I am looking at two dogs which seem to have a good amount of value. But before I get to the plays, I do want to comment that RAYMOND makes a vey strong case for a play on Indiana tonight -- laying a point to the Kings. See his thread "100 Percent Trend Play" which is quite interesting. As for me, I can't pull the trigger on the Pacers. I think Indiana stinks and Sacramento is on a mission here --especially without Webber in the lineup. But that's just me. I'm passing on the game. Good luck to Raymond and others who have the stones to play the Pacers tonight. That appears to be a real gutsy move.
Here's what I have this evening for all the dog lovers:
RUFF RUFF!
CLEVELAND +10 vs. NY KNICKS
Cavs went from +9 up to +10 (where I made a wager) and has since dipped back down to +9.5 CLEVE played a very tough opponent last night (SACR) and knew they probably would not win, so they may have just gone through the motions looking forward to tonight's game against the Knicks -- which are a VERY BEATABLE team right now. Most teams get a bit of a charge playing in MSG and I think that plays to the Cavs' advantage here -- playing weaker competition than they've seen recently, in a high-profile atmosphere. Notice that Cavs have played MUCH BETTER on the road this season, easily covering at Charlotte against a very good Hornets team (Cavs led the whole game but faded late) and wnining IN MIAMI by 7. NY and MIA have very similar styles -- which plays into a Cavs cover here. No way can Celevland match-up with the Sacramentos of the league, but slow down the pace a bit and put the always over-rated Knicks on the court, and the Cavs will come out to play. Also -- since Cavs have had their asses stomped at home three straight times, I really do believe the road spot here is a breather for the Cavs. Both of these teams played last night, neutralizing any fatigue factors, and if the game slows down (Knicks say they will play more defense, according to Van Gundy) those 10 points are going to be very sweet by the middle of the 4th quarter when the score is 78-75, or whatever. Another question is -- how in the hell can the 1-3 Knicks (without center Camby) be listed by double-digits here? Knicks only win was a squeeker, and they've lost three straight since. Meanwhile, Cavs were very competitive in both road games this year. Cleveland guard Andre Miller had a career high 17 assists and 19 points last night. That's as good as anything on the Knicks bench (Spreewell, the only legitimate scoring threat, although a case could be made for Houston as well). Another thing that bothers me about the Knicks -- they were a dismal 20 of 34 from the FT line last night. This team simply is NOT focused. Even the lowly Bulls beat them. I see a line that is off by at least 3-4 points. I'd make this Knicks by 6.5 Give me the awful Cavs to cover and ruin Spike Lee's night.
RUFF RUFF!
MEMPHIS +9.5 vs. LA CLIPPERS
Memphis appears to be the play in this game for many of the same reason as the Cavs. Bettors don't like the Cavs or the Grizzlies, so they get extra points to make them more attractive (translation: value). Two struggling teams are on the court here, and we are getting at ton of points. Bingo! I'll take the bonus. Add that Clippers star Odom is suspended, which hurts the team significantly, and they have shown no signs they are improving as was expected. Grizzies have to be looking at this as a VERY winnable game, and will at least give a solid effort since they are almost assured of a loss their next game against the Lakers. I think Memphis puts all its effort into this game to salvage at least one win on this road trip. One other point -- Memphis has been losing games by an average of about 10 points, which makes this line seem quite reasonable, but consider that Memphis has played some real powerhouses, all offensive scoring machines -- Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, and Phoenix (COMBINED SU RECORD 13-4!). Clippers are BY FAR the worst team Memphis has faced this season. That indicates a return of confidence and at least a decent effort tonight. Another good sign, Grizzlies' Gasol who was the third pick in the NBA draft, scored 27 points and went 11 for 17 shooting in his first start last night. Gasol's performance has to lift this team and give them some hope. If he puts up anywhere near those numbers, Grizzlies could pull off an upset. I love the big number here. Give me the +9.5
Ruff Ruff!
-- Nolan Dalla
Here's what I have this evening for all the dog lovers:
RUFF RUFF!
CLEVELAND +10 vs. NY KNICKS
Cavs went from +9 up to +10 (where I made a wager) and has since dipped back down to +9.5 CLEVE played a very tough opponent last night (SACR) and knew they probably would not win, so they may have just gone through the motions looking forward to tonight's game against the Knicks -- which are a VERY BEATABLE team right now. Most teams get a bit of a charge playing in MSG and I think that plays to the Cavs' advantage here -- playing weaker competition than they've seen recently, in a high-profile atmosphere. Notice that Cavs have played MUCH BETTER on the road this season, easily covering at Charlotte against a very good Hornets team (Cavs led the whole game but faded late) and wnining IN MIAMI by 7. NY and MIA have very similar styles -- which plays into a Cavs cover here. No way can Celevland match-up with the Sacramentos of the league, but slow down the pace a bit and put the always over-rated Knicks on the court, and the Cavs will come out to play. Also -- since Cavs have had their asses stomped at home three straight times, I really do believe the road spot here is a breather for the Cavs. Both of these teams played last night, neutralizing any fatigue factors, and if the game slows down (Knicks say they will play more defense, according to Van Gundy) those 10 points are going to be very sweet by the middle of the 4th quarter when the score is 78-75, or whatever. Another question is -- how in the hell can the 1-3 Knicks (without center Camby) be listed by double-digits here? Knicks only win was a squeeker, and they've lost three straight since. Meanwhile, Cavs were very competitive in both road games this year. Cleveland guard Andre Miller had a career high 17 assists and 19 points last night. That's as good as anything on the Knicks bench (Spreewell, the only legitimate scoring threat, although a case could be made for Houston as well). Another thing that bothers me about the Knicks -- they were a dismal 20 of 34 from the FT line last night. This team simply is NOT focused. Even the lowly Bulls beat them. I see a line that is off by at least 3-4 points. I'd make this Knicks by 6.5 Give me the awful Cavs to cover and ruin Spike Lee's night.
RUFF RUFF!
MEMPHIS +9.5 vs. LA CLIPPERS
Memphis appears to be the play in this game for many of the same reason as the Cavs. Bettors don't like the Cavs or the Grizzlies, so they get extra points to make them more attractive (translation: value). Two struggling teams are on the court here, and we are getting at ton of points. Bingo! I'll take the bonus. Add that Clippers star Odom is suspended, which hurts the team significantly, and they have shown no signs they are improving as was expected. Grizzies have to be looking at this as a VERY winnable game, and will at least give a solid effort since they are almost assured of a loss their next game against the Lakers. I think Memphis puts all its effort into this game to salvage at least one win on this road trip. One other point -- Memphis has been losing games by an average of about 10 points, which makes this line seem quite reasonable, but consider that Memphis has played some real powerhouses, all offensive scoring machines -- Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, and Phoenix (COMBINED SU RECORD 13-4!). Clippers are BY FAR the worst team Memphis has faced this season. That indicates a return of confidence and at least a decent effort tonight. Another good sign, Grizzlies' Gasol who was the third pick in the NBA draft, scored 27 points and went 11 for 17 shooting in his first start last night. Gasol's performance has to lift this team and give them some hope. If he puts up anywhere near those numbers, Grizzlies could pull off an upset. I love the big number here. Give me the +9.5
Ruff Ruff!
-- Nolan Dalla
