Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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02-28-17 | Jazz v. Thunder | 106-109 | Win | 100 | 15 h 22 m | Show | |
Yes, that was an impressive road victory the Jazz had on Sunday beating the Wizards, 102-92. The Jazz turned in their "A" game. They also played an Eastern Conference opponent not familiar with them. It's hard to envision the Jazz playing a second straight "A" road game this one against one of the better teams in the Western Conference. Utah has failed to cover in 14 of its last 16 games versus Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City is mediocre on the road, but very strong at Chesapeake Arena. The Thunder are 22-8 at home this season going 20-8-1 ATS during their past 29 home contests. The Jazz haven't won at Oklahoma City since 2010 losing 10 in a row there. Russell Westbrook is going for his 30th triple-double of the season and the Thunder beefed up their frontcourt depth landing Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott in a trade with the Bulls and getting Enes Kanter healthy again. So they match up well to the physical Jazz. It's an added plus if shooting guard Victor Oladipo is able to play after practicing on Monday. He's missed the last two games. It's not too much to ask the Thunder to simply just win this game.
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02-28-17 | Blazers +5 v. Pistons | 113-120 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 30 m | Show | |
I don't consider the Pistons better than the Trail Blazers. Portland ranks ninth in scoring at 107.3 points a game. That's six points more per game than the Pistons, who rank 26th in scoring and 27th in free throw shooting. Portland ranks 13th in free throw percentage. The Trail Blazers also compete in the stronger Western Conference. This does mark the Trail Blazers' third consecutive road game following the All-Star break, but is just their second game in five days. It's also the final game of their road trip. Portland should be fueled not only by chasing a playoff spot, but revenge for a 125-124 double overtime home loss to the Pistons last month. The Trail Blazers were laying 3 1/2 points in that matchup. Damian Lillard has been on a monster tear since the break averaging 30.5 points while shooting 51 percent from the floor during this span. He's playing far better than Detroit's two best players, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.
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02-28-17 | Predators v. Sabres OVER 5.5 | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 4 h 35 m | Show | |
Look for Nashville to make it 11 over games in a row. The Predators have gone over the total 10 straight times thanks to a combination of outstanding offense - four or more goals in their last five games - a hot Flip Forsberg and shaky goaltending from Pekka Rinne. Now the Predators get to go against AHL call-up Linus Ullmark, who will be making his first NHL start of the season replacing injured Robin Lehner. |
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02-27-17 | Wolves v. Kings UNDER 212 | Top | 102-88 | Win | 100 | 12 h 48 m | Show |
Defensive guru Tom Thibodeau continues to preach defense to his young Timberwolves. Minnesota drops way down in class today after losing 142-130 on the road to the Rockets this past Saturday night. The Rockets are the second-highest team in the league. However, in their two previous games before the Rockets matchup, the Timberwolves held the Nuggets - the fourth-highest scoring team in the league at 110 points - to 99 points and the Mavericks to 84 points. Dallas was averaging 102.8 points in its prior five games before falling to the Timberwolves. Minnesota should have an easier defensive task with the Kings no longer having DeMarcus Cousins and with Rudy Gay injured. Those were the Kings' only two consistent respectable scoring threats. The Kings are in major adjustment mode after dismantling their team at the trade deadline with Cousins going to New Orleans. The Kings could only manage just 85 points at home in their last game this past Saturday against Charlotte. The Kings have gone under in 10 of their last 11 Western Conference games. They aren't going to get into any kind of track meet with the Timberwolves. Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns have been hot for Minnesota, but the team is without its third-best scorer, injured Zach LaVine. So more of the scoring load has fallen on Wiggins and Towns.
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02-27-17 | Oklahoma +14.5 v. Kansas | 63-73 | Win | 100 | 7 h 34 m | Show | |
Oklahoma is playing its finest ball covering in its last four games, including thumping Kansas State by 30 points this past Saturday. The Sooners are 5-0 ATS, too, as double-digit 'dogs. Kansas, on the other hand, is just 3-8 ATS when favored by 12 or more points. The Jayhawks have only covered one of their last six home games. The line is inflated because it's senior night for Kansas. But that's not necessarily a good thing for the Jayhawks in this high of a spread range because some seniors such as Tyler Self, son of coach Bill Self, are going to see court time when they've hardly played all season.
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02-27-17 | Kings +122 v. Wild | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 12 m | Show | |
Rarely do I like to go against the Wild when they play in Minnesota. But this is one of those exceptions with the main reason being the Wild are coming off their league mandated bye. They last played six days ago. Teams coming off a bye are 4-21-4 this season. That's a trend difficult to ignore. The Wild also will be breaking in Martin Hanzal and Ryan White - acquired via trade - and Ryan Carter. He was signed as a free agent. Those changes in offensive personnel are going to affect two lines. So not only will there be rust for Minnesota but also an adjustment period. The Kings are battling hard for a wild-card spot in the West. Team morale was raised with goalie Jonathan Quick returning from injury and management trading for goalie Ben Bishop.
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02-26-17 | Sabres -115 v. Coyotes | 2-3 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 57 m | Show | |
I expect the Sabres to play better, especially their first line, after dropping a 5-3 game to the Avalanche on Saturday. Buffalo was coming off its bye and was rusty. The Sabres are fighting for a playoff spot and catch Arizona in action for the third time in four days. The Coyotes are 9-19 the past 28 times in that spot. Buffalo has dominated this series beating Arizona in 10 of the last 12 meetings. The Sabres catch a big break, too, in that Louis Domingue has been announced as Arizona's goalie instead of All-Star Mike Smith. I consider him to be one of the worst backup goalies in the league. Domingue is 1-8-1 in his last 10 decisions and has less than a 90 percent save percentage.
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02-26-17 | Georgia Tech +12 v. Notre Dame | Top | 60-64 | Win | 100 | 18 h 60 m | Show |
Before diving into a breakdown of this matchup and why Georgia Tech getting this many points is the right side, let's examine the history. Georgia Tech and Notre Dame have met seven times since the Irish joined the Atlantic Coast Conference. The games have been decided by 4.1 points. The Yellow Jackets have covered seven of the last eight times versus Notre Dame, including winning the first meeting this season, 62-60, as 6 1/2-point home 'dogs on Jan. 28. Now, nearly, a month later that spread is almost double as the Irish host the Yellow Jackets. I say the line is much too high. Notre Dame has gotten back on track winning four in a row. The Irish win with offense averaging 84.3 points during their victory streak. However, the Irish haven't played in more than a week last in action on Feb. 18. That's too long to go without playing this late in the season. A certain freshness would be welcomed for tired teams down the stretch, but eight days between games means there's a good chance of rust, which would especially hurt an offensive-minded squad such as the Irish. There's a certain zig-zag this late in college basketball for NCAA Tournament bubble teams such as Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are bidding to make the Big Dance for the first time since 2010. Their chances suffered a big blow when they lost at home to North Carolina State, 71-69, this past Tuesday. Josh Okogie had another big game with 25 points, but the Yellow Jackets hurt themselves by blowing 12 layups and going 13-for-22 (59.1 percent) from the foul line. That tough defeat means the Yellow Jackets must - at the very least - win two of their final three games to have a shot at getting an NCAA berth. Those games are against the 21st-ranked Irish, hosting Pittsburgh on Tuesday and then playing at Syracuse. Georgia Tech has had four full days to brew about that missed opportunity against NC State. So look for the Yellow Jackets to throw their best punch at the Irish. They certainly are capable of beating good teams having defeated North Carolina, Florida State, VCU and Notre Dame. The Yellow Jackets are well-coached, have shown fight and their starting lineup has talent especially Okogie, who has scored in double figures in 14 of his 15 conference games. Lack of depth is a problem, which could crop up against Pittsburgh on Tuesday in the short turnaround. Syracuse will be looking for revenge when the Orange play Georgia Tech at home. So this is a game the Yellow Jackets really need. Georgia Tech has covered nine of its last 12 ACC games and is 8-2 ATS the past 10 times versus above .500 opponents. Notre Dame only has beaten one team by more than 12 points since Christmas.
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02-26-17 | Celtics -120 v. Pistons | Top | 104-98 | Win | 100 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
Counting a controversial loss to the Bulls on the final day before All-Star break, the Celtics have lost two in a row. Boston blew a 17-point lead in a road loss to the Raptors this past Friday. I see this as a stop-the-pain game for Boston. The Celtics are at least one level higher than Detroit. The Pistons don't have a defensive stopper to corral Isaiah Thomas. Detroit's two best players, Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond, are enduring a terrible month. Jackson's scoring is down 10 points per game in February. Detroit opened post All-Star break with a 114-108 overtime win against the Hornets. The Pistons, however, are 5-12 ATS following a win. It's an added bonus if Avery Bradley is ready to play for the Celtics here.
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02-26-17 | Oilers +106 v. Predators | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 6 m | Show | |
Edmonton is playing better than Nashville, has double revenge motivation and draws the Predators playing for the sixth time in nine days and without rest. Predators goalie Pekka Rinne hasn't been sharp giving up three or more goals in in all but one of his last five starts. The Predators are 3-4 during his last seven starts. The Oilers were 4-1 in their previous five games before suffering a tough 2-1 road loss to the Capitals this past Friday. The Capitals had scored five or more goals in 11 consecutive home games until nipping the Oilers. The Oilers are the fresher team and in better form. I'll take them in an underdog role here.
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02-25-17 | Nets +22.5 v. Warriors | 95-112 | Win | 100 | 19 h 46 m | Show | |
Yes, this game definitely has a Harlem Globetrotters-Washington Generals mismatch quality to it. The Warriors likely can name their score. But there is no reason for them to do that. Beating any NBA team by more than 20 points is difficult even when it's the best versus the worst, which is the case here. Only once in their last 17 games have the Nets lost by more than 20 points. Golden State beat the Nets by 16 points in the first meeting between the two teams this season on Dec. 22. The Nets actually led by 16 points during that game. Brooklyn now has Jeremy Lin back. He played last night for the first time after missing the previous 26 games with a hamstring injury. Lin is Brooklyn's best guard. He'll by highly motivated since he comes from the Bay Area. The Nets should play hard hoping not to embarrass their teammate, who still has a chance to become the face of the franchise. The Warriors are fully healthy. In this case, that's a good thing for the Nets because Steve Kerr can frequently substitute. Kerr has the Warriors in excellent shape to finish with the best record. His trick is keeping his stars fresh. This is a perfect spot for Kerr to limit the minutes of his superstars - playing an easy opponent and with a five-game road trip looming for the Warriors beginning on Monday. Golden State doesn't have a good track record either in these types of mismatches going 4-10-1 ATS versus sub .500 opponents.
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02-25-17 | Sabres v. Avalanche +115 | 3-5 | Win | 115 | 12 h 7 m | Show | |
It's going to take an extreme set of circumstances for me to back the Avalanche. But in this matchup there are those extreme circumstances. Colorado catches Buffalo coming off its bye week. Teams playing in their first game following their bye are 4-20-4. That's a powerful trend that can't be ignored. The Sabres aren't exactly a powerhouse either and have a terrible history at Denver losing in their last five visits. The last time the Sabres won in Denver was 2005. The Avalanche are 10-2 the past 12 times overall against Buffalo. Colorado gets back defenseman Erik Johnson for this game and its goalie, Calvin Pickard, has a 1.40 GAA in two lifetime appearances versus the Sabres.
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02-25-17 | Bulls v. Cavs -11 | 117-99 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 47 m | Show | |
I'll lay double-digits with the Cavaliers in rare double-revenge mode and catching the Bulls off a 128-121 overtime home win against the Suns last night in which Jimmy Butler logged more than 43 minutes of court time. The Bulls are 2-0 versus the Cavaliers this season, including handing them one of their five losses at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers came out of break in impressive fashion rolling past the Knicks, 119-104, on Thursday with LeBron James getting a triple-double. Streak shooter Kyle Korver is hot right now for Cleveland hitting 12 of 18 3-pointers in his last two games. The Bulls got worse at the trade deadline dealing Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott. The Cavaliers are more than capable of blowing out just about any team at home when properly motivated. They should have high incentive for this game.
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02-25-17 | Northwestern v. Indiana -3.5 | 62-63 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 58 m | Show | |
Indiana has the stronger backcourt, is in revenge mode and in stop-the-pain mode. Another factor is I just don't trust Northwestern in a key game especially on the road. |
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02-25-17 | Hawks -2.5 v. Magic | Top | 86-105 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 28 m | Show |
Both Atlanta and Orlando opened post All-Star break with losses. The difference is the Hawks are far superior to Orlando and have their key cog back in the lineup. The Hawks were blasted by the Heat, 108-90, at home Friday night. The Heat were red-hot hitting 17 of 37 3-pointers while Atlanta made just 38 percent of its shots from the field. The Hawks were minus their floor general, point guard Dennis Schroder. Schroder, who is averaging 17.5 points and 6.3 assists, will play today. He was suspended just for the Magic game for failing to report back to the team on time after the All-Star break. The Magic played on Thursday losing at home to the Trail Blazers, 112-103. The Magic are 5-18 in their last 23 games, a demoralized bottom-feeder playing out the string while missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Orlando is 1-6 SU and ATS in its last seven home games. Long-term, the Magic are 6-19-1 ATS during their past 26 home contests. The Hawks helped themselves at break picking up Ersan Ilyasova, a heady veteran who can rebound and hit 3-pointers. The Hawks are 12-3 ATS when playing without rest. They should play much better today with Schroder back and with a chip on his shoulder and Ilyasova having played 16 minutes in his Hawks debut last night. The Magic have gotten even worse since All-Star break after trading Serge Ibaka. The Magic have had trouble containing former teammate Dwight Howard, who is shooting 76 percent against Orlando this season. The Hawks have beaten the Magic in their last two meetings winning by an average of 23 points.
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02-25-17 | Mercer +8.5 v. Chattanooga | 64-54 | Win | 100 | 9 h 10 m | Show | |
Mercer has covered eight of its last 12 games but is off a loss. However, the Bears have a great track - 9-1 ATS - following a defeat. |
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02-25-17 | Seton Hall -6.5 v. DePaul | Top | 82-79 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 45 m | Show |
Seton Hall doesn't want to hurt its chances of making the NCAA Tournament by losing this game. The Pirates have won four of their last six games to get into Big Dance conversation. They destroyed the Blue Demons by 31 points when they played last month easily covering as 14-point favorites. DePaul is fat and happy after ending its 10-game losing streak in style with a 67-65 road win against Georgetown. The Blue Demons were 13 1/2-point 'dogs. DePaul is 3-12-1 ATS following a victory. I don't see DePaul pulling a second straight upset. The Blue Demons have lost their last three home games losing by 13 to Villanova, by 35 to Creighton and by 13 to Marquette. The Blue Demons have matchup issues against Seton Hall's big three of Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington and Desi Rodriguez. All three players have scored 1,000 points this season. In the RIP rankings, Seton Hall ranked 48th as of Thursday with DePaul at 224. In the Pomeroy ratings, the Pirates were at 57 with DePaul at 183.
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02-24-17 | Nets v. Nuggets -10 | Top | 109-129 | Win | 100 | 15 h 57 m | Show |
This handicap works both ways. The Nets are the worst team in the NBA losers of 25 of their last 26, including their last 14. The Nuggets would be in the playoffs if the postseason began now. But Denver is in a precarious spot with the Kings, Trail Blazers and Pelicans all close behind. Denver suffered an embarrassing 116-100 road loss to the Kings last night. But playing last night is a huge plus for the Nuggets because they got their post All-Star break rust off. Three of their key players also returned to the lineup - Danilo Gallinari (groin), Kenneth Faried (ankle) and Wilson Chandler (illness) - after being out. Gallinari and Chandler played decently. The Nets now are the ones that are going to be rusty. A horrendous road team anyways with a 2-23 away mark, the Nets got even worse during All-Star break trading away their second-leading scorer, Bojan Bogdanovic in order to play for the future. The youthful, immature and sure-to-be rusty Nets could have trouble focusing after being idle since Feb. 15. The Nuggets, on the other hand, have revenge motivation for a five-point road loss to the Nets. The Nuggets have a good coach, Michael Malone. He'll be stressing that the Nuggets can't afford to lose this home game to such a bad team. So Denver's urgency should be extremely high. Certainly the Nuggets have the firepower to blow out the Nets ranking fourth in scoring at 110.5 points a game. Brooklyn has the worst defense in the NBA surrendering 114.2 points per game. Denver has covered in eight of its last 10 home games. The Nuggets also are 6-1 ATS the past seven times after losing by more than 10 points.
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02-24-17 | Coyotes v. Stars UNDER 6 | 2-5 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 4 m | Show | |
I don't envision Dallas being sharp for this matchup having been idle since Saturday due to its mandatory bye week. The Stars' only practice of the week came on Thursday. The Stars' scoring is down from a year ago ranking 13th. They are below average on the power play. Arizona ranks among the bottom-six in goals, shots on goal and power play. The Stars have mediocre goaltending, but will have their best goalie in net as Kari Lehtonen is projected to start. The Coyotes had a bad first period against the Blackhawks last night in a 6-3 loss. I expect the Coyotes to play a more tight-checking game rather than try to open things up.
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02-24-17 | Coyotes +215 v. Stars | 2-5 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 3 m | Show | |
If we've learned anything this season in the NHL it's that teams coming off their mandatory bye week are rusty and don't play well going 4-16. Dallas is in that spot today having last played six days ago. The Stars entered their bye week not playing well either. They are 2-7 this month and 0-8 during their past eight games versus Western Conference foes. Dallas is in real danger of missing the playoffs trailing Calgary by 10 points for the second wild-card spot in the West. Arizona isn't making the playoffs. But the Coyotes have quietly gone 8-6 in their last 14 games. They've scored three or more goals in 13 of their last 16 games. The Coyotes did play last night, losing 6-3 to the Blackhawks on the road, but were idle the previous two days. So they don't carry that high of a fatigue rating.
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02-24-17 | Yale +5.5 v. Harvard | 64-77 | Loss | -115 | 4 h 52 m | Show | |
Yale is in stop-the-pain mode having lost three in a row. They are in short revenge against Harvard, a team the Bulldogs lost to 75-67 at home 13 days ago. The Bulldogs were favored by four in that game. Now we have nearly a 10-point line swing. Yale has a strong track record when playing on the road versus an opponent with a winning home record going 21-9-2 ATS. The Bulldogs also have covered in their last four visits to Harvard.
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02-23-17 | Nuggets v. Kings +7.5 | 100-116 | Win | 100 | 23 h 17 m | Show | |
The Kings have received lots of negative feedback for dealing DeMarcus Cousins. It's obvious the Kings are playing for the future despite trailing the Nuggets by just 1 1/2 games for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. However, the Kings should be especially fired-up for this matchup - their first game minus Cousins. The remaining Kings have pride and want to prove themselves. The Kings are 5-2 SU and ATS in their last seven games. They've defeated Denver four consecutive times. The Nuggets have a lot of youth. They're not accustomed to be favored to take care of business on the road laying these many points. Focus could be an issue for the Nuggets here, while the Kings have something to prove. Sacramento figures to be the more motivated team. Denver also has a number of injured players due back who could be rusty, including streak shooter Danilo Gallnari and Kenneth Faried.
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02-23-17 | Coyotes v. Blackhawks OVER 5.5 | 3-6 | Win | 115 | 5 h 20 m | Show | |
The Coyotes surprisingly have been consistently good on offense scoring three or more goals in 12 of their last 15 games. Arizona, though, gives up the fourth-most goals in the league. Mike Smith will be in goal for the Coyotes. He got banged-up in Arizona's last game and had to leave the game. It remains to be seen if he'll be 100 percent. The Coyotes are in big trouble in the nets if Smith can't finish the game. The Blackhawks rank 8th in goals scored. They've scored four or more goals in seven of their last eight games. The over is 18-6-5 in Chicago's last 29 games.
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02-23-17 | Rockets -3 v. Pelicans | 129-99 | Win | 100 | 22 h 46 m | Show | |
Houston has defeated New Orleans six of the past seven times, including burying the Pelicans, 122-100, when the teams last met in mid-December at Houston. A lot is different now. This will be DeMarcus Cousins' debut with New Orleans. He'll team up with Anthony Davis to give the Pelicans an imposing front line. However, it's going to take time for Cousins, Davis and the rest of the Pelicans to adjust. It remains to be seen if Alvin Gentry can make this a good fit. I have my doubts since I don't consider Gentry a good coach. There's going to be a lot of fanfare for this game being Cousins' debut with New Orleans. The Pelicans aren't used to these type of distractions and lack the poise and experience to handle them. The Rockets certainly won't be taking the Pelicans lightly now. Houston made an NBA-record 24 3-points in the earlier victory against New Orleans. The Rockets rank No. 2 in the NBA in scoring at 114.4 points and they do it by firing 3-pointers all the time. They should have success shooting their 3's against the Pelicans' Twin Towers new look. The Rockets are a bad matchup for the Pelicans. Houston's offense should be even better after acquiring guard Louis Williams from the Lakers. Williams is having an excellent season and will fit right in with the Rockets. The Rockets have covered 19 of their last 27 Western Conference games. The Pelicans are 1-7 ATS the past eight times when playing on three or more days rest.
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02-23-17 | Rangers v. Maple Leafs UNDER 6 | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 9 h 46 m | Show | |
The Maple Leafs rank sixth in scoring. But they don't want to get into an up-and-down track meet against the Rangers. Toronto learned its lesson after losing 5-2 to the Rangers last month. So look for the Maple Leafs to be more defensive-minded, clogging the neutral zone. The Rangers have scored only two goals in each of their last three games. New York, though, has surrendered two or fewer goals in four of its last five games during regulation. Henrik Lundqvist is playing much better in goal. |
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02-23-17 | Rangers -103 v. Maple Leafs | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 5 h 50 m | Show | |
This is a bad spot for the Maple Leafs. Toronto hosts long-time rival Montreal on Saturday. So it's a huge look ahead game for the Maple Leafs. |
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02-23-17 | Blazers -2.5 v. Magic | 112-103 | Win | 100 | 20 h 42 m | Show | |
Portland is the superior team and should be rejuvenated coming out of the break. The Trail Blazers trailed the Nuggets by two games for the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Orlando is a bottom-feeder from the inferior Eastern Conference. The demoralized Magic have lost 17 of their last 22 games and will be missing the postseason for the fifth consecutive season. The Magic rank 29th in scoring and Frank Vogel has not upgraded their defense. The Trail Blazers hold a monster backcourt edge with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Portland upgraded its frontcourt trading for Jusuf Nurkic while the the Magic got worse by dealing away big man Serge Ibaka.
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02-23-17 | Massachusetts v. George Washington -5 | 67-83 | Win | 100 | 6 h 36 m | Show | |
George Washington is an average Atlantic 10 team. But they are the superior team here and can take advantage of the Minutemen's struggling defense that has yielded an average of 81.8 points in the last five games. UMass has lost seven of its last eight games. The Colonials come into the game with a little momentum having defeated Duquesne in their last game, 77-70, on the road. George Washington plays stronger defensive at home surrendering 64.4 points. |
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02-23-17 | Jacksonville State -120 v. Eastern Kentucky | 65-68 | Loss | -120 | 6 h 33 m | Show | |
This is more a fade on Eastern Kentucky than a play on Jacksonville State as the Colonels have lost five in a row. |
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02-22-17 | Fresno State +8.5 v. San Diego State | 63-55 | Win | 100 | 9 h 14 m | Show | |
Fresno State got hot in mid-February last season ending up capturing the Mountain West Conference Tournament. The buy sign is on the Bulldogs again as they've won and covered their last two games. |
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02-22-17 | Capitals v. Flyers OVER 5 | 4-1 | Push | 0 | 13 h 31 m | Show | |
Washington has been held to three goals in its last two games - both losses. I don't see the Capitals' No. 2 ranked offense kept in check for a third straight game, especially from the Flyers, who have mediocre goaltenders and rank 25th defensively. Prior to their last two games, the Capitals had averaged five goals a game during their previous six games. Washington has too much star power on offense to be kept down by Philadelphia. The Flyers rank sixth in shots taken and have the ninth-best power play. Brayden Schenn leads the league in power play goals with 14. So the Flyers should be able to contribute their share to the total going over.
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02-22-17 | Drake +12.5 v. Loyola-Chicago | 65-80 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 60 m | Show | |
Drake is going through growing pains this season. But the Bulldogs did beat Loyola, 102-98, late last month. That was the fifth time they've covered against Loyola in the past six meetings. This has been an underdog series, too, with the 'dog getting the money the past five times. Loyola is 1-5 in its last 6. The Ramblers are off a tough loss to Missouri Valley Conference co-leader Illinois State falling 65-63 this past Sunday. A long shot rimmed out at the buzzer that would have given Loyola the victory. So it' going to be difficult for the Ramblers to get up for this game, let along cover a big number like this in the defensive-minded Missouri Valley. |
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02-22-17 | St. Louis +22 v. VCU | Top | 50-64 | Win | 100 | 18 h 32 m | Show |
VCU is in a huge look ahead spot as its next two games are against the other top two teams in the Atlantic 10 - Rhode Island and Dayton. The Rams matchup versus Dayton likely will decide the Atlantic 10 title. I can easily envision a letdown spot for VCU with the Rams taking their foot off the pedal. VCU is 6-15-1 ATS versus foes with a winning percentage below .400. The key is can the Billikens hang in? I believe they can. Saint Louis is an above average defensive team. The Billikens should play with a full amount of intensity after a bad loss to Fordham in their last game this past Saturday. Travis Ford has done a nice job coaching Saints Louis and he called out his players for lack of effort and passion following that loss to Fordham. Up until their last two games, Saint Louis had been on a nice point spread run. The Billikens are still 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games. They are 7-1 ATS following a loss and a tough team to cover a large margin against because of their slow pace.
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02-22-17 | Manhattan +7 v. Rider | 82-93 | Loss | -108 | 5 h 49 m | Show | |
Rider may not have its full intensity, which is needed to cover this mid-range number, after upsetting Iona on the road this past Sunday as a 9 1/2-point 'dog. Rider had lost four of its previous five games before pulling the upset. |
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02-21-17 | Blackhawks v. Wild -135 | 5-3 | Loss | -135 | 13 h 59 m | Show | |
The Wild have dominated the Blackhawks during the regular season going 8-0-1 against them the past nine times. The spot is ripe for the Wild to do it again. This is Minnesota's final game before its bye week. The Wild is 21-8 in their last 29 home games and 15-4-1 during their past 20 overall games. The Blackhawks just came off their bye. This will be their third game in four days. Chicago wasn't sharp in a 3-1 home loss to the Oilers in its first game back from break. The Blackhawks beat the Sabres, 5-1 on the road, two days ago. This is a step up game for them. The Blackhawks nipped the Wild, 4-3 in overtime, on their most recent visit to Minnesota less than two weeks. The Blackhawks did play well in that game, but their coach, Joel Quenneville, said they'll have to play even better to win this time. Devan Dubnyk could be the best goalie in the NHL right now for Minnesota - and he's hot with a 4-1 mark, 1.78 GAA and .945 save percentage in his last five starts.
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02-21-17 | NC State v. Georgia Tech -3 | Top | 71-69 | Loss | -105 | 7 h 29 m | Show |
I'm going to ride the Yellow Jackets here. They haven't lost a home game since Jan. 7 and that was versus Louisville. Among their home wins have been conference victories against Syracuse, North Carolina, Clemson, Florida State and Notre Dame. They have covered nine of their last 11. The teams met in mid-January and Georgia Tech won by 10 on the road. North Carolina State has dropped and failed to cover seven in a row. Mark Gottfried is a lame duck coach having already been fired. The Wolfpack fell behind Notre Dame by 23 points before losing by nine at home in their last game after getting the news about Gottfried. The Wolfpack lost to the Irish despite shooting 51.7 percent from the floor. Georgia Tech has the 16th best defensive field goal percentage in the country. Now the Wolfpack go on the road. They have lost their last three away games by a combined 79 points!
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02-21-17 | Oilers +109 v. Lightning | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 30 m | Show | |
Edmonton has won three in a row. The Oilers' defense could get a boost, too, with the possible return of defenseman Kris Russell. Tampa Bay hasn't played at home in two weeks. The Lightning just edged Colorado in overtime on the road two days ago. Now the Lightning have to adjust to being at home and getting out of Denver's high altitude. The Lightning are 1-8 following a victory and 1-6 on one day's rest. This marks their third game in four days. Tampa Bay is 14-10-1-1 at home. Edmonton, though, owns one of the best road marks at 17-9-3-2. |
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02-21-17 | Cleveland State -143 v. Detroit | 83-91 | Loss | -143 | 7 h 7 m | Show | |
Cleveland State destroyed Detroit by 17 points in the first meeting between the teams. The Vikings are in stop-the-pain mode and should win again. They have drawn early sharp action. |
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02-20-17 | Texas +16 v. West Virginia | Top | 62-77 | Win | 100 | 13 h 24 m | Show |
Texas is 0-12 on the road and at neutral sites this season. But we're not talking about a crazy money line play here. The Longhorns just need to stay fairly close, something they mostly do having not lost by more than 15 points during their past 23 games. Some of the Longhorns' road problems can be attributed to starting four underclassmen. But these young players - Jarrett Allen, Andrew Jones and Kerwin Roach to name three - are talented. Allen is a 6-foot-11 freshman who could get taken in the NBA lottery. While the Longhorns don't win on the road, they do cover spreads. Texas is 11-5 ATS the past 16 times as a road underdog. The Longhorns have lost by 10 or less points away from home against Oklahoma (by four), versus Georgia (by two), against Kansas (by two), versus Baylor (by 10), against Iowa State (by nine) and against Kansas State (by three). West Virginia just nipped Texas, 74-72, when the teams met for the first time this season on Jan. 14. The Longhorns have had tremendous point spread success versus West Virginia covering eight of the last nine times.
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02-20-17 | Ducks v. Coyotes +140 | 2-3 | Win | 140 | 10 h 25 m | Show | |
Arizona hasn't been playing that bad recently winning seven of its last 12. The Coyotes have shown some offense, too, scoring three or more goals in 11 of their last 14 games. The Ducks just got past rival Los Angeles, 1-0, at home Sunday. Anaheim has failed to win the past five times when playing without rest. The Ducks have scored only three goals in their last three games and have been held to two or fewer goals in six of their last eight games.
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02-20-17 | Miami (Fla) v. Virginia OVER 118 | 54-48 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 12 m | Show | |
Yes, these are two very strong defenses. But this total is just too low, an overcompensation for that. |
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02-19-17 | Bruins v. Sharks -110 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 29 m | Show |
The Bruins are 3-0 under interim coach Bruce Cassidy, but that is trumped by Boston playing its first game following its bye week. Teams off a bye are 3-14-1 and have yet to win this month. That trumps the Bruins' mini win streak. San Jose was in a slump losing five of seven, but got back on track beating Arizona, 4-1, last night. The Sharks are playing without rest, but were idle on Thursday and Friday. The Sharks have revenge against Boston and are 18-7-3 at home. They are 3-1 in their last four home games versus the Bruins. Boston goalie Tukka Rask has a 4.18 GAA and .833 save percentage in his last four away games.
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02-19-17 | Syracuse v. Georgia Tech +4 | 65-71 | Win | 100 | 7 h 32 m | Show | |
This is a huge game for Georgia Tech and the Yellow Jackets are expecting a rare sellout crowd in their efforts to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. The Yellow Jackets have held foes to 36 percent shooting from the floor at home. Georgia Tech has covered eight of its last 10 games and is 4-0 ATS during its past four home games. Syracuse has won just two road games all season - by one point and in overtime. The Orangemen's defense hasn't been nearly as good away from home. They have failed to cover seven of their last nine road matchups. |
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02-19-17 | Blackhawks -120 v. Sabres | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 6 h 17 m | Show | |
Look for the Blackhawks to make it six straight road victories. The Blackhawks are the fresher team and have owned Buffalo winning the past 10 meetings. This is just Chicago's second game since Feb. 11. The Blackhawks got the rust off yesterday following their bye week. The Sabres are playing for the third time in four days and also without rest. Scott Darling is expected to be in net for Chicago. I'm fine with that as I consider him one of the best backup goalies in the league. |
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02-19-17 | UNLV +13.5 v. San Diego State | 64-77 | Win | 100 | 5 h 27 m | Show | |
San Diego State won't have a sellout for the fourth straight game. The Aztecs' home-court isn't as strong as before. Their coach, Steve Fisher, is good friends with his former assistant and now UNLV coach Marvin Menzies. The Rebels have lost six in a row, but four have been by four points or less. San Diego State is 2-7 ATS versus foes with a winning percentage below .400. The Aztecs don't have enough offense to cover this number.
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02-18-17 | Flames v. Canucks +103 | 1-2 | Win | 103 | 17 h 34 m | Show | |
This is a crucial game for the Canucks trailing the Flames by five points for the final wild-card spot in the West. Calgary has been fortunate this season going 14-4-3 in one-goal games, tied for the best mark in the NHL in one-goal games. Vancouver has the better goaltending and is strong at home as evidenced by a 17-8-3 mark. The Canucks also are 6-1 in their last seven home games versus foes with a losing road mark. The Flames have struggled in Vancouver losing in 12 of their last 16 visits. Bottom line: Wrong team favored.
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02-18-17 | Predators v. Wild -143 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 16 h 14 m | Show |
Not only are the Wild the best team in the Western Conference, but they are in a ripe spot here. Minnesota catches Nashville coming off its bye week. Teams coming off their bye have yet to win in five games this month being outscored 25-8, including 21-3 through the first two periods. The Predators are 20 points behind the Wild. They are 0-5 the past five times when playing on three or more days rest. Minnesota has won 20 of its last 28 home games. The Wild have won eight of their last 11 games, but a home loss to the Ducks from two games ago to keep them from getting too cocky not to mention a home loss to the Predators on Jan. 22. So a strong Minnesota effort should be forthcoming against the obviously rusty Predators.
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02-18-17 | Lightning v. Stars -115 | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 8 h 4 m | Show | |
This is nearly last stand time for Dallas and I see the Stars getting it done at home against a team they swept last season. |
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02-18-17 | Oilers +124 v. Blackhawks | 3-1 | Win | 124 | 15 h 53 m | Show | |
It happened again on Friday. Colorado, the worst team in the NHL, upset Carolina after the Hurricanes were playing their first game following their bye. Teams are now 3-9-1 coming back from their league-mandated bye week. This mark includes an 0-5 February record. So the Blackhawks have that working against them as they return from their bye week. Edmonton also has short revenge going. The Oilers lost 5-1 to the Blackhawks at home last Saturday. That was the last time Chicago has played. If you discount that defeat, the Oilers would be 4-0 in their last four games and have held their following five opponents to a combined nine goals.
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02-18-17 | Florida Atlantic -3 v. Southern Miss | 94-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 57 m | Show | |
Florida Atlantic has won eight of its last 10 road games and catches Southern Mississippi off an overtime upset victory against Florida International. Prior to that victory, Southern Mississippi had lost six of its last seven games. While the Golden Eagles are a bit fat and happy, the Owls are in stop-the-pain mode losers of three in a row, including an overtime defeat to Rice. The Golden Eagles are 7-15-1 ATS following a SU win. I see this line as short to back the better team in a good spot.
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02-17-17 | Fairfield -118 v. Quinnipiac | Top | 89-86 | Win | 100 | 7 h 30 m | Show |
The Metro Atlantic Athletic conference takes center stage today in a limited college basketball menu. Fairfield has covered the past six times as road chalk and is such a short favorite that a money line play is warranted because of the low juice. Fairfield has revenge for a 73-71 home loss to Quinipiac 11 days ago when it blew an 11-point lead with seven minutes left. The Staggs were four-point favorites in that contest. It was not one of Fairfield's better performances, but it was more on the Staggs than the Bobcats. That also was Fairfield's only loss during its past six games. The Staggs have won tougher road games than this one. Quinnipiac drew less than 600 fans to its last home game, which was a 31-point loss to St. Peter's. The Staggs are 8-2 ATS versus sub .500 teams. Quinnipiac is 2-5 in its last seven games. I don't see the Bobcats coming away with a sweep.
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02-17-17 | VCU v. Richmond +5.5 | 84-73 | Loss | -107 | 4 h 49 m | Show | |
This is enough points to get me involved with Richmond in this revenge spot for a loss to VCU at the beginning of the month. The line is inflated because the Spiders are off a 23-point rod loss to George Mason. Prior to that defeat, though, Richmond had covered five in a row while going 4-1. The lone defeat during this span was to VCU. The Rams shot nearly 52 percent from the floor in that game. Now VCU is a good shooting team, but not nearly that good and Richmond is solidly defensively. Only 12 teams have a better 3-point shooting defense than the Spiders. Richmond always has been a good play as a home 'dog going 20-9-1 ATS in that role.
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02-17-17 | Idaho +5.5 v. Eastern Washington | 67-77 | Loss | -115 | 5 h 59 m | Show | |
Idaho did lose its last game. But prior to that the team had gone 7-1 SU and a perfect 8-0 against the spread. Expect the Vandal to bounce back in a revenge spot. They were 5 1/2-point home favorites in the first meeting and now the line is the complete opposite. |
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02-17-17 | Penguins v. Blue Jackets UNDER 6 | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 15 h 57 m | Show | |
These two teams are separated by just two points in the standings and could possibly meet in an early playoff round. So I'm envisioning a tight-checking, conservative approach especially from Pittsburgh. The Penguins edged the Jets, 4-3, in overtime last night. This is their third game in four days. The under has cashed the past five times Pittsburgh has played without rest. If you discount a 3-0 home loss to Vancouver, the Blue Jackets are giving up an average of two goals per game during their last four games. The under has cashed seven of the last nine times Columbus has played at home. Another key to this under is Matt Murray should be in goal for Pittsburgh after not playing yesterday. Murray has given up only one goal in his last two games. He has a 2.27 GAA compared to Marc-Andre Fleury's 3.16 GAA. I find Murray to be much the better goalie.
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02-16-17 | Celtics v. Bulls OVER 212 | Top | 103-104 | Loss | -105 | 19 h 38 m | Show |
The figure is 29 out of the last 30. That's how many times Boston has reached triple digits during its last 30 games. The Celtics have scored a minimum of 107 points in 13 of their last 14 games and are averaging 114.7 points during their past four games. The over is 9-2-1 in Boston's last 12 road games. So I see the Celtics during their part to get this total to go over. But how about the Bulls? Well, their defense had been atrocious up until their last game, a 105-94 home win versus Toronto two days ago. The Bulls had surrendered 100 or more points in nine consecutive games until beating the Raptors, allowing their previous four opponents before Toronto to shoot at least 50 percent from the field. The key to making this over work is Chicago's offense, which ranks 27th in field goal percentage and 29th in 3-point shooting. The over buy sign is there on the Bulls, though, following that Raptors victory. The Bulls played at a faster than usual pace for them resulting in 20 fast-break points. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg was quite pleased with the up-tempo style particularly how effective it was for bench players Doug McDermott, Cristiano Felicio and Denzel Valentine. So expect the Bulls to play quick again especially trying to take advantage of Boston having to play without rest. This is the last game before the All-Star break, too, so both teams should be holding nothing back. Jimmy Butler is back for Chicago and is slated to play without any minutes restrictions. Dwayne Wade has been ruled out, but Nikola Mirotic is expected to play after missing the last two games. |
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02-16-17 | Stars v. Wild OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -114 | 15 h 13 m | Show |
The over has cashed in 10 of Minnesota's last 12 home games - and this certainly looks like another over. The Wild is the fourth-highest scoring team in the NHL. Yet they are off a 1-0 home loss to the Ducks two days go. The Wild were shut out despite firing 37 shots on goal. Minnesota hasn't gone under the total the past 11 times when scoring two or fewer goals in its previous game. Minnesota certainly isn't going to get shut out against the Stars, who are second-to-last in goals allowed and last in defending against the power play. Dallas has two veteran goalies, Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi, neither of whom has played well this season. Dallas has surrendered at least three goals in 14 of its last 15 games! The Stars' scoring is down from a year ago, but they are still an above average scoring unit with star players, who can take advantage of Minnesota being down defensemen Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba.
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02-16-17 | Wisconsin +2.5 v. Michigan | 58-64 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 52 m | Show | |
The Badgers won't have senior Bronson Koenig when they take on Michigan. But the tradeoff is getting Wisconsin at this number. Koenig, who averages 13.4 points, actually hasn't been that effective since injuring his calf on Jan. 24. The Badgers have the depth and defense - fourth in the nation in scoring defense - to withstand his absence. I consider the Badgers the best team in the Big Ten and they won't lack for motivation following a 66-59 loss to Northwestern this past Sunday that ended their eight-game losing streak. The Badgers have beaten the Wolverines seven of the past eight times, including the last five.
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02-15-17 | Panthers v. Sharks UNDER 5 | 6-5 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 8 m | Show | |
The Sharks have been a huge under team at home this season at 18-5-7. I envision a tight defensive game here with both teams being sluggish offensively. Florida is crossing three times zones. The Panthers' offense has picked up lately, but they are a bottom-six scoring team and rank 28th in power play goals. Sharks goalie Martin Jones has turned aside 41 of 44 shots in two career games versus the Panthers and is 3-0-2 since the All-Star break. The Sharks are returning home for the first in 11 days. They just finished a four-game East Coast trip. San Jose has netted two or fewer goals in four of its last five home games while scoring three goals in the other home matchup during this span.
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02-15-17 | St. John's v. Butler -9 | 86-110 | Win | 100 | 7 h 13 m | Show | |
I see this as a kill spot for Butler. The Bulldogs are just 1-3 in their last four games desperate for a confidence-building blowout win and in revenge mode, here, too, for a three-point road upset loss to St. John's in late December. Butler is tough at home. The Bulldogs have covered 10 of their last 14 home contests and are 8-1-1 ATS following a loss. They had covered four in a row against St. John's until the past meeting.
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02-15-17 | 76ers +10.5 v. Celtics | Top | 108-116 | Win | 100 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
Twice these teams have met this season and the Celtics have won by one and four points, respectively. The 76ers have won three in a row. They've covered 19 of their last 26. They are deserving of more respect than this especially considering the situation. The Celtics haven't played at home in 10 days. They just returned from a four-game road trip going 3-1 burying Dallas, 111-98, on Monday night. Boston plays again tomorrow night at Chicago while this is the 76ers' final game going into the All-Star break. So a full effort should be forthcoming from the 76ers while the Celtics, distracted by finally coming back home, may have to hold something back for the Bulls. Boston has been favored by eight or more points eight times this season. Not once have they covered a spread in that role. The Celtics have also failed to cover during their last four home games and are 2-5 ATS following a victory. The 76ers aren't likely to have Joel Embiid, their best player. But Dario Saric and Nerlens Noel have stepped up recently. Saric is averaging 20.8 points and 6.5 rebounds during his last four games. Philadelphia is 8-5 ATS during the last 13 games Embiid has missed.
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02-15-17 | Iowa State +4.5 v. Kansas State | 87-79 | Win | 100 | 5 h 42 m | Show | |
Kansas State has dropped five of its last six games with its lone victory during this time frame coming by just two points. The Wildcats are 1-5 ATS, too, when laying less than 10 points. Iowa State has dominated this series winning five of the last six times. The Cyclones have proven themselves as 'dogs knocking off Kansas on the road along with away victories against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. When catching three or more points, the Cyclones are 5-0 ATS. Iowa State has been receiving good low-post play from Solomon Young lately. |
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02-14-17 | Kings v. Lakers -127 | 97-96 | Loss | -127 | 11 h 39 m | Show | |
The Lakers last were home on Jan. 31. They won't play at home again until 12 days from now. So this game is a big deal to LA. The Lakers have won their last two home games beating the Pacers by 13 points and Nuggets by four. LA actually has covered seven of its last eight. This includes road victories by 14 against the Knicks and by eight against the Bucks during the past eight days. The Kings are down Rudy Gay and may also be without backup point guard Ty Lawson.
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02-14-17 | Coyotes v. Oilers -1.5 | 2-5 | Win | 136 | 10 h 8 m | Show | |
Am taking a plus price with the home Oilers as I see a blowout here fading the Coyotes, who shocked the rusty Flames, 5-0, last night. Arizona has not won three road games in a row all season. The setup is perfect then for an Oilers' lopsided victory with Edmonton opening its homestand with a loss to the Blackhawks three days ago. Even if this game is unexpectedly close, which the oddsmakers do not project with such a huge money line, an empty net goal remains in play.
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02-14-17 | Dayton v. St. Louis +14 | Top | 85-63 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 12 m | Show |
OK, let's get this out of the way right away. Dayton has the best defense in the Atlantic 10. Kyle Davis is an outstanding player leading the conference both in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. The Flyers are an impressive team going 46-12 in their last 58 league games, but I don't see them covering this big of a road number against the improved Billikens. Saint Louis has covered the past six times it has been a 'dog. The team has covered nine of its last 10. The Billikens draw the fourth-highest crowd support in the league. They've won their last four home games and own upset home victories against Duquesne, Massachusetts and George Mason since Jan. 25. Saint Louis nearly defeated Dayton at home last season leading by nine with seven minutes left before falling in overtime. The Billikens were worse last season yet almost beat Dayton losing by three as 13-point 'dogs. The Billikens are improved both defensively and offensively topping 75 points in three of their last four games. The spot is excellent, too, for Saint Louis. The Billikens have their confidence up and catch Dayton off a huge underdog road victory against Rhode Island.
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02-14-17 | Stars v. Jets OVER 6 | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 5 h 7 m | Show | |
The oddsmaker has set a high total here - for good reason: Bad defense, below average goalies and strong offenses. The Stars aren't as high-scoring as last season, but they do rank 13th in goals. They've scored at least three goals in six of their last eight games and can take advantage of Winnipeg's 28th-ranked defense. The Jets have gone over the total in seven of their last eight games.
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02-14-17 | Islanders v. Maple Leafs -135 | 1-7 | Win | 100 | 13 h 44 m | Show | |
The Islanders are playing well and the Maple Leafs haven't been losing six of their last eight games. But I see this as stop-the-pain time for Toronto. The Maple Leafs are trying to avoid a three game sweep to the Islanders. The Maple Leafs have quick revenge for a 6-5 overtime road loss to the Islanders just eight days ago when they blew two leads. Toronto is putting a major emphasis on this matchup. The Islanders have lost 17 of their last 24 road games.
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02-14-17 | Canucks v. Penguins -1.5 | 0-4 | Win | 115 | 12 h 7 m | Show | |
I see this as a kill spot for the Penguins. So does the oddsmaker. Rather than lay more than 2-to-1 in juice, I'm playing the Penguins at a plus price on the puck line envisioning a multi-goal Pittsburgh victory. The Penguins won't be taking Vancouver lightly, not after a surprising 4-3 loss to Arizona in their last game this past Saturday. Matt Murray, Pittsburgh's best goalie, should be back in nets here and star center Evgeni Malkin is expected to play after missing the loss to the Coyotes. Malkin is the seventh-leading goal scorer in the NHL despite missing the past seven games with a leg injury. Vancouver is playing well enough to draw the Penguins' attention although the Canucks still have lost five of their last seven games. They are 19-42 in their last 61 road games. The Penguins have won 47 of their past 61 home contests. Ryan Miller is slated to be in net for the Canucks and he's not playing well surrendering 19 goals in his last six games, five of which Vancouver has lost. He has a 3.18 GAA versus the Penguins in 26 career games versus them.
It can be risky to ask a team to win by more than one goal. But the Penguins have won six of their last seven by multiple goals. |
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02-13-17 | Celtics v. Mavs OVER 208.5 | 111-98 | Win | 100 | 5 h 26 m | Show | |
I have to ride the Celtics and over here. Boston has scored at least 106 points in 13 of its last 14 games. The Celtics have put up 112 or more points in seven of their last 10 games. The over has cashed in nine of Boston's last 11 road games. |
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02-13-17 | Pistons v. Bucks -3 | Top | 89-102 | Win | 100 | 9 h 49 m | Show |
OK, the shock of losing Jabari Parker for the season due to a torn ACL has worn off for Milwaukee. This will be the Bucks' third game without their second-best player. Kris Middleton is back now and the Bucks need to have this game trailing the Pistons by two game for the final playoff spot in the East. The buy sign finally is on Milwaukee after the Bucks pasted the Pacers, 116-100, at Indiana this past Saturday. That was a huge confidence and morale boost for the Bucks. The Pacers are one of the better home teams in the league. This also is Middleton's third game back since returning from a torn hamstring that had kept him out the entire season so he should be less rusty. The Pistons just upset the Raptors, 102-101, on Sunday coming from 16 points down in the fourth quarter to pull it off. It's going to be hard for Detroit to retain that intensity for a second consecutive game and fourth game in six days. The Pistons are 3-7 when playing without rest and 5-12 ATS during their past 17 games versus Eastern Conference opponents. The Bucks have done well versus Detroit covering nine of the last 12 meetings, including going 4-1 ATS in Milwaukee. Monday Free Play Magic Plus the Points at Heat I'm going to test a handicapping theory. It's the play-against the hot team that just had their long winning streak snapped. In this case it's fade the Miami Heat. The Heat appeared to have their lottery reservations well in order when they lost 30 of their first 41 games. But a funny thing happened on the way to crying about the glory days of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. The Heat got hot proving you should never count out the underrated coaching of Erik Spoelstra. Miami rattled off an NBA-high 13-game win streak, longest in league history for a sub-.500 team. The historic streak ended this past Saturday when the 76ers took advantage of a flat Miami road performance to beat the Heat, 117-109. Miami committed 20 turnovers and had just 15 assists in the loss. Now the Heat return to South Florida perhaps missing Dion Waiters for a fourth straight game due to a ankle injury. The team's third-leading scorer is questionable. So there very well could be a lingering deflation for the Heat. Waiters would be missed because he's the only other respectable scoring threat besides Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside. The catch in going against the Heat in this spot is backing the Magic, losers of 12 of their last 15. This is a sure-fire lottery team, devoid of hope dragging into All-Star break with shot morale and daily trade rumors suggesting a thorough housecleaning. Frank Vogel hasn't fixed Orlando's defense, which ranks 20th and 24th in defensive field goal percentage. The Magic just surrendered 112 points in a 32-point road loss to the Mavericks this past Saturday. Dallas happens to be the lowest-scoring team in the NBA averaging 98.2 points. Miami is averaging 112.3 points in its last eight games. That would rank third in the NBA if compounded during the entire season. The Heat still have averaged 107.6 points during their last three games minus Waiters. At least the Magic should be highly motivated, right? They off an embarrassing loss in which their effort was questioned and now play their in-state rival. The Magic have the big men with Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic to keep Whiteside from going crazy. The Magic also are 11-6 ATS when catching seven or more points. So let's give the theory a test.
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02-13-17 | Arkansas State v. Texas State UNDER 129.5 | 58-62 | Win | 100 | 8 h 28 m | Show | |
These two teams rank among the top three in the Sun Belt Conference in defensive efficiency. Texas State is adept at controlling tempo when playing at home and the Bobcats are going to play half-court here ranking 344th in tempo. The under has cashed in five of Texas State's past seven home games. That's fine with Arkansas State, which ranks 212th in tempo. The line is set too high in my view because Arkansas State has been shooting well. However, the Red Wolves are taking a step up in defensive competition.
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02-13-17 | Rangers v. Blue Jackets OVER 5.5 | 3-2 | Loss | -117 | 4 h 5 m | Show | |
The Rangers and Blue Jackets have met three times this season. There have been six, nine and 10 goals during those games with the latest coming in a 6-4 Blue Jackets victory on Jan. 31. The over has cashed seven of the last nine times the Rangers have been on the road. The Rangers are going with backup goalie Antti Raanta in this game. Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has cooled off not playing as well as before and has a poor history against the Rangers.
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02-13-17 | Baylor -2.5 v. Texas Tech | Top | 78-84 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 17 m | Show |
If it weren't for beating last place Oklahoma, Texas Tech would be 0-6 in its last six Big 12 Conference games. The Red Raiders did get up in a big way to play Kansas at home this past Saturday losing 80-79 at the wire. I don't see the Red Raiders being able to come back that strong just two days later against sixth-ranked Baylor. The Bears are a school-best 22-3 through 25 games and have one of the top players in the nation, Johnathan Motley. In short turnarounds such as this for both teams, talent usually trumps. Baylor has been a huge money-maker on the road, too, gong 15-5-1 ATS in its last 21 away contests. The Bears are 4-2 in conference road games with the losses coming to Kansas and West Virginia, the two teams along with themselves that are vying for the Big 12 title. It's tough to beat Texas Tech in Lubbock, but the Red Raiders are not in the class of Kansas and West Virginia.
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02-13-17 | Rider v. Fairfield -3.5 | 67-69 | Loss | -105 | 3 h 43 m | Show | |
Rider is a poor road team especially when stepping up failing to cover nine of the last 12 times versus home teams that are above .500. |
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02-12-17 | Canadiens v. Bruins OVER 5 | 0-4 | Loss | -122 | 7 h 60 m | Show | |
The Bruins offense has picked up since Bruce Cassidy replaced Claude Julien. That was two games ago and Boston has scored 10 goals in those two games. This hasn't just been happenstance. The Bruins are playing more aggressively offensively while utilizing four lines instead of heavily relying on only two lines as Julien favored. This has led to a faster and more consistent tempo. The over has cashed in Boston's last five home games. Montreal's defense has slipped. So has the play of goalie Carey Price. The Canadiens have allowed at least three goals in all but one of their last six games. Montreal has yielded four goals in each of its last three games.
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02-12-17 | Oregon State +26 v. UCLA | 60-78 | Win | 100 | 6 h 53 m | Show | |
It's hard to make a case for Oregon State except to point out the spot. It's a major letdown situation for UCLA following the Bruins' 82-79 victory against sixth-ranked Oregon on Thursday. Oregon State played the Bruins fairly tight in the first meeting losing 76-63. The Bruins also had just played Oregon before that game. Stephen Thompson Jr., Oregon's second-leading scorer, is from LA and should be pumped. The Beavers have done well from an ATS standpoint in this series covering eight of the last 10. UCLA often is overpriced, which is the case here. The Bruins are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 Pac-12 games and 1-5 ATS the past six times they've been home chalk.
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02-12-17 | Nevada +4 v. San Diego State | Top | 56-70 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 44 m | Show |
These teams met early last month in Reno and Nevada won, 72-69, as two-point favorites. A key to the Wolf Pack's victory was outrebounding the Aztecs by 12 boards. Nevada is the better rebounding team, leads the Mountain West in 3-point defense and outscores San Diego State by an average of 10 points a game. The Wolf Pack have the matchup edges, motivation and history to beat the Aztecs straight-up again. San Diego State still plays outstanding defense. However, the Aztecs have lost some of their home mystique with losses to New Mexico and Colorado State since the calendar turned 2017. The Aztecs are a bad rebounding team - ranking last in the Mountain West in defensive rebounding - and have trouble scoring ranking last in the conference in scoring and free throws attempted per game. The Aztecs rely on defense and 3-point shooting. They rank 284th, though, in 3-point accuracy and Nevada has a strong perimeter defense. The Wolf Pack are in a dogfight with Boise State and Colorado State to win the Mountain West. The big question is can the Wolf Pack win on the road? They had a bad loss to Utah State, falling 74-57 on Feb. 1, in their last road game. Prior to that game, however, the Wolf Pack posted three consecutive road victories defeating New Mexico, Wyoming and Boise State. The wins against Wyoming and Boise State were in blowout fashion. My feeling is Nevada learned from that road loss to Utah State and should produce a high level game here. Nevada has been a huge money-maker in this spread range covering 13 of the last 16 times when getting up to 6 1/2 points. The Wolf Pack also is 18-6-2 ATS the last 26 times facing an above .500 foes.
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02-12-17 | Red Wings v. Wild -1.5 | 3-6 | Win | 120 | 8 h 53 m | Show | |
I really like the Wild in this game, but I can't lay this high juice. So laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line is the best way to attack this matchup as I see Minnesota blowing out a tired Detroit team. Not only are the Wild vastly superior to the Red Wings, but Detroit had to play on Saturday. The Red Wings lost 2-1 to Columbus in an emotional game for them following the death of their long-time team owner. This is a day game, which makes it even more difficult for the Red Wings, playing in their third road game in four days. Minnesota has won 17 of its 24 home games. The Wild have won four of their last five games by two or more goals. The Red Wings have weak goal tending, rank 26th in goals and last in power play goals.
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02-11-17 | Celtics v. Jazz OVER 205.5 | 112-104 | Win | 100 | 6 h 34 m | Show | |
The Jazz are playing their most consistent on offense reaching triple digits in 11 of their last 15 games, including the past five. Boston has reached triple digits in 26 of its last 27 games. The over has cashed in eight of the Celtics' last 10 road games. The teams met early last month and Boston won 115-104 for a combined 219 points. The teams have a history of going over the total when playing in Utah with the over cashing five of the past six times.
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02-11-17 | North Texas v. Florida International -4.5 | Top | 71-90 | Win | 100 | 12 h 40 m | Show |
This is a stop-the-pain home game for Florida International, losers of four in a row. The timing is ripe for the Golden Panthers to do just that. Florida International catches North Texas fat and happy after the Mean Green posted a 70-64 road upset win against Florida Atlantic this past Thursday. That victory halted an 11-game losing streak for the Mean Green. North Texas, though, is horrible on the road going 5-16-1 ATS during its last 22 away contests and has failed to cover the past five times following a rare victory. North Texas isn't used to winning, far less so on the road. The Golden Panthers won't lack for motivation. They can just remember last year's game when they blew a 12-point lead with around six minutes left in a 77-75 road loss to the Mean Green during their previous meeting. Stephen Nover Saturday Free Pick Northern Illinois plus 4 1/2 at Western Michigan The combination of getting the better team with the superior defense and a bunch of points puts me on Northern Illinois. Northern Illinois is four games above .500 while Western Michigan is 8-15. According to the latest Ken Pomeroy's ratings, Northern Illinois ranks 194th, while Western Michigan is 205th. The Huskies have the 70th stingiest defense in the country giving up 68.2 points per game. That number actually comes down to 65.6 when they are on the road. By contrast, Western Michigan allows 78.6 points a game. The Broncos are off a 72-55 win against Miami of Ohio in their last game this past Tuesday. They have failed to cover 15 of the past 21 times following a victory. Northern Illinois is 6-1-1 ATS the past eight times playing Western Michigan. The Huskies have covered three of their past four road games, all as either an underdog or pick. |
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02-11-17 | Siena v. Marist +6.5 | 84-77 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 17 m | Show | |
Marist isn't very good. We know that. But Sienna can't be trusted as road chalk. The Saints aren't strong enough.The records bear this out. The Saints have failed to cover nine of the past 12 times they've been favored. Sienna also is just 6-15-1 against the spread the past 22 times it has been a road favorite. |
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02-11-17 | Lightning v. Jets OVER 5.5 | 4-1 | Loss | -102 | 6 h 13 m | Show | |
Tampa Bay's middle-of-the-pack offense can roll here against the Jets, who rank 27th in goals allowed and have surrendered three or more goals in 14 straight games. Winnipeg, though, is a top-10 scoring team. So it's not that surprising the over is 16-3-1 in the Jets' last 20 games. It doesn't take much to get involved with an over in a Jets game. But if you need more evidence the last three meetings between these teams have all resulted in overs with seven, 11 and 10 goals being scored, respectively.
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02-11-17 | Fordham +7 v. George Mason | 67-73 | Win | 100 | 9 h 26 m | Show | |
Fordham is a perfect 6-0 ATS versus George Mason. The Rams can take advantage of George Mason being a poor favorite in this spread range - 1-8 ATS laying from 7 to 12 1/2 points - and coming off a 76-69 upset victory against Davidson this past Wednesday night. The Patriots were 11-point underdogs in that game against Davidson. So it wouldn't be surprising if the Patriots' intensity was down a notch here. |
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02-11-17 | Red Wings +175 v. Blue Jackets | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 20 m | Show | |
The Red Wings not only have short revenge for a 3-2 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets this past Tuesday, but they should play hard in memory of their longtime and beloved owner, Mike Ilitch, who died on Friday. The Red Wings get back Niklas Kronwall and Jeff Blashill. Goalie Jimmy Howard is back, too. Columbus is just 8-10 following their epic 16-game win streak. Sergei Bobrovsky isn't play well in goal and the Blue Jackets looked terrible in losing 3-0 at home to Vancouver in their last game.
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02-11-17 | Islanders v. Senators UNDER 5.5 | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 40 m | Show | |
First off, this is a day game meaning an early start. That's a plus for the under as it could mean sluggish offenses. Then there are some interesting sub plots that also favor the total going under. This game could mark the return of Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson. He's the Senators' No. 1 goaltender. He's been out for more than two months to be with his wife who is battling cancer. Anderson is expected to play. Before taking a leave of absence, he had a 12-6-1 record with a 2.46 GAA and .924 save percentage. His presence would provide an emotional lift for the Senators. Islands goalie Thomas Greiss is having a surprisingly strong season. He's giving up 2.3 goals in his last 15 starts. The Senators have scored just three goals in their last three games going 0-for-7 in power play opportunities during this span. The under has cashed in seven of the last nine games between the two teams.
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02-10-17 | Hawks -125 v. Kings | Top | 107-108 | Loss | -125 | 16 h 0 m | Show |
Not only does Atlanta hold a class difference here, but the Hawks match up well to the Kings. That's continually proven with the Hawks covering 14 of the last 17 in the series, including winning 106-95 in the team's first meeting this season. Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last seven visits to Sacramento. The Hawks are playing well winning 16 of their last 22. They have covered 10 of their last 14 on the road. Atlanta holds a backcourt edge with Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr., both of whom are playing at high levels. The Kings' backcourt may be down Ty Lawson, who suffered a leg injury in the Kings' 108-92 win against the Celtics this past Wednesday. The Kings' major weapon - and only consistent one with Rudy Gay out for the season - is big man DeMarcus Cousins. Dwight Howard can neutralize Cousins, though. Howard had 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots when the Hawks won the earlier meeting by 11 points. Howard limited Cousins to just 14 points in that game. The Kings always have maturity questions. They could be in a major letdown mood after their impressive 16-point victory versus Boston. The Kings achieved that win without Cousins, who was suspended for that game. Sacramento is 1-6-1 ATS following a victory.
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02-10-17 | Blackhawks v. Jets OVER 5.5 | 5-2 | Win | 100 | 12 h 18 m | Show | |
This figures to be a high-scoring game between two top-11 offenses. The Jets give up the fourth-most goals in the league, though. Their defense has been particularly vulnerable lately as the Jets have surrendered three or more goals in 13 consecutive games, including 12 goals allowed during their past three games. The Blackhawks have scored at least three goals in four of their past five games. The over has cashed in six of Chicago's last seven games. The over has cashed an overwhelming 92 percent during the Jets' past 13 games.
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02-10-17 | Blackhawks v. Jets +100 | 5-2 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 18 m | Show | |
Winnipeg should be up for this matchup after two straight losses, including an embarrassing road defeat to lowly Colorado. Prior to those losses, though, the Jets had won three in a row, including defeating the Blackhawks, 5-3, in Chicago on Jan. 26. The Jets need this home victory trailing a wild-card playoff spot by five points. Chicago just snapped an eight-game regular season losing streak against first-place Minnesota on the road in overtime two days ago. The Blackhawks could be a little fat and happy from that victory. Chicago plays at Edmonton on Saturday. The Jets play Chicago with a great deal of confidence as well they should having defeated the Blackhawks in all four meetings this season. Connor Hellebuyck has been in goal for all four of those victories and should be in goal again. Hellebuyck is a mediocre goalie, but he plays Chicago tough having held the Blackhawks to one goal of fewer three times this season.
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02-10-17 | Pelicans v. Wolves OVER 211.5 | 122-106 | Win | 100 | 5 h 28 m | Show | |
The Timberwolves still aren't playing good defense. They've allowed triple digits during their past 12 games. Minnesota gave up 117 points to the Pelicans in the first meeting between the two teams this season. The Pelicans rank 23rd defensively. They just yielded 127 points to the offensively-challenge Jazz. The over has cashed the last five times the teams have met.
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02-10-17 | Warriors v. Grizzlies UNDER 216 | 122-107 | Loss | -103 | 5 h 16 m | Show | |
Do not expect a repeat of the Grizzlies 128-119 overtime victory against the Warriors from Jan. 6. The Warriors blew a huge lead in that game and have had this matchup circled ever since. Golden State can play defense ranking No. 1 in 3-point defense and No. 2 in defensive field goal percentage. Memphis allows only 99.1 points per game. Just two teams give up fewer points per game. This is the Grizzlies' third straight home game. They are playing outstanding defense during this homestand holding the Spurs to 74 points and the Suns to 91 points.
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02-10-17 | Harvard -5 v. Brown | 87-74 | Win | 100 | 6 h 15 m | Show | |
The last time Brown defeated Harvard was 2009. The Bears have dropped 14 in a row to the Crimson. I'm going to ride that streak agreeing with the early money movement on Harvard. The Crimson is 8-1-1 ATS in its last 10 Ivy League games and 12-3-2 ATS during their past 17 games. Brown has yet to find consistency dropping six of its last eight.
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02-10-17 | Dayton v. Rhode Island -3.5 | 75-74 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 7 m | Show | |
Rhode Island has been playing excellent defense in winning its last four games. Not only is this a revenge game for the Rams, who lost 67-64 at Dayton, but it's crucial for their Atlantic 10 chances and possible NCAA Tourney berth. The Rams have held four of their last five opponents to below 1.00 in points per possession with the national average being 1.05. The Rams rank in the top 15 in 3-point defense and in the top 60 in percentage of blocked shots and steals. Dayton had a struggle on Tuesday before dispatching St. Joe's. The Flyers have already lost road games to UMass and VCU. Rhode Island is 11-1 at home and is 3-0-1 ATS the past four times hosting Dayton.
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02-09-17 | Celtics +1.5 v. Blazers | Top | 120-111 | Win | 100 | 15 h 1 m | Show |
Every NBA team is going to encounter a flat spot during the course of such a long season. It happened to the Celtics last night. They lost to the Kings, 108-92, despite Sacramento not having suspended DeMarcus Cousins. The Celtics committed 18 turnovers, shot 39.7 percent from the floor and only had four fast-break points. Prior to that game, though, Boston had won seven straight games. The Celtics had reached triple-digits in 25 consecutive games. I see Boston bouncing back strong in this matchup. Fatigue shouldn't factor since Boston last played on Sunday before losing to the Kings. The Celtics also have won five consecutive times when playing without rest, covering four of the five. The Celtics should be use to West Coast time now. If they need extra motivation, the Celtics can point to Jan. 21. The Trail Blazers defeated the Celtics, 127-123 in overtime, on that date in Boston despite finishing their own four-game, six-day road trip back then. The Trail Blazers are off a last-second one-point road victory against the Mavericks two days ago. That was a costly victory for Portland as it lost swingman and key reserve Evan Turner to a broken hand. The Trail Blazers don't have a strong bench, nor good big men to take advantage of Boston's rebounding weakness. Portland is 7-18-1 ATS following a victory. The Celtics have covered 70 percent of their last 18 road contests. |
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02-09-17 | Jazz v. Mavs OVER 193.5 | 105-112 | Win | 100 | 6 h 31 m | Show | |
Given the current form of these two teams, the total is too low. The Jazz are averaging 114 ponts during their last four games. They are off their two highest scoring games of the season. |
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02-09-17 | Canucks v. Blue Jackets UNDER 5.5 | Top | 3-0 | Win | 100 | 12 h 30 m | Show |
Columbus is home for only the second time in its last eight games. The Blue Jackets give up the fifth-fewest goals in the league, but fiery coach John Tortorella hasn't been pleased with his team's defense lately. The Blue Jackets are looking to tighten up their defense and they've found the right opponent. Vancouver ranks third-from-the-bottom in the NHL in scoring, shots on goal and power play goals. The Canucks have been held to two goals or fewer in nine of their last 12 games. Both teams have issues with their power play. Columbus has scored in just two of its last 19 power play opportunities while Vancouver's power play unit will be without injured forward Sven Baertschi. He's the Canucks' fourth leading scorer and key guy on their power play. The Blue Jackets have a strong under tendency when facing Western Conference opponents with the under standing 17-5-1 the past 23 times. The under also has cashed seven of the last eight times the two teams have met in Columbus.
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02-09-17 | North Texas +7 v. Florida Atlantic | 70-64 | Win | 100 | 10 h 6 m | Show | |
Florida Atlantic is in a letdown spot as mid-size home chalk after upsetting Old Dominion this past Saturday as an 11-point road 'dog. Florida Atlantic isn't strong enough to cover this number if not playing well. North Texas is looking for its first Conference USA win and will be loose. The Owls are 1-7 ATS when laying between 7 and 12 1/2 points.
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02-09-17 | Belmont -4.5 v. Jacksonville State | 66-53 | Win | 100 | 10 h 5 m | Show | |
Belmont has too much offense for Jacksonville State and is a far better free throw shooting team. The teams met on Jan. 19 and Belmont won easily, 77-60. Belmont has covered its last five road games and is 18-6 ATS versus opponents that have a winning home mark. Jacksonville State has been a money-burner at home failing to cover in eight of its last nine home contests.
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02-08-17 | Stanford v. Arizona -13.5 | 67-74 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 9 m | Show | |
I see a blowout here. Arizona has dominated Stanford winning and covering during the past five meetings while winning the last 14 in the series. This includes the Wildcats burying the Cardinal, 91-52, earlier this season. |
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02-08-17 | Raptors -3 v. Wolves | 109-112 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 14 m | Show | |
DeMar DeRozan is back and so are the Raptors. Toronto has won two in a row and is looking to reclaim the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. DeRozan had missed seven of eight games with an ankle injury, but returned on Monday in the Raptors' last game and scored 31 points in a 118-109 home win versus the Clippers. Minnesota has dropped four in a row. The Timberwolves have surrendered an average of 115.8 points during their losing streak, most in the league during this span. The team is in a funk after finding that promising guard Zach LaVine is out for the season with a torn ACL in his knee. The Raptors can take advantage of Minnesota's lack of depth. Minnesota shot 51.1 percent from the floor when the teams last met on Dec. 8 in Toronto. The Raptors still won, 124-110. That was the ninth time in the last 11 meetings the Raptors have covered versus the Timberwolves, who have failed to also cover in five of their last six games at Target Center.
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02-08-17 | Suns v. Grizzlies OVER 210 | 91-110 | Loss | -102 | 11 h 47 m | Show | |
Phoenix is the 11th-highest scoring team in the NBA, but allows the second-most points per game at 112.6. Memphis has picked up its scoring. The Grizzlies have scored at least 101 points in 11 of their last 13 games. Part of their offensive transformation comes from Marc Gasol enjoying his finest all-around offensive season. The Suns have scored 105 or more points in nine of their last 10 games. Eric Booker is having a monster season for them. However, the Suns have also surrendered at least 111 points in seven of their last eight games. Note, too, that the over has cashed seven of the past eight times the teams have played in Memphis.
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02-08-17 | Suns +10 v. Grizzlies | 91-110 | Loss | -103 | 10 h 18 m | Show | |
The Grizzlies have a history of playing to the level of their competition and are in a prime flat spot. Memphis just defeated San Antonio, 89-74, at home on Monday and hosts Golden State on Friday. So the Grizzlies can be excused if they overlook the Suns. Phoenix averages 106.6 points a game, 11th-best in the NBA. The Suns shouldn't lack motivation with revenge for a 19-point home loss suffered to the Grizzlies on Jan. 30 and have covered four of their last five road games.
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