Service Plays Wednesday 2/12/14

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GL!

Wednesday's Olympic hockey cheat sheet

Here's a look at Wednesday's Olympic men's hockey action (odds courtesy Bet365):

Czech Republic vs. Sweden (-175)

The Czechs (+1300 to win gold) will be needled for being a bit long in the tooth, but Jaromir Jagr still has plenty in the tank and fellow 40-something Petr Nedved is eager to show NHL fans he's still in good shape despite being out of the league for several years. Milan Michalek and David Krejci will add to a potent Czech attack, while the blue-line boasts NHL talent in the form of Radko Gudas, Zbynek Michalek and Ladislav Smid. The netminding, once the domain of Dominik Hasek, is a major question mark as Ondrej Pavelec looks to extend his recent string of success with Winnipeg.

The Swedes (+550) come in as the team to beat in Group C, boasting a potent offense led by Daniel Sedin, Nicklas Backstrom, Gabriel Landeskog and Henrik Zetterberg. Sweden has the best offensive defenseman on the planet in Erik Karlsson, and he's certainly not alone; Oliver Ekman-Larsson has come into his own with the Phoenix Coyotes this season, while Jonathan Ericsson, Alexander Edler and Niklas Hjalmarsson provide some intriguing depth. The perennially solid Henrik Lundqvist will see the bulk of the action in goal, and he's one of the best on the planet when he's on.

NOTES

* Sweden last won Olympic gold in Turin eight years ago, while the Czechs' only Olympic title came in Nagano in 1998.
* The two netminders behind Pavelec on the Czech depth chart - Jakub Kovar and Alexander Salak - have two NHL games between them.
* The teams last faced off in Olympic competition in the 2006 semifinals, won 7-3 by Sweden.
* Backstrom has the most points of any player on either team with 56 (11 goals, 45 assists).


Latvia vs. Switzerland (-667)

The Latvians (+50,000) aren't expected to pose a threat in Group C as they make their fifth appearance in the Olympic tournament. The Latvian roster is a who's-who of players not currently in the NHL; Buffalo Sabres rookie Zemgus Girgensons is the only one in the league, though several others - including defensemen Sandis Ozolinsh and Arturs Kulda and forwards Kaspars Daugavins and Janis Sprukts - have prior NHL experience. Latvia's best result is a ninth-place finish in 1932 and 2002 - and it will be hard-pressed to top that performance this time around.

The Swiss will no longer be able to sneak up on the upper echelon, thanks to a solid roster brimming with NHL-caliber players. The blue-line is particularly robust, with Vancouver's Raphael Diaz and Yannick Weber, Nashville's Roman Josi and Philadelphia's Mark Streit leading the way. Goaltending shouldn't be a concern, with standout Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller drawing starting duties ahead of Calgary's Reto Berra. Scoring could be a problem for the Swiss, however, with Damien Brunner of New Jersey and Nino Niederreiter of Minnesota the only established threats.

NOTES

* Latvia finished 0-3 at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, getting outscored 19-4 in round-robin play en route to a 12th-place finish.
* Switzerland's best result in the last 30 years is a sixth-place finish in 2006 - one spot higher than defending-champion Canada.
* Eight members of the Latvian team play for Dinamo Riga of the Continental Hockey League.
* Niederreiter has 11 goals and 18 assists in 59 games with the Wild this season.

Four banged-up NBA teams getting healthy over the break
By BRIAN COVERT

It’s a long NBA season and for many teams they’re in the thick of the doldrums battling through injuries and, in some cases, just trying to put a healthy lineup on the floor.

But the All-Star Break is upon us and it couldn’t come at a better time for some clubs. Covers.com looks at five teams who can really use the break and what it could mean for their fortunes going forward.

Denver Nuggets (24-26 SU, 22-28 ATS)

Randy Foye and Quincy Miller were the starting backcourt for the Denver Nuggets Monday night versus Indiana. The duo scored nine (all by Foye) and the Nuggets promptly lost by 39 points, their third loss SU and ATS in a row.

Ty Lawson should be back after the break, which will help. Seven of their next 10 games are at home and the Nuggets are 5-2 SU and 6-1 ATS in the previous meetings against those teams they’ll be facing in the Mile High City.

Los Angeles Lakers (18-33 SU, 27-23-1 ATS)

The Lakers would’ve probably traded Pau Gasol by now but he’s damaged goods, along with almost everyone else on the roster. We all knew it was going to be a long year in Tinsel Town but nobody expected it to be compounded by the amount of injuries they’ve faced.

It doesn’t look like they’ll be any healthier after the All-Star break either and with five games in eight days coming out of the weekend. And who knows if Kobe Bryant will return at all? Los Angeles’ season could get a little worse before it gets better – if that’s possible.

Memphis Grizzlies (27-23 SU, 23-26-1 ATS)

The Grizzlies were humming along nicely until they lost point guard Mike Conley. Now, after winning 11 of 12 and going 8-4 ATS, Memphis has lost three of four SU and ATS, averaging less than 84 points per game since Conley went down.

Seven of the Grizzlies’ 10 games after the break are against sub .500 teams and if they’re to make a run at the playoffs, this may be the time with Conley expected back in the lineup.

San Antonio Spurs (37-15 SU, 24-28 ATS)

Of all the teams mentioned, the Spurs probably need the break the most. They are still very much in the thick of things out West but have struggled with key members missing games with niggling injuries.

The days off should do the Spurs well and with three games left on their Rodeo Road Trip before returning home for three, the time might be ripe for the Spurs to go on a bit of a run.

Mid-tier teams fueling Big Ten's red-hot Under trend
By CHASE RUTTIG

Well into conference play, a trend has emerged amongst mid-tier teams in the Big Ten. The Under is one of the best bets involving the conference with Big Ten schools playing Under the number 54 percent of the time in conference games heading into Tuesday action. But the real value is hiding in the middle of the standings.

Big Ten school outside of the Top 5, with the exception of last-place Penn State, each have a Under record of well over .500. Minnesota, Northwestern, Indiana, Nebraska, Purdue and Illinois are a collective 49-77-6 Over/Under – paying out for Under bettors in 61 percent of their games.

We investigated some factors surrounding the low-scoring trends in the Big Ten:

Stingy defenses

Only two teams in the Big Ten allow more than 70 points a game: Purdue (12 Unders in 20 games) and Penn State (13 Overs out of 21 games). Some defenses in the conference are stronger than others with Ohio State's 58.9 PPG total serving as the benchmark. In an already physical conference that is well coached, it’s no surprise games are low scoring with so many quality defenses.

Northwestern/Indiana

Northwestern and Indiana are the two main culprits creating the Under trend in Big Ten play. Northwestern has hit the Under in eight straight games while the Hooisers are on a six-game Under run. That’s 14 straight Under paydays between those two programs. Indiana and Northwestern combined for only 101 points in their most recent meetings, finishing well below the 132.5-point total.

Be wary of Iowa

Iowa is the outlier of the Big Ten with a 14-7 O/U mark, including a 7-3 O/U count in Big Ten play. Averaging 83.7 points a night, the Hawkeyes are the 10th highest scoring team in the nation and love to push the pace, especially at home where they just blew out Michigan 85-67. On a streak of three straight Overs, it appears Iowa is the Big Ten team that breaks the Under trend more often than not.

NCAAB - Exposing the Top 25
Jesse Schule
Each week throughout the college basketball season, Covers Expert Jesse Schule will dissect the new Top 25 rankings, looking for betting value. He'll showcase the most overrated team, along with the most underrated ranked team, and an unranked squad that he feels should be in the Top 25.

Most Underrated Top 25 Team - SMU Mustangs (19-5 SU, 14-6 ATS)
Larry Brown has something special brewin' in Texas, and his Mustangs are back in the Top 25 for the first time in over 30 years. After knocking off the Cincinnati Bearcats in a 76-55 blowout Saturday, there's not much doubt that this team is for real. They are 3-1 versus ranked opponents this season, with victories over Connecticut, Memphis and Cincy.
They will have to face all three of those teams again before season's end, and two of those three games will be on the road. Given what we've seen from the Mustangs so far, I like their chances of staying ranked for the rest of the season.


Most Overrated Top 25 Team - Arizona Wildcats (23-1 SU, 14-9 ATS)
The Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season at California on Feb. 1 and they lost forward Brandon Ashley for the rest of the year after he injured his foot in that game. They haven't quite looked the same since, and almost lost at home to Oregon (67-65).
Arizona will play it's next three games on the road, and all three of those are going to be tough, at Arizona State, Utah and Colorado. Don't be surprised to see the Wildcats struggle down the stretch.


Unranked Team That Should Be Ranked - Kansas State (17-7 SU, 14-7-1 ATS)
When the rankings came out Monday morning, it was just hours before the Wildcats upset the Jayhawks in Manhattan. Kansas State is now 7-4 in conference play, and just two games back of the Big-12 Conference leading Jayhawks. While the remaining schedule has few easy games, they only play one more ranked team, when they host Iowa State.

Bones Best Bet

Olympic Hockey
First play on Olympic hockey. We are more than likely going to have a play on the USA Canada Women's game when the line opens up.
This game starts at NOON ET (February 12th)

SOCHI 2014 - MEN'S OLYMPIC HOCKEY
SWEDEN VS CZECH REPUBLIC - OVER 4.5 -135 *1*
First games for men's hockey at the Olympics often see a lot of scoring. Game 1 in Vancouver pumped out an average total of 5.67. In 2006 in Torino the average total was 7 with not a single game going under 5 goals. A 2-2 game here and we cash. With two teams that have high powered offenses from both their forwards and defense we think 2-2 is quite possible. The Czech Republic's biggest weak spot is in goal, which is great for this over.
Predicted Score: Sweden 4 - Czech Republic 2

Duke-UNC draws three times more action than most NCAAB games
By CHASE RUTTIG

The Tobacco Road Rivalry between Duke and North Carolina hasn’t lost its spot atop college basketball’s most heated clashes, even if the Tar Heels are unranked heading into Wednesday’s home date against the Blue Devils.

Jeff Stoneback, sportsbook manager at the MGM Mirage, is expecting a significant bump in betting action for Wednesday’s college hoops handle, and Duke-UNC is the reason.

"Duke-UNC is one of the biggest matchups of our NCAA year and it draws one of our largest nights in terms of action where we can see around three times of what you could see for an average late season game,” Stoneback tells Covers.

"With college basketball you don't get as many rivalry games as you would see in college football and with Duke and North Carolina being the two schools with the biggest national brands, we generally see a spike in bets from the public whenever they play due to that big-game feel."

But just because Wednesday’s game has a wave of bad blood behind it, don’t expect books to treat the odds for Duke-UNC any differently. Stoneback says linemakers use the same process to set the spread for heated rivalries as they do for each regular season game.

Covers Expert Marc Lawrence echoed Stoneback's take, stating oddsmakers stick to their guns, basing the numbers on each teams’ current power ratings, key injuries, recent form, and home court.

"If (the oddsmaker) senses there will be a rush to one team or another due to public sentiment he will also adjust accordingly,” adds Lawrence.

Duke won both meetings with North Carolina last year but the road team covered the spread in each game. In fact, the last five meetings between the two have seen the road team cover, and going back long term, the visitor is 22-8 ATS in the last 30 installments of the Tobacco Road Rivalry.

Wednesday will mark the third straight time the two schools have met with North Carolina outside the Top 25 – a situation that hasn’t been kind to the Tar Heels. Duke has won 11 of those 12 matchups since 2000, going 7-5 ATS, with eight of those wins coming by double digits.

As for UNC being unranked for the second straight year, Stoneback doesn't think that will affect much Wednesday.

"UNC-Duke will always be one of, if not the biggest nights for college basketball, even if UNC is unranked based on the popularity of the programs,” he says.

The early odds out of Las Vegas have Duke set as a 1-point road favorite with the total at 156 points.

Pitt winning SU, but awful at the betting window

So who’s the best team SU that is a polar opposite at the betting window? It’s got to be Pittsburgh.

The Panthers are making a nice splash in their debut season in the ACC, at 20-4 overall and 8-3 in conference play. But they are a meager 7-13-1 ATS, dropping their last four pointspread decisions. That’s not even Pitt’s worst stretch, though; after covering in three of its first four lined games, Pitt went on a 5-1 SU run in which it went 0-6 ATS.

Steves Golf Picks

Bradley
Haas
Kevin Na
Deleat
Thor Oleson
Bryce Molder

2 UNIT .. Deleat over Rose
1 UNIT .. Bradley over Matsyama

confirmed

NBA

Hot teams
-- Mavericks/Pacers both won five of their last six games.
-- Orlando won three in row overall, five in row at home.
-- Toronto won nine of its last eleven home games.
-- Celtics won four of their last five games.
-- Brooklyn won three of last four games. Bobcats won three of last four on road, are 16-8-2 vs spread on road.
-- Pistons won five of their last seven games (6-1 vs spread). Cavaliers won/covered their last three games.
-- Rockets won their last six games (5-1 vs spread).
-- Utah won last two games by 5-17 points, allowing 84 ppg.
-- Heat won seven of its last nine games. Warriors lost three of last four games at home.
-- Clippers won nine of their last ten home games.

Cold Teams
-- Memphis is 2-3 in last five games, 1-5 vs spread in last six.
-- Hawks lost last four games, three by 5 or less points.
-- Spurs are 4-5 in last nine games (2-7 vs spread).
-- New York lost four of its last five games. Kings lost 12 of last 16 games (0-3 vs spread last three).
-- Wizards lost three of last four games, with three losses by 3 or less points or in OT.
-- Pelicans lost last three on road, by 11-12-7 points. Milwaukee lost nine of last ten games, but covered four of last five.
-- Minnesota won/covered once in its last seven games. Nuggets lost five of their last seven games.
-- 76ers lost last seven games (1-6 vs spread).
-- Trailblazers are 3-5 in their last eight games.

Series records
-- Pacers won four of their last five games with Dallas.
-- Grizzlies won their last six games with Orlando.
-- Hawks won 14 of their l ast 17 games with Toronto.
-- Celtics lost their last four games with San Antonio.
-- Nets won six of last seven games with Charlotte.
-- Pistons won their last seven games with Cleveland.
-- Knicks won three of last four games with Sacramento.
-- Rockets won five of last six games with Washington.
-- Bucks lost seven of last nine games vs Milwaukee.
-- Nuggets won three in row, 18 of last 22 with Minnesota.
-- 76ers lost last five visits to Utah, by 17-21-5-3-16 points.
-- Warriors won three of last four games with Miami.
-- Portland lost last five games at the Clippers, by 5-1-13-16 points.

Totals
-- Six of last nine Dallas games went over total.
-- Eight of last ten Memphis games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Toronto games went over.
-- Four of last five San Antonio games went over.
-- Under is 8-2-1 in last eleven Brooklyn-Charlotte games.
-- Four of last five Cleveland games went over total.
-- Six of last eight Sacramento games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Houston games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Pelican-Buck games stayed under.
-- Seven of last nine Denver-Minnesota games went over.
-- Last six Utah games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Miami games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Clipper games went over total.

Back to backs
-- Dallas is 3-2 vs spread if it lost night before.
-- Memphis is 0-3 vs spread on road if it played at home night before.
-- Hawks are 4-6 vs spread if they played night before.
-- Bobcats are 2-6 vs spread if they won the night before.
-- Cleveland is 2-4 vs spread on road if it played night before./
-- Kings are 5-6 vs spread if they played night before.
-- Washington is 4-2 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Jazz are 1-3 vs spread if they won the night before.
-- Miami is 5-2 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Portland is 3-1 vs spread if it lost the night before.

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play WED W.Michigan -1

NCAAB

Wednesday, February 12

George Washington (+1.5) beat VCU 76-66 at home Jan 14, avenging an 84-57 loss at VCU in first A-13 meeting LY; Colonials outscored Rams 20-7 on foul line, survived 21 (-7) turnovers. A-13 home favorites of less than 5 points are 11-7 vs spread. GW won seven of last eight games, is 1-2 as A-13 underdog. VCU is 2-3 as home favorite, but won all five of the games, all by 11+ points- they force turnovers 23.3% of time.

Villanova (-17) shot 73% inside arc in 88-62 home win over DePaul Jan 18, Wildcats' 7th straight series win- they've won last three visits here by 2-2-23 points. DePaul's leading scorer Melvin is off team; Demons lost last six games (1-5 vs spread)- they're 1-4 as home dog, with three of four home losses by 10+ points. Big East road favorites of more than 4 points are 7-1. Villanova is 7-1-1 vs spread in its last nine games.

Syracuse lost its last five visits to Pitt; their last win here was 10 years ago. Pitt star Patterson is struggling with injured thumb, making 14-51 from floor in last four games, which Pitt split, with both wins over poor teams in OT. Syracuse is 4-0 on ACC road, with all four wins by 10+; they beat Panthers 59-54 (-5) Jan 18, making 65% of shots inside arc. Pitt had 16 offensive boards that game, but was just 13-23 from the line. ACC home teams are 9-23 vs spread if spread was 5 or less points.

Akron won its last four games with Western Michigan, winning by 3 in OT here LY. Zips' last three games were all decided by 4 or less points; they're 5-1 on MAC road, with underdogs covering five of the six tilts. WMU won five of last six games; underdogs are 5-0 vs spread in their MAC home games. MAC home favorites of 4 or less points are 4-8 vs spread. Four of six Akron road games were decided by 4 or less points.

Ohio (-3) made 11-25 from arc, beat Toledo 95-90 in OT Feb 1, after trailing by 11 with 8:58 left; Bobcats are 7-1 in last eight series games, but lost by 4 in last visit here in '12. MAC home favorites of 5+ points are 8-13-1 vs spread. Toledo won eight of last nine games but is 0-4-1 as a home favorite. Ohio won four of last five games; only one of their three MAC losses was by more than three points.

Home team is 14-2 in last 16 Indiana State-Bradley games; Sycamores are 1-9 in last ten visits to Peoria, losing by 8-12 in last two visits here. ISU is 4-2 on Valley road, with three of four wins by 6 or less points- they're 2-2 as road favorite. MVC favorites are 8-3 vs spread if spread was less than 4 points. Bradley won five of last seven games; they're 5-1 at home in Valley, with only loss by 3 to Missouri State.

Kentucky won 11 games with Auburn, with last four all by 10+ points; Wildcats won last five visits here by 9-9-3-5-22 points- they're 6-1 in last seven games overall, 1-2-1 as road favorite, winning away games by 9-5-10 points. SEC home underdogs are 14-7-1 vs spread. Auburn won three of last four games, covering all four; they're 2-2 at home in SEC, losing by 2 to Missouri, 7 to Florida (1-1 as home dog).

Illinois won three of last four games with Nebraska, splitting pair of 20+ point decisions here; Illini snapped 8-game skid Sunday at Penn St- they are 1-4 on Big Dozen road, losing by 25-6-7-10 points. Nebraska won last three home games by 6-4-5 points, is 7-1 vs spread last eight games. Big Dozen home favorites of 5 or less points are 7-9 vs spread. Illini is 2-7 against the spread in its last nine games.

Duke won seven of last nine games with North Carolina, winning its last two visits here, by 1-16 points. Duke won seven of last eight games, is 7-1 vs spread in last eight, winning three of last four on road, with only loss by hoop at Syracuse. ACC home underdogs of 4 or less points are 2-8 vs spread. Carolina won its last five games, all by 11+ points- they also won their last four home games.

Stanford (-10) outscored Washington 24-6 on line in 79-67 win over the Huskies Jan 18, just its second win in last 11 series games. Cardinal lost its last four visits here, by 1-33-11-13 points- they won six of last eight games, covering last four games as favorite. Pac-12 home underdogs of 5 or less points are 9-5 vs spread. Washington lost five of last seven but is 4-0 SU at home in conference- dogs covered six of its last seven games.

New Mexico (-5) beat Boise State 84-75 Jan 21, making 9-17 from arc, making 59% inside arc; Lobos are 5-0 vs Boise in MW play, winning by 16-5 in last two visits here. Mountain West home favorites of 5 or less points are 8-4 vs spread. Broncos lost last three games, are 1-5 as MW home favorite; they're 2-5 in league games decided by 6 or less points. Lobos won last six games; dogs are 4-1 vs spread in their MW road tilts.

Nevada won six of last seven games with Fresno State, winning 96-86 in double OT in first meeting Jan 22, after trailing by 10 in the second half. Wolf Pack is 3-0 as home favorite; three of its four home wins are by 9+ points. Fresno won its last three games, is 3-2 as road dog, with one road loss by more than 7 points. Mountain West home favorites of 5 or less points are 8-4 vs spread. Last two series games both went to OT.

Cal (-15) beat Washington State 76-55 at home Jan 18, but it was only 34-33 at half; home team won last six series games- Bears lost last two visits to Pullman, by 4-2 points. Pac-12 home underdogs of more than 5 points are 2-4 vs spread. Erratic Cal lost four of last five games, but win was over #1 Arizona- they lost last two road games. Wazzu is 3-2 as a home dog; home teams covered eight of their 11 conference games.

Game of the Day: Duke at North Carolina

Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina Tar Heels (+2.5, 156)

North Carolina will try to run its record to 4-0 against the teams that opened the season ranked in the top four in the preseason coaches’ poll, hosting No. 9 Duke in a pivotal ACC game Wednesday night. The Tar Heels have already knocked off No. 8 Louisville, No. 10 Michigan State and No. 13 Kentucky, but will need another win against a ranked opponent for a chance to get back into the top 25. More importantly, a victory for North Carolina would bring the Tar Heels closer to the top four in the conference standings.

North Carolina has won five in a row, all by double digits, to get back into the thick of the ACC race. Duke had its own five-game winning streak in ACC play interrupted by a loss to top-ranked Syracuse on Feb. 1, but the Blue Devils have reeled off back-to-back wins against Wake Forest and Boston College. Jabari Parker is coming off career highs in points (29) and rebounds (16) in the win against Boston College.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: Duke opened as a 2.5-point road favorite with oddsmakers suggesting a total of 156 points.

POWER RANKINGS: Duke (-15.85) - North Carolina (-9.25) - Home Court (-3.0) = Duke -3.6

INJURY WATCH: N/A

WHY BET DUKE (19-5 SU, 16-8 ATS, 12-11 O/U): Rodney Hood loses a lot of attention to Parker, but the 6-8 sophomore forward might by the Blue Devils’ most consistent player. He’s coming off back-to-back games scoring in single digits for the first time this season, so look for the Mississippi native to be extra focused for his first game against the Tar Heels. The other sophomore forward for Duke, 6-9 Amile Jefferson, is up to 66 percent shooting from the floor this season after making all three of his attempts in Saturday’s win against Boston College.

WHY BET NORTH CAROLINA (16-7, 12-11 ATS, 10-12 O/U): James Michael McAdoo will likely get the task of trying to guard Hood or Jefferson at the outset. McAdoo hasn’t had any trouble with his offensive game in a while, reaching double figures in scoring the last 16 games. McAdoo has lost three out of four in his career against Duke, including both games on his home floor, so look for a top-notch effort from the 6-9 junior forward.

TRENDS:

* Blue Devils are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings in North Carolina.
* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings in North Carolina.
* Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
* Road team is 22-8 ATS in the last 30 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 60.78 percent of the wagers are on Duke at -2.5.


Weather could impact Duke vs. North Carolina

Old Man Winter is making his way through North Carolina and could have a bit of an influence on Wednesday's meeting between Duke and UNC.

Per WFMYnews2.com, the game is currently slated to go but conditions will be monitored.

"There is no change. We are monitoring the situation with the ACC," UNC Senior Associate A.D. of Communications Steve Kirschner told WFMYnews2. "The league's policy is that if the teams and officials can get to the site safely then the game should be played. But we are keeping an eye on the forecast."

At the very least, however, this could impact travel for the Duke fans who wanted to make the trip.

NCAA Basketball Picks

Duke at North Carolina

The Tar Heels look to stay hot as they come into tonight's matchup against Duke with a 5-0 ATS record in their last 5 games. North Carolina is the pick (+3) according to Dunkel, which has the Tar Heels favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: North Carolina (+3) . Here are all of today's games.

Today's NBA Picks

Portland at LA Clippers

The Trail Blazers head to LA tonight where they are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against the Clippers. LA is the pick (-7 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Clippers favored by 10. Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (-7 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

StatFox Super Situations - FoxSheets

CBB SYRACUSE at PITTSBURGH
Play On - Road teams where the line is +3 to -3 (SYRACUSE) after allowing 60 points or less 2 straight games against opponent after scoring 65 points or less 3 straight games
41-15 over the last 5 seasons. ( 73.2% 24.5 units )

CBB ILLINOIS ST at EVANSVILLE
Play Against - Road underdogs vs. the money line (ILLINOIS ST) off a road loss, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a losing team
222-91 since 1997. ( 70.9% 75.0 units )
10-10 this year. ( 50.0% -2.6 units )

CBB FRESNO ST at NEVADA
Play Against - Underdogs of 2 to 3.5 points vs. the first half line (FRESNO ST) revenging a home loss vs opponent of 10 points or more, off 2 consecutive wins by 10 points or more against conference rivals
41-15 since 1997. ( 73.2% 24.5 units )
1-0 this year. ( 100.0% 1.0 units )

StatFox Super Situations - FoxSheets

NBA DENVER at MINNESOTA
Play On - Road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (DENVER) explosive offensive team - scoring 103+ points/game on the season, after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half
29-8 since 1997. ( 78.4% 20.2 units )
3-3 this year. ( 50.0% -0.3 units )

NBA PORTLAND at LA CLIPPERS
Play On - Road teams vs. the money line (PORTLAND) off an upset loss to a division rival as a favorite, with a winning record on the season
52-27 over the last 5 seasons. ( 65.8% 28.8 units )
5-4 this year. ( 55.6% 4.3 units )

NBA CLEVELAND at DETROIT
Play Against - Underdogs of 2 to 3.5 points vs. the first half line (CLEVELAND) after beating the spread by 30 or more points total in their last three games, in February games
66-31 since 1997. ( 68.0% 31.9 units )
1-2 this year. ( 33.3% -1.2 units )

PAUL LEINER

500* Over 203 - Wizards/Rockets

100* LSU -3

50* George Washington +7