Johnny Guild
Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Bobcats
Philadelphia is 2-6 both straight-up and against the spread on the road, 1-6 ATS in its last 7 clashes in Charlotte. The home team in this series has been lucrative, 8-1 ATS in the last 9 meetings. However, Charlotte has cave in, dropping six of their last 7 games, just 2-8 in its last 10. Take the 76ers. Look for Philadelphia and forward Elton Brand to outscore the tumbling Bobcats in Charlotte. The Bobcats have lost five of their last 6 games at home, the worst offensive team in the league averaging 86.7 points per game.
Philadelphia 76ers -4
Indiana Hoosiers +13.5
Florida Gators -3.5
Jeff Benton
Today's Play
How about that 5♦ NFL free-play winner Sunday on the Falcons -- easy as pie! I've now hit three straight freebies and six of the last seven. Not only that, but I'm 8-0 with College Hoops free plays going back to last March Madness, including 3-0 so far this year! We'll look to continue all those hot streks on Monday by backing UTEP at home over UNLV.
UNLV is off to 4-0 start, and the Runnin’ Rebels are a legitimate Top 25 program after advancing to the Sweet 16 and the second round in the last two NCAA Tournaments, But this is the team’s fourth game in the last nine days, and the first on the road. Even though these are young, energetic kids and even though UNLV’s last three games were against cupcakes (Texas-Pan American, Northern Arizona and North Carolina A&T), that’s still a lot of basketball to play in a nine-day stretch.
In fact, you could argue that fatigue caught up to the Runnin’ Rebels in Sunday’s 71-58 win over North Carolina A&T. Not only did Lon Kruger’s team fail to come close to covering as a 27-point home favorite, but it shot just 36.8 percent from the field, while A&T connected at a 42.6 percent clip, and A&T had a 36-31 rebounding edge. UNLV won the game by making nine more free throws and committing 12 fewer turnovers.
UTEP comes into tonight having played just twice, most recently pounding Georgia Southern 96-79 as an 11-point home favorite on Thursday (UNLV has played three games to UTEP’s one since Thursday). In beating to weak opponents, the Miners have shot 48.7 percent from the field, while UNLV has made just 42.3 percent of its shots on the year.
UTEP is in a legitimate revenge situation, having gone to Las Vegas last year and gotten routed 84-71 as a 4½-point road underdog. That motivation along with fresher legs and a much more potent offense should be enough for the Miners to get over on the defensive-minded Rebels.
3♦ UTEP
Jake Timlin
Your Monday selection is the Kansas Jayhawks.
Good early season match up at face value I look for Kansas to blowout the Huskies tonight. I mean even though tonight’s game is on a natural court it wont feel like it as the Jayhawks will be well represented in Kansas City tonight. Mix that now in with the fact that Kansas has looked solid in their first two games winning by an average of 28 ppg compared to Washington who lost at Portland by 6 points to open the season and I am thrilled at the change to back the Jayhawks minus tonight’s small number. So in a semifinal game of the CBE Classic I expect for Kansas to advance to the finals and do so with by double digits. Take Kansas minus the points!