers have routinely been poor on the road, that doesn't mean there isn't value to be had, going 4-3 ATS away this season. Coming off back-to-back losses, I expect the Clippers to target this game as bounce back spot, and why not, as the Griz are just 3-5 ATS at home. Not only that, but the Clips have owned this series, going 7-1 ATS over their last 8 meetings, and this could very well be one of the more talented Clippers team we've seen in a long time. In the end, Clips take care of business on the road Friday night!
Take the LA Clippers over Memphis in this NBA match up.
3♦ LA CLIPPERS
Jeff Benton
The Bucks come into this one off Wednesday’s solid 97-90 victory over the Bulls as a 4½-point home favorite, improving to 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 games overall, 4-1 ATS in their last five at home and 3-1 ATS as a favorite this year (2-0 ATS as a chalk of 4 or more). True, the win over Chicago snapped a four-game straight-up slide for Milwaukee, but the Bucks faced four strong playoff contenders during that slump and were competitive in three of the four contests (7-point loss at Orlando, 6-point loss at Atlanta, 10-point loss at Detroit and 12-point home loss to the Cavaliers).
Also, prior to that four-game slide, Milwaukee had gone to Charlotte and defeated the Bobcats 79-74 as a two-point underdog. Now, the Bobcats have rebounded to win four of their last six (5-1 ATS), but the victims were the underachieving 76ers (home), the Pacers (overtime road win) and the lowly TWolves and Thunder (both home). And Charlotte’s 9-5 ATS mark as an underdog is misleading, because the team is 5-1 ATS when catching six points or more, but 3-4 ATS as a pup of less than six.
Including the victory in Charlotte 10 days ago, the Bucks have won three straight meetings and seven of the last 10 in this rivalry, going 3-1 ATS in the last four. In the end, this is a very reasonable price to lay with Milwaukee (10-2 ATS in its last 10 against Eastern Conference foes and 5-0 ATS in its last five vs. the Southeast Division). Take the home team.
3♦ MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Scott Delaney
Just another college basketball winner, as we cashed in with St. Mary's on the road at Kent State. We're on a 7-0-1 run with complimentary selections and tonight we're laying -22 points with South Carolina against Furman!!!
The Gamecocks are 5-1, and Furman is 1-5. And after coming in off near-perfect performance at Princeton, I don’t see how the Paladins are going to do anything to get in South Carolina’s way tonight.
After all, if South Carolina was able to nab 18 steals, shoot 54 percent and score a season-high 84 points against the Tigers, what will it do tonight against lowly Furman, which has a won over … Emory? I thought that was the name of a fingernail file? This is the last game for the ‘Cocks before a 10-day exam break, and it will come in the form of a blowout win over Furman with not problem whatsoever.
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
Matt Rivers
For Friday take the points with Washington on the NBA hardwoods.
Sure it's tough to back the three win Wizards against Kobe and the insane Lakes but this is not that bad of a spot for the Wiz. For one Los Angeles is playing a third game in four nights. Phil's squad is also all the way across the country and in the midst of a tough East Coast swing where they found a way to drop game one in Milwaukee before smacking arounf the 76ers in that last game. The Lakers are 15-2 and I'm not going to act like I can really say that much negative about them but double digits on the road is still double digits on the road and when you factor in a lot of fatgue for LA then I will take my chances with Caron Butler and at least a due Washington team.
Eddie Jordan lost his job as the coach of Washington and without Gilbert Arenas things have been awful for sure but I still believe that the Wiz have potential and this is a good spot for them to at the very worst be semi competitive in.
LA is too good and win this game but Kobe and the fellas are not going to just run and gun all night and in the end look for a 97-91 Laker pedestrian type win.
Larry Ness
BOS -8.0 vs POR
The Blazers venture into Boston on a six-game winning streak, as they've allowed 86.3 PPG, while allowing opponents to shoot just 43.2 percent. Most people know the Blazers are dynamite at home (7-0 and 5-2 ATS), but let's note that Portland has won the first three of its five-game road trip and are now 7-6 away from the Rose Garden. As for the defending champs, the Celtics seem just fine. They've opened with 18 wins in their first 20 games, already matching their longest winning streak from last season at 10. The Celtics last won as many as 11 in a row back in 1986, when they had a 14-game winning streak. Boston's 'trademark' is defense, leading the league in points allowed (90.3), as well as owning the league's defensive FG percentage (41.0). Offensively, the Celtics rank 11th (99.4 PPG) but during the team's 10-game winning streak, they've shot 50.6 percent from the floor and averaged 105.4 points. The "Big Three" is not showing any signs of slowing down, as Pierce (18.6-6.5-3.2) leads in scoring, Allen (18.4) is second and KG (16.5-8.8) third, while leading the team in rebounding. PG Rondo (10.2-4.7-7.7) is a steady player and center Perkins (7.6-8.0) has found the "right team for him." The Blazers are led by Roy (21.1-4.5-5.2) and Aldridge (15.9-6.5), as the inconsistent Oden works his way back. Oden has alternated good and bad games over the last five outings but at least one thing has been consistent, Portland's won all those games. Rookie guard Rudy Fernandez is averaging 11.6 PPG off the bench and looks like a 'keeper.' The Blazers are 7-0 against Eastern Conference opponents, a record that will only make the Celtics even more aware of how dangerous they are. Boston won 103-99 at Houston back on November 4, handing the Rockets their first loss of the season. Four days later they beat the Pistons 88-76 in Detroit and when the Pistons came to Boston on 11/20, the Celtics won 98-90. This past Monday, the Magic came to Boston riding high with a 13-4 mark and left as 107-88 losers. Look for the Celtics to 'spank' the up-and-coming Blazers in this one.
Yankee Capper
3 Units - Portland Trailblazers +8
2 Units - Colorado/Dallas Over 5.5
WUNDERDOG
Indiana at Cleveland
Pick: Indiana +11
The Pacers were supposed to be a very uncompetitive team this season, but have had a couple of players step up their games and have now become competitive. Danny Granger is an emerging star, scoring 24.4 points per game. Along with Marquis Daniels and T.J. Ford, the Pacers now have a go-to player and two other scoring options. They have already recorded wins over Boston, the Lakers and Houston, so they have been a lot more competitive than expected. When they played in Cleveland this year, they lost by a respectable four points. The Cavs have reeled off six straight wins in resounding fashion, but keep in mind that two were to the Knicks and the other most recent three were to Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, and Golden St. - all struggling teams. They will get more resistance tonight, and a longer line to try to beat. I like the Pacers here.