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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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05-03-18 | Predators v. Jets UNDER 6 | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 14 h 8 m | Show |
The set-up: The Nashville Predators were just the 8th-seed out of the West last season but made a run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before falling in six games to the Penguins, who won a second straight title. The Preds built on last season's playoff run and won the Presidents' Trophy this season with 117 points. However, Nashville promptly lost its home ice edge in Game 1 against Winnipeg, with the Jets skating to a 4-1 victory. The Preds needed two OTs to win Game 2 and went to Winnipeg tied one-all. With a three-goal first period lead, there can be little doubt that many members of the Predators were convinced it was just a matter of 40 minutes until they reclaimed home-ice advantage in their second-round playoff series against the Jets. However, the unfathomable happened, as the Winnipeg Jets did not panic when they fell behind by three goals. The Jets scored three times in a 2:51 span of the second period en route to a 7-4 victory in Game 3, riding two goals each from Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The resulting offensive breakthrough has put them in position to take control of the Western Conference semifinals entering Thursday’s Game 4 at home. Nashville: "We stopped playing, clear as day,” Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis told the media afterward. “You could see that, and you can’t win hockey games when you stop playing midway through the second.” Goals from Mike Fisher, P.K. Subban and Austin Watson staked the Predators to the early advantage but Nashville only put 18 shots on goal in the final two periods and were outshot 45-30 on the night. Forward Filip Forsberg tied the game in the third period at 4-4 with his fifth goal of the playoffs but the Jets scored the final three goals of the game. The Predators were penalized five times in the final 20 minutes and goaltender Pekka Rinne, who drew a slashing penalty out of frustration with 4:29 left, made 38 saves but gave up four goals on 16 shots in the second period. Winnipeg: "Nobody panicked,” Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba told reporters in referencing a 3-0 Nashville lead after the first period, adding that Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice simply told his players during intermission to, “just go play hockey.” Center Mark Scheifele continues to shine, picking up two assists to give him 11 points (seven goals) in his past five games. Byfuglien finished with a three-point night and has five in the series, while Wheeler and center Paul Stastny (one goal, two assists) also collected three points as Winnipeg pounded Nashville with 35 shots in the final 40 minutes. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck gave up three goals in the opening period Tuesday and has surrendered nine in the past two games. However, he settled down in stopping 18 of Nashville’s final 19 shots. The pick: Winnipeg is one goal in double-overtime (Game 2) away from holding a 3-0 series lead, while the more experienced Predators have not only lost home ice advantage for now, but also lost their composure by taking three minors in the final nine minutes Tuesday. We've seen back-to-back games with finals of 5-4 and 7-4 but in this critical game, expect none of that. Each team features a Vezina Trophy finalist, Pekka Rinne of the Predators and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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05-03-18 | Braves v. Mets OVER 8.5 | Top | 11-0 | Win | 100 | 6 h 39 m | Show |
The set-up: The NY Mets opened 2018 at 11-1 and have spent most of the season's opening five weeks atop the National League East. However, after dropping the first two of a three-game home series against the Atlanta Braves, they are now 'looking up' at the surprising 18-11 Braves in the division. Surprising actually understates what the Braves have done early on in 2018, as the team's current record puts them on pace to win 100 games this year, after averaging 71.5 wins per season the last four! The Braves have won the first two games, including Wednesday night, when Jason deGrom suffered a hyperextended right elbow while batting in the bottom of the third inning and left after tossing four scoreless innings in Atlanta's 7-0 victory. The Mets will likely learn Thursday just how seriously ace right-handed pitcher Jacob deGrom is hurt (more on that later). Getting back to the Braves, last night's win was the team's fourth in a row, moving them into first place in the NL East, a half-game ahead of the Mets. The pitching matchup: Mets lefty Jason Vargas (0-1, 22.09 ERA) is scheduled to face the Braves' Julio Teheran (1-1, 4.50 ERA) in the finale of this three-game series this afternoon at Citi Field. Vargas won a career-best 18 games and was an All-Star for the first time last season with Kansas City. He cashed in by signing a two-year, $16 million deal over the winter and figures to eventually be the No. 3 starter behind Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom. The veteran underwent surgery on his hand back on March 20 (he suffered a broken right hand on March 16) and returned to the mound in his season debut Saturday, when he gave up nine runs over 3 2/3 innings as the Mets fell to the San Diego Padres 12-2. Vargas is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against the Braves but has not faced them since 2006. Teheran didn't factor into the decision last Friday, when he gave up three runs over three innings as the Braves lost to the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3. He left because of tightness in his right upper trapezius but felt fine while throwing this week. Teheran is 8-5 with a 2.44 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) against the Mets in his career. The pick: The Mets are 9-5 in games started by deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, who have combined to post a 2.46 ERA. However, New York is a more modest 8-6 when anyone else starts with the quartet of Vargas, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler combining to post a 5.93 ERA. Vargas will be facing an Atlanta lineup which leads all of MLB with a .273 team BA, while ranking third in both runs scored (5.55 per) and OPS (.787). The news has been pretty good lately for the Braves, who are in first place for the first time since April 14, 2015. Atlanta has gotten off to a hot start despite facing eight ace-caliber starters -- deGrom, Syndergaard, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Yu Darvish. Jose Quintana and Aaron Nola -- 12 times in the first 29 games. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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04-28-18 | Pelicans v. Warriors UNDER 224.5 | Top | 101-123 | Win | 100 | 15 h 17 m | Show |
The set-up: Anthony Davis entered the 2018 postseason without a playoff win on his resume but his New Orleans Pelicans (West's No. 6 seed) were dominant in sweeping the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs. Davis averaged 33 points on 57.6 percent shooting and 11.8 rebounds in the four-game sweep of Portland. He and his teammates now know they have a much bigger challenge up next, facing the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors (three straight Finals appearances with two titles). Golden State ran out to a 3-0 lead against the Leonard-less Spurs (also 3- ATS), before losing Game 4 and then taking Game 5 to close out the series in a non-cover. These teams met in the 2015 postseason (AD's only other playoff experience), with the Warriors sweeping the Pelicans but going just 1-3 ATS. New Orleans: Davis is the unquestioned leader and star of this team, but guards Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo plus power forward Nikola Mirotic are keys to an offense that is clicking on all cylinders. After a 97-95 win in Game 1, the Pelicans averaged 120.3 PPG in taking the final three games against Portland. Holiday averaged 27.8-4.0-6.5, Rondo 11.2-7.5-13.2 and Mirotic 18.2 & 9.5. "The unselfishness," Rondo told the team's website, when asked which area the Pelicans have shown the most growth this season. "I think we’re rooting for the next man beside us. Early in the season, I couldn’t really say that for this team. But now, it seems like guys are happy for one another, genuinely. Regardless of whether guys are playing bad or playing great, when we come in that locker room, if we got a ‘W’, everyone has the same mindset, the same joy for each other." Golden State: The Warriors hope to have Stephen Curry back in the lineup Saturday night. The former two-time MVP practiced with his teammates Thursday and Friday but noted afterward a final decision on whether he plays for the first time since March 23 rests in the hands of Golden State's medical staff after the Game 1 warmups (Curry suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee in a collision with teammate JaVale McGee in a game against Atlanta). Curry sat out the last 15 games of the regular season and all five vs. the Spurs. However, Kevin Durant averaged 28.2 points in the first round to help cover some of Curry's lost scoring while shooting guard Klay Thompson averaged 22.6 points and shot 51.6 percent from three-point range. Draymond Green was his usual disruptive self, averaging 11.4-11.2-8.0 (he had 17 points and 19 rebounds in Game 5). The pick: The Warriors took three of four meetings with the Pelicans in the regular season but I'm staying away from either team here. No one can be sure what Curry's status will be but expect Golden State to brings its "D," which is so often looked because the team is the NBA's highest scoring and best-shooting club. VERY high total in this contest makes the Under a 10* play. |
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04-28-18 | Bucks v. Celtics UNDER 195.5 | Top | 96-112 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 47 m | Show |
The set-up: Two of the eight first round series are headed for a Game 7 with Milwaukee and Boston being up first (Sunday, it's Indiana and Cleveland). The home team is a perfect 6-0 so far (5-1 ATS) but Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo said he is out to change that pattern in Saturday's Game 7. The "Greek Freak" scored 31 points and added14 rebounds as the Bucks forced a Game 7 with Thursday's 97-86 victory. The second-seeded Celtics unexpectedly find themselves in need of a win to keep their season alive. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens told reporters. "Game 7 in TD Garden is what you play for. It should be what you're excited most about. What you worked for all summer, what you worked for all year. It's a blast." Milwaukee: Antetokounmpo has scored 30 or more points on three occasions in the series and is averaging 26.3-9.7-6.5 through six games. Middleton (23.5- & 5.7) has been consistently good but the duo needs someone from the trio of guard Eric Bledsoe (12.0 PPG on 38.9% shooting), forward Jabari Parker (10.2) and guard Malcolm Brogdon (9.8) to step up on Saturday. "We're a team that has shown a lot of resiliency all year," interim coach Joe Prunty said. "We've had a game this year, twice, where we've been down 20 and found a way to come back and win both times. We continue to battle. We fight." Boston: Failing to close out the series in Milwaukee didn't seem to faze most of the Boston players, as they return to a venue in which they have won three times during the playoff matchup, by an average of 8.3 points. Second-year shooting guard Brown is one of five Celtics averaging in double digits in the series, leading the way at 20.5 PPG (RPG). Center/PF Al Horford (16.8 & 8.8), guard Terry Rozier (16.2-4.0-6.3), small forward Jayson Tatum (14.7 & 5.2) and power forward Marcus Morris (13.8 & 5.0) being the others. Morris (thigh) was injured in Game 6 and insists he is fine for the series finale. The pick: With Milwaukee's awful recent playoff history (see above), I can't take the Bucks. However, I'm not convinced Boston (minus Kyrie) is really better than the Bucks. With the series tied two-all, Boston won Game 5, 92-87 and facing elimination, Milwaukee won Game 6, 97-86. That's an average of 181.0 PPG. In this do-or-die Game 7, why NOT expect another low-scoring contest? Make the Under an 8* play. |
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04-27-18 | Cavs v. Pacers OVER 204 | Top | 87-121 | Win | 100 | 12 h 9 m | Show |
The set-up: LeBron James capped off a 44-point, 10-rebound, eight-assist performance by nailing a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cavaliers a 98-95 victory in Game 5 and their first lead of the series. No one can nor will dispute LBJ's gretaness but the Pacers have a real beef with what happened just prior to "The Kng's" buzzer-beater. LBJ's game-winner came right after he swatted away a dunk attempt by Indiana's Victor Oladipo at the other end, a play the NBA declared on Thursday should have been called a goal-tend. "It is what it is," Pacers center Myles Turner told reporters. "It was clearly a goal-tend. They didn't review it. There's not anything you can say about it. It's frustrating. It doesn't change the fact that LeBron still hit that game-winning shot, but it's still a pivotal moment in the game that I feel does need a review." A bigger issue for Indiana is Victor Oladipo, who started out hot in the series, but is struggling over the last three games. He was just 2-of-15 from the floor while scoring 12 points on Wednesday, making him just 12-of-50 (24.0%) over the last three contests after going 20-of-37 (54.1%) in the first two games. Cleveland: Kevin Love added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds on Wednesday and felt confident that his teammate was the right person to take the final shot. "We wanted to free up 'Bron as best we could," Love told reporters. Kyle Korver was the only other player to score in double figures with 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting for Cleveland. For teh series, LBJ is averaging 34.8 PPG. 23 points more per game than the team's second-leading scorer Kevin Love (11.8 PPG). JR Smith went scoreless on 0-of-8 shooting in 33 minutes on Wednesday, George Hill (back) has now missed the last two games and is questionable for Friday Indiana: The Pacers were ahead 56-49 at halftime but the game turned in the third quarter when the Cavaliers opened with a 21-4 spurt to take a 10-point lead. Point guard Darren Collison said the Pacers can't dwell on the missed call or loss. "We've got to forget about it," Collison told Fox Sports Indiana. "You can't worry about what happened. That's not going to help us. We know (James) made a tough shot. We'll be prepared mentally coming in." Obviously, Oladipo needs to regain his shooting touch but Indiana has to like the fact that after scoring a total of just 17 points in the first three games of the series, backup center Domantas Sabonis has scored 41 off the bench in the last two games (on 17-of-24 shooting). The pick: An LBJ-led team has never lost an opening round series (12-0) and the team may not lose this one. However, one can't ignore that the Cavs, although up 3-2 in the series, are 1-4 ATS. Also of note is the fact that series has gone "under the total" in all previous five games. I lean to the Pacers but will make the Over an 8* play. |
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04-26-18 | Sharks v. Golden Knights OVER 5 | Top | 0-7 | Win | 100 | 14 h 26 m | Show |
The set-up: The NHL's first round features 16 teams and eight series. Just two of those eight series ended it 4-0 sweeps, as the expansion Vegas Golden Knights did so against the LA Kings and the San Jose Sharks brushed aside the Anaheim Ducks. The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs opens tonight and one of the two Western Conference semifinal series will feature those two 'sweepers.' The Vegas Golden Knights host the San Jose Sharks in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal, after Vegas allowed three goals to Los Angeles in its half of the Pacific Division derby, while San Jose manhandled Anaheim, outscoring the Ducks 16-4. The Golden Knights rely on a raucous crowd at T-Mobile Arena and were dominant against Pacific opponents, finishing 20-6-3 in division play and winning three of four matchups (3-0-1) against the Sharks, a series that included three one-goal decisions. The Sharks come in full of confidence, as they were the most impressive team in the first round of the playoffs, opening with two wins in Anaheim before rolling up eight goals in Game 3. San Jose: The Sharks are now better able to counter Vegas' four lines thanks to the trade-deadline acquisition of forward Evander Kane, who had nine goals in 17 regular-season games with the Sharks before scoring three times in the first round on the top line with captain Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi. Logan Couture scored a team-high 34 goals during the regular season and has 74 points in 90 career postseason games, including a playoff-high 30 in leading San Jose to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016. Goaltender Martin Jones was outstanding against Anaheim but posted a 1-2-0 mark with a 3.32 goals-against average and .899 save percentage versus Vegas. Vegas: Jones may have been good vs. Anaheim but the Golden Knight's Marc-Andre Fleury was nearly impregnable against the Kings. He came into the 2018 postseason with plenty of playoff experience as part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Pittsburgh Penguins and was near-perfect against the Kings. Vegas won all four games by just one goal, with Fleury owning an 0.65 GAA and .977 SP. Vegas managed only seven goals against Los Angeles but featured four players with at least 25 goals during the regular season, led by William Karlsson (43), who has scored four times to go with an assist in the four matchups against San Jose. The pick: Vegas is 31-10-2 at home but will be facing a veteran San Jose squad that is 22-14-7 on the road. The "elephant in the room" is which team can shake off the rust quicker? Vegas will be playing its first game in nine days, while San Jose will be taking the ice for the first time in eight days. I just don't see a 1-0 or 2-1 contest. "5" seems like an easily attainable plateau. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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04-25-18 | Wizards v. Raptors OVER 215.5 | Top | 98-108 | Loss | -108 | 11 h 23 m | Show |
The set-up: The Raptors beat the Wizards in Game 1 by eight points, as the dynamic backcourt duo of DeRozan and Lowry totaled a modest 28 points. PF Ibaka (23 & 12) was the star, while Wight (18) and Miles (12) played big roles off the bench. However, in Game 2's 130-119 win, DeRzoan (team's leading scorer at 23.0 PPG) exploded for 37 points on 14-of-23 shooting.Center Valanciunas accounted for a double-double (19 & 14), while Miles (18) and Wright (11) again played well off the bench. The Wizards fell behind early in Game 1 and were down 44-27 at the end of the first quarter in Game 2. " The Wizards decided to get physical with the Raptors in Game 3 and it worked, as they won 122-103 . Washington then took Game 4, 106-98.All of a sudden, this series is tied at two-all as Toronto hosts Game 5 on Wednesday. Washington: The Wizards allowed an average of 122 points in the first two games of the series but cut that number down to 100.5 PPG in the next two. Shooting guard Bradley Beal fouled out of Game 4 with just under five minutes left but PG John Wall took over down the stretch and finished with 27 points and 14 assists in the win. When Wall got hurt late in the regular season, there was some talk that Washington was fine without him. No one is saying that now, as Wall is averaging 26.3 points, 13 assists and three steals in the series. Toronto: DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 35 points in Game 4 but was just 10-of-29 from the floor. "I took some shots that I wish I could have had back," DeRozan told reporters. "But it's just my mindset going out there and being aggressive, wanting to win, wanting to feel like I was doing whatever it took offensively to push us to a win. But with that came some bad shots that I will definitely understand next time." DeRozan and Kyle Lowry (7-of-15) combined for more than half of Toronto's shot attempts in the loss. Toronto's reserves were key in Games 1 & 2 at home but were not ready for primetime in the two games at Washington. The pick: Toronto won a franchise-record 59 games during the regular season and earned the top seed in the East for the first time while playing a brand of basketball that encouraged ball movement and three-point shooting. However, some of those traits were hard to find down the stretch in Game 4's 106-98 setback. The Raptors led by 14 points during the third quarter on Sunday but the score was tied at 92 when Beal fouled out (then Wall took over for the Wizards!). The Raptors used their full bench successfully during the season but they started to again rely heavily on their All-Star guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry in the two games in Washington. Toronto needs better balance but a return home could be just what teh doctor ordered. Remember, the Raptors averaged 122.0 PPG in Games 1 & 2 at AirCanada Centre. Washington's Beal averaged 29.5 points in the two home games but just 14 points at Toronto in the first two contests. PF Mike Scott, who averaged 15.3 points in the first three contests, was held to just four points on Sunday (is he returning to earth?). Make the Over a 10* play. |
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04-24-18 | Spurs v. Warriors UNDER 205 | Top | 91-99 | Win | 100 | 22 h 22 m | Show |
The set-up: LaMarcus Aldridge has been the Spurs' lone consistent scorer this series(actually, this season) and he again led the way for San Antonio with 22 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday's Game 4. However, the team's spark was provided by Manu Ginobili, the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer. Ginobili had scored a total of just 19 points in the first three games of the series, as the Spurs fell behind 0-3. However, he scored 16 points in 25 minutes on Sunday, as the Spurs proved they had too much pride to get swept on their homecourt by the Golden State Warriors for the second straight season, earning a 103-90 win in Game 4. San Antonio went 15-of-28 from three-point range in Game 4, while the Warriors shot 37.8% from the floor, including just 7-of-28 on threes. San Antonio: The Spurs will be operating without head coach Gregg Popovich for the third straight game following the death of his wife, as interim head coach Ettore Messina takes over. Aldridge's 22 & 10 was his third straight double-double in the series. San Antonio never trailed on Sunday, this after the Spurs having fallen behind by at least 19 points in each of the first three games of the series. Ginobili and PG Tony Parker set an NBA record on Sunday with their 132nd playoff win as teammates. This marks Game No. 133 but will be it be their last? Golden State: Klay Thompson shot 63.3 percent from the floor and 65 percent from three-point range while averaging 25.7 points in the first three games of the series but slumped to 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting in Game 4. The Warriors committed seven of their 18 turnovers in the first quarter, setting the tone for a sloppy performance. Kevin Durant is averaging 29 points and 9.3 rebounds in the series, while Draymond Green is shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor in the series. The Warriors are not really "the Warriors," without Curry. The Warriors know they got a break drawing the Leonard-less Spurs in the opening round and I can't imagine Golden State will miss a chance to close out the series right here. However, during the regular season, Golden State lost 12 times, after losing just NINE times in making the NBA Finals in each of the last three years (won two NBA titles). What's more, Golden State was a money-burning 16-24-1 ATS at home during the regular season. Sure, the Warriors won and covered Games 1 and 2 at home in this series but I'd prefer to concentrate on the over/under in this contest, as the the Warriors have held the Spurs to just 100.3 PPG in the series, so far. OK, San Antonio went 15 of 28 (53.6 percent) in Game 4 from three-point range but that's after connecting on a combined 20 of 83 (24.1 percent) on three-pointers in the first three games of the series. The Under is a 10* play. |
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04-22-18 | Raptors v. Wizards UNDER 219 | Top | 98-106 | Win | 100 | 20 h 33 m | Show |
The set-up: The Raptors beat the Wizards in Game 1 by eight points, as the dynamic backcourt duo of DeRozan and Lowry totaled a modest 28 points. PF Ibaka (23 & 12) was the star, while Wight (18) and Miles (12) played big roles off the bench. However, in Game 2's 130-119 win, DeRzoan (team's leading scorer at 23.0 PPG) exploded for 37 points on 14-of-23 shooting.Center Valanciunas accounted for a double-double (19 & 14), while Miles (18) and Wright (11) again played well off the bench. The Wizards fell behind early in Game 1 and were down 44-27 at the end of the first quarter in Game 2. "We need a better start," Washington head coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "All five guys need to lock in defensively. They've gotten free for a lot of jump shots, and give them credit, they made them. ... But we've got to be a little better. We've got to have a better start. It's not the only thing, but we've got to start there and then go from there." The Wizards decided to get physical with the Raptors in Game 3 and it worked, giving Washington a chance to even its best-of-seven first-round series when the teams meet for Game 4 in the nation's capital on Sunday. In a game that featured five technical fouls and plenty of chippy action, the eighth-seeded Wizards routed the top-seeded Raptors 122-103 on Friday to pull within 2-1 in the series. Toronto: "They came out and punched us," Toronto head coach Dwane Casey - whose team averaged 122 points in two victories at home to start the series - told reporters. "And we allowed them to." The top-seeded Raptors received 23 points from DeMar DeRozan had 23 points and Lowry 19 (plus eight assists) but the team's backcourt duo also combined for eight of Toronto's 18 turnovers. A bigger issue was Toronto's vaunted bench struggled to shoot just 10-for-29 (34.5%) with none of the seven reserves scoring in double figures. That unit is usually led by backup guard Fred VanVleet,but he missed his second game in the series due to a bruised shoulder and is considered day-to-day. Washington: John Wall and Bradley Beal scored 28 points apiece for Washington, which shot 55.3 percent overall and scored at least 30 points in each of the first three quarters. Beal had averaged 28.8 points in four meetings with the Raptors during the regular season but had produced a total of just 28 through the first two games of the series before breaking out Friday. Wall added 14 assists in the rout and he is averaging 26.7 points, 12.7 assists and 2.7 steals in the series. Center Marcin Gortat had 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting in Game 3, after being held scoreless in 12 minutes of Game 2. Reserve PF Mike Scott is 18-of-24 from the floor in the series (including 6-of-7 from three-point range), while averaging 15.3 PPG (he averaged 8.8 PPG in the regular season). The pick: The Raptors seemed comfortable playing the role of the "Big Dog" in Games 1 and 2 but that all changed Friday night, as the Wizards dominated Game 3. If that contest was a "must win" for Washington, then so is this one, as a loss means returning to Toronto (where the Raptors are 36-7 SU this season) to face an elimination game. The winner of each of the last two games has scored 130 and 122 points, with the two finals averaging 237.0 PPG. No way this game will be played with that kind of pace. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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04-21-18 | 76ers v. Heat UNDER 215 | Top | 106-102 | Win | 100 | 7 h 4 m | Show |
The set-up: The Houston Rockets had the best regular season of any NBA team but the Philadelphia 76ers have stolen most of the headlines "down the stretch" with the team's 16-0 run to close the regular season. The final eight games in the team's winning streak came with Philly's All Star center Joel Embiid (22.9 & 11.0 in the regular season) sidelined with an orbital fracture.The 76ers opened their first round series (with Embiid still sidelined) by routing the Heat by 27 points but their 17-game winning streak came to a crashing halt in Game 2, as the Heat won 1113-103. Embiid had posted an Instagram message before Game 2 that strongly indicated his desire to return, indicating that he was being "babied" by the team staff, and he participated in portions of practice the next two days. Still, Embiid's status for Game 3 remained 'cloudy.' "It's still moving forward," head coach Brett Brown told reporters Tuesday. "What I can say is there is a very unified effort with his representation and the people around him. With the people that did the operation, the doctors, with our medical staff, with the team, with me, the coaching staff. We're all doing this. There's a unified sort of spirit and line of communication." However, Ebiid would start Game 3 and had 23 points and seven rebounds as the 76ers routed Miami 128-108. As the teams get set to meet again at AmericanAirlines Arena on Saturday, the Heat will need to corral Embiid but Miami also needs to get its center, Hassan Whiteside, more involved. Philadelphia: Naturally, Embiid was Game 3's biggest storyline, as he adjusted to wearing a mask to protect the healing eye bone and had an excellent game under the circumstances (he had missed 10 consecutive contests). However, let's not ignore rookie PG Ben Simmons and second-year PF Dario Saric. Saric led Philly with 30 points in Game 3 and is averaging 21.3 & 7.0 in the series. As for Simmons, he's averaging 20.0-10.0-9.7 in his first three career playoff games (does he think he's Magic?). Philly's depth is impressive, led by SG Belinelli (20.7) and PF Ilysova (13.0 & 9.3). Miami: Whiteside played just 13 minutes on Thursday, in part because of foul trouble. He contributed just five points, two rebounds and one block. "I want to get more minutes," said Whiteside, who led the NBA with 3.7 blocks in 2015-2016 and with 14.1 rebounds last season. "Even with the fouls, I could've been out there. I would not have fouled out." Whiteside is averaged 14.0 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks during the regular season but his minutes per game were down seven minutes from last season and even more in the playoffs. Whiteside said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra "wants me to just be in a corner and set picks." Meanwhile, Spoelstra said "it's part of my job to figure out how he can get to his strengths and make an impact on defense and rebounding." Will (can?) Miami fix this? Miami was led by point guard Goran Dragic's 23 points and eight assists (his second straight 20-point game) and from reserve forward Justise Winslow scored a season-high 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. However, Miami's top three shooting guards -- Tyler Johnson, Dwyane Wade and Wayne Ellington -- combined for just 21 points. The pick: With Philly up 2-1 in the series, the outcome of this Game 4 will either put Philly in a commanding position (up 3-1) or a Miami win will portend a possible seven-game 'war.' The teams four regular season meetings averaged just 204 points and this pivotal Game 4 brings out the defensive side of both clubs. With the total currently right around 215, the play is an 8* on the Under. |
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04-20-18 | Avalanche v. Predators OVER 6 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -108 | 14 h 1 m | Show |
The set-up: The Nashville Predators were the No. 8 seed in the West last year but made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before falling in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Predators were the NHL's best team in the the 2017-18 regular season, going 53-18-11 for a league-high 117 points. However, the Predators had looked less than dominating against the 8th-seeded Avalanche, surrendering the first goal in each of their first three playoff contests. Yes, the Predators overcame early deficits in the first two to take a 2-0 lead but they were unable to do the same in the third.Nashville took a 3-0 lead in Game 4 of the series but the Avs wouldn't go away. That said, the Preds held on for a 3-2 win and are now one win away from advancing to this year's second round. The Avalanche went from the NHL's worst team a year ago (by a wide margin) to a team that went 43-30-9 this season, while earning the West's final wild card spot with 95 points (one more than the Blues' 94!). Colorado has not backed down this series. Potential Hart Trophy finalist Nathan MacKinnon said, "We're still in it, it's not over yet. We can't win the series if we don't win Game 5." Colorado: MacKinnon scored twice to help Colorado snap a 12-game winless skid to Nashville in Colorado's 5-3 Game 3 win but he saw his five-game point streak (four goals, three assists) halted on Wednesday.in Game 4. Andrew Hammond has been confirmed to start in Game 5, after fellow goaltender Jonathan Bernier sustained a lower-body while making his eighth straight start contest in place of Semyon Varlamov, who is nursing a knee injury. "We've seen him catch lightning in a bottle before and win some hockey games. Hopefully he can do it again," Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said of the 30-year-old Hammond. Bednar is referring to when Hammond took the hockey world by storm in 2014-15 when he posted a 20-1-2 mark with the Ottawa Senators Nashville: Filip Forsberg has been instrumental in Nashville's success with five points (three goals, two assists) in the series, including a highlight-reel goal and an assist in Wednesday's 3-2 win in Denver. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm set up a pair of goals in Game 4 to increase his assist total to four in as many contests. The Predators will attempt to close out the series without forward Ryan Hartman, who was suspended one game by the NHL on Thursday for an illegal check to the head of Colorado's Carl Soderberg at 4:42 of the third period. Hartman likely will be replaced on the fourth line by rookie Eeli Tolvanen, who has yet to record a point in three regular-season games since being selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne turned aside 31 shots in Game 4 to give the Predators a commanding series lead heading back to Nashville, where he sports a 23-13-0 career mark in the playoffs with a 2.10 goals-against average. The pick: The Predators will take the ice having won 13 of their previous 14 games against the Avalanche plus they've won 15 of their last 17 postseason home games at Bridgestone Arena. It would be very hard to go against Nashville in this spot but understandably, the price is prohibitive. However, Nashville has scored five goals in each of its first two home games of this series and tonight will face Andrew Hammond, who has played just one game during the regular season and only 17 1/2 minutes in this series. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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04-20-18 | Celtics v. Bucks OVER 202.5 | Top | 92-116 | Win | 100 | 14 h 57 m | Show |
The set-up: The Milwaukee Bucks took the Boston Celtics to overtime in Game 1, before falling 113-107. However, Milwaukee fell behind by 11 points after the first quarter of Game 2 and went on to lose120-106. Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe ws quoted as saying he didn't know who Terry Rozier was. He sure knows now, as the unsung Rozier (in the staring lineup due to Kyrie Irving's season-ending knee injury) has torched the Bucks for 23 points in each of the first two games and has yet to commit a turnover. Meanwhile, Bledsoe is averaging just 10.5 PPG on 9-of-25 shooting while making six turnovers. Milwaukee has lost in the first round in its past seven postseason appearances, having last prevailed in 2001, when it reached the Eastern Conference finals before losing to the Philadelphia 76ers (remember Allen Iverson?). Boston: The Celtics came into this series not only missing Irving (24.4 & 5.1 APG) but also Marcus Smart (10.2-3.5-4.8), one of their best defenders. While Rozier has been the biggest surprise, second-year swingman Brown leads the team in scoring at 25.0 PPG. Five players are averaging in double digits, with Brown and Rozier being followed by Horford (20.8-8.5-4.0), Morris (19.5 & 6.0) and Tatum (11.5 & 8.5). Brown has been terrific and said after his Game 2 effort, "Ultimately, we just want to win games, so that’s the only thing that we are concerned with. We are confident as ever. Teams have been writing us off all year and we just keep proving people wrong, so that’s what we’re going to do." Power forwards Al Horford and Marcus Morris are also off to strong starts with Morris coming off the bench to do so. The pick: Forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.5-11.0-7.5) and Khris Middleton (28.0 & 6.0) have been superb in the series but haven't received much help from the supporting cast. "We got to play better," Antetokounmpo said. "We got to play with more effort. I think as a team we didn't show up (Tuesday). Hopefully we can go back home and protect our home and play better and get those two wins." A huge problem has been turnovers, with the Bucks committing 35 in the first two games. The Celtics have made them pay for those miscues, as 20 percent of Boston's scoring in the series has come off a Milwaukee turnover. The pick: Milwaukee's playoff history is surely 'ugly' (see above for a reminder) but this is ostensibly a "must win" game, as the Bucks would surely not be able to overcome n 0-3 deficit. The way the first two games have gone, I only see Milwaukee competing in a high-scoring affair. That's the bet. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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04-19-18 | Capitals v. Blue Jackets OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 0 m | Show |
The set-up: The Washington Capitals didn't win the Presidents' Trophy this season (entered the season off back-to-back wins) but the team's 105 points were enough for them to capture their third consecutive Metropolitan Division title. Few teams can match the regular-season success of the Washington Capitals in recent years but Alex Ovechkin and company are more concerned with erasing a lengthy history of playoff flops. The Capitals have not been to the Stanley Cup Final since 1998 and have been drummed out of the playoffs in the second round in each of the past three seasons. The Capitals seemed to insist that they had less pressure this postseason than in years past, perhaps as a result of failing to win the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in three years. However, despite winning 12 of 15 games heading into the playoffs, the Capitals once again flopped out of teh box, losing two home playoff games at home in OT to the Columbus Blue Jackets (FYI... Columbus has never won a postseason series). Alex Ovechkin generated both headlines and raised eyebrows after declaring that the Washington Capitals would return to the District of Columbia tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets at two victories apiece in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Yes, it took two OTs but the Caps won Game 3 by the score of 3-2 and are now halfway to fulfilling Ovechkin's promise. Washington: Ovechkin recorded his second straight two-point performance when he notched a pair of assists in his 100th career playoff game before Lars Eller ended Tuesday's marathon after the puck caromed off him and into the net for a 3-2 win. "It was a real ugly OT-winner goal. I had a feeling it was going be one of those. It doesn't make the win less sweet," Eller told the Washington Post. Braden Holtby made his first start of the series and earned his keep on Tuesday with 33 saves, prompting coach Barry Trotz to declare the 2016 Vezina Trophy winner the starter for Game 4 the following day. Columbus: Cam Atkinson joined defenseman Seth Jones with an assist on Tuesday to extend their respective point streaks, with the former riding a 12-game stretch (10 goals, seven assists). Jones logged a team-high 35:04 and Panarin had over 31 1/2 minutes, prompting Columbus coach John Tortorella to give his team the day off from practice on Wednesday with both teams working a staggering 47:24 of overtime in the series. Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky entered the series with a ghastly 3-10 postseason record but he has been very impressive so far. He facied 58 shots in the Game 2 win, while setting a franchise record with 54 saves. He's stopped 123 of 133 shots (.925 SP) through three games. The pick: Both teams have worked a staggering 47:24 of overtime in the series, as this series has become the 22nd in NHL history that has featured at least three consecutive overtime games. "During playoffs, to me, it's not a physical fatigue; it's a mental fatigue - and that's what breaks you down physically," Columbus head Tortorella said on Wednesday. "But if we're fatigued three games in, (expletive), we're just starting. It's a long game last night, and we've had a couple overtime games, but that's all part of this." Bobrovsky has been excellent for Columbus in goal and Trotz has finally decided that Holtby is "the man." I'm niot sure why it took himn falling behind 0-2 to realize that. After all, Holtby answered a 1-5-2 mark with a gaudy 4.82 goals-against average and .854 save percentage from Feb. 11-March 5 with a solid 5-1-0 record in his final six regular-season starts. However, Trotz went with the far less experienced Brubauer, who allowed eight goals on 49 shots (.837 SP). Make the Over an 8* play. |
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04-19-18 | 76ers v. Heat UNDER 217 | Top | 128-108 | Loss | -108 | 11 h 26 m | Show |
The set-up: The Philadelphia 76ers' 17-game winning streak came to a crashing halt in Game 2 against the Heat, as Miami answered a 27-point loss in Game 1 with a 113-103 win in Game 2. Veteran Dwyane Wade went "Back to the Future" in Miami's win, scoring 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting .Five other Miami players scored in double digits in the win while Philly, which shot percent in Game 1 (47.4%, including making 18 of 28 threes), shot just 41.7 percent overall (including 7 of 36 on threes). Miami: Leading the way behind Wade in Game 2 was PG Dragic, who scored 20 points. Also, James Johnson, who averaged under nine minutes a game in his first 19 playoff contests with Chicago, Memphis and Toronto, has made the most of his increased role with the Heat this postseason. He made all seven of his shots in Game 2 and finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals in 37 minutes, which matches his highest total in a regulation game all season. |
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04-19-18 | Cardinals v. Cubs UNDER 7 | Top | 5-8 | Loss | -100 | 4 h 34 m | Show |
The set-up:The 2016 Cubs won 103 games and the team's first World Series since 1908. Chicago struggled early on in 2017 but closed with a surge, while the Brewers faded. The Cubs won the Central Division with 92 victories and took down the Washington Nats in an NLDS before losing to the Dodgers in the NLCS. This year's team finds itself fourth among five NL Central teams in the early going with a 7-8 record. The Cubs have struggled at the plate and it sure hasn't helped that yesterday's postponement was the third postponement in four days due to inclement weather. It's been feast or famine for Chicago so far in 2018, as the Cubs have recorded only one victory when scoring fewer than five runs and are averaging 1.75 RPG in their eight losses compared to 8.7 in their seven wins. The Cubs will look get their offense going against the St. Louis Cardinals as the two longtime rivals wrap up an abbreviated two-game series. The Cards remained in the wild-card chase until game No. 159 last season but stayed at home for the postseason. St. Louis has made winning seem like a birthright since the last round of expansion, as the Cards have made the playoffs in 12 of the last 20 years and have missed the postseason in back-to-back years just twice, 2007-08 and 2016-17. The team has opened 10-7 and with a five-game winning streak is trying to make a statement that it has no interest in seeing 2018 become a 'hat trick' The pitching matchup: Weather permitting, the Cards will send promising right-hander Luke Weaver (2-0, 2.08 ERA) up against the Cubs' Jon Lester (1-0, 4.40 ERA). Weaver was pushed into the Wednesday starting assignment in place of Michael Wacha, who has struggled at Wrigley Field. Wacha will instead make his next start on Friday against Cincinnati on eight days rest. Weaver is showing why he was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, as he has followed an outstanding spring with three strong starts to begin the regular season. He has allowed four runs over 17 1/3 innings and has struck out seven in each of his last two turns. The veteran Lester is off to a up-and-down start with one excellent outing sandwiched between two sub-par efforts. He allowed four runs on seven hits over five innings in a no-decision against Pittsburgh last time out, generating only 14 swinging strikes. The pick: Runs can be tough to come by at Wrigley Field this time of year with inclement weather and the pitching matchup should also make scoring runs difficult, as well. Weaver owns a 2.08 ERA, an 0.98 WHIP, has a 17-5 KW ratio and opponents are batting just .197 against him in 2018. As for Lester, he has had a bumpy start but note that he owns a 2.30 ERA in 14 career starts against St. Louis. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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04-18-18 | Pacers v. Cavs OVER 209 | Top | 97-100 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 39 m | Show |
The set-up: LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have had two full days off to ponder what happened in Game 1 of their series with the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers held the Cavs to just 80 points (on 38.5% shooting, including 8-of-34 from three-point range) in winning the first of this seven-games series by 18 points. It was LBJ's first-ever loss in an Opening Round Game 1 (his teams had been 12-0!) and the defeat ended a remarkable run of 21 consecutive first round wins by James-led teams. Cleveland was down 25-8 in the first quarter on Sunday before James attempted his first field goal, Love scored a total of just nine points and Jeff Green was shut out in 27 minutes. All-Star guard Victor Oladipo scored a game-high 32 points on 11-of-19 shoting on Sunday and keyed the defensive effort with four steals. The Pacers dominated on both ends of the floor in the 98-80 Game 1 victory and will take the court tonight looking to prevent the Cavs from evening this Eastern Conference series at one win apiece. Indiana: Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis were the key players the Pacers received from the Thunder in the Paul George deal. Oladipo has been terrific (21.3-5.2-4.3) and in about 24 1/2 minutes per game, Sabonis has averaged 11.6 & 7.7 on the season. Indiana was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Cavaliers last spring (with George!) but the Pacers are a different (better?) team this time around thanks to the presence of Oladipo and Sabonis, plus four other Pacers who average in double digits with Stephenson (9.2 & 5.2) and Joseph (7.9) also being regular contributors. In fact, the Pacers got a big boost from reserve swingman Lance Stephenson, who embraced the challenge of guarding James and added 12 points in 17 minutes off the bench. The Pacers forced the Cavs into 17 turnovers and starting center Myles Turner scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Cleveland: James recorded his 20th career postseason triple-double on Sunday (24-10-12), second all-time behind Magic Johnson (30). However, he was clearly passive for the first 11 minutes. James is coming off arguably his finest of 15 pro seasons as he averaged career highs in rebounds (8.6) and assists (9.1) while adding 27.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting. Kevin Love did grab 17 rebounds but finished with just those nine points on 3-of-8 shooting. Not including LBJ, Cleveland's other four starters shot just 10 of 30 from the floor to contribute a modest 25 points. The pick: Head coach Tyronn Lue needs the "real LeBron" to show up in Game 1. "When he sets the tone early for us, we're usually a really good team," Lue said. "So coming out, set the tone early, be able to call plays that feature him early to be aggressive. He's always going to make the right play and the right pass, get others involved, but in Game 2 we're going to need him to set the tone early, being aggressive and attacking the basket." Why would anyone expect anything different? The problem is, the Cavs are a poor defensive team, allowing 109.9 PPG (26th) on 47.4% shooting (28th). Make the Over an 8* play. |
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04-17-18 | Pelicans v. Blazers OVER 214 | Top | 111-102 | Loss | -103 | 15 h 31 m | Show |
The set-up: The Pelicans blew almost all of their 19-point lead in Game 1 of their series with the Trail Blazers but managed to hold on for a 97-95 win. Anthony Davis felt the pressure dissipating in the final seconds of the opener. He had never been part of a playoff win until the Pelicans' victory on Saturday but after scoring 35 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking four blocked shots, he now looks help the Pelicans take a 2-0 lead when they play again tonight in Portland. "It means a lot to get that monkey off your back and get your first win," Davis told reporters. "Now that's over with, and we want to come in Tuesday and get another one. That's our mindset." Portland has to be a little stunned, as the Blazers entered Saturday's contest having won 21 of their last 24 regular-season home games. "I think it puts some pressure on us," Portland's star guard Damian Lillard told reporters. "You come in with home court, the first two games are on your floor, and you lose. And now they're saying in their locker room, 'We got one, why not get another?'" New Orleans: Davis was the key player in Game 1 (duh!) but veteran PG Rajon Rondo reminded all why he's earned the tag "Playoff Rondo." He once again elevated his play and matched the franchise record for assists in a playoff game (17 by Chris Paul in 2008) plus helped force Lillard into 6-of-23 shooting. Rondo has averages of 14.3 points, 9.2 assists and 1.9 steals in 97 career playoff games and head coach Alvin Gentry appreciates the calmness he provides to younger less-experienced players. Let's not forget contributions of combo guard Holiday (19.0-4.5-6.0 during the regular season), as he chipped in 21 points. Then there was 6-10 forward Mirotic (14.6 & 8.2 in 30 games since coming from Chicago in a trade), who produced a double-double (16 & 11), the first of his postseason career.
Portland: The Blazers have relied all season on their dynamic duo of a backcourt, as Lillard (26.9-4.5-6.6) and McCollum (21.4-4.0-3.4) combined to average just over 48 points per game during the regular season. Center Jusuf Nurkic (14.3 & 9.0) was the only other Blazer to average in double digits during the year. Portland shot just 37.8 percent from the floor in Game 1, as well as struggling to just 36 points in the first half. Lillard and McCollum combined to shoot 31.7% (13-of-41) for the game and that just won't do. Nurkic had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds but he was just 3-of-7 shooting in addition to having trouble defending Davis. Backup PF Ed Davis collected 13 rebounds in just 20 minutes in Game 1 but Portland can't expect more of that from him. The pick: Bottom line is this. Portland can't win if Lillard and backcourt mate CJ McCollum combine for three points on 1-of-15 shooting in the first half, again. However, why would anyone expect them to play so poorly again? In fact, the Blazers got un-tracked for 59 second-half points in Game 1, although it was too little, too late. .I sure expect Portland to bring its "A-game" but the Pelicans, including their Game 1 win, are an impressive 25-17 SU and 27-15 ATS on the road this season. A "typical" New Orleans road game has averaged 218.4 PPG and after a 97-95 contest in Game 1, the play here is a 10* on the Over. |
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04-17-18 | Golden Knights v. Kings OVER 5 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 26 m | Show |
The set-up: It's been a record-setting inaugural season for the Vegas Golden Knights and the team is keeping things very interesting in its first-ever Stanley Cup playoff series. Vegas took the first two games of its series with the LA Kings 1-0 and then 2-1 in double-OT. The series shifted to LA on Sunday but once again the Golden Knights prevailed by a single goal, edging the Kings 3-2. The loss was particularly galling for LA, as the Kings allowed three third-period goals to the expansion Golden Knights in Sunday's 3-2 defeat. Only four teams in NHL history have rallied from an 0-3 deficit to win a best-of-seven series and one of them was the Los Angeles Kings, who came back from the dead against San Jose in 2014 en route to winning the Stanley Cup. The Kings find themselves in that situation once again, as they try to stave off elimination against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights tonight. Vegas: Game 3 was tied at 1-1 late in the third period, when Vegas scored twice in a 21-second span, getting the tie-breaking goal from James Neal and an insurance goal from William Karlsson, who led the team with 43 during the regular season. Neal has reached 20 goals in each of his 11 seasons and is a proven playoff performer with 14 goals in 42 postseason games over the previous three seasons with Nashville. On the defensive end of the ice, the Golden Knights' Marc-Andre Fleury has been brilliant, turning aside 96 of 99 shots in the series (.970 SP) to give him an 0.84 GAA in the team's three wins. LA Kings: The Kings allowed the fewest goals in the league during the regular season (203) but a lack of offense in the playoffs is proving to be the team's downfall. It's pretty difficult win when a team scores a total of three goals in the first three games of this series. A continuing problem is the Kings at now 1-for-13 in the series with the man advantage, after failing on all five power-play chances in Game 3. Captain Anze Kopitar scored a late goal and set up the opening score in Game 3 but he is the only Los Angeles player with more than one point in the series. Poor Jonathan Quick. In just about any other series the Kings' goalie would be getting praise for his 1.69 goals-against average through three games but not here up against Fleury (see above). The pick: Only four NHL teams have squandered 3-0 leads in a best-of-seven playoff series and find it hard to believe Vegas will join this group. However, that's not to say winning in four games will come easy for teh Golden Knights. If Los Angeles is to extend the series, it will needscontributions from the team's top players. The Kings have managed three goals in the series, one from center Anze Kopitar (career-high 35 regular-season goals) and none from wingers Dustin Brown (28 goals) and Tyler Toffoli (24). The Kings have won just one of eight playoff games since hoisting the Cup in 2014 and are 1-6 in those decided by one goal. My gut says LA wins here but my bet is a 10* play on the Over. |
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04-16-18 | Spurs v. Warriors OVER 205 | Top | 101-116 | Win | 100 | 15 h 6 m | Show |
The set-up: The Golden State Warriors came into the postseason injured and slumping, having lost 10 of their final 17 games to end the regular season. With Curry still sidelined, head coach Steve Kerr inserted small forward Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup and the Warriors 'flipped the switch,' in a dominating 113-92 win in Game 1 of their series against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs' starters weren't up to the challenge, as San Antonio scored only 17 points in the first quarter (Golden State had 28) and the Warriors never looked back. Only LaMarcus Aldridge (14 points) scored in double figures among the starting five. San Antonio: "I thought we were very prepared physically and mentally," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. "But I was mistaken. As I said, we looked like deer in the headlights. The defense was really poor as far as following game plan of the first quarter, and it's a bad combination to play defense like that and not shoot at the other end." San Antonio shot 40 percent from the floor in Game 1 and managed only three offensive rebounds in the 113-92 setback. In all, SA starters combined for just 33 points Popovich started Rudy Gay in the second half over Kyle Anderson to generate more offense and could insert Gay into the starting lineup for Game 2. Gay led San Antonio with 15 points in Game 1, with Parker adding 14 points off the bench to match Aldridge, although he went 1-of-8 from the floor. Golden State: Even though it's been a injury-filled season, the Warriors led the league in scoring, averaging 113.5 PPG. However, the Warriors focused on defense in Game 1, with the insertion super-sub Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup in an attempt to give the game a defensive tone right from the start. It worked! Starting Iguodala over Quinn Cook left Golden State without a true point guard, leading forward Kevin Durant running the offense. Durant finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The Warriors recorded 32 assists on 44 made field goals in the win, led by forward Draymond Green's 11 'dimes.' Green added 12 points and eight rebounds, as well, while Klay Thompson shot 'lights out' (11 of 13 from the floor, scoring 27 points).. The pick: The Warriors were a disappointing 29-12 SU at home during the regular season (only 16-24-1 ATS) but with Saturday's win, have now won 10 straight postseason games at home. Golden State shot 54.3% in Game 1 and that can't be a surprise. The Warriors not only led the NBA in scoring this season but they were also No. 1 in FG percentage (50.2), three-point percentage (39.1) and FT percentage (81.5). I'd be surprised if Golden State didn't score 113-plus points again, while the Popovich-led Spurs almost have to play (shoot) better in Game 2. Aldridge was held to 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting in Game 1 but Aldridge averaged 23.1 points and 18.0 shots from the floor during the regular season. San Antonio is shooting 45.7 percent on the season and I say "no way" the Spurs shoot 40 percent again here in Game 2. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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04-16-18 | Astros v. Mariners UNDER 8 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 15 h 41 m | Show |
The set-up: The Seattle Mariners open a four-game series against the visiting Houston Astros on Monday., coming off a 2-1 home loss on Sunday to the Oakland A's. That defeat ended a four-game winning streak in which the Mariners had plated 29 runs. The 8-5 Mariners find themselves 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Angels (13-3) in the AL West, with the Astros (last year's World Series champs) sittiing right in front of them at 10-6. Houston started 9-2 but Sunday's 3-1 home loss to the Rangers was the team's fourth loss in its last five. The 44-year-old Bartolo Colon retired 21 consecutive Astros before Carlos Correa drew a leadoff walk in the eighth inning and then Josh Reddick followed up witha double. The pitching matchup: Lefty Dallas Keuchel (0-2, 4.20 ERA) will seek his first win of the season for Houston, while Seattle will counter with another lefty, James Paxton (0-1, 5.74 ERA). This marks Keuchel's fourth start and the former Cy Young Award winner lasted only four innings in a 4-1 loss at Minnesota on Tuesday, surrendering three runs on six hits and four walks (second straight appearance in which he's allowed four walks). Keuchel has 15 career appearances against the Mariners, including 14 starts, going 8-5 with a 2.70 ERA. Paxton had a poor 2018 debut (4.2 IP / 6 hits / 4 walks / 6 ERs) but has bounced back with two solid outings. However, he remains winless on the season (team is 1-2). He has given up just two runs in each his last two starts, including a six-inning effort at Kansas City on Wednesday in which he matched his career high with 10 strikeouts but settled for a no-decision. Paxton owns a 3-3 record and 3.38 ERA in eight lifetime starts against Houston. The pick: Both of these two pitchers are overdue for an excellent start. Keuchel was the AL's Cy Young winner in 2015 (20-game winner) and last year, went 14-5 (2.90 ERA) in helping Houston win the World Series. As for Paxton, he took over the role of Seattle's ace last season, with King Felix making only 16 starts. Paxton entered the season primed for a big campaign after the oft-injured lefty put together his best season in 2017, finishing with career highs in wins, starts (24), innings (136) and strikeouts (156). He was named the AL's Pitcher of the Month in July when he won all six of his starts. He was 7-3 with a 2.45 ERA at home last season as opposed to 5-2 with a 3.66 mark on the road while allowing just nine HRs overall. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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04-15-18 | Golden Knights v. Kings OVER 5 | Top | 3-2 | Push | 0 | 16 h 44 m | Show |
The set-up: It's been a record-setting inaugural season for the Vegas Golden Knights and the team is keeping things very interesting in its first-ever Stanley Cup playoff series. Vegas leads its best-of-seven series with the LA Kings 2-0, following up a tense 1-0 victory in the series opener with an even more dramatic win in Game 2, prevailing 2-1 in double overtime. “It’s a fun series right now,” Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant said. “Fun for us because we’re up 2-0 obviously. I’m sure they’re not too happy right now, but we’re going back to their building and we know it’s going to be a battle back there." Those comments make sense, as the Kings are hoping,"What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!" The Kings certainly hope a return home will enable them to turn the tables on the Pacific Division champions and avoid falling into an 0-3 hole on Sunday night at the Staples Center.Vegas: Erik Haula had scored a combined 29 goals over his previous two seasons with the Minnesota Wild but matched that in his first campaign with Vegas, although nothing could equal the feeling of his double-OT game-winner on Friday night. "It's one of the best feelings in sports, I think, is finishing the game in that fashion," said Haula, the team's second-leading goal scorer. Alex Tuch scored the other goal, the Golden Knights' first on the power play against the Kings this season. Karlsson led the team in goals (43) and points (78) but is pointless in the first two games of the series. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury hasn't needed much help, with an 0.39 GAA average and .983 SP (one goal allowed in 60 shots) in the first two games.LA Kings: Star defenseman Drew Doughty will return from a one-game suspension for the Kings, who are not showing any signs of panic despite losing the longest game in franchise history. “It’s not devastating,” Los Angeles head coach John Stevens said. “We expended a lot of energy but it doesn’t matter if you win in regulation or in quadruple overtime, it still counts as one. They won their two home games so we have to go home and get to work.” Fleury's been spectacular but the Kings can't ask for much more from their goaltender, as Jonathan Quick, who turned aside 81 of 84 shots in Las Vegas and set a franchise playoff record with 54 saves in Game 2,.
The pick: Returning to Quick, the Kings have to be worried that they have put way too much pressure on him (84 shots on goal) and are well aware that the Goldn Knights are a dangerous offensive team and eventually, some of the shots will find the back of the net. "Must win" situation for the Kings and Fleury was more vulnerable this season away from home. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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04-15-18 | Jazz v. Thunder UNDER 206 | Top | 108-116 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 41 m | Show |
The set-up: Utah Jazz were one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the final two-plus months of the regular season. The Jazz were 19-28 after a loss at Atlanta on Jan. 22 but stormed back with a 29-6 mark down the stretch to seize the fifth seed in the West. They hope that positive mojo will carry over into the playoffs, which begins with a visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Game 1 of their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series on Sunday. The Thunder boast a trio of veteran stars led by Russell Westbrook, who averaged a triple-double for the second straight season. Oklahoma City won three of four matchups with the Jazz during the regular season, with Westbrook averaging 22.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 10.0 assists in the season series. The Thunder won 14 of their final 21 games and much of that late success came with the early-March signing of veteran Corey Brewer, who is questionable for the opener due to a sprained knee. Utah: The team's turnaround roughly coincided with Gobert's return from a knee injury and he was dominant at times during the stretch run, averaging 16.6 points on 68.2 percent shooting to go along with 12.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in March. However, Utah has leaned on dynamic rookie guard Donovan Mitchell all year, as he's averaged 20.5 points in his first season and has shown no signs of 'hitting a rookie wall,' by scoring above his average in 12 of the final 14 games of the regular season. Gobert averaged 13.5-10.7-2.3 BPG on the season and his return in late January, jump started Utah's turnaround, which depended so much on the team's defensive prowess. The Jazz allowed 99.8 PPG (2nd-best in the NBA) on 44.9% shooting (6th). Oklahoma City: Following a first-round exit last season during Westbrook's MVP campaign, Oklahoma City brought in forwards Paul George and Carmelo Anthony for support, and while it took time to develop, a strong finish has the team feeling pretty good entering the postseason. Westbrook (25.4-10.1-10.3), George (21.9 & 5.7) and Anthony (16.2 & 5.8) are clearly a dynamic trio but the Thunder saw defensive stopper Andre Roberson suffer a season-ending injury in late January. It eventually opened the door for Oklahoma City to sign Corey Brewer, who has averaged 10.1 PPG in 18 games. However, as noted above, he is questionable for the opener due to a sprained knee. The pick: The season series between these two teams as over by Dec. 23, as OKC won three straight over Utah in a 19-day span that month. Much has changed (for both teams) since and this marks the first meeting in the playoffs between the teams since 2000, when the Thunder franchise was located in Seattle. This could be a 'war' and my play is an 8* on the Under. |
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04-14-18 | Heat v. 76ers UNDER 212.5 | Top | 103-130 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 18 m | Show |
The set-up: The Philadelphia 76ers are in the playoffs for the first time since 2011. "The Process" has been roundly mocked in recent years, as the 76ers entered the 2017-18 season having won 19, 18, 10 and 28 games the previous four seasons. However, behind the play of All-Star center Joel Embiid (22.9 & 11.) and ROY candidate Ben Simmons (15.8-8.1-8.2, the 76ers finished this year's regular season 52-30 to earn the East's No. 3 seed. They will open postseason play tonight at home, on the heels of a franchise-record 16-game winning streak. Philly's opponent, the 44-38 Miami Heat, earned the No. 6 seed after just missing out on the postseason last year when the team's 41-41 record lost out in a tie-breaker to the 41-41 Chicago Bulls. Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra has now led his squad into the playoffs for the eighth time in 10 seasons. "We feel we're battle-tested," Spoelstra told reporters. "I don't know if there's a team right now in the league more battle-tested than us in close games." Miami ended the regular season winners of five of eight. Miami: All-Star point guard Goran Dragic missed the regular-season finale with a bone bruise in his right knee but indicated that he expects to be in the lineup for Saturday's opener. Dragic leads in scoring (17.3) and assists (4.8) and his fitness will be crucial as he will be called on to slow down standout Philadelphia rookie Ben Simmons. Miami's strength is that the heat can throw a pair of stout centers at their opponents. Hassan Whiteside (14.0 & 11.4) is one of the league's best defenders and rookie Bam Adebayo (6.9 & 5.5 in less than 20 PG) is one of the league's best rebounders per 48 minutes. 76ers head coach Brett Brown noted about Miam's two centers, "They are tremendous rim protectors. You better go to jump or you better find perimeter shooters, because anything soft or non-purposeful is very difficult with those two bodies in there." Philadelphia; Simmons recorded 10 or more assists on 10 occasions during Philadelphia's 16-game winning streak. He recorded 12 triple-doubles, second all-time among rookies behind legendary Oscar Robertson (26 in 1960-61) and either Simmons or Utah guard Donovan Mitchell will win Rookie of the Year honors. The 76ers have surprsied all by winning all eight games in which Joel Embiid has missed since he broke an orbital bone. It's been confirmed that Embiid will miss the beginning of the playoffs as he recovers but that is doing little to dampen Philadelphia's spirits."We prepare the same way we've been preparing the last seven or so games without him," said Simmons, who has averaged a triple-double over the last month. "Stick with our defense, stick with our offense. We're ready to play; I love stepping up and playing against the best competition." The pick: The two teams split their four regular season games, with all taking place during a five-week stretch from early February to early March. Philadelphia won at home, 103-97, on Feb. 2, followed by a 104-102 Miami road win on Feb. 14. The teams met again two weeks later in Miami, with the 76ers scoring a 102-101 win and then the Heat closed out the season series with a 108-99 home win on March 8. Doing some quick math, the four contestes averaged 20.4.0 PPG, which is about a 'TD' lower than this over/under. Philly figures to be tight in the team's first playoff game since 2011 and I'm making the Under an 8* play. |
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04-14-18 | Avalanche v. Predators UNDER 5.5 | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 13 m | Show |
The set-up: The Avalanche went from the NHL's worst team a year ago (by a wide margin) to a team that went 43-30-9 this season, while earning the West's final wild card spot with 95 points (one more than the Blues' 94!). However, the Avs drew the Nashville Predators in the first round, a team which itself was an 8-seed in the West last season but made an impressive Stanley Cup run that didn't end until Game 6 of the Finals! Nashville built off last year's playoff success and enters this year's playoffs as the team with the most points (117) of any NHL club in the regular season. Game 1 of this series went to Nashville 5-2 on Thursday, as the Presidents' Trophy-winning Predators earned their 10th straight victory over Colorado. Colorado: The Avalanche weren't in awe of the Predators and seized a 2-1 lead early in the second period, before folding. "I think the first two periods we outplayed them for big parts of it," Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said. "We've got a big one here on Saturday. We're going to try to steal that one and get them back to the Pepsi Center where we're really good." The Avalanche's top line of Mikko Rantanen, potential Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog were not too good in the opener, however, finishing with a collective minus-6 rating. MacKinnon led the etam during the regular season in goals (39) and points (97), Rantanen was second in points (84) and Landeskog third (62). Nashville: Fi lip Forsberg (team-high 64 points) scored twice in the opener, giving him 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in his last 12 games overall and 28 points (17 goals, 11 assists) in the postseason to match defenseman Shea Weber and David Legwand for the most in franchise history. The 23-year-old Swede has flustered Colorado to the tune of 15 goals and 11 assists in 21 career encounters. Ryan Johansen notched a pair of assists to boost his point total to 10 (three goals, seven assists) in his past 11 games, while fellow forward Austin Watson joined Colton Sissons by scoring and setting up a goal, giving Watson eight points (five goals, three assists) in his past 15 outings.Viktor Arvidsson led the team with 29 goals during the regular season. Likely Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne turned aside 25 shots in Game 1 to move past Antti Niemi for the most playoff wins by a goaltender born in Finland. The pick: Pelkka Rinne was a big reason Nashville advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals last year and off a terrific regular season (42-13-4, 2.31 GAA & .927 SP), looked 'ready for primetime " in Game 1 (25 saves & a .926 SP). Nashville is now 29-9-2 at Bridgestone Arena, where it is allowing only 2.42 GPG. Colorado is averaging a modest 2.67 GPG on the road. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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04-13-18 | Kings v. Golden Knights OVER 5 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 56 m | Show |
The set-up: The Vegas Golden Knights set one record after another in its inaugural season and then in the team's first ever Stanley Cup playoff game, edged the LA Kings 1-0. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury 'pitched' a 30-save shutout, making Shea Theodore's first priod goal stand up. The teams are set for Game 2 tonight inb Las Vegas and the Kings will look to avoid falling into an '0-2 hole' but will be without one of their elite players. LA's top defenseman, Drew Doughty, was suspended one game by the NHL on Thursday for an illegal hit to the head of Vegas forward William Carrier. "I mean, he's the best defenseman in the League," Kings forward Dustin Brown said after learning of Doughty's punishment. "So it's a huge hole." Los Angeles: The suspension of 2016 Norris Trophy winner Doughty is a massive blow for Los Angeles, robbing the team of a player who established career highs this season with 50 assists and 60 points and who routinely plays huge minutes (28:02 in Game 1). Complicating matters for the Kings is the absence of fellow blue-liner Jake Muzzin, who has been sidelined since March 26 and skated Thursday wearing a non-contact jersey. Captain Anze Kopitar is among the front-runners for the Hart Trophy, rebounding from a dismal 52-point campaign in 2016-17 to amass a career-best 92 points (35 goals / 57 assists), 31 more than second-leading scorer Dustin Brown (28 goals / 31 assists). A difference-maker for the Kings could be veteran forward Jeff Carter, who missed more than four months with a lacerated tendon but scored 13 goals in the final 20 games, including in each of the last two matchups versus Vegas (both LA wins). Jonathan Quick had a career-high 28 losses (33-28-3, 2.40 GAA), but the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner posted a .921 save percentage and five shutouts in backboning a defense that surrendered the fewest goals (203 or 2.46 per) in the league, helped by the league's best penalty-kill unit (85.0%). However, the Kings can't win if they don't score. Vegas: The one player on the roster with ample playoff experience for Vegas is Fleury and he stood tall in the series opener to register his 11th career postseason shutout. “He was great,” said defenseman Shea Theodore, who netted the only goal. Theodore had two goals and eight points in 14 playoff games with Anaheim last season Forward Reilly Smith was sidelined for 15 games before returning for the regular-season finale and joins 43-goal scorer William Karlsson (78 points) and 27-goal scorer Jonathan Marchessault (75 points) on a top line that combined for 13 points in the four matchups against Los Angeles. Center David Perron (66 points, including a team-high 50 assists in 70 games) sat out the final six games but practiced both Monday and Tuesday. However, he did not play in Game 1. His status remains unclear for Game 2. The pick: I don't see another 1-0 game here and in fact, expect a high-scoring one. Fleury was great in Game 1 but note he was pulled from the team's last regular season game, after stopping just 12 of the 18 shots he faced. Vegas' strength this season has been its ability to put the puck in the net, averaging 3.27 GPG (5th-best in the NHL). That average jumps to 3.56 GPG here at T-Mobile Arena. Expect the Kings to play much better and for Vegas' top players (scorers) to 'join the fight.' Make teh Over a 10* play. |
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04-12-18 | Giants v. Padres OVER 7.5 | Top | 7-0 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 30 m | Show |
The set-up: The 4-9 San Diego Padres return home to open a four-game series against the 5-6 San Francisco Giants on Thursday. The Padres went 3-3 against Houston and Colorado but ended their trip with a benches-clearing brawl Wednesday at Coors Field, when Luis Perdomo threw behind Nolan Arenado in the third inning, resulting in five ejections. Perdomo’s early exit came one day after Padres outfielder Manuel Margot was hit by Scott Oberg, forcing him to the disabled list with bruised ribs The Padres are an 'ugly' 1-6 so far at Petco Park in 2018 and welcome the Giants to San Diego, as San Francisco begins an 11-day, 10-game road trip after dropping two of three against Arizona, including Wednesday’s 7-3 loss. The pitching matchup: Chris Stratton (0-1, 4.35 ERA) takes the hill for the Giants and the Padres will hand the ball to Bryan Mitchell (0-1, 4.22 ERA). Stratton's appearance will be his first in 2018 against a team other than the Dodgers. He's allowed a total of six runs (five earned) on nine hits over 10 1/3 innings against LA (Giants won one and lost one). Stratton has bounced between the minors and majors for the last two seasons but earned a spot in the rotation after posting a 3.29 ERA over 27 1/3 innings this spring, while drawing raves for his improved curveball. Stratton owns a 1-1 record with a 6.43 ERA in two career games (one start) across seven innings against the Padres. Mitchell bounced back from a rough Padres debut against Colorado (8 hits & 5 ERs over 5 IP) by holding Houston scoreless over 5 2/3 innings last Saturday. He was acquired from the New York Yankees during the off-season and the 26-year-old will be making his first career appearance against San Francisco. The pick: These NL West rivals play the first of their 19 meetings this season tonight, as the Padres open a seven-game homestand (Giants are beginning a 10-game road trip). It's true that the Giants come in averaging a MLB-low 3.00 RPG but San Diego's start at home has been dreadful. The Padres are allowing 5.14 RPG at Petco, a pitcher-friendly park, leading to their 1-6 home mark. No reason to think Mitchell will improve on San Diego's home pitching so far, as he's made a modest 50 career appearances (just 11 starts), posting a 4.87 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. As for Stratton, his "solid spring" has yet to carry over to the regular season. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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04-12-18 | Blue Jackets v. Capitals UNDER 5.5 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -115 | 24 h 7 m | Show |
The set-up: The 49-26-7 Washington Capitals didn't win the Presidents' Trophy this season (entered the season off back-to-back wins) but the team's 105 points were enough for them to capture their third consecutive Metropolitan Division title. Few teams can match the regular-season success of the Washington Capitals over the past few year but Alex Ovechkin and company are more concerned with erasing a lengthy history of playoff flops. The Capitals have not been to the Stanley Cup Final since 1998 and have been drummed out of the playoffs in the second round in each of the past three seasons. Washington will face a familiar rival when it hosts the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight in Game 1 of their first-round series.The 45-30-7 Blue Jackets finished eight points behind Washington,after closing on a 13-2-2 run to reach the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time as the East's No. 1 wild card team. However, Columbus has never won a postseason series. Columbus: The Blue Jackets were unable to get their offense untracked for much of the season but a trio of trade-deadline acquisitions were vital in the late-season surge. Columbus picked up orwards Thomas Vanek, Mark Letestu and defenseman Ian Cole. Columbus averaged more than a goal per game following the deals. Columbus will also need to rely on two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, who has notched 78 wins over the past two seasons but was 1-3-0 with a 3.04 goals-against average and .868 save percentage versus the Capitals this season. Washington: Ovechkin rebounded from a 33-goal campaign in 2016-17 to score 49 this season, claiming his seventh Rocket Richard Trophy (player with the most goals). However, hanging over his head is that he also is one of seven players in this postseason to appear in 1,000 games and have not win the Stanley Cup. However, the Russian standout is storyline No. 2 for Washington following the decision by head coach Barry Trotz to bypass longtime No. 1 netminder Braden Holtby in favor of backup Philipp Grubauer, who will make only his second postseason start in Game 1. Grubauer went 7-3-0 with a 2.31 goals-against average down the stretch. The pick: Considering Washington's longstanding playoff flops, who can blame Trotz for his Game 1 decision, especially with Grubauer playing so well. Bobrovsky's 3-10 playoff record (3.63 GAA and .887 save percentage) is somewhat concerning but I'm still saying make the Under an 8* play. |
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04-11-18 | Kings v. Golden Knights OVER 5.5 | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 12 m | Show |
The set-up: The Vegas Golden Knights completed a record-setting regular season for a first-year club, going 51-24-7 to win the Pacific Division, while their 109 points were the fourth-most of any team in the entire NHL. After shattering a slew of league records for a first-year team, the Golden Knights prepare for their first foray into the postseason when they host the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.The 45-29-8 LA Kings finished fourth in the Pacific Division but the team's 98 points were enough to enable them to claim the top wild card spot in the West. The Golden Knights dominated Pacific foes, posting a 20-6-3 mark in division play (including two meaningless losses to close the season), and split the four-game series with the Kings, although they dropped both ends of a home-and-home on Feb. 26-27. Los Angeles has not won a postseason series in a while, but it is accustomed to the bright lights, having won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014. LA Kings: Captain Anze Kopitar is among the front-runners for the Hart Trophy, rebounding from a dismal 52-point campaign in 2016-17 to amass a career-best 92 points (35 goals / 57 assists), 31 more than second-leading scorer Dustin Brown (28 goals / 31 assists). A difference-maker for the Kings could be veteran forward Jeff Carter, who missed more than four months with a lacerated tendon but scored 13 goals in the final 20 games, including in each of the last two matchups versus Vegas (both LA wins). Jonathan Quick had a career-high 28 losses (33-28-3, 2.40 GAA), but the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner posted a .921 save percentage and five shutouts in backboning a defense that surrendered the fewest goals (203 or 2.46 per) in the league, helped by the league's best penalty-kill unit (85.0%).. Vegas: If it's true that goaltending is the name of the game in the playoffs, then Vegas has an elite one in Marc-Andre Fleury, who won three Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins and piled up a 29-13-4 record (2.24 GAA & .927 SP) this season despite missing two months due to a concussion. Forward Reilly Smith was sidelined for 15 games before returning for the regular-season finale and joins 43-goal scorer William Karlsson (78 points) and 27-goal scorer Jonathan Marchessault (75 points) on a top line that combined for 13 points in the four matchups against Los Angeles. Center David Perron (66 points, including a team-high 50 asssists in 70 games) sat out the final six games but practiced both Monday and Tuesday. However, his status remains unclear for the series opener. The pick: The expansion Vegas Golden Knights were the feel-good story of the regular season but the question before us now is can they continue their storybook season in the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Vegas opened was an eye-popping 27-9-2 as of Jan. 2 but sputtered down the stretch, including an 8-3 home loss to New Jersey and also a 7-1 season-ending clunker at Calgary, a game in which Fleury was pulled from after stopping just 12 of the 18 shots he faced. Both teams will send out playoff-tested goaltenders but Vegas' strength this season has been its ability to put the puck in the net, averaging 3.27 GPG (5th-best in the NHL). That average jumps to 3.56 GPG here at T-Mobile Arena, which should be rockin' for the club's first-ever playoff game. The play is a 10* on the Over. |
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04-11-18 | Angels v. Rangers UNDER 10.5 | Top | 7-2 | Win | 100 | 12 h 38 m | Show |
The set-up: The Los Angeles Angels have scored 19 runs while banging out 31 hits in taking the first two of a three-game series against the Rangers in Arlington. The team's 9-3 record is tied for the best 12-game start in franchise history, with LA leading the majors in runs scored (79), hits (128) and HRs (20). Mike Trout belted a 441-foot HR to mark the second time he's gone deep in three outings and Albert Pujols recorded his second straight multi-hit performance and fourth during his seven-game hitting streak in Los Angeles' 11-1 romp over Texas on Tuesday. Pujols resides one RBI shy of tying Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx (1,925) for seventh place on the all-time list. While LA is off to a great start, the reeling Rangers' 4-9 start is the Rangers' worst through 13 games since 2002. The Rangers have 15 hits over the first two games of this series but have not had a "big hit," scoring only four runs. The pitching matchup: The Angels' Jaime Barria makes his MLB in this contest and will opposed by the Ranger's Matt Moore (0-2, 11.05 ERA). Barria was signed by the Angels out of Panama at just 16 years-old. The now-21-year-old Barria is expected to be activated on Wednesday to make his major-league debut. He worked his way through High-A and Double-A before finishing with three starts in Triple-A Salt Lake last season in which he struck out 11 in 14 2/3 innings. As for Moore, he was awful last year with the Giants, going 6-15 with a 5.52 ERA (SF was 10-21 in his starts, minus-$1233 vs. the moneyline). He has now stumbled out of the box in 2018 for Texas by allowing 10 runs (nine ERs) on 12 hits in pair of sub-par performances, with his four walks in just 3 1/3 innings on Friday against Houston raising more concerns. The pick: Starting pitching was one of the biggest question marks for the Texas Rangers entering the 2018 campaign but the Rangers were expected to compensate by being able to go toe-to-toe with opponents in hitting and in the power department. So far it has not happened. The Rangers are batting a modest .236 (16th) and are even worse in runs scored, as teheteam's 3.23 RPG ranks 26th. Texas has just 10 HRs (21st) and its OPS is .600 (also 21st). Texas has the kind of lineup that a young pitcher should feel comfortable facing in his MLB debut. As for Texas' Moore, despite is ugly numbers coming in, he can gain confidence from the fact he owns a 4-0 mark with a 1.78 ERA in five career outings vs. the Angels. That ERA is fourth-lowest among active pitchers with five-plus starts against Los Angeles. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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04-11-18 | Nuggets v. Wolves UNDER 212 | Top | 106-112 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 38 m | Show |
The set-up: The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves have each played 81 games and both will go into their final game of the regular season with identical records of 46-35. Simply put, the winner will move on to play this weekend in the first round of the 2018 NBA playoffs, while the loser begins its off-season on Thursday morning. The Timberwolves were in third place in the Western Conference at several points this season and could still finish as high as fifth with a win on Wednesday and some help, or they could miss the playoffs. That would be a devastating finish to a season in which the franchise looked like a 'lock' to qualify for the postseason for teh first time since 2004, not that long ago. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are full of confidence coming in, as they overcame an 11-point, second-half deficit to earn an 88-82 victory on Monday over Portland, holding the Blazers to 13 points in the fourth quarter. The victory was Denver's sixth in a row, while the T-wolves come in 4-4 over their last eight games. Denver: Center Nikola Jokic, the team's leading scorer (18.2), rebounder (10.7) and assist-maker (6.1). He has been the team's 'driving force,' scoring 15 points, adding 20 rebounds and handing out 11 assists in Monday's win for his second straight triple-double and 10th of the season. He is averaging 23.7 points, 16.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists during the six-game winning streak. More good news for Denver is that shooting guard Gary Harris (17.6) returned from an 11-game absence due to a kne injury on Monday and was eased back into the rotation with 12 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Behind Jokic and Harris, five more Denver players are averaging in double digits, while the 6-10 Lyles just misses at 9.9 PPG. Minnesota: All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler's return helped the T-wolves picked up wins in the last two games. Butler played 23 minutes against the Lakers and the Grizzlies and averaged 16.5 points while going a combined 10-of-18 from the floor. Butler (22.0-5.3-4.9) leads a terrific starting-five which includes Towns (21.2 &12.3), Wiggins (17.7 & 4.4), Teague (14.2 & 7.0 APG) and Gibson (12.2 & 7.4). The pick: The Nuggets snapped a four-game losing streak in the series with last Thursday's 100-96 win in Denver but can only make the postseason by earning its first victory in Minnesota since Nov. 3, 2016. The Nuggets are surely peaking at the right time (six straight wins, overall) plus note that Denver has covered seven straight and 11 of its last 12 games in Minneapolis. Expect another close game and more to the point, a low-scoring one. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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04-10-18 | Rays v. White Sox OVER 8 | Top | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 6 h 59 m | Show |
The set-up:The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Red Sox 6-4 on Opening Day but just this past Sunday, blew a five-run lead in a demoralizing 8-7 loss at Boston. The Rays' eighth consecutive loss came despite a season-high 11 hits. However, the Rays pounded out 14 hits on Monday to earn a much-needed 5-4 win to open their series at Chicago with the White Sox. Chicago fell to 3-6 in 2018 after losing for the fourth straight time and being outscored 21-12 during its early season skid. Wet, cold weather has frustrated hitters and pitchers alike for Chicago, as the White Sox are 0-4 at home this season, after leaving the tying and winning runs at second and third with none out in the ninth inning. It marks the club's first 0-4 home start since 1987. The pitching matchup: Tampa Bay sends Blake Snell (0-1, 5.00 ERA) to the mound and he will be opposed by Chicago's Carson Fulmer (0-0, 5.40 ERA). Snell had a strong season debut (5.2 IP/ 3 hits 0 runs) but could not match that effort last Wednesday at New Yrok, as he allowed four hits and five ERs in just 3 1/3 innings of a 7-2 loss to the Yankees. Snell takes the mound having not allowed an earned run in 9 1/3 innings of limited work against the White Sox. Fulmer did not get a decision in his 2018 debut last Wednesday when he surrendered three runs on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts over five innings at Toronto. Fulmer, the eighth overall pick in the 2015 draft, made seven appearances (five starts) last year, going 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA, which including a 3-0 mark and 1.64 ERA in four September starts. His only appearance in his brief career against Chicago was a two-inning relief effort against Tampa Bay back on Sep. 2 of 2017 in Chicago, when he earned a victory. The pick: The Rays' start to the 2918 season has been awful but the etam's bats have begun to 'warm up,' banging out 25 hits and scoring 12 runs over their last two games. Yes, Chicago's Fulmer pitched well last September (see above) but his 2018 debut was hardly impressive (again, see above), plus one can't expect Chicago's bullpen to bail him out. Heading into today's game, the White Sox bullpen owns a 6.30 ERA, the highest in all of MLB. Chicago is allowing 5.78 RPG on the season, while Tampa Bay is allowing 7.17 RPG in its first six road games of 2018. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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04-09-18 | Tigers v. Indians OVER 8 | Top | 0-2 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
The set-up: The 4-5 Cleveland Indians begin a four-game home series against Central Division-rival the Detroit Tigers on Monday (Detroit has opened 4-4). The Indians manufactured a run without a hit in the eighth inning to tie the game before Yan Gomes delivered a two-run HR in the ninth for a 3-1 victory over Kansas City on Sunday, earning their first series win of the season. "We needed the win and we got a win,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona told reporters after his team improved to 4-5 overall. “We obviously have some work to do offensively, and we will. But it’s nice to win a game like that.” The Tigers come in off a three-game sweep on the road against the Chicago White Sox, scoring 15 runs to win the first two games before recording a 1-0 triumph on Sunday to even their record at 4-4. The pitching matchup: Detroit will send left-hander Francisco Liriano (1-0, 1.35 ERA) to the mound against reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (0-1, 2.40 ERA). Liriano was outstanding in his Tigers debut, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings in a 6-1 win over Kansas City last Monday. He used as a reliever 20 times in 38 appearances with Houston and Toronto last season, finishing with a 6-7 record and 5.66 ERA. Kluber has yet to find the win column despite producing two quality starts, yielding four runs on nine hits and three walks in road games against Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels. He has struck out 14 over 15 innings thus far. Last year, Kluber made five starts against Detroit and was 3-1 with a 3.73 ERA. In 22 career appearances against the Tigers he is 8-7 with a 3.97 ERA. He was dominant at home in 2017 with a 10-2 record and 1.81 ERA with 157 strikeouts over 114 2/3 innings. The pick: Kluber will be making his third start of the season and while he's pitched well in his first two starts, he didn't win either game, as the Indians only scored a total of three runs. In fact, the Indians' .159 team batting average is the lowest in the American League. That said, Liriano could easily prove to be just what the doctor ordered. He made one start against the Indians last year (pitching for Toronto), and it was a disaster. He gave up seven runs, five hits and three walks in two innings, making him 5-6 with a 4.19 ERA.in 20 career appearances (15 starts) against the Indians. Cleveland comes in with seven straight wins over Detroit, having won 27 of its 37 meetings with the Tigers over the last two seasons. Kluber's presence keeps the over/under number low and the play is a 8* on the Over. |
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04-08-18 | Mets v. Nationals UNDER 8 | Top | 6-5 | Loss | -103 | 10 h 3 m | Show |
The set-up: The New York Mets are off to a 6-1 start for the first time since the 2006 season when they began 8-1. New York will look to complete a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals tonight, on ESPN. The Mets won 8-2 on Thursday and then survived Bryce Harper's fifth HR, while benefiting from the ejection of Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon and manager Dave Martinez for arguing balls and strikes in a 3-2 win Saturday afternoon. The Nats won 97 games last season, 27 more than the Mets' 70 wins, but after opening the 2018 season 4-0, the Nats are now staring at losing their fifth in a row. The pitching matchup: Matt Harvey (0-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the mound for the second time this season for New York, opposed by Washington's Tanner Roark (1-0, 1.29 ERA). The Mets are hoping (praying?) that Matt Harvey has put his injuries behind him. Harvey allowed just one hit and a walk while striking out five in five scoreless innings of New York's 2-0 victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday (Harvey settled for a no-decision). The 29-year-old was 25-18 with a 2.53 ERA in his first three seasons before slumping to 9-17, 5.78 in the past two seasons. Harvey is 3-6 with a 3.16 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) versus Washington and 1-3, 3.86 in six starts at Nationals Park. Tanner Roark tinkered with his delivery in spring training before returning to the basics in winning his season opener. He allowed one run, four hits and a walk while striking out six in seven innings of an 8-1 victory at Atlanta on Monday. He is 27-19 with a 3.38 ERA in 74 games (53 starts) at Nationals Park after going 6-6, 5.04 in 17 games (14 starts) there last season. The pick: The good news for Washington in hoping to avoid a sweep and snap a four-game slide is that Roark is 7-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 17 games (11 starts) against New York. Washington could be the side here but note that Harvey looked sharp (and healthy) in his 2018 debut plus the Nats's bats have been strangely 'quiet' for three straight games now, producing only five runs on 17 hits. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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04-08-18 | Panthers v. Bruins OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 9 h 28 m | Show |
The set: There is just one game remaining in this year's NHL regular season and it's one that will carry significance for the Boston Bruins. The Bruins received the help they needed to capture their second Atlantic Division title in five seasons. While the Bruins were beating the Ottawa Senators 5-2 on Saturday night, the Lightning lost in OT at Carolina, earning just a single. Therefore, the 50-19-12 Bruins (with points), who trail the Lightning by just one point for first place in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference, can leapfrog Tampa Bay by earning two points with a regulation win over the Florida panther in tonight's contest. The 43-30-8 Florida Panthers are playing for nothing but pride as they were eliminated from postseason contention with Philadelphia's victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon. Florida: Vincent Trocheck and Colton Sceviour each registered a goal and an assist as the Panthers edged Buffalo 4-3 for their fifth straight home triumph and franchise-record 27th of the season but Philly's win over teh Rangers did them in. Leading scorer Aleksander Barkov (career-high 78 points) sat out Saturday's win and also won't play against Boston after suffering an upper-body injury in Thursday's win over the Bruins. Trocheck leads Florida with 31 goals and is second on the team with 75 points. LW Jamie McGinn is one assist shy of 100 for his career while Aaron Ekblad needs a goal on Sunday to set a new franchise record for most by a defenseman in a season. Boston: The Briuins' win on Saturday ended a three-game slide, as rookie Danton Heinen recorded a goal and an assist in the 5-2 win over Ottawa. Rick Nash could be in the lineup for the season finale as he participated in Saturday's pregame skate for the first time since suffering a concussion on March 17 against Tampa Bay. Riley Nash definitely will not be on the ice Sunday, keeping him one game shy of 400 for his career as he recovers from damage outside his ear that required over 40 stitches after taking a puck to the head on March 31 versus Florida. Center Tommy Wingels (hand) was back in the lineup Saturday after missing two games and ended his 15-game goal-scoring drought while RW David Pastrnak netted his 34th goal to match the career high he set last season and tie Brad Marchand for the team lead. Marchand has a team-high 85 points, with Pastrnak checking in with 79 points. The pick: "Opportunity for us, hopefully we're up to the task," Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said after Saturday night's 5-2 victory over Ottawa. "I'm sure the guys will be excited tomorrow." Cassidy said he will start Tuukka Rask in go, with the game being so meaningful. In a scheduling quirk, the Atlantic rivals are meeting for the third time in nine days, with each team posting a victory at home in the first two matchups. Rask is an impressive 21-4-1 with a 1.52 goals against average and .949 save percentage lifetime against the Panthers. As for the Panthers, .James Reimer was in goal for Florida Saturday night, which leaves the door open for Roberto Luongo to play in the finale. Luongo, who played in his 1,000th game and defeated Boston on Thursday night, had a disastrous 2011 Stanley Cup final against the Bruins and now could have a chance for a second tiny bit of revenge Sunday. Expect the Panthers to be loose and for them to want to win. However, a team which allows 3.12 GPG on teh road will have trouble against the Bruins here in Boston, where the club is 28-7-5, whiel averaging 3.62 GPG. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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04-07-18 | Blues v. Avalanche OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
The set-up: The Colorado Avalanche were the NHL's worst team last season (fewest wins with 22 and fewest points with 48) but will host the St. Louis Blues on the final day of the NHL's regular season and with a regulation win, would clinch the Western Conference's second wild-card spot. St. Louis knocked off Chicago 4-1 on Friday, giving the Blues a 44-31-6 record, good for 94points. The 42-30-9 Avalanche own 93 points, so simply put, Colorado needs a full two points plus for the Blues to not earn one by pushing the game past regulation time, to extend its season. St. Louis: The Blues snapped their 0-3-1 slide with Friday’s win 4-1 in Chicago over the Blackhawks. Patrik Berglund recorded a hat trick in Friday’s victory and has scored five times in as many games, giving him 17 goals on the season. All-Star Brayden Schenn increased his career-high total to 68 points (27 goals / 41 assists) with an assist on Friday to lead the team, two more than Vladimir Tarasenko, who tops St. Louis with 33 goals. Jake Allen didn't start for the first time in 15 games, giving way to backup Carter Hutton. He made 19 saves for the Blues, who jumped over Colorado into the second wild card with to set up Saturday's showdown. Head coach Mike Yeo's gamble of playing Hutton in Friday's game paid off. He wanted to rest Allen and have him at his best, so he sent the No. 1 goaltender ahead to Denver early Friday so he wouldn't get in late like the rest of the team. Colorado: The Avs have limped towards the finish line, going 1-4-1 over their last six games, after Thursday’s 4-2 defeat at San Jose. Nathan MacKinnon may have lost a chance at the Hart Trophy with a nine-game goal-scoring drought but he has collected six assists in the team's recent stretch to push his team-leading total to 95 points (38 goals). Captain Gabrie Landeskog (24 goals and 59 points) also has been held without a goal for nine contests while their linemate, Mikko Rantanen (83 points), has recorded three points in four games but owns a minus-6 rating in that span. The pick: Allen may be the goalie Yeo wants in net but he comes in win-less in his last four contests and will face a desperate Colorado team which averages 3.50 GPG on home ice. Colorado will have Jonathan Bernier in net and he has lost all three outings since Semyon Varlamov (lower body) was lost for the season. I say make the Over a 10* play. |
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04-06-18 | Pelicans v. Suns UNDER 220 | Top | 122-103 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 41 m | Show |
The set-up: The 44-34 New Orleans Pelicans are locked in a six-team battle for the final five playoff spots in the West and come into play on Friday sitting in the No. 7 spot, a half-game back of the No. 5 seeded Spurs but also just a half-game back of the No. 8 seeded T-wolves and the Nuggets, who have the same record as Minnesota but would currently lose a tie-breaker for that final playoff spot. The Pelicans just snapped a four-game slide with a 123-95 win over the Grizzlies and tonight get to visit the only team lower than the Grizzlies in the West standings when they face the 20-59 Phoenix Suns. Phoenix ended a franchise-record 15-game losing streak by edging the Sacramento Kings 97-94 at home on Tuesday, which marked the first time the Suns had held an opponent under 100 points since Jan. 31. New Orleans: The Pelicans are not so much concerned about which team they might play in the first round of the playoffs, rather New Orleans just wants to keep playing after April 11 (final day of the NBA's regular season). “For us, our goal all along has been to make the playoffs,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. "It doesn’t matter who you play, you’re going to play a really good team in the West." Anthony Davis is averaging 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks a game, second in the league in scoring and fifth in rebounds. He and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only players averaging at least 25 points and 10 rebounds a game.Holiday (18.9-4.9-5.9) has had a terrific season and Moore, coming off a 30-point game against Memphis, is up to 12.4 PPG on the season. Mirotic, acquired from the Bulls, has averaged 12.9 & 7.4 in his 26 games for the Pelicans, helping to mitigate the loss of Boogie Cousins (25.2 & 12.9). Phoenix: The Suns are missing their two leading scorers, shooting guard Devin Booker (24.9) and small forward TJ Warren (19.6), who are both out while battling injuries. Rookie swingman Josh Jackson is trying to fill the void, as Jackson finished with 28 points in Tuesday's triumph and is averaging 21.8 points over the last 11 games (13.0 & 4.5 on the season). He has scored at least 15 points in 11 consecutive games, tying Utah guard Donovan Mitchell for the longest streak by a rookie this season. Jackson is averaging 21.8 points plus 5.4 rebounds in that stretch. The pick: This is a huge game for the Pelicans, as the team can't afford to lose to the sad-sack Suns. Jackson has become the Suns' No. 1 scoring option in the continued absence of Devin Booker, TJ Warren and Elfrid Payton. Booker has missed the last nine games with a sprained right hand and Warren has missed the last eight with a hip injury. Neither is expected to play against New Orleans plus Payton is almost for sure out for the remainder of teh season with a knee injury. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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04-05-18 | Wolves v. Nuggets UNDER 225.5 | Top | 96-100 | Win | 100 | 15 h 57 m | Show |
The set-up: The battle for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, as expected, will go down to the final games of the regular season. This Thursday game between the the 44-34 Minnesota Timberwolves (tied with the Pelicans for the final two spots) and the 43-35 Denver Nuggets (the West's No. 9 team), is a prime example of just how slim the margin will be between seeds 4-8 and the two teams left out of the playoff mix. The Timberwolves come in 2-3 over their last five games, beating only the sad-sack Suns and Mavs. They have been struggling against winning teams and just got rocked at home by the Utah Jazz in a 121-97 loss on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have won three in a row by a grand total of just seven points to pull within a single of the eighth-place New Orleans Pelicans (T-wolves are also just one game up on Denver). The Nuggets will play their final four games against playoff contenders from the West, including a pair against the Timberwolves, beginning with tonight's contest. Minnesota: The T-wolves are expecting to get a boost down the stretch from All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler, who went through his first full-contact practice on Tuesday since undergoing surgery on his on his right knee five weeks ago. Butler is Minnesota's leader and without him a playoff spot that seemed almost assured, has become uncertain. Minnesota is just 8-8 since Butler (22.2-5.4-5.0) went down and he is looking to bring some much-needed toughness to the team. With Butler back, Minnesota would have a formidable starting-five, including mainstays Towns (21.1 & 12.3) and Wiggins (18.0 & 4.3) plus new additions like PG Teague (13.8 & 7.0 APG) and PF Gibson (12.2 & 7.1). Denver: The Nuggets' playoff push is being led by center Nikola Jokic, who is averaging 24.5 points on 56.1 percent shooting, 10.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists over the last 14 games. Jokic delivered 30 points in Tuesday's 107-104 win over the Indiana Pacers. The Nuggets were 3-4 on their recent seven-game road trip but.rallied in Oklahoma City on Friday night and back at home against Milwaukee on Sunday, wiping out late deficits in both games and winning in overtime. They didn't need an extra period to beat a hot Indiana team on Tuesday, so there are indications they have found the right sense of urgency. Denver has gone 5-4 since guard Gary Harris (17.7) went down with a right knee sprain by getting heavy production from Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Will Barton and Paul Millsap. Jokic leads the team in scoring (18.3) and rebounding (10.5), while guard Murray (16.6), swingman Barton (15.3-5.0-4.1) and PF Millsap (15.1 & 6.5) all make valuable contributions on a nightly basis. The pick: Minnesota has taken the first two meetings this season between the teams but that was with Butler averaging 32 points on 51.4 percent shooting. It's also well worth mentioning that Minny's current ATS slide (5-16-1 ATS), began before Butler’s injury. This game (and the re-match on the season's finla day in Minnesota on Apr. 11), has the look of a "playoff eliminator." Make the Under a 10* play. |
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04-05-18 | Avalanche v. Sharks OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 15 h 56 m | Show |
The set-up: The San Jose Sharks have punched their ticket to the playoffs, despite coming into this contest off four consecutive losses (0-3-1). The Sharks will welcome the 42-29-9 Colorado Avalanche to the SAP Center on Friday and the Avs have 93 points, leaving them one point ahead the Blues and three points ahead of the Stars for the West's final wild card spot. Each club has two games remaining in the regular season. Colorado: The Avs have dropped two straight to put their postseason plans in peril. Colorado plays in San Jose tonight, before hosting St. Louis in Saturday's season-finale (see above for more details) San Jose: The Sharks won a season-high eight-game games from March 12-26 but then allowed 15 goals during an 0-3-1 stretch. "We're fighting for home ice in the first round here. We have to dial it up. You can't coast for very long in the NHL and win hockey games," said Logan Couture, who scored his career-high 33rd goal in Tuesday's 4-2 setback to Dallas. Timo Meier scored his career-high 20th goal on Tuesday to extend his point streak to three games, but San Jose fell back on its heels and saw a two-goal advantage go by the boards in its last outing. Former Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns set up two goals versus the Stars to give him 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in his last 11 games. Burns has a team-high 65 points, due to his 54 assists. The pick: San Jose is second in the Pacific, one point over Anaheim and two ahead of Los Angeles. San Jose has dropped both matchups with Colorado in Denver this season but it's been a much different story when the teams meet in the Bay Area, as the Sharks have won 15 of the last 16 matchups dating back to March 2009. Martin Jones will be in goal for San Jose but he has stopped only 34 of 41 shots in losing both games to the Avs this season in Denver. However, it's hard to ignore the fact that San Jose had dominated this series before going 0-2 in Denver this season. The Avs really need a win here but they allow 3.35 GPG on the road. I'm going to OVER and make it a 10* play. |
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04-05-18 | Mets v. Nationals UNDER 7.5 | Top | 8-2 | Loss | -138 | 5 h 28 m | Show |
The set-up: The 4-2 Washington Nationals will finally get a game in their home park, as the Mets visit the nation's capital on Thursday for Washington's 2018 home opener. The Mets bring a 4-1 record into the first of a three-game series this afternoon, led by a dominating group of pitchers who have allowed a total of just 13 runs in team's 4-1 start, after Noah Syndergaard (2-0 but 5.40 ERA) and four relievers combined to allow five hits in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at home. Syndergaard, the team's Opening Day starter, has allowed six of the team's 13 ERs on the season, meaning the rest of the staff has posted a 1.80 ERA. The Nationals burst out of the gate with four wins but on Wednesday, they dropped their second straight 7-1 in Atlanta. Washington didn't hit or field well behind Max Scherzer (1-1), who allowed five runs (just two earned) on six hits over five innings. The pitching matchup: Jacob deGrom (1-0, 1.59 ERA) goes for the Mets and Stephen Strasburg (1-0, 1.42 ERA) for the Nats, an outstanding pitching matchup between two pitchers, both of whom won their season debuts with solid outings. DeGrom allowed a run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings to lead the Mets to a 6-2 win over St. Louis on Saturday, striking out seven against one walk. He boasts a 2.77 ERA in 12 career starts against the Nationals and is 4-1 in six starts at Washington. Strasburg also recorded seven strikeouts and allowed three runs (one earned) while lasting into the seventh inning in his win over Cincinnati on Saturday, improving to 31-8 over his last three seasons. His personal winning streak is up to six dating to last season and he won each of his last four outings at home in 2017. The former No. 1 pick is 8-4 with a 2.64 ERA lifetime versus New York. The pick: Washington won 13 of 19 meetings last season, winning the NL East by 20 games a year ago (New York finished 27 games back!). Will it be any different this year? It's hard not to see Washington winning close to 95 games again this season (Nats have averaged 93.5 wins per season over the last six) but if New York's pitching staff remains healthy, the Mets could be 90-win team in 2018. Let's say Under in this one and make it an 8* play. |
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04-04-18 | Senators v. Sabres OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 11 h 29 m | Show |
The set-up: The Buffalo Sabres will play their regular-season home finale against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night, as owners the worst record in all of hockey at 25-42-12 (62 points). The 27-41-11 Senators have 65 points (just three more than Buffalo) but tonight's contest is the first of a season-ending three-game road trip. Buffalo's place in the standings attests to its season-long struggles but its last two games were indicative of the wild inconsistency. The Sabres followed a 7-4 win at NHL-best Nashville with a 5-2 setback in Toronto. The Senators dropped a 6-5 decision to Winnipeg on Monday in their home finale, the eighth defeat in their last nine games. Ottawa will be without captain Erik Karlsson the rest of the way, and has lost five of six in the series, having not beaten Buffalo in regulation in the past 11 matchups. Ottawa: Karlsson (team-high 62 points, including 53 assists) will be allowed to remain home to be with his wife as the couple deals with the stillborn death of their son. The superstar defenseman, the subject of multiple trade rumors throughout the season, reached into the net after Monday's game to grab the puck, leading to speculation of whether he's played his last game for Ottawa. The will also make a decision on Wednesday morning in regard to F Mark Stone, who has missed the last 12 games. Stone also has 62 points, including 20 goals. Buffalo: One of the bright spots for Buffalo has been the play of center Sam Reinhart, who followed up a hat trick in Nashville by scoring against Toronto to establish career highs in goals (24) and points (48). Reinhart has amassed 17 goals and 18 assists over his last 35 games.Fellow center Jack Eichel leads the Sabres in scoring with 62 points (25 goals, 37 assists) in 64 games, while a third center, Ryan O'Reilly, is second on the team with 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists) in 58 games. The pick: The Sabres have lost eight of their last 11 games as they prepare to finish their first season under head coach Phil Housley. However, they still have a chance to climb out of the basement in the Atlantic Division Ottawa is stumbling towards the end of what's been a remarkably frustrating and surprising season. The Senators have lost eight of their last nine games, with the lone win coming in overtime against the Florida Panthers last Thursday. Both teams are among the very worst defensive clubs in the NHL, with Buffalo ranking 29th and Ottawa 30th among the league's 31 teams in goals allowed per game. Ottawa allows 3.26 GPG on the road and Buffalo allows 3.32 GPG at home. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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04-04-18 | White Sox v. Blue Jays UNDER 9 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 59 m | Show |
The set-up: The AL East is loaded and not much was expected from the Blue Jays. Toronto opened the 2018 season with a four-game series against the NYY and promptly lost the first two games, 6-1 and 4-2. That was no way to start but the Jays rebounded to take the final two games against the Yankees and then the first two of this three-game home series with the White Sox. The now 4-2 Blue Jays have homered in each of their first six contests, tying the second-longest streak to begin a season in franchise history. Toronto aims for its fifth straight victory, and seventh consecutive game with at least one HR), when it hosts the Chicago White Sox in the finale of a three-game series on Wednesday night. The White Sox opened the 2018 season 2-0 but have now lost two in a row. However, Chicago has slugged 12 HRs in just four contests. The pitching matchup: Carson Fulmer (2017: 3-1, 3.86 ERA) makes his first start of 2018 for Chicago, while Aaron Sanchez (0-1, 6.35 ERA) looks for a better outcome than in his first outing, for Toronto. Fulmer was outstanding in September for the White Sox, going 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in six games (four starts / team was 3-1). However, the 24-year-old struggled this spring. That said, the White Sox want to see him in the rotation,where he has proven to be capable, albeit in limited opportunities. Fulmer will be facing the Blue Jays for the first time. Sanchez drew a tough assignment in his season debut, getting the call against the New York Yankees. He allowed four ERs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings, with four walks hurting his cause. Sanchez was limited to just eight starts last season (1-3 with a 4.25 ERA / team was 3-5 in his starts) because of a blister problem on a finger, a split finger nail and a strained ligament on his right middle finger. His final start of the 2017 season was July 19. The pick: Fulmer was 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA in seven games with Chicago that included five starts. In his final four starts, he was 2-0 (team was 3-1) with a 1.56 ERA. I expect Fulmer tp pitch well and for the Toronto bats to be much 'quieter' after the Blue Jays set a season high for runs in Tuesday's 14-5 victory (15 hits). Also, remember that when Sanchez was healthy enough to make 30 starts in 2016, he was 15-2 with 3.00 ERA. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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04-04-18 | 76ers v. Pistons OVER 212 | Top | 115-108 | Win | 100 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
The set-up: The Philadelphia 76ers lost All-Star center Joel Embiid (22.9 & 11.0) to an orbital fracture suffered in a win over the Knicks on March 28. However, Philly has won and covered its last three without him, extending the NBA's longest active winning streak to 11 games. The 47-30 76ers are 1 1/2 games up on the fifth-place Pacers in the East and also just a half-game back of the third-place Cavs. Phily travels to Detroit to face the Pistons on Wednesday and Detroit's playoff chances are hanging by a thread. Yes, the Pistons have won five in a row and seven of eight to stay alive but at 37-40, Detroit would need to win all of their remaining five games PLUS need either the Heat, Wizards or Bucks to los all SIX of their remaining games to have a chance a winning a tie-breaker. Philadelphia. The Sixers' 11th straight win came easily, 121-95 at home over the Brooklyn Nets last night. That's despite the team holding power forward Dario Saric (14.9 & 6.9) out due to cellulitis in his right elbow, the result of a cut suffered last week at the New York Knicks. Ersan Ilyasova (9.9 & 6.1 in 18 games with Philly) stepped into the starting lineup against the Nets and responded with 11 points and 13 rebounds, while rookie Ben Simmons (15.8-8.1-8.1 continued his recent tear with 15 points, 12 boards and six assists. Veterans JJ Redick (16.7) and Marco Belinelli (12.6 PPG in 23 with Philly) are playing perhaps their best basketball at the most important time. Redick scored 19 points against the Nets, his fifth straight game with at least that many, and Belinelli added 17 on 7-of-11 shooting, the eighth time in his last nine games that he's shot at least 50 percent from the floor. Rookie Markelle Fultz scored exactly 10 points for the third time in five games since returning from a shoulder injury and saw some time on the floor with Simmons in the third quarter. Fultz has averaged 7.4 & 4.4 APG in about 17 minutes in his five games back. Detroit: It's almost guaranteed that Detroit's late run will be too little, too late but the Pistons have to be encouraged by the play of Reggie Jackson (14.7 & 5.1 APG) since he returned from a lengthy injury layoff. The 27-year-old PG scored a season-high 29 points at Brooklyn and is averaging 18.8 over his last five games. Anthony Tolliver continues to fill in for the injured Blake Griffin and posted 16.2 points per game average during the same stretch. Isn't it 'rich' that Detroit has won three in a row since Griffin was diagnosed with a bone bruise on his right ankle. The Pistons survived the ejection of All-Star center Andre Drummond (15.0 & 16.0) in a 108-96 win at Brooklyn on Sunday but Drummond managed a double-double (13 & 14) prior to his ejection and he needs one more to reach 60 in that category for the second time in his career. The pick: Philly is NBA’s hottest team but Stan Van Gundy has his team playing well (five straight wins and seven of eight), even minus Blake Griffin these last three. Detroit's a solid 24-14 SU at home but slowing Philly down, would be a stretch. The 76ers have averaged 116.8 PPG during their 11-game winning streak, including 113.7 PPG without Embiid. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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04-02-18 | Michigan v. Villanova UNDER 145.5 | Top | 62-79 | Win | 100 | 34 h 39 m | Show |
The set-up: Villanova is just one win away from its second national championship in three seasons but the 35-4 Wildcats are well aware that their opponent in Monday's NCAA Tournament title game comes in Michigan: The Wolverines won their final six regular-season games, followed by a 3-for-3 run in the Big Ten Tournament and now own five wins in the Big Dance. Moritz Wagner (14.6 & 7.1) was scintillating against Loyola-Chicago with 24 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 10 of 16. The 6-11 Wagner became only the third player to post at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a national semifinal game and the first since 1983, when Hakeem Olajuwon did it (Larry Bird did so in 1979). Charles Matthews (13.1 & 5.6) added 17 points but fellow starting guards Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (12.6-3.9-3.3) and Zavier Simpson (7.3 & 3.7 APG) combined for just seven points on 2-of-17 shooting. They MUST be better against the Wildcats' talented backcourt. Sixth-man Robinson, checks in averaging 9.5 PPG and let's not forget freshman Jordan Poole (6.2), whose 'miracle 3' beat Houston. Michigan does not score all that much (73.9 PPG ranks 167th) but the Wolverines know how to play defense, allowing 62.9 PPG to rank 8th-best in the nation. Michigan has given up more than 63 points only once in this tournament. The Wolverines harassed Loyola into 1-of-10 on three-point shots on the game (season lows in three-point attempts and makes), contested 24 of their 27 second-half FG attempts, plus forced 17 turnovers. Villanova: The Wildcats were a good three-point shooting team in 2015-16 when they won the national championship but they have taken it to a new level this season. The Wildcats set a Final Four record with 18 three-pointers in Saturday's semifinal victory over Kansas (the previous NCAA Tourney single-game record of 13 had been held for 31 years by UNLV's 1987 team) and have made at least 13 three-pointers in four of their five wins in this event. Villanova has already broken the NCAA Tourney record for made threes (previously held by Shaka Smart’s 2011 VCU team) and have broken the season record for threes made by VMI's 2006-07 team. Wooden Award finalist Jalen Brunson (19.2 & 4.7 APG) is leading the way for the top scoring team in the nation (86.8 PPG), one which shoots 50.1% overall (5th), including 40.1% on threes (12th). Jay Wright's team really goes just six-seep but it's quite a group of six. Starting along with Brunson are multi-talented swingman Mikal Bridges (17.6 & 5.3), 6-9 redshirt freshman Omari Spellman (10.9 & 7.9), bruising 6-7, 250-pound Eric Paschall (10.7 & 5.2) and guard Phil Booth (10.3). 6-5 small forward Donte DiVencenzo (Sixth Man of the year in Big East) comes off the bench to average 13.0-4.7-3.5. The pick: Villanova is and clearly should be the favorite but underestimate the Wolverines at your own peril. John Beilein’s team has been digging in defensively all season on the stop end all season, as ball screens are nullified, cutters are covered and open looks are denied. The Wolverines have especially been unrelenting on shots inside the arc, despite not owning a true rim protector. Michigan's unlikely season continues tonight (Wolverines were a modest 19-7 before ripping off 14 straight wins!) and while I'm not about to call for Michigan to capture its second national championship (only other one came in 1989), I expect Michigan to contain 'Nova's high-scoring team. Michigan’s defense bears a significant resemblance to a physical Providence team which gave the the Wildcats all they could handle, beating in mid-February at home and forcing OT in the Big East Tourney finale at MSG. Then again, 'Nova has been playing impressive defense as of late as well, holding seven of its last 10 opponents under 70 points. Make the Under a 10* play. The set-up: Villanova is just one win away from its second national championship in three seasons but the 35-4 Wildcats are well aware that their opponent in Monday's NCAA Tournament title game comes in Michigan: The Wolverines won their final six regular-season games, followed by a 3-for-3 run in the Big Ten Tournament and now own five wins in the Big Dance. Moritz Wagner (14.6 & 7.1) was scintillating against Loyola-Chicago with 24 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 10 of 16. The 6-11 Wagner became only the third player to post at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a national semifinal game and the first since 1983, when Hakeem Olajuwon did it (Larry Bird did so in 1979). Charles Matthews (13.1 & 5.6) added 17 points but fellow starting guards Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (12.6-3.9-3.3) and Zavier Simpson (7.3 & 3.7 APG) combined for just seven points on 2-of-17 shooting. They MUST be better against the Wildcats' talented backcourt. Sixth-man Robinson, checks in averaging 9.5 PPG and let's not forget freshman Jordan Poole (6.2), whose 'miracle 3' beat Houston. Michigan does not score all that much (73.9 PPG ranks 167th) but the Wolverines know how to play defense, allowing 62.9 PPG to rank 8th-best in the nation. Michigan has given up more than 63 points only once in this tournament. The Wolverines harassed Loyola into 1-of-10 on three-point shots on the game (season lows in three-point attempts and makes), contested 24 of their 27 second-half FG attempts, plus forced 17 turnovers. Villanova: The Wildcats were a good three-point shooting team in 2015-16 when they won the national championship but they have taken it to a new level this season. The Wildcats set a Final Four record with 18 three-pointers in Saturday's semifinal victory over Kansas (the previous NCAA Tourney single-game record of 13 had been held for 31 years by UNLV's 1987 team) and have made at least 13 three-pointers in four of their five wins in this event. Villanova has already broken the NCAA Tourney record for made threes (previously held by Shaka Smart’s 2011 VCU team) and have broken the season record for threes made by VMI's 2006-07 team. Wooden Award finalist Jalen Brunson (19.2 & 4.7 APG) is leading the way for the top scoring team in the nation (86.8 PPG), one which shoots 50.1% overall (5th), including 40.1% on threes (12th). Jay Wright's team really goes just six-seep but it's quite a group of six. Starting along with Brunson are multi-talented swingman Mikal Bridges (17.6 & 5.3), 6-9 redshirt freshman Omari Spellman (10.9 & 7.9), bruising 6-7, 250-pound Eric Paschall (10.7 & 5.2) and guard Phil Booth (10.3). 6-5 small forward Donte DiVencenzo (Sixth Man of the year in Big East) comes off the bench to average 13.0-4.7-3.5. The pick: Villanova is and clearly should be the favorite but underestimate the Wolverines at your own peril. John Beilein’s team has been digging in defensively all season on the stop end all season, as ball screens are nullified, cutters are covered and open looks are denied. The Wolverines have especially been unrelenting on shots inside the arc, despite not owning a true rim protector. Michigan's unlikely season continues tonight (Wolverines were a modest 19-7 before ripping off 14 straight wins!) and while I'm not about to call for Michigan to capture its second national championship (only other one came in 1989), I expect Michigan to contain 'Nova's high-scoring team. Michigan’s defense bears a significant resemblance to a physical Providence team which gave the the Wildcats all they could handle, beating in mid-February at home and forcing OT in the Big East Tourney finale at MSG. Then again, 'Nova has been playing impressive defense as of late as well, holding seven of its last 10 opponents under 70 points. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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03-31-18 | Nets v. Heat UNDER 211.5 | Top | 110-109 | Loss | -102 | 12 h 5 m | Show |
The set-up: The Miami Heat are on the verge of clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs but they are still battling for seeding positioning as the regular season winds down. The 41-35 Heat are 5 1/2 game inside of the playoff cut line with seven games to go (almost a lock) but are in a three-way battle with the 41-34 Wizards and the 41-35 Bucks for seeds six through eight. Miami has beaten Cleveland and Chicago in the first two of a four-game homestand with the team's schedule lining up nicely. The Heat began a stretch of five consecutive games against opponents well out of the playoff race with Thursday's win over the Bulls. That stretch continues with tonight's game against teh Nets, two straight against Eastern Conference-worst Atlanta and a visit to the New York Knicks. The 24-51 Nets snapped a three-game slide with a 111-104 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday but haven't beaten a team with a current winning record since Jan. 31. Brooklyn: The Nets do not own their first-round draft pick, so there is no reason to 'tank' in an effort for a more favorable lottery position. “(General manager) Sean Marks talked to us after the All-Star break and (head coach) Kenny (Atkinson) repeats it to us all the time,” Nets guard Joe Harris told Newsday. “We’re about trying to finish this season the right way. We’re trying to compete and set ourselves up the right way with good momentum going into next season.” The Nets started D'Angelo Russell at point guard, Allen Crabbe, DeMarre Carroll and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson on the wings and Jarrett Allen in the post in Wednesday's win. Brooklyn's bench, currently led by Dante Cunningham, Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris, has been outstanding all season. They are averaging 43.7 PPG, which ranks second in the NBA. The Nets had seven players in double figures in the win over Orlando, led by Russell and LeVert with 16 points apiece. The reserves combined for 39 points. Miami: The Heat Miami got center Hassan Whiteside (14.1 & 11.7) back from a nine-game absence on Thursday due to a hip injury and he scored eight points on 3-of-8 shooting in 19 minutes. Backup center Bam Adebayo (7.0 & 5.5) returned from a one-game absence due to an ankle injury and added three points off the bench. However, Heat starting shooting guard Tyler Johnson (11.9) sprained his right ankle in the first half. He finished with six points in 12 minutes and there was no immediate word on his availability for Saturday. If Johnson can't go, the Heat can turn to several other options at shooting guard, including Wayne Ellington (11.3) and Dwyane Wade (12.8). In addition, small forward Josh Richardson (13.0) could slide to the guard spot. The pick: The Nets had dropped 13 of their previous 14 games to the Heat but have turned this series around with upsets in the most recent two meetings. Despite Brooklyn's sorry 24-51 record this season, the Nets enter this contest as a phenomenal play as a road dog this season, covering 23 of 34 chances. Expect another close game but even more, I like the Under as 10* play. |
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03-31-18 | Islanders v. Devils OVER 6 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 4 m | Show |
The set-up: The 32-36-10 NY Islanders will miss the playoffs for the second straight season and they are coming off a 5-4 loss to Toronto on Friday, the team' fourth consecutive home loss and eighth in nine contests at Barclays Center. As for the New Jersey Devils, who host the Islanders tonight, they have held a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference every day since winning their season-opener back on Oct. 7. NY Islanders: The Islanders are stumbling down the stretch, going just 3-11-4 in their last 18 games following Friday's 5-4 home-ice loss. One bright spot in the most recent defeat was that team captain John Tavares scored a power-play goal to reach 80 points for the third time in his career (34 goals / 46 assists). Goalie Thomas Greiss could get the start against New Jersey after being activated from injured reserve on Friday and serving as Christopher Gibson's backup versus the Maple Leafs. The 32-year-old Greiss had been sidelined since suffering a lower-body injury in a 45-save shutout victory over Carolina back on Feb. 16. Brock Nelson scored on Friday to get within one tally of his fourth straight 20-goal season. Anders Lee leads the team with 39 goals. However, Josh Bailey, who is third on the team with a career-high 69 points (18 goals), missed Friday's game with an upper-body injury and could sit out against the Devils. New Jersey: The Devils are 3-0-1 in their last four games, after dropping a 4-3 overtime decision to Pittsburgh on Thursday. They hope to extend their point streak to five contests when they conclude a four-game homestand Saturday. Taylor Hall, who leads the team in scoring, scored in the setback to increase his career-high totals to 34 goals and 86 points. He has collected three goals and seven assists during his six-game point streak. Kyle Palmieri scored on Thursday, giving him four goals during his three-game streak and he has now recorded at least 24 goals in each of his three seasons with New Jersey after peaking at 14 during his five-season stay with Anaheim. Nico Hischier (18 goals / 32 assists) notched an assist against the Penguins to become the seventh rookie in franchise history to register 50 points and first since Adam Henrique (51) in 2011-12. Defenseman Will Butcher (3 goals / 37 assists) is the franchise's fourth rookie blue-liner to reach the 40-point plateau and first since Scott Niedermayer, who collected 40 in 1992-93. The pick: Greiss is just 11-7-2 on the season with a 3.84 GAA and .891 SP, so I'd hardly trust him here. That said, New York's defensive woes go well beyond which goalie is in net. They rank dead-last (31st) in goals allowed (3.60 per), as well as in shots on goal (35.6 per) and penalty kill percentage (just 74.3%). Make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-31-18 | Indians v. Mariners UNDER 7 | Top | 6-5 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 9 m | Show |
The set-up: The Seattle Mariners' Nelson Cruz belted a two-run, first-inning HR off reigning American League Cy Young winner Corey Kluber in a 2-1 victory in Thursday's Opening Day game. Longtime Seattle ace Felix Hernandez was sidelined by injuries in 2017 and pitched fewer than 100 innings, going 6-5 (4.36 ERA) in just 16 starts. However, despite making only two appearances in spring training, King Felix got the call on Thursday for his 10th consecutive opening day start. He pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball plus five relievers made Cruz's HR stand up. Lonnie Chisenhall doubled and scored the only run on Yan Gomes’ bloop single in the 7th inning for Cleveland, which left the tying run at third base in the ninth. Kluber was solid (8 IP / 6 hits / 2 ERs) but as Gomes noted, “Two runs usually doesn’t get us. But they pitched really well. It’s one of those things when you’re battling Kluber, the best is going to come out of everyone.” The pitching matchup: Carlos Carrasco (2017: 18-6, 3.29 ERA) takes the mound for Cleveland up against Seattle's James Paxton (2017: 12-5, 2.98), after the teams combined for just 11 hits and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Thursday. Carrasco looks to carry over the success from an outstanding 2017 season when he finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting with career highs in wins, strikeouts (226), innings (200) and starts (32). The team was 24-8 in all of his starts (plus-$1062, which was 7th-best among all starters) and was 11-2 with a 2.65 ERA on the road, before pitching 5 2/3 scoreless innings at the New York Yankees in the playoffs without getting a decision. Paxton took over the role of Seattle's ace last season, with King Felix making only 16 starts. Paxton is primed for a big campaign after the oft-injured lefty put together his best season in 2017, finishing with career highs in wins, starts (24), innings (136) and strikeouts (156). He was named the AL's Pitcher of the Month in July when he won all six of his starts. He was 7-3 with a 2.45 ERA at home last season as opposed to 5-2 with a 3.66 mark on the road while allowing just nine HRs overall. The pick: Let me run some numbers by you again. First off, the teams combined for just 11 hits and went 1-for-8 with RISP on Thursday. As for today's two starters, Carrasco owned a 2.65 ERA on the road in 2017, while Paxton produced a 2.45 ERA at Safeco. Let's not over-think this. Make the Under an 8* play. |
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03-30-18 | Wolves v. Mavs OVER 216.5 | Top | 93-92 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 52 m | Show |
The set-up: The 43-33 Minnesota Timberwolves are in seventh-place in the Western Conference but just 1 1/2 games up on the ninth-place Los Angeles Clippers with six games remaining. The T-wolves snapped a two-game slide with Wednesday's 126-114 home, as Karl-Anthony Towns erupted for a franchise-record 56 points to go along with 15 rebounds in the victory. The good news for Minnesota is, it plays its remaining six games against teams below it in the West standings, beginning with a Dallas Mavericks squad that has dropped six of its last seven, after the Mavs scored just 12 points in the fourth quarter of a 103-93 loss at the LA Lakers on Wednesday. Dallas checks in at 23-52, a record better than only the 21-54 Grizzlies and 19-57 Suns in the West. Minnesota: Towns was 19-of-32 from the floor, 6-of-8 from three-point range and 12-of-15 from the foul line as he eclipsed the team's previous scoring high of 52 points set by Mo Williams in 2015. Towns became just the third player in NBA history with at least 50 points, 15 rebounds and five threes in the same game, joining Russell Westbrook and James Harden. The T-wolves haven't made the postseason since 2004 but the additions of Butler (22.2-5.4-5.0), Teague (13.8 & 7.1 APG) and Gibson (12.3 & 7.1) to join Towns (21.2 & 12.2) and Wiggins (18.1 & 4.7), this had the look of a breakout year. However, the injury to Butler has Minnesota "hanging on for dear life." Butler's knee is improving rapidly but has yet to receive clearance for contact. Dallas: Head coach Rick Carlisle is utilizing his entire roster when he can and nine players saw between 20 and 26 minutes of action against the Lakers. Rookie PG Dennis Smith Jr. (15.2 & 5.0 APG) finished with 14 points, eight assists and one turnover in 22 minutes after going for 19 points and six assists in 25 minutes in a win at Sacramento the previous night. Dirk Nowitzki averaged 4.3 points on 6-of-24 shooting over his previous three contests before recording 13 points on 4-of-7 on Wednesday. Dirk is averaging 12.1 & 5.7 on the season and is far from the HOF player he's been for most of his career. Harrison Barnes leads the team ins scoring (18.8) and rebounding (6.3), for the second consecutive season. The pick: The T-wolves have won the first three meetings this season with the Mavs, with Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way with averaging 25 points (on 60.5% FGs) while adding 12 RPG. However, Dallas did slip in under the eight-point spread in Minneapolis in last meeting and considering that Timberwolves are just 1-6 ATS their last seven as a road favorite, I hesitate in laying the points. Minnesota has yet to become the kind of defensive team Tom Thibodeau prefers. With Butler out (he's the team's best defender), I'll make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-30-18 | Pirates v. Tigers OVER 9.5 | Top | 13-10 | Win | 102 | 5 h 28 m | Show |
The set-up: Pittsburgh Pirates open a three-game interleague series Friday at the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers' home opener against the Pirates was postponed from Thursday to Friday afternoon because of inclement weather. The Tigers have a manager in Ron Gardenhire and he's got his work cut out for him, as Detroit has been picked to finish last in the American League Central Division by many experts. As for Pittsburgh, the Tigers begin a new era without their MVP center fielder and No. 1 starting pitcher. Perennial All-Star Andrew McCutchen was dealt to San Francisco , while right-hander Gerrit Cole was sent to Houston in the off-season. The pitching matchup: Ivan Nova (2017: 11-14, 4.14 ERA) will take the mound for Pittsburgh, while Detroit counters with Jordan Zimmermann (2017: 8-13, 6.08). Both hurlers look to rebound from disappointing seasons. Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle calls Nova the dean of a mostly young rotation. Nova came to camp 10 pounds lighter and determined to improve on an up and down season that ended with a combined record of 1-6 over 10 starts (Pirates went 2-8) in August and September. He gave up a career-most 29 HRs while pitching a career-high 187 innings in 2017.Gardenhire surprised a lot of people when he named rJordan Zimmermann as his Opening Day starter. Zimmermann has struggled mightily during his first two seasons in Detroit after signing a five-year, $110 million free-agent contract. He had an 8-13 record and 6.08 ERA last season (Tigers were 10-19 in his starts, minus-$678) the fewest games he's won since 2011, while posting the worst ERA of his career and allowing 29 HRs in 29 starts. The pick: Pittsburgh played poorly on the road last season (31-50, minus-$1171 vs. teh moneyline) but Detroit was even worse at home, going 34-47, minus-$3128 vs. the moneyline. Can one really trust either team in the early going? I think not but noting both Nova's amd Zimmermann's HR struggles (see above for a reminder) and that Nova is 0-3 with a 7.04 ERA in six games (five starts) lifetime versus the Tigers, while Zimmermann is 1-3 with a 3.96 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates, the Over looks like a solid 8* play. |
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03-29-18 | Bulls v. Heat OVER 210 | Top | 92-103 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 54 m | Show |
The set-up: The 40-35 Miami Heat are almost assured a playoff spot, as they are 5 1/2 games clear of the 9th-seeded Pistons with just seven games left to play (Detroit has eight left). They currently own the No. 7 seed but are just a half-game ahead of the Bucks, who like the Pistons, have eight games remaining. The Heat are coming off a dramatic 98-79 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday and are expected to have center Hassan Whitesideback in the lineup when they host the struggling Chicago Bulls on Thursday. Whiteside (14.7 & 11.8) has missed the past nine games due to a hip flexor and he is expected to be cleared in the hours prior to tip-off. Chicago is 24-50 and comes in off six straight losses by an average of 20.5 PPG. Chicago: The Bulls have been without two of their top-three scorers in shooting guard Zach LaVine (16.7 PPG in 24 games) and PG Kris Dunn (13.4-4.3-6.0), because of knee and toe injuries, respectively. However, the Bulls still have five other players in double digits, led by 7-0 rookie Markkanen (14.9 & 7.5). Markkanen displayed he is moving forward after his recent back issues, scoring 22 points in 28 minutes during Tuesday's 118-86 loss to the Houston Rockets. However, Chicago didn't have many other bright spots to boast about as it committed 19 turnovers and went 8-of-37 from three-point range while being no match for the powerful Rockets. Chicago is allowing 110.2 PPG (27th) on the season. Miami: The Heat were without their top two centers Tuesday against Cleveland but both could return to face Chicago. Starting center Hassan Whiteside is expected back from his hip injury and backup Bam Adebayo (7.0 & 5.6) could play through a sprained ankle. Whiteside's interior presence has been missed but Miami has gone 5-4 without him. PG Dragic (17.4-4.3-6.0) has led the team in scoring all season and the return of Dwayne Wade (13.1 PPG in 15 games with the Heat), has been huge. The pick: The really good news for Miami is that the team has a favorable schedule down the stretch. The Heat have the Bulls tonight, the 24-51 Nets, back-to-back with the 21-54 Hawks and the 27-49 Knicks lined up for the next five games. Kelly Olynyk (11.5 & 5.7) has played well during Whitehead's absence and is averaging 17.4 points over the past seven games, after scoring a team-best 19 against the Cavaliers. I mentioned Chicago's poor defense earlier and will add here that they are allowing 113.1 PPG on the road, where they are just 9-28 SU. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-27-18 | Spurs v. Wizards UNDER 202 | Top | 106-116 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 24 m | Show |
The set-up: The Washington Wizards won their first five games after losing PG John Wall (19.4 & 9.3 APG) to knee surgery in late January. Washington would continue to play well without Wall going on an 11-3 run but the now slumping Wizards have lost eight of 12 after with losses in three straight. All of a sudden, Washington is excited to get their PG back on the court. Wall underwent knee surgery on Jan. 31 but participated in his second full-contact practice on Monday, but there is still no firm timetable for his return. "It's getting close," Wizards head coach Scott Brooks told reporters of Wall's return. "He's had two really, really good days. His energy level is high. He's anxious. You can tell. He wants to get out there. We still want to be patient." The Wizards will welcome the the Spurs to D.C. on Tuesday night. The 43-31 Spurs swept a six-game homestand (before losing Sunday at Milwaukee) to put a little space between themselves and ninth-place Denver in the Western Conference (Nuggets are 40-34, giving the Spurs a three-game lead). San Antino: While the Wizards are close to getting their star PG back, the Spurs can't say the same about their star player. Kawhi Leonard (quad) reportedly has yet to return to practice and the reports (rumors?) are not encouraging. San Antonio is instead leaning on All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (23.2 & 8.4) as it has closed to within a half-game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 4 spot in the West. Aldridge was named the Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 34.8 points and 9.3 rebounds in four games last week, including 34 points on 12-of-21 shooting in Sunday's 106-103 loss. The only time in the last five games that Aldridge failed to score at least 33 points came against Washington at home on Wednesday, when he was held to 27 points on 12-of-23 shooting and nine boards in a 98-90 San Antonio win. Considering that Leonard may be "done for the season," veteran Pau Gasol, will need more efforts like Sunday's. He collected 22 points and 13 rebounds off the bench, after scoring in single digits in each of the previous three games (he's averaging a modest 10.5 PPG on the season). Washington: The Wizards lost 101-97 at home to the lowly New York Knicks on Sunday (unacceptable) and are now 2-6 in their last eight home games. They 40-33 Wizards are now 6th in the East, just 1 1/2 games up on the 8th-place Heat but also only 2 1/2 games back of the 4th-place 76ers. "We thought that we could just show up and play because they don't have anything to play for," All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal told reporters after the latest setback. "We just thought it was going to be a cake walk and they just smacked us in the mouth." Beal leads the team in scoring at an average of 23.1 points (also adds 4.4 RPG and 4.6 APG) but was held to 14 on 5-of-17 shooting in the loss, including 1-of-6 from three-point range. The pick: The Spurs were tied with the Bucks at halftime but then were outscored 41-28 in the third quarter. The 41 points matched the most San Antonio has given up in a quarter this season. The defeat means San Antonio will be trying to snap a four-game road losing streak tonight in Washington (note: Spurs are on a 1-8 run away from AT&T Center). However, the Wizards are a poor 2-6 over their last eight at home, so I want no part of "the side" in this one. These teams just recently played in San Antonio (Spurs won 98-90), and considering the fact that 23 of the Spurs' 37 road games this year have gone "under the total," I'll make the Under an 8* play in this quick rematch. |
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03-26-18 | Panthers v. Islanders UNDER 6.5 | Top | 3-0 | Win | 100 | 18 h 28 m | Show |
The set-up: The Florida Panthers rallied for a 4-2 victory over Arizona on Saturday to remain three points behind New Jersey for the second wild-card spot in the East with two games in hand. However, the 38-27-7 (86 points) Panthers play five of their last nine games away from home, beginning with a four-game road trip that starts tonight at Barclays Center against the NY Islanders. New York is 31-34-10 on the season (72 points) and is one point away from officially being eliminated from playoff contention. The slumping Isles have just two wins in their last 15 games (2-9-4) after suffering a 3-1 home loss to Chicago on Saturday despite owning a 32-25 advantage in shots. Florida: The Panthers have won three of their last four overall and are 3-1-1 in five regular-season meetings with the Islanders since their 2015-16 playoff series. Vincent Trocheck scored twice to push his career-high total to 30 goals and added an assist to give him 69 points, five fewer than team leader Aleksander Barkov (26 goals & 48 assists). Florida could use more from Jonathan Huberdeau (23 goals & 65 points), who has registered only two points in his last six games. Defenseman Keith Yandle notched an assist Saturday to reach 50 points for the first time since 2013-14 while with Arizona. NY Islanders:Captain John Tavares continues to put up points as the season winds down. He has collected two goals and seven assists during his five-game point streak to lead the team with 78 points - two better than rookie Mathew Barzal, who has seven points in his last six contests. Anders Lee tops New York with a career-best 38 goals, after scoring five times in his last four games and is one away from his first 60-point season. The pick: When the Panthers arrived at Barclays Center for the first game of the NHL's second half back on Jan/ 29, Florida was a whopping 12 points behind. J in the race for the second wild card but ut a 4-1 win over the Islanders jump-started a 26-game stretch in which Florida has gone 19-6-1. Both the Panthers and Islanders have goaltending situations in flux and neither one has revealed a possible starter for Monday. Florida's starting goalie Roberto Luongo is day to day because of an upper-body injury, backup, so James Reimer could draw his second straight start (Reimer had 26 saves ain Saturday's 4-2 win over the Coyotes). Jaroslav Halak would appear to be in line to make the start for the Islanders after taking the loss Saturday, when he stopped 22 shots against the Blackhawks. However, as an impending free agent, he has been ceding playing time to rookie Christopher Gibson, who has started five of the last eight games but was chased Thursday after giving up six goals in a little more than 1 1/2 periods to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Yes, this looks like an over on first blush but i'm going contrarian on this one with the high number. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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03-25-18 | Blazers v. Thunder OVER 216 | Top | 108-105 | Loss | -108 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
The set-up: The Portland Trail Blazers won 13 straight games from Feb. 14 through Mar. 18 but head out on for a three-game road trip off back-to-back home losses to Houston and Boston. The 44-28 Blazers open the trip with a visit to OKC and the 44-30 Thunder are just one game back of the third-seeded Blazers, although they are two back in the loss column. With home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs a distinct possibility for both teams, this Sunday matchup is a critical one. Looming just behind these two teams are the 43-30 Spurs and the 43-31 Pelicans (four teams separated by two games!). Portland: "I wouldn't say 'letdown,'" Portland guard Damian Lillard told reporters of the two consecutive defeats. "Any time you can have a streak of 13 games, that means you did a lot of good things, the team is focused." We'll see now, as Portland plays seven of its final 10 games on the road and still gets little production except from Lillard ( 26.6-4.4-6.5) & McCollum (21.6-3.3-3.9), plus center Nurkic (14.2 & 8.6). That said, a recent bright spot has been power forward Al-Farouq Aminu (9.6 & 7.5), who has scored in double figures in five consecutive games, including at least 16 in each of the last three. Oklahoma City: The Thunder also recently lost to the Celtics on a buzzer-beater, before it rebounded to top Miami 105-99 on Friday, giving them seven wins in their last games. Center Steven Adams scored 20 of his 24 points in the first three quarters of Friday's win and Russell Westbrook took it from there, pouring in 17 of his 29 in the fourth. Outside of OKC's "Big 3" of Westbrook (25.4-9.7-10.2), George (21.7 & 5.7) and Anthony (16.5 & 5.9), Adams (14.1 & 9.0) is the team's only other regular contributor, The set-up: The Blazers have taken each of the first three meetings this season with the Thunder, including a 117-106 triumph Jan. 9 in OKC. In fact, Portland owns five straight wins in the series, so I hesitate to step in front of them, here. Also, let me add that Portland has shot 49% as a team against OKC this season in three games, led by C.J. McCollum (52%) and Jusuf Nurkic (56%). OKC should go down fighting, and may even win, but my play is a 10* on the Over. |
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03-25-18 | Texas Tech v. Villanova UNDER 145 | Top | 59-71 | Win | 100 | 7 h 59 m | Show |
The set-up: The East Regional final will feature the top-seeded 33-4 Villanova Wildcats against the 27-9 and third-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders. Villanova seems determined to shoot its way to the Final Four, as the Wildcats connected on 13-of-24 from three-point range in Friday's 90-78-point win over No. 5 West Virginia. 'Nova us now making 47.8 percent from the arc in its NCAA wins and has drained 432 three-pointers on the season (just 10 shy of the single-season record held by VMI back in the 2006-07 season),.In contrast, Texas Tech has made just 15 threes and is shooting only 31.3 percent from long range in this year's tourney. However, the Red Raiders have yet to allow more than 66 points in any of their three wins, holding their opponents to 63.7 PPG on a modest 41.1 percent from the floor, including only 33.3% on threes. Villanova: The Wildcats are seeking their second national title in the last three years and their third all-time..They survived a slug-fest against former Big East opponent West Virginia on Friday, despite 16 TOs vs "Press Virginia." Jalen Brunson (19.3 & 4.6 APG) led with 27 points and 6-9 freshman Omari Spellman (10.8 & 7.9) added 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals. Brunson has made at least half his shots in six of the last seven games, while the 6-6 Mikal Bridges (18.0 & 5.4) has done so in 11 of his last 12 games. Senior guard Phil Booth (10.5), one of the stars from Villanova's national championship game victory two years ago, is just 2-of-11 from the floor over the last two games and 5-of-20 over the last four contests (a problem?).. The pick: Villanova is looking for its second trip to the Final Four in three years, while Texas Tech is playing in the Elite Eight for the first time in school history, As pointed about above, this is a battle of opposing views on how the game is played. Texas Tech freshman Jarrett Culver leads Texas Tech with 54 three-pointers and by comparison, Villanova's Booth has 52 three-pointers to rank fifth on the Wildcats in made threes. I won't buck Villanova but the Texas Tech D is capable of slowing down Jay Wright’s nation’s-best 87.0 PPG offense (six double digit scorers). However, Tech's Chris Beard is proving quickly he's one of the nation's upcoming coaching stars. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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03-24-18 | Blues v. Blue Jackets UNDER 5.5 | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 12 h 42 m | Show |
The set-up: The Columbus Blue Jackets have won 10 straight games (two in OT) since losing March 2 at Anaheim. Columbus hasn't lost at Nationwide Arena since suffering a 5-2 setback against the Penguins on Feb. 18 and now owns 89 points, having climbed one point ahead of teh Flyers for 3rd-place in the Metropolitan Division, just one point behind the Penguins. The 41-28-5 St. Louis Blues are also surging, posting a 4-1 victory over Vancouver on Friday to extend their winning streak to four games and pull within one point of Colorado for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference (88-to-87).
St. Louis: Patrik Berglund (just 12 goals in 49 games) scored a pair of goals and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored in his return from a two-game absence due to an upper-body injury to help the Blues record their first regulation win after three straight overtime triumphs last night against the Canucks in St. Louis. Tarasenko leads the team with 28 goals, just two away from reaching the 30-goal plateau for the fourth consecutive season. Jaden Schwartz (22 goals & 32 assists) set up a score against the Canucks, giving him two goals and three assists during his four-game point streak. Center Brayden Schenn leads the team in assists (37) and points (62). St. Louis could be without Carl Gunnarsson on Saturday as the defenseman exited the win over Vancouver with a lower-body injury, which he suffered when falling awkwardly into the boards following a collision with Bo Horvat. Columbus: Defenseman Seth Jones returned to the lineup against the Panthers and scored a goal after missing three games with an upper-body injury. He has landed on the scoresheet in each of his last five games, registering five goals and four assists to reach the 50-point plateau for the first time in his career. Brandon Dubinsky was a healthy scratch for each of the last two games but is expected to be in the lineup Saturday due to an upper-body injury to Lukas Sedlak, who was struck on the helmet by a puck during the win over Florida. LW Artemi Panarin leads the team with 69 points, notching 10 goals and 13 assists in his last 17 games. The pick: Columbus has ridden a string of 10 consecutive victories (the second-best overall run in franchise history) to third place in the Metropolitan Division and can move past Pittsburgh for second with a ninth straight win at home, which would tie the club mark set from Nov. 29, 2016-Jan. 3, 2017. I can't (won't) buck Columbus at home (25-11-2 on the season, allowing just 2.26 GPG) but I also respect this matchup of quality goaltenders. The Blues' Allen has lost just one of his last seven starts, while the Blue Jackets' Bobrovsky has won his last seven! Make the Under a 10* play. |
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03-23-18 | Celtics v. Blazers OVER 203 | Top | 105-100 | Win | 100 | 13 h 24 m | Show |
The set-up: The Boston Celtics got a buzzer-beater to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 97-96 back on Feb. 4 at home. The teams were in very different positions compared to the ones they find themselves heading into Friday's matchup in Portland. The Celtics were a mostly healthy bunch in first place in the Eastern Conference after that triumph with a 39-15 record. However, the Celtics have gone just 9-8 since that game and are currently a battered second-place squad (4 1/2 games back of Toronto) and are entering a very challenging road-heavy portion of their schedule. The Blazers were just 29-24 after that Feb. 4 loss in Boston (in sixth place in the West ) but have since gone 15-3, a surge which has them 44-27 on the season, good enough for the No. 3 seed in the West. Portland is two games up on New Orleans and OKC, plus 2 1/2 games up on San Antonio Boston: Chief among Boston's injury concerns is the status of All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who will not travel with the team on this four-game road trip as he seeks a second opinion on a troublesome knee. With Irving (24.4 & 5.1 APG), Jaylen Brown (14.1 & 5.2) out with a concussion and Marcus Smart (10.2-3.5-4.8) sidelined with a thumb issue, Boston has been leaning on others to carry the torch. Jayson Tatum came up big turn on Wednesday with 23 points, 11 rebounds and got an assist on Marcus Morris' decisive three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left. Tatum (13.6 & 5.1) has back-to-back 23-point games, while Morris is averaging 16.6 points in March (12.90 & 5.6 on the season ). However, Horford (12.7-7.5-4.8), who hit the game-winner to defeat Portland last month, is averaging just 5.5 points while shooting 5-of-20 over the last two games! Portland: The Trail Blazers are looking to bounce back from a 115-111 loss to Houston that snapped their 13-game winning streak. Star guards Damian Lillard (26.6-4.4-6.5) and CJ McCollum (21.5-3.9-3.2) combined to miss all 12 of their three-point attempts and shot a collective 9-for-32 overall in the loss to the Rockets. Center Jusuf Nurkic picked up some of the slack with 21 points while recording his second straight double-double, both of which came with four blocked shots. However, as noted often here, the team's dynamic backcourt duo and Nurkic (14.2 & 8.6) are the only Blazers averaging double digits. That's a problem! The pick: This home contest will be followed by a stretch in which Portland will play seven of its next nine games on the road. Coming off that loss to the Rockets, Portland is still on a 14-2 ATS run in its last 15 games at the Moda Center. However, Boston is a money-making 23-10 ATS away from TD Garden. I'll make the Over an 8* playt. |
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03-23-18 | Syracuse v. Duke OVER 133 | Top | 65-69 | Win | 100 | 83 h 11 m | Show |
The set-up: The Syracuse Orange may have been given the last available at-large bid but no one is dissing Syracuse theses days, surely not the Duke Blue Devils. The 11th-seeded Orange meet the second-seeded Blue Devils tonight at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha in Midwest Regional Sweet 16 action. Syracuse (now 23-13) pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the NCAA Tournament so far, knocking off third-seeded Michigan State 55-53 this past Sunday. Boeheim's famed zone defense held Michigan State to just five points over the final 5:43 of regulation, as the Spartans shot just 25.8% for the game, including 8-of-37 on threes. Duke warmed up with a win over Iona, then put together one of its best performances of the season, defeating the No. 7-seed Rhode Island Rams 87-62 this past Saturday. Duke dominated on both ends of the court, shooting 56.9% from the floor (including 10-of-21 on threes), while holding Rhode Island to just 39.7% shooting. Syracuse. The Orange have been winning games this tourney (three, already!) by slowing down the pace and playing outstanding defense. Syracuse has scored just 60, 57 and 55 points in its three wins but has allowed just 56, 52 and 53 points in those contests. The Orange feature just three players capable of scoring. Guard Battle leads with 19.2 PPG, 6-8 freshman Brissett adds 14.9 & 8.4 plus PG Howard checks in at 14.6 PPG and 4.7 APG. No other Syracuse player averages as much as six points. Incredibly, Syracuse has won three games this tourney (only team to do so), by shooting a combined 11 of 42 (26.2%) on threes. One could add, you can't make this up! I will also add that Syracuse owns the tallest starting-five in the tourney. Guards Battle and Howard are 6-6 and 6-5, respectively, while the 6-8 Brissett is joined up front by the 7-2 Chukwu and the 6-9 Dolezaj. Duke: All know by now that Duke features senior Gray son Allen (15.6 PPG & 4.6 APG) plus four outstanding freshman. The 6-11 Bagley (21.2 & 11.3) may be the No. 1 pick in the draft and frontcourt partner, the 6-10 Carter (13.6 & 9.2), won't be far behind. Joining Allen on the perimeter are Trent (14.4 & 4.3) and PG Duval (10.2 & 5.6). Duke averages 84.9 PPG (6th) on 49.6% shooting (10th), while playing excellent D (allows 69.3PPG on 40.2% shooting). The pick: Duke is gunning for its third national title since 2010 under Coach K, who is behind only Kentucky's John Calipari in recruiting “one-and-dones” over the last few seasons. Coach K and Boeheim are longtime rivals but also friends and there will be no surprises in this game. The Orange are 7-1 as a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament, the best such win percentage all time (that's SU, not ATS!).However, Blue Devils are the most talented team in the tourney, AND, they are healthy. No team has trended up more than Duke has since Feb. 8, when the Blue Devils lost on the road to North Carolina. Duke has scored at least 85 points in back-to-back NCAA games for the first time since 2004, when it lost to UConn in the Final Four. Duke won its first two tournament games by 20-plus points and the other two times that happened, the Blue Devils reached the Final Four. Syracuse won't beat Duke in a low-scoring game. I heard heard a Boehein interview in which he said he's beaten Duke in teh past by outscoring the Blue Devils. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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03-22-18 | Hawks v. Kings UNDER 212.5 | Top | 90-105 | Win | 100 | 14 h 47 m | Show |
Atlanta: The Hawks just may wind up with the NBA's worst record but don't tell the Utah Jazz that. Led by PG Dennis Schroder's career-high 41 points, the Hawks won 99-94 in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, snapping Utah's nine-game winning streak. Schroder leads the team in scoring (19.5) and assists (6,2) on the season but had not scored more than 18 points in any of his previous five games before Tuesday's breakout effort. Center Dewayne Dedmon recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds on Tuesday but averages modest totals of 9.7 & 7.5 on the season. Atlanta ranks 22nd in scoring (104.0 PPG) and 23rd in points allowed (109.0) plus is just 6-28 SU on teh road on the season. Sacramento: Don't talk to shooting guard Buddy Hield (13.1 PPG) about "tanking," as he scored 20 points on Monday against Detroit to reach the plateau for the fourth straight game, the longest such streak of his career. Hield is shooting 55.9 percent from the floor over the last four games and is 16-of-24 from three-point range over the last three contests. Rookie small forward Justin Jackson (6.5 PPG)is raising his level of play as well, shooting 61.1 percent from the floor over the last five after collecting 15 points on 7-of-9 from the floor in Monday's setback. Rookie Guards Bogdanovic (11.8) and Fox (11.6 & 4.3 APG), along with center Cauley-Stein (12.3 & 6.9), are giving the Kings some hope for the future. The pick: The Kings will miss the playoffs for a 12th straight season and Sacramento won't end that dubious streak until the team can protect its home court.Sacramento is just 12-23 at the Golden 1 Center but this game vs. Atlanta and one with Dallas on March 27 (Mavs are one of three teams in the Western Conference with a worse mark than the kings), are almost "must wins" for Sacramento's confidence level. That said, I'm not sure I trust the Kings and I surely took notice of Atlanta's win in Utah. Let's make the Under a 10* play. |
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03-22-18 | Canucks v. Blackhawks OVER 6 | Top | 5-2 | Win | 100 | 12 h 17 m | Show |
The set-up: This Thursday night contest features a pair teams each mired in last place in their respective divisions. Both are stumbling toward the finish line of the regular season, as the 25-39-9 Vancouver Canucks are last in the Pacific Division and the 30-35-9 Chicago Blackhawks are in last in the Central Division). The loss of leading scorer Brock Boeser has sapped the life out of Vancouver, which is 0-for-7 since the rookie was injured and the Canucks now own the worst record in the West, Meanwhile, Chicago, which topped the Western Conference with 109 points a year ago, was eliminated from postseason contention after Tuesday's 5-1 setback to Colorado (its fourth straight loss and sixth in seven games), to end a nine-year playoff run. One of the teams will finally get back into the win column when the Blackhawks host the reeling Canucks on tonight. Vancouver: Boeser had scored 29 goals before he fractured a bone in his back on March 5 and his absence has been painfully apparent, as Vancouver has scored seven goals in the seven-game slide, including three consecutive shutouts. Center Bo Horvat has 19 goals and is looking to secure his second straight 20-goal campaign but there have been few bright spots for Vancouver these days..First-year head coach Travis Green has seen his team lose seven games in a row, getting outscored 23-7. The Canucks have failed to score on the power play in seven of eight games and had only one chance in five of them. Vancouver will turn to Jacob Markstrom or Anders Nilsson in net. Markstrom has played more frequently, posting an 18-26-6 record with a 2.80 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in 54 games but comes in having lost five straight starts. Nilsson is 7-13-3 with a 3.50 GAA and .902 save percentage in 25 games. Chicago: Joel Quenneville has guided Chicago to three Stanley Cup titles since 2009-10 but there are questions about his future despite the fact he is having his first losing season in 21 years. Center Jonathan Toews and right winger Patrick Kane each will look to continue their recent production. Toews has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his last 10 games and checks in with 52 points (20 goals) on the season. Kane has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) over the same span and collected an assist Tuesday to reach 70 points for the seventh time (25 goals / 45 assists). Anton Forsberg or Jean-Francois Berube will be in net for Chicago. Forsberg is 9-16-3 with a 3.08 GAA and .905 save percentage in 32 games, while Berube is 2-4-1 with a 3.70 GAA and .897 save percentage. The pick: Chicago has scored first in 27 of its last 36 games but is only 12-12-3 in those contests. Oddly enough, while the Canucks now own the worst record in the West, they have won three in a row in the series, including both meetings this season by a combined 9-4. The Canucks are looking to sweep the regular-season series.with tonight's game in Chicago. That should motivate the Blackhawks some but I'd rather stick with a 10* on the over. |
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03-21-18 | Coyotes v. Sabres OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
The set-up: The 24-37-11 Arizona Coyotes open a six-game road trip Wednesday night in Buffalo against the 23-37-12 Sabres. Arizona is the West's worst team (59 points) and Buffalo is "worst in the East," with 58 points. The 'race' for the No. 1 spot in the NHL Draft enters its 'home stretch' with this contest (note: Vancouver may yet have a say, as the Canucks have just 59 points, as well).. Arizona: The Coyotes appeared to be a lock for the worst record in the league until a late-season turnaround in which they have gone 12-5-2 over their last 19 games. "We understand we are not in the playoffs, but we understand we are playing teams that are going in the playoffs," Coyotes assistant coach John MacLean said after Monday's 5-2 victory over the Flames." Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his 100th NHL goal for the game-winning score. He became the sixth Swedish defenseman to ever reach 100 goals in the league. He also added an empty-net goal to end the game. Veteran defenseman Jason Demers, in his first season in the desert, has been dealing with an upper-body injury and on Tuesday was ruled out for the season by Arizona. That prompted the recall of center Dylan Strome, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft, and defenseman Trevor Murphy from Tucson of the American Hockey League. Strome has one goal in 11 games with the Coyotes this season, but he is the No. 2 leading scorer among AHL rookies with 50 points and has nine power-play goals among his 22 tallies. Clayton Keller has two goals and three assists during a five-game point streak and he leads the Coyotes in scoring with 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) in 72 games. Buffalo: The Sabres have dropped three of four (1-2-1) on their six-game homestand, following Monday's 4-0 loss to NHL-leading Nashville. The Sabres got a boost on Saturday with the return of top center Jack Eichel in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Eichel leads the Sabres in scoring with 54 points (22 goals, 32 assists) in 57 games. He has notched a team-high five shots in each of his first two games since missing five weeks with a high-ankle sprain. The pick: These are two of the NHL's worst defensive teams (that should be no surprise), as Arizona ranks 24th in allowing 3.12 GPG and Buffalo ranks 29th in allowing 3.25. The Coyotes allow 3.42 GPG on the road, whlel the Sabres allow 3.24 GPG at home. Let's make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-20-18 | Panthers v. Senators UNDER 6 | Top | 7-2 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 2 m | Show |
The set-up: The Florida Panthers haven't given up hope of making the NHL playoffs. Florida has earned points in 11 of its last 13 games (10-2-1) to reach 36-27-7 on the season. That gives them points, just three behind New Jersey for the second wild card but note that Florida has two games in hand. Florida is hoping to avenge a 5-3 home loss on March 12 to Ottawa, which comes to town after having its three-game winning streak snapped with Saturday's 2-1 defeat in Columbus. The Senators, who took the Penguins to seven full games (and into OT in Game 7) in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, find themselves out of serious playoff contention this season, at 26-34-11 for 63 points. That's 19 points back of the Devils, who own the East's final playoff spot. Florida: Roberto Luongo made 28 saves in Monday's 2-0 win at Montreal to help the Panthers record their third shutout in six contests. Luongo's shutout was his third of the season and the 76th of his career, tying him with Tony Esposito and Ed Belfour for ninth place on the all-time list. However, Florida is unlikely to go with Luongo in back-to-back games, especially since the Senators lit him up for five goals on 20 shots a week ago. Aleksander Barkov scored his 26th goal to end his six-game drought and increase his team-leading point total to 71. Vincent Trocheck was kept off the scoresheet in Montreal, ending a six-game point streak during which he registered four goals and five assists. He leads the team with 28 goals, which is a career high and ranks second on the team with 66 points (that's also a personal best). Ottawa: It's been quite a fall from grace this season for the Senators. Ottawa had its three-game winning streak stopped in a 2-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday but feeel as if the team didged a bullet Ryan Dzingel (20 goals) survived taking a shot from linemate Mike Hoffman in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Columbus without suffering a concussion. However, Dzingel will not play tonight. Stone leads the team with 62 points, Karlsson is second with 56 points (just 8 goals) and Hoffman has a team-high 22 goals (51 points). Craig Anderson (21-20-6, 3.21 GAA & .902 SP) is expected to be in goal for the Senators against the Panthers. The pick: While Anderson is not having much of a season (see above), he is 15-7-2 with a 2.24 GAA and a .930 SP in 25 career games vs. Florida. The Panthers are expected to go with backup James Reimer in goal and he's 12-5-2 lifetime against the Senators, including a 2.45 GAA an a.929 SP. Make the Under an 8* play. |
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03-19-18 | Hornets v. 76ers UNDER 223 | Top | 94-108 | Win | 100 | 18 h 45 m | Show |
The set-up: The 38-30 Philadelphia 76ers are currently the East's No. 6 seed. However, in this logjam of a race, while they are just 1 1/2 games back of the third-seeded Cavs, they are also just two games up on the eighth-seeded Heat. Philly looks to keep taking advantage of lesser opponents as it fights for playoff positioning when the 76ers host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. The Sixers took care of business against the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, two of the five Eastern Conference teams that are at least 20 games below .500, to begin this current stretch and they also can look forward to matchups with lowly squads Memphis and Orlando after finishing up with the Hornets. Charlotte is just 30-40 and is closing toward mathematical elimination from the playoff race after falling 124-101 at the Knicks on Saturday, the team's seventh defeat in its last nine games. Charlotte: The Hornets seemed to give up in the third quarter at New York on Saturday, when they were outscored 42-17 by a team that had dropped its previous nine games. "There are gonna be nights like that," center Dwight Howard told the media. "I didn't think it was going to be that bad, but it was a tough one for us. We are playing pretty good as of late, but tonight we just laid an egg." Howard struggled to 6-of-17 from the floor but recorded his fourth straight double-double to give him 709 for his career, one shy of Hall of Famer Charles Barkley for seventh on the NBA's list since the 1983-84 season. That said, when is Howard actually going to make one of his teams better? He was Charlotte's big FA pick up this past off-season and while he's averaging a double-double (16.4 & 12.1), the Hornets' win percentage of .429 is even worse than last year's team (.439). Philadelphia: Joel Embiid marked his 24th birthday with 24 points and a career-high 19 rebounds in Philadelphia's 120-116 win over the Nets on Friday. Embiid (23.6 & 11.1) and rookie Ben Simmons (16.7-7.8-7.7) look like they'll be stars for a decade plus Philly's other three starters are all quality NBA players. SF Covington (12.5 & 5.5) made a clutch three-pointer in Friday's 120-116 win over the Nets, giving him double digits in scoring in four straight games, his longest such streak since December. SG Redick (16.7) and PF Saric (15.0 & 7.0) complete a very impressive Philly starting-five. The pick: Philadelphia has scored 119 PPG and shot 54% in collecting a pair of double-digit victories at Charlotte’s expense earlier this month. This will be the third meeting in 17 days between the two teams. Philly is 21-10 SU (20-11 ATS) at home but while Charlotte is just 11-23 SU on the road, the Hornets are only being outscored by just under three points per game in their road efforts. Won't buck Philly but I do believe the Under should be a 10* play. |
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03-18-18 | Syracuse v. Michigan State UNDER 129.5 | Top | 55-53 | Win | 100 | 26 h 59 m | Show |
The set-up: 30-4 Michigan State is in its 21st consecutive NCAA tourney appearance but a win today vs. Syracuse would allow the Spartans to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in three seasons. The opponent will be 22-13 Syracuse, which is said to have been the last at-large team to make this year's field. Jim Boeheim's in his 42nd-year at Syracuse and is in te Big Dance for the 33rd time. The Spartans advanced with a victory over Bucknell on Friday, while the Orange won a First Four game over Arizona State and then got past TCU in their first-round game. Syracuse: Boeheim has three 'iron-man' performers in sophomore guard Tyus Battle, 6-8 freshman Oshae Brisset and PG. Howard (15.0-7.4-5.0). Battle led all Division I players with an average of 38.5 minutes per game prior to the tourney, Howard was second at 38.3 and Brissett was sixth at 38.0. Battle leads Syracuse's offensive attack with an average of 19.3 PPG, Oshae Brissett adds 14.9 & 8.9 plus Howard checks in at 14.7 & 4.8 APG. The 7-2 Chukwu (5.4 & 6.9) and the 6-9 Dulezag (5.6 & 4.8) have contributed on and off this season. However, as has been typical for Boeheim-coached teams, the key has been Boeheim's matchup zone defense that causes teams lots of trouble. ASU led the Pac-12 with an 83.5 PPG scoring average but was held to just 56 points (on 40.4% shooting) and then TCU was held to 52 points (on 39.6 % shooting), 31 points below its season average of 83 per game! Michigan State: The Spartans have been ranked as high as No. 2 in the AP poll this season (were No. 1 in the Coaches poll for a couple of weeks, as well) but really got a scare from Bucknell in an 82-78 win on Friday. Since the Spartans' first loss of the season to Duke in November, the question of whether or not Miles Bridges (17.3 & 7.0) is aggressive enough offensively in big games has been there for coach Tom Izzo. He has tried to find balance in his offensive game, with Michigan State's deep rotation allowing him not to have to dominate the ball, but against Bucknell, it was Bridges who closed the door by scoring 14 of his 29 points during a nine-minute spurt in the second half that pushed the Spartans' lead from six to 14. Also, expect that the play of PG Cassius Winston (12.6 & 6.9 APG) to be a key for Michigan State, as he must handle the zone and the size of Syracuse's defenders when they extend to apply pressure on the ball. The pick: The Spartans have five double digit scorers and overall, more depth than Syracuse. However, Boeheim-coached teams know how to control the play and win at this time of year. That said, so do Izzo-coached teams, as teh Spartans are allowing just 65.2 PPG on the season (23rd), while holding opponents to an NCAA-low of 36.7% from the floor. These traditional powers haven't met in the tournament since 2000. The Spartans won in the regional semifinals 75-58 and went on to win the national championship. Deja vu? Maybe but the play is an 8* on the Under. |
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03-17-18 | Flyers v. Hurricanes UNDER 5.5 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 29 m | Show |
The set-up: The 32-25-11 Philadelphia Flyers and the 30-29-11 Carolina Hurricanes will meet tonight in Charlotte at PNC Arena. The Flyers are slumping at the wrong time, falling to 1-6-1 in their last eight following Thursday's 5-3 setback versus Columbus. The Flyers are clinging to third place in the Metropolitan Division via a tiebreaker and they reside one point removed from the final wild-card spot, just four points ahead of surging Florida. Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes have lost 10 of 13 (3-8-2) to fall out of favor in the Eastern Conference playoff picture (are currently nine points back of the East's final playoff spot!). Philadelphia: "We just need to put it behind us and somehow get our confidence back," Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux said after his team fell 5-3 to Columbus. He has scored a goal in three straight contests and is riding an eight-game point streak (four goals, five assists), giving him a team-high 83 points (26 goals). Center Sean Couturier lead Philly with 29 goals. The honeymoon apparently is over for Petr Mrazek, who finished February with a 3-0-0 run before a disastrous 1-5-1 mark and 4.04 goals-against average in March has landed him on the bench. Former Yale star Alex Lyon has been confirmed to start Saturday after turning aside all 18 shots he faced in relief versus the Blue Jackets. Carolina: The Hurricanes' recent swoon has dropped them nine points out of the final wild-card spot. Forward Lee Stempniak was quoted as saying, "We still think we are going to make the playoffs and we believe we are, but it gets harder with each loss." Justin Williams, "Mr. Game 7," began a strong seven-game stretch with two goals and an assist in the last meeting against the team (Philadelphia) that drafted him in 2000. He scored three goals and set up another in his next six outings, although his 15th tally of the season went for naught on Tuesday, as Carolina yielded five unanswered goals in the third period of a disastrous 6-4 setback to Boston. Teuvo Teravainen, who also scored in the last meeting with the Flyers, had a goal and an assist against the Bruins to increase his point total to 11 (eight goals, three assists) in as many games. Teravainen, leads the team with 56 points and Sebastian Aho in goals with 25. The pick: Lyon (7 games with a 2.58 GAA & .912 SP) just may be up to the challenge for Philly, as he faces a Carolina team which averages just 2.64 GPG to rank 26th. Meanwhile, the Flyers just ended a five-game run of scoring no more than two goals in any contest in the team's 5-3 loss to Columbus. The Under is a 10* play. |
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03-16-18 | Sharks v. Flames OVER 5.5 | Top | 7-4 | Win | 104 | 13 h 14 m | Show |
The 38-23-9 San Jose Sharks have won five of seven and have moved into second place in the Pacific Division with 85 points. However, the team's current run still only has them five points ahead of the fifth-place Calgary Flames, who are 35-26-10. The Sharks are hoping to strengthen their postseason grip and widen the cushion over the Flames on Friday when the clubs meet at Scotiabank Saddledome.As for teh Flames, they have wins in three of their last four following a four-game skid to put themselves within three points of the second wild-card spot. San Jose: The team's 4-3 overtime win over the Oilers gave them a three-point edge on the Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division in the race to finish second to the Vegas Golden Knights. Captain Joe Pavelski set up a goal in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win over Edmonton to increase his point total to 10 (three goals, seven assists) in his last seven games. Tomas Hertl capped his two-goal performance by scoring 2:40 into the extra session for the Sharks, who are fending off the other California clubs as well as Calgary. Calgary: We need everyone contributing on the ice, off the ice, and in the room," said Calgary captain Mark Giordano, who has three goals and an assist in his last four games. Calgray is trying to fight through injuries in an attempt to stay "playoff relevant." Head coach Glen Gulutzan didn't commit to the return of spark-plug Kris Versteeg to game action versus San Jose, after the veteran forward was activated from injured reserve on Wednesday. He has been sidelined 48 games since undergoing hip surgery. Sean Monahan (undisclosed) is expected to play versus the Sharks despite missing practice on Thursday while fellow forward Matthew Tkachuk, A talented agitator, will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury. The pick: Both teams are coming off victories over the Edmonton Oilers but the Sharks are in a much better playoff position than their opponent. It feels like a good spot for Calgary but while the Flames are an impressive 20-10-6 on the road, they are only 15-16-4 at home, allowing 3.03 GPG. I say the Over is a 10* play. |
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03-16-18 | Lipscomb v. North Carolina UNDER 160.5 | Top | 66-84 | Win | 100 | 71 h 26 m | Show |
The setup: North Carolina begins defense of its NCAA Tournament title (Tar Heels have been to back-to-back championship games) as the No. 2 seed in the West Region when it meets 15th-seeded Lipscomb in Friday's first round at Charlotte, N.C. The 25-10 Tar Heels are coming off a 71-63 loss to Virginia in the AAC Tournament championship game this past Saturday. North Carolina is seeking its seventh national championship after defeating Gonzaga 71-65 in 2017 (lost in the 2016 title game to Villanova 77-74 on a last-second shot). As for Lipscomb, the 23-9 Bisons earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance with a 108-96 victory at Florida Gulf Coast on March 4 to win the Atlantic Sun tourney title. Lipscomb: The Bisons watched a 32-point second-half lead get trimmed to five, before holding on to get past Florida Gulf Coast. "Couldn't be happier," Lipscomb head coach Casey Alexander told reporters. "Someone asked me how I was feeling. I don't even know." Junior guard Garrison Mathews led the Atlantic Sun in scoring at 22.1 PPG (5.5 RPG) and averaged 28.3 over his last three games, after scoring 33 versus FGCU. 6-7 junior forward Rob Marberry was the team's only other double-figure scorer at 16.0 points per game while averaging 5.8 rebounds. The 6-9 Eli Pepper (7.0) averaged a team-high 7.9 rebounds, while sophomore PG Kenny Cooper (9.9 points) averaged a team-best 4.0 assists. Lipscomb comes in averaging 82.6 PPG (21st) but allows 77.5 PPG (294th). North Carolina: The Tar Heels feature a balanced attack led by junior forward Luke Maye. He leads the team in scoring (17.2) and rebounding (10.1), joining Duke's Marvin Bagley III, as the only two ACC players to average a double-double this season. Senior guard Joel Berry (17.1) was last year's Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four. He and Maye combined for 37 points and shot 12-for-25 from the floor against Virginia, which allows the fewest points in the nation at 53.4. However, their teammates were a combined 8-for-24 from the floor. Senior guard Cameron Johnson adds 12.7 PPG, senior swingman Pinson averages 10.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG and also a team-best 4.8 APG, plus unior guard Kenny Williams (11.4 PPG) adds the balanced scoring and depth I mentioned earlier. The Tar Heels rank 26th in the nation in scoring at 82.0 PPG. The pick: Two high-scoring teams seems like a play on the over at first blush. However, while Lipscomb aveages 82.6 PPG, that didn't come against competition like North Carolina. The Tar Heels are familiar with the NCAA scene in Charlotte, holding a 33-1 record in NCAA games in their home state. That includes an 11-0 mark in Charlotte. Sure, the Bisons opened some eyes with their resounding 108-96 victory over Florida Gulf Coast in the Atlantic Sun Title game but remember, this is the Bisons first-ever invite to the Big Dance plus they haven’t played since March 4! Not convinced that extended layoff helps and let's not forget Lipscomb was manhandled by a combined 87 points in blowouts at Texas, Alabama & Purdue. Lipscomb averaged just 62.3 PPG in those losses, TWENTY points below its season average in points,. Make the Under an 8* play. |
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03-14-18 | Devils v. Golden Knights OVER 5.5 | Top | 8-3 | Win | 100 | 14 h 16 m | Show |
The set-up: The Vegas Golden Knights won the last three games of the team's five-game road trip (4-0-1) and return home with a 45-19-5 record (95 points). The first-place Golden Knights own a 12-point lead over San Jose in the Pacific Division with 13 games to play, as they prepare to open a four-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night. New Jersey had lost four of five before opening a six-game road trip (lasting 14 days!) with a 3-2 shootout victory at Nashville on Saturday, snapping the Predators' 10-game winning streak. The 35-26-8 Devils are holding down the final playoff slot in the Eastern Conference with 78 points, one point behind Columbus and three ahead of the Florida Panthers. New Jersey: The Devils are struggling to score lately, as New Jersey has scored more than two goals in regulation only twice in the past 11 games and is scraping to find offense from someone other than Taylor Hall (30 goals & 74 points), who has 31 points more than anyone else on the team. However, Hall has been held off the scoresheet in back-to-back games, after collecting at least one point in each of his previous 26 contests. Defenseman Sami Vatanen is doing his part at both ends of the ice in recent games, collecting 12 points over the past 12 games and playing at least 23 minutes 11 times in that span. Vegas: The Golden Knights are inching closer to a Pacific Division title in their first year of existence (quite a story). Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury allowed two goals or fewer in each of the four victories on the road trip and reached a milestone by becoming the 13th goaltender in history with 400 wins in Monday's 3-2 triumph at Philadelphia. Fleury missed two months earlier in the season after suffering a concussion but has now joined Roberto Luongo and Henrik Lundqvist as the only active goaltenders to amass 400 victories.Fleury's been great (2.15 GGA & .930 SP) but the Vegas offense averages 3.36 GPG (3rd-best), led by four players with 60-plus points. Jonathan Marchessault leads with 65 points and William Karlsson has 62 points, including a team-high 36 goals. The pick: Vegas is 24-7-2 at home, where the team averages 3.64 GPG. The Devils are struggling right now to score but I still think this games goes "over the total," as the Golden Knights wlll get theirs plus the Devils are a way better offensive team than they have shown lately (look for Hall to get on the scoresheet). Make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-14-18 | Arizona State v. Syracuse OVER 141.5 | Top | 56-60 | Loss | -110 | 48 h 38 m | Show |
The set-up: To hear the NCAA Tournament selection committee tell it, schools like Arizona State, Oklahoma and Syracuse made the 68-team field before the calendar turned to 2018. That doesn't make sense to me, nor to most people I've talked to, but here we are. Ironically. 20-11 Arizona State, just 8-10 in Pac 12 play before losing a first-round game to Colorado in the conference tourney, will face 20-13 Syracuse in the second of two, First Four games on Wednesday. The Orange were also just 8-10 in league play (the ACC) and own just one win all season against a ranked team, beating Clemson in their last home game of the regular season. Arizona State: Not much was expected of the Sun Devils this season, coming off a 15-18 season the year before (7-11 in Pac 12 play). However, ASU beat tournament No. 1 seeds Xavier (in Nov.) and Kansas (in Dec.) and rose to No. 3 in the AP top-25 . The Sun Devils reached 12-0 and were the last undefeated team in Division I to lose, before struggling in Pac 12 play. A trio of senior guards have led ASU all season. That group includes Tra Holder (18.4-4.1-3.4), Shannon Evans II (16.6-3,2-3,5) and Kodi Justice (12.6). Freshman guard Martin (9.8) just missed averaging double digits plus the 6-10 Lake (7.3 & 5.3) and the 6-7 Mitchell (5.7 & 5.3) were the team's best frontcourt players. ASU led the Pac-12 with an 83.5 PPG scoring average, finishing 14th in the nation. Syracuse: Jim Boeheim's in his 42nd-year at Syracuse and will lead his team into the Big Dance for the 33rd time. The Orange were tabbed by NCAA Tournament committee chair Bruce Rasmussen as the last at-large team into the field. They rolled to an 11-2 record during the non-league portion of their schedule but despite finishing in a tie for 10th in its conference, Syracuse proved itself in the eyes of the committee with a top-20 strength of schedule (14th entering Sunday) and four wins against top-50 RPI. Boeheim has three 'iron-man' performers in sophomore guard Tyus Battle (19.8), 6-6 swingman PG Howard (15.0-7.4-5.0) and 6-8 freshman Oshae Brissett (14.7 & 8.8). Battle leads Division I players with an average of 38.5 minutes per game, Howard is second at 38.3 and Brissett is sixth at 38.0. The 7-2 Chukwu (5.4 & 6.8) and the 6-9 Dulezag (5.2 & 4.8) have contributed on and off this season. The pick: A problem for Syracuse is that the team's top-two scorers, Battle and Howard, come in struggling. Battle has failed to shoot 40 percent from the floor in seven of the last eight contests and Howard has failed to shoot over 30 percent from the floor in four of his last five outings. I favor ASU's trio of senior guards and let's not forget that the Sun Devils not only beat No. 1 seeds Xavier and Kansas but also own victories over NCAA Tournament teams, San Diego State, Kansas State and UCLA. However, how can one really trust ASU after the way it finished? As for Syracuse, Boeheim knows how to win this time of year. Then again, he may just have to beat Bobby Hurley's team at its own game. That means the Over is a 10* play. |
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03-13-18 | Pacers v. 76ers OVER 211 | Top | 101-98 | Loss | -110 | 22 h 35 m | Show |
The set-up: The Indiana Pacers jumped into third place in the Eastern Conference with a win over the No. 2 Boston Celtics on Sunday but with just 3 1/2 games separating the No. 3 and No. 8 seeds in the East, the Pacers are well aware that there is no rest for the weary. The 39-28 will visit Philadelphia tonight and will try to hold off one of those five teams chasing hem, the sixth-place 76ers, who come in 36-29. The 76ers are only two games behind the Pacers and Philadelphia owns a 13-game winning streak on its homecourt and will play seven of its next nine games at the Wells Fargo Center. Indiana: The Pacers took advantage of a Celtics team that was missing Al Horford and lost another All-Star, PG Kyrie Irving, during the game. Indiana would hold on for a 99-97 win, a contest that opened a stretch of four straight games against East playoff contenders. Center Myles Turner (13.6 & 7.0) provided the go-ahead basket on Sunday by backing his defender down and is trying to show off his post skills. "It's big. Turner has averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds in the last two games and will be trying to record three straight double-doubles for the first time this season on Tuesday. Turner is one of six Pacers averaging in double digits, led by Oladipo (23.8-5.3-4.3). Oladipo came to Indiana in the Paul George trade, as did Turner's backup, the 6-10 Sabonis. Sabonis averaged 5.9 & 3.6 in about 20 minutes for OKC last season but this year chips in 11.8 & 8.0 in about 25 minutes. Philadelphia: The 76ers finished up a four-game road trip with a 120-97 thrashing of the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, closing the trip 2-2. "Lately, we have been kind of up and down," 76ers center Joel Embiid, who scored 21 points in 26 minutes, told reporters, "but I'm glad we got a win tonight. We're trying to go to the playoffs, and you have to be able to go on the road and win games." Philadelphia is trying to climb into the No. 3 or 4 spot in the East to ensure homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs and will play 11 of the remaining 17 regular-season games at home (remember, 76ers are on a 13-game home winning streak). The 76ers' "process" is working, as Embiid (23.4 & 10.9) and Simmons (16.3-7.6-7.6) are on their way to stardom. Fellow starters SG Redick (16.6), PF Saric (15.0 & 7.0) and SF Covington (12.6 &) give Philly a starting-five to be proud of. Also, the recent additions of Belinelli (11.5 PPG in 11 games) and Ilysova (9.izx st7 & 5.5 in six games), have also been huge. The pick: No way I'll buck Philly at home right now but I expect the Pacers to give the 76ers all they want. Philly has averaged 110.9 PPG during its home winning streak so my play is an 8* on the Over,. |
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03-12-18 | Canucks v. Kings OVER 5.5 | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 56 m | Show |
The set-up: The 37-26-5 Los Angeles Kings were pummeled 7-2 by St. Louis at home on Saturday, losing for only the second time in six games. They sit just one point out of third in the Pacific Division with points and also for the second wild card in the Western Conference. However, they begin a three-game stretch versus teams outside playoff contention with this Monday matchup against the visiting Vancouver Canucks, who are 25-35-9. The Canucks were shut out for the sixth time this season Sunday, losing 1-0 at Arizona. Vancouver's 59 points are more than just the Sabres' 56 and Coyotes' 55. Vancouver: The Canucks come in on a three-game skid, having manged just three goals in that span. That's not too much of a surprise, as the Canucks' 2.65 GPG ranks 25th of 31 teams. Veteran forward Daniel Sedin has cooled off with one point in his last four games but does boast 15 points in the last 14 contests, leaving him with 47 points, behind only injured rookie Brock Boeser (55). Boeser’s back injury has probably taken away his chance to win the Calder Trophy, ut the talented right wing has proved he is a cornerstone of the franchise along with center Bo Horvat. Horvat was the ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft and is three short of his third straight season with 40 points and sits two goals away from equaling his career high of 20 in 2016-17. Left wing Brendan Leipsic, who was picked up from Vegas at the trade deadline, has posted two goals and four assists in his first five games with Vancouver. LA Kings: The Kings need to rebound from one of their worst performances of the season against the Blues (see above). “I’ll be honest with you, sometimes getting pummeled may be easier than losing 2-1 or 3-2,” captain Anze Kopitar told reporters. “I don’t think a whole lot needs to be said. I’m sure each and every one of us know what we got to do and we have to play harder and with a lot more emotion.” The Kings are third in the league in goals allowed per game (2.54 per) but that was hardly the case on Saturday. Kopitar continues to put up solid offensive numbers with 10 of his team-high 74 points in the last seven games and right wing Dustin Brown is second with 46. Veteran forward Jeff Carter has posted four goals and two assists in seven games since returning from a 55-game absence because of an ankle injury. The pick: Vancouver has lost all three games since Boeser's injury, combining for three goals but the Canucks were struggling long before Boeser's injury, posting a 4-11-3 record since Feb. 3. However, the Canucks have taken two of three meetings this season with the Kings, including a 6-2 win in the latest contest (Jan. 23 in Vancouver). Three of LA's last four games have gone over and off that 7-2 home embarrassment to the Blues, I see the Kings playing and scoring well in this one. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-11-18 | Warriors v. Wolves UNDER 225 | Top | 103-109 | Win | 100 | 7 h 21 m | Show |
The set-up: The Golden State Warriors lost for the first time since the All-Star break in a 125-108 loss at Portland on Friday. The defending champions were playing the second night of a back-to-back against the Blazers without star Stephen Curry (26.3-5.1-6.2), who is also not making the trip to Minnesota (ankle). Meanwhile, Minnesota looked like a safe bet for the No. 3 spot in the West but when Jimmy Butler ( 22.2-5.4-5.0) went down with a knee injury that will keep him out until next month and the team's 117-109 loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday leaves them 2-3 since he's been out of the lineup. Minnesota is currently the No. 6 seed in the West but is just 1 1/2 games ahead of the No. 9 seed (which would leave them on the outside looking in come playoff time) than it is to the No. 3 seed (2 1./2 games back). Golden State: The 51-15 Warriors are battling the 51-14 Rockets for the top seed in the West and sit a half-game back after both teams fell on Friday. Kevin Durant (26.4-6.7-5.4) is trying to carry the team in Curry's absence and followed up a 37-point effort in a win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday with 40 on 12-of-21 shooting in Portland on Friday. However, the Warriors aren't just missing Curry, as Andre Iguodala (wrist), David West (arm) and Jordan Bell (ankle) all sat out Friday and are all day-to-day. Minnesota: "We have to understand how hard and physical you have to play," Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters after the loss to Boston. "That's the difference right now in us being a really good team and a good team. I looked at them and the physicality with which they play, it's the difference. We can score. We score plenty. It's the defense. Until we get figured out, it's going to be tough." Minnesota isn't missing much offensively in Butler's absence thanks to the continued progression of forward Nemanja Bjelica. He scored a career-high 30 points in Thursday's setback while going 11-of-16 from the floor, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. Bjelica has averaged 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in Butler's absence. However, Minnesota misses Butler badly, as he's the team's best defender. The pick: Both team's have plenty of offensive weapons but Tom Thibodeau’s team was struggling long before the injury to Butler, as the T-wolves come in just 2-9 ATS their last 11. No Curry (and maybe a few more Warriors, as well) plus Minnesota knowing its playoff position is far from safe with Butler out, makes the Under an 8* play in this one. |
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03-10-18 | Golden Knights v. Sabres OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 46 m | Show |
The set-up: The Vegas Golden Knights opened their inaugural season by setting records for an expansion team and they haven't looked back. The 43-19-5 Golden Knights have 91 points and a 10-point lead in the Pacific Division with just 15 games remaining. Vegas had dropped four of five before blanking the Red Wings 4-0 in Detroit on Thursday. The Golden Knights resume their current five-game road trip (currently 2-1-0) with a matinee against the Buffalo Sabres and with a win on Saturday, would tie Anaheim for the most road wins by an expansion club (19). The Sabres are just 22-35-11 on the season (55 points are an Eastern Conference low) but Thursday's 4-3 shootout win at Ottawa was the team's fourth in its last six games. However, the Sabres own a league-low 10 wins at KeyBank Center. Vegas: Cody Eakin (9 goals & 23 points) broke out of a lengthy offensive funk by scoring a pair of goals and setting up another in Thursday's win, which came on the heels of a 25-game stretch in which he managed just one tally and one assist. Alex Tuch (13 goals & 30 points) added two goals. Four Vegas players have 60-plus points led by center Marchessault's team-high 65 and center Karlsson's team-best 35 goals. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (23-9-3, 2.19 GAA & .928 SP) registered his third shutout of the season and 47th of his career to move within two wins of becoming the 13th netminder in history to reach 400. Buffalo: This game marks the opener of a six-game homestand for Buffalo. However, the Sabres learned on Friday that forward Kyle Okposo (11 goals & 38 points) suffered his second concussion in less than a year when he collided with Ottawa's Bobby Ryan in Thursday's win. He will be out indefinitely. Ryan O'Reilly has points in five of his last six games and now ranks second on the team with 50 points. Jack Eichel has team-highs of 22 goals and 53 points. Sam Reinhart has four goals and nine points in his last nine games, giving him 38 points. The pick: Buffalo's 4-3 shootout victory last night came after a dreadful 5-1 loss at home to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. The Sabres continue to surprise with their recent bounce-back efforts and are now 5-3 in their last eight games. A "typical" Vegas road contest averages 6.18 GPG plus Buffalo allows an average of 3.24 GPG on home ice. The Sabres' last three games have gone "over the total" and I say make that FOUR in a row. The Over is a 10* play. |
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03-09-18 | Knicks v. Bucks UNDER 214 | Top | 112-120 | Loss | -107 | 13 h 18 m | Show |
The set-up: The 24-41 NY Knicks are a member of "the tanking brigade" but the 34-31 Milwaukee Bucks are in a dog-fight for the East's No. 3 through No. 8 seeds, which are separated by just 4 1/2 games. Milwaukee has lost seven of its last 10 and now own the No. 8 seed but this game with the Knicks begins a stretch in which the Bucks can take advantage of a soft portion of their schedule. After the Knicks, who have lost 13 of 14 leave town, Milwaukee plays at Memphis (18-46) and Orlando (20-45) and then hosts Atlanta (20-45), giving it four straight "sad-sack" opponents! NY Knicks: New York is just one loss away from clinching its fifth consecutive losing season. The team's 111-87 setback at Portland on Tuesday was its eighth consecutive road loss, a contest in which the Knicks scored just 35 second-half points. The Knicks seem intent on sticking with Emmanuel Mudiay as their starting PG, despite his struggles since joining the team at the trade deadline. Mudiay was 1-for-9 from the floor against Portland, making him 3-for-25 from the floor over this last three games. With Porzingis (22.7-6.6) out for the season, swingman Hardaway (17.0), center Kanter (14.3 & 10.8) and forward Beasley (12.5 & 5.3) are being counted on. It's hard to argue with Kanter's effort, as he has a double-double in 13 of his last 15 games. Milwaukee: The Bucks do have some margin for error, as they hold onto the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, as they are five full games of the No. 9 Pistons (anyone still think Blake Griffin is a difference-maker?). "We've gotta go out there and play hard and do whatever 10.2-4.8it takes to win these four games" said All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo at Wednesday's practice when asked about the upcoming opponents. Antetokounmpo (27.210.2-4.8) led the way against Houston with 30 points in the team's most recent loss (have dropped six of seven) and he's averaging 28.3 while shooting 54.9 percent at home. He averaged 26 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as the Bucks defeated the Knicks twice in a five-day span last month. The pick: The Bucks have too much talent not to be able to handle this upcoming stretch. Swingman Middleton (19.7-5.2-4.0) plus guards Bledsoe (17.6-3.9-4.6) and Brogdon (13.3) are now being complemented by Parker, who is averaging just under 21 minutes in his 14 games back, while averaging 11.2 & 4.2. The Knicks are 1-9 SU & ATS since Kristaps Porzingis was lost for the season with an ACL injury in a Feb. 6 loss to Milwaukee. However, while the Bucks may be 'hungry,' one can't ignore the team going just 2-8 ATS its last 10. Milwaukee has also gone under in five of its last six and without Porzingis, the Knicks will help this game stay Under the total (8* play). |
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03-09-18 | Flames v. Senators UNDER 5.5 | Top | 2-1 | Win | 105 | 10 h 39 m | Show |
The set-up: The Flames erased an early two-goal deficit before falling in overtime at two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh on Monday, but did salvage a point in the OT loss. Calgary had dropped three straight away from home to tumble into fifth place in the Pacific Division and 11th in the Western Conference with 15 games remaining. Calgary needed to end a four-game losing streak (0-3-1) and it did just that with Wednesday's 5-1 triumph in Buffalo. The 33-25-10 Flames are involved in a tight battle for the second wild-card spot, as well as second and third place in the Pacific Division. Calgary concludes its three-game road trip Friday at the 23-31-11 Ottawa Senators. Ottawa squandered a pair of one-goal leads Thursday and went on to suffer a 4-3 loss to Buffalo in a shootout. The Senators are just two points ahead of the Sabres, who occupy the basement in the Eastern Conference but have two games in hand. Calgary: The Flames have dropped nine of 12 since an injury to starting goaltender Mike Smith. They did get a boost on Tuesday when Smith returned to practice after missing time with a lower-body injury, although he was unable to provide a timetable for his return to the lineup. He will remain a spectator as the Flames go with the rookie tandem of David Rittich and Jon Gillies. Johnny Gaudreau notched a pair of assists on Wednesday in what was his 300th NHL game to increase his team-leading point total to 76 (20 goals). Sean Monahan was one of four members of the Flames to record a goal and an assist against the Sabres, ending his four-game point drought, and is one tally shy of matching the career high of 31 he set in 2014-15 (has 30 goals and 29 assists).. Ottawa: The Senators were in OT in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season, before falling to the Penguins. However,this year's team is 23-32-11 and with 57 points, will be watching this year's playoffs on TV. In fact, Ottawa is just two points ahead of Buffalo, which sits last in the Eastern Conference standings. Captain Erik Karlsson (7 goals and 50 points) notched an assist in the setback, giving him eight points over his last five games, and has not gone more than one contest without a point since Feb. 3 and 4. Ryan Dzingel registered his third two-goal performance of the campaign on Thursday, leaving him one tally shy of his first career 20-goal season (19 goals and 30 points). He one goal behind team leader Mark Stone (20 goals and 42 assists), who notched an assist against the Sabres to extend his point streak to 10 games. Stone has collected two goals and 13 assists during his run and is two points away from tying the career high of 64 he set in 2014-15. The pick: The Flames are expected to start goaltender Dave Rittich, who made 25 saves during the slump busting win in Buffalo before losing his shutout bid with 17.2 seconds left on the clock. With Ottawa playing the second of back-to-back games, Senators coach Guy Boucher will likely start Mike Condon between the pipes. The Flames are an impressive 19-10-6 on the road on the season but before getting five goals at Buffalo (Weds.), had scored just six goals in their 0-3-1 skid. Make the Under a 10* play. |
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03-08-18 | Butler v. Seton Hall OVER 148.5 | Top | 75-74 | Win | 100 | 14 h 23 m | Show |
The set-up: Both 19-12 Butler and 21-10 Seton Hall have spent time in the AP's top-25 this season but will square off Thursday in quarterfinal action in the Big East Tourney at Madison Square Garden unranked. The two teams met just six days ago (to close their respective regular seasons), as Seton Hall won 77-70 on Saturday at home to complete a sweep of the season series Butler. The Pirates are the Big East's three-seed (10-8), while the Bulldogs are the six-seed (9-9). Butler: The 6-7 Kelan Martin (21.2 & 6.4) was one of three unanimous selections to the All-Big East first team and is a contender for Player of the Year honors. Sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin was not honored by the league despite averaging 15.0-4.9-3.2 assists, including scoring in double figures in each of the first 14 Big East games. Guard Jorgensen (10.7 ) and the 6-8 Wideman (9.4 & 5.2) are two other major contributors. Seton Hall: The Pirates start four seniors plus a sophomore. The "core four" includes 6-6 senior Desi Rodriguez (18.1 & 5.0) and the 6-10 Delgado (13.4 & 11.6) up front, along with a pair of guards in sophomore Powell (15.6) and senior Carrington (14.8-3.1-4.5) in the backcourt. Rodriguez missed the final three regular season games with a sprained knee but is expected to suit up Thursday. The pick: The Bulldogs did not close the regular season strong with losses in five of seven, which cost the team a top-four finish. Butler hopes it can win here, for the school's first Big East Tournament victory, after first-game losses in its first four years in the conference. A quick turnaround with Seton Hall may be just what the doctor ordered, especially with the Bulldogs playing with double-revenge. Then again, Carrington and Delgado have enjoyed great success against the Bulldogs this season and in their careers. Carrington has put up 54 points and eight assists while making 15-of-30 from the floor and 10-of-14 from the three-point line in two games this season, plus has scored in double figures in seven of eight games with the Bulldogs. Meanwhile, Delgado has five double-doubles in the series, including 49 points and 25 rebounds this season. I say make the Over an 8* play. |
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03-08-18 | Celtics v. Wolves OVER 214 | Top | 117-109 | Win | 100 | 13 h 9 m | Show |
The set-up: The Boston Celtics are 5-1 since the All-Star break but will enter Thursday's action trailing first-place Toronto by 2 1/2 games in the Eastern Conference. Boston wraps up its three-game road swing tonight in Minnesota against the Timberwolves and Kyrie Irving (24.8 & 5.1 APG), who missed Monday's contest against the Bulls due to a sore left knee, was able to go through 75 percent of Wednesday's practice. Reports now are that he will play. Irving is averaging 25.1 points, 6.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 51.3 percent from the floor and 44.1 percent from three-point range over his last nine games. The T-wolves know all about being without an All Star performer, as Jimmy Butler (22.2-5.4-5.0) underwent successful meniscus surgery on his right knee and is considered out indefinitely. Minnesota won the first two games without him but has since suffered back-to-back road losses to fellow playoff contenders Portland and Utah. Boston: The 45-20 Celtics rolled over the Chicago Bulls 105-89 without Kyrie. Jaylen Brown (14.1 & 5.2) scored 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting against the Bulls, while Shane Larkin stepped into the starting lineup in Irving's place and went 3-for-3 from three-point range in 16 minutes. Forward Al Horford chipped in 13 points while shooting 6-of-8 from the floor after going 13-of-42 in the first five games out of the All-Star break. Horford has been Boston's "unsung hero" this season, averaging 12.8-7.5-4.9. Boston's defense has kept the team at or near the top in the East this year, despite losing prized free agent Gordon Hayward in the season's first game. Boston is allowing 100.1 PPG (2nd), while holding opponents to 43.5% shooting, as well as 33.9% on threes (both rank 1st in the NBA!). Minnesota: Already short-handed with Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns (20.4 & 12.2) and PG Jeff Teague (13.7 & 6.9 APG) were both lost to ejections in a 116-108 road loss to the Jazz on Friday. However, Minnesota is back at home (25-7 SU on the season at the Target Center) and also gets a full five days of rest following the loss to Utah. The 38-28 Timberwolves enter play on Thursday sixth in the West, just 1 1/2 games out of third place but also just 2 1/2 up on the eighth-place LA Clippers. Minnesota is relying on its starting unit as much as ever since losing Butler, who is irreplaceable. Forward Nemanja Bjelica (6.1 & 3.5) has moved into the starting lineup and he is averaging 10.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game The pick: The Timberwolves are 25-7 SU at home but the Celtics are 21-9 SU & ATS on the road, a record bettered by only the Rockets and Warriors. Boston's offense has averaged 114 points per 100 possessions with Irving since the All Star break plus Minnesota has gone over in nine of its last 11 games. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-07-18 | Pelicans v. Kings UNDER 224 | Top | 114-101 | Win | 100 | 23 h 14 m | Show |
The set-up: The New Orleans Pelicans rode Anthony Davis' 41 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots to a 121-116 victory Tuesday night in LA vs. the Clippers. It was the team's ninth consecutive victory and New Orleans will now go for a 10th straight win tonight in Sacramento, which tie a franchise record set back in the 2010-11 season, when the team was led by Chris Paul. The Western Conference playoff race is a log-jam, as the No. 3 through No. 10 seeds are separated by just 4 1/2 games. The 37-26 Pelicans currently own the No. 4 seed but only lead the Clippers, who are currently 9th and on the outside looking in on the playoff picture, by just three games. The 20-44 Sacramento Kings are not part of the Western Conference playoff race, as they sit 15 back of the 8th-seeded Nuggets. The Kings come in having won two of their last three games and haven't played since Sunday, when they defeated the New York Knicks 102-99. New Orleans: Anthony Davis (28.3 & 11,2) has been a dominating presence over his last 13 games, averaging 34.5 points while scoring 40 or more on six occasions and falling two points short two other times. Guard Jrue Holiday (19.4-4.4-5.7) fell one point shy of his ninth straight 20-point effort but contributed a career-best 17 assists against the Clippers and made a key late-game steal on guard Lou Williams. Holiday is averaging 25.1 points and 8.6 assists during the winning streak and has picked up some of the scoring slack after All-Star DeMarcus Cousins (25.2 & 12.9) suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Let's also not forget Mirotic's contributions, as the former Bull is averaging 14.8 & 7.8 in 12 games since the trade. Sacramento: The Kings are off a home win over the Knicks this past Sunday but have not won consecutive home games since a three-game run in November. It's the only time Sacramento has backed up victories at the Golden 1 Center all season in a campaign that has been viewed as a start from Ground Zero for the franchise. The Kings have been mostly piling up losses while giving heavy minutes to youngsters. Second-year forward Skal Labissiere (right knee) is listed as questionable after being the hero for the first time in his NBA career during the victory over the Knicks. He ad-libbed on a play designed for Bogdan Bogdanovic or De'Aaron Fox to take the clutch shot but instead of passing the ball, he looked toward the basket and drained a three-pointer with 2.6 seconds for the first game-winning basket of his NBA career. Labissiere averages 8.4 & 4.6 in just under 20 MPG. The Kings have five double digit scorers, led by veteran PF Randolph (14.8 & 6.9). However, SG Hield (12.7), center Cauley-Stein (12.6 & 6.9) and rookie PG Fox (11.6 & 4.3) are expected to the team's future. The pick: The Pelicans come in on a nine-game winning streak in which the team is averaging 126.2 PPG, so one understands why this over/under number is in the mid-220s. However, the Kings are the league's second-lowest scoring team (99.2 PPG) and a "typical" Sacramento home game has averaged just 208.1 PPG this season. The Kings are well-rested (haven't played since Sunday) and just may give the Pelicans some trouble. The play is a 10* on the Under. |
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03-06-18 | Rockets v. Thunder OVER 222 | Top | 122-112 | Win | 100 | 12 h 25 m | Show |
The set-up: The 49-13 Houston Rockets are a half-game ahead of the 49-14 Warriors for the NBA's best record and will take a 15-game winning streak into their game tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City against the 37-28 Thunder. The team's 123-120 home win over Boston last Saturday tied the Rockets' current streak with two others established in both 1992-93 and 1993-94, seven shy of the franchise mark of 22 established in 2007-08. Meanwhile, the Thunder are in the middle of an eight-team battle for six spots in the West (No. 3 thru No. 10 seeds are separated by just four games) but they sunk to seventh in the conference after falling 108-100 at Portland on Saturday. They've won five of seven overall but all five wins have come against some of the worst teams in the NBA and it's hard to overlook the fact that Oklahoma City has not defeated a winning opponent since Feb. 6! Houston: Although it was another high-scoring affair Saturday night in the 123-120 win over Boston, Houston players were proud of the defensive work they did on key possessions down the stretch. Eric Gordon (18.7) led with 29 points in 27 minutes, while Harden (31.2-5.2-8.9) collected 26 points and 10 assists. Paul (18.8-5.6-8.1) joins Harden and Gordon to give the NBA's second-highest scoring team (114.0 PPG) a devastating trio of guards. Four other players average in double figures for Houston, including center Capela (14.5 & 11.2) and the veteran Gerald Green (11.5 PPG in the games since being acquired off waivers). Oklahoma City: The Thunder know all about "Trios," as they added Paul George (22.3 & 5.6) and Carmelo Anthony (16.9 & 6.0) in the off-season to join reigning MVP Russell Westbrook (25.7-9.7-10.2). OKC is coming off a loss to Portland in which Westbrook scored 30 points but he needed 31 shots to get there. Meanwhile, fellow All-Star Paul George missed all seven of his three-point attempts. Carmelo Anthony was given the night off and returns to the court needing only six points to pass Hall of Famer Jerry "the Logo" West (25,192) and move into 20th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. The pick: The last time the Houston Rockets visited the Oklahoma City Thunder (back on Christmas Day) the Thunder defeated the Rockets 112-107 with Houston's Chris Paul sidelined. It was the third consecutive loss for Houston in a stretch where it lost seven of nine games.In contrast, for OKC it was a fifth consecutive victory in what wound up being a six-game winning streak. However, much has changed since then. The Rockets have won 15 straight games since Jan. 28, while the Thunder have gone 8-8 since Andre Roberson's season-ending injury in late January. Houston will likely relish the role of "the revenger" and with Thunder now minus defensive ace Andre Roberson, Houston's offense will be tough to slow down. However, I expect Westbrook, George and Anthony to rise to the challenge and while I won't trust an OKC team that is on a current 4-11 ATS run, I will make the Over an 8* play. |
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03-03-18 | Rangers v. Oilers OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -102 | 24 h 35 m | Show |
The set-up: The Edmonton Oilers shocked most NHL observers with their 103 points last season and at the start of the current season, were a sexy pick to win the Western Conference. However, the Oilers started poorly and never got it going. They continue their current five-game homestand Saturday against the New York Rangers and with a 27-33-4 mark (58 points), will miss the playoffs for the 11th time in 12 seasons. They began their homestand with Thursday's 4-2 loss to Nashville and now welcome the 29-30-6 NY Rangers to town, a team looking to finish its three-game swing through Western Canada at 3-0, after posting victories in Vancouver and Calgary. NY Rangers: New York is only five points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with its 64 points, despite having a fire sale prior to last Monday's trade deadline. The Rangers did acquire center Ryan Spooner and he recorded a goal and an assist in Friday's 3-1 victory over the Flames. Spooner was obtained from Boston in Sunday's deal that sent Rick Nash to the Bruins. He has collected a goal and six assists in three games with his new team. Vladislav Namestnikov, in his first game after being acquired from Tampa Bay on Monday, was kept off the scoresheet in Calgary after notching a goal and an assist against Vancouver. Henrik Lundqvist, just 25-21-5 (2.89 GAA & .916 SP) on the season, but registered 50-save performances in each of the two wins at Vancouver and Calgary. Edmonton: Captain Connor McDavid recorded a goal and an assist against Nashville, increasing his team-leading total to 77 points (29 goals). Center Ryan Strome, who spent his first four with the NY Islanders, is riding a four-game point streak during which he has collected three goals and three assists. Leon Draisaitl (58 points) scored against the Predators, giving him a goal in four of his last five contests. Some good news for Edmonton is that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who hasn't played since Jan. 13 because of a rib injury, may return as the Oilers look to avoid a third consecutive defeat. He has 31 points in 46 games and coach Todd McLellan told the team's website Friday that " "He's very close to playing," The pick: New York is an excellent 11-4-0 against the Pacific Division this season, so a 3-0 Western swing sweep would not be a stretch. That said, I'll play the over, as the Rangers are allowing 3.35 GPG on the road and the Oilers are allowing 3.55 GPG at home. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-03-18 | Thunder v. Blazers OVER 213.5 | Top | 100-108 | Loss | -105 | 23 h 5 m | Show |
The set-up: The 37-27 Oklahoma City Thunder will visit the Moda Center on Friday night to take on the 36-26 Portland Trail Blazers. These two teams, along with the SA Spurs, are bunched in a three-way race for seeds three thru five in the West. Portland currently owns the No. 3 position by mere percentage points but all three sit 12 1/2 games behind the Rockets and Warriors, who are in a virtual tie atop the Western Conference standings. The Blazers have won five straight to reach a season-best 10 games over .500 and that run has placed the team in the midst of the battle for third place in Western Conference. The Thunder have won three straight games and five of their last six, after dispatching the Suns 124-116 on Friday in Phoenix. Oklahoma City: PG Russell Westbrook (25.2-9.7-10.3) had 43 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists last night and has a friendly rivalry with Portland PG Lillard. He tuned up for Saturday's meeting by making 16-of-25 shots against the Suns. Small forward Paul George (22.3 & 5.6) added 20 points against Phoenix and has reached at least 20 in four of the past five games, the exception being a horrific performance against the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 24 when he had five points on 1-of-14 shooting. The third member of OKC's "Three Amigos" is Carmelo Anthony (16.9 & 6.0) but he is shooting just 21-of-64 (32.8%) over the past four games. OKC is an enigma. The Thunder have won enough close games against inferior opposition of late to lead critics to wonder about a lack of intensity. However, OKC has beaten Golden State (twice), Houston and Cleveland this season and is 5-3 against teams with at least a .600 winning percentage. Portland is a tad shy of that figure, at .581. Portland: The Blazers have won 13 of 18 after beating Minnesota 108-99 on Thursday, as the team makes a strong push for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Lillard (26.5-4.6-6.5) averaged 31.4 points in February, the highest in any month in franchise history, and continued his strong play by scoring 35 points in Thursday's win over the Timberwolves. Lillard has scored 35 or more points in five of the past seven games, including outings of 50, 44 and 40, and is averaging 36.9 during the stretch. Partner McCollum (21.6) gives Portland a dynamic backcourt duo but only center Nurkic (14.2 & 8.3) scores in double digits among the other Blazers. The pick: Both Portland and Oklahoma City are in the thick of a Western Conference playoff race that is so tight, every spot from No. 3 to 10 remains up for grabs with five weeks left in the regular season. Portland has both meetings with OKC this year, 103-99 at home on Nov. 5 and 117-106 on the road on Jan. 9. The Blazers have also won 12 of their last 13 at home, going 12-1 ATS, as well. In fact, OKC has lost seven consecutive games in Portland dating to February 2014 and is a modest 16-16 SU on the road this season. Maybe the play should be Portland but OKC has a knack of playing up to its competition so instead, I'll make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-02-18 | Red Wings v. Jets OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 20 m | Show |
The set-up: The Winnipeg Jets missed chance to move into a tie for first place with Nashville, coughing up a two-goal lead in the third period of a 6-5 home loss to the Predators on Tuesday. The 37-17-9 Jets have 83 points (the Predators now have 89) and they will look to rebound when they host the 26-27-10 Detroit Red Wings on Friday night. It is the final contest before a crucial six-game road trip for the Jets. Detroit comes to town having won two of its past six games (2-3-1) and currently sits fifth in the Atlantic Division with 62 points, seven points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who hold down the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. There are also three other teams ahead of Detroit trying to catch the Blue Jackets. Detroit: Already facing a steep climb to get back in the playoff picture, the Red Wings are also in the midst of a grueling stretch in which they play 10 of 11 away from home. Not only does Detroit play only once at home over its next nine games, but its next eight opponents all currently hold down playoff spots. The Red Wings just lost 2-1 on Wednesday night to the St. Louis Blues, a team that had lost its previous seven games and indicated its lack of postseason aspirations by trading Paul Stastny to Winnipeg. Detroit has now failed to score more than three goals in nine consecutive games! Winnipeg: Center Paul Stastny was a big addition for Winnipeg at Monday's trade deadline and he did not disappoint in his debut with the team, scoring one goal and setting up another while dominating in the faceoff circle by going 14 of 19. Forward Mark Scheifele (21 goals & 51 points) scored twice against Nashville to give him six in his last seven games and hike his home point total to 34 in 24 games. Patrik lane leads the team with 31 goals and Blake Wheeler owns a team-high 73 points (18 goals). Stastny had 40 points in 63 games for the Blues. The pick: We can assume that coming off a third-period collapse against the Preds, the Jets will be well-focused on this game. Making that even more likely is the fact that Winnipeg will be looking to avenge a 5-1 loss to the Red Wings in Detroit back on Dec. 5. The Jets are a high-scoring team at home (3.84 GPG) and I believe they'll push this game over the total. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-01-18 | Wolves v. Blazers OVER 217 | Top | 99-108 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 14 m | Show |
The set-up: The 38-26 Minnesota Timberwolves are sitting in the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference but are only four games clear of the ninth-place LA Clippers. That tightly-bunched field is even more of a concern to Minnesota since it lost All-Star Jimmy Butler to a knee injury over the weekend. He is expected to be out for at least the rest of the regular season following surgery on his right knee. The T-wolves will visit Moda Center tonight to take on the 35-26 Portland Trail Blazers, who are in that pack of teams stuck between three and nine. The Blazers come in having won four in a row and currently sit tied for the No. 5 seed with the Pelicans, 1 1/2 games behind the T-wolves and 2 1/2 games clear of the No. 9 Clippers. Minnesota: The T-wolves are winning the games they are supposed to win and breezed past the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings in the last two games to move ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, despite the loss of Butler. Minnesota replaced Butler (22.2-5.4-5.0) in the starting lineup with power forward Nemanja Bjelica, who contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals to Monday's win at Sacramento. Wiggins is now playing "the 2" and is picking things back up after a brief slump. He has scored over 20 points in each of the last three games and checks in at 17.7 & 4.1 on the season. Let's not forget center Karl-Anthony Towns (20.3 & 12.3), who leads the NBA with 54 double-doubles. Portland: The Blazers welcome Minnesota to town playing well and have a top-four spot in the West in their sights. Lillard scored 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting and added 12 assists in Tuesday's win over the Kings to cap a strong February. He averaged 31.4 points in 10 games during the month, including a 50-point outburst and two other games in which he scored at least 40. Lillard (26.3-4.5-6.6) and McCollum (21.6) comprise one of the NBA's best backcourts, although the only other Blazer scoring in double digits is center Nurkic (14.1 & 8.3). The pick: Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau has gone big (the 6-10 Bjelica) as he tries to make up for the loss of Butler. The problem won't be at the offensive end, as Minnesota scores 111.4 points per 100 possessions, third-best in the NBA behind Houston and Golden State. However, the Timberwolves are 24th in defensive rating and Butler was their best defender. Also of note is that Minnesota features four of the league’s top-10 players in minutes played, with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns in the first and second slots. It should then come as no surprise that Minnesota also ranks as the NBA’s worst fourth-quarter defense by a full three points per 100 possessions. Portland comes in having won 11 of its last 12 home games and the home team has won all three previous matchups this year between these two teams, including the most recent contest, a 123-114 Portland home win on Jan. 24. Should be another high scoring game tonight. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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03-01-18 | Blackhawks v. Sharks OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-7 | Win | 100 | 15 h 34 m | Show |
The set-up: The 34-21-9 San Jose Sharks are fighting for playoff positioning (team's 77 points has them in second-place in the Pacific Division), while the 27-28-8 Chicago Blackhawks are in the rare position of playing spoiler. The Blackhawks have plummeted to the bottom of the Central Division with losses in 10 of 13 contests in February but Chicago: Artem Anisimov (17 goals) netted his third goal in four games in that win over San Jose but was then held off the scoresheet in a 3-2 setback at Columbus on Saturday. Captain Jonathan Toews has been held without a point in four straight games. Toews is one of three Blackhawks with at least 40 points with Nick Schmaltz (42) and Patrick Kane (team-high 58). Rookie Alex DeBrincat needs one point to reach 40, and is one goal shy of tying Kane for the team lead with 23 goals. Goalie Jean-Francois Berube will hope to repeat his effort of last Thursday, when he flustering the Sharks by turning aside 42 shots in his first start for Chicago. The 26-year-old was recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League last week and shined in his first NHL start since Feb. 19, 2017. Berube is expected to see some additional action during the team's trek through California, although coach Joel Quenneville told reporters that Corey Crawford (concussion) could return to the ice following the road trip. The Blackhawks play three straight in California, including back-to-back games this weekend in Los Angeles and Anaheim. San Jose: Evander Kane was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on Monday and drew two assists in San Jose's 5-2 win over Edmonton on Tuesday. He playied alongside Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi, with the line combing for a goal and six assists. Pavelski has a goal and five assists in a four-game points streak at home against Chicago. He is second on the team with 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists), one behind Brent Burns (10 goals and 51 points). Center Logan Couture leads the team with 26 goals. San Jose showed its appreciation of Aaron Dell by signing the backup goaltender to a two-year, $3.8 million contract extension on Wednesday. Dell sports a 14-5-3 mark this season. However, Martin (Jones) is still No. 1. He has turned aside 93 of 98 shots to highlight his three-game home winning streak, although his 33 saves were not enough as he absorbed the hard-luck loss in Chicago on Friday. The pick: After 10 straight playoff appearances (including winning three Stanley Cups, Chicago is facing the reality of that streak ending. However, don't expect the Blackhawks to roll over in the final quarter of the season. "We can be spoilers against some teams that have a lot of incentive just on this trip alone," head coach Joel Quenneville said. The Sharks are playing with some "recent revenge" on their minds and have gone 18-9-3 at home, where they are averaging 3.23 GPG. Chicago allows 3.10 GPG on the road and Berube still lacks experience in goal. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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02-28-18 | Red Wings v. Blues OVER 5 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -133 | 12 h 20 m | Show |
The set-up: The slumping St. Louis Blues have lost seven straight games (0-6-1) for the first time since 2009-10 after Tuesday’s humbling 8-3 loss at Minnesota and have now fallen out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference with a 34-26-4 record (72 points). The Blues will be back on the ice again tonight when they host the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit checks in at 26-26-10 and with its 62 points, the Red Wings are still alive in the playoff race, sitting seven points behind Columbus for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Detroit: The Red Wings opened a critical five-game road trip Sunday with a 3-2 overtime victory over the fading New York Rangers, as Jimmy Howard turned aside 36 shots. "We’re still there,” Howard told reporters after making his fourth consecutive start for a team which has won two straight and earning a point in three straight. Detroit made one deal at Monday's trade deadline, sending Tomas Tatar to Vegas for first, second and third-round picks as it attempts to clear space for its promising younger players. “I am trying to build a team here that somewhere down the road can compete for the Stanley Cup,” GM Ken Holland told the Detroit Free Press. “It has to be done through the draft. Now there’s more draft picks, more assets.” Center Dylan Larkin has recorded four assists in the last four games to push his team-leading total to 47 points (just nine goals. RW Anthony Martha has a team-high 20 goals. St. Louis: The Blues St. Louis has been outscored 29-10 during their losing skid and have allowed a total of eight first-period goals over their last three contests. Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice in Tuesday’s loss to give him five goals in his last eight games and a team-leading 26 on the season - two more than All-Star Brayden Schenn, who tops the Blues with 56 points. All-Star defenseman Alex Pietrangelo recorded the other tally for St. Louis in his 599th NHL contest to snap a six-game point drought and reach double digits in goals for the second straight season and fourth in his career. The pick: The Blues' downward spiral continued at Minnesota last night and the team now needs to bounce back just 24 hours later at Scottrade Center. The good news is, St. Louis won at Detroit 6-1 back on Dec. 9 and has a seven-game points streak (3-0-4) against the Red Wings. Can the Blues earn a win after allowing 16 goals in their last three outings? If so, they'll have to score. That's the bet. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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02-27-18 | Hurricanes v. Bruins UNDER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -102 | 11 h 20 m | Show |
The set-up: The 37-15-8 Boston Bruins have 82 points, which leaves them in third-place in the Atlantic Division behind Toronto (84 points) and Tampa Bay (89). However, the Bruins own a 20-point lead over the division's fourth-place team, making them a virtual 'lock' for the playoffs. The Bruins open a six-game homestand against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, a team going through a rough time on and off the ice. The Hurricanes have lost five straight games to fall to 27-25-10, as their points leaves them 10th in the Eastern Conference. What's more, co-captain Jordan Staal (14 goals / 34 points) left the team to be with his wife following the death of their infant daughter. Carolina: The Hurricanes have scored just six goals during their five-game skid (0-4-1) and the only move the team made Monday was sending Josh Jooris to Pittsburgh for Greg McKegg in a swap of minor-league forwards. It's pretty obvious you are not going to win many games when scoring just one goal. Head coach Bill Peters said he is moving leading goal scorer Sebastian Aho (21), who has one assist during the slide, back to center to fill in for Staal. Staal has already missed two games and was told to take as much time as he needs for a return. Boston: The Bruins traded three players and two draft picks to the New York Rangers in exchange for Rick Nash, who made his Bruins debut in a 4-1 loss at Buffalo on Sunday just hours after the deal was completed. Nash was solid in his first game in seven days, registering a team-high five shots on goal while playing alongside center David Krejci. "It was my first game in a week so I was a bit nervous," Nash said. "It's definitely been a couple of strange days not being able to play. But that's behind us and I'm happy to be a Bruin." The Bruins dropped a controversial 4-3 decision at Toronto on Saturday night when their last-minute claim of goaltender interference was denied. Then they were dumped by the last-place Sabres in Buffalo in Nash's debut Sunday night. The pick: Boston fans will get their first in-person look at Nash, tonight. Expect Boston to bring its "A-game," off back-to-back losses and as for Carolina, the Hurricanes, they simply can't seem to find the back of the net. The Under is an 8* play. |
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02-26-18 | Texas Tech v. West Virginia UNDER 141.5 | Top | 74-84 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 60 m | Show |
The set-up: Texas Tech is watching its season unravel at the worst possible time. The Red Raiders opened Big 12 play 10-3 before losing back-to-back road games against Baylor and Oklahoma State, followed by Saturday's home setback against Kansas, which clinched its 14th straight Big 12 regular-season title. Texas is 22-7 (10-6 in Big 12) and its current ranking of No. 6 in the AP poll will not hold up when the new poll is released Monday afternoon. The Red Raiders will look to end their three-game slide Monday night but will have to do so in a very tough venue, as they will travel to Morgantown to face current No. 21 West Virginia, which is 21-8 (10-6 in Big 12) . Texas Tech: The Red Raiders edged West Virginia 72-71 back in January at Lubbock, with Keenan Evans scoring 20 points and Brandone Francis adding a career-high 17. Evans is the team's top scorer at 17.2 PPG but his last three contests have been awful, as he has shot a collective 3-of-19 for 12 total points while battling a toe injury. 6-5 freshman Zhaire Smith (11.4 & 4.7) was the high man against Kansas with 20 points and has shot at least 50 percent from the floor in six of his last seven outings. The only other Texas Tech player scoring in double digits is Culver (11.2 & 4.2), who is also a 6-5 freshman. Tech's defense has been its strength on the season, allowing 63.5 PPG (9th). West Virginia: The Mountaineers can sympathize with the Red Raiders, as they lost five of six to close out January, after opening the season 15-1. However, West Virginia has rebounded by winning five of seven in Feb, including double-digit wins over Baylor and Iowa State last week. Five players average in double digits (a sixth averages 9.5 PPG), led by Jevon Carter (17.0 & 5.0 & 6.5). He led four starters in double figures with 24 points against Iowa State, while Esa Ahmad (10.3 & 4.7) chipped in 18 points and 11 rebounds and Sagaba Konate (10.5 & 8.0) had 14 points, nine boards and six blocks. Konate has six straight games with multiple blocked shots and has recorded 15 blocks in the last two games alone, while also going 16-of-16 from the foul line over the last seven game. Carter is the first major-college player in NCAA history to record more than 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 steals, . The pick: I noted Tech's excellent defense above but note that West Vs. allows just 63.8 PPG here at WVU Coliseum. With Evans nowhere near 100 percent, this will be a hard-fought low scoring contest. Make the Under a 10* play.
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02-25-18 | Canucks v. Coyotes OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -106 | 14 h 17 m | Show |
The set-up: The Vancouver Canucks showed plenty of promise early on, opening the season14-10-4. However, they have posted only two victories in February (2-7-1) after suffering a 6-3 loss at Vegas on Friday. They continue their three-game road trip Sunday against the Arizona Coyotes, who at 18-33-10 (46 points), own the league's worst record. However, the catch is, the Coyotes are suddenly red-hot, having earned points in seven of their last eight contests (6-1-1). Sunday's game will feature two of the top rookies in the league as Vancouver’s Brock Boeser (27 goals, 51 points) takes on Clayton Keller of Arizona (17, 44) in the first of four matchups between the Pacific Division rivals over the remainder of the season. Vancouver: The Canucks played a strong first period against the Golden Knights but were outscored 4-1 over the final two periods. Boeser has notched an assist in each of his last two games while Thomas Vanek (41 points), who could be on the move before Monday's trade deadline, has recorded three points in his last four contests. Daniel Sedin (39 points) is trying to finish the season strong, registering three goals and four assists over his last six games, while Bo Horvat (31 points) has collected six points in the same span. In net, Jacob Markstrom could make his first start in five games, as Anders Nilsson has allowed 10 goals in his last two starts and 15 over his last four. Arizona: The Coyotes are close to climbing out of the bottom spot in the league. Arizona, which has allowed fewer than two goals in four of its last five victories, receiving a 26-save performance from Antti Raanta in Saturday's 2-0 triumph over Anaheim, to climb within one point of Eastern Conference-worst Buffalo (47). Keller has been kept off the scoresheet in three straight game but the 19-year-old registered three goals and five assists in his previous five contests to rank fourth in the league in points among rookies. Derek Stepan (38 points) also was blanked on Saturday but has recorded eight points in his last nine games and is two shy of 400 for his career. Defenseman Jason Demers and Max Domi, who has registered five points in his last seven games, each scored their fifth goal of the season in the win over Anaheim. The pick: Vancouver ( (23-31-7 with points) is ahead of only the Coyotes in the Pacific Division and has lost four of five and eight of 10 following a 6-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. Both teams are allowing an average of 3.23 GPG and the Over is a 10* play in this one. |
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02-25-18 | Pelicans v. Bucks OVER 222.5 | Top | 123-121 | Win | 100 | 8 h 47 m | Show |
The set-up: The Milwaukee Bucks were eager to make a statement in their first game back from the All Star break and thy did just that, beating the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors 122-119 in OT at Toronto on Friday. The 33-25 Bucks currently sit in the No. 6 spot in the East as they welcome the 32-26 New Orleans Pelicans to the brafdledy Center on Sunday. The Pelicans are trying to make their own move in the tightly-packed West and come into this contest the winners of four straight, after beating the Miami Heat 124-123 in OT at New Orleans on Friday. New Orleans: Anthony Davis (27.7 & 10.9) had 45 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks and five steals against the Heat, the kind of performance that is becoming commonplace for the for the 24-year-old superstar. Davis is averaging 42.3 points and 14.8 rebounds during the four-game winning streak and is carrying the team in the absence of center DeMarcus Cousins (Achilles). Davis averages on the season. PG Jrue Holiday (18.8 & 5.6 APG) is doing his part as well, averaging 24 points and 9.3 assists over the last four contests. It's also worth noting that Mirotic beginning to become comfortable since the trade (from Chicago) and is averaging 14.7 & 9.1 in seven games. Milwaukee: Like New Orleans, Milwaukee has its own All-Star capable of carrying the team in forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (27.8-8.2-10.4), However, the rest of the roster is coming up with strong performances as well. Antetokounmpo (26 points) was one of three players along with Khris Middleton (21) and Eric Bledsoe (21) to go over 20 points on Friday and the bench is stronger with the addition of Jabari Parker (9.1 PPG in seven games). Then there is the 40-year-old Jason Terry, who had his best game of the season Thursday night, scoring 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting (all three-pointers). The pick: The Pelicans have a slim lead over the Clippers for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot but also sit only two games out of a potential No. 3 seed. New Orleans has been struggling at home but the Pelicans have covered 9 of their last 14 on the road. The Bucks have won 10 of their last 13 games and come into the contest holding the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the Wizards and Pacers, who hold the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, and only two games back of the Cavaliers, who sit third in the East. In the first meeting between the two teams this season, New Orleans earned a 115-108 home win over Milwaukee back on Dec. 13. Look for another high scoring game. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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02-24-18 | Magic v. 76ers OVER 217 | Top | 105-116 | Win | 100 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
The set-up: Philadelphia's first game back from the break almost turned ugly, as the 76ers squandered an 18-point lead against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, before managing to pull out a 116-115 victory. The 76ers now own a six-game winning streak (the team's longest since a six-game run during the 2011-2012 season ) and at 31-25, hold down the East's No. 7 playoff seed. They host the 18-40 Orlando Magic on Saturday, looking for a seventh consecutive win. The Magic returned from the break and lost 12-0-113 at home against the NY Knicks, dropping them 22 games under .500. The loss was the fourth straight for Orlando, which is 7-23 on the road and kicks off a stretch with seven of 10 away from home on Saturday. Orlando: Despite the home loss to the Knicks, Orlando did get healthier over the break, as center Nikola Vucevic (hand) and power forward Aaron Gordon (hip) returned from lengthy absences. Vucevic (17.4 & 9.2) scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting in 24 minutes but Gordon (18.2 & 8.3) struggled to nine points on 3-of-9 while committing three turnovers in 25 minutes. Orlando made 11 of its first 12 shots en route to a 41-31 first-quarter lead vs New York But the Knicks rallied to win, 120-113, snapping an eight-game losing streak. Evan Fournier (17.4) had 25 points to lead the Magic on Thursday. However, all in all, the return of Gordon and Vucevic is VERY good news. Philadelphia: The 76er trailed the Bulls 115-1114 with 5.9 seconds left but Joel Embiid stole Darnell Valentine's inbounds pass and passed to Ben Simmons, who was fouled by Darnell Valentine. Simmons, who entered the game shooting just 56.5 percent from the free-throw line, saw his first foul shot dance on the rim before falling but swished the second. Chicago's Bobby Portis and Valentine then came up empty on point-blank shots in the closing seconds. Embiid (23.8 & 11.2) and Simmons (16.7-7.8-7.4) combined for 62 points on 24-of-35 shooting in Thursday's win, including teaming up for the biggest play of the game.SG Redick (16.7), PF Saric (14.6 & 6.9) and SF Covington (12.7 & 5.6) give Philly a quality starting-five. The pick: Orlando is back at full strength with return of Vucevic and Gordon, which will help significantly against Philly's youthful but powerful frontcourt.The Sixers are 18-9 SU & ATS at home, while the Magic are just 7-23 SU on the road. However, this is a pretty 'heavy' pointspread for Philly. I'd rather play the over, as the Magic allow 111.6 PPG on the road plus getting Vucevic and Gordon back will be a real bonus on the offensive end for Orlando. The Over is an 8* play. |
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02-23-18 | Ohio State v. Indiana OVER 137 | Top | 80-78 | Win | 100 | 12 h 21 m | Show |
The set-up The Ohio State Buckeyes were picked to finish 11th in the preseason Big Ten poll. However, first-year head coach Chris Holtmann (via Butler) saw his team end a two-game skid with a 79-52 victory against Rutgers on Tuesday. Ohio State now has a chance to grab a share of their first conference title since 2012 if they are able to beat the Indiana Hoosiers tonight and No.2 Michigan State falls to Wisconsin on Sunday. Ohio State was just 17-15 last season (7-11 in Big Ten) but the Buckeyes are currently No. 16 in the AP poll with a 23-7 record (14-3 in Big Ten). Ohio State cruised past Indiana 71-56 in the first meeting back on Jan. 30 in Columbus and cnow have a chance to sweep the season series for the first time since 2010-11. Indiana's chances of earning a postseason bid took a big hit following a 66-57 setback to Nebraska on Tuesday. The Hoosiers had won four consecutive games, including two straight at home by double digits, before being held to their lowest point total in nearly a month. The Hoosiers are 16-13 overall, including 9-8 in the Big Ten. A victory here would give them 10 conference wins for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Ohio State: The Buckeyes own a strong frontcourt led by the 6-7 Bates-Diop (19.0 & 8.7). He's joined up front by SF Tate (12.6 & 6.2) and 6-9 freshman Wesson (11.0 & 5.2), with PG Jackson (12.4-3.8-3.9) running the show in the backcourt. C.J. Jackson led the way with 18 points in the bounce-back win vs. Rutgers,while Kaleb Wesson added 14 on 6-of-7 shooting. Guard Kam Williams (7.9) scored 13 points in his final collegiate home game while fellow senior Jae'Sean Tate contributed nine points and 10 rebounds. Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Keita Bates-Diop was held to six points on 3-of-11 shooting against the Scarlet Knights and is a troubling 12-of-39 (30.8%) from the floor over his last three games. The Buckeyes are an efficient offensive team (48.8% shooting ranks 23rd) and a strong defensive one, allowing 66.2 PPG (39th) on 41.5% shooting (48th). Indiana: The Hoosiers also have a first-year head coach in Archie Miller (via Dayton) and he knows he will need his team to be extremely dialed in to play a team that is trying to win a league championship. Justin Smith (just 6.2 PPG on the season) continued his stellar play down the stretch as he scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds vs. Nebraska, but the Hoosiers were undone by 19 turnovers. Senior guard Robert Johnson added 16 points and six rebounds against the Cornhuskers. while 6-8 junior Juwan Morgan had13 points and nine boards. Morgan (16.5 & 7.3) and Johnson (14.0 & 4.6) are the only two Hoosiers in double digits on the season. The Hoosiers average a modest 71.8 PPG, which ranks 236th. The pick: Ohio State is sniffing a Big Ten regular season title but the Buckeyes come in having lost their last two road games by an average margin of 17.5 PPG. Indiana will have a "packed house" for this bitter rival and would like nothing more than to play spoiler, plus 10 league wins would be a nice bonus for Miller in his first season in the Big Ten. Indiana has won four of the last five home meetings with Ohio State and while I'm not 100% behind the Hoosiers, I do see a high scoring game, which gives me a 10* play on the Over. |
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02-22-18 | Islanders v. Maple Leafs UNDER 6.5 | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
The set-up: The NY Islanders will be at Air Canada Centre on Thursday to take on the host Toronto Maple Leafs. New York surrendered three goals in a 4:12 stretch en route to a 5-3 loss to Minnesota at home this past Monday, leaving them 29-26-6 (64 points leaves them outside of the postseason picture). The Islanders lost seven of their last 11 outings heading into a span of three straight on the road and seven of eight overall. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have won 11 of their past 13 games overall, to reach 37-20-5 on the season, purring them solidly inside the playoff cut line with 79 points. NY Islanders: New York is 4-6-1 since the All-Star break and sits one point removed from a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after losing on Monday to the Wild. Anders Lee scored versus the Wild to reach the 30-goal plateau for the second straight season and move within four of his career-high total (hes got points on the season). Captain John Tavares also has 30 goals and a team-best 64 points to remain above a point-per-game average, despite being limited to just two in his last five contests. Goaltender Thomas Greiss earned his first shutout of the season Friday night but suffered a lower-body injury late in the game against Minnesota. He finished the game but he was put on injured reserve and Christopher Gibson was called up from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League. Jaroslav Halak will get the start, tonight. Toronto: The Maple Leafs aim to continue their torrid stretch and repeat a dominating performance in their last encounter versus the Islanders, a 5-0 rout of the visiting Islanders back on Jan. 31. Leo Komarov, the team's alternate captain, hasn't mirrored the success of his team during a 13-game stretch, scoring just one goal and setting up one other while playing on the fourth line. However, C Auston Matthews has eight goals and eight assists in his past 15 games, including one of each in the first meeting with New York. He leads the team with 27 goals and 49 points. Goalie Frederik Anderson turned aside all 40 shots he faced in Tuesday's 1-0 victory over Florida, marking his fifth shutout of the season. The pick: New York's Halak has made most of the starts in goal for the Islanders since late November and owns an 8-3-3 career mark versus the Maple Leafs. Toronto's Anderson is 30-16-4 (2.66 GGA & .923 SP) on the season and in that 5-0 shutout of the Islanders back on Jan. 31, made 28 saves. Make teh Under a 10* play. |
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02-21-18 | UCF v. Tulsa UNDER 129.5 | Top | 61-70 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 19 m | Show |
The set-up: It's an AAC matchup tonight in Tulsa (Don W. Reynolds Center) when the 17-9 Central Florida Knights (8-6 in AAC) take on the host Tulsa Golden Hurricane, who are 16-10 overall, including 9-5 in AAC play. UCF has won three in a row but Tulsa has won five straight, as the Golden Hurricane lead the Knights by a game in the league standings. Both are hoping to secure a top four finish in the AAC (which earns a first-round bye in the tourney) and a win by UCF would mean the two schools would be tied for fourth place (a win by UCF would also give the Knights the tiebreaker between the two). Central Florida: UCF’s success has been in large part due to its suffocating defense, which allows just 60.3 points a game, third-best in the nation. That's no surprise as UCH was expected to be a defensive stalwart because of the presence of 7-6 center Tacko Fall. However, even with Fall out for the season since mid-January, the Knights have been sterling on the defensive end, as on teh season, opponents are shooting just 38.6% against them (4th). Guard BJ Taylor has been the leader of the offense for coach Johnny Dawkins, despite missing 16 games with a foot injury after the season opener. He's now averaging 14.0 PPG (through 10 games) and is the team's top-scoring option now. The 6-9 Davis (11.7 & 8.9) has even more pressure on him now, with the loss of Fall. Tulsa: The 6-8 Etou leads Tulsa in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (7.9) and is joined by two other double digit scorers in PG Taplin (12.1-3.8-4.3) and SF Jeffries (10.0 & 5.1). However, two more players just miss, guard Henderson (9.9) and the 6-8 Igbanu (9.2 & 5.2. )Head coach Frank Haith's squad has sported a balanced attack (five players averaging between 9.2 & 15.3 PPG) and one of the things that he likes most about his team this season is the grit his players are showing as the regular season comes down the stretch. The pick: This is a big game for both teams and expect a low-scoring one. UCF plays great D (see above) plus has real trouble scoring, averaging only 63.0 PPG (346th). Make the Under an 8* play. |
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02-20-18 | Blue Jackets v. Devils OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 24 m | Show |
The set-up: The New Jersey Devils appeared ready to fall off the pace in the Metropolitan Division the past month, as they had sandwiching a pair of four-game skids around winning three straight. However, the 31-20-8 Devils have battled back into contention with four consecutive victories, including three straight wins away from home. Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets are stumbling with three straight losses to fall to 25-25-5. Devils earned a 3-2 OT win Sunday at Carolina, while the Blue Jackets lost 5-2 at home vs. the Penguins, their eighth defeat in the last 10 games (2-6-2). Columbus: Columbus is in a dogfight for a postseason berth and currently sits one point out of eighth place in the East. That after cruising to a spot in the playoffs last season when the team finished with a franchise-record 108 points, the Blue Jackets come to Newark with only two wins in their last 10 games. A constant theme is an inability to score despite a plethora of scoring chances. The Blue Jackets had 36 shots or more in eight straight games -- with 49 or more in four of those games -- yet struggle mightily to score and win recently. Captain Nick Foligno will be sidelined for one to two weeks with what's believed to be a knee injury suffered in Sunday's loss. Foligno (just 26 points in 59 games) went through some lean times earlier in the season with a 12-game point drought and a 10-game stretch in which he collected one assist, but had been coming on since then. New Jersey: Taylor Hall scored the game-winning goal inside the final 30 seconds of overtime Sunday and has collected a point in 18 straight appearances dating to Jan. 2. He leads the team in goals (24) and points (62). Rookie Nico Hischier (39 points is second-best on the team) is on a pretty decent tear of his own, scoring a goal in each of the past four games to earn the NHL First Star of the Week. New Jersey swept two road games this past weekend, riding Eddie Lack's career-high 48 saves to a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday before beating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime on Sunday. Those wins lifted the team's record in one-goal games to an impressive 16-4-8. The pick: While the Blue Jackets have seen last year's success fade (see above), the Devils, who finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 70 points last season, have already matched that total in 59 games. New Jersey already has three more victories than last season and currently holds a playoff spot in the East. However, one of Columbus' recent victories was a 6-1 thrashing of the Devils on Feb. 10 at Nationwide Arena. Columbus has had a plethora of scoring chances but has struggled to convert those chances (see above for a reminder). That could very well change here and that means it's a 10* play on the Over. |
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02-19-18 | Oklahoma v. Kansas OVER 167 | Top | 74-104 | Win | 100 | 23 h 36 m | Show |
The set-up: The Kansas Jayhawks edged West Virginia at home on Saturday and when Baylor knocked off the Texas Tech later that night, drew even with the Red Raiders atop the Big 12 standings at 10-4. No. 13 Kansas (21-6) will visit No. 7 Texas Tech (22-5) next weekend but must first take care of business tonight when slumping No. 23 Oklahoma and Trae Young come calling. The Sooners rallied for an 85-80 victory back on Jan. 23 in Norman against the Jayhawks but Oklahoma has lost six of seven since (including five in a row) to fall to 16-10 (6-8 in Big 12). Oklahoma is currently ranked No. 23 but will undoubtedly fall out of the new AP poll which comes out this afternoon. Oklahoma: The Sooners dropped their fifth straight game on Saturday in a 76-66 home loss to Texas. They shot a season-low 30.8 percent, as Young continued his struggles. He scored 26 points but shot 7-of-21 from the floor and is 18-for-58 (31.0%) over his last three games, including 4-of-27 (14.8%) from behind the arc. Young snapped a streak of 20 consecutive missed three-pointers on Saturday and while he remains the nation's leader in scoring (29.0) and assist (9.2), he is averaging 23.6 points per game during the losing skid, while his shooting percentages remain abysmal. Oklahoma has two other double digit scorers this year, junior guard Christian James (12.3 & 4.8) and 6-9 freshman Brady Manek (11.0 & 5.7) but James was held to 11 points against Texas (after scoring at least 20 in his previous two games) and Manek connected on just 3-of-13 after entering the game shooting 61.7 percent from the floor at home on the season. Kansas: The Jayhawks closed out the Mountaineers with a 19-3 run as Udoka Azubuike scored 21 points and Devonte' Graham contributed 15 points. The victory put Kansas in a position to challenge for a 14th consecutive regular-season championship. "It keeps us in a position to play for something," Kansas head coach Bill Self told reporters afterward. "It was big for our guys' confidence, probably." The 7-foot Azubuike (14.1 & 7.0) made 7-of-8 shots from the floor against West Virginia to lift his shooting percentage to 76.9%. Lagerald Vick (12.8) has now scored 29 points in his last two games, after after reaching double figures in four of his previous 12 contests. Joining the 7-0 Azubuike and guard Vick in the starting lineup are three more of guards, led by the team's best player, Graham (17.4-4.1-7.2). Mykchailiuk (15.3 & 4.0) and Newman (12.0 & 5.12) round out Self's 'Iron-Five." The pick: The Sooners were ranked in the top five just a month ago but their current slump has them sliding onto the NCAA "bubble." Oklahoma has lost 16 straight at Kansas dating to a 1993 win in the Big Eight under Billy Tubbs, so it would be hard to expect them to win here, especially since Kansas is in "revenge mode" and needs to take some momentum into its visit to Lubbock this coming Saturday. Then again, it's also hard to see Oklahoma NOT getting up for Kansas. Oklahoma opened 11-1 to the over this season, then saw six of its next seven go under. However, four the its last six games are back on an over trend. The Sooners are the nation's top-scoring team (87.5 PPG) but allow a whopping 82.0 PPG, ranking 337th. With Kansas averaging 81.6 PPG, the Over is the 10* play in this one. |
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02-18-18 | Stars v. Sharks OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 102 | 13 h 50 m | Show |
The set-up; The Dallas Stars have edged their way up the Central Division standings with six wins in the past seven contests and at 34-20-4 on the season, the team's 72 points have them in a third-place tie with St. Louis while owning two games in hand. They open a three-game California trip against the 31-19-8 San Jose Sharks on Sunday night, who have won three of four overall to take over second place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. San Jose knocked off Vancouver 4-1 on Thursday Dallas: The Stars rebounded from a rough performance against Vancouver (lost 6-0) with a 2-1 victory over St. Louis on Friday. "Every game from here on out is going to be of equal importance,” Dallas goalie Ben Bishop told reporters after improving to 3-1-0 in his last four outings. “Obviously it’s nice to beat the team that you’re chasing. But it doesn’t really change anything. Now we go out to the west coast and the game against San Jose is just as important.” Veteran defenseman Marc Methot returned Friday after missing all but one game since Nov. 6 with a knee injury and posted an assist for his 100th career point. Forwards Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn (four assists, last three games) along with defenseman John Klingberg lead the team with 53 points apiece. Radulov and Benn each have 21 goals, while Klingberg leads the team with 46 assists. Center Tyler Seguin has a team-high 29 goals. San Jose: Reigning Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns has played up front in parts of the past two games, as injuries have depleted the team's forward corps, but was moved to the backend after defenseman Dylan DeMelo was injured in the second period Thursday. Burns has eight of his team-leading 50 points (10 goals) in the last seven contests and Logan Couture (44 points) posted a goal and four assists in the past five games and leads the team with 23 goals on the season. The pick: The Sharks welcome the Stars to SAP Center on Sunday evening for the first time in 2017-18. However, the Sharks will remember their first meeting of the season against the Stars, as San Jose absorbed its worst loss of the season when it fell 6-0 to Dallas on New Year's Eve. That Dallas win on Dec. 31 improved the Stars' record to 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings with the Sharks, However, San Jose is a good home team, going 16-9-3 at SAP Center this season, averaging 3.11 GPG. I say make the Over a 10* play. |
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02-17-18 | Bruins v. Canucks OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-6 | Win | 100 | 23 h 30 m | Show |
The set-up: The 35-12-8 Boston Bruins have won 20 of its last 25 overall (20-2-3) to move within three points of the Lightning (Tampa Bay has 81 points and Boston 78), with three games in hand. Boston begins a rugged stretch when they open a five-game road trip at the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night but playing away from home has not been an issue for the surging Bruins, who have won seven straight on the road as part of a 13-game road point streak (11-0-2 since their last regulation road loss on Dec. 4 at Nashville). The Vancouver Canucks are next-to-last in the Western Conference at 22-30-6 (50 points). Boston: The Bruins are challenging for top spot overall in the NHL and have clearly revived their fortunes after a series of strong draft picks and trades as well as a coaching change. Boston is on a roll, winning eight of its last 10. The latest victory was a 5-2 decision at home over Calgary on Wednesday, when the Bruins overcame a 2-1 deficit with four straight goals. Center David Krejci wants to get his game going again, as he has been held to one point -- a goal -- in his past five games. For most of the season, he has gone no more than two games without generating points. He is looking for his line as a whole, which includes speedy wingers Ryan Spooner and Jake DeBrusk, to produce more offensively. The trio has combined for 80 points this season, but was blanked against Calgary. Patrice Bergeron is closing in on his fourth 30-goal campaign, scoring seven times in seven games this month to boost his team-high total to 27. "Bergeron would fit in with any club," former Boston coach and current Canadian broadcaster Don Cherry said. "When you talk about MVP, it's not the best player, it's the guy who is most valuable to your team and I can't see anybody in the league more valuable than him." Vancouver: The Bruins come town the same week that Canucks general manager Jim Benning, a former Boston executive who helped build the 2011 champion squad, signed a contract extension to mixed reviews. Forward Sven Baertschi collected a pair of assists in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to Florida, but was out of the lineup 24 hours later. “I haven’t been thrilled with his game as of late," head coach Travis Green said of scratching Baertschi. However, Baertschi likely will return to Vancouver's lineup Saturday The pick: The youthful Canucks have lost seven of their past eight games, mixing a lopsided road win over Dallas, which was playing its third game in four days, with one-sided losses and close calls. Vancouver gave up four first-period goals in a 6-3 loss at Boston back on Oct. 19, in the teams' first meeting of the season. Boston goalie Tuukka Rask is 20-1-2 in his last 23 decisions but is just 3-4-1 lifetime against Vancouver. Make the Over a 10* play. |
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02-15-18 | Rangers v. Islanders UNDER 6.5 | Top | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
The set-up: The NHL's Metropolitan Division is congested and after losing eight of their last 11 games, the 27-25-5 NY Rangers find themselves in the basement of the league's most competitive division, but just one point behind the 27-25-6 NY Islanders. The Rangers have lost five in a row to their crosstown rivals and hope to reverse that trend tonight when they visit Barclays Center for the first time this season. The Islanders have each of the first two meetings between the two rivals this season (both at MSG), 4-3 in a shootout loss on Oct. 19, as well as a 7-2 shellacking on Jan. 13. NY Rangers: Chris Kreider returned to practice on Wednesday after being sidelined since Dec. 27 with a blood clot that required surgery to repair. "It really puts things in perspective," the 26-year-old Kreider said after skating with his teammates in a non-contact practice jersey. "I don't think I took (playing hockey) for granted ever, but it definitely makes you grateful for everything you have." Fellow forward Pavel Buchnevich also skated in a non-contact practice sweater on Wednesday as he attempts to work his way back from a concussion. Despite the Rangers' poor recent record, their special teams have been solid. They have recorded a power-play goal in seven of the last 11 games and have thwarted 22 of their last 25 short-handed opportunities over their last eight contests. NY Islanders: Captain John Tavares recorded his 600th career point by jamming home a loose puck on the power play in the first period of a 4-1 setback versus the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. The 27-year-old, who has a team co-leading 29 goals (matching Anders Lee) and club-best 63 points. Fellow Josh Bailey (61 points) notched his team-leading 47th assist against Columbus and also had one in the first meeting with the Rangers. Rookie sensation Mathew Barzal had a five-point performance - all assists - in a 7-6 overtime win over Detroit on Friday and has 59 points on the season. Goalie Jaroslav Halak was in net for both previous encounters versus the Rangers and sports a 16-7-0 mark with two shutouts against them. The pick: Halak is expected to battle the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist, who is 30-19-7 in 58 appearances against the Islanders. The Islanders and Rangers have both lost seven of their last 10 games to fall into the bottom two spots in the eight-team Metropolitan Division, though the Islanders (27-25-6) have picked up two points via overtime losses in that span while the Rangers (27-25-5) have suffered all seven losses in regulation. However, despite the extended swoons, the Islanders and Rangers entered Wednesday just three and four points, respectively, behind the Carolina Hurricanes in the race for the second wild card in the East. However, both teams need to turn things around quickly in order to make their final scheduled clash of the season (in the Islanders' home finale on April 5) consequential in the playoff chase. A playoff-like atmosphere means the Under is a 10* play. |
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02-14-18 | Warriors v. Blazers OVER 225.5 | Top | 117-123 | Win | 100 | 15 h 34 m | Show |
The set-up: The Portland Trail Blazers fell to the Utah Jazz 115-96 on Sunday, ending the team's nine-game home winning streak (first home loss since late December). Portland now looks to avoid a second straight home setback and the opponent will be the 44-13 Golden State Warriors, owners of the NBA's best record this season and in case one wasn't aware, the owner of two NBA titles in the last three seasons. Figuring to make Portland's task even more difficult is the fact that the team has dropped 11 straight to the Warriors, including a first-round sweep in last season's playoffs. Golden State: The Warriors have had spots this season when they haven't looked like the NBA's most-elite team but they've actually played just as well on the road (22-6) as they have at home (22-7). A big story (but a 'nothing-burger' in my view) was Steve Kerr allowing some of Golden State's players to call some plays during time-outs in their last game. The Golden State players seemed to enjoy the experiment on Monday but some Suns players felt the move showed a lack of respect, something Kerr did not intend. All are must be aware of Golden State's "usual suspects,' but I will remind all that the Warriors rank first in scoring (115.8 PPG), FG percentage (51.1%), three-point percentage (39.3%) and free-throw percentage (80.9%0. Portland: All-Star guard Damian Lillard followed up a 50-point effort in a win at Sacramento with 39 points against the Jazz on Sunday but could not get enough help as the team fell for the fourth time in six games overall. Lillard is averaging 25.8 points while shooting 92.1 percent from the free-throw line, just ahead of Golden State's Stephen Curry (91.5), The pick: Golden State has won its last seven meetings with Portland, including the first of three this regular season (throw in LY's playoff sweep and one gets to 11 straight losses). The Blazers would love to pull off the upset. "It's a big game for our team," Lillard said. "It would be great go into the (All-Star) break with a win against the defending champs, especially with how the standings are shaking out right now. It's a game we need to win. It's going to be exciting, it's going to be loud, and it's going to be really competitive." If only wishing could make it so. Portland last beat Golden State on Feb. 19, 2016. In the 11 straight losses, the Warriors have averaged 123.0 PPG. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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02-12-18 | Magic v. Bulls OVER 214.5 | Top | 101-105 | Loss | -110 | 27 h 11 m | Show |
The set-up: The 18-37 Orlando Magic used a three-game winning streak to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement but saw that mini-streak end in Saturday's 111-104 home loss to the Bucks. The Magic will try to get back on the winning track Monday night in Chicago, when they face the 19-36 Bulls. Chicago ended a seven-game slide with a 114-113 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday but could not make it two in a row, as the Bulls fell 101-90 at home to the Washington Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back. Orlando: The Magic began sharing the ball more during the winning streak and handed out another 23 assists in Saturday's loss, something that coach Frank Vogel sees as a positive development. "This is what my teams should look like and this is what I demand of them," Vogel told reporters. The Magic hope to move forward with PF Gordon (18. & 8.3), SF Fournier (17.9) and center Vucevic (17.4 & 9.7). However, Gordon (hip flexor) has sat out the last seven games and is questionable to return before the All-Star break and Vucevic hasn't played since right before Christmas (hand). Shooting guard Mario Hezonja (8.2) scored a team-high 23 points on Saturday but impressed Vogel more with his work on the defensive end, where he collected three steals and did not shy away from physicality. However, Hezonja's big night couldn't quite make up for an off night from small forward Jonathan Simmons (14.0), who scored nine points on 4-of-14 shooting to end a string of six straight games scoring in double figures. Chicago: Guard Zach LaVine (17.2 & 4.5) had played in 12 straight games after returning from knee surgery and recorded season highs of 35 points and 33 minutes on Friday but got the night off against the Wizards but is expected back on Monday. Power forward Bobby Portis (12.2 & 6.5) scored 13 points in 23 minutes off the bench on Saturday but was ejected with under three minutes left after being assessed a flagrant foul 2 against Washington's Satoransky. Most should remember that Portis was suspended by the team at the start of the regular season after punching former teammate Nikola Mirotic in the face. He told reporters, "That's what that was. No injuries intended on Satoransky, just competing (and) playing hard like I always do." 7-0 rookie Markkanen (15.2 & 7.7) continues his quest towards ROY consideration. The pick: Chicago has taken the first two meetings this season by an average of 20 points, 105-83 and 112-94. Chicago’s "salad days" of December and January are now in the rear-view mirror (right are Mirotic's return but he is now with New Orleans) and despite injuries to Gordon and Vucevic, the Magic are on an 11-3 ATS run. Neither team plays much defense these days, as Orlando allows 109.9 PPG and Chicago 109.1. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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02-10-18 | Wizards v. Bulls OVER 214.5 | Top | 101-90 | Loss | -105 | 21 h 9 m | Show |
The set-up: Right after it was announced that PG John Wall (19.4 & 9.3 APG) would be out until around mid-March after knee surgery, the Washington Wizards won five consecutive games. However, the Wizards come into Saturday's contest in Chicago having dropped back-to-back games against the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston. Washington hasn't dropped three straight games all season and the 31-24 Wizards look to avoid doing just that tonight against the 19-35 Chicago Bulls. The Bulls just halted a seven-game losing streak last night, when they prevailed 114-113 over the Minnesota Timberwolves in former star Jimmy Butler's return to Chicago. Bulls guard Zach LaVine, acquired in the deal for Butler, scored a season-high 35 points and drained three free throws with 18.4 seconds left to give Chicago the victory. Washington: Shooting guard Bradley Beal (23.7-4.5-4.1) is stepping up as a passer in Wall's absence and matched his career best of nine assists in Thursday's 110-104 overtime loss to Boston. Obviously, with Wall sidelined, the pressure is higher on Beal to produce and offensively he was a poor 7-of-27 from the floor (18 points) against Boston. Washington sure hopes forward Markieff Morris (10.8 & 5.6) can play with his sprained hand. He missed Friday's practice and his availability should be firmed up at the mid-day shootaround. Chicago: LaVine missed the first 42 games of the season due to an ACL injury that cut short his final season in Minnesota after 47 games. He has topped 20 points in four straight games and is averaging 26.5 points during the stretch. Chicago has pledged to tread carefully with a player who the franchise is billing as a future star so coach Fred Hoiberg said after Friday's win that LaVine (17.2 PPG in 12 games) will be held out against the Wizards. That will leave the backcourt thin with PG Kris Dunn (13.7-4.6-6.4) set to miss his 10th straight game due to a concussion Rookie power forward Lauri Markkanen returned after a three-game absence due to the birth of his child to score 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting against Minnesota. Markkanen (15.3 & 7.7) has been among the best 'freshman' this NBA season. The pick: With Washington missing Wall and Chicago LaVine (as well as Dunn), one may say under. However, note that the Wizards are 5-2 in favor of the over since Wall was sidelined, averaging 112.1 PPG and not being held under 100 points in any game. Meanwhile, the Bulls haven't held any of their last eight opponents under 100 points, while allowing an average of 114.9 PPG in that span. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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02-10-18 | Sabres v. Bruins OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-2 | Win | 101 | 20 h 7 m | Show |
The set-up: The Boston Bruins have won four straight and nine of their last 10 games. They are now 33-11-8 (74), as they inch closer to both first place in the Atlantic Division and the best overall record in the league (Lightning lead the Atlantic, as well as the NHL with 77 points). The Bruins welcome the Eastern Conference-worst Buffalo Sabres (15-29-10, just 40 points) to the TD Garden on Saturday night. Buffalo snapped a four-game skid with a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders in the finale of a five-game homestand and have actually split its two matchups with Boston this season Buffalo: Jack Eichel (22 goals & 53 points) scored one goal and set up another for the second straight game and has collected 18 points over his last 13 contests. Linemate Sam Reinhart (11 goals & 26 points) is also on a roll, capping a three-point night with the game-winning goal against the Islanders to give him four tallies and nine assists over the past 10 games. Goalie Robin Lehner has played both games against Boston this season and is expected to be in net for a fifth consecutive game, here. He is just 12-20-7 on the year and is only 4-11-3 (2.71 GAA & .922 SP) lifetime against Boston, Boston: "We’re trying to win every game that’s on the schedule in front of us,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “If we catch (Tampa Bay) then great, and if they play great then that’s the way it goes. Tuukka Rask got a night off as teh Bruins drille dteh Rangers 6-1 last Wednesday but will put his 21-start point streak on the line (19-0-2 with a 1.61 goals-against average and .941 save percentage), as he hasn't lost in regulation since Nov. 26. Patrice Bergeron (21 goals & 51 points scored twice against the Rangers to give him eight goals in his last nine games and 13 in 15 games since the start of the new year. Brad Marchand returned from a five-game suspension to collect an assist and run his point streak to six games. Defensemen Zdeno Chara is second in the NHL with a plus-29 while teammates Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand were tied for third at plus-26. The pick: Expecting Buffalo to too many past Rusk is a lot to ask (see above) but the Bruins are averaging 3.27 GPG (4th) on the season and Buffalo allows 3.36 GPG on the road. The last time Buffalo came to Boston, the Sabres won 5-4 in OT. Make the Over an 8* play. |
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