SPORTS ADVISORS
(14) Ball State (10-0, 7-2 ATS) at Central Michigan (8-2, 6-3 ATS)
Ball State, one of five remaining unbeaten teams in Division I-A, hits the road for a key Mid-American Conference clash against surging Central Michigan, with both teams sporting 6-0 SU marks in league play.
The Cardinals remained perfect by pulling away from Miami (Ohio) 31-16 last Tuesday night, narrowly failing to cash as a healthy 17½-point chalk, their second ATS setback in the last three games. Ball State was up by just four (17-13) at halftime but allowed only a field goal in the second half, and RB MiQuale Lewis (26 carries, 165 yards) had a 1-yard TD run in the third quarter and another 1-yard score in the fourth. The Cards finished with a 484-330 edge in total yards.
The Chippewas, playing their third straight road game, topped Northern Illinois 33-30 in overtime on Wednesday last week as a four-point road underdog for their sixth straight victory (4-2 ATS). Central Michigan blew a 30-14 fourth-quarter lead, getting shut out in the final frame as the Huskies forced OT, but the Chippewas got an INT to open the extra session, then won on Andrew Aguila’s 40-yard field goal. QB Dan LeFevour (19 of 26, 188 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) was efficient in the air, and he also ran for 121 yards and two more TDs.
Both squads are 4-2 ATS in MAC play and tied atop the West Division standings, but just a half-game ahead of Western Michigan.
Ball State features the nation’s ninth-ranked scoring defense (15.4 points per game allowed), and the offense ranks 12th in total offense (461 yards per game) and 15th in scoring (37.6 ppg). Meanwhile, Central Michigan has the 14th-rated passing attack (279.1).
Central Michigan is on streaks of 4-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in this rivalry, and going back 11 years, the Chips are 8-3 ATS against Ball State. The road team, however, is on a 5-2 ATS surge, which includes CMU’s 58-38 rout at Ball State last year as a 12-point road underdog. In the victory, the Chips nearly doubled the Cardinals in total offense, finishing with a 658-369 yardage edge.
Along with their season-long 7-2 ATS mark, the Cardinals are on pointspread streaks of 16-5 on the road (4-1 this year), 14-3 against winning teams, 9-4 in November and 22-10 in the MAC. The Chippewas are also on a bundle of positive ATS runs, including 30-10-3 overall, 14-2-1 at home (2-1 this year), 21-5-3 inside the MAC and 9-3 against winning teams.
The under for Ball State is on runs of 4-1 overall, 6-1 in November and 7-3 on the road (3-0 last three), but the over for Central Michigan is on streaks of 13-5 overall (5-4 this year), 5-0 in November and 6-0 against winning teams. The over is also 3-1 in the last four meetings between these schools.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CENTRAL MICHIGAN
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
South Florida (1-0 SU and ATS) at Virginia (1-0, 0-0 ATS)
South Florida looks to start a season with consecutive victories for the seventh time in the last eight years when it travels to Virginia for a non-conference contest.
The Bulls opened up with Friday’s 60-46 rout of SMU, cashing as a 10½-point home chalk. Defense carried the day for South Florida, which limited the Mustangs to 13 field goals in 47 tries (27.7 percent). The Bulls finished last year in a 2-15 slump (6-11 ATS), all against Big East opponents, and they haven’t won consecutive games since taking three in a row from Dec. 22-Jan. 1.
Virginia tipped off its season with Sunday’s 107-97 win over Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in a non-lined home game. The Cavaliers missed 13 of 16 three-point tries, but still ended up shooting 54.4 percent from the field overall and enjoyed a whopping 48-29 rebounding edge. Virginia (17-16, 13-15 ATS last year) has won seven of its last 10 dating to the end of last year and went 6-1 ATS in its last seven regular-season contests.
South Florida is on ATS runs of 8-1 in non-conference play and 23-9 following a SU win. Virginia carries negative ATS trends 1-4 at home, 0-4 in non-conference action, 0-5 against the Big East and 7-20 on Wednesday.
The under is on runs of 4-0 for South Florida overall in lined action, 7-0 for South Florida on the road and 5-1 for Virginia against the Big East. However, the over is 4-1 in the Cavs’ last five lined outings overall and 4-1 in its last five non-conference contests.
ATS ADVANTAGE: SOUTH FLORIDA
NBA
Cleveland (9-2, 8-3 ATS) at Detroit (7-3, 5-5 ATS)
The top two teams in the Central Division square off for the first time this season, as LeBron James and the Cavaliers pay a visit to The Palace of Auburn Hills for a battle with Allen Iverson and the Pistons.
Cleveland ran its winning streak to eight in a row (6-2 ATS) with last night’s 106-82 victory at New Jersey as a six-point road favorite. The Cavaliers are 3-0 SU and ATS on the road during their winning streak, and they’ve scored at least 100 points in all but one of the eight games, scoring 99 in the other contest.
Detroit comes into this one off a well-deserved three-day respite after a four-game West Coast road trip that started with three straight wins and covers – scoring in triple digits in each contest – before Sunday’s 104-86 blowout loss at Phoenix as a two-point underdog. The Pistons have played seven of their last eight games on the road going back to Nov. 3, with the only home game being an ugly 88-76 loss to Boston as a one-point home chalk. In fact, Flip Saunders’ squad has failed to cash in all three of its contests at The Palace this season.
The Pistons, who lost to the Cavaliers in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, gained a measure of revenge in taking three of four from Cleveland last season both SU and ATS. In the two clashes in Motown, Detroit won by margins of 34 and 14 points, holding James to a combined 28 points in both contests.
Prior to last year, the Cavaliers had cashed in eight straight meetings against Detroit (playoffs included), including five straight in the Motor City. Over the last five series battles, the host is 4-1 ATS and the favorite is 5-0 ATS.
Going back to the playoffs last year, the Cavs are on ATS runs of 13-3 overall, 6-1 on the highway and 10-2 against the Eastern Conference, but the have failed to cash in seven of their last nine divisional outings. Meanwhile, Detroit sports ATS slides of 0-4 at home, 2-5 against the East and 4-9 when playing on Wednesdays.
For Cleveland, the over is on runs of 7-4 this season (6-1 last seven), 4-1 against the Eastern Conference and 4-0 in divisional tilts. The over is also 7-3 for Detroit this year (2-1 at home), 5-1 versus the East and 5-0 when playing on Wednesdays. Conversely, 25 of the last 31 meetings between these rivals – including five of the last six at The Palace – have stayed under the total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
Denver (7-4, 7-3-1 ATS) at San Antonio (5-5, 4-6 ATS)
The depleted Spurs go for their fourth straight win as they attempt to climb above .500 for the first time this season when they host the Nuggets at the AT&T Center.
San Antonio started the season with three straight losses overall and three straight defeats at home. But during a four-day stretch, Gregg Popovich’s squad has ripped off three straight wins over the Rockets (home), Kings (road) and Clippers (road) by a combined seven points, cashing in all three contests as an underdog. The Spurs, who continue to play without All-Star guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, are 4-1 ATS in their last five after starting out with five consecutive non-covers.
The Nuggets are 6-1 (4-2-1 ATS) since point guard Chauncey Billups joined the lineup, and last night they dumped Milwaukee 114-105, pushing as a nine-point home chalk. Long known for offense, Denver has held four of its last six opponents to 90 points or less, with three of the last five foes scoring 85 or fewer.
Including a first-round playoff series in 2007, San Antonio has won six of the last eight against Denver, with the home team going 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in the last five clashes. However, the Nuggets cashed in the final three battles with the Spurs last season, ending an 0-5 ATS slump against San Antonio. The favorite is on a 23-9 ATS roll in this rivalry and the SU winner has cashed in 11 of 12 meetings the last two years.
In addition to starting the season on a 7-3-1 ATS roll, the Nuggets are on additional pointspread hot streaks of 5-2 against the Western Conference, 8-1 versus the Southwest Division and 6-1 when playing on back-to-back nights. On the flip side, San Antonio has failed to cash in nine of its last 12 against the Northwest Division and six of its last eight on Wednesday.
For Denver, the under is on runs of 4-2 overall, 12-4 against the Western Conference and 19-7 against the Southwest Division. Also, San Antonio is in the midst of under streaks of 18-5-1 overall (7-3 this season), 4-0 at home, 13-3 against the West and 35-16 when playing on one day of rest.
Lastly, the under is 20-6 in the last 26 series meetings and 7-1 in the last eight tussles at the AT&T Center.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DENVER and UNDER
JIM FEIST
CHICAGO BULLS PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
Take CHICAGO BULLS
Chicago Bulls (5-6 SU) have covered three straight games after their cover at the Lakers on Tuesday night. The Bulls trailed most of the game, but made it close at the final, losing 116-109. Ben Gordon leads the Bulls with 21.3 ppg, while Drew Gooden leads in rebounds with 8.6 rpg. Derrick Rose, their rookie guard, is second on the team in scoring with 18.9 ppg. The Blazers (6-4) have been a surprise team this year. They are led by Brandon Roy (21.3 ppg) with Joel Przybilla grabbing a team-leading 8.4 rebounds per game. Greg Oden has only played in four games so far this season, did score 13 points with eight boards in 24 minutes off the bench Saturday night. The Blazers are also coming off a game last night in which they lost at Golden State, 111-106. The Bulls have covered seven of the last nine games in this series and we expect them to cover tonight as well.
Bobby Maxwell
S. Florida at VIRGINIA -8
The Cavaliers have got the ability to put points on the board and that is a very good thing to back in these early season games. We're going to lay the chalk with the Cavaliers in this one as they will destroy South Florida tonight.
Virginia put up a 107-97 win over VMI on Sunday and got some great offensive efforts from Sylven Landesberg (28 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists) and Mike Scott (26 points and 18 rebounds). the Cavs shot 54.4 percent from the floor as they dominated VMI from start to finish.
On the opposite end, South Florida managed just 60 points against SMU on Friday in a 60-46 win and they shot just 36.1 percent from the floor. The defense was there but the offensive is going to struggle.
The Bulls are on some ATS slides of 2-6 following a spread-cover, 4-9 against teams with a winning record and 6-15 on the road against teams with a winning home record.
Play Virginia at home tonight and watch as they put up a big number on offense.
4♦ VIRGINIA
DUNKEL
Philadelphia at Minnesota
The Sixers are coming off a lopsided win against Oklahoma City (110-85) and look to build on their 3-year 16-9 ATS mark after allowing 85 points or less in the previous game. Philadelphia is the pick (-2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Sixers favored by 7. Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-2 1/2).
Game 501-502: Washington at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 110.325; Atlanta 116.407
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 6; 205
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 10; 200
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+10); Over
Game 503-504: Toronto at Miami
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 116.001; Miami 120.928
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 5; 187 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 505-506: Cleveland at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 122.641; Detroit 128.877
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 6; 199
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 3 1/2; 195
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-3 1/2); Over
Game 507-508: Philadelphia at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 119.885; Minnesota 112.702
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 7; 182
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia by 2 1/2; 188
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-2 1/2); Under
Game 509-510: LA Clippers at Oklahoma City
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 110.237; Oklahoma City 109.336
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Clippers by 1; 192
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 1 1/2; 188 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (+1 1/2); Over
Game 511-512: Sacramento at New Orleans
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento 113.677; New Orleans 123.549
Dunkel Line & Total: New Orleans by 10; 186
Vegas Line & Total: New Orleans by 14; 191
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (+14); Under
Game 513-514: Dallas at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 117.681; Houston 124.895
Dunkel Line & Total: Houston by 7; 185 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 515-516: Denver at San Antonio
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 120.678; San Antonio 117.290
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 3 1/2; 176
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 1; 179
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-1); Under
Game 517-518: Milwaukee at Utah
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 114.013; Utah 123.563
Dunkel Line & Total: Utah by 9 1/2; 195
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 519-520: Chicago at Portland
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 119.620; Portland 121.474
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 2; 188
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 6; 192
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+6); Under
NCAAB
South Florida at Virginia
The Bulls look to take advantage of a Virginia team that is just 4-13 ATS against the Big East since 1997. South Florida is the underdog pick (+7 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has Virginia favored by only 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: South Florida (+7 1/2).
Game 521-522: NC Wilmington at Wake Forest
Dunkel Ratings: NC Wilmington 51.026; Wake Forest 72.562
Dunkel Line: Wake Forest by 21 1/2
Vegas Line: Wake Forest by 18 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wake Forest (-18 1/2)
Game 523-524: Ball State at Butler
Dunkel Ratings: Ball State 55.372; Butler 67.509
Dunkel Line: Butler by 12
Vegas Line: Butler by 14
Dunkel Pick: Ball State (+14)
Game 525-526: South Florida at Virginia
Dunkel Ratings: South Florida 59.560; Virginia 64.029
Dunkel Line: Virginia by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Virginia by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: South Florida (+7 1/2)
Game 527-528: Northern Iowa at Illinois-Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Iowa 58.526; Illinois-Chicago 59.316
Dunkel Line: Illinois-Chicago by 1
Vegas Line: Illinois-Chicago by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Northern Iowa (+4 1/2)
Game 529-530: Nebraska at TCU
Dunkel Ratings: Nebraska 61.965; TCU 60.224
Dunkel Line: Nebraska by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Nebraska by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: TCU (+3 1/2)
Game 531-532: Kent State at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Kent State 59.588; St. Louis 61.439
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2
Vegas Line: Pick
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis
Game 533-534: Niagara at Villanova
Dunkel Ratings: Niagara 53.454; Villanova 76.091
Dunkel Line: Villanova by 22 1/2
Vegas Line: Villanova by 18 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Villanova (-18 1/2)
Game 535-536: NC Charlotte at Appalachian State
Dunkel Ratings: NC Charlotte 57.355; Appalachian State 58.774
Dunkel Line: Appalachian State by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: NC Charlotte by 1
Dunkel Pick: Appalachian State (+1)
Game 537-538: Wofford at Clemson
Dunkel Ratings: Wofford 48.433; Clemson 74.658
Dunkel Line: Clemson by 26
Vegas Line: Clemson by 22
Dunkel Pick: Clemson (-22)
Game 539-540: Morehead State at Drake
Dunkel Ratings: Morehead State 49.466; Drake 62.533
Dunkel Line: Drake by 13
Vegas Line: Drake by 15
Dunkel Pick: Morehead State (+15)
Game 541-542: Murray State at Arkansas State
Dunkel Ratings: Murray State 52.015; Arkansas State 48.778
Dunkel Line: Murray State by 3
Vegas Line: Pick
Dunkel Pick: Murray State
Game 543-544: Eastern Washington at UC-Irvine
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Washington 49.675; UC-Irvine 59.802
Dunkel Line: UC-Irvine by 10
Vegas Line: UC-Irvine by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UC-Irvine (-7 1/2)
NHL
Vancouver at NY Rangers
The Canucks look to rebound from their loss against the Islanders (2-1) and build on their 4-0 record after scoring 1 goal or less in the previous game. Vancouver is the underdog pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Canucks favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+125).
Game 1-2: Buffalo at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 11.238; Boston 11.697
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-140); Over
Game 3-4: Vancouver at NY Rangers
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 12.836; NY Rangers 11.866
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-145); 5
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+125); Under
Game 5-6: Washington at Anaheim
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.600; Anaheim 10.780
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
NCAAF
Ball State at Central Michigan
The Cardinals look to keep their perfect season intact and build on a 7-2 ATS record over the last three seasons when favored between 3 1/2 and 10 points. Ball State is the pick (-7) according to Dunkel, which has the Cardinals favored by 10. Dunkel Pick: Ball State (-7).
Game 103-104: Ball State at Central Michigan
Dunkel Ratings: Ball State 92.911; Central Michigan 82.675
Dunkel Line: Ball State by 10; 51
Vegas Line: Ball State by 7; 54 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ball State (-7); Under
Bob Harvey
Ball St. @ Central Michigan Over 54.5
Despite less than ideal weather conditions look for points aplenty as the undefeated Cardinals face the Chippewas in the battle for first place in the West Division .
This figures to be a tough challenge for Ball State which has a four-game losing streak against CMU. However, it’s the latest loss, a 58-38 setback last season at home, that has the Cardinals and their faithful talking payback.
If Ball State is to get retribution they’ll need huge games from running back MiQuale Lewis and QB Nate Davis. Lewis ran for two touchdowns against Miami and has a rushing touchdown in nine straight games. He’s also rushed for 1,273 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.
Cardinals QB Nate Davis is the 8th rated signal caller in Division One or the Football Bowl Subdivision as the now call it.. His passer rating is a whopping 168.0. He’s thrown for 2,647 yards and 20 touchdowns and is completing 68% of his passes.
With the numbers that Davis and Lewis have put up. It’s easy to see why Ball State is 12th in the nation averaging 461 yards of total offense per game and 15th in the land with 37.6 PPG.
The Cards want to and NEED to keep Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour in check. He scorched Ball State last seson throwing for 360 yards and a career-high five touchdowns and piled up a then-school record 506 yards of offense as Central Michigan rolled up a school-record 658 yards.
Both teams are 3-0 against common opponents. Central Michigan beat Toledo 24-23, Northern Illinois 33-30 in overtime and Indiana 37-34. Ball State beat Toledo 31-0, Northern Illinois 45-14 and Indiana 42-20.
Ball State’s defense has allowed 20 points or fewer in seven straight games and eight times this season. CMU’s defense, meanwhile, leads the MAC in sacks with 27 but is only 99th in the country in total defense.
The weather in Mt. Pleasant Snow is expected to be anything but pleasant... Snow is in the forecast with a low of 25 degrees.The running game and time of possession could determine the winner.The number opened at Ball State -7 and with a total of 54½.
John Ryan
Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs
Play:San Antonio Spurs +2
Ai Simulator 3* graded play on San Antonio – AiS shows a 79% probability that SA will win the game. SA has an 88% probability of scoring a minimum of 100 points in this game. Note that SA is a strong 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) in home games when they score 99 to 104 points in a game over the last 2 seasons. Supporting this graded play is a system that has gone 55-31 ATS since 2001. Play against road teams winning between 51% and 60% of their games on the season in games being played in the month of November. SA is in a strong role noting they are 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in home games when playing against a good team posting a win Percentage of 60% to 70% over the last 2 seasons. Take San Antonio.
Greg Daraban
Nebraska at TCU
The Huskers have their best team in years in Lincoln.Neb lost a major recruit in the summer.Tonight they play at TCU which has been a doormatin the MTN ever since HC Billy Tubbs left.Take Nebraska
Dave Cokin
NC Wilmington @ Wake Forest
Play: Wake Forest -18'
It's rare that a team from the always publicized ACC is underrated, but I believe that's exactly the case for Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are in my pre-season Top 20 and I see them having a legit chance to be dancing well into March. James Johnson is already a star, Jeff Teague is heading in that direction, and the Demon Deacons have some tremendous incoming talent. They're young, but this team has a huge ceiling and they're presently undervalued. NC-Wilmington will be overmatched inside in this contest, and while the Seahawks are an okay team, they're literally over their heads here. Wake Forest should win going away.
BRAD DIAMOND
Play on: Villanova over Niagara
Honestly, the line is a little high with the long range options the Purple visitors possess in the starting lineup and bench wise. However, must give great respect for recharged 'Nova who is sitting back, taking notes for a major run at the Big East and the national title. With the 'Cats playing in one of the major conferences, while dialing up a huge array of top-100 recruits, the future looks bright. HC Mihalich of Niagara has a nice club once again, but not at this "Class A" level. Granted the transfers (Benn from 'Nova)and frosh talent should send the Eagles on the up-tick as the season progresses, but not at Villanova, even at this overpriced number.
Jimmy The Moose
Sacramento Kings at New Orleans Hornets
Prediction: Over
The Kings played last night, lost but played over the total. This season they have played the over in 4 of their 6 road games. The over is 10-2 in their last 12 road games dating back to last season. The over is 7-3 in their last 10 games playing the back end on a back-to-back. The over is 4-1 in the Hornets last 5 games vs. a team with a losing SU record. The over is 16-6-2 in New Orleans last 24 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. The team's have played over the total in 5 of their last 6 meetings. Play the over.
MTi Sports
Toronto Raptors at Miami Heat
Prediction: Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are 8-0 ATS after a road loss in which they had fewer than fifteen assists and the Heat are 0-9 ATS after a game on the road in which more than 70% of their baskets were assisted. Consider the Raptors.
Scott Spreitzer
South Florida at Virginia November
Prediction: Virginia
The Bulls are just 1-23 SU away from home over the last three seasons and with the way this team shoots the rock, they're going to be hard-pressed to win away from home again tonight. The Bulls were able to beat a bad SMU team in Tampa in their opener, despite shooting just 36% from the field while making just 10 of 19 from the charity stripe. They will also have their problems underneath against decent teams because USF has no post presence on either end of the floor after losing Kentrell Gransberry. Playing Virginia away from home is definitely a step-up from SMU. And, while the Cavs may be destined for another NIT appearance, they should have little trouble at home in non-conference action. The Cavs are extremely talented in the backcourt. They may not have the experience coach Dave Leitao would call ideal, but that problem won't rear its head until ACC play. In fact, freshman guard Sylvan Landesberg pumped in 28 points in their opener...a 107-97 win over a VMI team that handed Kentucky a home loss. Also, in forwards Mamadi Diane and Mike Scott, the Cavs can bury USF inside at will. Virginia has been quick out of the gates going 6-1 ATS in their last seven lined November games. Meanwhile, going against USF when they're getting points has padded your bankroll. The Bulls have covered just 11 of their last 35 as an underdog. I'm laying the points with Virginia on Wednesday.
Scott Delaney
Play Butler tonight over Ball State in college hoops, as the Bulldogs might be the most pride-filled college basketball team in the state of Indiana these days.
Yes, that includes the boys from Bloomington.
Butler led Indiana's NCAA Division I teams in victories in each of the past three seasons. It also has a seven-game winning streak against in-state opponents, and has won 11 of its last 12 meetings with intra-state foes.
Against the Cardinals, Butler has won seven of its last eight meetings with them.
I know Butler lost seven letterwinners from last season’s team, including four starters, but both teams highlight freshman starters. The fact is, Butler has the better talent overall and with some of the roster returning from a team that won at Ball State last season, 61-45.
I'll bank on a Bulldogs defense that held Drake to just 31.3 percent shooting in the game and just 14 first half points Saturday night. On the other hand, Butler shot 44.2 percent (23-of-52) from the field and 34.8 percent (eight-of-23) from three-point land.
BUTLER BULLDOGS
Vegas Experts
Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons
A 9-2 start for the Cavs has been real nice, but it won't mean anything if they don't defeat the division rival Pistons Wednesday night. We find Cleveland at 29-13 ATS as a road dog of six points or less and they have already beaten each of their other three division opponents, including Chicago twice. Right now, there isn't a team in the league playing as well as the Cavs, as LeBron James once again leads the league in scoring and Mo Williams and Delonte West are his best running buddies to date.
Play on: Cleveland
Nostradamus
CBB-Appalachian St +1
CBB-Nebraska -3
CBB-Kent +1
CBB-Murray St +1
NBA-Cleveland +3.5
NBA-Philadelphia -3
NHL-Washington