Brandon Lang
TUESDAY
5 DIME - Houston, Lakers, Tennessee-Chattanooga
5 Dime ? Houston
Bring on the big-name 'Cats, so says Houston coach Tom Penders. Despite playing tonight's game without 6-foot-11 center Marcus Cousin, who has a stress fracture in his right ankle, I expect the Cougars' run-and-gun, full-court pressure game to thwart Kentucky's effort in front of a nationally televised offense. The Wildcats (4-4), in their first year under coach Billy Gillispie, have lost three straight games, and though I believe he has the talent to make a run in a few months, Gillispie needs more time with this bunch.
Put it this way, the Wildcats' early wins have come against the likes of Central Arkansas, Liberty, Texas Southern and Stony Brook ? all in Lexington. In the other column, two of the 'Cats losses came at the hands of Gardner Webb and UAB ? both in Kentucky (the UAB loss was in Louisville). The Cougars are the team to beat in this clash, they're certainly the right side, but as you can tell it's because we're siding against a Wildcats team that has yet to come together.
5 Dime - Lakers
Take the Lakers here, as there's no reason to believe they should be catching points from a disappointing Bulls team that may have won six of nine, but that was only after losing 10 of its first 12. Chicago may have found a groove recently, but it'll have to deal with a Lakers team that has won five of six ? both SU and ATS - while averaging 111.8 points over those games.
You give me points with a Lakers team that won by 28 in the first meetings, and I'll be glad to take them. The Lakers are also 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games installed as an underdog, while they've covered 11 of 16 on the road. Take the points here.
5 Dime - Tenn-Chatt
It's early in the season, I know, but we're already talking about a division race in the Southern Conference, and it's the reason we side with the Mocs in this one. Tennessee-Chattanooga is laying relatively low chalk to the Phoenix tonight, and with a battle of unbeatens in the North Division taking place, I'll lay it with Chattanooga. Coach John Shulman has already put it out there to his troops that this is the most important game of the season thus far, as it's a conference home game preceding the holiday break.
The Mocs roll in on a 3-1 run, and the lone loss may have been the most impressive performance of them all, as they lost a tough 76-70 decision to then-10th-ranked Tennessee. That's been motivation enough to see this team outscore its guests by an average margin of 17 points this season. The Mocs swept both games last season, including a 10-point win at McKenzie Arena, and with Elon hunched over from a 5-13 ATS road skid against teams sporting winning home marks, I'll lay this easy number