The Vegas Steam Line
Your free winner for Friday: Take OAKLAND (CBB) -7½ over Eastern Michigan
High Stakes Syndicate
Free Selection for Friday: Western Michigan Broncos + 4
John Anthony Sports
Friday's Free Selection: Nevada Wolfpack - 12
BIG AL
Our complimentary selection for Friday, Dec 22 is:
Buffalo Sabres over Philly Flyers.
DUSTIN HAWKINS
Free Play on Hofstra +22 -110
SCOTT SPREITZER
NCAA-B | Dec 22, 2017
Temple vs. Georgia
I'm laying the points with Georgia.
(Note the 1 PM ET tip). UGA is off to an 8-2 start overall and 5-0 at home after an 80-59 blowout win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday. The Bulldogs shot 58% and held the Yellow Jackets to just a .367 shooting percentage and Yante Maten scored a team-leading 24 points. Maten is averaging 19.2 points and nine rebounds and William Jackson II averages 12.3 points and leads the Bulldogs with 41 assists. Georgia is holding opponents to just a .397 field goal percentage and 67.6 points per game. Temple has lost both their true road games this season and the Owls are 0-4-1 ATS their last five games, including a 20-point loss to Villanova. The Owls barely beat Drexel as a 15.5-point favorite on Saturday while shooting only 39% and making just 6 of 21 from 3-point range. Shizz Alston Jr. was the only Temple player in double figures with 12 points. We're laying it with Georgia, our Daytime Dominator. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.
TOMMY BRUNSON
My comp play for Friday night will be to lay the big wood with Villanova as they take on Hofstra from Uniondale, Long Island tonight.
This one has a little added meaning, as Pride coach Joe Mihalich is a Philadelphia native, and while he would like nothing better than for his team to pull off the massive upset of undefeated and # 1 in the nation Villanova, that is simply not going to happen, nor will the Pride be close!
The Wildcats are posting nearly 86-points per game while allowing just under 64-points per contest. They have been able to stretch margins by stroking a cool 50% from behind the arc, and while shooting always cools, I don't expect tonight to be the spot the 'Cats can't score from three-land.
Villanova has covered in 8 of their 11 wins this season, and they have covered in 6 of 7 on the road thus far. Hofstra just lost to Manhattan, and in their "big" games, they have lost touch with both Clemson and Auburn.
'Nova in a rout.
4* VILLANOVA
JACK BRAYMAN
My free winner for tonight takes us to Las Vegas, where I'm playing the Duquesne Dukes plus the points against the San Francisco Dons. I swear I never know what the oddsmakers are looking at when they put lines on these non-conference, holiday tournaments. But there is simply no way Duquesne should be getting points in this game.
Duquesne (8-3) is in after extending its win streak to six with a 65-64 victory over Lamar on Tuesday, and is 2-0 in the Las Vegas Classic as the teams all converge to Sin City after opening with home sites.
Duquesne’s six-game win streak is the program’s longest since 2010-11, when the Dukes reeled off 11 straight. The Dukes are 6-1 in December, and they're playing with the right chemistry at this point, one that has their defense stinging opponents to a rather low 56.5 points per game. At the other end, Duquesne is averaging 78 ppg.
I do know the Dons return all five starters from last season, but I'm not convinced they've played an impressive enough schedule for me, yet. They're averaging 69.6 points - ranking 286th in the nation - with the best opponent being Stanford, which beat Frisco, 71-59.
Duquesne doesn't have an extensive rèsumè either, but its scoring defense ranks 20th in the nation and its turnover margin ranks 33rd.
I like the Dukes here, as they should win this outright.
2* DUQUESNE
CHRIS JORDAN
My free winner for Friday night is in the NBA, as I like the Milwaukee Bucks to take care of the Charlotte Hornets, as the teams meet in a back-to-back, home-and-home series that tips off tonight at the Bradley Center.
And since we all know it's tough to beat a team in two straight, whether it's back to back, or even within a week or a month, I think the home team here will want to get the upper hand and treat the home crowd to an early Christmas gift.
The Bucks should be able to carry over momentum from Tuesday's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers after blowing a 20-point fourth-quarter lead.
The Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak with the 119-116 victory, and now catching a Charlotte team that is sliding down the Eastern Conference standings.
The Bucks, meanwhile, are sitting in a three-way tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game out of fourth place, yet one game above ninth place. So every win at this point is a must, especially against inferior teams.
I'll lay the home chalk.
1* BUCKS
JOEY JUICE
New York has really struggled this season on the road. Detroit is 9-5 at home and will be trying to get back in the win after the three-game winning streak got halted. Remember, this is a Detroit team that started December 0-7 before that three game win streak.
A look inside the numbers shows this game should be a stone cold under.
For the Knicks, the under is 6-2-1 in the Knicks’ last 9 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, 3-1-1 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600, and 8-3-1 in their last 12 against the Central Division.
Detroit has seen the under go 5-0 in their last five on Friday, 4-0 in their last four against teams with a winning record, 6-1-1 in their last eight on one day of rest and 5-1-1 in their last seven against the Eastern Conference.
These teams have stayed under the total in eight of their last 11 games in this series in Detroit.
The Knicks had a hard-fought win against the Celtics last night and should come up a little bit lame tonight. Detroit is having their own offensive issues, so this one stays under the total.
3* NEW YORK-DETROIT UNDER
ERIC SCHROEDER
My free winner is with the pucks, as I'm taking the Florida Panthers over the visiting Minnesota Wild. It is Friday night in South Beach, and Miami will be zeroed in on its hockey team that just took some lumps on the road.
The Panthers return home from a five-game road trip that saw them bookend victories with three losses - in Chicago, Denver and Las Vegas. It hasn't been a great month for Florida, going 3-4-3.
Minnesota, which is 6-3-0 in December, doesn't necessarily travel well, and arrives with an 8-9-1 mark on the highway.
This is a great spot for Florida, after a couple days off to unwind and prepare for a four-game home stand. The Wild, meanwhile, are in the midst of a four-game road trip, and I have to wonder if they'll be looking past Florida to tomorrow night's game at NHL-leading Tampa Bay.
Minnesota's third road game in six nights? I'll take the Panthers, who need a good win.
3* PANTHERS
Mark Roberts
UAB CFB
Randy Chambers
WIZARDS
Andrew Jett
CENTRAL MICHIGAN CFB
Brett Nault
ALABAMA CBB