Erin Rynning
20* Okla City(nba)
Reg. Ohio St.(ncaa)
Playmaker LSU (football)
Executive
Hoops
300 Ill St.
250 Missouri St
250 Wich St
300 Vandy
300 Minnesota
Spritzer
Rockets
Magic
S Ill
Utah St
Memphis (CBB)
DR BOB
NBA Opinion
Orlando (-5 ½) over CHICAGO
Orlando ended their 10 game covering streak with a loss at Detroit on Monday night, but the Magic were in a negative situation for that game (I used Detroit as a Best Bet) and I expect them to bounce back today given their impressive 30-10 ATS record after a loss under coach Van Gundy. Chicago, meanwhile, is coming off a win over the Nets, but the Bulls are a horrendous 7-38 straight up since the beginning of last season following a victory and they are just 10-32 ATS in those games when not an underdog of 12 points or more (6-30 ATS in non-division games). Orlando also applies to a 151-69-3 ATS bounce-back situation today, but the line on this game is higher than it should be. The Bulls have played the toughest schedule in the league so far and they are actually just 0.8 points worse than average team after compensating for schedule strength. The Magic are 5.6 points better than an average team and home court advantage is 3 points when both teams had the previous night off. That would result in a fair line of Magic by 3.4 points and I’d favor Orlando by just 4 ½ points with Luol Deng out for the Bulls. I’ll still lean with Orlando, as I would get a prediction of Magic by 7 ½ points using Orlando’s games after a loss and Chicago’s games after a victory, but I’ll only play Orlando in a 2-Star Best Bet at -5 points or less.
Opinions/Possible Best Bet
UL Monroe (+12 ½) over ARKANSAS LITTLE ROCK
UL Monroe started the season as one of the worse Division 1 teams in the nation, but the addition of Miami-Florida transfer Lawrence Gilbert to the lineup on December 10th has lifted the Warhawks level of play significantly. Gilbert missed the first 6 games of the season, but he has averaged a team leading 16.3 points per game in the 6 games he’s played while grabbing 5.5 rebounds per game and shooting 51% from the field and 48% from beyond the 3-point arc. ULM started the season with 6 spread losses, but they’ve covered the spread in each of their last 3 games and should give Little Rock a decent game today. Arkansas Little Rock is just 5-16-2 ATS as a favorite of 7 points or more under coach Steve Shields, including 0-6 ATS already this season. My ratings favor ALR by just 10 points and I’ll lean with UL Monroe plus the points. I’d take UL Monroe in a 2-Star Best Bet at +14 points or more.
UTAH (+5 1/2) over Gonzaga
Gonzaga has lost some of their early season swagger with 3 losses in their last 4 games, including a 7 point home loss as a 21 ½ point favorite against Portland State in their most recent game. Utah presents a challenge for the Zags, who apply to a negative 36-92-2 ATS road favorite situation that is based on their recent upset loss. Utah has been a pretty good team so far this season and they’ve been even better when pointguard Luke Drca plays. Drca missed 4 games (3 completely and one where he was injured after 2 minutes) and the Utes were 7.6 points worse in those 4 games than they’ve been in the 7 games he’s played. My ratings favor Gonazaga by 6 points, so the line is fair, and I’ll take Utah in a 2-Star Best Bet at +6 points or more.
Guaranteed Sports Pick
LSU +4
Pitt +2.5
Minn +9
BIG AL
COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME OF THE MONTH
Vanderbilt Commodores plus the points over Boston College
TEDDY JUNE
Vandy
LSU
Cajun-Sports CBB
GAME: Drexel Dragons vs. St. Josephs Hawks -12
PLAY: 3* St. Josephs Hawks -12
The Palestra in Philadelphia will be the site of tonights clash between the host St. Josephs Hawks and the visiting Drexel Dragons.
The Hawks (21-13 in 07) made a trip to the NCAA’s last year after a two-year hiatus. The last time they were there was in 2004 and they actually made it to the Elite Eight before losing.
St. Josephs is averaging 68.0 points per game at home this season shooting 49.5% from the field. Defensively the Hawks are allowing 64.4 points per game with an average of 41.5% from the field. That point differential will be tested tonight as we are laying double-digits in this contest.
The team they will be facing tonight ranks 291 in the nation in scoring with only 61.2 points per game shooting only 34.4% from the field which ranks 339th in the country. The Dragons defense is giving up 77.0 points per game to teams that would normally score 71.2 points per game.
The Hawks attack will be led by their big man, center Ahmad Nivins who is averaging 19.1points per game and pulling down 10.6 rebounds. Nivins and guard Darrin Govens who averages 14.9 points per game will use their inside-out game to overwhelm this Dragons team.
The Dragons are led by guard Scott Rodgers who is averaging 12.8 points per game. Drexel only has three players averaging double-digits this season and they are all guards. The Dragons have three guards that average over 27 minutes a game and they include their second highest scorer Gerald Coles who averages 10.8 points per game.
The burden of playing down low will fall on the shoulders of Evan Neisler who averages 7.4 points per game and 8.7 rebounds. This is the area we gain an advantage and overcome the point differential. Too much firepower both down low and on the perimeter and this will be the difference for the Hawks tonight.
On the technical front we see that the Hawks are 26-15-1 ATS in all games with a line range of 10 to 13.5. The Hawks are 21-12 ATS as a favorite with the same line range. They are 33-19-1 ATS after playing their last two games at home. The Hawks are 20-9-2 ATS in non-conference games after suffering a SU loss. Drexel is 25-39-2 ATS in their last 66 games overall. The Dragons are 6-14-1 ATS when installed as an underdog in any line range. If the Dragons won their last game SU they are 3-10-1 ATS (12-21 ATS last 33) in their next game. If they also won that game ATS their record is 10-22 ATS and 1-7 ATS if the line is 10 to 13.5. The Dragons have struggled when playing on the road and installed as an underdog, their record is 4-11-1 ATS (with any line) their last 16in this role.
Finally St. Josephs qualifies in one of our statistical indicators that has a record of 36-17-1 ATS. With that in hand and the combination of solid fundamental and technical support we recommend laying the chalk here as the host gets the SU and ATS win tonight!
PROJECTED FINAL SCORE: (3*) St. Josephs Hawks 78 Drexel Dragons 55
GAME: Bowling Green vs. Duquesne
PLAY: 3* Duquesne -6.5
Duquesne plays host to Bowling Green on New Year’s Eve. Bowling Green is 5-14 ATS when installed as an underdog and are coming off an ATS win in their last game. We have a CBB System that tells us to Play ON CBB favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a team shooting >=45% on the season, after a game shooting 57% or higher and allowing 43% shooting or better, 56-33 ATS the last three seasons. Lay the chalk with the host as they get the win and cover.
Wildcat
(5)Vanderbilt
(5)Minnesota
(5)Minnesota Over
Winning Way Sports
Minnesota U +8.5
Vanderbilt +3.5
Minnesota U/Kansas Over 58.5
Trace Adams
2000* - Georgia Tech,
1000* - Minnesota,
500* - Oregon State,
500* - Michigan State (Hoops)
My, my how things change during the course of the season. LSU was expected to be playing in a BCS Bowl when the season started, while Georgia Tech came into the season with plenty of question marks under new coach Paul Johnson.
Tonight, all the question marks surroung the Bayou Bengals if you ask me, as LSU closed the season with losses in 4 of their final 6, failing all 6 against the spread!
Georgia Tech is soaring right now, as Johnson is up for coach of the year, the Techsters are off their first win in years over arch-rival Georgia, and they get to play this game in the near by confines of the Georgia Dome! Win, win, win, and more win for the Yellow Jackets!
This is a "statement game" for Georgia Tech, and it should be noted that the Yellow Jackets have covered 5 of their 6 tries when installed as the favorite.
LSU has failed both tries when catching points this year, and as demoralized as they enter this game, I just don't see any speach Les Miles can give to rally his troups in this spot.
Finally, Paul Johnson is now 44-23-1 against the spread his last 68 lined games at Georgia Tech, and Navy combined! Make that 45-23-1 after tonight's game.
Take Georgia Tech
2000♦ - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - 7:30 pm
I know Minnesota comes into this bowl game having lost their last 4, after racing to a 7-1 start, and I know the Golden Gophers did lose to Iowa 55-0 to close the regular season, but I also know that Kansas is OVER-RATED this year, and you saw how the first Big 12 double-digit rep fared the other night when Missouri nearly lost outright to Big 10 Northwestern.
I am telling you, the spot is prime for Minnesota to salvage their season with a tremendous effort tonight against the Jayhawks.
Kansas has been an away favorite just once this season, and they should have lost that game at lowly Iowa State!
Minnesota fired their offensive line coach, and that can only mean that coach Brewster's team will have the element of surprise on their side in this spot.
This is just too many points to lay.
1000♦ - Minnesota Golden Gophers - 6:00 pm
Pittsburgh did me a solid back on November 2nd when they were my top-rated play, and defeated West Virginia. The Panthers followed that win with a blowout of UConn the following week, and they are feeling good about themselves as they enter El Paso as the small underdog against Pac 10 rep Oregon State.
Just not sure the Panthers are going to be able to match scores with the Beavers in this spot, especially if Oregon State uses their bitter disappointment of missing out on the Rose Bowl as motivation here.
Mike Riley is a perfect 3-0 straight up in bowl games at Corvallis, winning each of the last 2 season's bowl bids with the Beavs.
Pittsburgh is making their 1st bowl appearence under Dave Wannstedt, and I have seem Coach Mustache enough to know, just when you think you can bank on him, he fails to deliver.
I will lay the small chalk, and go with the Beavers in this one.
500♦ - Oregon State Beavers - 2:00 pm
In college basketball, time for Tubby's Gophers to take it on the chin.
Minnesota is off to a perfect 12-0 start, but I am not so sure they have been "seasoned" enough to deal with the Spartans today at home.
Michigan State has played a hellacious early season schedule, and they have survived in tact with a 9-2 straight up mark. Izzo's troups took both off the Golden Gophers last season, including a 78-73 win at Williams Arena.
More of the same today, as the Spartans take care of business on the road in this battle.
500♦ - Michigan State Spartans - 12:00
Alatex
Super Play
Minn/Kansas Under
Victoriousplay
3* Bulls Over 201.5
2* Rockets Under 189
Probability
3* Vandy
SCORE
400 Kansas
300 Boston College
300 LSU