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March 2008 ArchiveDallas Mavericks (+5) vs. Golden State Warriors (-5) The 45-27 Dallas Mavericks enter tonight's game 15-18-4 against the spread on the road this season. Offensively the Mavericks are averaging 96.34 points per game on the road this season ranking 15th overall in the NBA. Defensively Dallas is allowing their opponents to score 95.9 points per game ranking 5th overall in the league. The Mavericks have lost 4 out of their last 5 games. The 44-27 Golden State Warriors enter tonight's game just 12-23 against the spread at home this season. Offensively the Warriors are one of the better teams in the league averaging 112.9 points per game ranking 1st overall. Defensively the Warriors are allowing their 108.5 points per game ranking 30th overall in NBA play. The Warriors have won 2 out of their last 4 games. The Mavericks have continued their slow decline since the loss of big Dirk. We expect that trend to continue tonight as the Warriors have the leagues best offense and with out Dirk the Mavericks will struggle to keep up offensively. Philadelphia 76ers (+3.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (-3.5) The 37-36 Philadelphia 76ers are 17-8 against the spread in their last 25 games but just 2-4 straight up in their last 6 games against Cleveland. Offensively the 76ers on the road this season is averaging just 95.6 points per game ranking 17th overall in NBA play. Defensively on the road Philadelphia is allowing their opponent to score 99.1 points per game ranking 9th overall. Philadelphia has won 3 out of their last 5 games. The 40-32 Cleveland Cavaliers are 5-2 against the spread in their last 7 home games and 9-1 straight up in their last 10 at home. Offensively the Cavaliers at home are averaging 99.1 points per game ranking 16th overall. Defensively Cleveland at home is allowing their opponents to score 95.9 points per game ranking 11th overall in NBA play. Cleveland has lost 3 out of their last 5 games. Philadelphia has been playing very good basketball as of late but on Friday the Suns put them into their place beating them 107-93. The 76ers defense usually keeps them in games and puts great pressure on their opponents. Today though Cleveland and King James will have the advantage. The Cavs have played great as of late at home and we expect that to continue. Lebron will win this game in the fourth quarter for the Cavs. Golden State Warriors (+7) vs. Denver Nuggets (-7) The 44-27 Golden State Warriors take on the 44-28 Denver Nuggets tonight at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets continue to play great basketball as they average 112 ppg at home and only allow their opponents 101 ppg at home. Denver has recently beaten Dallas by 13 points, Memphis by 14 points, Toronto by 9 points, and New Jersey by 11 points. This has allowed Denver to be 5-0 ATS in the last 5 games. Mean while Golden State has been 2-6 ATS in the last 8 games playing in Denver. This game will be Denver’s to win and they will put extra points up for insurance. Bet the team that has been showing results, bet Denver you won’t be disappointed. New York Knicks (+14) vs. Toronto Raptors (-14) The 20-51 New York Knicks are just 2-12 straight up in their last 14 games and 0-5 against the spread in their last 5 games. The Knicks have not been playing well on the road as of late either going 1-7 straight up in their last 8. Offensively the Knicks on the road are averaging just 94.4 points per game ranking 22nd overall in the NBA. Defensively the Knicks are allowing their opponents to score 104.4 points per game ranking 21s overall. The Knicks have lost 4 out of their last 5 games. The 36-35 Toronto Raptors are 7-3 straight up in their last 10 home games and are also a good 9-4 against the spread in their last 13 games when playing the Knicks. Offensively the Raptors at home are averaging 101.7 points per game ranking 12th overall in NBA play. Defensively the Raptors are allowing their opponents just 94.7 points per game ranking 8th overall in the league. The Knicks have been playing terrible on the road this season while the Raptors can put up big numbers at home. The Raptors beat the Knicks in every statistical category except offensive rebounds in this match up. This spread may seam a bit high but the Raptors will pull away big in the 4th quarter and should win this game by 20 points. Dallas Mavericks (+7.5) vs. Denver Nuggets (-7.5) The 45-26 Dallas Mavericks will enter tonight's game on the road just 15-19 against the spread. Offensively the Mavericks on the road this season are averaging 96.09 points per game ranking 15th overall in NBA play. The Mavericks are one of the leagues better away defenses allowing their opponents just 95.3 points per game ranking 5th overall. The 43-28 Denver Nuggets at home this season inside the Pepsi Center are a good 22-13 against the spread. The Nuggets have one of the leagues best home offenses averaging 112.1 points per game ranking 3rd overall. Defensively Denver is allowing their opponents to score 101.2 points per game ranking 24th overall. Denver has won their last 3 straight and have looked good as a unit over that run. Dallas has lost their big man and star player and it is still yet to be seen how they will play without him for the next couple of weeks. With the Nuggets covering the spread well at home this season and the Mavericks being a sub-par road team, the statistics point to the Nuggets covering tonight's spread. Milwaukee Bucks (+8) vs. Atlanta Hawks (-8) The 24-45 Milwaukee Bucks come into this game just 12-21-1 against the spread this season on the road. The Bucks are just 1-7 straight up in their last 8 games and 0-5 straight up in their last 5 road games. Offensively Milwaukee is averaging on the road just 92.9 points per game ranking 28th overall in the NBA. Defensively the Bucks are allowing their opponents a bad 104.5 points per game on the road ranking 22nd overall. The 30-39 Atlanta Hawks inside the Philips Arena are a good 19-15 against the spread. The Hawks are 4-1-1 straight up in their last 6 games and a good 5-2 straight up in their last 7 home games. Offensively the Hawks are averaging at home 100.4 points per game ranking 14th overall in NBA play. Defensively the Hawks at home are allowing their opponents 97.9 points per game ranking 14th overall. The Hawks are playing pretty good basketball winning 3 out of their last five games and are still a big player in the playoff hunt. The Bucks on the other hand are struggling winning just 1 out of their last 5 games and most likely wont be making the postseason. Milwaukee ranks towards the bottom in both offensive categories and defensive categories while the Hawks play decent at home. The Statistics favor the Hawks to cover this spread tonight. Chicago Bulls (+8) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (-8) The 27-42 Chicago Bulls enter tonight’s game 16-19 against the spread on the road this season. The Bulls are just 1-4-1 straight up in their last 6 games and they are just 2-5 against the spread in their last 7 games when playing Philadelphia. Offensively the Bulls on the road are averaging 94.7 points per game ranking 21st overall in the NBA. Defensively the Bulls are one of the better road defenses in the league allowing 99.9 points per game ranking 11th overall in NBA play. The 36-35 Philadelphia 76ers at home in the Wachovia Center is 18-16-1 against the spread. The 76ers are an impressive 6-1 straight up in their last 7 games and 11-3 against the spread in their last 14 games at home. Offensively the 76ers at home are averaging 97.4 points per game ranking a low 25th overall in the league. Defensively at home the 76ers are one of the better teams in the league allowing their opponents just 92.5 points per game ranking 5th overall in NBA play. Philadelphia is playing great basketball right now and even pulled out a big victory over the Celtics the a couple nights ago. The Bulls have been very hit or miss as of late but play very good defense which keeps them in most games they play. The Statistics show that the Bulls should cover this spread tonight. We expect the 76ers to pull out the victory but the Bulls will hang around and keep this one within the 8 point spread. Take the Bulls to cover. Los Angeles Clippers (+12) vs. Dallas Mavericks (-12) The 21-48 Los Angeles Clippers come into tonight's game with a 15-18 against the spread home record. Offensively the Clippers are the second lowest scoring team in the league averaging 93.9 points per game. The Clippers are second last in the league in field goal percentage at 43.8. Los Angeles is third last in the league in three points made at 4.3 per game and the Clippers have the second worst rebounds in the league at 39.9. Defensively the clippers are allowing their opponents 103.9 points per game. The 44-26 Dallas Mavericks in the American Airlines Center are 15-17-4 against the spread this season. Offensively the Mavericks are averaging 103.6 points per game ranking 9th overall at home in the league. Dallas leads the league in free throw percentage with 81.4%. The Mavericks also lead the league in three points made allowed with 5.0 per game. Defensively the Mavericks at home are allowing their opponents just 95.44 points per game ranking 10th in the NBA. The Mavericks even without Dirk have far superior numbers than the Clippers in this match-up. The Clippers have lost their last 7 straight games and are one of the leagues worst offensive teams. They are riddled with injuries and have no leadership. Expect Dallas to come out strong and try to establish a big lead early. Charlotte Bobcats (+13) vs. Utah Jazz (-13) The 25-44 Bobcats will travel to Utah tonight to take on the 46-25 Utah Jazz. The Bobcats this season on the road is just 11-21-1 against the spread. Offensively on the road this season the Bobcats are one of the leagues worst teams. They are averaging just 91.9 points per game ranking 30th overall in the league. Defense doesn't get much better for Charlotte, they are allowing their opponents 103.1 points per game ranking 19th in NBA play. The Utah Jazz at home in the Energy Solutions Arena are a good 22-12 against the spread. Offensively the Jazz are one of the leagues best teams, averaging 107.5 points per game ranking 5th overall in the league. Utah has the second best field goal percentage in the league at 49.6%. Utah also leads the league in rebounds allowed at 38.4. Defensively Utah is one of the best in the league allowing their opponents just 94.9 points per game ranking 8th overall in NBA play. Utah without a doubt is one of the best home teams in the NBA. The Bobcats are struggling only winning 1 out of their last 5. Offense is a big problem on the road for the Bobcats and going up against one of the leagues best home defenses wont help their case. Utah at home is untouchable and wont have a problem covering the spread tonight. Philadelphia 76ers (+10) vs. Boston Celtics (-10) The 35-35 Philadelphia 76ers enter tonight's game 19-16 against the spread on the road this season. Offensively Philadelphia averages 95.63 points per game ranking in the middle of the NBA at 18th overall. Defensively on the road this season the 76ers are one of the leagues better teams allowing their opponents just 99.34 points per game. Philadelphia has been on a roll as of late winning 4 out of their last five games. The 55-14 Boston Celtics this season at the TD Banknorth Garden are 19-14-1 against the spread. Offensively the Celtics are averaging 100.26 points per game ranking 14th overall in the league. The Celtics have the leagues best home defense allowing their opponents just 88.24 points per game! Boston has won 4 out of their last five games. This month Boston went into Philadelphia and put a big hurting on the 76ers beating them 100-86. Tonight's game should be an even bigger margin of victory as the hot Celtics at home have just been lights out. Boston's defense is just that good right now. They held the hot Houston Rockets to just 74 points a week ago and we expect that same pressure defense to keep that up tonight. Portland Trailblazers (-8) vs. Seattle Supersonics (+8) The 37-33 Portland Trailblazers come into tonight's game 18-17 against the spread on the road this season. Offensively the Trailblazers are averaging just 93.42 points per game on the road ranking 26th overall in the NBA. Defensively Portland is one of the better road teams allowing their opponents just 98.06 points per game ranking 7th. The 16-54 Seattle Supersonics at home this season in the Key Arena are 16-16 against the spread. Offensively the Supersonics are averaging 98.7 points per game ranking 21st overall in the league. Defensively Seattle is allowing their opponents 104.2 points per game ranking 26th overall. Both of these teams average around the same amount of points scored per game but Seattle allows a bit more on defense. Seattle though out works Portland on the glass on both sides of the ball and they average more take aways per game. Portland's inability to score is what will keep them from covering tonight's spread. 8 points is going to be to much for Portland to cover tonight. Seattle can put up points and in the last three times these teams have met Portland has only covered more than 8 points once. Take the points in this game. Miami Hurricanes (+7) vs. Texas Longhorns (-7) Today the 23-10 Miami Hurricanes will take on the 29-6 Texas Longhorns at the Alltel Arena. While Miami has been hot lately going 8-3 in their last 11 games the Texas Longhorns are a superior team. Texas is averaging 75 ppg and only allowing their opponents 64 ppg. Miami on the other had has played lesser opponents and averages scoring 74 ppg but allowing 68 ppg. In the last 5 games that Miami has played they have lost to Virginia Tech 49-63 and to Florida State 72-75, both teams did not make the tournament. This game will get out of hand for Miami early and will be an early victory for anyone who bet this game. Sit back and enjoy the win as Texas Dominates Miami. Michigan State (+2) vs. Pittsburgh (-2) Pitt takes on Michigan State in a second round match-up. Pitt is coming off a dominating victory over Oral Roberts as they continue on their hot streak. Look for that streak to continue as they face a very inconsistant State team. Never get up from a hot table and Pitt is that table. Take Pitt as they continue to roll. Villanova Wildcats (+6) vs. Clemson Tigers (-6) The 20-12 Villanova Wildcats just sneaked their way into the Big Dance to take on the 24-9 Clemson Tigers. Villanova will enter tonight 6-7 against the spread on the road this season. Offensively the Wildcats on the road are averaging just 67.9 points per game ranking 131st overall in NCAA play. Defensively Villanova is allowing their opponents 70.9 points ranking 154th overall. The Clemson Tigers come into tonight’s game 7-6-1 against the spread on the road this season. Offensively the Tigers are one of the leagues better away offenses averaging 80.1 points per game ranking 40th overall in the nation. Defensively the Tigers are allowing their opponents 66 points per game ranking 177th. Clemson finished their season winning 3 out of their last 5 games. Beating Duke and losing by just 5 against North Carolina on the road. The Tigers got better and better as the season went on and was able to compete with the two best teams in the ACC. The Wildcats finished their season also winning 3 out of their last 5 games. Losing big to Georgetown and Louisville during that stretch but having a nice win against Big East foe Syracuse. Villanova has been an up and down team all season long and they really don’t put up that great of numbers on either side of the ball. Clemson has a very potent offense that can put points up quick. High emotions will be running in this first round game and Clemson will be the team that comes out to a fast start. Villanova’s offense is nothing too impressive and we don’t see them being able to hang all game with a fast tempo Clemson attack. Take the Tigers in this first round match-up. This game has upset written all over it! Vandy does not play well at all away from home and Sienna is one of the better Mid Major teams in this Tournament. Look for Vandy to be taken by suprise in SportsLocks March Madness upset of the day! Oral Roberts (+9) vs. Pittsburgh Panthers (-9) Denver Nuggets (+3) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (-3) The 40-26 Denver Nuggets will enter the Wachovia Center tonight with just a 12-17 against the spread road record. The Nuggets though are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games when playing Philadelphia. Offensively the Nuggets are one of the best teams in the NBA averaging 105.29 points per game on the road ranking 4th overall. Defensively though, Denver is one of the worst teams in the league allowing their opponents 109.26 points per game ranking 30th. The 33-34 Philadelphia 76ers come into tonight’s game with a good 18-14-1 against the spread home record. Philadelphia is just 2-4 straight up in their last 6 games when playing Denver. Offensively the 76ers average just 97 points per game at home ranking 25th overall in the NBA. Defensively Philadelphia is one of the leagues better home defenses allowing their opponents just 92 points per game ranking 5th overall. The last time these teams met was in Denver and the Nuggets came out victorious winning 109-96. The Denver Nuggets are one of the leagues most explosive teams and Philadelphia is one of the worst offensive teams in the game. Statistically the Nuggets are the far more superior team and in tonight’s game we expect that to show. Last evening Denver played the leagues best defense in Detroit and they put up 120 points. So scoring against the 76ers defense shouldn’t be too much of a problem for them. We expect Denver to win this game straight up. Charlotte Bobcats (+6) vs. Indiana Pacers (-6) The 24-43 Charlotte Bobcats will enter Conseco Feildhouse just 11-20-1 against the spread on the road this season. The Bobcats are just 1-4 straight up in their last 5 games and 5-9-1 against the spread in their last 15 road games. Offensively the Bobcats have one of the leagues worst away averages scoring 91.9 points per game ranking 30th overall. Defensively on the road the Bobcats are allowing their opponents 103.1 points per game ranking 19th overall in the NBA. The 26-41 Indiana Pacers will enter tonight’s match-up 14-17-1 against the spread at home this season. The Pacers are 4-2 straight up in their last 6 home games and 4-1 straight up in their last 5 home games against Charlotte. Offensively the Pacers at home are one of the leagues better teams scoring 104.3 points per game ranking 9th overall. Defensively the Pacers at home allow their opponents 104.7 points per game ranking a bad 27th. The Bobcats are struggling right now losing their last 4 games straight. Their offense has been very stagnant and defensively they are just average. The Pacers have only won 2 out of their last 5 games but offensively they have been producing big numbers during that stretch. Defensively the Pacers are not that good but their offense should carry them in this game. Take the Pacers to cover this spread with ease tonight. Golden State Warriors (-2) vs. Sacramento Kings (+2) The 41-24 Golden State Warriors will enter tonight's game on the road with a 16-16 against the spread record. The Warriors have the best away offense in the NBA, averaging 108.8 points per game. Defensively the Warriors are one of the leagues worst on the road. They are allowing their opponents 107.3 points per game ranking 28th overall. The 30-36 Sacramento Kings at home this season are 19-12 against the spread. The Kinds have one of the leagues better home offenses, averaging 104.6 points per game ranking 8th overall. Defensively the Kings have one of the leagues worst home defenses, allowing their opponents 102.2 points per game ranking 25th in NBA play. These teams have met twice this season with Golden State winning both contests. We expect tonight to be another win for the Warriors. Golden State has one of the leagues best offenses and Sacramento's defense is going to allow them to easily reach their average tonight. Defensively these two teams are very similar in the amount of points that they will allow each other. Golden State leads the league in three pointers made at 9.5 per game which will allow them to make some good runs against Sacramento tonight. Golden State has owned Sacramento over the years and with Golden State entering tonight winning 4 out of their last five we have to take the hot hand. Phoenix Suns (-4) vs. Portland Trailblazers (+4) Tonight the 44-22 Phoenix Suns will enter the Rose Garden with a 16-14-1 against the spread road record. The Suns have the leagues 2nd best away scoring, averaging 107.97 points per game. Defensively the Suns don't fare well on the road allowing their opponents 105.3 points per game ranking 23rd overall in the NBA. The 35-32 Portland Trailblazers at home this season are 17-15 against the spread. The Trailblazers offensively are averaging at home 97.9 points per game ranking 23rd overall in the league. Defensively the Trailblazers are one of the leagues better home defenses allowing their opponents just 93.8 points per gamer ranking 6th overall. The Suns are hot right now winning their last four straight ball games and already beating the Trailblazers once this year. The Trailblazers have won 3 out of their last 5 games but have not put a win streak together during that span. Offensively the Suns have a huge advantage in this game. Defensively the Trailblazers have one of the leagues better home defenses. With Portland having troubles on the offensive end we don't see them being able to keep up with the Suns offensive power. The Suns defense is one of the leagues worst away defenses but Portland's lack their off offense will allow the Suns to focus more offensively. The Suns will be to much for the Trailblazers to handle late in the game. Charlotte Bobcats (-2) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (+2) The 24-41 Charlotte Bobcats will travel to the FedEx Forum to take on the 15-50 Memphis Grizzlies. Charlotte comes into this game with a 11-19-1 against the spread away record. The Bobcats offensively on the road this season have been averaging just 92.3 points per game ranking a poor 29th overall in the league. Defensively on the road they are allowing their opponents to score 103.4 points per game ranking 19th. The Memphis Grizzlies enter tonight's game with a 13-20 against the spread home record. The Grizzlies at home this season are one of the leagues better offenses, averaging 102.6 points per game ranking 10th overall. Defensively Memphis is one of the leagues worst home defenses, allowing their opponents 106.7 points per game. Both of these teams haven't played all to well this season. Atlanta struggles with their scoring on the road and Memphis has a bad defense. Memphis at home is a pretty high scoring team and Atlanta has had difficulties on the road scoring. Even though the Grizzlies defense isn't the greatest their offense should give them a leg up in tonight's game. We expect the Grizzlies to win this game outright. Cleveland Cavaliers (+7) vs. Orlando Magic (-7) The 37-29 Cleveland Cavaliers will make the trip down to Orlando, Florida tonight to take on the 44-24 Orlando Magic. The Cavaliers enter tonight's game with a 20-15 against the spread road record this season. The Cavaliers offensively are averaging just 95.3 points per game on the road this season ranking 19th overall in the NBA. Defensively on the road this season the Cavaliers are one of the leagues better teams, allowing their opponents just 98.3 points per game ranking 7th overall. The Orlando Magic come into tonight's game with a 19-12-2 against the spread home record. The Magic are one of the leagues better home offenses averaging 105.2 points per game ranking 6th overall in the NBA. Defensively the Magic are allowing their opponents to score 99.5 points per game inside the Amway Arena ranking 18th overall. The Magic are hot right now winning their last four straight games. They score a lot of points at home and they are the leagues second best in three pointers made at 9.5 per game. The Cavaliers have won 3 out of their last 5 ball games. They have trouble scoring at times on the road but they make up for that with good defense. The statistics in this game favor the Orlando magic and with them playing at home we feel that Orlando should cover this spread. Los Angeles Lakers (+4) vs. Houston Rockets (-4) It’s going to be a playoff atmosphere as the LA Lakers head to Houston to take the Rockets at the Toyota Center. It goes without saying the Rockets are on a roll lately but they just aren’t winning games they are covering games as well. They are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 games 8-1 ATS in their last 9 home games. The Lakers coming off a loss at New Orleans and are just 2-5 ATS in their last 7. LA will be without their newest member as Pau Gasol is listed as out indefinably with a sprained ankle. Houston will play to the strength of their 4th ranked defense. Look for the Rockets to own the boards and to buckle down on defense because if they are able to control the tempo they will come away with another win. 22-0 believe it. Utah Jazz (-4) vs. New Jersey Nets (+4) The Utah Jazz are 6-2 against the spread in their last eight games and 4-1 straight up in their last five games on the road. The Jazz are one of the best scoring teams in the league averaging 106.3 points per game. The New Jersey Nets beleive it or not are still in the playoffs if the season was to end today. They are only 1-4 against the spread in their last five games and 7-18 straight up in their last 25 games playing against Utah. Offensively they Nets average just 93.7 points per game and they give up 99.1 points per game on defense. Utah has had problems on the road this season but their ability to score alot of points keeps them in every road game. The Nets struggle to score points but defensively they come to play everynight. The Jazz have too many weapons offensively for the Nets to stop. With The Nets giving up more points than they score, this spread is a no-brainer! Pittsburgh Panthers (+2) vs. Marquette Golden Eagles (-2) The 24-9 Pittsburgh Panthers square off against the 24-8 Marquette Golden Eagles tonight at Madison Square Garden. This game will be a high scoring game full of action. Pittsburgh's Overall scoring this year was 74 ppg while Marquettes overall scoring this year was 76 ppg. Both teams have evenly matced defenses both allowing around 65 ppg. Marquette went 15-11 ATS this season and Pittsburgh went 15-13 this season. The last time these two teams met, it was the middle of February and Marquette was favored by 5 points and beat Pitt 72-54. In their last seven meetings Marquette is 6-1 ATS and 5-2 Straight up. Take Marquette it will be a close game but Marquette shoots 70% at the line, which add on the extra points near the end of the game. Minnesota Golden Gophers (+6) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (-6) The 19-12 Minnesota Golden Gophers will take on the 25-6 Indiana Hoosiers at the Conseco Fieldhouse tongiht in the Big Ten Tournament. Indiana has gone 13-15 ATS this seaon and Minnesota has gone 13-13 ATS. Minnesota is 2-4 Straight up in their last 6 games against Inidana. Minnesota and Indiana met twice this season, once in January where Indiana covered a 1 point spread at Minnesota winning 65-60, and once on March 5th covering a 9 point spread at Indiana winning the game 69-55. So far in the tournament Minnesota barely beat Northwestern failing to cover their 9 point spread. Overall Minnesota is averaing 69 ppg and Indiana is averaging 76 ppg. Look for Indiana to easily win this one, they are the better team, and with their free throw precentage at 73% you can count on a the extra points at the end. Penn State (+8) vs. Illinois (-8) This game pits a battle of sub 500 teams who's only change at the tourney is to win out, but lets face it. Neither team will make it. Regardless, lets take Penn State getting 8 points in a game they should actually win outright. Illinois on the season was 12-19 against the spread this year compared to Penn State's 12-14. Statistically Illinois has the edge in both points for and against, but when Penn State forward Jamelle Cornley plays, they are the better team. Cornley is expected to play tonight against U of I. Even though this game doesnt appear to be a sexy one to watch, betters will enjoy this free win. Illinois will struggle mightily (they of the 43 percent FG percentage) to cover 8 points against a feisty PSU team. Seton Hall Pirates (+10) vs. Marquette Golden Eagles (-10) The Big East tournament gets underway tonight at Madison Square Garden. In one of the first round match-ups Seton Hall (17-14) takes on Marquette (22-8). Look for Marquette to rebound nicely from a tough loss to Syracuse as they seem to have the Pirates number. In their last meeting on Feb 12th Marquette Dominated in a leave-no-doubt 89-64 beat down. The Golden Eagles are a respectable 7-5 ATS away from home. The Golden Eagles who average 76.20 points a game good for 51st in the nation look to exploit one of the countries worst defenses. Seton Hall gives up an astounding 77.58 points per contest ranking them 326th overall. Marquette also has a stingy defense only allowing 64 points a game. The conference tournaments are what separate the men from the boys and Marquette is looking to go deep into the wide open BIG East tournament. Look for Marquette to win convincingly as they will be looking to impress the selection committee in their first step toward making a serious run at the Big East championship. Utah Jazz (-3) vs. Chicago Bulls (+3) The 42-22 Utah Jazz have been on fire winning their last 5 straight games. During their five game winning streak they have been averaging 118.4 points per game and they allowed their opponents to score on average 100.2 points per game. The Jazz have covered the spread well this season going 35-29 overall but they are just average on the road at 14-19 against the spread. Utah has one of the leagues best away offenses averaging 104.6 points per game ranking 6th overall. The 25-38 Chicago Bulls have not had much success this season and even in their last five games they have only won 2. Overall this season the Bulls are 28-35 against the spread and at home they are a bad 12-17 against the spread. The Chicago Bulls at home cannot find an offensive rhythm only scoring 98.2 points per game ranking 21st in the NBA. These two teams are without a doubt on polar opposites of the NBA spectrum this year. The Jazz have the 4th best record in the Western Conference and the Bulls have the 10th best record in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls starting five have only had a couple weeks to play together and at times have looked lost during key moments of games. The Utah Jazz have just built on their success following last seasons breakout year and offensively they are firing on all cylinders. Utah offensively has too many weapons for the Bulls to cover in this one. Boston Celtics (-6) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (+6) Tonight the 49-12 Boston Celtics travel to the Wachovia Center to take on the 29-33 Philadelphia 76ers. On the road this season Boston is 18-10-1 ATS and 36-23-2 ATS all season. The 76ers are 17-13-1 ATS at home this year, which gives Boston the Spread advantage. Boston out does Philadelphia in almost every category and only allowing 90 ppg all season long. The last time these two teams met it was in Boston and the spread was 10.5 points, Boston blew them out winning 89-116. In the last 10 meetings Boston has been 7-2-1 ATS averaging 104 ppg. Boston is averaging 101 ppg on the road this season and only allowing 93 ppg on the road as well. Boston just beat Memphis by 20 points coving an 11 point spread in Memphis and now the will do the same in Philadelphia and continue their winning streak. San Antonio Spurs (-1) vs. Phoenix Suns (+1) Since aquiring Shaquile O'Neal, the Phoenix Suns have watched themselves slip to 6th place in the Western Conference. Today's game against the Spurs will be a struggle as well. The Spurs are one of the NBA's best defensive teams and despite having to play in Phoneix, the Spurs will easily cover the one point. San Antonio can grind the pace of the game way down better than any team in the league and with Phoneix still trying to fit a square peg into a round hole with the Big Aristotle, they won't have enough offense (odd to say about the Suns) to challenge the Spurs. Go with the better defense here and take the Spurs. Stanford Cardinal (-1) vs. USC Trojans (+1) The 24-5 Stanford Cardinal's are 14-15 against the spread overall this season and on the road they are a good 7-5 against the spread. Stanford has a pretty average road offense scoring 67.9 points per game ranking 134th overall in NCAA play. Stanford's defense is what has made them so great this season. On the road this year Stanford is allowing their opponents to score on average 64 points per game ranking a good 27th overall. The 19-10 USC Trojans are 16-10-1 against the spread this season and at home they are 7-7-1 against the spread. USC is one of the lowest scoring home offenses in the league averaging 69.5 points per game ranking a bad 220th overall. Defensively the Trojans are allowing their opponents at home 62 points per game ranking 87th overall in NCAA play. Statistically Stanford beats USC in almost every major category and with this spread where deciding who is going to win this ball game straight up. Stanford's defense is what is going to decide this game and with USC struggling to score at home they should have the upper hand. Plus USC won't have an answer to stop the Lopez twins in this game and when it comes down to the last minutes of the game Stanford will have a huge upper hand. Golden State Warriors (-5) vs. Miami Heat (+5) Golden State has the second best road offense in the NBA averaging 107.9 points per game. On the Other hand, Miami has one of the worst home offenses in the NBA only scoring 94.3 points per game ranking 28th overall. When it comes to defense its pretty much a wash with Miami allowing 100.4 points per game at home and the Warriors allowing 107.4 points per game on the road. The Heat are struggling big time this year with only winning 11 games all season long and only 6 of them coming at home. Wednesday night the Heat hosted the Toronto Raptors and ended up losing 108-83. The Heat are plagued with injuries and have struggled big time on both ends of the court. The Warriors have won 4 out of their last 5 games and have not scored less than 105 points in those games. Golden State is going to be to much offensively for the Heat to handle and this game will be well above the 5 point spread. Connecticut Huskies (-3) vs. Providence Friars (+3) Tonight the 23-6 Connecticut Huskies travel to the Dunkin Donuts Center to take on the 14-14 Providence Friars. First thing I thought when I saw this spread was wow this is a low one, time to make some money. Yes this season Connecticut is only 6-5 ATS on the road this year but most of their spreads have been much larger than this one. Connecticut is 13-10-2 ATS all season this year while the Friars are 6-8 ATS at home and 11-15 ATS all season long. Connecticut averages 75 ppg on the road this year while Providence allows 70 ppg at home this year. Providence scores 76 ppg this year at home and Connecticut allows 73 ppg on the road this year. This game will be high scoring but look for Connecticut to break away from Providence early and end with a nice lead. Syracuse Orange (-2) vs. Seton Hall Pirates (+2) Tonight the 17-12 Syracuse Orange travel to the Prudential Center to take on the 17-12 Seton Hall Pirates. In this match up you have two teams that have struggled lately with Syracuse going 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games and Seton Hall going 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games. But with Syracuse being the much better team this year it is hard to look at the Pirates as only a 2 point dog. Syracuse averages 69 ppg on the road this year while Seton Hall gives up 81 ppg at home this year. Seton Hall is also 3-9 ATS at home this year. Syracuse's road defense is better than the Pirates home defense with Syracuse allowing 74 ppg on the road this year. Syracuse is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games at Seton Hall and tonight will be another win against the spread. Purdue Boilermakers (+1.5) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (-1.5) Purdue heads to Ohio State tied with Wisconsin for the lead in the Big Ten and ranked #15 in the country. This looks to be a close conference game, as the Buckeyes desperately need a marquee win to keep their fading tournament hopes alive. Purdue is 13-1 SU in their last 14 and are 7-1 ATS in their last 8. Purdue also plays well on the road as they are 6-1 ATS on the road in their last 7. Ohio State has been on a bit of a skid as they are 1-5 SU in their last 6 and they have only managed to cover ATS in 2 of their last 8. Even at home the Buckeyes are 1-4 ATS in their last 5. Both teams excel on the defensive end as the Buckeyes rank 22nd in the nation in total defense allowing only 60.79 points a game. The Boilermakers are also an excellent defensive team ranking 14th overall holding opponents to 60.21 points per game. Both teams are about equal on offense with Purdue scoring at a 63.38 points per game clip and the Bucks putting up 67.03 points per game. In what should be a highly contested defensive battle, look for Purdue to edge out a close victory. The numbers don’t lie and Purdue just finds ways to win ballgames with their intangibles. Pittsburgh Panthers (+5) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (-5) The 21-8 Pittsburgh Panthers will travel to Morgantown to take on the 20-9 West Virginia Mountaineers in a Big East Battle tonight. The Panthers are 13-11 against the spread this season overall and on the road they are an even 6-6 against the spread. Pittsburgh has a sub par road offense averaging 67.4 points per game which ranks a high 147th overall in NCAA play. The Panthers road defense is pretty average as well letting their opponents score on average 68.8 points per game which is ranked 105th overall. The West Virginia Mountaineers are 12-10 against the spread this season and at home they are 6-5-1 against the spread. The Mountaineers have one of the better home offenses in the country scoring on average 79.2 points per game which ranks 61st overall in the league. West Virginia also defends their home court pretty well too only allowing their opponents 60.4 points per game ranking 63rd overall. These two teams met February 2nd in Pittsburgh with the Panthers squeezing out a buzzer shot to beat the Mountaineers 55-54. Things should turn out a bit different this time around in Morgantown. West Virginia defends their home court very well only losing 3 games all season long, while the Panthers are just 6-6 straight up on the road this year. West Virginia has the upper hand in almost every statistical category against the Panthers and during this game we don’t expect that trend to change. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-5) vs. DePaul Blue Demons (+5) The 21-6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 11-13 against the spread overall this season and just 2-5 against the spread on the road. The Fighting Irish have one of the best road offenses in the nation scoring averaging 77.4 points per game which ranks 18th in the league. Notre Dames road defense is a different story, they allow their opponents on average 79.6 points per game which is a horrible 307th in NCAA play. The fighting Irish on average have been beating their opponents by 11 points per game. The 10-17 DePaul Blue Demons are 12-12 against the spread this season and at home they are just 4-9 against the spread. DePaul offensively is averaging at home 74.9 points per game which ranks 122nd in the league. Defensively the Blue Demons have one of the worst home defenses in the country letting their opponents score on average 74.8 points per game which is a bad 325th in the country. On average DePaul is actually losing to their opponents by -2.8 points per game. These two teams played against each other February 2nd at Notre Dame with the Fighting Irish coming out victorious winning 89-80. Notre Dame failed to cover the 11 points spread and the total went over the posted 150. The Blue Demons have lost their last four straight and Notre Dame has won 3 out of their last 5. The Fighting Irish beat the Blue Demons in every statistical category except steals this season. The Irish are a far superior team statistically and even being on the road they should have a upper hand in this game. Take the Irish to cover the five point spread on the road. West Virginia Mountaineers (+4) vs. Connecticut Huskies (-4) UConn faces a deceivingly tough task at home today against the West Virginia Mountaineers. UConn has been a solid 4-1-1 Against the Spread in their last 6 games while West Virginia is an equally impressive 5-1-1 in their last 7. Both teams are about as equally matched statistically as one will find in today's matchups so lets stick with the trends. UConn has simply had the Mountaineers number. UConn is 4-1 ATS at home against West Virginia and 4 points seems like a sure thing for a Uconn team that has been on a tear since early January. In a close game, take the better the team. UConn is the better squad. Also, in a close game, take the better rebounding and free throw team. That edge goes to the Huskies. Lay the 4 and make some money. |
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