Drew Gordon
Wednesday Plays:
1. 300,000♦ South Carolina
2. 50,000♦ Wake Forest
3. 50,000♦ Bradley
4. 50,000♦ Pacers
1. South Carolina- Several reasons to like the Gamecocks in this match up, but none bigger than their excellent play at home this season. True, they're only 1-1 ATS at the Colonial Center, but if you've seen them play, then you know their confidence level and focus is outstanding there. Check out these averages: 90.5 ppg on 49% shooting from field & 51% from 3-point... Impressive to say the least.
Don't let the fact that this is Baylor's first true road game escape you either, as they've played well on neutral floors, but coming into hostile territory will be a completely different story. South Carolina's defense has been rock-solid at home, allowing just 61 ppg on a lockdown 36% shooting. They also defend the 3-pointer (a.k.a Baylor's best weapon) extremely well, allowing opponents to shoot just 27% from beyond the arc on the season.
Baylor did return five starters this season, but they still lack the "go-to" player every team needs to keep the offense going in tough road games. Same cannot be said for the Gamecocks, as G Devan Downey is a stud, averaging 18 ppg and almost 5 dishes per contest. Down-low the Bears Kevin Rogers is solid, but will have to deal with a bevy of Gamecocks bigmen, including forwards Holmes and Archie.
Bottom line, the Gamecoks protect their house and grab the cash against an overmatched Baylor squad in this one. South Carolina hasn't played since December 6th and will give their full 100% attention to this match up, while Baylor has yet to play in hostile territory this season. Make no mistake, this game will be competitive, but eventually the Gamecocks offense pulls away at home.
Take South Carolina over Baylor as your top-rated play of the day.
2. Wake Forest- Sure, the Bulls 7-3 record looks good, but in reality games against East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, and Central Florida have given bettors a false sense of security. The Bulls are nothing more than average team, and tonight they get exposed at Wake Forest.
Wake has had their issues this season, but the majority of their problems have come on the road against much better competition. In fact, they're 5-0 (1-0 ATS) at home this season, using their impressive defense to lockdown opponents to 55 ppg on 35% shooting. The Bulls have yet to see anything on the level of this Deacons defense, and it'll show tonight, as their turnover prone guards run into trouble once again (53 turnovers between starters Jones and Howard).
Bulls rely almost exclusively on Kentrell Gransberry for their production in the paint, but he'll be matched up against a bigger and stronger Deacons frontcourt. James Johnson is still developing an offensive game, but is a beast on the boards. While 7-footer Mcfarland and Skeen makeup the rest of the Deacons frontline.
Finally, there's the depth issue, as the Bulls run a rotation about 6 deep before the talent completely drops off, while the Deacons go about 8-deep. It may not seem like a lot, but the Bulls will struggle to score when they got to their bench, opening the door for Wake Forest to creat some separation. Once that happens, the Deacons defense puts a stranglehold on this Bulls offense, en route to the home win and cover tonight.
Take Wake Forest comfortably over South Florida in this college hoops match up.
3. Bradley- I watched every minute of last seasons match up between these two teams, as Butler won 70-60 as 4-point favorites. While a lot of the same factors come into play in tonight's match up, the number has swelled considerably, and I couldn't disagree more with oddsmakers.
While both teams make their living from beyond the arc, only one has been shooting well of late and that's Bradley, averaging 74 ppg. Butler hasn't been nearly as good offensively over their last 5 games, averaging 64 ppg, shooting 38% (down from 41%) from 3-point. The injury to their top 3-point threat, Pete Campbell, has a lot to do with it, and his presence will be sorely missed tonight.
Another problem the absence of Campbell causes is match up issues, as the Bulldogs are forced to play guards Betko and Streicher a lot more than usual... Both are average players. True, they both shoot over 40% from beyond the arc, but they also average 6 points or less and have a real bad tendecy to pick up stupid fouls (55 fouls between them). Look for the Braves guard-heavy rotation to win that match up (against every one but Graves).
Bottom line, with revenge on the mind, look for Bradley to come out fired up against a short-handed Butler squad in this one. There's no question the absence of Pete Campbell hurts this Bulldogs squad more than oddsmakers believe, as the Braves come into their house and grab the cash tonight.
Take Bradley plus the points over Butler in this college hoops match up.
4. Pacers- Love this spot for the Pacers, as the 76ers simply don't have the firepower or the necessary defense required to cover in this match up. While once a hard-nose grind it out kind of team, the Pacers have switched to more up-tempo system and its paid dividends, averaging 108 ppg on 49% shooting over their last 5 games. True, their defense has suffered, but even against lesser defenses, Philly struggles to break the century mark (see Kings loss 109-99 Friday)!
Speaking of the 76ers, while both Iguodala and Miller are good complementary players, but neither deserves top-billing. After those two, the talent falls off and you get a lot of inconsistentcy, like Dalembert for example, who has all the tools and none of the production. The fact Dunleavy is coming off a 32 point effort at the Knicks, only strengthens my point, as you know O'neal and Granger will dominate this match up already.
While there's some trends that point to the road team here, I have little expectations for a Philly offense that's been below average on the road, scoring just 93 ppg when they travel. 76ers have a winning record ATS away, but in this case, they'e in way over their heads. Pacers aren't what they used to be, but they're on to something with their new high-octane style. Pacers roll at home in this one!
Take the Pacers BIG over the 76ers in this NBA match up.
Strike point
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Wednesday's College Hoops Plays
3-Unit Play. #527 Take UC Santa Barbara -4 over Ball State (7 pm)
The Gauchos are legit, although you may not know much about them. 9-1 and hidden in the Big West, you would be hard pressed to find ten teams on the west coast better than them, and that says something. And against a Ball State team that is 0-9 and not scoring 55 points per game, it's clear who the team is to play. Led by arguably the Big West's top player in Alex Harris, UCSB scores at a much higher rate and plays a style that is too fast for the Cardinals. The Gauchos will earn their tenth win of the season here over hapless Ball State.
3-Unit Play. #545 Take LSU -1.5 over Witcha State (8 pm)
This is an interesting match-up, but I'll take the athleticism of the Tigers over the lack of depth and scoring ability of the Shockers. Also to note is the fact that LSU is out for revenge when Witcha State knocked off the Tigers in Baton Rogue last season, and that P.J. Couisnard, one of the Shockers' best players, is doubtful. I like the potential that LSU has shown with its young freshman and JUCO transfer and big time scorer Marcus Thornton. Payback is on hand here, and the Tigers get that along with a nice road cover.
3-Unit Play. #555 Take Arizona -3.5 over UNLV (10 pm)
I just cannot see a scenario where the Rebels beat Arizona. The Wildcats have responded nicely from a slow start to the season, and the emergence of freshman Jerryd Bayless, Nick Wise and center Jordan Hill to an already established star in Chase Budinger has this 'Zona team clicking. I'm just not sold on a UNLV team that lost a great deal of offense and leadership from last year's Sweet 16 team. I like the way Arizona has played defense under head coach Kevin O'Neill, and behind his influence they will take this one and improve to 8-2 on the year.
Best of Luck - Strike Point Sports
EZ Winners
5 STAR: (505) MIAMI (+1) over Atlanta
(Risking $550 to win $500)
3 STAR: (507) CHICAGO (+5) over Washington
(Risking $330 to win $300)
2 STAR: (525) NEW ORLEANS (-2.5) over Seattle
(Risking $220 to win $200)
Wednesday Plays:
1. 300,000♦ South Carolina
2. 50,000♦ Wake Forest
3. 50,000♦ Bradley
4. 50,000♦ Pacers
1. South Carolina- Several reasons to like the Gamecocks in this match up, but none bigger than their excellent play at home this season. True, they're only 1-1 ATS at the Colonial Center, but if you've seen them play, then you know their confidence level and focus is outstanding there. Check out these averages: 90.5 ppg on 49% shooting from field & 51% from 3-point... Impressive to say the least.
Don't let the fact that this is Baylor's first true road game escape you either, as they've played well on neutral floors, but coming into hostile territory will be a completely different story. South Carolina's defense has been rock-solid at home, allowing just 61 ppg on a lockdown 36% shooting. They also defend the 3-pointer (a.k.a Baylor's best weapon) extremely well, allowing opponents to shoot just 27% from beyond the arc on the season.
Baylor did return five starters this season, but they still lack the "go-to" player every team needs to keep the offense going in tough road games. Same cannot be said for the Gamecocks, as G Devan Downey is a stud, averaging 18 ppg and almost 5 dishes per contest. Down-low the Bears Kevin Rogers is solid, but will have to deal with a bevy of Gamecocks bigmen, including forwards Holmes and Archie.
Bottom line, the Gamecoks protect their house and grab the cash against an overmatched Baylor squad in this one. South Carolina hasn't played since December 6th and will give their full 100% attention to this match up, while Baylor has yet to play in hostile territory this season. Make no mistake, this game will be competitive, but eventually the Gamecocks offense pulls away at home.
Take South Carolina over Baylor as your top-rated play of the day.
2. Wake Forest- Sure, the Bulls 7-3 record looks good, but in reality games against East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, and Central Florida have given bettors a false sense of security. The Bulls are nothing more than average team, and tonight they get exposed at Wake Forest.
Wake has had their issues this season, but the majority of their problems have come on the road against much better competition. In fact, they're 5-0 (1-0 ATS) at home this season, using their impressive defense to lockdown opponents to 55 ppg on 35% shooting. The Bulls have yet to see anything on the level of this Deacons defense, and it'll show tonight, as their turnover prone guards run into trouble once again (53 turnovers between starters Jones and Howard).
Bulls rely almost exclusively on Kentrell Gransberry for their production in the paint, but he'll be matched up against a bigger and stronger Deacons frontcourt. James Johnson is still developing an offensive game, but is a beast on the boards. While 7-footer Mcfarland and Skeen makeup the rest of the Deacons frontline.
Finally, there's the depth issue, as the Bulls run a rotation about 6 deep before the talent completely drops off, while the Deacons go about 8-deep. It may not seem like a lot, but the Bulls will struggle to score when they got to their bench, opening the door for Wake Forest to creat some separation. Once that happens, the Deacons defense puts a stranglehold on this Bulls offense, en route to the home win and cover tonight.
Take Wake Forest comfortably over South Florida in this college hoops match up.
3. Bradley- I watched every minute of last seasons match up between these two teams, as Butler won 70-60 as 4-point favorites. While a lot of the same factors come into play in tonight's match up, the number has swelled considerably, and I couldn't disagree more with oddsmakers.
While both teams make their living from beyond the arc, only one has been shooting well of late and that's Bradley, averaging 74 ppg. Butler hasn't been nearly as good offensively over their last 5 games, averaging 64 ppg, shooting 38% (down from 41%) from 3-point. The injury to their top 3-point threat, Pete Campbell, has a lot to do with it, and his presence will be sorely missed tonight.
Another problem the absence of Campbell causes is match up issues, as the Bulldogs are forced to play guards Betko and Streicher a lot more than usual... Both are average players. True, they both shoot over 40% from beyond the arc, but they also average 6 points or less and have a real bad tendecy to pick up stupid fouls (55 fouls between them). Look for the Braves guard-heavy rotation to win that match up (against every one but Graves).
Bottom line, with revenge on the mind, look for Bradley to come out fired up against a short-handed Butler squad in this one. There's no question the absence of Pete Campbell hurts this Bulldogs squad more than oddsmakers believe, as the Braves come into their house and grab the cash tonight.
Take Bradley plus the points over Butler in this college hoops match up.
4. Pacers- Love this spot for the Pacers, as the 76ers simply don't have the firepower or the necessary defense required to cover in this match up. While once a hard-nose grind it out kind of team, the Pacers have switched to more up-tempo system and its paid dividends, averaging 108 ppg on 49% shooting over their last 5 games. True, their defense has suffered, but even against lesser defenses, Philly struggles to break the century mark (see Kings loss 109-99 Friday)!
Speaking of the 76ers, while both Iguodala and Miller are good complementary players, but neither deserves top-billing. After those two, the talent falls off and you get a lot of inconsistentcy, like Dalembert for example, who has all the tools and none of the production. The fact Dunleavy is coming off a 32 point effort at the Knicks, only strengthens my point, as you know O'neal and Granger will dominate this match up already.
While there's some trends that point to the road team here, I have little expectations for a Philly offense that's been below average on the road, scoring just 93 ppg when they travel. 76ers have a winning record ATS away, but in this case, they'e in way over their heads. Pacers aren't what they used to be, but they're on to something with their new high-octane style. Pacers roll at home in this one!
Take the Pacers BIG over the 76ers in this NBA match up.
Strike point
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday's College Hoops Plays
3-Unit Play. #527 Take UC Santa Barbara -4 over Ball State (7 pm)
The Gauchos are legit, although you may not know much about them. 9-1 and hidden in the Big West, you would be hard pressed to find ten teams on the west coast better than them, and that says something. And against a Ball State team that is 0-9 and not scoring 55 points per game, it's clear who the team is to play. Led by arguably the Big West's top player in Alex Harris, UCSB scores at a much higher rate and plays a style that is too fast for the Cardinals. The Gauchos will earn their tenth win of the season here over hapless Ball State.
3-Unit Play. #545 Take LSU -1.5 over Witcha State (8 pm)
This is an interesting match-up, but I'll take the athleticism of the Tigers over the lack of depth and scoring ability of the Shockers. Also to note is the fact that LSU is out for revenge when Witcha State knocked off the Tigers in Baton Rogue last season, and that P.J. Couisnard, one of the Shockers' best players, is doubtful. I like the potential that LSU has shown with its young freshman and JUCO transfer and big time scorer Marcus Thornton. Payback is on hand here, and the Tigers get that along with a nice road cover.
3-Unit Play. #555 Take Arizona -3.5 over UNLV (10 pm)
I just cannot see a scenario where the Rebels beat Arizona. The Wildcats have responded nicely from a slow start to the season, and the emergence of freshman Jerryd Bayless, Nick Wise and center Jordan Hill to an already established star in Chase Budinger has this 'Zona team clicking. I'm just not sold on a UNLV team that lost a great deal of offense and leadership from last year's Sweet 16 team. I like the way Arizona has played defense under head coach Kevin O'Neill, and behind his influence they will take this one and improve to 8-2 on the year.
Best of Luck - Strike Point Sports
EZ Winners
5 STAR: (505) MIAMI (+1) over Atlanta
(Risking $550 to win $500)
3 STAR: (507) CHICAGO (+5) over Washington
(Risking $330 to win $300)
2 STAR: (525) NEW ORLEANS (-2.5) over Seattle
(Risking $220 to win $200)
