Jeff Benton
Easy free-play winner on the Colts-Jaguars OVER the total on Thursday, meaning I’m now 6-1 with my last seven NFL comp plays and 16-6 with my last 22 freebies in all sports! For Friday, we’ll look at the NBA and take the big points with the Warriors at the Hawks.
Golden State is a complete mess right now, I’m not about to argue otherwise. Don Nelson’s team has lost four in a row SU and ATS and is 2-13 SU and 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games, including 1-9 SU and 2-8 ATS on the road. That said, this pointspread is absolutely ludicrous on a number of different levels. For one thing, the Warriors have been a double-digit underdog just three times this year – at Boston (8-point loss as a 12-point pup), at Cleveland (15-point loss as an 11½-point pup) and at San Antonio (35-point loss as a 12-point pup). While I can certainly understand those three teams being huge favorites against the Warriors, I’m not willing to put the Hawks in the class of the Celtics, Cavaliers and Spurs.
For one thing, Atlanta is just 3-4 in its last seven games, and only four of its 15 wins this season have come by double digits. Also, the Hawks are just 1-8 ATS in their last nine games when laying any kind of points, and they’re 1-8 ATS as a favorite of four points or more this season. And now they’re laying more than 10 points against a team that, while it doesn’t play defense, it can fill the bucket with any team in the NBA, as the Warriors are averaging 106.5 points per game overall and 111.6 ppg in their last 10. Meanwhile, the Hawks have scored less than 90 points in five of their last six games!
The road team has pulled off an outright upset in each of the last three Hawks-Warriors matchups, including Golden State’s 135-118 victory in its one trip to Atlanta last year. Grab the points, folks!
5* GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Scott Delaney
We're on a 14-7-1 run with complimentary selections after nailing Portland in the NBA last night. Tonight it's back to the college hardwood and we side with Western Carolina.
I'm guessing we're going to see the absolute best from the Catamounts tonight. After all, what better way to make some noise nationally then to stun a Top 25 team. Can Western Carolina win? Probably not, but it can keep it close enough to win.
And since the Eagles are 0-4 against the books in non-conference play, and Western Carolina has covered five of its last six against non-conference foes, I'll take a shot with this road dog.
WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS
Scott Rickenbach
Los Angeles Kings @ Buffalo Sabres
PICK: Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres will bring an extra focus to the ice tonight after losing at home to the Devils on Wednesday. A home loss will bring out the best in Buffalo on Friday night and they’ll take advantage of a Kings team that is currently dealing with some injury issues. Plus, Los Angeles has been totally spoiled by playing 22 of their first 31 games this season on home ice. Now the Kings must take to the road where they are just 3-6 this season! Goalie Erik Ersberg is dealing with a groin injury so Jason LaBarbera will be handling the netminding duties and he’s won just five of his sixteen decisions this season. The Kings have lost seven of their last eight games at Buffalo and, as noted above, there will no shortage of motivation for the Sabres tonight as they look to bounce back from that ugly home loss Wednesday. Yes, you will have to lay a bit of a price with the Sabres tonight but consider a small play on Buffalo on Friday!
Black Widow Sports
1* on Utah Jazz +3
Utah has won 4 of their last 6 road games overall, and their only two losses came by 2 points to Phoenix and by 9 points at Boston. The Jazz are 5-1 ATS in those 6 road games. This is a team that should not be an underdog to any team from the Eastern Conference, unless it’s the Celtics or Cavaliers of course. Detroit is so inconsistent. They are just 10-9 since bringing Allen Iverson over from Denver. The Pistons have played a very easy schedule recently, featuring games against the Knicks, Pacers, 76ers, Bobcats and two meetings with the Wizards over their last 6 games. They managed only a 3-3 record through this stretch, and two of their wins were by a mere 4 points over Charlotte and Indiana. Utah has won their last 2 meetings with Detroit, including a 103-93 road win. The Jazz are 8-4 ATS in their last road 12 meetings with the Pistons overall, winning 7 of 12 straight up. Utah is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. The Jazz are easily the better team in this match-up, and not even home court will save the Pistons tonight. Take the Jazz and the points.
BIG AL's 88% FRIDAY NIGHT COLLEGE HOOPS BANK SHOT.
At 7 pm, our selection is on the Richmond Spiders plus the points over Wake Forest.
CHARLIES SPORTS - FREE PICK
nba free pick for december 19, 2008. charlotte @ memphis-3.
After rookie D.J. Augustin helped the Bobcats put an end to a
lengthy losing streak in their last game, Charlotte hopes the
return of its top veteran can help the team win two in a row for
only the second time all season. Gerald Wallace is expected
to be back on the floor tonight when the Bobcats visit the
Memphis Grizzlies, who are looking to bounce back from their
first loss in nearly two weeks., grizzlies cover-3.