SPORTS ADVISORS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(15) Xavier (13-2, 7-6 ATS) at Rhode Island (11-5, 6-4-1 ATS)
Xavier will go after its fifth straight victory when it makes an Atlantic 10 trip to Rhode Island, which just had its three-game win streak snapped in excruciating fashion.
The Musketeers ripped Fordham 86-60 Sunday to easily cover as a 17-point road favorite, winning their fourth in a row (3-0 ATS in lined games) following a two-game SU and ATS skid in setbacks to Duke and Butler. During their current streak, the Musketeers have won all four games by at least 16 points, putting up an average of 79.5 ppg. Also, for the season, Xavier is fifth in the nation defensively in field-goal percentage, allowing opponents to hit at just a 36.7 percent clip.
The Rams fell short at St. Joe’s on Saturday, losing 92-86 in triple-overtime as a 1½-point road underdog for their second straight ATS setback in just their fourth lined game since Dec. 6. Rhode Island has been putting up points lately, averaging 85.6 ppg in its last five games, but it is also allowing 77 ppg. The Rams have played just one home game in the past month – routing Akron 79-50 on Jan. 3 as an eight-point chalk – but they’re outscoring opponents by more than 14 ppg at home (84.3-67.8).
Xavier is on a 7-1 SU and ATS tear in this rivalry, including an 81-77 road win last February as a two-point pup. The Musketeers have cashed in five straight at Rhode Island, and the road team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 clashes.
The Musketeers are on ATS runs of 5-2 overall, 4-0 on Thursday, 4-0 on the highway, 5-1 after a SU win and 10-3 after a win of more than 20 points. The Rams are on a 6-1 ATS roll against winning teams, but they also carry negative ATS streaks of 1-9 in conference play, 3-8-1 at home, 3-8 following a SU loss and 3-8 in Thursday contests.
The over for Xavier is on stretches of 6-1 overall, 4-0 against winning teams and 4-1 on the road, and the over for Rhode Island is on rolls of 48-23 overall, 6-0 against winning teams, 20-7 inside the A-10 and 36-17 at home. Finally, the total has gone high in the last six meetings between these two teams.
ATS ADVANTAGE: XAVIER and OVER
(18) Minnesota (15-1, 7-3-1 ATS) at Wisconsin (12-4, 7-7 ATS)
Streaking Minnesota looks to keep its surprising start going when it travels to the Kohl Center to take on Wisconsin.
The Golden Gophers pounded Penn State 79-59 Sunday as a 6½-point home chalk, winning and cashing for the third straight game since suffering their only setback of the year – a 70-58 home loss to Michigan State laying one point. Against the Nittany Lions, Minnesota went a perfect 9-for-9 from 3-point range and shot a scorching 62.5 percent overall (30 of 48), while allowing Penn State to shoot just 36.7 percent (22 of 60).
The Badgers lost to Purdue 65-52 Sunday catching six points, ending their three-game SU run (2-1 ATS) to open Big Ten Conference play. Wisconsin shot just 37.5 percent (21 of 56), well off its season average of 44.5. The Badgers have a typically solid defense this year, allowing just 59.2 ppg (23rd nationally) while scoring 66.4 ppg., and on their home floor, they’re outscoring opponents by 11 ppg (67.1-56.0).
Wisconsin is on a 6-0 SU (5-1 ATS) run in this rivalry, including a 65-56 home win last year, but Minnesota covered in that contest as a 10-point pup. The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five clashes.
The Gophers are on positive ATS runs of 7-1 overall, 6-1 against winning teams, 6-1 coming off a SU win and 5-1 against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Likewise, the Badgers are on ATS upticks of 6-1 after a SU loss, 16-5-1 after a pointspread setback and 9-3 in conference play.
The under for Minnesota is on streaks of 19-7 overall, 8-1 on Thursday, 6-1 in roadies and 13-3 in the Big Ten, and the under for Wisconsin is on stretches of 6-1 on Thursday, 5-1 against winning teams, 8-3 in conference play and 17-8-1 at the Kohl Center. In addition, the total has gone low in six of the last eight contests in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Arizona (11-5, 8-6 ATS) at (9) UCLA (13-2, 7-7 ATS)
Red-hot UCLA, returning home after a successful three-game road swing to open Pac-10 play, takes on Arizona at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins followed up a road sweep of Oregon and Oregon State by holding off archrival Southern Cal 64-60 Sunday as a two-point road chalk for their ninth consecutive victory (4-4 ATS in lined games). UCLA got outshot by USC 49 percent to 42 percent, but the Bruins went 8-for-20 from three-point land 14-for-19 on free throws, while the Trojans went just 3 of 9 from long distance and made 9 of 15 free throws. It was a rare close game for UCLA, which is averaging 76.2 ppg and allowing just 58.3 (16th nationally).
The Wildcats, like UCLA, swept Oregon and Oregon State, but did so on their home floor last weekend, dropping Oregon 67-52 as a 10-point favorite last Thursday and routing Oregon State 64-47 laying 15½ points Saturday. Those wins followed a pair of double-digit losses at Cal and Stanford (0-2 ATS). In fact, on the road this season, Arizona is giving up 72.8 ppg, while scoring just 61.2.
UCLA has won seven straight games in this rivalry (5-2 ATS), including an 82-60 home rout last February giving nine points. A month later, the Bruins held off the Wildcats 68-66, with Arizona covering as a 5½-point home ‘dog.
The Bruins are on ATS runs of 5-0 against winning teams, 4-0 versus teams with a win percentage above .600 and 12-4 on Thursday, but they’ve gone 0-4 ATS in their last four starts following a spread-cover. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are on a handful of negative ATS streaks, including 1-6 on the road, 4-9 after a SU win and 9-19 in their last 28 Thursday outings.
The under is 5-2 in UCLA’s last seven games, but the over is 6-1 in the Bruins’ last seven at home following a road trip of three or more games. The over for Arizona is on a 20-9 run on Thursdays, but the under is on a 4-0 stretch (all in Pac-10 play).
ATS ADVANTAGE: UCLA
(16) Arizona State (14-2, 8-4 ATS) at USC (10-5, 6-7 ATS)
Surging Arizona State heads to Los Angeles for a meeting at the Galen Center with Southern Cal, which is looking to halt a two-game SU and ATS skid.
The Sun Devils have won 10 of their last 11 games (6-2 ATS in lined contests), including a SU and ATS home sweep of Oregon State and Oregon last week to bounce back from an 81-71 loss at Cal laying 1½ points. Following a 69-38 beatdown of Oregon State last Thursday as an overwhelming 19½-point chalk, ASU rolled over Oregon 76-58 giving 15½ points Saturday. The Sun Devils, outscoring opponents by nine ppg on the road (73.3-64.3), have averaged 78.0 ppg in their last five starts, while allowing 60.2.
The Trojans opened Pac-10 play with an 83-62 road rout of Oregon as a 2½-point favorite for their fifth straight win, but they’ve since suffered a pair of SU and ATS losses. USC tumbled at Oregon State 62-58 in overtime as a healthy 11-point chalk, then returned home Saturday and dropped a tight decision to archrival UCLA, losing 64-60 as a two-point pup. In that contest, 3-pointers and free throws were the difference, as the Trojans went 3 of 9 from long distance and 9 of 15 at the line, while the Bruins hit 8 of 20 3-pointers and 14 of 19 free throws.
ASU has cashed in five of the last six clashes in this rivalry (3-3 SU), going 2-0 ATS and 1-1 SU in last year’s meetings, including a 59-55 road loss catching 4½ points. The underdog is on a 9-2 ATS stretch in the last 11 contests.
The Sun Devils are on a 1-5 ATS decline following a pointspread win, but they are otherwise on positive pointspread runs of 4-1 overall, 4-0 on Thursday, 6-1-1 on the highway and 6-1-1 against the Pac-10. The Trojans are on ATS dips of 2-9 at home against teams with a winning road mark, 1-4 on Thursday and 2-6 against winning teams, but they’ve been a good bounce-back team, going 18-7 ATS in their last 25 games after a SU loss and 5-2 ATS in their last seven contests after a non-cover.
The over has hit in seven of ASU’s last 10 games, but the under for the Sun Devils is on streaks of 6-1 on Thursday, 7-2 after an ATS win and 5-2 against winning teams, and the under for USC is on stretches of 4-1 in Pac-10 play, 4-1 against winning teams and 4-1 after an ATS loss. Finally, in this rivalry, the total has gone low in five straight games at the Galen Center and is 6-2 in the last eight contests overall.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
NBA
Cleveland (30-6, 26-10 ATS) at Chicago (17-22 SU and ATS)
The Cavaliers take the NBA’s best record into the United Center in Chicago for a matchup with the struggling Bulls.
LeBron James and his crew have won three straight and come into this one off Tuesday’s 102-87 blowout of Memphis, covering as an 8½-point road favorite as James delivered a triple-double. The Cavaliers are 11-6 SU and ATS on the road, and they’ve been on a roll lately, shooting 50.8 percent from the floor and 44.6 percent from the three-point line over their last five games while holding the opposition to 84.6 points per game and 39.9 percent shooting.
Chicago is just 4-7 SU (3-8 ATS) in its last 11 games, but got a road victory in Toronto on Wednesday, beating the Raptors 102-98 as a 4½-point pup. The Bulls are just 2-4 ATS in their last six home games and they’ve dropped consecutive contests at the United Center to Oklahoma City (109-98 as 8½-point favorites Saturday) and Portland (109-95 as two-point underdogs Monday).
Cleveland has already beaten the Bulls three times this season (3-0 ATS), including a 117-92 blowout on Jan. 2 as a 12½-point home chalk. Back on Nov. 8, the Cavs went to the United Center and scored a 106-97 win as two-point favorites. Despite that road victory by Cleveland, the home team is on a 15-6 ATS roll in this rivalry, while the favorite has cashed in five of the last seven.
The Cavaliers are on a plethora of positive ATS runs, including 37-14 overall, 16-7 on the highway, 20-6 as favorites, 22-8 against Eastern Conference teams and 16-6 after getting a day of rest. The Bulls are 5-1 ATS in their last six Thursday games, but otherwise they are on negative ATS streaks that include 2-6 overall, 1-5 at home, 2-5 as a ‘dog, 5-10 against the Eastern Conference and 2-6 at home against teams with a winning road record.
Cleveland has stayed under the posted total in eight of its last 10 games after getting a day off and four of its last five Thursday outings, but the Cavs have gone over the total in 15 of their last 23 games as a road chalk. Chicago is on “over” stretches of 12-5 overall, 8-3 against Eastern Conference teams, 5-1 as an underdog and 5-1 on the second night of back-to-backs. Finally, in this rivalry, the over is 5-1 in the last six meetings overall and 4-1 in the last five in the Windy City.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CLEVELAND
Phoenix (22-13, 13-22 ATS) at Denver (26-13, 21-17-1 ATS)
The Suns have found their offense and now go in search of a fourth straight win when they visit the Pepsi Center to take on the Nuggets.
Phoenix has topped the century mark in seven straight games (6-1 SU, 2-5 ATS), including Tuesday’s 107-102 home win over the Hawks, but the Suns failed to cash as 7½-point favorites. They are averaging 112 points a game and shooting 51.2 percent from the floor over the last five, including 42.9 percent from beyond the three-point line.
Denver had its five-game winning streak (4-1 ATS) snapped in Friday’s 93-90 home loss to the Pistons as a 4½-point favorite. The Nuggets rebounded with Tuesday’s 99-97 home win over the Mavericks, but again failed to cash, this time as a six-point chalk. George Karl’s club is 15-5 SU (12-8 ATS) in front of the home fans this season.
The host is on a 7-0 SU and ATS run in this series, and the winner has scored at least 108 points in each of the last nine contests. Furthermore, the home team is on a 13-3 ATS run in the last 16 meetings, with the favorite on an ongoing 6-0 ATS streak. Denver has cashed each of the last four times it has entertained the Suns inside the Pepsi Center.
Phoenix has been a disaster at the betting window, riding negative ATS waves of 1-4 overall, 3-7 on the road, 6-13 against the Western Conference, 3-8 after a non-cover, 1-5-1 as a ‘dog, 0-4 on Thursdays and 2-6 when playing on one day of rest. The Nuggets are 7-2 ATS in their last nine after getting a day off, but otherwise they sport negative ATS trends of 2-5 against the Western Conference and 1-4 at home against teams with a winning road record.
For the Suns, the over is on runs of 13-6 overall, 6-2 after a day off, 6-1 on the road, 4-1 as a ‘dog and 4-1 against Western Conference teams. Similarly, the Nuggets are on “over” streaks of 8-2 overall, 11-5 at home, 7-2 as a favorite, 6-1 against teams with a winning record and 5-1 on Thursdays. Lastly, these teams have topped the total in six of the last seven meetings against each other.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Indian Cowboy
Take Chicago (+8.5) over Cleveland
Since the "Ben Wallace" trade that sent the likes of Big Ben to Cleveland and Gooden and Hughes to Chicago, these two teams have had history. Tack on the fact that Cleveland has burned this team by scores of 117-92 at home and 106-97 on the road, you are looking for a big payback here for the Bulls. The Bulls have struggled of late but they have also been injured. With the likes of Deng, Kirk and Gooden back, this team is deeper and healthier as it has ever been and I see them stepping up big at home as they are finally at full strength to stay inside the number
Doc's Sports.
Take Vancouver -150 over Phoenix
The Coyotes are a much different team on the road and were blown out by Minnesota on Tuesday losing 6-3. They are just 6-15 away from Glendale and do not expect them to find green pastures north of the border tonight at GM Place. The Canucks may get Bobby Luongo back and that will give them team a major lift and I expect them to go on a long winning streak once he returns. Play the home team tonight and watch your money grow.
Cajun Sports CBB
Purdue Boilermakers -4 vs. Northwestern Wildcats
PLAY: 2* Purdue Boilermakers -4
Purdue takes to the Big 10 road for a conference battle against the host Northwestern Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston Illinois on Thursday night. Purdue enters tonight’s matchup with a 1-2 conference record while the Wildcats are still looking for their first conference win of the 2008-09 campaign.
Purdue opened their conference campaign losing in overtime at home to Illinois as an 8-point home favorite 71 to 67. The Boilers followed that loss by losing a close game at Big 10 rival Penn State 67 to 64 as a 2.5 point road favorite. In that game they were without two of their key starters in second leading scorer forward Robbie Hummel and guard Chris Kramer. Both returned in their last game which was a win over Wisconsin on Sunday, Hummel had 16 points, 2 assists and 5 rebounds in twenty-eight minutes of action. Kramer scored 4 points and had a rebound in twenty-one minutes against the Badgers.
To say the Wildcats have struggled in Big 10 action would certainly be an understatement. They opened Big 10 play at Penn State and lost 61 to 57 as a 2 point road underdog which wasn’t a terrible loss but they went downhill after that. They hosted Michigan State and lost 77 to 66 as a 4.5 point home underdog.
The Wildcats last played on Jan 7 as they hosted Big 10 foe Wisconsin and proceeded to go 16 of 51 from the floor for 31.4 percent shooting and lost 74 to 45. In that game they used 10 players off their bench and the contributions were negligible at best. They have failed to show any improvement over their last few games and the road will not be any easier tonight against a solid Purdue team.
Purdue should be able to control the pace of tonight’s contest and they have an offensive efficiency rating of 107.0 compared to the Wildcats 104.6. The Boilermakers are 6 in the nation in defensive efficiency holding opponents to a rating of 84.0 per game.
The Boilermakers average 72.2 points per game on the road this season versus teams that allow 65.4 points per game. Purdue is allowing 63.0 points per game versus teams that would normally average 66.9 points per game. The Boilermakers are shooting 45.8 percent from the field and holding their opponents to 36.2 percent shooting while on the road.
The Wildcats are only averaging 56.0 points per game when facing conference opponents and they are allowing 70.7 points per game. Wildcat opponents are shooting better than 42 percent from the field while the Cats have only managed 38.9 percent shooting.
On the technical front we see that Purdue has responded well on the road after defeating a conference rival as they are 6-0 ATS in that role the last two seasons. The Boilermakers are 44-29 ATS overall the last three seasons and 15-6 ATS when facing conference opponents. The Wildcats are 0-6 ATS at home off a loss of 10 or more points to a conference rival. They are 1-9 ATS at home versus conference foes and 1-8 ATS at home as an underdog.
With significant fundamental, technical and situational support we will back the visitor here as the Boilermakers get the win and cover over a Wildcat team that remains winless in conference play.
PROJECTED FINAL SCORE: (2*) Purdue 67 Northwestern 59
Marc Lawrence
Play On: Chicago Bulls
The Bulls host the Cavaliers in a Central Division clash in the Windy City this evening looking to avenge three losses suffered this season against Lebron James and company. With the Cavs looking dead ahead to a same season revenge rematch with New Orleans on Friday, look for Chicago to improve to 9-1 SU and ATS as a host in this series when Cleveland is off a double-digit win. Take the points with the Bulls.
JIM FEIST
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS / CHICAGO BULLS
TAKE: CHICAGO BULLS
Reason: Cleveland is a perfect 19-0 at home, but 11-6 on the road. Very good, but not dominating. The Cavs are also without their center, the Big Z, and he's a huge part of their offense and defense. The Bulls are getting healthy with Kirk Hinrich back after sitting out the last 31 games and Luol Deng (after missing the last eight). This is the second straight road game for Cleveland. Oddsmakers have caught up with the sizzling Cavs, just 5-5 ATS the last 10 games. Play the Bulls.
Jorge Gonzalez
Cleveland -8
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a money-making machine all season with a record of 26-10 ATS. The Bulls on the other hand have been a losing proposition 16-22 ATS. The Cavaliers have been impressive covering 37 of their last 51 games. The last three games between these two teams have been won and covered by the Cavaliers by an average margin of 16 points per game. Overall the Cavaliers have eight of their 10 games while the Bulls have lost seven of their last 10 games and have covered the spread just twice. The Cavaliers have been able to get things done with their defense limiting their opponents to just 84.6 points over their last five games. The Cavaliers are a dominating 14-3 ATS against a team with a losing record while the while the Bulls are 0-5 against a team with a winning record. LeBron James is coming a a triple double that saw him score 30 points pull down 13 rebounds and dish out 10 assists. Look for the Cavaliers to keep rolling.
Dave Cokin
Cleveland St @ UW Green Bay
Play: Cleveland State
Nice job by La Salle as the free opinion last night, and I'll go with another road team tonight. Cleveland State dropped two of its first three league games, but they're in good form presently and they're a better team than UW-Green Bay. Cleveland State wins the game in six of the eight key categories I emphasize in creating my numbers. This absolutely figures to be close, but the fact that the Vikings have no fear on the road (remember the win at Syracuse) gets me over the hump on this one.
Jeff Benton
Another free-play winner in the books on Wednesday, as the Lakers (5♦) battled back from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit and got within the number at San Antonio (and frankly, should’ve won the game outright). So I’m now on a 9-2 run in the NBA with freebies and a 41-19 roll overall over the past 60 days! For Thursday, we switch back to College Hoops – I’m on a 17-7 run with comp plays there – and lay the big points with North Carolina at Virginia.
Think the Tar Heels might be a wee bit ticked off coming into this game? After absolutely cruising through the non-conference portion of their schedule – not a single non-league opponent came within 14 points of Roy Williams’ team – Carolina has dropped its first two ACC games. The first was a stunning 85-78 home loss to Boston College as a 23-point favorite; the second was Sunday’s 92-89 setback at current No. 2 and undefeated Wake Forest.
So in the span of 10 days, the Tar Heels have gone from the lofty perch of undisputed No. 1 team in the land with legitimate talk of an undefeated season ,,, to the bottom of the ACC standings! Well, pity poor Virginia, which is going to incur the wrath of an immensely gifted team that’s now got a massive chip on its shoulder. In a nutshell, North Carolina is seeking to get its mojo back, and the quickest way to do that is to lay the wood to an inferior conference opponent on the road. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, they drew the short straw tonight.
Listen, if ever there was a game where Williams will leave his big guns in the whole way and run up the score if the given the opportunity, it’s this one. Nothing against Virginia per se; ol’ Roy is just desperate to restore confidence and that aura of invincibility within his players. Well, tonight, those players face a Virginia squad that’s just 4-6 in its last 10 games and has given up 78, 84 and 84 points in three of its last four games. Through their first 13 games, the Cavaliers have faced three opponents currently ranked in the Top 25, and they lost all three, getting blown out by both Xavier at home (84-70) and Minnesota on the road (66-56), while hanging at Syracuse (73-70 loss).
North Carolina has won four in a row and six of the last seven in this rivalry, and although the Heels are just 2-3-1 ATS during this stretch, I promise you, in none of those previous meetings were they as determined or angry – or, for that matter, as talented – as they are tonight. Carolina is 5-2 ATS as a favorite of less than 20 points, and I’m telling you, this one has 25-point blowout written all over it.
7♦ NORTH CAROLINA
Matt Rivers
For Thursday lay the wood with San Diego.
I just do not see how Gyno Pomare and the Torreros are not going to win this game by a billion. When a game seems too easy more times than not it's not and that is why I can't make this a billion star lock of my life type of a play but with that said I also cannot pass this up as I see the game being a 90-57 absolute whacking. Don't get me wrong, San Diego is far from being a Duke or North Carolina but they are an NCAA Tournament team and in this matchup will be way too much.
San Diego is a really solid squad that has won four in a row games with three of those being on the road. They prevailed in great fashion at Mississippi State which is never easy and also won recently at Santa Clara and San Francisco. Now back home against the awful Waves really should be a cakewalk.
Pepperdine used to be a competitive squad that was just behind Gonzaga in the WCC but my oh my have times changed. This team is an absolute 4-15 doormat right now that in that last game beat a pathetic Loyola Marymount group by a bucket in a non-cover. Besides that this team has been pretty much blown out game in and game out. Even the struggling Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets went out West and downed the Waves by nearly 30 on their home floor.
Tom Asbury really can't be feeling too good about his team as they very well may not win another game the entire season. They should enjoy this two game winning streak against Western Oregon and Loyola because the bottomfeeders on their schedule are no longer around and today they get flat out whacked as world order is restored once again.
Karl Garrett
Northeastern -3 at DELAWARE
The G-Man is going to lay a few points with Northeastern tonight at Delaware.
The Huskies have been playing their best basketball of the season, coming to the U of D having won andd covered 4 straight.
On the road Northeastern is a money-turning 6-3 both straight up, and against the spread.
Compare that to Delaware's 3-5 home mark, and the Blue Hens 3-game losing streak that has seen them drop 2 of those 3 against the spread, and you can see why the G-Man is going to lay the short road wood this evening.
Series numbers of late have been all Northeastern, as the Huskies have ripped off wins in each of the last 5 meetings, and they have covered in 3 of the last 4 tilts as well.
Take Northeastern minus the number.
2♦ NORTHEASTERN
Bobby Maxwell
Arizona State -1 at USC
On the college hardwood for the FREE winner tonight as we play Arizona State tonight at Southern California to take on the Trojans.
The Sun Devils have opened the Pac-10 season winning three of four and the key has been their defense. Tonight they get a USC squad that has struggled to put the ball in the basket and is coming off a tough loss to crosstown rival UCLA.
We'll take our chances with the high-scoring Sun Devils. They have averaged 78 points a game in their last five outings and they are shooting an amazing 57.3 percent from the floor in those five. They just swept the Oregon schools last weekend, including a 76-58 home win over Oregon on Saturday, cashing as 15 1/2-point favorites.
So far in three Pac-10 games this season, Southern Cal has scored 60 or less twice and they've scored 76 or less twice in the last 10 games. Against UCLA on Sunday, the Trojans fell 64-60 to UCLA and had several stretches where they failed to put points on the board.
Arizona State is 5-1 ATS in the last six matchups with USC. The Sun Devils are 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight Pac-10 games, 4-0 ATS on Thursdays and 4-1-1 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a winning home record. USC is just 1-4 ATS in its last five Thursday contests, 2-9 ATS in its last 11 at home against teams with a winning road mark and 2-6 ATS in its last eight after a non-cover.
The Sun Devils will get the win and cover tonight in Southern California.
4♦ ARIZONA STATE
Jimmy The Moose
Boston Bruins at New York Islanders
Prediction: Over
The over is 7-1-1 in the Bruins last 9 games vs. a team with a losing record. In their last 8 games played with 1 day rest between action the over is 5-1-2. The over is 7-3-2 in Boston's last 12 games vs. Eastern Conference opponents. New York has played over the total in 6 of their last 8 games overall. In their last 19 home games the over is 13-5-1. In their last 28 games vs. Eastern Conference opponents the over is 19-7-2. New York will be without their starting goalie and that's trouble. Play the over.
Scott Spreitzer
Iona at Niagara
Play: Niagara
I'm laying the points with Niagara on Thursday. Those who have been with me this college basketball season know I have flown with the Purple Eagles several times. They were a red-hot spread team for the first dozen-plus games. But I haven't jumped aboard in the new year...until now. Niagara struggled in their last two outings, losing their most recent game to Marist. But they played several games in a short amount of time and it caught up to them, along with the line. The game against Marist was their sixth in 14 days and they paid the price with poor shooting and a sluggish night on the defensive end. It was evident in the loss that they were running on tired legs. But they're rich on talent, especially in this conference, led by Tyrone Lewis, Bilal Benn, and Benson Egemonye. Iona definitely does not matchup well with Niagara and has had to deal with a lot of injuries and player-defections already this season. They'll be "just what the doctor ordered" for the Purple Eagles to get back on track. I'm laying the points with Niagara on Thursday.
DUNKEL
Cleveland at Chicago
The Bulls have been solid offensively at home (102.0 ppg), but run into a Cleveland team that is a perfect 8-0 ATS against good offensive teams (99+ ppg). The Cavaliers are the pick (-8 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has Cleveland favored by 11. Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-8 1/2).
Game 510-502: Portland at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Portland 118.526; New Jersey 119.031
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 184 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 503-504: Cleveland at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 125.518; Chicago 114.579
Dunkel Line & Total: Cleveland by 11; 187 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Cleveland by 8 1/2; 194 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-8 1/2); Under
Game 505-506: Phoenix at Denver
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 120.262; Denver 123.712
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 3 1/2; 214 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 2; 219 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-2); Under
NCAAB
Xavier at Rhode Island
The high-scoring Rams (81.9 ppg) hope to pull off the upset, but run into an Xavier team that is 4-0 ATS over the last three seasons against good offensive teams (77+ ppg) in the second half of the season. The Musketeers are the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has Xavier favored by 4. Dunkel Pick: Xavier (-1).
Game 507-508: Florida International at Florida Atlantic
Dunkel Ratings: Florida International 48.451; Florida Atlantic 51.086
Dunkel Line: Florida Atlantic by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida Atlantic by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida International (+4 1/2)
Game 509-510: Purdue at Northwestern
Dunkel Ratings: Purdue 69.480; Northwestern 68.305
Dunkel Line: Purdue by 1
Vegas Line: Purdue by 5
Dunkel Pick: Northwestern (+5)
Game 511-512: Connecticut at St. John's
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 72.809; St. John's 64.394
Dunkel Line: Connecticut by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Connecticut by 11 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. John's (+11 1/2)
Game 513-514: Northeastern at Delaware
Dunkel Ratings: Northeastern 56.310; Delaware 57.608
Dunkel Line: Delaware by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Northeastern by 3
Dunkel Pick: Delaware (+3)
Game 515-516: Denver at North Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 49.656; North Texas 55.466
Dunkel Line: North Texas by 6
Vegas Line: North Texas by 9
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+9)
Game 517-518: Valparaiso at Illinois-Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Valparaiso 49.242; Illinois-Chicago 64.164
Dunkel Line: Illinois-Chicago by 15
Vegas Line: Illinois-Chicago by 11
Dunkel Pick: Illinois-Chicago (-11)
Game 519-520: Butler at Loyola-Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Butler 67.370; Loyola-Chicago 58.747
Dunkel Line: Butler by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Butler by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Butler (-6 1/2)
Game 521-522: Xavier at Rhode Island
Dunkel Ratings: Xavier 69.673; Rhode Island 65.684
Dunkel Line: Xavier by 4
Vegas Line: Xavier by 1
Dunkel Pick: Xavier (-1)
Game 523-524: Arkansas Little Rock at UL Lafayette
Dunkel Ratings: Arkansas Little Rock 51.789; UL Lafayette 53.707
Dunkel Line: UL Lafayette by 1
Vegas Line: UL Lafayette by 3
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas Little Rock (+3)
Game 525-526: Cleveland State at WI-Green Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland State 64.233; WI-Green Bay 60.737
Dunkel Line: Cleveland State by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: Pick
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland State
Game 527-528: Troy at South Alabama
Dunkel Ratings: Troy 46.635; South Alabama 60.693
Dunkel Line: South Alabama by 14
Vegas Line: South Alabama by 12
Dunkel Pick: South Alabama (-12)
Game 529-530: Middle Tennessee St. at Western Kentucky
Dunkel Ratings: Middle Tennessee St. 57.534; Western Kentucky 65.994
Dunkel Line: Western Kentucky by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Western Kentucky by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Western Kentucky (-3 1/2)
Game 531-532: UL Monroe at Arkansas State
Dunkel Ratings: UL Monroe 41.039; Arkansas State 57.353
Dunkel Line: Arkansas State by 16 1/2
Vegas Line: Arkansas State by 14 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas State (-14 1/2)
Game 533-534: Youngstown State at WI-Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: Youngstown State 52.642; WI-Milwaukee 59.878
Dunkel Line: WI-Milwaukee by 7
Vegas Line: WI-Milwaukee by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Youngstown State (+9 1/2)
Game 535-536: Idaho at New Mexico State
Dunkel Ratings: Idaho 55.944; New Mexico State 60.499
Dunkel Line: New Mexico State by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: New Mexico State by 9
Dunkel Pick: Idaho (+9)
Game 537-538: Santa Clara at Gonzaga
Dunkel Ratings: Santa Clara 52.116; Gonzaga 73.858
Dunkel Line: Gonzaga by 21 1/2
Vegas Line: Gonzaga by 19
Dunkel Pick: Gonzaga (-19)
Game 539-540: Washington State at Oregon State
Dunkel Ratings: Washington State 64.763; Oregon State 56.397
Dunkel Line: Washington State by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington State by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington State (-5 1/2)
Game 541-542: North Carolina at Virginia
Dunkel Ratings: North Carolina 76.533; Virginia 65.174
Dunkel Line: North Carolina by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: North Carolina by 14 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Virginia (+14 1/2)
Game 543-544: Fresno State at Utah State
Dunkel Ratings: Fresno State 51.966; Utah State 66.636
Dunkel Line: Utah State by 14 1/2
Vegas Line: Utah State by 16 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Fresno State (+16 1/2)
Game 545-546: Minnesota at Wisconsin
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 67.477; Wisconsin 71.033
Dunkel Line: Wisconsin by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: Wisconsin by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+6 1/2)
Game 547-548: Loyola Marymount at St. Mary's (CA)
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola Marymount 34.842; St. Mary's (CA) 68.441
Dunkel Line: St. Mary's (CA) by 33 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Mary's (CA) by 29
Dunkel Pick: St. Mary's (CA) (-29)
Game 549-550: Pacific at UC-Irvine
Dunkel Ratings: Pacific 57.558; UC-Irvine 50.735
Dunkel Line: Pacific by 7
Vegas Line: Pacific by 3
Dunkel Pick: Pacific (-3)
Game 551-552: UC Davis at CS-Fullerton
Dunkel Ratings: UC Davis 47.635; CS-Fullerton 54.304
Dunkel Line: CS-Fullerton by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: CS-Fullerton by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UC Davis (+7 1/2)
Game 553-554: Pepperdine at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Pepperdine 41.308; San Diego 63.466
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 22
Vegas Line: San Diego by 19 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-19 1/2)
Game 555-556: Boise State at Nevada
Dunkel Ratings: Boise State 55.199; Nevada 61.511
Dunkel Line: Nevada by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Nevada by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boise State (+8 1/2)
Game 557-558: Washington at Oregon
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 69.703; Oregon 62.331
Dunkel Line: Washington by 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington by 5
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-5)
Game 559-560: Arizona State at USC
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona State 71.732; USC 73.642
Dunkel Line: USC by 2
Vegas Line: Arizona State by 1
Dunkel Pick: USC (+1)
Game 561-562: San Francisco at Portland
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 49.368; Portland 56.576
Dunkel Line: Portland by 7
Vegas Line: Portland by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Portland (-6 1/2)
Game 563-564: Arizona at UCLA
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 65.107; UCLA 78.589
Dunkel Line: UCLA by 13 1/2
Vegas Line: UCLA by 11 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UCLA (-11 1/2)
Game 565-566: Fairfield at St. Peter's
Dunkel Ratings: Fairfield 51.350; St. Peter's 47.298
Dunkel Line: Fairfield by 4
Vegas Line: Fairfield by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Peter's (+6 1/2)
Game 567-568: College of Charleston at Wofford
Dunkel Ratings: College of Charleston 54.927; Wofford 55.762
Dunkel Line: Wofford by 1
Vegas Line: College of Charleston by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wofford (+2 1/2)
Game 569-570: Appalachian State at TN-Chattanooga
Dunkel Ratings: Appalachian State 48.276; TN-Chattanooga 55.650
Dunkel Line: TN-Chattanooga by 7 1/2
Vegas Line: TN-Chattanooga by 6
Dunkel Pick: TN-Chattanooga (-6)
Game 571-572: The Citadel at Furman
Dunkel Ratings: The Citadel 45.126; Furman 40.552
Dunkel Line: The Citadel by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: The Citadel by 1
Dunkel Pick: The Citadel (-1)
Game 573-574: Iona at Niagara
Dunkel Ratings: Iona 50.287; Niagara 57.380
Dunkel Line: Niagara by 7
Vegas Line: Niagara by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Iona (+9 1/2)
Game 575-576: Georgia Southern at NC Greensboro
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia Southern 48.620; NC Greensboro 46.593
Dunkel Line: Georgia Southern by 2
Vegas Line: NC Greensboro by 1
Dunkel Pick: Georgia Southern (+1)
Game 577-578: Rider at Canisius
Dunkel Ratings: Rider 52.607; Canisius 47.295
Dunkel Line: Rider by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Rider by 4
Dunkel Pick: Rider (-4)
Game 579-580: Siena at Marist
Dunkel Ratings: Siena 62.671; Marist 53.002
Dunkel Line: Siena by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Siena by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Siena (-7 1/2)
Game 581-582: Western Carolina at Samford
Dunkel Ratings: Western Carolina 48.875; Samford 49.192
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: Western Carolina by 1
Dunkel Pick: Samford (+1)
Game 583-584: Tennessee Martin at Tennessee Tech
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee Martin 49.789; Tennessee Tech 53.678
Dunkel Line: Tennessee Tech by 4
Vegas Line: Tennessee Tech by 2
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee Tech (-2)
Game 585-586: Murray State at Jacksonville State
Dunkel Ratings: Murray State 52.341; Jacksonville State 51.693
Dunkel Line: Murray State by 1
Vegas Line: Jacksonville State by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Murray State (+1 1/2)
Game 587-588: Morehead State at SE Missouri State
Dunkel Ratings: Morehead State 51.730; SE Missouri State 41.272
Dunkel Line: Morehead State by 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Morehead State by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Morehead State (-8 1/2)
Game 589-590: Montana State at Weber State
Dunkel Ratings: Montana State 49.646; Weber State 59.685
Dunkel Line: Weber State by 10
Vegas Line: Weber State by 7
Dunkel Pick: Weber State (-7)
Game 591-592: Eastern Washington at Northern Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Washington 44.249; Northern Colorado 53.993
Dunkel Line: Northern Colorado by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Northern Colorado by 7
Dunkel Pick: Northern Colorado (-7)
Game 593-594: Eastern Kentucky at Eastern Illinois
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Kentucky 52.482; Eastern Illinois 50.347
Dunkel Line: Eastern Kentucky by 2
Vegas Line: Eastern Illinois by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Eastern Kentucky (+1 1/2)
Game 595-596: Montana at Idaho State
Dunkel Ratings: Montana 47.591; Idaho State 54.516
Dunkel Line: Idaho State by 7
Vegas Line: Idaho State by 3
Dunkel Pick: Idaho State (-3)
NHL
Edmonton at Minnesota
The Oilers look to build on their 2-0 record on the road when the total is 5 or less. Edmonton is the underdog pick (+130) according to Dunkel, which has the Oilers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+130).
Game 51-52: Boston at NY Islanders
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 11.501; NY Islanders 11.726
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-250); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+210); Over
Game 53-54: Nashville at Montreal
Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 11.373; Montreal 12.965
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-200); Over
Game 55-56: Philadelphia at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 10.964; Tampa Bay 12.106
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+130); Over
Game 57-58: Toronto at Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 9.969; Carolina 11.355
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Carolina (-180); 6
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (-180); Over
Game 59-60: Edmonton at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 12.756; Minnesota 11.573
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota (-150); 5
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+130); Under
Game 61-62: Colorado at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 12.343; St. Louis 11.294
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-115); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-105); Under
Game 63-64: Buffalo at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 12.458; Dallas 11.456
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+120); Under
Game 65-66: Phoenix at Vancouver
Dunkel Ratings: 10.688; Vancouver 11.852
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 67-68: Detroit at Los Angeles
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 11.772; Los Angeles 11.333
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-200); Under
Game 69-70: Calgary at San Jose
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 11.539; San Jose 13.495
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-215); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-215); Under