Service Plays Sunday 2/23/14

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GL!

POINTWISE

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

(12:00) NEBRASKA 75 - Purdue 62 _____ _____

(12:00) Michigan State 69 - MICHIGAN 68 _____ _____

(1:30) COLUMBIA 65 - Yale 64 (NBCS) _____ _____

(2:00) Northern Illinois 78 - CENTRAL MICHIGAN 70 _____ _____

(2:00) WESTERN MICHIGAN 59 - Eastern Michigan 55 _____ _____

(2:00) MIAMI-OHIO 67 - Bowling Green 64 _____ _____

(2:00) CONNECTICUT 80 - Smu 73 (CBSC) _____ _____

(3:00) DELAWARE 76 - Drexel 71 _____ _____

(5:00) CREIGHTON 87 - Seton Hall 69 (FSN) _____ _____

(5:00) NORTHERN IOWA 78 - Illinois State 64 _____ _____

(6:00) TOLEDO 74 - Ball State 57 _____ _____

(6:00) PITTSBURGH 71 - Florida State 55 (ESPNU) _____ _____

(6:00) BUTLER 72 - Providence 71 (FOX 1) _____ _____

(8:00) CALIFORNIA 83 - Southern California 60 (FOX 1) _____ _____

(8:00) UTAH 80 - Arizona State 68 (ESPNU) _____ _____

(9:00) OREGON 79 - Washington State 69 _____ _____

BEST BETS
NEBRASKA
MICHIGAN ST.
NO ILLINOIS
NO IOWA
UTAH

POINTWISE

NBA BASKETBALL

(1:00) LA Clippers 108 - OKLAHOMA CITY 107 (ABC) _____ ____

(3:30) MIAMI HEAT 103 - Chicago Bulls 95 (ABC) _____ _____

(6:05) TORONTO RAPTORS 102 - Orlando Magic 97 _____ _____

(6:05) Washington Wizards 98 - CLEVELAND CAVS 96 _____ _____

(8:05) DENVER NUGGETS 118 - Sacramento Kings 113 _____ _____

(8:05) Houston Rockets 105 - PHOENIX SUNS 98 _____ _____

(9:05) Minnesota Timberwolves 106 - PORTLAND 100 _____ _____

(9:05) LA LAKERS 104 - Brooklyn Nets 102 (ESPN) _____ _____

BEST BETS
LA CLIPPERS (3)
HOUSTON
MINNESOTA

Game of the Day: Canada vs. Sweden

Canada vs. Sweden (+150, 4.5)

Canada looks to repeat as Olympic champion Sunday as it faces fellow unbeaten Sweden in the gold-medal showdown in Sochi. Both teams used strong defensive efforts to reach the championship match. The Swedes fell behind early but rallied behind Erik Karlsson's game-winner to upend Finland 2-1 in the first semifinal, while Carey Price turned aside 31 shots and Jamie Benn provided all the offense the Canadians would need with a second-period goal in a thrilling 1-0 victory over the rival U.S.

Both teams are dealing with injuries to star players heading into what should be an entertaining title game. The Swedes have had to make do without Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg, who suffered a herniated disk in his back and could be forced to miss significant time once the NHL season resumes next week. The New York Islanders are in the same boat after Canadian forward John Tavares suffered two torn knee ligaments in a victory over Latvia and has already been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

TV: 7 a.m. ET, NBC, CBC

LINE HISTORY: Canada was installed as an early -190 favorite, but has dipped slightly to -182 with the over/under holding steady at 4.5.

INJURY WATCH: Canada - F John Tavares (Out - knee); Sweden - F Henrik Zetterberg (Out - back).

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "We will need Sweden in this matchup, as 80 percent of the cash so far is on Canada -190." - Mike Perry, Sportsbook

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Oddsmakers give Canada a 62 percent chance of winning this game, so they are the better team. Main concern is a possible letdown after the hard-fought 1-0 win over USA. Normally, you would not expect any letdown in a Gold medal game, but Canada used a lot of energy against their main rival, while Sweden had a bit of an easier game versus a weaker Finland team." - Steve Merril

ABOUT TEAM CANADA (5-0-0): Canadian fans have been concerned about their team's inability to convert quality scoring chances - but while Friday's victory may have been close on the scoresheet, supporters had to be happy with the way Canada controlled the play. That has been a theme of the tournament for the Canadians, who aren't blowing teams out but have been the most defensively responsible team in the tournament, having surrendered just three goals in five games. Price is expected to get the assignment against Sweden after shutting down the prolific Americans in the semis.

ABOUT TEAM SWEDEN (5-0-0): The Swedes rolled through Group C action without much resistance, then trounced Slovenia 5-0 in the quarterfinals before getting all they could handle from an energetic Finnish side missing three key players. Sweden eventually wore Finland down - carrying the play over the final two periods and getting the eventual game-winner from Karlsson, who may very well be the best player in the tournament to date. The Swedish power play has been the most potent in the competition and Canada will need to play a disciplined game or risk getting beaten on special teams.

TRENDS:
* Karlsson has a tournament-best eight points (four goals, four assists) while Drew Doughty leads Canada with six points (four goals, two assists).
* Sweden G Henrik Lundqvist is one of only three netminders with more than one shutout in the tournament.
* The Swedes trailed for only one minute, 23 seconds in the entire competition going into their semifinal against Finland.
* Canada has surrendered just one goal in its last 144 minutes, 32 seconds of action.

Bettors behind Canada to capture hockey gold
Andrew Avery

Canada will try to win its second-straight Olympic gold medal as it takes on the dangerous Swedes Sunday.

The Canadians defeated the Americans 1-0 in Friday's semifinal, while earlier in the day, Sweden defeated Finland 2-1.

According to Mike Perry of Sportsbook, 75 percent of cash is on the Canadians.

That action has pushed Canada to -205 faves, after opening -180 at Sportsbook

Game of the Day: Michigan State at Michigan

Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines (-2.5)

The race for first place in the Big Ten takes center stage Sunday when Michigan hosts rival Michigan State in one of the most anticipated of the 173 meetings between the teams. Both teams have exchanged wins and losses since the Wolverines picked up an 80-75 win at the Spartans on Jan. 25 to assume to the top spot in the conference at the time. No. 20 Michigan's see-saw ride continued with a 75-62 loss to Wisconsin on Sunday, as Caris LeVert tallied a career-high 25 points but received little support in the Wolverines' lowest-scoring effort at home since a 58-57 win over Michigan State last March.

The 14th-ranked Spartans have not won consecutive games since losing forward Branden Dawson to a broken hand prior to the meeting with Michigan last month, and Dawson remains unavailable after having the pins removed from the hand Friday. With its top rebounder and a standout defender still stuck on the sidelines, Michigan State stepped up its game on the perimeter in a 94-79 win at Purdue on Thursday. Gary Harris made six of the Spartans' school-record 17 3-pointers and finished with 25 points to lead the way.

TV: 12 p.m. ET, CBS

LINE HISTORY: The Wolverines opened as 2.5-point home faves

POWER RANKINGS: Michigan State (-12.4) - Michigan (-10.9) + Home Court (-3.0) = Michigan -1.5

INJURY WATCH: Michigan State - Branden Dawson (Out - Hand), Michigan - Mitch McGary (Out - Back)

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "It was nice to see Keith Appling on the court over the weekend. But he was obviously still favoring that right wrist and Tom Izzo has talked about "shutting him down" for the regular season. Sparty is mediocre without Appling and Branden Dawson." Doc Sports.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (22-5 SU, 15-9-2 ATS, 13-13-2 O/U): While Dawson remains out the Spartans will have the services of senior center Adreian Payne, who missed the first meeting between the rivals due to a foot injury, all part of an injury-plagued campaign for Tom Izzo's team. Payne is averaging 18 points and 6.8 rebounds in five games since his return, and guard Keith Appling produced nine assists in 25 minutes against the Boilermakers in his second game since coming back from a wrist ailment. If Appling continues to progress and Dawson's imminent return - which Izzo said could come in the Spartans' next game March 1 versus Illinois - occurs without a hitch Michigan State will look more like the team ranked second nationally in the preseason.

ABOUT MICHIGAN (18-7 SU, 12-10-1 ATS, 12-10-1 O/U): Nik Stauskas scored 19 points in the win over the Spartans last month, but has struggled a bit in the Wolverines' ensuing 3-3 stretch. Stauskas, who leads Michigan in scoring at 16.7, is averaging 11.2 points on 40 percent shooting during the six-game swoon, one reason that the league's top shooting team has been held to 70 points or less in four of its last five affairs. LeVert has done his part to fill the gap by averaging 16.3 points and hitting 46.4 percent of his 3-pointers in the six-game span.

TRENDS:
* Spartans are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings in Michigan.
* Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Spartans are 5-1 ATS in their last six vs. Big Ten.
* Wolverines are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight home games.

CONSENSUS: 53 percent of bets are on Michigan -2.5.

No. 20 Michigan looks to sweep No. 13 MSU Sunday
by Mark Kern

Crisler Center – Ann Arbor, MI
Tip-off: Sunday, Noon ET
Line: Michigan -3½

No. 13 Michigan State will look to continue its hot shooting on Sunday as it travels to Ann Arbor to take on No. 20 Michigan in a game that could determine the Big Ten regular season title.

These two teams squared off in East Lansing earlier in the season on Jan. 25, with the Wolverines emerging with the 80-75 upset victory, to improve to 5-2 SU (4-3 ATS) in the past seven meetings of this in-state rivalry. However, the Spartans' second leading scorer, PF Adreian Payne was out due to injury in the game. Michigan did a terrific job shooting the ball from deep in that matchup, connecting on 11-of-19 from behind the three-point line. Michigan SG Nik Stauskas finished the game with 19 points, connecting on 5-of-6 attempts from deep. SG Gary Harris did everything he could do to keep the Spartans in the game, tallying 27 points (9-of-16 FG, 4-of-6 threes) and five rebounds. Michigan State is coming off a 94-79 victory over Purdue on Thursday night to improve to 16-10 ATS overall, 10-4 ATS in Big Ten play and a perfect 8-0 ATS on the road. The Spartans were on fire from the outside, hitting a school record 17 three-pointers. Once again, it was Harris who led the way, scoring 25 points while hitting six threes. Michigan (12-10-1 ATS overall) will be looking to bounce back from a 75-62 home loss to No. 21 Wisconsin in its most recent game last Sunday. The Wolverines compiled only five assists on 20 baskets and could not slow down the Badgers' offense, as Wisconsin turned the ball over only two times. SG Caris LeVert had a big game on the offensive end, finishing with 25 points (5-of-6 threes) and six rebounds.

As is the case with any Tom Izzo team, Michigan State has been strong on the boards this season, ranking 46th in the nation in rebounding with 38.0 RPG. This is also a very smart and unselfish club, with an outstanding 26 assists on its 30 made shots in the romp over Purdue, and it now ranks sixth in the country in assists with 17.5 APG. The problem with the Spartans offensively is that at times they have looked incredible (87.0 PPG in past three wins), but other times have struggled (56.3 PPG in past three losses). Defensively, MSU ranks among the top-60 Division I teams in scoring defense (65.3 PPG, 56th), steals (7.4 SPG, 53rd) and blocks (4.8 BPG, 55th). There are plenty of weapons on this team to where it should not struggle scoring the ball. While SG Gary Harris (17.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.8 APG) was the star of the night against Purdue, PF Adreian Payne (16.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG) is playing some terrific basketball now that he's fully healthy. He played just 22 minutes in Thursday's blowout, but still finished with 23 points (4-of-8 threes) and four rebounds. His great long-range shooting (44% threes) forces opposing big men to play defense on the perimeter, opening up driving lanes for players like Harris and PG Keith Appling (13.9 PPG, 4.9 APG, 3.5 APG). Appling did not have a big game scoring against the Boilermakers (just one point), but he did a great job of running the team and finding the open shooters with nine assists. Appling is the key for this team and especially in this contest, as he will be matched up against Derrick Walton Jr., the freshman point guard of the Wolverines.

While SGs Nik Stauskas (16.7 PPG, 44% threes, 3.5 APG) and Caris LeVert (13.0 PPG, 40% threes, 4.5 RPG) are the best scorers on the team, the Wolverines are going to go as freshman PG Derrick Walton Jr. takes them (8.4 PPG, 39% threes, 2.9 APG). In the loss to the Badgers last Sunday, Walton went scoreless with just one assist in 33 minutes. In the first matchup against the Spartans last month, he finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists in what was the best game of his career. For a freshman to do that at Michigan State is very impressive, and it shows the potential that Walton Jr. has. Another guy that needs to step up for Michigan is PF Glenn Robinson III (12.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG). He is an exciting player when he is out in the open and attacking the rim, but in this game he must be a factor on the boards, as Robinson secured just one rebound in 26 meetings versus MSU last month. In that Jan. 25 meeting, the Wolverines were able to win the rebounding battle 35-29, but that was without Payne playing for the Spartans. Michigan currently ranks 274th in the nation on the glass (32.9 RPG), but is one of the best shooting teams in the nation (47.9% FG, 25th in Div. I), while scoring 75.0 points per game (82nd in nation). If Michigan is able to win the rebounding battle again, then the Wolverines have a great chance of pulling off a rare season sweep over the Spartans.

Dog paying off in Michigan-MSU rivalry
by Andrew Avery

Sunday features a big rivalry game in college hoops as Michigan hosts Michigan State. The dog has been a big winner for bettors in recent games as it has gone 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings between the two programs.

Oddsmakers have suggested a spread of Michigan -3 for this edition of the rivalry.

Earnhardt, Jr. still a top driver with bettors
By ANDREW AVERY

With NASCAR's biggest race to set to go Sunday, we talk with Mike Perry of Sportsbook and Ed Salmons, sportsbook manager at the LVH SuperBook, about the action coming in on the Daytona 500.

"Despite his struggles for most of the past few seasons, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is still the most popular driver with bettors," Perry. "His odds to win Daytona have been the neighborhood of 10/1 and we will lose a decent chunk of money if he wins Sunday."

Polesitters are always a big draw with bettors as well and this year is no different.

"We have taken tons of action on Daytona pole-sitter Austin Dillon at 30-1, so we moved him down to 25-1," Perry said. "He’s another racer we lose money on if he rolls into victory lane.

In Vegas, it's some more familiar names that are seeing the bulk of the action, with a few suprises mixed in.

"Most action on odds to win are on Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson," says Salmons. "Trevor Bayne, Paul Menard and David Gilliland are drawing surprising action."

NASCAR season officially begins Sunday at Daytona
by Brian Graham

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Daytona 500

Sunday, February 23 – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FL
Another NASCAR season gets underway with the historic Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon. Daytona International Speedway, completed in 1959, is a 2.5-mile, tri-oval track with huge bankings (31-degree turns, 18-degree tri-oval banking). The frontstrech measures 3,800 feet with the backstretch coming in at 3,000 feet. Jimmie Johnson, who won both races at this track last season, is the favorite to repeat his Daytona 500 victory, but is one of six drivers with the lowest odds on the board (10-to-1).

Odds to Win Race

Driver Odds
Jimmie Johnson 10-to-1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10-to-1
Denny Hamlin 10-to-1
Matt Kenseth 10-to-1
Kyle Busch 10-to-1
Kevin Harvick 10-to-1
Tony Stewart 12-to-1
Brad Keselowski 12-to-1
Kasey Kahne 15-to-1
Kurt Busch 15-to-1
Joey Logano 15-to-1
Jeff Gordon 15-to-1
Clint Bowyer 25-to-1
Jamie McMurray 25-to-1
Greg Biffle 25-to-1
Carl Edwards 25-to-1
FIELD (Any other driver) 25-to-1
Austin Dillon 30-to-1
Ryan Newman 30-to-1
Brian Vickers 35-to-1
Martin Truex Jr. 35-to-1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 40-to-1
Kyle Larson 40-to-1
Paul Menard 40-to-1
Danica Patrick 50-to-1
Michael Waltrip 50-to-1
Marcos Ambrose 60-to-1
Trevor Bayne 75-to-1
David Ragan 100-to-1
David Gilliland 100-to-1
A.J. Allmendinger 100-to-1
Justin Allgaier 200-to-1
Casey Mears 200-to-1
Michael Annett 200-to-1

Drivers to Watch

Tony Stewart (12/1) - Stewart has yet to win a Daytona 500 race, but he has four career wins at this track, all since 2005, and he's ready to put last year's broken leg behind him and start the season on a positive note. In addition to those wins, "Smoke" has five other top-5 finishes at Daytona including a runner-up to Jimmie Johnson last July in the Coke Zero 400. The odds aren't ultra favorable, but Stewart is our pick to open the 2014 season with a victory.

Denny Hamlin (10/1) - Of all six favorites on the board this week, Hamlin appears to have the best chance to wind up victorious. He could become the first driver ever to sweep the Speedweeks, having won the Sprint Unlimited exhibition and Budweiser Duel 2 at this venue. Although Hamlin has never won a NASCAR race at Daytona, he has led for 237 laps spread out over 11 different races at this track. In addition to his 3rd-place showing back in 2009, he placed 4th in the crazy 2012 Daytona 500 won by Matt Kenseth.

Greg Biffle (25/1) - A strong darkhorse candidate this week is Biffle, who has come very close to winning the Daytona 500 in three of the past four years. He led for 27 laps and placed 3rd in this race in 2010, and after he crashed in 2011, Biffle placed 3rd in the 2012 Daytona 500 that he led for 44 laps, and then came in 6th place in last year's race. With seven career wins on speedways that are at least two miles long, Biffle feels comfortable in this format, and therefore is worthy of a small wager on Sunday.

David Ragan (100/1) - There aren't a lot of longshot picks on the board for Sunday, but Ragan is the best of the lot, having won at this track at the 2011 Coke Zero 400. Although he hasn't placed in the top-20 in four races since that victory, Ragan does have three other top-6 showings in his 14 starts in Daytona. His other NASCAR victory came on the other superspeedway on the circuit (last May at Talladega), showing that Ragan is perfectly capable of racing with the leaders on the big track. With triple-digit odds, he could bankroll your NASCAR wagers for the entire season with a victory on Sunday.

Austin Dillon (30/1) - It's not often that you get 30-to-1 odds on a pole position driver, making Dillon an intriguing value play for this weekend. The 23-year-old has raced just 13 times in a NASCAR event with zero top-10 finishes, but he did get to race in the Daytona 500 last season (starting 8th and placing 31st after a crash), so he should have a much better feel of how this race will play out this time around. But the lack of experience here should limit your wager to no more than one unit.

NASCAR Betting Tips from Experts, Cappers and Books

NASCAR betting is one of the most steadily growing outlining sports as far as North American sportsbooks are concerned, starting to draw weekly handles that rival golf and tennis.

With the Daytona 500 officially opening wagering for the 2014 Sprint Cup Series this Sunday, we asked NASCAR experts, professional handicappers and oddsmakers the best practices for wagering on NASCAR from week to week.

Greg Engle, Editor CupScene – “Some drivers will do better on the smaller ovals, less than 1.5 miles, while others will do well on the larger ones, up to 2.5 miles. Still others will excel only at road courses. One of the keys to consistent betting success is finding those drivers who can excel at each of the type of tracks NASCAR races at each week. In fact NASCAR rewards consistency in addition to wins.”

Steve Merril – “I've always felt qualifying is vastly overrated as it is just one fast lap and does not indicate how the cars will actually run during a 200 or 300-lap race. However, things are changing this year.

There is a new qualifying format in NASCAR and basically the cars will race for several laps, some will be eliminated, and then the fastest remaining set the starting lineup order. This will basically be like another practice session and will provide some solid information on which cars are fastest on multiple laps for the upcoming raceday.”

Michael Stewart, oddsmaker CarbonSports – “The top drivers - Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart to name a few - generally draw the most action, also the pole sitter will see a fair amount of action. As Bookmakers you are always looking at the trends and patterns, and the same holds true with NASCAR.

If a driver has won or placed in the top three at a specific track his odds could be adjusted for that event. If a driver goes on a nice winning streak - two or three wins in a row - chances are they will be the favorite going into the next race.”

Doc’s Sports – “There were 52 drivers that earned points in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series last season. The number of drivers that competed in all 36 point races drops to 28, and there were just 16 drivers on that list that actually won a Sprint Cup point race in 2013.This is not horse racing where long shots come out of nowhere to upset the field. And it is not the NFL where on any given Sunday, anyone can win.

NASCAR may have a full field of 30-plus drivers in any one race, but in reality there are only about four or five contenders that have a legitimate shot at winning that event. Anyone who follows NASCAR on a regular basis remembers Trevor Bayne’s thrilling victory as a huge long shot in the 2011 Daytona 500, but this is still a sport where it pays to go chalk. The return on investment may be slim, but it’s better than no return at all.”

Greg Engle, Editor Cup Scene – “When looking to bet on a single NASCAR race there are several things to look for. One is a driver’s rating. These ratings combine such things as laps led, and finishes at a particular track. Also look at how a driver did the last time the series visited that particular track. History can usually be a good indicator of future performance. Also, if it is late in the season there is a pretty good chance NASCAR has been there once already that year. Most of the tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit are raced at twice in the same season.”

Steve Merril – “There are normally two or three practice sessions the two days before a race and this is a great time to find out which cars are fast. The drivers run multiple laps, normally in their race setup. Pay particular attention to ‘Happy Hour’ which is the final practice session before the raceday.”

Michael Stewart, oddsmaker CarbonSports – “When betting on NASCAR, trends are the most important factor. How a driver does at a particular track, and type of track. Another thing to factor in is the crew, how strong is the crew during pit stops, and the strategy of the crew chief.”

Doc’s Sports – “Going hand-in-hand with betting on favorites is the strategy of betting on favorites that know how to win races. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a great driver and coming off a fifth-place finish in last season’s point standings, but he has posted just one Sprint Cup point race victory in his last four seasons. He’s the type of driver you want to wager on to finish in the Top 3 if you can get odds. This would have especially been the case last season, when you consider that Junior finished third or better in seven races starting with a second-place finish in the Daytona 500.”

World Class Capper

Spain soccer
5* Sevilla vs Vallecano - over 3 goals @ +105
Starts at 6:00 AM est

Holland soccer
3* Groningen vs Utrecht - over 3 goals @ +114
Starts at 6:30 AM est

NCAAB
3* Michigan State +2.5 point spread @ -110
Starts at 12:00 PM est

Spain soccer
3* Atletico Madrid -1 goal spread @ -110
Starts at 1:00 PM est

NCAAB
3* Toledo -17 point spread @ -110
Starts at 6:00 PM est

SPORTS INSURANCE ADJUSTERS

7-4 Saturday with a nice north Texas money line winner.

17-8 last 3 days

Nba
Washington +1

Michigan -2 (buy points to get to this number)
Columbia -2
Western Mich. -3
Illinois st +6.5
Oregon -14

NBA

Hot teams
-- Thunder won five of their last seven games.
-- Miami won seven of its last eight games. Bulls won/covered their last five games.
-- Cleveland won/covered six of its last seven games. Wizards won last two games, are 19-8 vs spread on road.
-- Raptors won four of their last five games.
-- Phoenix won four of its last five games, is 36-17-1 vs spread. Rockets won eight of their last nine games.
-- Minnesota won its last three games, all by 13+ points.

Cold Teams
-- Clippers lost their last three road games.
-- Orlando lost three of last four games, is 9-19 vs spread on road.
-- Kings lost seven of their last eight games. Denver lost six of its last seven games.
-- Nets lost four of their last five road games. Lakers lost four of their last five games overall.
-- Portland lost three of its last four games.

Series records
-- Clippers lost four of last five games with Oklahoma City.
-- Heat won four of last five games with Chicago.
-- Cavaliers won five of last six games with Washington.
-- Raptors won their last five games with Orlando.
-- Kings lost their last ten games with Denver.
-- Rockets lost seven of last eight visits to Phoenix.
-- Lakers won heir last ten games against Brooklyn.
-- Trailblazers won serven of last eight games with Minnesota.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Clipper games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Chicago-Miami games went over.
-- Eight of last ten Cleveland-Washington games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Orlando-Toronto games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven King-Nugget games went over total.
-- Three of last four Phoenix games stayed under total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Brooklyn games.
-- Over is 34-20-1 in Portland games this season.

NCAAB

Sunday, February 23

Purdue (-7) beat Nebraska 70-64 at home Jan 12, after trailing by 3 with 6:43 left; Boilers won four of five series games, winning 65-56 LY, but then losing 57-55 to Huskers in Big Dozen tourney. Purdue lost six of last eight games, losing last four road games, by 3-9-11-18 points. Big Dozen. home favorites of 6 or less points are 11-13 vs spread. Huskers won their last five home games, by 6-4-5-9-13 points.

Michigan (+5) made 11-19 from arc, won 80-75 in East Lansing Jan 25, after being down 8 with 13:29 left; Wolverines won five of last seven in series, beating Spartans here last two years by a point each. MSU is 4-4 in its last eight games but is 7-0 vs spread on Big Dozen road, with only road loss by a hoop at wisconsin. Big Dozen favorites are 12-6 against the spread in game with spread of 3 or less points.

Rare Sunday Ivy League game; teams played Friday, son't often have a day between league games. Ivy League home favorites of 5 or less points are 5-1 vs spread. Yale needs win to keep pace with Harvard atop Ivy standings; they beat Columbia 69-59 (-2.5) Jan 31, going 34-46 on line- Lions were 27-33. Bulldogs won last seven games, with three of those on road. Columbia is 3-1 at home in Ivy, losing in two OTs to Harvard.

Eastern Michigan (-4) beat Western Michigan 56-37 at home Jan 14, as Broncos shot 29% from floor with 26 turnovers. Eastern is 4-2 in last six series games, but lost 10 of last 11 visits to Kalamazoo, with only win by a point in '12. Eagles lost three of last four road games, losing in two OTs last game. Western won last six games, with three wins by 3 points. MAC home favorites of 4 or less points are 6-11 vs spread.

SMU (-2) beat UConn 74-65 at home Jan 4, holding Napier to 2-8 from floor; Mustangs won 10 of last 12 games, but losses were at Temple and USF, two of AAC's worst teams. UConn won four in row, 10 of last 12 games; they've won last four home games, with three of four wins by 24+ points. AAC single digit home favorites are 8-11 vs spread. Four of last five Mustang games stayed under the total.

Delaware (+3) won 90-77 at Drexel Jan 20, its fourth win in last five in series; Dragons lost last two visits here, by 11-2 points. Blue Hens won won 14 of last 15 games, are 7-0 at home in CAA, with five of wins by 7 or less points (3-4 as home favorite). . Drexel is 7-10 in last 17 games- they lost last three on road by total of five points. CAA home favorites of less than 6 points are 7-20 against spread.

Creighton (-6) won 79-66 at Seton Hall Jan 4, despite getting outscored 20-7 on foul line. Bluejays are 5-2 on Big East road, with four of its five wins by 13+ points. Pirates lost three of last four games, but split their six Big East road games, with losses by 1-1-17 points. Big East double digit home favorites are 7-3 vs spread. Five of last seven Bluejay games and four of last six Seton Hall games stayed under total.

Northern Iowa (even) lost 76-65 at Illinois State Feb 5; they've lost four of last seven series games, but won last nine series games played here vs Redbirds. MVC home favorites of 7 or less points are 19-7-1 vs spread. Panthers lost four of last six games, two of last three home games- 11 of their last 12 games went over total. State lost last four road games, with three losses by 10+ points and an OT loss at Evansville.

Pitt lost four of last six games, with all four losses to top 20 teams, and both wins in OT vs lesser teams; Panthers failed to cover their last four home games. Florida State lost seven of last ten games, with three wins vs teams outside top 90. FSU is turning ball over 20.1% of time in ACC games, worst mark in league. home favorites of 7+ points are 18-16 vs spread. Four of last five Pitt games stayed under total

Butler lost last five games, is 2-12 in first Big East season; they're 1-6 at home, with three OT losses. Bulldogs haven't scored 65+ points in first 40:00 of game since Jan 9. Providence (-5) beat Butler 65-56 at home Jan 21. Big East home teams are 7-2 vs spread in games with spread of 2 or less points. Five of last six Providence games went over total; seven of last nine Butler games stayed under. Friars lost four of their last five.

USC has internal problems, with Wesley suspended now that Howard is back in lineup; Trojans' only Pac-12 win was 77-69 (+8.5) over Cal on Jan 22-- USC shot 58% inside arc. Pac-12 double digit home favorites are 13-10 vs spread. Erratic Cal Bears are 3-5 in last eight games, starting that night in LA-they lost last two home games by double digit margins to Stanford and UCLA. Over is 6-2-2 in last ten USC games.

Arizona State won six of last eight games, with three of last four wins in OT; Sun Devils (-4.5) beat Utah 79-75 at home Jan 23,. 5th straight win for home side in series. ASU lost last two visits here by 21-5. Utah lost tough OT game to Arizona last game, ending 5-game home win streak. Pac-12 underdogs are 19-15 vs spread in games with spread of 5 or less points. Over is 4-1-1 in last six Utah games, 0-3 in last three ASU tilts.

Siena (-2) beat Rider 62-47 at home Jan 4, holding Broncs to two points in first 10:00 of game as they ended 3-game series skid. Saints lost last two visits here by 11-19 points. Rider lost four of last five games, with three straight home losses, but last three losses were to beat teams in MAAC. MAAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 12-14 vs spread. Under is 6-3 in last nine Siena games, 7-3 in last ten Rider games.

NCAA Basketball Picks

Purdue at Nebraska

The Boilermakers hit the road to face Nebraska today looking to bounce back from a 94-79 loss to Michigan State on Thursday and carrying an 8-3 ATS record in their last 11 games following a double-digit loss at home. Purdue is the pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has the Cornhuskers favored by only 3. Dunkel Pick: Purdue (+6). Here are all of today's games.

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play 10-3 RUN SUN California -13 1/2

Diamond Dog Sports
Clippers +4.5 -110 (1.5*)
Kings +3.0 -110 (0.5*)


#819 Michigan St +2.5 -110 (1.5*)

Brandon Lang
10 DIME
COLLEGE HOOP
UNDERDOG SHOCKER
#2 IN A ROW
Northern Illinois