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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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03-29-17 | Hawks v. 76ers +1 | Top | 99-92 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 57 m | Show |
The set-up: The Atlanta Hawks finally halted a seven-game slide with an unimpressive 95-91 home win last night over the Suns. The 38-36 Hawks remain tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference with Milwaukee but they are just one game up on the seventh-seeded Pacers and two up on the eighth-seeded Heat (Chicago, at No. 9, is still within three games of Atlanta). The 28-49 Philadelphia 76ers won 106-101 last night in Brooklyn over the NBA-worst Nets and return home for this game having played well recently (5-4 SU over their last nine), despite numerous injuries Atlanta: PG Dennis Schroder (18.0 & 6.3 APG) fueled Tuesday's victory with 27 points. "It feels great to get a win," Schroder told reporters. "Now it's time to start a winning streak." Atlanta's recent struggles are partially due to injuries, including All-Star forward Paul Millsap (18.1 & 7.7), who has missed six consecutive games knee tightness and will miss at least two more. Swingman Kent Bazemore (11.0) has sat out five consecutive games with knee issues as well, but may return against the 76ers. However, forward Thabo Sefolosha (7.3 & 4.4) will miss his third straight contest with a groin injury. You don't hear much about center Dwight Howard (13.4 & 12.8) these days but he had 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots against Phoenix for his 16th consecutive double-digit rebounding game. Philadelphia: With Embiid's season having been cut short (he played in just 31 games), forward Dario Saric continues to emerge as a leading Rookie of the Year candidate. He scored 23 points for his seventh 20-point outing of the month in last night's win and has averaged 12.9 & 6.4 on the season. Saric is averaging 19.4 points over the past 20 games, with six double-doubles. Philly's injury issues continue to be widespread, as second-year center Jahlil Okafor (knee) has missed four of the past five games with a knee problem, although head coach Brett Brown insists he won't be shut down. Former Hawks center Tiago Splitter played his first game since Jan. 31, 2016 last night, contributing two points and three rebounds in seven minutes off the bench for Philadelphia. Splitter, acquired from Atlanta in exchange for Ilysova in that Feb. 22 deal, had been out with hip and calf problems. Splitter was one of just nine players available to Sixers coach Brett Brown. The pick: OK, the Hawks finally won a game after seven straight losses (2-5 ATS) but it came against the sad-sack Suns and Atlanta won by just four, as a 10-pont favorite, Yes, the Hawks are 3-0 against the 76ers this season and have won the past six meetings but this Atlanta team has gone just 3-7 SU over its last 10 road games while the 76ers continue to be a money-making investment, despite a steady stream of injuries. The numbers say it all. Philly is 18-5 ATS its last 23. Make Philly an 8* play. |
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03-28-17 | Warriors +1.5 v. Rockets | Top | 113-106 | Win | 100 | 12 h 59 m | Show |
The set-up: The Golden State Warriors have 'righted the ship,' having put together a seven-game winning streak since the team suffered a 5-7 stretch from Feb. 28th (the game in which K.D. got hurt) through Mar. 11th. The Warriors are 59-14 and lead the Spurs by two games with nine games remaining for both teams. The 51-22 Rockets are streaking as well, having won four straight and seven of eight. Golden State: The Warriors have survived a disjointed period following Kevin Durant's knee injury with Stephen Curry taking control of the offense and Klay Thompson burying three-pointers to compliment an improvement on the defensive end. The Warriors needed someone to step up when Durant went down and are getting a strong run from veteran Andre Iguodala, who went 7-of-8 from the floor in a win over Memphis on Sunday. He's averaged 12.6 & 4.4 over his last five. However, it sure also helps that Curry's averaging 24.3 PPG and 8.0 APG during the team's seven-game streak, with Thompson leading the way with 24.9 PPG, while making 52.3% of his threes. Oh yeah, you may remember Green, whose line reads 11.1-7.9-7.1 in the seven straight wins. Houston: James Harden (29.4-8.0-11.3) continues to build his MVP resume. The All-Star point guard is averaging 36 points, 12.2 assists and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor over the last five games and was named Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday. Houston's supporting cast is also stepping up around Harden as well. Four different players scored at least 22 points in Sunday's 137-125 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Lou Williams led the way with 31 points off the bench and he's averaging 15.0 PPG in about 24 minutes of playing time since coming over from the Lakers. The pick: Golden State doesn't plan on resting players this week and can basically wrap up the top spot in the West with a good week while playing Houston (twice) and San Antonio over the next three games. Meanwhile, the Rockets are locked into the No. 3 spot in the West but are looking to test themselves against the best in the West heading into the postseason. Houston won the first meeting between the two teams in double overtime at Oracle Arena back on Dec. 1, kicking off a 10-game winning streak. However, they didn't make their three-point shots in the rematch at home on Jan 20th, hitting just 7 of 35 three-pointers while falling 125-108. The Warriors sure don't want to visit San Antonio tomorrow off a loss. Make Golden State a 10* play. |
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03-28-17 | Bucks v. Hornets -3 | Top | 118-108 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 0 m | Show |
The set-up: The 37-36 Milwaukee Bucks are in a three-way tie with Atlanta and Indiana for the East's No. 5 seed in the upcoming playoffs. To say it's a logjam is an understatement, as 2 1/2 games separate the No. 5 team and the No. 9 team plus Detroit is one game back of the No. 9 team (Chicago) at No. 10 and the 33-40 Charlotte Hornets are just a half-game back of the Pistons. The Hornets have won four of their last five and enter their final nine games of the regular season with some momentum. Milwaukee: The Bucks worked their way up into a tie for the No. 5 spot with wins in 11 of 13 but failed to take advantage of a chance to move up more with a 109-94 home loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. They will need to stay sharp, as six of their final nine games on the road, including two trips to Boston, which now leads the Cavs by a half-game for the East's No. 1 seed (wow!). The Bucks have "played through" the season-ending injury to Jabari Parker (20.1 & 6.2), led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (23.1-8.3-5.3) and buoyed by the return to health of last year's leading scorer, Khris Middleton, who has averaged 14.9 PPG in 21 games (15 starts). Charlotte": The Hornets opened the season 8-3 but quickly fell into mediocrity. Charlotte was 23-21 on the morning of Jan. 23rd but then lost 12 of 13 and seemed 'dead in the water.' However, the team has shown some life recently. The Hornets are playing their best basketball since November and sit two games behind the eighth-place Miami Heat, just four games behind a cluster of teams tied for the No. 5 spot. Still, the team has been plagued by inconsistency and time is running short. The pick: The teams have not seen each other since opening night, when Charlotte earned a 107-96 win at Milwaukee. A win tonight for the Hornets is a 'must' and I'll make Charlotte an 8* play. |
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03-27-17 | Grizzlies -6 v. Kings | Top | 90-91 | Loss | -102 | 12 h 45 m | Show |
The set-up: The Memphis Grizzlies lost 106-94 last night at Golden State, their eighth loss in 12 games. They are 0-3 on their current road trip and at 40-33, sit 1 1/2 games behind sixth-place Oklahoma City in the Western Conference standings. Memphis concludes its four-game road trip with a visit to Sacramento on Monday. The Kings were down 18 points with five minutes left in Sunday's game at Staples Center with the Clippers but stormed back to earn a 98-97 victory. Does Sunday's result mean that there still is plenty of fight left in this rebuilding squad?
Memphis: It's been a year of ups and downs for the Grizzlies, with the team's current 4-8 run being one of those 'down' times. Memphis has averaged a measly 88.7 points in dropping three in a row on the road. Center Marc Gasol (19.9 & 6.2) sat out the loss to Golden State with a left foot strain and his status for the second half of this back-to-back set is uncertain. PG Mike Conley (20.1 & 6.3 APG) picked up much of the slack with 29 points and Zach Randolph (13.9 & 8.1), who has been coming off the bench for most of the season, stepped into the starting lineup in place of Gasol and produced 15 & . Sacramento: Willie Cauley-Stein (7.5 & 3.7 on the year) had 14 rebounds to go along with the game-winning shot in the closing seconds against the Clippers (two of just eight points) and Buddy Hield made all three of his three-pointers in the final three-plus minutes to fuel the rally. Hield was the player GM Vlade Divac coveted most from New Orleans in the Cousins deal and he's averaging 14.8 PPG in his 16 games with the Kings, shooting 49.4% from the floor. Sacramento also reacquired Tyreke Evans in that deal and when he's played (10 games), he's averaged 13.4 PPG and shot 50.0% on threes. |
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03-27-17 | Thunder -1 v. Mavs | Top | 92-91 | Push | 0 | 13 h 19 m | Show |
The set-up: The 41-31 Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to catch the Utah Jazz in the Northwest Division (currently trail by 2 1/2 games) plus are also still alive to catch the Clippers for the No. 5 seed in the West (trail by 1 1/2 games). However, they also know that the Grizzlies are only 1 1/2 games back of them for the sixth-seed. The Thunder stay on the road tonight and the team's 14-21 record away from home, the third-worst mark in the NBA among the 16 teams that entered the day holding down a playoff spot, keeps holding them back. The 31-41 Dallas Mavericks welcome OKC tonight but they've gone just 3-5 in their last eight, falling 3 1/2 games behind Denver for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Oklahoma City: The Thunder limp into Dallas having dropped their last two outings against marquee opponents at home, badly. Houston shot 63.3 percent (made hit 20 three-pointers) in Sunday's 137-125 victory over OKC (Thunder were down 20 at the half). Last Monday at home, the Thunder also came up woefully short against the Durant-less Warriors 111-95, as Curry and Thompson (57 points) outscored OKC's entire starting-five (53 points). Russell Westbrook (31.3-10.5-10.4) just may finish the season averaging a triple-double but if OKC is to win even one playoff series, Oladipo, Kanter and Adams, plus ex-Bulls Gibson and McDermott will have to consistently play better.. Dallas: The Mavs have been experimenting with different players, lineups and also tried Seth Curry at PG, instead of SG, plus Harrison Barnes at PF instead of SF, the last two games. Curry had 23 points in a win over the Clippers but finished with 11 points, two assists and a minus-11 rating in 30 minutes in a loss to Toronto. Yogi Ferrell , who started 14 consecutive contests before the change, had 10 points and four assists with a plus-14 rating in just 18 minutes against the Raptors. As for Harrison Barnes (19.7), he averaged 22 points in that span. The pick: The Thunder lost their last visit to Dallas earlier this month by 15 points and while they've been an inconsistent road team all season (see above), off Sunday's beat down, I expect a bounce back. Dallas is one defeat away from securing its first losing season since 1999-2000. The run of non-losing seasons beginning in 2000-01 coincided with Mark Cuban's first full season as owner.Make OKC a 10* play, as they hand Dallas a 42nd loss. |
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03-26-17 | Kentucky +2.5 v. North Carolina | Top | 73-75 | Win | 100 | 9 h 27 m | Show |
The set-up: It's the No. 1 seed in the South (North Carolina at 30-7) taking on the No. 2 seed (Kentucky at 32-5), the only region to have advanced all four top seeds to the Sweet 16 and now the lone region to see a 1 vs. 2 matchup to determine its Final 4 representative. This contest doesn't just feature a matchup of two of college basketball's two bluebloods (Kentucky is the NCAA leader in all-time victories with 2,239 and North Carolina is third with 2,203), it also gives us a rematch of perhaps the best game of the 2016-2017 regular season, one in which Kentucky bested North Carolina 103-100 back on Dec. 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Monk had 47 and Fox 24 for Kentucky in that game, while Jackson had 34 and Berry 23 for Nory Carolina. The Wildcats shot 54.1$ and the Tar Heels 53.0% Kentucky: Fox was Kentucky's star against UCLA with a career-high 39 points on just 20 shots in Kentucky's 86-75 elimination of UCLA on Friday night, dominating his matchup with UCLA's Ball. Monk added 21 points against the Bruins, as Kentucky shot 49.2% (Wildcats average 85.2 PPG to rank 10th on the season). However, Kentucky's defense was also on display against UCLA, holding the Bruins 15 points below their season average and forcing 13 turnovers from a team that had only nine in its first two NCAA Tournament games. Freshman Monk (21.0) and Fox (16.8 & 4.6 APG) are joined on the perimeter by sophomore Briscoe (12.3-5.5-4.1) plus the Wildcats have two solid big men in the 6-10 Adebayo (13.0 & 8.0) and the 6-9 Willis (7.1 & 5.4). North Carolina; The Tar Heels disposed of Butler 92-80 in Friday night's opener, leading by double digits for the final 24 minutes, led by Berry (26) and Jackson (24). Berry (14.7 & 3.6 APG) sure looks as if he's over an ankle injury that hampered him in the Tar Heels' previous game against Arkansas. As for 6-8 swingman Jackson (18.2 & 4.7), he added five rebounds and five assists. The 6-10 Meeks (12.5 & 9.1), the 6-9 Hicks (12.3 & 5.6) and 6-10 freshman Bradley (7.3 & 5.2) give North Carolina an imposing frontcourt. Like Kentucky, North Carolina is a potent offensive team, averaging 85.2 PPG (9th). The pick: With the injury to guard Williams awhile back, North Carolina starts Berry with four frontcourt players, Jackson, Meeks, Hicks and the 6-6 Pinson (5.8 & 4.2). That's a group which measure 6-6, 6-8, 6-9 and 6-10, so the Wildcats will need to counter that with their superior guard play. That's what Kentucky did back in mid-Dec. at Las Vegas and it's deja vu all over again, here. Make Kentucky a 10* play. |
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03-26-17 | Kings +13.5 v. Clippers | Top | 98-97 | Win | 100 | 8 h 49 m | Show |
The set-up: The Los Angeles Clippers delivered a 108-95 home win over the Jazz on Saturday, clinching a playoff berth. More importantly, the victory closed them to within a half-game of the fourth-place Jazz with eight games left, six of which are at home. The first of those six is this afternoon at Staples Center against the 27-45 Sacramento Kings.
Sacramento has dropped four in a row after a 114-100 loss at Golden State on Friday and since trading Cousins at the All Star break, is just 3-12. Sacramento: Rookie guard Buddy Hield was the player the Kings most-coveted in the deal with the Pelicans and he is providing at least a glimmer of hope for the future. He's averaging 14.7 PPG in his 15 games with the Kings (on 50.0 percent shooting) and had personal-best 22 at Golden State. Veteran Tyreke Evans continues to receive several games off to rest - including Friday - but he is averaging 14 points while shooting 53.3 percent from three-point range when in the lineup since joining the Kings last month. However, Sacramento has allowed at least 110 points in every game during its losing streak and is on the verge of clinching an 11th straight season out of the playoffs. LA Clippers: LA's win over Utah was its fourth in five games and reserve guard Jamal Crawford led the way with a season-high 28 points on 8-of-12 from the floor. Fellow reserves Marreese Speights (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Austin Rivers (11 points) also helped out, as LA's starting-five shot a collective 36.5 percent. Los Angeles clinched its franchise-record sixth consecutive postseason berth with Saturday's win but it's right back out on the court, this afternoon. |
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03-26-17 | Nets +7 v. Hawks | Top | 107-92 | Win | 100 | 5 h 19 m | Show |
analysis soon |
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03-25-17 | Xavier +8 v. Gonzaga | Top | 59-83 | Loss | -102 | 10 h 42 m | Show |
The set-up: For all its success on the basketball court these last two decades (Gonzaga's been to 19 straight NCAA tourneys), the Bulldogs are in the Elite 8 for just the third time and Saturday hope to advance to their first-ever Final 4. The West's No. 1 seed (35-1 on the season) will meet the lowest-seeded team left in the tourney, 11th-seeded Xavier. The 24-13 Musketeers are also in only the school's third-ever Elite 8 and with a win, would become only the fourth 11th seed to reach a Final Four. Like Gonzaga, Xavier is also hoping for the school's first-ever Final Four appearance. |
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03-24-17 | 76ers +7 v. Bulls | Top | 117-107 | Win | 100 | 12 h 5 m | Show |
The set-up: The 26-45 Philadelphia 76ers are lottery-bound yet again but will still have a few more opportunities to influence the playoff seedings. Philadelphia beat Boston on Sunday and still has two games each remaining against the Bulls and the No. 7 Indiana Pacers, as well as games against Atlanta, Cleveland, Toronto and Milwaukee down the stretch. They will be in Chicago tonight to take on the 34-38 Bulls, who moved into a tie for ninth with Detroit, after romping over the Pistons 117-95 in Chicago on Wednesday. Both Chicago and Detroit are one game back of the eighth-seeded Heat.  Philadelphia: The 76ers are overwhelmed 112-97 by the Thunder on Wednesday but prior to that, had enjoyed a 3-2 stretch, with both losses by three points or less. Dario Saric is making a late-push for the now wide-open ROY award (with Embiid's season cut to just 31 games) but he was held to a modest 12 points against OKC, althouh that did extend his streak of scoring in double figures to 21 straight games. Chicago: The Bulls went for a "new look" this season but it hasn't much worked and after trading Gibson and McDermott at the deadline, the team decided to shut Wade down for the season just recently. One wonders if Jimmy Butler wishes he had been moved at the trade deadline.ÂThe pick: Chicago enjoys a 12-game winning streak in the series (six straight home wins) but I'll take the points with the 76ers, who play the roll of spoiler in this one. Make Philly an 8* play. |
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03-24-17 | South Carolina v. Baylor -3.5 | Top | 70-50 | Loss | -110 | 55 h 39 m | Show |
analysis by 12 pm et Friday |
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03-24-17 | Nuggets +2 v. Pacers | Top | 125-117 | Win | 100 | 11 h 5 m | Show |
The set-up: The 34-37 Denver Nuggets currently hold down the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference but there is little room for error, as they own a slim one-game lead over the Blazers. After losing both ends of a home-and-home with Rockets, the Nuggets got a much-needed 126-113 home win over the Cavs on Wednesday. Now it's off to Indiana to take on the 36-35 Pacers, who are tied for sixth in the East with Milwaukee but just one game up on the 8th-place Heat, who are just one game up on both the Bulls and Pistons. Things are getting tight! Denver: Shooting guard Gary Harris (14.9) had 21 points on 8-of-14 against the Cavs, as the Nuggets shot 53.1 percent as a team. Rising star Nikola Jokic (16.2 & 9.4), added 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Harris has played very well recently (he's averaging 16.9 PPG in March,) and the Nuggets have won eight of their last 12 games, reaching 100-plus points in each one. Indiana: The Pacers are coming off a 109-100 loss at Boston on Wednesday and have now alternated wins and losses over their last 15 games! Indiana is 4-5 in its last nine, with the five losses (all on the road) coming by an average of 13.2 PPG and the four wins (all at home) coming by an average of 12.3 points. All-Star forward Paul George (22.5-6.4-3.3) admitted that Indiana was playing like a lottery team on the road and a playoff team at home before Wednesday's game at Boston. George scored 35 points while only one other Pacers player reached double figures in the loss. "From what I see, everyone is giving it everything they The pick: Yes, the Pacers are an impressive 25-10 SU at home (compared to 11-25 on the road) but I want all the points I can get with the high-scoring Nuggets. Make Denver an 8* play. |
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03-23-17 | Grizzlies +8 v. Spurs | Top | 90-97 | Win | 100 | 13 h 43 m | Show |
The set-up: The 40-31 Memphis Grizzlies have 11 games left and are hoping to chase down the OKC Thunder, who are currently just one game ahead of them for the West's No. 6 seed. They will be in San Antonio tonight to face the 54-16 Spurs, who are 2 1/2 games back of the Golden State Warriors, who own the NBA's best record at 57-14. The Spurs have 12 games remaining (seven of next eight are at home), while the Warriors have 11 games left in their season. Memphis: The Grizzlies lost 95-82 on Tuesday at New Orleans, as a four-game winning streak came to a screeching halt. "Everything we built over the last four games, we threw away," All-Star center Marc Gasol told reporters. "I can't find the reason why, but the consistency we built was really fragile." The team's top-three players all struggled. Gasol (20.0 -6.2-4.6) had only 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting and PG Mike Conley (20.0 & 6.3 APG) had 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting. PF Zach Randolph, who now comes off the bench but still averages 14.0 & 8.2, had only four points on 2-of-11 shooting. "Our three big guns didn't have it for whatever reason," Memphis head coach David Fizdale told reporters. "We can't win games with our big three down like that." He's sure right about that. Memphis had averaged 104.5 points during its four-game winning streak but even a 28-point fourth quarter left them with just 82 on the game, as Memphis shot 40.5 percent! San Antonio: The Spurs had to overcome a double-digit deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 100-93 on Tuesday and still have an opportunity to make one last run at overtaking the Warriors. LaMarcus Aldridge (17.5 & 7.4) scored 26 points against the T-wolves and now, after missing two games due to a heart arrhythmia issue, has scored at least 18 points in all four games since he returned, averaging 21.0 points during the stretch. Concerns over his health are dissipating. All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard (26.0 & 5.9) scored 22 points against the Timberwolves and has now reached 20-plus points in 15 of the past 18 games. Can you say MVP? The pick: When K.D. went down, many felt as if the Spurs could catch the Warriors for the West's top seed. However, games haven't come easy for SA since Durant was lost in a Feb. 28th game at Washington. The Spurs may be 8-3 in March but ATS the team is a money-burning 3-8! The Grizzlies are 2-0 against Spurs this season, so make Memphis a 10* play. |
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03-23-17 | West Virginia v. Gonzaga -3 | Top | 58-61 | Push | 0 | 31 h 1 m | Show |
The set-up: Mark Few has been at Gonzaga since the 1999-2000 season and has led the Bulldogs to the Big Dance in all 18 seasons. This year's team was 32-1 and earned the No. 1 seed in the West and now takes a 34-1 record into Thursday's meeting with 4th-seeded West Virginia, which has gone 28-8 under head coach Bob Huggins. Gonzaga held South Dakota St. to just 46 points in its first-round win and although the Bulldogs let Northwestern back in the game after owning a 38-20 halftime lead, the Bulldogs are right where they wanted to be. Huggins has always been known for his defense and West Va. provides plenty of that (more in a bit) but the Mountaineers averaged 84.5 points in the two NCAA Tournament victories over Bucknell and Notre Dame. West Virginia: The Mountaineers allow 66.8 PPG (51st) but also earned the nickname "Pree Virginia" for their ability to disrupt an opposing team with their relentless pressure. West Virginia leads the nation in turnovers forced with 20.1 per game (including 10.2 steals per game) and turns that into offense. PG Carter (13.3-4.9-3.8) and Miles (8.8) start in the backcourt while upfront, it's the trio of the 6-9 Ahmad (11.3 & 4.4), the 6-8 Adrian (9.7-6.0-2.9) and the 6-9 Macon (6.4 & 4.1). Guard Phillip (9.6 & 3.1 APG) is the first player off the bench. Gonzaga: Junior PG Nigel-Williams Goss (16.7-5.8-4.7) was the WCC player-of-the-year and will counted on to neutralize the West Virginia pressure. He's joined in the backcourt by Mathews (10.7) and Perkins (8.3). Starting up front is 7-1 center Karnowski (12.4 & 5.9 rebounds) plus 6-9 junior power forward Williams (10.0 & 6.6). However, it's hard to ignore 7-0 freshman reserve Zach Collins, who averaged 10.3 & 5.7 on the season. NBA talent evaluators sure haven't overlooked him, as he averaged averaged 12 points and blocked a total of seven shots in two NCAA Tournament victories. Gonzaga shoots 51.2 percent a s team (second in the nation) and defensively allows 61.1 PPG4 (th) on 36.7% shooting (2nd). That's quite a combination. The pick: Mark Few has done a remarkable job at Gonzaga but he's never led the Bulldogs to the Final 4 and in fact, he's only taken the team to a the Elite 8, once (in 2015). The Mountaineers are a team of athletes but they can't match Karnowski and Collins' power inside. Is this the year Gonzaga makes that much-needed Final 4 appearance. First things first. Expect them to slay "Press Virginia" in this one. make Gonzaga an 8* play. |
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03-23-17 | Michigan v. Oregon +1.5 | Top | 68-69 | Win | 100 | 31 h 30 m | Show |
The set-up: Xavier (an 11-seed) is the only team seeded lower than No. 7 Michigan among Sweet 16 schools. Michigan comes in 26-7 after winning 12 of its last 14, including six in a row since its charter plane skidded off the runway en route to the Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines won four games in four days to take the Big Ten tourney, then edged Oklahoma St. 92-91 before taking down second-seeded Louisville 73-69 to advance to the school's third Sweet 16 in the last five years. Oregon was given a 3-seed in the Midwest Region and after easing past Iona 93-77, had to rally to get past 11-seed Rhode Island, 75-72 (Oregon came back from an 11-point deficit). The Ducks take on Michigan looking to advance to the Elite 8 for a second straight year. Michigan: Sophomore forward Moritz Wagner set a career high with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting to lift the Wolverines past Louisville for the first time in program history. D.J. Wilson continued his strong play in the tournament by scoring 17 points, including four clutch free throws in the final 30 seconds, and blocked three shots while Derrick Walton Jr. added 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists against the Cardinals. Michigan top-two scorers are PG Walton (15.4-4.8-4.9) and SG Irvin (12.9 & 4.4). The 6-11 Wagner (12.2 & 4.1) was the team's star against Louisville but it's been the 6-10 Wilson (11.0 & 5.3) who has been the team's best big man during Michigan's 6-0 tourney run, averaging 16.2 PPG. Oregon: The Ducks have been playing without their best big man in the 6-10 Boucher (11.8 & 6.1), who went down in the Pac 12 tourney. However, the win over Rhode Island gave Oregon a 31-5 record, matching the school record for single-season wins. Guard Dorsey (14.0) is the team's second-leading scorer behind 6-7 forward Brooks (16.4) but continued his recent tear as he poured in 27 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 38.4 seconds left against the Rams. Brooks scored 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds to become the Ducks' all-time leader in NCAA Tournament scoring with 123 points. The 6-9 Jordan Bell (10.8 & 8.3) had a game-high 12 rebounds. Dorsey has scored 21-plus in all five of Oregon's tourney games and enters Thursday's game averaging 23.6 PPG in that span. The pick: Maybe it's just "Michigan's year," as it's hard to explain just how this team has jelled and played so well so far. Throw in the fact that the Wolverines have won all eight of their neutral court games in 2016-17 and it's understandable why the early betting action has all been on Michigan. However, I truly believe Oregon is the superior team (even without Boucher) and while Michigan head coach John Beilein is top-notch, this isn't Oregon's Dana Altman's first rodeo, either. Make Oregon an 8* play. |
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03-22-17 | Pacers +8 v. Celtics | Top | 100-109 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 11 m | Show |
The set-up: The 36-34 Indiana Pacers currently own the No.6 seed in the East but they are just one game up on No. 7 Milwaukee, 1 1/2 games up on No. 8 Miami and just 2 1/2 games up on Detroit, which currently is on the outside looking in on the playoff picture. Boston's All-Star point PG Isaiah Thomas (29.1 & 6.0 APG) returned from a two-game absence due to knee issues on Monday and led the Celtics to a 110-102 victory with 25 points, as the 45-26 Celtics moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Wizards in the East standings (Boston is the No. 2 seed and Washington the No. 3 seed). |
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03-21-17 | Pistons v. Nets +5 | Top | 96-98 | Win | 100 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
The set-up: The 34-36 Detroit Pistons are clinging to the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and after Sunday's 112-95 win over the Suns snapped a three-game slide, Detroit is hoping (expecting?) that a visit to the NBA-worst 13-56 Brooklyn Nets will result in a two-game win streak. The Nets have played better since the return of PG Lin (13.7 & 4.9 APG), who seems finally to be over his hamstring problems. However, he tweaked his ankle against Dallas and is listed as doubtful for this contest. Detroit: The Pistons scored 65 points in the second half of their win over the Suns and that kind of offensive effort was a welcome relief. After all, Detroit had averaged a woeful 84.7 points during it three-game losing streak. The Pistons were an awful 34.9 percent from the floor in an 87-75 home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday, so the effort vs. the Suns was definite plus. Detroit is tied with Miami Heat for the eighth spot, just one game ahead of ninth-place Chicago and a half-game behind seventh-place Milwaukee. It's quite a battle for the final two playoff spots in the East. Brooklyn: Sure, the Nets have long since worried about the playoffs but the team has been much more competitive lately, splitting six games before back-to-back close home losses to the Celtics and Mavs. Lin being out is not good news (he had averaged 16.5 points in the eight games prior to going down in the first quarter against the Mavericks) but center Brook Lopez, the team's leading scorer at 20.7 PPG, has scored at last 23 points in each of his last five, averaging 24.8 PPG in that span. The pick: The Pistons have six double digit scorers plus backup PG Ish Smith just misses at 8.3. However, this team averages a modest 101.7 PPG, ranking just 26th out of 30 teams. Detroit has underachieved all season and why lay points on the road with a team just 11-22 SU in its away games? Make the Nets a 10* play. |
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03-20-17 | Jazz -2.5 v. Pacers | Top | 100-107 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 56 m | Show |
The set-up: The 43-27 Utah Jazz are hoping to hold off the LA Clippers and secure the No. 4 seed in the West (Jazz currently lead the Clippers by two games). The 35-34 Indiana Pacers are currently sixth in the East but teams are bunched at the bottom of the East's standings, as the Pacers lead the ninth-place Pistons by only 1 1/2 games. Indiana has 13 games remaining (seven at home) and gets set to host Utah having alternated wins and losses over its last 13 contests Utah: The Jazz lead the league in scoring defense (96.3 points) but one couldn't tell it this past Saturday, when Utah allowed 34 points in the fourth quarter of 95-86 loss to the Bulls. In fact,the jazz have been outscored 58-38 in the final 12 minutes of their last two games (both losses). Utah is having a fine season but injuries continue to plague this team. Currently, the Jazz are missing SG Hood (13.1 points) and PF Favors (9.6 & 6.2) plus backup PG Mack (7.3) also is listed as questionable with an ankle problem. Indiana: Pacers' standout Paul George (22.4-6.4-3.3) returned from the break in a shooting slump but that's all in the past now, as he's averaging 26.4 PPG in March. However, PG Jeff Teague (15.0 & 7.9 APG) is just 15 of 45 shooting over his last four games while center Myles Turne (14.6 & 7.1) has scored a total of nine points over his last two. Then there is small forward C.J. Miles (10.8), who is also struggling of late, averaging 7.6 points on 14 of 39 shooting over his last five games. The pick: Yes, Indiana is 24-10 at home but the Pacers are playing the second game of a back-to-back (got creamed 116-91 Sunday in Toronto) and are just 4-11 in the second game of back-to-back sets this season. The Jazz have won three straight meetings with the Pacers and will try to sweep the season series with Indiana for the second straight year.That's the bet. Make Utah an 8* play. |
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03-20-17 | 76ers +5 v. Magic | Top | 109-112 | Win | 100 | 11 h 55 m | Show |
The set-up: The 26-43 Philadelphia 76ers will be in Orlando to take on the 25-45 Magic on Monday night. Both teams have been going nowhere for quite some time now but neither appears to be playing like it is readying for the draft or trying to increase their lottery odds. Both the Magic and the 76ers are coming down the stretch run of their respective seasons and look focused on wanting to win. Philadelphia: Injuries have made it a long season for the 76ers, with No. 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons never 'seeing' the court. Joel Embiid (20.2 & 7.8), after sitting out two years with foot problems, was on pace to win rookie-of-the-year, before having his season cut short (31 games), because of yet another injury setback. However, fellow rookie Dario Saric's bid for ROY continued with a 23-point effort in Sunday's 105-99 victory at home over the Celtics, Saric is now averaging 12.5 PPG and 6.3 RPG on the season and will enter tonight's contest looking to score in double digits for the 20th consecutive game! Orlando: The Magic were out West while the NCAA played games at the Amway Center. They wrapped up a three-game road trip with a 109-103 triumph at Phoenix on Friday, a victory which ended an overall four-game slide. Six players scored in double figures against the Suns, led by Evan Fournier's (16.9 PPG) 25 points. Center Nikola Vucevic (14.6 & 10.2) is averaging 17.8 points and 12.3 rebounds in his last four games, after scoring 18 points and grabbing 17 rebounds in Phoenix. The pick: Well-known for their "tanking" strategy to stockpile high draft picks in recent years, the Sixers seem to be taking a different route this season. They've passed the Magic for the fifth-worst record in the league and have shown plenty of potential with some impressive victories. Yes, the Magic won at Phoenix in their last outing but in losing the previous four games, Orlando had allowed a whopping 119.8 points. Make Philadelphia a 10* play. |
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03-19-17 | USC +7 v. Baylor | Top | 78-82 | Win | 100 | 20 h 14 m | Show |
USC; The Trojans had to win a "play-in" game Wednesday, edging Providence to advance as an 11-seed. They then edged sixth-seeded SMU 66-65 on Friday, ending the Mustangs' 16-game winning streak (SMU had been 26-1 since a 4-3 start in Nov!). The Trojans trailed most of the game against SMU until hitting a three-pointer to put them in the lead with 2:10 left. After SMU answered, another three put the Trojans ahead 66-65 with 36 seconds left, which was the final. USC owns excellent size with its top-two scorers, the 6-10 Boatwright (15.1 & 4.5) and the 6-11 Metu (14.5 & 7.9). The perimeter features five players averaging between 7.2 and 13.0 PPG, lead by McLaughlin (13.0-3.6-5.5) and Stewart (12.3 & 4.0). SMU: The Bears opened the season 15-0 and earned the school's first-ever No. 1 ranking in the AP poll on Jan. 9th. However, on Jan. 10th, Baylor lost 89-68 at West Va. and entered the tourney just 10-7 over its final 17 games. A 91-73 win over New Mexico St. has hardly quieted the doubters, especially considering Baylor led just 40-38 at halftime. That said, Baylor is a talented team. The 6-10 Motley, a Naismith Award semifinalist and the 16th All-American in school history. He had his 14th double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) of the season against New Mexico State despite sitting out a large chunk of the first half because of foul problems. He leads the team in scoring (17.3) and the Big 12 in rebounding (9.9) and is considered a potential NBA lottery pick. Junior PG Manu Lecomte, the Big 12's Newcomer of the Year, is second in scoring (12.3) while also shooting a team best 41.7 percent from three-point range while junior guard Al Freeman (10.2) came off the bench to score a season-high 21 points in Friday's win. The pick: USC's head coach Larry Enfield first came to our attention when he led his "Dunk City" Florida Gulf Coast team to a Sweet 16 appearance back in 2013. Now, he has a chance to take USC there in 2017. He's already led USC to 26 wins, which is a school record, surpassing the previous mark of 25 set in 2007. Baylor's win over New Mexico State got the Bears out of a first-round slump,as Baylor had lost to 12th-seeded Yale a year ago and 14th-seeded Georgia State in 2015. This year, the second round does them in. Make USC a 10* play. |
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03-19-17 | Michigan State +8 v. Kansas | Top | 70-90 | Loss | -105 | 18 h 48 m | Show |
The set-up: This is hardly Tom Izzo's best team, as the ninth-seeded Spartans are just 20-14 after their impressive 78-58 win over Miami, Fl. on Friday. They will meet the top-seeded Jayhawks (No. 2 overall seed in the tourney) on Sunday, who are 29-4 after spanking UC-Davis 100-62. It may be a No. 9 seed vs. a No. 1 seed on paper but in reality, these are two of the most successful programs in college hoops. MSU has a chance at a 20th trip to the Sweet Sixteen and fifth in six years. As for Kansas, it can reach the Sweet Sixteen for the 30th time in school history. |
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03-19-17 | Mavs v. Nets +5 | Top | 111-104 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 35 m | Show |
The set-up: The 2016-17 NBA season has been a lost cause for Brooklyn for quite some time now, as the owners of the NBA's worst record (13-55) is the only team in the Eastern Conference officially eliminated from postseason contention. The 29-39 Dallas Mavs had won six of seven from Feb. 25 to Mar. 10 to give the team hopes it could challenge for the West's final playoff spot but Dallas has lost three of four since that surge and currently finds itself 3 1/2 games back of Denver, in 10th-place in the West.
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03-18-17 | Middle Tennessee +3.5 v. Butler | Top | 65-74 | Loss | -104 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
The set-up: March Madness is known for its surprising upsets but that hasn't been the case in the 2017 edition, at least so far. The lowest seed remaining is 12th-seeded Middle Tennessee State, which can hardly be called a 'Cinderella.' MTSU upset the 2nd-seeded Spartans in last year's tourney and returned this year to win C-USA's regular season (17-1) and postseason titles, entering the tourney at 30-4. The win over fifth-seeded Minnesota on Thursday was hardly a surprise, as MTSU went off as the slight favorite in that game. Now, the Blue Raiders face the school which earned the title of "Ultimate NCAA underdog," when the Bulldogs made back-to-back championship game appearances in 2010 and 2011. MTSU: Blue Raiders head coach Kermit Davis reminded all after the win over Minnesota that, "We're one of the top 15 teams in the country in assist to turnovers." He had just watched his team commit only eight turnovers while assisting on 19 of 28 baskets in the victory. Arkansas graduate transfer 6-8 forward JaCorey Williams (17.2 & 7.3 ), the C-USA Player of the Year, had 13 points and six rebounds against Minnesota. Junior guard Giddy Potts (15.8 & 5.4) has a team-high 76 three-pointers and the the 6-8 Upshaw (14.6 & 6.9) join Williams as this team's "Big Three." Potts had 15 points vs. Minnesota and Upshaw led in scoring (19) and rebounds (9). The Blue Raiders are also one tough defensive team, allowing just 63.6 PPG (23rd) while holding foes to 41.8 percent shooting (39th). Butler: The Bulldogs claim to fame this season is that they've given No. 1 overall seed Villanova (also the defending champs), two of its three losses on the season. Now the Bulldogs want to make some noise in the Big Dance, as well. The team's best player and leading scorer, the 6-7 Martin (15.9 & 5.8), continues to come off the bench. Also note that the team-leader in assists, Lewis (6.5 & 4.0 APG), also does not start. Both came off the bench in Thursday's win, with Martin getting 10 & 8 and Lewis scoring nine points with eight assists. Guard Woodson (8.9) was the leading scorer (18) in the 76-64 win over Winthrop. 6-7 senior forward Andrew Chrabascz (11.0 & 4.6) added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists in the win. The pick: Butler has its highest seed ever at No. 4 but note that it hasn’t advanced to the Sweet 16 since losing the national championship games in 2010 and 2011. Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders have already set a school record for wins (31) and have won 20 of their last 21 games. MTSU owns wins this season over SEC schools Ole Miss and Vanderbilt and as coach Davis said, "We think we belong on a national stage." I'm with him and will make MTSU an 8* play. |
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03-18-17 | Xavier v. Florida State -6 | Top | 91-66 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 60 m | Show |
The set-up: The NCAA's second round begins Saturday with eight games. Third-seeded Florida State survived an upset bid from No. 14 seed Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday, winning 86-80 for the school's first NCAA Tournament win since 2012. 11th-seeded Xavier was a small underdog to No. 6 Maryland but took care of the Terps, 76-65. NCAA success is nothing new for the Musketeers, who will be trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in 10 years! Xavier: Some may have forgotten by now but Xavier opened the season ranked 7th in the AP's preseason poll but when PG Edmond Sumner (14.3 PPG and 4.3 APG) was lost for the season at the end of January, the Musketeers’ season beagn to unravel. The team lost six in a row from Feb. 11 through Mar. 1 but a pair of wins in the Big East tourney (one over Butler), allowed 21-13 Xavier to claim one of the last at-large berths (11-seed). Freshman Quentin Goodin (5.1 & 3.4 APG) has assumed the PG position and has averaged 5.5 APG since taking over as the starter and that includes a career-high nine in Thursday's win over Maryland. He's got an excellent pair of guards to work with on the perimeter in leading scorer Bluiett (18.2 & 5.7) and J.P. Macura (14.4). Bluiett had 21 points against Maryland (18 in the second half) for his 17th 20-point performance this season. Xavier does not own a dominant post player but has size in 6-10 O’Mara (5.9 & 2.9) and the 6-9 RaShid Gaston (7.8 & 6.3 rebounds). Gaston was great vs. Maryland, scoring 18 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Florida State: The Seminoles advanced past Florida Gulf Coast despite some sloppy play (16 turnovers) and too many missed free throws (15), especially when trying to close out the game. However, FSU's new-founded offensive potential got them through. The Seminoles have always been know for their defense in the "Hamilton era" but this year's team averages 82.6 PPG (17th) on 48.5% shooting (18th). Guard Dwayne Bacon (17.1 & 4.2) is the team's leading scorer and he had 25 points against the Eagles while 6-10 freshman forward Jonathan Isaac (12.1 & 7.7) had 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals. The Seminoles also blocked nine shots in the game and got double-digit scoring from PG Xavier Rathan-Mayes (10.4 & 4.9 APG) and wing Terance Mann (8.6 & 4.7), as Mayes had 10-5-5 and Mann chipped in 11 points.. The pick. Xavier has much more experience at winning come this time of year and the team's win over Maryland gives them nine straight neutral-site wins in Florida, including seven in a row here in Orlando. The Musketeers are also 13-1 when holding opponents under 70 points. However, here's the rub. I noted already that this FSU scores MUCH more than recent editions and the Seminoles have failed to reach 70 points only four times in 34 games, so far. What's more, while Orlando has served as a neutral-site for Xavier, that's hardly the case here against the school from Tallahasse. I took Xavier over Maryland and wrote; "Xavier’s undoing in March will likely be its lack of a dominant post player, but that will not be the case against a small and young (outside of Trimble) Maryland team." FSU has a first round NBA draft pick in the 6-10 Isaac plus the 7-1 Ojo and the 7-4 Koumadji combined for 13 points, five rebounds and six blocks in Thursday's with. Add in a perimeter game that's the equal of Xavier and FSU is a 10* play. |
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03-18-17 | Blazers +3 v. Hawks | Top | 113-97 | Win | 100 | 10 h 56 m | Show |
The set-up: The 30-37 Portland Trail Blazers are hoping to track down the Denver Nuggets for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers are currently in ninth-place but have fallen 2 1/2 games back of the Nuggets. Portland will be in Atlanta tonight to take on the 37-31 Hawks, who are the East's No. 5 seed, 2 1/2 games back of Toronto (No. 4 seed) and two games up on Indiana (No. 6 seed). Portland: The Blazers won the opener of their five-game road trip at Phoenix on Sunday but suffered an 'ugly' 100-77 loss at New Orleans on Tuesday. However, they were able to win 110-106 the very next night at San Antonio. "Well, that had to be to be probably our best win of the year," Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "To beat a team like San Antonio on the road, and not only that, but how we won, I thought it was one of our better games as far as staying focused throughout the game. Withstanding some of their runs, the crowd, a lot of good performances." All season long, the Blazers have been led by the backcourt duo of Lillard (26.5-4.9-5.8) and McCollum (23.3) However, if Portland is able to catch Denver, the reason will likely be the play of the 7-0 Nurkic, who Portland acquired from Denver in a swap of centers (Plumee was sent to the Nuggets). It was an "under the radar deal," but Nurkic is averaging 14.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.5 BPG in his 12 games (11 starts) with the Blazers. Atlanta: The Hawks are close enough to the fourth-place Raptors to consider homecourt advantage in the first round if they can pull out of their current rut but then again, Atlanta is just 19-16 at home this year (18-15 on the road). Unlike Portland, Atlanta didn't have much luck at San Antonio (a 107-99 loss on Monday) plus then followed that with another homecourt disappointment, losing 103-91 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. The Hawks had just beaten the Grizzlies by 17 points in Memphis five days earlier! The pick: Portland is one of eight Atlanta opponents in the next nine games that has a losing record, but the Blazers are 6-2 in March. Also, while the Hawks have won five straight against the Trail Blazers, including an OT win at Portland back on Feb. 13, the Blazers now have an inside presence in Nurkic. Make Portland a 10* play. |
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03-17-17 | Marquette +1.5 v. South Carolina | Top | 73-93 | Loss | -108 | 79 h 6 m | Show |
The set-up: Marquette's 19-12 record was just good enough to earn an at-large bid (10-seed) to the NCAA tourney. The Golden Eagles are back in the tournament after qualifying for eight straight seasons (from 2006 to 2013), before missing out the last three years. South Carolina went 12-6 in SEC play and 22-10 overall, earning an at-large bid as well (7-seed), returning to the Big Dance for the first time in 13 years! The Gamecocks hope to get some home cookin' for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2004, as they face Marquette in Greenville, S.C. Marquette: The Golden Eagles own superb balance, with seven players averaging between 8.7 and 13.2 PPG. All but one of those seven are guards, with 6-11 Fisher (11.0 & 5.9) being the team's best rebounder. However, he's got a shoulder injury and the 6-11 Heldt (2.4 & 2.9) is not much of a replacement. Howard (13.2) is the leading scorer for a team averaging 82.5 PPG (18th) and shoots 54.9% on threes, for a team first in the nation in three-point shooting (43.0%)! Rowsey (11.5 & 2.3 APG), a 5-10 guard and UNC Asheville transfer, has come on since taking over the point guard duties,scoring 18 points or more in seven of the last 11 games for Marquette. South Carolina: Frank Martin's team got off to a strong start, winning 19 of its first 23 games but stumbled a bit down the stretch, dropping six of nine contests. The Gamecocks are led by SEC Player of the Year Sindarius Thornwell, who tops the team in scoring (21.0) and rebounding (7.2). He's joined in the backcourt by Dozier (13.6) and Notice (10.1) plus with Fisher out or playing at less than 100% for Marquette, the 6-9 Silva (9.8 & 5.7) and the 6-10 Kotsar (5.9 & 5.0) could make an impact in this contest. South Carolina doesn't score as much as Marquette, averaging 72.1 PPG (205th) plus doesn't shoot nearly as well (41.5% ranks 310th). However, the team plays excellent defense, allowing 64.5 PPG (27th) and holds opponents to 29.3% behind the arc (5th). The pick: Frank Martin is the more seasoned coach, as this is Steve Wojciechowski's first NCAA appearance. It could come down to strength vs. strength, as Marquette's the nation's top three-point shooting team and South Carolina ranks fifth in stopping three-pointers! History tells us that South Carolina hasn't won an NCAA game since 1973, losing all six first round games, since. Marquette is playing better basketball coming in and while South Carolina owns the best player on the court in Thornwell, Marquette owns the better overall team. Marquette is a 10* play. |
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03-17-17 | Celtics v. Nets +9 | Top | 98-95 | Win | 100 | 18 h 21 m | Show |
The set-up: The 43-25 Boston Celtics are 1 1/2 games up on the Washington Wizards for the East's No. 2 seed. They are also just 2 1/2 games back of the top-seeded Cavs but head out on a two-game road trip tonight (first stop, Brooklyn), playing without star PG Isaiah Thomas (29.2 & 6.0 APG). Thomas will not travel with the team on the trip as he rests a right knee bone bruise, the team announced Thursday. The Nets are an NBA-worst 13-54 but continue to show some level of improvement, having won four of their last nine. |
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03-17-17 | Rhode Island v. Creighton -1 | Top | 84-72 | Loss | -110 | 74 h 58 m | Show |
The set-up: Creighton opened No. 22 in the AP's preseason poll and Rhode Island at No. 23. Creighton opened 18-1 (ranked No. 7) after beating Xavier on Jan 16 but lost star PG Maurice Watson Jr. to injury in that game. Watson was averaging 12.9 PPG and an NCAA-leading 8.5 APG. The Blue Jays finished the regular season 5-7 but then beat NCAA-bound Providence and Xavier in the big East tourney, before losing to Villanova in the title game. At 25-9, Creighton get s a No. 6 seed. Rhode Island stumbled to begin the season and was just 12-7 (4-3 in A-10) through Jan. 25. However, the Rams enter the Big Dance having won 12 of 14, including eight in a row after sweeping through (three wins) the A-10 tourney Rhode Island: The Rams are 24-9 and a No. 11 seed, making the school's first Big Dance since 1999. Rhode Island's "Core 4" are guards Mathews (14.9 & 4.2) and Terrell (12.5) plus the 6-7 Martin (14.1 & 7.0) and the 6-9 Iverson (9.4 & 7.4). The Rams come in full of confidence and are hoping their defense can hold the Blue Jays in check. Rhode Island allows just 64.9 PPG (31st) and holds opponents to only 29.0% from three (3rd). Creighton: The loss of Watson really hurt but wins over Providence and Xavier in the Big East tourney have allowed Creighton to regain some of its mojo. SG Foster (18.3) has been terrific plus Thomas been a nice backcourt partner, averaging 12.4 & 5.7 while also being named Big East Defensive Player of the Year. The 7-0 Patton (13.1 & 6.2) has been one of the nation's more influential freshman and the 6-8 Huff (9.2 & 3.9) has been a steady presence all season. The pick: Both teams have played well on neutral courts, Rhode Island going 4-1 and Creighton 5-1. "We came into the tournament on a roll," Rhode Island guard Matthews told the Providence Journal. "We took care of business -- made history." I'm not sure just what "history" his team is made but the Rams' defense will be severely tested by a Creighton offense averaging 82.1 PPG (19th) on 50.8% shooting (3rd). The Bluejays are making their sixth postseason and fourth NCAA tourney appearance in Greg McDermott’s seven seasons at the helm and are my 10* play in this one. |
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03-17-17 | Oklahoma State +2.5 v. Michigan | Top | 91-92 | Win | 100 | 70 h 38 m | Show |
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys won 10 of 11 games from Jan. 21 through Feb. 25 and despite losing their last three games (twice to Iowa St. and once to Kansas), was able to make the tourney field, after missing out in 2016, which ended a run of four straight NCAA appearances. Oklahoma State is led by PG Jawun Evans (19.0 & 6.2 APG), who was named to the All-Big 12 First Team. Yes, OSU enters on a three-game slide but don't blame Evans, as he averaged 26.7 PPG during that span. Evans' backcourt partner Forte (13.3) joins him in double digits (note: Forte leads the nation in free-throw percentage at 95.3%), as does 6-6 forward Carroll (17.4 & 6.6). Carroll has 15, 20-point games this season. Michigan: It was quite a finishing kick by the Wolverines, one which was capped by an impressive 71-56 victory over Wisconsin in Sunday's championship game (Michigan's first conference tournament championship since 1998!). Derrick Walton Jr. was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten tournament after averaging 20.5 points and 6.3 assists in the Wolverines' four victories. PG Walton (15.2-4.7-4.7) leads the team in scoring on the season, followed by backcourt partner Irvin (12.8-4.5-3.0). Michigan has size up front in the 6-11 Wagner (12.0 & 4.2) and the 6-10 Wilson (10.6 & 5.4). The pick: Michigan head coach John Beilein is one of the game's best and the Wolverines are 6-0 in neutral-site games this season However, as he cautioned, "We've handled prosperity thus far, but now, we have to handle it again with a difficult game Friday." The Cowboys have not won an NCAA tournament game since 2009 and unlike the seasoned Beilein, OSU has a first-year head coach in Brad Underwood. However, while I believe the Big Ten was a mediocre league this year, no one questions the quality of play in the Big 12. Note that OSU may enter on a three-game slide but remember, those losses game against just two teams, Iowa St (Big 12 tourney champ) and Kansas, winner of 13 straight Big 12 regular season tiles). Make Oklahoma St. an 8* play. |
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03-16-17 | Nevada v. Iowa State -5.5 | Top | 73-84 | Win | 100 | 55 h 23 m | Show |
The set-up: Iowa State won the Big 12 tourney for the third time in four years. The Cyclones enter the Big Dance having won nine of their last 10 and at 23-10, were given a No. 5 seed. The Nevada Wolf Pack added the MWC tourney title to the school's regular season title and has won nine in a row to reach 28-6 (Nevada is a 12-seed). This marks Iowa State's sixth straight NCAA appearance while for Nevada, the Wolf Pack will be 'dancing' for the first time in 10 years! Nevada: Head coach Eric Musselman told the Reno Gazette-Journal, "It's been our year-long goal, so obviously everybody feels great about seeing our name up there. It's great exposure for the university, and now we have to put some work in and figure out a way to compete with Iowa State." Nevada led the Mountain West in scoring at 80.0 points per game. Senior guard Marcus Marshall, a transfer from Missouri State, leads the team with 19.8 PPG (3.6 APG). The Wolf Pack are a perimeter-oriented team, starting three guards, Fenner (14.1) and PG Drew (5.9-4.8) join Marshall, along with swingman Caroline (14.8 & 9.2) plus 6-8 forward Oliver (15.8 & 8.7). Iowa State: The Cyclones are also a guard-oriented team, led by PG Monte Morris (16.3 & 6.1 APG). He holds school career records for assists and steals. Fellow guard Naz Mitrou-Long is averaging 15.5 points and is a high-volume 3-point shooter (94 of 244, 38.5 percent). The 6-5 Deonte Burton can score from outside or above the rim and averages 14.8 PPG and leads the team in rebounding at 6.2 per. Thomas is a fourth guard in double digits (12.0 & 3.8) plus a pair of 6-8 fowards play just under 20 minutes per game, Bowie (5.8 & 4.1) and Young (5.1 & 4.1). Th pick: Nevada can score but so can Iowa State, which averages 80.9 PPG against a tougher schedule, while shooting 40.2% on threes (13th in the nation). This game is being at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, which is less than 400 miles from Ames, as well as being the hometown of three Iowa State players. Iowa State owns a huge edge at experience on this level, especially Morris, who has played in two Sweet 16s and has seven NCAA games under his belt. Iowa State is an 8* play. |
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03-16-17 | Clippers v. Nuggets +1.5 | Top | 114-129 | Win | 100 | 11 h 23 m | Show |
The set-up: The 40-28 LA Clippers figured that Chris Paul's return would spark the team but since his return, the Clippers have gone just 5-6 after last night's one-point home loss to the Bucks. Paul (17.7-5.1-9.2) had scored 30 and 33 points in his previous two games but had just six points last night, on 2 of 10 shooting. LA travels off that one-point loss to Denver, to take on the 32-25 Nuggets, who still cling to the West's eighth and final playoff spot by two games. LA Clippers: Head coach Doc Rivers kept power forward Blake Griffin (21.3-8.5-5.1) and center DeAndre Jordan (12.5 & 13.5) home to rest with Saturday's home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers looming on the agenda, so the Clippers will be short-handed. The Clippers are now three games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz in the West, after suffering that 97-96 home loss to the Bucks on Wednesday. The absences of Griffin and Jordan will open up playing time for nearly everyone on the roster and that might not be a bad thing in the mind of Rivers. "Young players have to be taught how to win," Rivers told reporters after the loss to the Bucks. "They know how to play. They haven't figured out how to do it and win at the same time."If you ask me, Rivers is trying to "sell something!" Denver: The Nuggets are working hard to secure that No. 8 seed in the West and will be looking for their fourth consecutive win and eighth in the past 11 games tonight against the Clippers. Like LA, Denver will be shorthanded as well, as forwards Danilo Gallinari (knee), Wilson Chandler (groin) and Darrell Arthur (rest) will all miss the contest. Power forward Kenneth Faried (back) returned to practice Wednesday after missing the previous nine games and is listed as questionable. Gallinari is the team's leading scorer (17.7) and Chandler is tied with Jokic at 16.1 PPG. Center Nikola Jokic recorded 18 points and nine rebounds against the Lakers in Denver's 129-101 Monday win, falling one rebound shy of his seventh straight double-double. He's really come into his own this year, averaging 16.1 & 9.4. The pick: Both teams will be missing key players but I'll side with the home team, which is playing much more consistent basketball at this time. Denver is a 10* play. |
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03-16-17 | Grizzlies v. Hawks -3 | Top | 103-91 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 44 m | Show |
The set-up: The 37-30 Memphis Grizzlies broke a five-game losing streak by winning their last two games and now sit just one-half game behind sixth-place Oklahoma City in the West. The 37-30 Atlanta Hawks are currently 5th in the East but have hopes of catching the Toronto Raptors for fourth place in the East, which would give them homecourt advantage in a potential first-round playoff series. Memphis: Wins on the road this week over Milwaukee (113-93) and Chicago (98-91) have been sparked by a return to playing better defense. Defense has been a Memphis trademark for years but during its five-game slide, it had become a liability with the Grizzlies allowing 114.0 PPG during its slide. "We're getting there," Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale told reporters after the win. "I like the way our defense is starting to come back to us, but I'm never going to get comfortable with our group. They haven't been consistent enough to show me that I can let off the gas now." Memphis will be without forward Chandler Parsons for the rest of the season. He was diagnosed with a partial tear of his left meniscus. He was averaging 6.2 points and had started 34 games. That will likely put more pressure on 40-year-old Vince Carter to pick up the slack.Center Gasol (20.2-6.1-4.5) and PG Conley (20.0-3.6-6.2) each had 27 points against Chicago and that duo will be counted on heavily down the stretch. Atlanta: In order for the Hawks to catch the Raptors, they will need to start taking care of business in their home arena. Atlanta is just 19-15 on its own floor as it begins a two-game homestand against the Memphis on Thursday. The Hawks are only 5-7 over their last 12 overall games, after falling 107-99 at San Antonio on Monday. The defeat was the Hawks' 16th straight in San Antonio! Millsap (18.2 & 7.8) and center Howard (13.2 & 12.9) are both having solid seasons but PG Schroder (17.9 & 6.3 APG) and backup SG Tim Hardaway Jr. (13.7) may have more to do with Atlanta catching Toronto. Schroder is looking to score more and he has finished in double digits in points in a career-best 16 consecutive games. Hardaway has taken advantage of an increased role since the trade of Kyle Korver to Cleveland by scoring in double digits in 21 of his last 22 games. The pick:The Hawks posted a 107-90 victory over the Grizzlies just this past Saturday (their third straight win in the series). The Hawks connected on 15 of 30 three-pointers in that game, while the Grizzlies shot an abysmal 5 of 29 (17.2 percent) from beyond the arc! The door is open for the Hawks to make a run at fourth-place Toronto, as only two of Atlanta's next 10 opponents have a winning record. That's not the case with Memphis but the Grizzlies haven't won in Atlanta since Feb. 8, 2014 and are playing the second of back-to-back games here. Make Atlanta an 8* play. |
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03-16-17 | Xavier +2 v. Maryland | Top | 76-65 | Win | 100 | 52 h 4 m | Show |
The set-up: Xavier opened the season ranked 7th in the AP's preseason poll but when PG Edmond Sumner (14.3 PPG and 4.3 APG) was lost for the season at the end of January, the Musketeers’season beagn to unravel. The team lost six in a row from Feb. 11 through Mar. 1 but a pair of wins in the Big East tourney (one over Butler), allowed 21-13 Xavier to claim one of the last at-large berths (11-seed). Maryland opened the year at No. 25 but in games through Jan, was 20-2, including 8-1 in Big Ten play. However, a 4-6 finish left Maryland as a No. 6 seed. Xavier: Sumner was a terrific complement to Trevon Bluiett (18.1 & 5.8), Xavier's best player. Fellow guard J.P. Macura (14.5 & 4.4) has picked up some of the scoring slack but Xavier misses Sumner’s ball-handling skills with freshman Quentin Goodin (4.8 & 3.2 APG) taking over the point guard spot. Xavier’s best frontcourt player is the 6-9 Gaston, who averages modest totals of 7.9 PPG and 6.4 RPG). Maryland: The Terps are led by junior guard Trimble (17.0-3.7-3.7) but it's hard to make a case form him living up to expectations this year. He took himself out of the 2016 draft to improve his standing but he's had an inconsistent season. The rest of Maryland's main contributors are freshman. There is guard Cowan (10.5-3.9-3.7) and a pair of 6-7 players, Jackson (10.4 & 6.1) and Hueter (9.0 & 5.0). The pick: Both teams are lucky to be here but both own historically strong programs. Two competing streaks are on the line, as Maryland has won at least one game in 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances dating back to 1998. As for Xavier, the Musketeers have won eight straight neutral-site games in Florida, including six in a row here in Orlando. Xavier’s undoing here in March will likely be its lack of a dominant post player, but that will not be the case against a small and young (outside of Trimble) Maryland team. Xavier is a 10* play. |
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03-16-17 | North Carolina Wilmington +7.5 v. Virginia | Top | 71-76 | Win | 100 | 46 h 55 m | Show |
The set-up: 22-10 Virginia out of the ACC is a No. 5 seed and 29-5 UNC-Wilmington, the CAA's regular season and postseason champ, comes in as a No. 12 seed. The teams square off in a first round game from Orlando, Fl. (East Region) with an early tip (12:40 ET). The Cavaliers are the nation's stingiest team, allowing just 55.6 PPG, while Seahawks average 85.2 PPG, which ranks 10th in the nation. |
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03-15-17 | Jazz -3.5 v. Pistons | Top | 97-83 | Win | 100 | 18 h 20 m | Show |
The set-up: The 42-25 Utah Jazz open a four-game road trip in Detroit against the 33-34 Pistons. The Jazz have won five of their last six and currently own the No. 4 seed in the West, sitting two games up on the Clippers. Detroit sits seventh in the Eastern Conference and had won 12 of 18 games prior to being smoked 128-96 in Cleveland on Monday. "It was just a bad night," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters. "They were great, we were terrible. That is why you get a lopsided game." |
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03-15-17 | Mavs +7.5 v. Wizards | Top | 112-107 | Win | 100 | 18 h 51 m | Show |
The set-up: The 28-38 Dallas Mavericks have been trying to climb into the No. 8 spot in the West but it hasn't much helped that they have lost their last two, including an 'ugly' 100-78 defeat at Toronto on Monday, in the opener of a four-game road trip. It surely doesn't get any easier for Dallas tonight, as the Mavs face the 41-25 Washington Wizards, who are battling the Celtics for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference (currently trail Boston by a half-game) and also hold out hope that they can still catch the East's top-team, the 44-22 Cavs. Dallas: Monday's setback dropped Dallas 3 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Denver Nuggets with just 16 games to play. It was the team's second straight poor shooting performance, as the Mavs shot 36.5 percent from the foor in Toronto, after only shooting 37.8 percent in a 100-98 home loss to the Suns on Saturday. The Mavs have gotten steady paly all season from Harrison Barnes (20.0 & 5.2) and Dirk (14.2 & 6.8) has gotten healthier as the season has progressed. Recently, Seth Curry and Yogi Farrell have added a spark out of the backcourt plus Nerlens Noel, acquired from Philly, averaged 9.1 & 5.6 in about 24 minutes in his first six games with Dallas. However, he has missed the last three games due to soreness in his left knee. That said, he is expected to return for Wednesday's game. Washington: The Wizards are just back from a five-game road trip and after winning the first four, ran out of gas in Minnesota on Monday, falling 119-104. The Wizards have an excellent starting-five, led by the guard duo of Beal (23.2) and Wall (23.1-4.4-10.7) plus a trio of frontcourt starters all averaging in double digits (center Gortat averages a double-double, at 11.4 & 11.0). Washington had been missing a scoring punch off the bench but solved that problem by trading for Bojan Bogdanovic, who has averaged 15.6 PPG in his 11 games with the Wizards, connecting on 45.6% of his threes. The pick: The Mavs beat the Wizards 113-105 in Dallas back on Jan. 3 but Washington has gone 25-7 since that contest. Scoring has been an issue for the Mavs all season (98.1 PPG ranks 30th) but note that on its recent five-game road trip, the Wizards allowed at least 113 points in each game, despite going 4-1. Take the points and make Dallas an 8* play. |
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03-14-17 | Kansas State +1 v. Wake Forest | Top | 95-88 | Win | 100 | 11 h 1 m | Show |
The set-up: Danny Manning took the Wake Forest job prior to the 2014-15 season and had two lean years in which Wake was 13-19 and 11-19, going a combined 7-29 in ACC play. However, 2016-17 has been a breakthrough season, with Wake winning 19 games and going 9-9 in ACC regular season play, good enough to earn Wake Forest its first trip to the Big Dance since 2009-10. Kansas State's Bruce Weber knows a little something about NCAA visit, starting with back-to-back appearances with Southern Illinois in 2002 and '03. Then it was on to Illinois where he went to six in nine seasons including finishing second to North Carolina in 2005Â with a 37-2 record. He took Kansas St. to NCAA trips in his first two seasons ('13 & '14) but 15-17 and 17-16 seasons followed. However, the Wildcats ended a two-year NCAA Tournament drought this season despite an 8-10 mark in Big 12 play, 'sneaking' into the field of 68 largely on the strength of three top-25 victories, two over Baylor and one against West Virginia. |
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03-14-17 | Thunder -6 v. Nets | Top | 122-104 | Win | 100 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
The set-up: The 37-29 Oklahoma City Thunder are 4 1/2 games back of the Jazz in the Northwest Division and currently own the 6th-seed in the West, just a half-game ahead of the Grizzlies. They visit Barkley Center tonight (weather-permitting) to take on the NBA-worst Brooklyn Nets (12-53) but the Nets have won three of their last seven games, which matches their best seven-game stretch of the season. Oklahoma City: The story all season in OKC has been Russell Westbrook's run at history. He passed Wilt Chamberlain for second place on the single-season list with his 32nd triple-double in Saturday's 112-104 win over the Utah Jazz and now trails only Oscar Robertson's 41 in 1961-62, when the Big O averaged a triple-double for the season. Westbrook (31.9-10.5-10.1) is on pace to match Oscar's triple-double season and it's hard to ignore that Oklahoma City is 26-6 when Westbrook notches a triple-double and 11-23 when he doesn't this season. However, the team is sure better off when Victor Oladipo (16.3 PPG) is healthy and Westbrook's backcourt partner is averaging 19.3 points on 55.3 percent shooting in three games since returning from a back injury (OKC is 2-1 SU & ATS).. Brooklyn: The Nets snapped a 16-game home losing streak that spanned 75 days (going back to Dec. 26) when they beat the Knicks 120-112 on Sunday. As noted above, they are on a 3-4 run, which had been preceded by a 16-game losing streak, overall. Jeremy Lin is finally recovered from that hamstring injury (he's been back the last nine games) and he is averaging 16.6 points in the last five games despite playing 27 or fewer minutes in each of those contests (Nets have covered four in a row). The pick: Yes, the Nets are playing better but with Oladipo back healthy plus the additions of Gibson and McDermott from Chicago, I don't expect the Thunder to get derailed by the league's worst defensive team (Nets allow 114.1 PPG). OKC is a 10* play. |
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03-13-17 | Magic v. Kings +1 | Top | 115-120 | Win | 100 | 14 h 22 m | Show |
The set-up: The 24-43 Orlando Magic have won just eight of their last 31 games and will shortly be officially eliminated from playoff contention, as the team is nine games out with just 15 remaining. The Kings are closer in the West but having gone 1-8 since trading away All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins (note: the Kings won their first game after the trade but have now lost EIGHT in a row), Sacramento is almost surely lottery-bound as well. Orlando: Center Nikola Vucevic (14.4 & 10.2) returned from an Achilles issue to produce 20 points and 16 rebounds in Saturday's game with the Cavs bit the Magic lost anyway, 116-104. However, the Magic are eager to see if Vucevic's return improves things (he played for the first time in five games). Before that absence, he and starters Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton were outscoring opponents by 22 points per 100 possessions since the All-Star break, the best mark in the NBA, according to the league's official statistics. Sacramento: The Kings have not only lost eight in a row overall but they've lost six straight at home and are now six games behind the eighth-place Nuggets in the West. "We're still trying to figure everything out," forward Skal Labissiere told reporters. "It's been a tough stretch. It's just a matter of learning how to finish games with us." No kidding! The pick: The Kings will take an eight-game losing streak into this matchup with the Magic and the team's next loss will clinch its 11th consecutive losing season. That "next loss" will certainly come but not here. Cauley-Stein is averaging 34 minutes, 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in nine games since Sacramento traded forward DeMarcus Cousins at the All-Star break and backup Skal Labissiere is averaging 15.1 minutes, 8.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. Meanwhile, the focal point of the deal was guard Buddy Hield. He is averaging 13.9 points in 26 minutes, while shooting 51.2 percent from three-point range since joining the Kings. Make the Kings an 8* play. |
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03-13-17 | Bulls +7 v. Hornets | Top | 115-109 | Win | 100 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
The set-up: The Chicago Bulls were embarrassed Sunday at Boston on ABC, losing 100-80 to the Celtics. It was the team's fifth straight loss (a season-high) and now it's on to Charlotte to take on the 29-37 Hornets, who are two games back of the Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings Chicago is 10th at 31-35 and Charlotte 11th, with both teams chasing 32-35 Miami and all three teams chasing 32-33 Milwaukee, which currently owns the final playoff spot in the East. Chicago: It doesn't get much worse than it was for the Bulls on Sunday, as they scored nine first-quarter points and had just 26 at the half. All Star Jimmy Butler (23.4-6.2-5.1) was limited to five points on 2-of-11 shooting, as Chicago was held under 100 points for the sixth straight time. Dwyane Wade (18.7-4.6-3.9) joined Butler with a poor performance of his own Sunday, as he was held to eight points and failed to hand out an assist for the first time since Nov. 5. Charlotte: The Hornets know all about slumps, as they lost 12 of 13 from Jan. 23-Feb. 23. However, since a six-point overtime loss in Detroit, the Hornets are 5-4. Still, by going 6-16 in their last 22 games, the Hornets has dropped to 11th, two games behind Chicago and 3 1/2 behind Milwaukee. I'm not sure what to make of the Hornets, who opened 8-3 and looked like a solid playoff team early on. Walker (23.2-4.1-5.4) is an All Star and backcourt partner Batum (15.4-6.7-5.9) has produced excellent numbers. The team has excellent depth but the whole seems less than the sum of this team's parts. The pick: The Bulls scored nine points in the first quarter on Sunday plus missed their first 12 shots and 19 of their first 22 attempts, all in front of a national television audience. That makes five straight losses (three by double-digits) and six straight games of failing to reach 100 points. It CAN'T get worse, right? The underachieving Hornets, who are on a 7-14-2 ATS run, may be just what the doctor ordered. Make Chicago a 10* play. |
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03-12-17 | Bulls v. Celtics -7.5 | Top | 80-100 | Win | 100 | 13 h 43 m | Show |
The set-up: The 41-25 Boston Celtics return home after a 2-3 road trip and have fallen behind the streaking Wizards (41-24), for the East's second-best record. They begin a favorable stretch of games Sunday, when they host the visiting Chicago Bulls, who are 31-34 on the season and currently in 10th-place in the East (one game back of the final playoff spot). Chicago: The Bulls hung on to their best player, Jimmy Butler (23.7-6.2-5.2), at the trade deadline but moved Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott. Not that trading Butler was a good idea but I'm not sure how trading Gibson and McDermott was a plus. Dwyane Wade (18.9-4.6-3.9) returned from a thigh injury to score a team-high 21 points but his teammates combined to shoot 36.3 percent from the floor in Friday's 115-94 home loss to Houston. It marked Chicago's fourth loss in a row and the fifth consecutive game in which the Bulls have scored less than 100 points. Boston: The Celtics suffered a dramatic at Phoenix (steal and three-pointer at buzzer by Ulis for the Suns) and an ugly 119-99 setback in Denver on Friday, just two nights after a 99-86 victory at Western Conference-leading Golden State. However, Boston will play 11 of its final 16 games at home and 12 of the last 16 against teams that entered the weekend with sub-.500 records. Thomas (29.3 & 6.1 APG) has led Boston all season but head coach Brad Stevens just indicated that Avery Bradley (16.9 & 6.3), who has been on a minutes restriction in the wake of a recent Achilles injury, is just about all the way back. The defensive stalwart has played a total of 59 minutes over the last two games. Bradley getting back to full strength is no small deal. Also, rookie forward Jaylen Brown (6.5 PPG) had 14 points off the bench in Denver and is averaging 11.6 - nearly twice his season average - while shooting 55.7 percent since returning from a hip injury in February. The pick: The Bulls may rank 10th in the East but they are only two games out of sixth-place. Chicago's still very much alive but the team is 3-5 since moving Gibson (the team's starting power forward) and McDermott (the team's best three-point shooter). FYI...Chicago ranks last in the NBA in made three-pointers per game at 6.8. Chicago's woes continue here in Boston. Make the Celtics a 10* play. |
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03-12-17 | Yale +7 v. Princeton | Top | 59-71 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 8 m | Show |
The set-up: The Ivy League finally "joined in" with the rest of college basketball and held a postseason tourney in 2017, for the first time in its history. So far so good, in terms of excitement. Princeton rolled through the regular season 14-0 but needed OT to get past a sub-.500 Penn team on Saturday (note: Penn was playing on its homecourt) and then defending champion Yale edged Harvard (Ivy champs in four straight seasons in 2012, '13, '14 & '15), 73-71. The sets up this "high noon" showdown between Princeton, on an 18-game winning streak, and Yale, the defending champs. The pick: I had Penn against Princeton on Saturday and got 'robbed' ATS, as Princeton covered in OT. This is Princeton's best team in a long time but as I noted Saturday, the last thing the Tigers needed was a conference tourney in 2017. It means that instead of having already secured an invite to the Big Dance, Princeton was forced to win two more games to get that bid. Princeton "got lucky" on Saturday and I don't believe a win will come any easier here on Sunday. Yale's won four straight and has reached 90 points in two of those games. The Bulldogs have depth and talent plus a check of the the team's ATS record book reveals Yale is 8-1 ATS in its last nine neutral-site games. Make Yale a 10* play. |
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03-11-17 | 76ers +13 v. Clippers | Top | 100-112 | Win | 100 | 7 h 31 m | Show |
The set-up: The 23-41 Philadelphia 76ers will be in LA to take on the 39-26 Clippers in an afternoon game at Staples Center. Injuries have again caught up with Philly (Simmons never got on the court this year and Embiid's season was limited to just 31 games) and the Sixers will again be lottery-bound. As for the Clippers, like Forrest Gump's favorite box of chocolates, "you never know what you are going to get." They look like NBA title contenders one night and a lottery team the next. Philadelphia: Embiid was the presumptive rookie of the year before a knee injury ended his season but Dario Saric is stepping up to make his own run at the award. He had 28 points and nine rebounds in Thursday's 114-108 OT loss in Portland, his 214th straight game in double figures.However, the starting backcourt of T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas combined to go 0-of-14 from the floor in the loss (hard to believe Philly took the game into OT!). The loss was the third straight and sixth in seven games for the 76ers. LA Clippers: The Clippers are two games behind the Jazz in the race for the No. 4 spot in the West and have a showdown with Utah looming Monday in Salt Lake City. Both Griffin (21.2-8.5-5.1) and Paul (17.4-5.1-9.4) have missed time this season but both are healthy now, so LA has no excuse not to make a late push. Then again, Blake Griffin had 14 points and 12 rebounds on Thursday, giving him just his first double-double in six games this month. Paul, who recently returned from a thumb injury recently, broke out with 20 points to lead the reserves on Thursday but that's after averaging 7.3 points in the previous four contests. The pick: As noted, you are never quite sure which Clipper team will show up. Yes, the Clippers are healthy, but inconsistency has plagued them, as they are 4-5 SU & ATS since the All-Star break. Meanwhile, the 76ers are 10-3 ATS their last 13 games. Philadelphia is an 8* play. |
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03-11-17 | Pennsylvania +6 v. Princeton | Top | 64-72 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 41 m | Show |
The set: The famed "Ancient 8" has finally joined the rest of the college basketball world and will be holding a conference tourney for the first time ever. Just the top four teams in this eight-team league have been invited and the three games will be contested at The Palestra in Philadelphia. That's good news for the Penn Quakers, as The Palestra is the school's homecourt. Penn: The Quakers and Tigers have been the Ivy's premier teams over the years but Penn has struggled for almost a decade now. The school had just one winning season in six years under Jerome Allen and now under Steve Donahue, the Quakers are 24-31 (11-17 Ivy) in his first two seasons. However, a hopeful note is that Penn ended the season winning six of eight to earn the fourth and final spot in this tourney at 6-8 in league play. This young team looks like it has jelled. The 6-8 Brodeur is a freshman and comes in averaging 13.9 & 6.8. Howard is a 6-4 sophomore guard averaging 12.4 & 6.8 plus 6-5 freshman guard Betley (11.5 & 4.2) has taken over down the stretch, averaging 17.7 PPG over Penn's last seven games. Princeton: The Tigers have, like Penn, taken a backseat in the Ivy in recent years, with first Cornell, then Harvard, taking over as the loop's top dogs. However, Princeton's 22 wins last year were the school's most in five years and after a 4-6 start, the Tigers have gone on a 17-game winning streak (14-0 in Ivy League play). Two senior small forwards are the 6-5 Cook (13.8) and the 6-4 Weisz (10.6-5.5-4.1) and that duo is joined by a pair of sophomore guards in Cannady (13.7) and Stephens (11.9 & 4.3). The pick: This is Princeton's best team in a long time and the last thing the Tigers needed was a conference tourney, meaning instead of having already secured an invite to the Big Dance, Princeton must now win two more games, extending the team's winning streak to 19! More bad news comes in that the Tigers draw long time rival Penn, which get to play on its homecourt. As noted, Penn is playing it best basketball of the year and I'm taking the points. Make Penn an 8* play. |
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03-11-17 | Flyers +1.5 v. Bruins | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 11 h 0 m | Show |
The set-up: The 31-27-8 Philadelphia Flyers have lost nine of 14 (5-7-2) to fall five points behind the New York Islanders for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the 35-26-6 Boston Bruins now occupy third place in the Atlantic Division (76 points) on the heels of a 9-3-0 surge since Bruce Cassidy replaced the fired Claude Julien on Feb. 7 behind the bench. The two long-time rivals meet in an early Saturday afternoon game in Boston. |
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03-11-17 | Albany NY +9.5 v. Vermont | Top | 53-56 | Win | 100 | 9 h 56 m | Show |
The set-up: The America East championship is up for grabs when the Albany Great Danes play at the Vermont Catamounts in an early Saturday tip-off (11:00 ET). Albany: The Greart Danes were 10-6 in league play and all season, have been led by guards Nichols (18.1-3.4-3.2) and Cremo (16.2-5.3-3.8). Albany won at home in this tourney in a blowout of Hatford (Nichols had 40 points!) and then won 63-56 at Stony Brook to advance to the title game and get a third shot this season vs. Vermont. Vermont: The Catamounts have been the class of the league, joining Princeton (Ivy League), as the only schools to go unbeaten in conference play during the regular season. Vermont uses nine players with three reaching double digits, two forwards and a guard. The 6-6 Lamb (12.6 & 5.30 is the leading scorer with the 6-8 Henson (11.1 & 5.4) just behind him. PG Bell-Haynes (11.2 & 3.8 APG) runs an offense averaging 74.1 PPG and the team connects on 50.0 percent of its shots (6th). The pick: Vermont's 16-0 league record has allowed them to play all games in this tourney at home and in its first two games, the Catamounts have held each opponent to 41 points, while scoring 86 and 74, themselves. Vermont is 15-1 on its homecourt this season, losig only back on Dec. 10 to Northeastern, when the Huskies shot 52.1% and the Catamounts just 40.4%! However, don't expect a blowout here. Vermont (like Princeton) is in the unenviable position of knowing a loss here leaves them out of the Big Dance, despite dominating the league all season. Albany has the two best scorers in the game in Nichols and Cremo plus is a solid defensive team, as well (66.2 PPG allowed ranks 46th). Note that Albany is 12-4 ATS in their last 16 road games. Take the points and make Albany an 8* play. |
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