INDIAN COWBOY 100% confirmed
PLAY OF THE DAY: MILWAUKEE vs ATLANTA
Play: Atlanta -8 (POD)
Comments: INDIAN COWBOY'S PLAY OF THE DAY: Atlanta -8 (POD) The Hawks beat this team by 16 at home back in November, the Bucks then of course won at home back in January by about 8 points, the Bucks do come off a road loss to the Heat, but if this team was truly going to bounce-back they would have gotten some revenge on the Heat on the road after losing to them at home. Bell is listed as questionable for this game for the Bucks, every game in the East is critical for the Hawks for the playoffs, they come off a loss to an Eastern Conference foe in the Bulls on the road, they return home to face a Bucks team with revenge, off a loss to continue to competing for the playoffs. This is very similar to when the Hawks lost to the Rockets on the road and returned home to handle the Clips with ease. I need to be wary of going against the better teams in the league or against teams in a playoff hunt such as the Spurs yesterday with the Magic, but I have no qualms about going against the Bucks who are not headed to the playoffs this year and not the highest of quality teams on the road (although a a decent home team).
DETROIT vs TORONTO
Play: Toronto Raptors -1.5
Comments: INDIAN COWBOY SELECTION: Toronto Raptors -1.5 Is this the strongest play of the day, absolutely not. However, the Raptors come off a very disappointing loss to the Nuggets where they collapsed by 8 points at the half (trust me I know, I was on the Raps over the Nugs in that game). The Raptors do have Bosh back, this is a big game for them as a morale booster, with playoff atmosphere in Toronto, this team needs this win, they haven't beat the Pistons the last 3 games and lost by 14 on the road earlier this year. I look for the Raps at home to get a big win here as remember the Pistons have lost 3 of their last 4 on the road with the sole win on the road being over the Knicks. I'll take the home team here as they started out as the dog and now sit at the favorite despite 2/3rds of the public being on the Pistons.
BRADLEY vs VIRGINIA
Play: Bradley +6.5
Comments: INDIAN COWBOY SELECTION: Bradley +6.5 Here is my reasoning behind Bradley. Keep in mind that both of these teams are ranked similarly - just above the top 90 cutoff. Bradley has defeated two teams that more difficult one in the Bearcats of Cincy from the Big East and the other of Ohio who are both top 100 teams. They face a Virginia team that has not looked sharp against ODU nor against Richmond, two teams in the top 140. However, I hate laying 3 units on 6.5 points - although Virginia has not covered either spread against two games barely winning them. I nearly took Bradley here for 1 unit on the moneyline +245, but decided to take the 6.5 points and lay the 3 units. I6.5 points is my cutoff and given how Virginia seems to be getting down at the half and closing the game in the 2nd half, I lean on Bradley for the first half, but nevertheless, I'll take the 3 unit wager for the full game. This is at my cutoff for points for an underdog in the ballgame, but Bradley has played a tougher road to get here, Virginia has not looked sharp against two teams outside the top 100, and their luck might be running out against Bradley who is within the top 100 and about 40 spots better than the 2 previous tams that UVA has not covered against in this tourney thus far.
MISSISSIPPI vs VIRGINIA TECH
Play: Virginia Tech -8
Comments: INDIAN COWBOY SELECTION: Virginia Tech -8 I know the 8 points looks wonderful here for Ole Miss an SEC team, but Ole Miss has lost by this margin and more to teams like Alabama and LSU on the road and Virginia Tech is ranked about 50 spots higher than both of those teams. Virginia Tech is a young team, they love to ante up the score as they did against Morgan State and UAB and this teams feels slighted that they did not make it to the NIT and once again they are on ESPN2 and they area aware that teams across the nation as well as scouts will be watching them. I would not be surprised to see the Hokies, who play in a great atmosphere at Virginia Tech look to dominate an Ole Miss team at home and win by double-digits. I like the crowd behind Va Tech, they have played great thus far at home, Ole Miss now has to hit the road after 2 home wins in the tourney in the NIT, and face a Va Tech out to prove that they should have made it to the NCAA tourney.