Cappers Sports Picks

This is a play on the CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS for our NHL Sunday Enforcer. This is the second game of a home-and-home between Colorado and Chicago with the Avalanche taking the first game 4-2 last night in Denver. The win pushed Colorado past Minnesota and Arizona and into the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. With the Penguins 3-2 win in Dallas, the Avalanche also gained ground on the Stars, the top Wild Card team in the conference. Colorado has won four straight games but the Avalanche are 6-14 in their last 20 games as an underdog. Chicago has lost three straight games as its playoff hopes are fading fast but this is a good situation at a short home price. The Blackhawks are 6-1 in their last seven games as a home favorite of -110 to -150. Here, we play on home teams after allowing three goals or more in three straight games going up against an opponent after four straight wins by two goals or more. This situation is 20-6 (76.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (8) Chicago Blackhawks

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. This is a contrarian play on Indiana which is riding a four-game losing streak, all coming on the road against Western Conference Playoff teams, but the Pacers remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference thanks to the rest of conference faltering as well. Indiana is back home where it is 27-9, the sixth best home record in the NBA, and it has covered eight of its last 11 games here. One of those recent road losses came at Denver by a bucket and the Pacers are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 home games revenging a same season loss. Denver meanwhile has won six straight games to take over first place in the Western Conference. The last three have come on the road where the Nuggets are just three games over .500 on the season. They are 6-16 ATS in their last 22 road games after a win by 10 points or more. Here, we play on underdogs in non-conference games, off three or more consecutive road losses. This situation is 57-29 ATS (66.3 percent) over the last 5 seasons. 10* (536) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the UC IRVINE ANTEATERS for our NCAA Sunday Late Night Winner. Oregon made an unexpected run through the Pac 12 Tournament, winning four games in four days, just to get into the field. While the win over Wisconsin was very impressive, shooting an unconscious percentage from the floor is unlikely to repeat itself. The Anteaters 17-game winning streak no longer can be dismissed as a product of playing in the Big West Conference after its win over Kansas St. The Ducks typically need to use their size to their advantage around the glass but that should be neutralized here as UC Irvine comes in ranked No. 12 in Team Total Rebounding Percentage whereas Oregon is just No. 104. Additionally, UC Irvine is the best rim-protecting team in the nation, holding opponents to 44 percent shooting and 0.9 points per possession. 10* (873) UC Irvine Anteaters

This is a play on the HOUSTON COUGARS for our NCAA Sunday Enforcer. Ohio St. looked impressive in its win over Iowa St. on Friday but it is running into a buzzsaw on Sunday. The Cougars like to speed up the pace and will try to do so against Ohio St. as their quickness and efficiency on both ends of the court are hard to contain much less slow down. While the offense gets the pub, the Houston defense is among the best in the country, holding opponents to just 61.2 ppg and it is ranked No. 5 in the country in defensive efficiency. Despite allowing just five more ppg on defense, Ohio St. is ranked only No. 63 in that same category. Ohio St. is 3-10 ATS against teams outscoring their opponents by eight or more ppg this season while the Cougars are 24-11-1 ATS in their last 36 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (872) Houston Cougars