Comps
Cornell (-5) at HARVARD By Michael Cannon Featured Handicapper
I drop to 10-7 with my last 17 overall free plays as Georgia Tech and Clemson stay under the posted total.
Take Cornell tonight over Harvard in an Ivy League grudge match!
Cornell has won eight straight games and currently sits atop the Ivy League standings with a 6-0 record.
Their run has coincided with a newfound commitment to defense. The Big Red was relying too heavily on its offense in the first half of the season, but their increased emphasis on defense, as well as the addition of Jeff Foote, a 7-foot mid-year transfer from St. Bonaventure, has helped them start the conference season undefeated.
Harvard sits at the bottom of the Ivy League and will have a tough time staying with Cornell tonight. Forward Pat Magnarelli remains sidelined with a knee injury, which has forced coach Tommy Amaker to go with a three-guard lineup.
But the Crimson haven?t taken care of the ball in the backcourt and it?s had disastrous results for them.
Take Cornell as they cruise to the road win and cover.
5♦ CORNELL
Columbia (-2') at DARTMOUTH By Chris Jordan
Featured Handicapper
Take Columbia in Ivy League play tonight, as the Lions go into New Hampshire tonight.
You never know what to expect with the Lions, as it?s been a conference-season of wondering which team is going to show up. Tonight I am banking it?ll be the competitive one, and that it?ll have no trouble dispatching the Big Green, who are tied for last place with a 1-5 conference mark.
Though Columbia has struggled to find consistency on offense, it?ll certainly be in the mix for third place, battling with Yale to the end. But its games like these the Lions must win in order to boost confidence, not to mention their 3-3 conference record.
The Lions have covered six straight on the road and seven of nine overall. The run continues tonight with an easy win and cover in New Hampshire.
2♦ COLUMBIA
Yale (-1?) at PRINCETON By Joel Tyson
Featured Handicapper
Lay the low number and back Yale tonight when they visit Harvard.
Neither club has had the seasons they had hoped for heading in, but Yale has showed some signs of life recently winning back-to-back games, and six of their last 10 overall. Harvard on the other hand does not have much momentum heading in as they have dropped three straight, and seven of their last 10.
Yale has won the last two match ups between these two, and I expect this trend to continue tonight.
Yale currently is outscoring Harvard by an average of 13 ppg on the year, and by 10 ppg over their last five.
With the Tigers at 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine against Ivy League competition, and 3-8-1 ATS over their last 12 home games, my mind is made up.
Yale is the play.
2♦ YALE
Pittsburgh at MARQUETTE -4
Sports Gambling Hotline Featured Handicapper
Our free play run stands at 103-82-4.
Small college card tonight, but in the marquee matchup of the evening we will lay the home impost with Marquette over Pittsburgh tonight.
We find it suspicious that after weeks of missing their starting point guard Levance Fields, the Panthers are actually getting some decent road points, and Fields is expected to be back in the lineup this evening!??! We thought for sure this line would be closer to a pick, so with the line hovering right around -4, we say to side with Marquette in what looks like a "trap" line.
The Golden Eagles have played some middle of the road ball of late, as they have only split their last 8 games straight up, but we look for them to build off their big weekend rout at Seton Hall with a solid showing tonight at home.
Marquette is still 12-1 at home this season, and they have enjoyed success in this matchup, as the Golden Eagles stand at 4-2 straight up the last 6 meetings with the Panthers, and they have covered in 5 of the 6.
Play on Marquette minus the chalk tonight in the Big East.
2♦ MARQUETTE
Pittsburgh at MARQUETTE (-4') By Drew Gordon Featured Handicapper
Solid Free Play winner on Middle Tennessee State outright over South Alabama 76-70! That win brings me to 294-267-5 over my L566 Free Play releases!
While it may be tempting to take the Panthers plus the points in this spot, it would be the wrong the decision and here's why:
First and foremost, while the Panthers are excellent at home, they've yet to prove anything on the road. Losses at Dayton, at Villanova, at Cincinnati, and most recently at Connecticut have served only to strengthen my point, as Pitt can't seem to find an answer offensively on the road, averaging just 57 ppg over those 4 away losses!
Second, while many are pointing to the return of G Levance Fields as a boost, I'm not so sure. The Panthers were on to something with Ronald Ramon at the point guard, and messing with this team's chemistry before an extremely tough road game isn't always the best idea. Not to mention, I seriously doubt Fields is in "game shape" coming off a broken foot.
Third, the Eagles are playing for some payback here, as their last meeting saw them get bounced from the Big East Tourney by these very same Panthers 89-79. Motivation is at an all time high for Marquette, as they lost their first home game of the season against Louisville 71-57 February 4th, and this will be their first crack at redemption tonight.
Finally, Pittsburgh will need 100% focus to keep this game competitive, but with a game at Notre Dame on deck, one has to wonder if they'll be ready for a highly-charged Marquette team in this match up. Add in the fact coach Dixon may be screwing around with his lineups, and this Pitt team could fall flat on their face in Milwaukee tonight.
Bottom line, how many times does Pittsburgh have to lose on the road for bettors to understand they're an average road team? Marquette is coming off their first home loss of the season, has the revenge/motivational angles, and the defense necessary to slow down an already road-weary Pitt offense. In the end, the Golden Eagles protect their house and grab the cash in this one!
Take Marquette comfortably over Pittsburgh in this Big East showdown.
3♦ MARQUETTE
Marist (-2') at MANHATTAN By Karl Garrett
Featured Handicapper
The G-Man sports a 24-13 free play run as I hit the hardwood tonight.
MAAC action this evening, and I am not sure why Marist is such a favorite in this spot tonight.
The Red Foxes do stand at 15-10, and have hopes they will emerge with the MAAC bid to the Big Dance come March, so a string on conference wins to close the season out, and a solid conference tourny showing should be what is on their blackboard as "keys to the close of the season"!
Marist is looking for the season series sweep, and they have been able to win the last pair of meetings, and 3 of the last 4 in this series. Also note that the favorite is 8-2 the last 10 times these teams have tangled.
For the year, the Red Foxes have been holding their own on the road with a 7-6 spread mark, while the Jaspers have been a money-burner at home with a 1-8-1 spread mark.
With Manhattan just 1-8 straight up their last 9 games, and 1-9-1 against the spread their last 10, the G-Man prefers to side with Marist minus the small number tonight.
2♦ MARIST
Marist (-3) at MANHATTAN ChuckFranklin
Featured Handicapper
There is only one side I would consider here and that is the road favorite Marist Red Foxes. The favorite in this series has covered the spread eight of the last ten meetings. Despite an 0-5 ATS run the last five games played at Manhattan, the Red Foxes are on a recent 5-1 ATS run in their last six road games this season. They are 5-2 ATS the last seven Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games.
Manhattan has covered the number only three times in its last 11 games as an underdog of less than seven points. The Jaspers have covered only seven of their last 31 home games and are 6-20-1 ATS the last 27 conference match-ups. They have only four pointspread wins in the last 28 games played.
This will be a double-digit win and easy cover for the Red Foxes.
3♦ MARIST