Doug Upstone
Jan 15 '18, 1:05 PM in 1h
NBA | Raptors vs 76ers
Play on: 76ers +2 -107 at 5Dimes
On this Monday, Play On January home teams when the line is +3 to -3 like Philadelphia, off a loss against a division rival. In the past five years, teams like this are 24-6 ATS, 80.0 percent.
Totals Guru
Jan 15 '18, 3:35 PM in 3h
NBA | Heat vs Bulls
Play on: UNDER 207 -105
Free Total Annihilator On Heat vs Bulls under 207 -105
Tommy Brunson
Comp play for MLK Day is the Raptors over the Sixers, and that is even with Kyle Lowry listed as questionable.
Toronto has had their way this year with Philly, as the Raptors took the first meeting in October, 128-94 in Canada, then came back to win a pair of pre-Christmas December tussles over the 76ers, 114-109 in Philly on December 21st, and then 102-86 up in the TO on the 23rd. That's 3 wins, and 3 covers in favor of the Raptors.
Look for the clean sweep today against a Philly team that last played in London on the 11th, as they blew a 22-point lead to Boston in that game, losing 114-103. That loss snapped a 4-game win and cover streak for the 76ers, while the Raptors come into The City of Brotherly Love having lost 2 of their last 3. Both losses coming in close fashion to Golden State by a basket and Miami by just one point. Sandwiched in between is a rout of Cleveland by 34-points.
All things being equal, the Raptors 3 wins this year is part of a 9-1 straight up run by Toronto in this series, and they are on an 8-2 against the spread run in that 10 game stretch.
Go with Toronto.
2* TORONTO
Jack Brayman
My free play run is now at 16-5-1, after hitting the Timberwolves yesterday.
My free play for Monday is on UW Milwaukee, minus the points against UW Green Bay.
The Panthers will be playing their third game in six days, as they also wrap up a five-game Horizon League road trip with a trek to rival Green Bay.
UW Milwaukee is in after dropping an 88-73 decision to Illinois Chicago on Friday, when the Panthers showed some resiliency by cutting a 23-point deficit to 12 down the stretch, but ran out of gas.
The Panthers should reignite against their in-state rivals, as the two meet for the 61st time since 1971.
Admittedly, the Phoenix have had the upper hand of late, sweeping the two games last season while scoring wins in six of the past seven meetings. But the road team has covered nine of the last 10 meetings, and I'm not so sure about Green Bay's defense right now.
Over the Phoenix's last five games they've allowed 76.6 points per game, compared to the 70.0 they're scoring.
Milwaukee allows 69.1 points per game on the year, while Green Bay is giving up 78.2.
I'll take the road team here.
4* UW MILWAUKEE
Eric Schroeder
Looking for my fourth straight free winner, after hitting the Timberwolves on Friday, Nevada on Saturday and the Heat on Sunday.
Today, I'm right back on the Miami Heat, as they're going to go into Chicago and knock around the Bulls for a little MLK Day beatdown.
The Heat, arguably, is the hottest team in the league and is most certainly playing their best basketball of the season.
Did you realize that if the playoffs began today, the Heat would host a first-round series? Miami, which has won seven straight and nine of 11, has the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and is just one game back of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who host the Golden State Warriors today.
So by the end of tonight, LeBron and Dwyane's old team could be tied for the No. 3 seed with their current team, which has been to the last three NBA Finals.
And what I like about the Heat right now is they're not blowing teams out. You see NBA teams winning by big margins, and they forget about hard work. They tend to think things are too easy. But Miami has had to stay in grind mode, and that's a good thing. Winning close games is good for chemistry.
Look for that team effort today, as Miami rolls past Chicago.
4* HEAT
Chris Jordan
My free play for Monday is on the Los Angeles Kings over the San Jose Sharks, as the two Pacific Division rivals skate head-to-head in a matinee clash in Staples Center.
The Kings, 11-7-3 at home, desperately need a win, as they've opened 2018 with a 1-3 slide. They're mired in a three-game skid, after losing at Calgary and at home to Nashville and Anaheim.
Today the Kings bounce back.
San Jose is back on the road after a sandwich home game that separated eight road games. The Sharks spent New Year's Eve and the next seven days on the road, visiting Dallas, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Winnipeg before their league-mandated bye week.
After hosting Arizona on Saturday, the Sharks are back on the road for three, as they'llhead to Phoenix and Denver next.
This is the fourth and final meeting of the season, and with the Sharks holding a slim 2-1 edge, the Kings will be extra motivated to even this series, especially at home.
Take Los Angeles here.
2* KINGS
Joey Juice
Guys, forget everything, the Canadians always beat the Islanders, period. its like rock vs scissors.
It is true that the Montreal Canadians have had a tough trip so far this season. They are just 11-12 at home for the season, but the Islanders have been so inconsistent of late and cannot be trusted. NY is just 9-14 on the road so far this season.
The Canadians are playing very tough right now despite the lack of ultimate success at home, while the Islanders have some serious issues defending their goal as they are currently ranked last in the league in goals allowed.
Like I said, forget everything because the Islanders never win in Montreal. The Islanders are 9-19 in their last 28 trips to Montreal. On top of that, NY is a horrible road team in general, they are 1-7 in their last eight road games. They are so bad, they can't even beat losing teams, they are 1-4 in their last five vs. a team with a losing record.
Montreal, historically, is a beast at home vs losing teams, they are 40-19 in their last 59 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400. Most importantly, the Canadians have the Islanders number, they are 7-2 in last nine vs the Islanders overall.
Montreal is the free play.
4* MONTREAL
Duke vs. Miami-Florida
Mon, Jan 15 7:00 PM
Zack Cimini NCAAB
Pick: Miami-Florida
OFFERED AT: 5dimes @ 3.5 MIA (-102)
The Hurricanes were one of a handful of unbeaten teams remaining in college basketball just a few weeks ago. Since they have went just 3-3 with all losses by nine points or more. Monday, they’ll have to figure out how to keep up with a Duke team that averages a 93.2 points per game (2nd best in the country). Still Duke’s home friendly schedule has not tested them on the road. Monday’s game marks just their fifth road game as they’ve went 2-2 in their other matchups. Grab the value on Miami.
Jesse Schule NCAAB
Pick: Under
OFFERED AT: betonline @ Under 148 (-110)
Minnesota vs Penn State Free Pick January 15, 2018.
I bet against the Gophers in their last game, and they lost by a whopping 34 points at home versus Purdue. Here is what I had to say prior to tip off: "The Gophers are coming off a home loss to Indiana, and they have lost two of three on the road so far. The Wildcats have won five of the last seven in this series, and they won their last home game against Minnesota by a whopping 24 points. The Gophers will miss two starters tonight, with guard Amir Coffey and center Reggie Lynch both out indefinitely. The pair have averaged over 24 points and 12 rebounds per game combined this season." Granted that Penn State is a step down in competition from their previous two games against Northwestern and Purdue, the Gophers haven't shown any evidence that they can compete in the BIG10 with their current roster. Since the injury to Coffey, they have averaged less than 60 points per game. The total for tonight's game looks a little high, it's in fact higher than it was in any of the previous 10 meetings between these two schools. Penn State has failed to reach the total in nine of it's last 11 home games, while the Gophers have gone under in five straight overall.
Take UNDER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
Power Sports NHL
Pick: Montreal
OFFERED AT: 5dimes @ MON (-130)
1* Montreal (7:35 ET): In BOTH Conferences, we're seeing one division significantly stronger than the other. In the case of the East, it's the Metro w/ a huge edge over the Atlantic. EVERY team in the former would be no lower than fourth place in the latter! That makes this play seem at least a little bit curious, but the game is in Montreal, remember. The Habs haven't been playing well lately (lost six of eight), but neither had the Isles before they came up big in their last two games. This is a letdown spot for the road team.
New York had lost five in a row going into last Sunday's game w/ New Jersey. They won that one, 5-4, in a shootout. Then, after five days off, they came back to wallop the Rangers by a score of 7-2. However, there is still plenty of reason to be concerned w/ this team. For starters, they give up way too many shots on goal. They've been outshot in six consecutive games, allowing 38+ in five of them. That certainly helps explain why they rank dead last in the league in goals allowed (being 30th in penalty killing doesn't help either). Being that deficient on that end of the ice basically negates the fact the Isles are #2 in goals scored per game.
Montreal started slow this season and has never really recovered. Last year's Atlantic Division winner's decline can essentially be pinned on them ranking 29th in goals per game and goaltender Carey Price not being quite as "superhuman" as he was LY. But Price does come into this game sporting a .932 save percentage his L4 starts. It was a shootout loss the last time the Canadiens hit the ice (to red hot Boston). That snapped a two-game winning streak, but I like them here in a 5th straight home game as they should be able to take advantage of a sloppy Isles' defense. 1* Montreal
Will Rogers NBA
Pick: Golden State
OFFERED AT: 5dimes @ -5.5 GS (-105)
The set-up: The Cleveland Cavaliers' lost 99-92 at Oracle Arena to Golden State on Christmas Day and will welcome the Warriors to Quicken Loans Arena on MLK Day, having lost seven of nine beginning the that defeat. Cleveland was blasted by a total of 62 points in losses at Minnesota and Toronto, before going into Indiana this past Friday and building a 22-point lead in the first quarter only to fall 97-95. The Cavs return home on a three-game slide and need to put their internal griping aside and get some stops on the defensive end against the Warriors, who are enjoying a string of 12 straight road wins, as well as owning the NBA's best overall record at 35-9.
Golden State: The Warriors nearly squandered a 27-point halftime lead at Toronto on Saturday but held on to earn a 127-125 win on the second night of a back-to-back. "Obviously, we wanted to extend that, keep that lead, but they're a good team, and it's hard to win on the road in the NBA," Warriors guard Klay Thompson told ESPN.com. "It doesn't matter who you play, and they have a great home crowd. A win is a win, especially on a back-to-back." What Thompson didn't point out but I will is the fact that Golden State's stumbles have come at home this season, where the Warriors have gone a 'human-like' 16-6. However, the etam's 12 straight road wins gives them a 19-3 record away from home, where they are averaging 118.0 PPG and winning by a margin of 9.9 PPG. Curry (ankle) came back from a two-game absence on Saturday and scored 24 points while adding six rebounds and nine assists. Curry (27.8-5.2-6.5) sat out the meeting with the Cavaliers on Christmas with an ankle injury and was the only player that might have been well-rested in Toronto, which marked the Warriors' third game in four nights and seventh in 11 days. Kevin Durant (26.2-7.0-5.2) played in each of the last three games but is not showing any fatigue while shooting 64.3 percent from the floor and 58 percent from three-point range in that span.
Cleveland: The Cavs' meltdown at Indiana came just as the team is preparing to host the Warriors on national TV. "We have enough talent here to get over that hump and make good things happen," forward Kevin Love told reporters. "But right now it's just tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel but it is there and, this being my fourth year here, we will get out of it and we will get better." Head coach Tyronn Lue cryptically talked to reporters about the need to get rid of "agendas" on the team after a 133-99 loss in Toronto on Thursday but was trying to look at the positives after the loss in Indiana. "It was a great effort," Lue told reporters. "With (Dwyane Wade) out and (Isaiah Thomas) out. Guys may have been a little tired, but I thought we fought and played with the right purpose, defensively especially. We've just got to continue to build off that." Thomas, who is sitting out back-to-backs after coming off a hip injury, is expected to play on Monday and is hoping for a better performance after going 2-of-15 for four points at Toronto. JR Smith is 4-of-22 from the floor, including 1-of-12 from three-point range, in the last three games. LBJ (27.1-8.0-8.8) is always a stud and one can't complain much about Love (19.2 & 9.6). However, IT is hardly ready for prime time, as while he sat out the Indiana game, he was a combined 5 of 16 from the floor (including 1 of 11 on threes), in the blowout losses at Minnesota and Toronto
The pick: The Warriors have taken six of the last seven games against the Cavs, including a five-game win in the NBA Finals last spring. How can the Cavs beat the Warriors with a defense that allows 108.5 PPG (25th) on 47.1% shooting (24th). The Warriors own the NBA's top scoring team (115.8 PPG) and its best shooting team, ranking first in FG percentage (51.0), three-point percentage (38.9) and FT percentage (81.5), as well as owning the second-best defensive FG percentage (43.7). Lay it with the Warriors.