07:05 PM NHL [51] Ottawa Senators +192
07:05 PM NHL [53] Arizona Coyotes +202
07:05 PM NHL [56] Washington Capitals -1.5 +140
07:05 PM NHL [58] TOTAL u5-125 (Florida Panthers vrs Boston Bruins)
08:30 PM NFL [378] NY JETS +2.5 -150 (B+2)
08:05 PM NBA [710] New Orleans Pelicans -3.5 -150 (B+2)
08:05 PM NBA [714] Milwaukee Bucks +200
07:00 PM CBB Added Game [729] Siena -4.5 -110
09:00 PM CBB Added Game [733] Wisconsin Milwaukee +8-105
10:35 PM NBA Team total Los A [33720] TOTAL u97-110 (Los Angeles Lakers
1 unit bet pays 2257 ....betdsi line
ok, yeah, this parlay a little too crazy! :scared ...I will get more sensible tomorrow!
Goood luck everyone!! :firing: :toast: :SIB:em71:
ripped, cut and pasted, otherwise written by others, from across the internets:
The Ottawa Senators have won four straight road games and have scored a combined eight goals in their last two games against the Penguins. There's value with the Senators in this spot, especially with the way they've been playing overall and the Penguins hot and cold results. Give me Ottawa and the spread. Ottawa Senators +1.5
Ottawa +193 over PITTSBURGH
OT included. The Penguins are a deep and talented team that need no introductions whatsoever. Obviously, you don?t need us to tell you how dangerous they are. However, the Pens are coming off a Cup win and have not truly dedicated themselves to hit their peak. The Penguins are on cruise control and probably will be until late February. Pittsburgh needed four, third period goals to defeat the Red Wings on Saturday. That was its first back-to-back victories in a month. We also love the Penguins are headed out to sunny Florida after this one for games in Tampa and Sunrise before returning home for a game against Arizona. Every player on the East Coast looks forward to a trip to Florida and after three straight at home, we're pretty sure the Penguins cannot wait to get on that plane. With no urgency in their game and with a four-day, two-game trip to Florida on deck, this looks like a very decent time to fade the Pens. The price also influences this choice.
Ottawa is the Rodney Dangerfield of the NHL. The Sens are now 15-10 and 4-1 against top-10 competition. Derek Brassard is turning out to be a great acquisition for Ottawa and so has goaltender Mike Condon. What?s so fascinating about Ottawa is that they are having success while shooting a paltry 5.3 percent at even strength. Their 97.2 PDO suggests they may be due better luck as the season continues and one can credit coach Guy Boucher for making this team better with each passing week. Ottawa has great balance and an underrated defense, whose Corsi numbers are steadily improving. The Sens are simply too live and too good to be passing up numbers like this on them and we have to figure that they?ll also be the more motivated team here.
Panthers vs. Bruins
Play: Bruins -140
Boston has started to turn things around of late, having earned points in its last four contests. Florida gets caught looking ahead here with the first game of a back-to-back set. The Panthers mustered just 24 shots in a 2-0 loss to the Sens on Saturday. Goaltender Roberto Luongo has been good this year with a 2.04 GAA, but note that he?s just 1-3-1 in his last five against Boston. The Bruins most recently beat the Sabres 2-1 on Saturday. Goaltender Tuukka Rask is 13-4-1 with a 1.60 GAA on the year. Note that he?s an even better 16-3-1 with a 1.48 GAA lieftime against Florida. All things considered, we think the home side offers pretty good value in this matchup.
CS Northridge +12? over ST. JOHNS
This line is so inflated that we must take the points and let the chips fall where they may. The Johnnies are coming off a 20-point road win at Tulsa. That was their third win of the season with the other two occurring against Bethune-Cookman and Binghamton. Incidentally, Tulsa is 1-7 and one of the worst teams in the Division I NCAAB. The Johnnies play fast and are not afraid to shoot from anywhere. Coach Chris Mullin played that way when he was a Golden State Warrior at a time when the Warriors routinely put up 130 points a game. At that time when the Warriors played, the totals in their games were routinely in the 245 to 255 range. Since the Johnnies couldn?t win a game last year, Mullin brought in some sharp-shooters to shoot from anywhere and play fast. St. John?s is now 3-5 but so what. They started off 7-3 last year before losing 21 of its final 22 games. This is a Red Storm team that plays no defense. If they go cold from the floor, they?re prone to falling behind by double digits in a flash. They are now playing a team in an underrated conference (The Big West) that can hang with them and even win outright.
You may or may not remember last year?s Big West Champ, Hawaii, knocking off Cal in the first round of last year?s NCAA tournament before giving the Terps a bit of a scare in the second round. Last season, CS Northridge played Hawaii tough not once but twice in a six-point loss and in a nine-point loss on the Island. The year prior, Cal Irvine, another Big West team, nearly upset #4 Louisville in the first round in a two-point loss. Cal Irvine went to the CIT championship game last year. This year, CS Northridge is the most improved team in the Big West. They have already played #16 UCLA, Texas A&M, Stanford and Northern Illinois. CSUN brings back a slew of talented guards and wings in Kendall Smith, Aaron Parks, Michael Warren, Jerron Wilbut, and Jason Richardson. Smith is the best player on the team and also spotlights as the team?s primary ball handler (though Parks and Richardson are both capable point guards as well). Coach Reggie Theus has a comical amount of depth at his disposal on the wing and in the backcourt and adds some solid replacements for the departed frontcourt. This is a deep and experienced team that will get out and run and throw a ton of bodies at their opponents all game long. What?s so interesting here is that the Matadors will try and beat the Johnnies at their own game. However, we like that the Matadors take it to the rim and attempt high quality shots while the Johnnies will shoot from the perimeter. These crazy Matadors will really test the inexperience of the Johnnies too with high pressure on the ball carriers, which figure to result in a slew of turnovers. CS Northridge has the ability to come in well under the number and hang with this host but they also have another redeeming quality, which is the ability to come in through the backdoor because they, too, can put up points in a real hurry. Just ask UCLA, a team they lost by 15 to but scored 87 points.
Connecticut vs. Syracuse
Play: Connecticut +9
The Huskies have gotten off to an ugly start this season, with inexcusable losses to the likes of Wagner and Northeastern. They did eke out a 2-point win last time out, giving them some positive momentum. While Syracuse certainly represents a major step up in class, I believe that the Huskies are capable of upping their game and giving the Orange a challenge. Needless to say, a game against their former Big East rival, at MSG, is a big deal.
These teams played a close one against each other last season. Syracuse ultimately prevailed, 79-76. Speaking of close games, the Huskies have seen ALL seven of their games decided by 10 points or less. Meanwhile, Syracuse only beat the North Florida Ospreys by six points last game, nearly blowing a 24-point lead, after losing its previous two.
While the Orange are 4-11 ATS their last 15 as a "neutral" court favorite in the -6.5 to -9 range, the Huskies are 11-3 ATS (13-1 SU) the last 14 times that they played a "neutral" court game with an O/U line in the 120s. All things considered, this line is generously high. In what could be another close one, consider taking the points with UConn.
BOISE STATE AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
PLAY: LOYOLA MARYMOUNT-1
Varying lines on this game, with Boise a one-point favorite at one sore I have access to, Loyola as high as -2 at a couple of spots and some pick ?em as well. I decided to go with -1 as that seemed like the fairest current price.
The early money has been on the Lions, and I?ll go along with that line of thinking. The scheduling clearly favors Loyola. The Lions have had plenty of time to grind through practices and should be eager to get back on the court and actually play a basketball game. T
he Boise State players could be a bit frayed this evening. The Broncos played a marquee opponent on the road at Oregon last Monday. Then they returned home for a big game, which they won against SMU. The team then flew to Evansville for a Saturday battle that resulted in a loss. Now they?re heading back to the west coast for this game at Loyola Marymount. That?s a bunch of travel and I think it?s fair to offer that the Lions are probably the least exciting opponent among this quartet.
The spot therefore favors the home team, and I don?t mind the Lions from a matchup standpoint either. They?re going to likely try and make this a physical battle, and that is not Boise?s game. If the Broncos are indeed a bit weary at this point, they?re likely in trouble here.
Hopefully, the Lions spent some of the time off working on their abysmal free throw shooting. If they leave the uncontested points off the scoreboard tonight, they might well end up losing the game. But I also find it hard to believe the team will continue to brick as many tosses as they have so far, so I?m not putting too much weight on that. I?ll know after the game if that was a mistake. Put me down for an opinion on Loyola Marymount tonight.
In the Sights, Monday NBA?
The Lakers have played with tremendous energy under Luke Walton, sitting at 10-12 despite so many new faces learning to play together, and the rotations being furthered juggled as injuries come into play. That energy has been a key to their getting points on the board, making more happen with hustle than design, with the half-court offense starting the season at square one. After 22 games that offense is back to square one tonight, and it leads to #720 LA Lakers Team Total Under (10:35 Eastern), with 97 or higher enough value to be in play.
The Lakers just took a four-game road trip without DeAngelo Russell and Nick Young in the back-court, and only averaged 91 ppg. Now it gets even worse without Jose Calderon to run the point, and note that while they did score 100 points at Memphis on Saturday despite Calderon leaving after 8:04 that was a rather fluky result ? Louis Williams went off for 40 points in 31:34 of court time, something we are unlikely to see again any time soon. A better reference point for that game was that the Lakers had more turnovers (18) than assists (16).
Now there isn?t much time for Walton to put a game plan together, this being the fifth game on as many different courts in seven nights, the usual routine yesterday of no Sunday practice after coming home from a road trip. It becomes even more problematic because opportunities in the open floor will not be easy to find ? the Jazz are #30 in pace, and #4 in defensive efficiency, much of that tied together because they like to be able to set their half-court defense, a natural thing to do when you have Rudy Gobert. By turning this into a grinder they will force the Lakers to run plays, which was not the strength of Walton?s crew even with all hands on deck, and may be a particular weakness tonight.
Memphis @ New Orleans
Play: New Orleans -4
The Memphis Grizzlies travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans on Monday night. Memphis is 13-8 SU overall this year while New Orleans comes in with a 7-14 SU overall record this season. Memphis is 0-10 SU and 2-8 ATS last 3 years as a road underdog of 4 to 9 points. Memphis is scoring only 84.5 points per game in division games this year. Memphis is allowing 101.6 points per game on the road this year and 105 points per game their past 5 games overall. New Orleans is scoring 102 points per game overall this year and 108.8 points per game at home this season. New Orleans is 21-10 SU at home last 31 games vs Memphis. Anthony Davis is probably here tonight. We'll recommend a small play on New Orleans tonight!
Hornets vs. Mavs
Play: Hornets -4
Let Down Spot: Dallas is coming off a 107-82 rout of the Bulls on Saturday. The Mavs are still just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record and should struggle with Charlotte which is 5-3 straight up on the road and 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
Motivational: The Hornets have dropped two of their last three and coughed up a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter in a 125-120 overtime setback against Minnesota on Saturday. The team needs to get back on track quick.
Injuries: Dallas has plenty of injuries and being without players like Dirk Nowitzki takes its toll on the whole team, physically and mentally.
Hornets at Mavs
Pick: Under
Dallas is having trouble scoring and a fine Charlotte defense is in town. The Under is 5-2 in Hornets last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage of less than .400. Dallas is on a 3-0-1 run under the total, 6-1-1 under at home, and the Under is 10-4 in the Mavericks last 14 games following a straight up win. And the Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Cavaliers vs. Raptors
Play: Under 216?
This total is way to high given the situation. Cleveland comes in having lost 3 straight and you know that's not going to sit well with LeBron James. The Cavaliers might not have great defensive numbers overall, but can be an elite defensive team when they want to. I expect to see that effort here, as they try to avoid a 4th straight loss. Toronto is also going to bring the intensity on defense, as they are out for revenge here. The Raptors have already lost twice to Cleveland this season and both have been extremely tough defeats, losing by 3-points at home and 4 on the road. The fact that this is the 3rd meeting already this season, also adds to value on the under, as these two teams are very familiar with what the other is trying to offensively. UNDER is 21-9 in the Cavaliers last 30 as a road dog and 10-1 in their last 11 road games when they come in having failed to cover 4 of their last 5.
San Antonio vs. Milwaukee
Pick: San Antonio
It?s no surprise to anyone that the Spurs come in playing well with 11 wins in their last 12 but the Bucks have also won their last four, with one of those victories being a 118-101 ?spanking? of the defending champion Cavs on Nov 29! The Spurs are 16-4 overall, including a perfect 11-0 on the road, while the Bucks? winning streak has them at a modest 10-8.
San Antonio shocked the Warriors 129-100 in the teams? season-opener but a little more than a month later, the only team with a better record than the Spurs is the Warriors, who check in at 17-3. The Spurs have had some issues on the offensive end of the court this season, as they enter averaging only 103.0 PPG to rank 19th. However, the team ranks fourth in point allowed, at 98.2 per game. The Bucks are scoring at about the same rate as the Spurs (Milwaukee averages 103.7 PPG to rank 17) but while the Bucks are allowing a few more points than San Antonio at 101.8 PPG (10th), it?s hard to argue with the team's No. 1 ranking in both opponents? FG percentage (42.7%) and three-point percentage (31.6%).
Each team owns two standout players, Kawhi Leonard (24.3-6.0) and LaMarcus Aldridge (18.6-5.9) for the Spurs and Giannis Antetokounmpo (22.4-8.6-6.1) and Jabari Parker (18.6-5.9) for the Bucks. However, the Spurs own more talent and depth everywhere else and San Antonio hasn?t reached 11-0 SU (7-3-1 ATS) on the road with mirrors. The Spurs are the bet.
Jazz vs. Lakers
Play: Jazz -3
The Utah Jazz are showing good value here as only 3-point road favorites over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Jazz come in playing very well as they have gone 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. This is a very short price for them to be laying tonight.
The Lakers have just returned from a four-game road trip that concluded with a 100-103 loss to Memphis on Saturday. They previously lost to the Raptors by 33 and the Pelicans by 17 while beating the Bulls. That first game back home following an extended road trip is always tough. They will also be playing their 5th game in 7 days here.
Making matters worse for the Lakers is that they are as banged up as they have been all season. D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young remain out, while Larry Nance Jr. is doubtful. Jose Calderon, Russell's replacement in the starting lineup, suffered a hamstring injury recently and is expected to miss this game. Meanwhile, the Jazz just got Rodney Hood back in the lineup last time out from injury.
The Jazz are 5-1 SU & 4-2 ATS in their last six meetings with the Lakers. Plays against home underdogs (LA LAKERS) - revenging a loss vs opponent, extremely tired team - playing their 5th game in 7 days are 174-112 (60.8%) ATS since 1996. The Jazz are 18-5 ATS in their last 23 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
Grizzlies vs. Pelicans
Play: Pelicans -4
I think we are getting some great value here with New Orleans. While the Pelicans will be playing in the second game of a back-to-back set after last night's game against the Thunder, they have a clear advantage here against a depleted Memphis team that is without three of their best players in Mike Conley, Chandler Parsons and Zach Randolph. On top of that they are missing a couple of key role players in Vince Carter and James Ennis.
Memphis has been able to overcome these injures in their last two games, but those were at home against a bad Magic team and a Lakers team that was playing their 4th game in 5 nights and missing some key players of their own. I look for those injuries for the Grizzlies to really show up here on the road against a Pelicans team that has been playing much better of late. New Orleans is 7-6 in their last 13 after starting out 0-8 and have won 5 of their last 6 at home, with the only loss coming against the Clippers.
Pelicans are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 home games when playing 8 or more games in 14 days, 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against a team with a winning record and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.
MILWAUKEE +193 over San Antonio
San Antonio is an uncanny 11-0 away from home this season so the Bucks seem to be another victim set up to be trampled by Greg Popovich and company but at some point this road bubble is going to burst and it?s all about finding the right spot. Three of the Spurs last five road games were decided by less than the points being offered here while one other was by just seven over the free-falling Mavericks. San An is winning on the road but they are doing so by the slimmest of margins lately.
The Bucks are poised and positioned to get the money here. This is a basketball team that enters on a four-game winning streak while also going 4-2 at home in their last six. Milwaukee hasn?t just beaten down teams like Brooklyn over this span. This is an outfit that owns a home win over Memphis and also soundly defeated Cleveland at the BMO Harris Bradley Center by a considerable margin last week. The Bucks also put up 121 points on Golden State in a 124-121 defeat at the Bradley Center. The Bucks have arguably one of the best players in the game currently, who is having an absurd breakout season. This man is none other than Giannis ?The Greek Freak? Antetokoumpo. While the name may be a bit of a tongue-twister, Giannis? play has been as smooth as it gets. The Greek Freak has hit 52.6% from the field this season while averaging 22.6 points per game. Giannis has also been posting averages of 8.2 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game and 2.2 steals per game. Simply put, Giannis does it all. Not only has the upstart forward been a cash cow for FanDuel players in the early going of the 2016-17 campaign, he has also been a catalyst for this young Bucks team trying to claw their way back into the playoffs under the guidance of Jason Kidd. So far no one has had an answer for Antetokoumpo as he has been a difficult riddle to solve for every team that has encountered him. As a result of his presence on the hardwood, the Bucks own the number one defense in the NBA in opponent field goal percentage and opponent three-point field goal percentage, which is terrible news for the Spurs who lead the league in three-point shooting. The match-up here is a perfect scenario for Milwaukee to come in on its own court against an outfit due for attrition on the road at some point. While the Deers are hot with a true stallion leading the charge, they really ought to be feared. As a dog at home, the Bucks offer up tremendous value almost every time and there is no exceptions here.
Colts (5-6) at N.Y. Jets (3-8 )
There are just a handful of teams that the Colts should be road favorites against. The Jets are not one of them. It?s very difficult and very dangerous to be giving away any points with a team that ranks 30th against the pass and sits 28th in points allowed. This Indy team was favored in Jacksonville and lost. Granted, the Jets aren?t exactly a juggernaut, but if you look real closely, they aren?t quite as bad as their record might indicate. Gang Green has actually outgained their opponents in yards per play in four of their past five matchups. They hung tight with the Patriots last week. With a bye thrown in, they?ve been home for four weeks and are seeking their first win in that time frame. Andrew Luck is expected back for the Colts but that doesn?t concern us. In a Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Luck game last year at Indianapolis, the Jets left town with a 20-7 win. Colts aren?t any better and not sure Jets are any worse. TAKING: JETS +1?
N.Y. JETS +105 over Indianapolis
The Colts never had a chance last week in a 28-7 loss to Pittsburgh and apparently there was a reason that Scott Tolzien spent years on the bench without a start. The loss drops the Colts to only 5-6 but that still means they are only one game out of first place in the AFC South. The Colts have a huge game on deck next week against the Texans but that doesn?t mean they?re going to overlook this one. Rarely do teams? overlook a prime time game but that doesn?t mean the Colts deserve to be the chalk here. Indy has two road wins this year. The first road win was against a Tennessee team that they just always beat no matter what. The Colts? other road win came at Green Bay in a 31-26 shootout but upsets happen in the NFL and this happened to be one of them. The Colts were a 7?-point dog at Lambeau, which is more relevant than the score. Here?s a visitor that lost in Jacksonville and Houston and that barely got by the Bears in Indianapolis in Week 5. The Colts are also a team that has been outgained every single week this year but twice. The Colts continue to ask Andrew Luck to do too much and now he can add a concussion to his many other injuries. Luck spent last season with a separated shoulder, a lacerated kidney, a hyperextended beard, four baby hands stuck in his teeth, and a nasty case of trench brain. The Jets are a hard hitting bunch and if Luck goes down, then what? Scott Tolzien isn?t Matt Hasselbeck. He?s actually a male model from the Czech Republic. There is no chance of us endorsing the Colts as road chalk (see San Francisco yesterday).
The Jets are 3-8 and have lost three in a row so their stock is very low but let?s put that aside for a sec. New York?s win total this year was 8. The odds makers figured this was at least a seven-win team and perhaps even a nine-win team. Could the odds makers have been that wrong about the Jets? Actually, they weren?t. New York is a bounce away a game from being 6-5 or even 7-4. Here?s a team that played Seattle and trailed 14-10 at halftime and 17-10 after three. The Jets ended up losing that game by 10. They also played Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Arizona, Baltimore, Miami and New England. When they played the red-hot Dolphins in Week 9, they lost by just four. The Jets defeated Baltimore, 24-16 and came within a hair of defeating the Patriots last week. The Jets are loaded with talented players but the schedule has gotten the best of them and so have the bounces. Battle-tested with perhaps the league?s toughest schedule, the Jets maligned offense gets a big break this week when facing the defenseless Colts. On a Monday night, the Jets also have an opportunity to make life miserable for this playoff hopeful imposter. The Jets are going nowhere this year so call this their Super Bowl and move in hard because they are the better team getting points at home on Monday night.
07:05 PM NHL [53] Arizona Coyotes +202
07:05 PM NHL [56] Washington Capitals -1.5 +140
07:05 PM NHL [58] TOTAL u5-125 (Florida Panthers vrs Boston Bruins)
08:30 PM NFL [378] NY JETS +2.5 -150 (B+2)
08:05 PM NBA [710] New Orleans Pelicans -3.5 -150 (B+2)
08:05 PM NBA [714] Milwaukee Bucks +200
07:00 PM CBB Added Game [729] Siena -4.5 -110
09:00 PM CBB Added Game [733] Wisconsin Milwaukee +8-105
10:35 PM NBA Team total Los A [33720] TOTAL u97-110 (Los Angeles Lakers
1 unit bet pays 2257 ....betdsi line
ok, yeah, this parlay a little too crazy! :scared ...I will get more sensible tomorrow!
Goood luck everyone!! :firing: :toast: :SIB:em71:
ripped, cut and pasted, otherwise written by others, from across the internets:
The Ottawa Senators have won four straight road games and have scored a combined eight goals in their last two games against the Penguins. There's value with the Senators in this spot, especially with the way they've been playing overall and the Penguins hot and cold results. Give me Ottawa and the spread. Ottawa Senators +1.5
Ottawa +193 over PITTSBURGH
OT included. The Penguins are a deep and talented team that need no introductions whatsoever. Obviously, you don?t need us to tell you how dangerous they are. However, the Pens are coming off a Cup win and have not truly dedicated themselves to hit their peak. The Penguins are on cruise control and probably will be until late February. Pittsburgh needed four, third period goals to defeat the Red Wings on Saturday. That was its first back-to-back victories in a month. We also love the Penguins are headed out to sunny Florida after this one for games in Tampa and Sunrise before returning home for a game against Arizona. Every player on the East Coast looks forward to a trip to Florida and after three straight at home, we're pretty sure the Penguins cannot wait to get on that plane. With no urgency in their game and with a four-day, two-game trip to Florida on deck, this looks like a very decent time to fade the Pens. The price also influences this choice.
Ottawa is the Rodney Dangerfield of the NHL. The Sens are now 15-10 and 4-1 against top-10 competition. Derek Brassard is turning out to be a great acquisition for Ottawa and so has goaltender Mike Condon. What?s so fascinating about Ottawa is that they are having success while shooting a paltry 5.3 percent at even strength. Their 97.2 PDO suggests they may be due better luck as the season continues and one can credit coach Guy Boucher for making this team better with each passing week. Ottawa has great balance and an underrated defense, whose Corsi numbers are steadily improving. The Sens are simply too live and too good to be passing up numbers like this on them and we have to figure that they?ll also be the more motivated team here.
Panthers vs. Bruins
Play: Bruins -140
Boston has started to turn things around of late, having earned points in its last four contests. Florida gets caught looking ahead here with the first game of a back-to-back set. The Panthers mustered just 24 shots in a 2-0 loss to the Sens on Saturday. Goaltender Roberto Luongo has been good this year with a 2.04 GAA, but note that he?s just 1-3-1 in his last five against Boston. The Bruins most recently beat the Sabres 2-1 on Saturday. Goaltender Tuukka Rask is 13-4-1 with a 1.60 GAA on the year. Note that he?s an even better 16-3-1 with a 1.48 GAA lieftime against Florida. All things considered, we think the home side offers pretty good value in this matchup.
CS Northridge +12? over ST. JOHNS
This line is so inflated that we must take the points and let the chips fall where they may. The Johnnies are coming off a 20-point road win at Tulsa. That was their third win of the season with the other two occurring against Bethune-Cookman and Binghamton. Incidentally, Tulsa is 1-7 and one of the worst teams in the Division I NCAAB. The Johnnies play fast and are not afraid to shoot from anywhere. Coach Chris Mullin played that way when he was a Golden State Warrior at a time when the Warriors routinely put up 130 points a game. At that time when the Warriors played, the totals in their games were routinely in the 245 to 255 range. Since the Johnnies couldn?t win a game last year, Mullin brought in some sharp-shooters to shoot from anywhere and play fast. St. John?s is now 3-5 but so what. They started off 7-3 last year before losing 21 of its final 22 games. This is a Red Storm team that plays no defense. If they go cold from the floor, they?re prone to falling behind by double digits in a flash. They are now playing a team in an underrated conference (The Big West) that can hang with them and even win outright.
You may or may not remember last year?s Big West Champ, Hawaii, knocking off Cal in the first round of last year?s NCAA tournament before giving the Terps a bit of a scare in the second round. Last season, CS Northridge played Hawaii tough not once but twice in a six-point loss and in a nine-point loss on the Island. The year prior, Cal Irvine, another Big West team, nearly upset #4 Louisville in the first round in a two-point loss. Cal Irvine went to the CIT championship game last year. This year, CS Northridge is the most improved team in the Big West. They have already played #16 UCLA, Texas A&M, Stanford and Northern Illinois. CSUN brings back a slew of talented guards and wings in Kendall Smith, Aaron Parks, Michael Warren, Jerron Wilbut, and Jason Richardson. Smith is the best player on the team and also spotlights as the team?s primary ball handler (though Parks and Richardson are both capable point guards as well). Coach Reggie Theus has a comical amount of depth at his disposal on the wing and in the backcourt and adds some solid replacements for the departed frontcourt. This is a deep and experienced team that will get out and run and throw a ton of bodies at their opponents all game long. What?s so interesting here is that the Matadors will try and beat the Johnnies at their own game. However, we like that the Matadors take it to the rim and attempt high quality shots while the Johnnies will shoot from the perimeter. These crazy Matadors will really test the inexperience of the Johnnies too with high pressure on the ball carriers, which figure to result in a slew of turnovers. CS Northridge has the ability to come in well under the number and hang with this host but they also have another redeeming quality, which is the ability to come in through the backdoor because they, too, can put up points in a real hurry. Just ask UCLA, a team they lost by 15 to but scored 87 points.
Connecticut vs. Syracuse
Play: Connecticut +9
The Huskies have gotten off to an ugly start this season, with inexcusable losses to the likes of Wagner and Northeastern. They did eke out a 2-point win last time out, giving them some positive momentum. While Syracuse certainly represents a major step up in class, I believe that the Huskies are capable of upping their game and giving the Orange a challenge. Needless to say, a game against their former Big East rival, at MSG, is a big deal.
These teams played a close one against each other last season. Syracuse ultimately prevailed, 79-76. Speaking of close games, the Huskies have seen ALL seven of their games decided by 10 points or less. Meanwhile, Syracuse only beat the North Florida Ospreys by six points last game, nearly blowing a 24-point lead, after losing its previous two.
While the Orange are 4-11 ATS their last 15 as a "neutral" court favorite in the -6.5 to -9 range, the Huskies are 11-3 ATS (13-1 SU) the last 14 times that they played a "neutral" court game with an O/U line in the 120s. All things considered, this line is generously high. In what could be another close one, consider taking the points with UConn.
BOISE STATE AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
PLAY: LOYOLA MARYMOUNT-1
Varying lines on this game, with Boise a one-point favorite at one sore I have access to, Loyola as high as -2 at a couple of spots and some pick ?em as well. I decided to go with -1 as that seemed like the fairest current price.
The early money has been on the Lions, and I?ll go along with that line of thinking. The scheduling clearly favors Loyola. The Lions have had plenty of time to grind through practices and should be eager to get back on the court and actually play a basketball game. T
he Boise State players could be a bit frayed this evening. The Broncos played a marquee opponent on the road at Oregon last Monday. Then they returned home for a big game, which they won against SMU. The team then flew to Evansville for a Saturday battle that resulted in a loss. Now they?re heading back to the west coast for this game at Loyola Marymount. That?s a bunch of travel and I think it?s fair to offer that the Lions are probably the least exciting opponent among this quartet.
The spot therefore favors the home team, and I don?t mind the Lions from a matchup standpoint either. They?re going to likely try and make this a physical battle, and that is not Boise?s game. If the Broncos are indeed a bit weary at this point, they?re likely in trouble here.
Hopefully, the Lions spent some of the time off working on their abysmal free throw shooting. If they leave the uncontested points off the scoreboard tonight, they might well end up losing the game. But I also find it hard to believe the team will continue to brick as many tosses as they have so far, so I?m not putting too much weight on that. I?ll know after the game if that was a mistake. Put me down for an opinion on Loyola Marymount tonight.
In the Sights, Monday NBA?
The Lakers have played with tremendous energy under Luke Walton, sitting at 10-12 despite so many new faces learning to play together, and the rotations being furthered juggled as injuries come into play. That energy has been a key to their getting points on the board, making more happen with hustle than design, with the half-court offense starting the season at square one. After 22 games that offense is back to square one tonight, and it leads to #720 LA Lakers Team Total Under (10:35 Eastern), with 97 or higher enough value to be in play.
The Lakers just took a four-game road trip without DeAngelo Russell and Nick Young in the back-court, and only averaged 91 ppg. Now it gets even worse without Jose Calderon to run the point, and note that while they did score 100 points at Memphis on Saturday despite Calderon leaving after 8:04 that was a rather fluky result ? Louis Williams went off for 40 points in 31:34 of court time, something we are unlikely to see again any time soon. A better reference point for that game was that the Lakers had more turnovers (18) than assists (16).
Now there isn?t much time for Walton to put a game plan together, this being the fifth game on as many different courts in seven nights, the usual routine yesterday of no Sunday practice after coming home from a road trip. It becomes even more problematic because opportunities in the open floor will not be easy to find ? the Jazz are #30 in pace, and #4 in defensive efficiency, much of that tied together because they like to be able to set their half-court defense, a natural thing to do when you have Rudy Gobert. By turning this into a grinder they will force the Lakers to run plays, which was not the strength of Walton?s crew even with all hands on deck, and may be a particular weakness tonight.
Memphis @ New Orleans
Play: New Orleans -4
The Memphis Grizzlies travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans on Monday night. Memphis is 13-8 SU overall this year while New Orleans comes in with a 7-14 SU overall record this season. Memphis is 0-10 SU and 2-8 ATS last 3 years as a road underdog of 4 to 9 points. Memphis is scoring only 84.5 points per game in division games this year. Memphis is allowing 101.6 points per game on the road this year and 105 points per game their past 5 games overall. New Orleans is scoring 102 points per game overall this year and 108.8 points per game at home this season. New Orleans is 21-10 SU at home last 31 games vs Memphis. Anthony Davis is probably here tonight. We'll recommend a small play on New Orleans tonight!
Hornets vs. Mavs
Play: Hornets -4
Let Down Spot: Dallas is coming off a 107-82 rout of the Bulls on Saturday. The Mavs are still just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record and should struggle with Charlotte which is 5-3 straight up on the road and 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
Motivational: The Hornets have dropped two of their last three and coughed up a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter in a 125-120 overtime setback against Minnesota on Saturday. The team needs to get back on track quick.
Injuries: Dallas has plenty of injuries and being without players like Dirk Nowitzki takes its toll on the whole team, physically and mentally.
Hornets at Mavs
Pick: Under
Dallas is having trouble scoring and a fine Charlotte defense is in town. The Under is 5-2 in Hornets last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage of less than .400. Dallas is on a 3-0-1 run under the total, 6-1-1 under at home, and the Under is 10-4 in the Mavericks last 14 games following a straight up win. And the Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Cavaliers vs. Raptors
Play: Under 216?
This total is way to high given the situation. Cleveland comes in having lost 3 straight and you know that's not going to sit well with LeBron James. The Cavaliers might not have great defensive numbers overall, but can be an elite defensive team when they want to. I expect to see that effort here, as they try to avoid a 4th straight loss. Toronto is also going to bring the intensity on defense, as they are out for revenge here. The Raptors have already lost twice to Cleveland this season and both have been extremely tough defeats, losing by 3-points at home and 4 on the road. The fact that this is the 3rd meeting already this season, also adds to value on the under, as these two teams are very familiar with what the other is trying to offensively. UNDER is 21-9 in the Cavaliers last 30 as a road dog and 10-1 in their last 11 road games when they come in having failed to cover 4 of their last 5.
San Antonio vs. Milwaukee
Pick: San Antonio
It?s no surprise to anyone that the Spurs come in playing well with 11 wins in their last 12 but the Bucks have also won their last four, with one of those victories being a 118-101 ?spanking? of the defending champion Cavs on Nov 29! The Spurs are 16-4 overall, including a perfect 11-0 on the road, while the Bucks? winning streak has them at a modest 10-8.
San Antonio shocked the Warriors 129-100 in the teams? season-opener but a little more than a month later, the only team with a better record than the Spurs is the Warriors, who check in at 17-3. The Spurs have had some issues on the offensive end of the court this season, as they enter averaging only 103.0 PPG to rank 19th. However, the team ranks fourth in point allowed, at 98.2 per game. The Bucks are scoring at about the same rate as the Spurs (Milwaukee averages 103.7 PPG to rank 17) but while the Bucks are allowing a few more points than San Antonio at 101.8 PPG (10th), it?s hard to argue with the team's No. 1 ranking in both opponents? FG percentage (42.7%) and three-point percentage (31.6%).
Each team owns two standout players, Kawhi Leonard (24.3-6.0) and LaMarcus Aldridge (18.6-5.9) for the Spurs and Giannis Antetokounmpo (22.4-8.6-6.1) and Jabari Parker (18.6-5.9) for the Bucks. However, the Spurs own more talent and depth everywhere else and San Antonio hasn?t reached 11-0 SU (7-3-1 ATS) on the road with mirrors. The Spurs are the bet.
Jazz vs. Lakers
Play: Jazz -3
The Utah Jazz are showing good value here as only 3-point road favorites over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Jazz come in playing very well as they have gone 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. This is a very short price for them to be laying tonight.
The Lakers have just returned from a four-game road trip that concluded with a 100-103 loss to Memphis on Saturday. They previously lost to the Raptors by 33 and the Pelicans by 17 while beating the Bulls. That first game back home following an extended road trip is always tough. They will also be playing their 5th game in 7 days here.
Making matters worse for the Lakers is that they are as banged up as they have been all season. D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young remain out, while Larry Nance Jr. is doubtful. Jose Calderon, Russell's replacement in the starting lineup, suffered a hamstring injury recently and is expected to miss this game. Meanwhile, the Jazz just got Rodney Hood back in the lineup last time out from injury.
The Jazz are 5-1 SU & 4-2 ATS in their last six meetings with the Lakers. Plays against home underdogs (LA LAKERS) - revenging a loss vs opponent, extremely tired team - playing their 5th game in 7 days are 174-112 (60.8%) ATS since 1996. The Jazz are 18-5 ATS in their last 23 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
Grizzlies vs. Pelicans
Play: Pelicans -4
I think we are getting some great value here with New Orleans. While the Pelicans will be playing in the second game of a back-to-back set after last night's game against the Thunder, they have a clear advantage here against a depleted Memphis team that is without three of their best players in Mike Conley, Chandler Parsons and Zach Randolph. On top of that they are missing a couple of key role players in Vince Carter and James Ennis.
Memphis has been able to overcome these injures in their last two games, but those were at home against a bad Magic team and a Lakers team that was playing their 4th game in 5 nights and missing some key players of their own. I look for those injuries for the Grizzlies to really show up here on the road against a Pelicans team that has been playing much better of late. New Orleans is 7-6 in their last 13 after starting out 0-8 and have won 5 of their last 6 at home, with the only loss coming against the Clippers.
Pelicans are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 home games when playing 8 or more games in 14 days, 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against a team with a winning record and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.
MILWAUKEE +193 over San Antonio
San Antonio is an uncanny 11-0 away from home this season so the Bucks seem to be another victim set up to be trampled by Greg Popovich and company but at some point this road bubble is going to burst and it?s all about finding the right spot. Three of the Spurs last five road games were decided by less than the points being offered here while one other was by just seven over the free-falling Mavericks. San An is winning on the road but they are doing so by the slimmest of margins lately.
The Bucks are poised and positioned to get the money here. This is a basketball team that enters on a four-game winning streak while also going 4-2 at home in their last six. Milwaukee hasn?t just beaten down teams like Brooklyn over this span. This is an outfit that owns a home win over Memphis and also soundly defeated Cleveland at the BMO Harris Bradley Center by a considerable margin last week. The Bucks also put up 121 points on Golden State in a 124-121 defeat at the Bradley Center. The Bucks have arguably one of the best players in the game currently, who is having an absurd breakout season. This man is none other than Giannis ?The Greek Freak? Antetokoumpo. While the name may be a bit of a tongue-twister, Giannis? play has been as smooth as it gets. The Greek Freak has hit 52.6% from the field this season while averaging 22.6 points per game. Giannis has also been posting averages of 8.2 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game and 2.2 steals per game. Simply put, Giannis does it all. Not only has the upstart forward been a cash cow for FanDuel players in the early going of the 2016-17 campaign, he has also been a catalyst for this young Bucks team trying to claw their way back into the playoffs under the guidance of Jason Kidd. So far no one has had an answer for Antetokoumpo as he has been a difficult riddle to solve for every team that has encountered him. As a result of his presence on the hardwood, the Bucks own the number one defense in the NBA in opponent field goal percentage and opponent three-point field goal percentage, which is terrible news for the Spurs who lead the league in three-point shooting. The match-up here is a perfect scenario for Milwaukee to come in on its own court against an outfit due for attrition on the road at some point. While the Deers are hot with a true stallion leading the charge, they really ought to be feared. As a dog at home, the Bucks offer up tremendous value almost every time and there is no exceptions here.
Colts (5-6) at N.Y. Jets (3-8 )
There are just a handful of teams that the Colts should be road favorites against. The Jets are not one of them. It?s very difficult and very dangerous to be giving away any points with a team that ranks 30th against the pass and sits 28th in points allowed. This Indy team was favored in Jacksonville and lost. Granted, the Jets aren?t exactly a juggernaut, but if you look real closely, they aren?t quite as bad as their record might indicate. Gang Green has actually outgained their opponents in yards per play in four of their past five matchups. They hung tight with the Patriots last week. With a bye thrown in, they?ve been home for four weeks and are seeking their first win in that time frame. Andrew Luck is expected back for the Colts but that doesn?t concern us. In a Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Luck game last year at Indianapolis, the Jets left town with a 20-7 win. Colts aren?t any better and not sure Jets are any worse. TAKING: JETS +1?
N.Y. JETS +105 over Indianapolis
The Colts never had a chance last week in a 28-7 loss to Pittsburgh and apparently there was a reason that Scott Tolzien spent years on the bench without a start. The loss drops the Colts to only 5-6 but that still means they are only one game out of first place in the AFC South. The Colts have a huge game on deck next week against the Texans but that doesn?t mean they?re going to overlook this one. Rarely do teams? overlook a prime time game but that doesn?t mean the Colts deserve to be the chalk here. Indy has two road wins this year. The first road win was against a Tennessee team that they just always beat no matter what. The Colts? other road win came at Green Bay in a 31-26 shootout but upsets happen in the NFL and this happened to be one of them. The Colts were a 7?-point dog at Lambeau, which is more relevant than the score. Here?s a visitor that lost in Jacksonville and Houston and that barely got by the Bears in Indianapolis in Week 5. The Colts are also a team that has been outgained every single week this year but twice. The Colts continue to ask Andrew Luck to do too much and now he can add a concussion to his many other injuries. Luck spent last season with a separated shoulder, a lacerated kidney, a hyperextended beard, four baby hands stuck in his teeth, and a nasty case of trench brain. The Jets are a hard hitting bunch and if Luck goes down, then what? Scott Tolzien isn?t Matt Hasselbeck. He?s actually a male model from the Czech Republic. There is no chance of us endorsing the Colts as road chalk (see San Francisco yesterday).
The Jets are 3-8 and have lost three in a row so their stock is very low but let?s put that aside for a sec. New York?s win total this year was 8. The odds makers figured this was at least a seven-win team and perhaps even a nine-win team. Could the odds makers have been that wrong about the Jets? Actually, they weren?t. New York is a bounce away a game from being 6-5 or even 7-4. Here?s a team that played Seattle and trailed 14-10 at halftime and 17-10 after three. The Jets ended up losing that game by 10. They also played Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Arizona, Baltimore, Miami and New England. When they played the red-hot Dolphins in Week 9, they lost by just four. The Jets defeated Baltimore, 24-16 and came within a hair of defeating the Patriots last week. The Jets are loaded with talented players but the schedule has gotten the best of them and so have the bounces. Battle-tested with perhaps the league?s toughest schedule, the Jets maligned offense gets a big break this week when facing the defenseless Colts. On a Monday night, the Jets also have an opportunity to make life miserable for this playoff hopeful imposter. The Jets are going nowhere this year so call this their Super Bowl and move in hard because they are the better team getting points at home on Monday night.
