Service Plays Thursday 2/27/14

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GL!

Inside the Ropes: Honda Classic boasts year's best field
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

About 20 years ago, Greg Norman said the PGA Tour season didn't really start until it reached Doral, which in those days hosted the first event of the Florida Swing.

He was referring to the point when he best players in the game started gearing up for the Masters.

Doral was where all the top players first showed up at the same time and place, but now that distinction goes to the Honda Classic on the Champion Course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., which this week will feature probably the strongest field since the Tour Championship last September.

"When you hit the Florida Swing, I think you realize that Augusta is just around the corner," Hunter Mahan said a few years ago. "Florida kind of symbolizes the beginning of majors season. It's when you want your game to start peaking, and you realize the season's really under way."

The Honda Classic, once overlooked in Florida because the Players Championship, the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational were the glamour events of the swing through the Sunshine State, is thriving.

For the first time in its history, the top eight players in the World Golf Rankings, as of last week, will be in the field.

Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Zach Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia have not played in the same event since the 2013 PGA Tour finale at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

Also in the field are Graeme McDowell, Charl Schwartzel, Luke Donald, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen.

"This is an exciting time for the Honda Classic," executive director Kenneth R. Kennerly said. "We have worked tirelessly for the past seven years to make this a memorable event for the best players in the world as well as the golf fans of South Florida, and the presence of the top players has allowed us to reach even higher than we ever thought imaginable."

Norman probably was right at the time, but things changed in the following years because Woods and Mickelson became the dominant players in the game. The two California natives teed it up often on the West Coast Swing.

However, in part because golf has morphed into a year-long season, Woods played only once on the West Coast and Mickelson skipped the last two events, the Northern Trust Open and the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Woods got off to his worst start in any year, tying for 80th in the Farmers Insurance Open to miss the secondary cut and tying for 41st in the Dubai Desert Classic.

However, he believes he turned things around when he birdied the last three holes in Dubai. He then made 10 birdies in 15 holes during an exhibition in India, so he is looking forward to the Honda.

"Once the Florida swing starts, we're all just building toward that one week in April," Woods told ESPN.com last week. "We're all about building toward that. Don't finish dead last (in the warm-up events), and if you win, great. ...

"I took a lot of time off this winter to get ready for the season because it's going to be a long grind. It took three rounds in San Diego and three rounds in Dubai before finally it clicked in. My golf feels finally came back. Whatever shot I saw, I hit. ...

"Then I went to India and it was just a continuation of that. I finally have my golf feels back. It just took a little longer than I would like."

The PGA Tour already has played 14 tournaments in its new wraparound schedule for 2013-14, and unheralded players are establishing themselves.

Jimmy Walker, a 35-year-old journeyman, earned three victories in 10 starts, and he leads the FedEx Cup standings by a mile.

Others, young and older, like Chris Kirk, Kevin Stadler, Harris English, Patrick Reed, Brian Stuard, Graham DeLaet of Canada, Ryan Moore, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, Pat Perez, Charles Howell III and Scott Stallings also have taken advantage of the new schedule.

Now it is time to see how they stack up because all the big guns are back and the Masters is right around the corner.

Woods headlines The Honda Classic field
by Freddy Wander

The Honda Classic

Tees Off: Thursday, February 27
PGA National Resort and Spa – Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Odds to Win Tournament

Golfer Odds
Rory McIlroy 15-to-2
Tiger Woods 8-to-1
Adam Scott 18-to-1
Phil Mickelson 20-to-1
Charl Schwartzel 20-to-1
Sergio Garcia 22-to-1
Graeme McDowell 23-to-1
Henrik Stenson 25-to-1
Zach Johnson 25-to-1
Keegan Bradley 29-to-1
Rickie Fowler 30-to-1
Hideki Matsuyama 35-to-1
Lee Westwood 50-to-1
Luke Donald 50-to-1
Billy Horschel 55-to-1
Louis Oosthuizen 55-to-1
Charles Howell III 55-to-1
Will MacKenzie 60-to-1
Chris Kirk 65-to-1
Thorbjorn Olesen 70-to-1
Patrick Reed 75-to-1
Nick Watney 85-to-1
Brooks Koepka 85-to-1
Peter Uihlein 85-to-1
Chris Stroud 85-to-1
Michael Thompson 85-to-1
Matt Every 95-to-1
Matt Jones 95-to-1
4 Golfers 100-to-1
2 Golfers 110-to-1
3 Golfers 120-to-1
5 Golfers 130-to-1
3 Golfers 140-to-1
5 Golfers 150-to-1
Ryo Ishikawa 160-to-1
3 Golfers 170-to-1
2 Golfers 180-to-1
Seung-Yul Noh 190-to-1
3 Golfers 200-to-1
3 Golfers 210-to-1
3 Golfers 220-to-1
Charlie Wi 230-to-1
3 Golfers 240-to-1
42 Golfers 250-to-1

Thursday's Honda Classic is sandwiched between two WGC events and will be important to get players ready for next week at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. The tournament's importance is highlighted by the fact that the top-eight players on the Official World Golf Ranking are scheduled to play. This event moved to the Par-70 PGA National Golf Club back in 2007 and the average winning score has been 9-under par since then. Last year, Michael Thompson won his first and only PGA tournament at this course when he shot 9-under par and was one of only three players to shoot better than 3-under par over the four days. Let’s take a look over some of the players in the field that could make a push at a victory this weekend.

Golfers to Watch

Tiger Woods (8/1): Woods is certainly not the dominant player that he once was, but his five victories in just 16 tournaments last season show that he certainly still possesses the ability to be the best on any given weekend. He finished 37th last season in this event, but was the runner-up to Rory McIlroy in 2012 when he shot a final-round 62 to finish 10-under par. He was also the runner-up to Zach Johnson in the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge in December, and his desire to be the best could put him over the top this week.

Graeme McDowell (23/1): McDowell looked great in match play this past week as he made it to the round of eight, defeating Gary Woodland, Hideki Matsuyama and Hunter Mahan in the process. He has also placed in the top-7 in each of the three tournaments he has played this season. This could be a great opportunity for McDowell to earn his third career PGA Tour victory.

Hideki Matsuyama (35/1): The 21-year old phenom from Japan has already won five tournaments in his home country and has a top-5 finish on the PGA Tour this season after placing fourth in Phoenix Open. He has used his solid putting (1.73 putts per hole, 24th on tour) and driving distance (296.9 yards per, 34th on tour) to make the 11th most birdies per round (4.17) and looks geared up to put his name amongst the best on tour.

Rickie Fowler (30/1): Fowler has adjusted his swing, and his excellent performance at Dove Mountain last week shows that he may be ready to compete at a high level once again. The 25-year-old beat some huge names (Ian Poulter, Jimmy Walker, Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk) on his way to a third-place finish in match play, giving him momentum for this weekend. Fowler has excelled over the past two seasons at this tourney, placing 7th in 2012 and then coming in 13th place last year.

Patrick Reed (75/1): The 23-year-old Reed has already earned two victories since becoming a professional back in 2011 and has placed in the top-20 in each of his past four tournaments this season. This includes a victory at the Humana Challenge last month. Reed currently ranks in the top-30 on tour in many different areas; including birdies per round (4.20, 11th), greens hit in regulation (72.5%, 20th), putting per hole (1.730, 24th), total driving (41, 28th) and sand saves (56.3%, 30th). Reed's complete game could bring him his third career PGA Tour win in Palm Beach Gardens.

Steve's Golf Picks

This Week's Picks For The Honda Classic

KEEGAN BRADLEY 33 TO 1
3 UNITS ON TIGER WOODS 8.95 TO 1
BROOKS KOEPKA 95 TO 1
GRAEME MCDOWELL 23 TO 1
BONUS - JASON ALLRED 450 TO 1 - I see great value in this selection

72 HOLE HEAD TO HEAD


2 UNITS - KEEGAN BRADLEY (-125) over Rickie Fowler

Game of the Day: Knicks at Heat

New York Knicks at Miami Heat (-10, 202)

LeBron James and Raymond Felton are both expected to be on the court when the New York Knicks visit the Miami Heat on Thursday. James missed Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bulls after suffering a broken nose in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder last week and will play with a protective mask. Felton was arrested in New York on Tuesday on gun charges after his wife turned in an unregistered loaded firearm to the police.

Felton’s legal troubles are the last thing the Knicks need as they try to bust out of their latest lengthy slump. Carmelo Anthony is averaging 35.7 points the last 10 games but New York is just 2-8 in that span and inconsistent production from Felton and the rest of the guard rotation is one reason for the drought. The Heat have won five straight and are 11-2 in their last 13 games while making a move toward the top spot in the Eastern Conference, where the Indiana Pacers enjoy a two-game lead.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Miami opened as high as -10.5 and is now at -10. The total opened at 202 points.

POWER RANKINGS: Knicks (-3.8) - Heat (-14.5) + Home court (-3.0) = Heat -13.7

INJURY WATCH: Knicks - Carmelo Anthony (Prob. Personal), Raymond Felton (Prob. Disciplinary). Miami - LeBron James (Prob. - Nose).

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "These two teams have split the season series so far. LeBron was the high scorer in both games and is a game-time decision for this contest. Things just seem to get worse for the Knicks with the Felton situation and the losses mounting. On the bright side, Melo has scored 40 points or more in three of the last four games." - Michael Stewart, CarbonSports.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "So as awful as the Knicks are, I actually think we've come to the point where they are legitimately much better than the record shows. No team has been worse in contests decided by one possession." - Bryan Power.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (21-36 SU, 24-33 ATS, 32-25 O/U): Felton was back at practice on Wednesday and had little to say about the incident or his impending court date. “This is not a distraction to this team,” Felton told reporters. “I’m focusing on finishing out this season, finishing out these games with my teammates.” Felton managed eight points and seven assists while Anthony had his third outing of 40 or more points in the last four games only to have New York drop a 110-108 decision at home to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday when Dirk Nowitzki’s last-second shot bounced around the rim and fell through.

ABOUT THE HEAT (40-14 SU, 25-28-1 ATS, 31-23 O/U): James tested out his new mask as a full participant in practice on Wednesday and made it through the contact drills with no issues. “It’s still uncomfortable, but I still have to wear it,” James told reporters of the mask. “It gets hot under there, and it fogs up, but I’ve worn one before. I’ve been hit, but it lessens the impact.” James was on fire before suffering the broken nose and is averaging 37 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the last four games.

TRENDS:
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Miami.
* Under is 13-4-1 in the last 18 meetings.
* Favorite is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings.
* Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.

CONSENSUS: 59 percent of bets are on Miami -10.

Sharks have been dominant against the Flyers
Justin Hartling

The San Jose Sharks have been beating up on the Flyers for years now. In the past 14 games, the Sharks are 11-1-2 against the Flyers.

The Sharks open at -115 for their game against the Flyer, +106, Thursday.

Pacers and Bucks have biggest spread all season
Justin Hartling

The Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks will both be facing the largest spread of the NBA season when they face-off Thursday.

The Pacers have opened at 15.5 home favorites against the lowly Bucks Thursday.

Penn State has been horrendous ATS at home this season
Justin Hartling

The Penn State Nittany Lions have had a middling record against the spread this season, but they have been especially bad at home. Penn State is 1-8 ATS in their last nine home games, and their only cover came from a defeat of the equally average Purdue.

The Nittany Lions will open as 6-point home dogs when No.20 Ohio State visits Thursday.

Wizards have not been able to cover in Toronto
Justin Hartling

The Washington Wizards have been a phenomenal road play against the spread this season, but they still struggle when they visit Toronto. In the past seven visits to Toronto the Wizards are 1-6 ATS.

The Wizards opened as a 5.5-point road dog for their game against the Raptors Thursday.

The Coyotes have been beating up on the Jets
Justin Hartling

The Phoenix Coyotes have been thrashing the Winnipeg Jets since they were still in Atlanta. In the team’s last 17 meetings, the Coyotes are 13-3-1

The Coyotes line opened at 106 and the Jets -115 for Thursday’s game.

The Heat offense shows up big when they get their rest
Justin Hartling

The Miami Heat have been lights out when they have the time to rest their potent offense. When the Heat have three or more days rest they have gone Over in their past five games.

The Heat and New York Knicks total opened at 201 for Thursday.

NBA

Hot teams
-- Pacers won three of last four games, are 2-5-1 vs spread in last eight.
-- Raptors won six of their last seven games. Washington won its last four games, is over .500 (29-28).
-- Miami won eight of last nine games (4-0-1 vs spread in last five).

Cold Teams
-- Bucks lost six of last eight games, but covered four of last five.
-- Knicks lost nine of their last twelve games.
-- Denver lost eight of its last nine games. Nets lost five of last seven road games; they lost by 44 last night.

Series records
-- Pacers won their last four games with Milwaukee.
-- Raptors won their last four games with Washington.
-- Knicks won four of last six games with Miami.
-- Nuggets won seven of last nine games with Brooklyn.

Totals
-- Four of last five Milwaukee games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Raptor-Wizard games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven New York games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Denver game stayed under the total.

NHL

Hot teams
-- Maple Leafs won five of their last six games.
-- Rangers won five of their last six games.
-- Philly won five of its last six games. Sharks won three of their last four.
-- Pittsburgh won three of its last four home games. Canadiens won three of last four overall.
-- Red Wings won three of their last four games.
-- Washington won three of its last four games.
-- Dallas Stars won three of their last four games.
-- Calgary won six of last eight games. Kings won their last two games, allowing five goals.
-- Edmonton won five of its last seven games. Minnesota won its last two games, allowing three goals.

Cold teams
-- New Jersey lost five of its last seven games; four of its last five went OT. Blue Jackets lost three of their last four road games.
-- Islanders lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Blackhawks lost eight of their last twelve road games.
-- Senators are 5-7 in their last twelve games.
-- Panthers lost five of their last six games.
-- Nashville lost five of last seven games. Lightning lost three of their last four road games.
-- Phoenix lost 11 of its last 14 road games. Jets lost last two games, scoring five goals.
-- Carolina lost three of its last four games.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Columbus games stayed under.
-- Last seven Islander-Toronto games went over total.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Ranger home games.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten San Jose games.
-- Under is 6-1-2 in last nine Montreal games.
-- Last five Detroit-Ottawa games went over.
-- Five of last seven Washington games went over.
-- Three of last four Tampa Bay games stayed under.
-- Last six Phoenix games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Dallas games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Los Angeles games.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Minnesota games.

Series records
-- Devils are 0-3 vs Columbus this season, scoring six goals.
-- Islanders won four of last six games with Toronto.
-- Home side won three of last four Chicago-Ranger games.
-- Flyers lost eight of last nine games with San Jose.
-- Penguins won four of last five games with Montreal.
-- Red Wings won five of last seven games with Ottawa.
-- Panthers lost eight of last nine games with Washington.
-- Lightning lost three of last four games with Nashville.
-- Home side won five of last six Phoenix-Winnipeg games.
-- Dallas Stars won their last three games with Carolina.
-- Flames are 2-0 vs Los Angeles this year, winning 3-2/2-1.
-- Oilers lost five of last six games with Minnesota.

tgunn11 said:

Hockey Crusher
Florida Panthers +104 over Washington
(System Record: 67-2, lost last game)
Overall Record: 67-51-1

Click to expand...

Rest of the Plays
Winnipeg Jets -116 over Phoenix
Toronto Maple Leafs -109 over NY Islanders
San Jose Sharks -116 over Philadelphia

tgunn11 said:

Basketball Crusher
Middle Tennessee +6 over Louisiana Tech
(System Record: 51-7, won last 2 games)
Overall Record: 51-66-4

Click to expand...

Rest of the Plays
Furman +2 over Georgia Southern
Wisconsin Green Bay -4 over Oakland
Wofford +5.5 over Elon

NCAAB

Thursday, February 27

Home side won last five Arkansas-Kentucky games; Hogs lost last five visits to Lexington, with three losses by 17+ points-- they beat UK at buzzer in OT 87-85 Jan 14. Arkansas won five of last six games- their last three road games were decided by total of 8 points. SEC double digit home favorites are 11-12 vs spread. Kentucky won six of its last seven games- they're 4-3 as home favorite, with four home wins by 16+.

Middle Tennessee won its last nine games, with three of last six wins by 4 or less points; theiy're 11-2 in Sun Belt, losing by 5 at Tulsa, by 9 at UTEP (0-1 as road dog). C-USA home favorites of 5+ points are 29-17 vs spread. Louisiana Tech won five of its last six games; they're 5-2 as a home favorite, with six of seven home wins by 15+ points. Bulldogs are just 1-4 against the spread in their last five games.

Green Bay (-11) beat Oakland 83-69 at home Jan 22, holding Grizzlies to 5-21 from arc (Bader was 2-11) in game Phoenix trailed by 5 at 10:03 mark. Green Bay won last three games, all by 14+ points; they're 5-1 on Horizon road with only loss at Valpo when 7-foot-1 Brown didn't play. Horizon home favorites of 5 or less points are 2-6 vs spread. Oakland is 2-4 in last six games, 0-6 vs spread in last six home games.

Marquette (+3) won 80-72 in OT at Georgetown Jan 20, after trailing by 7 with 3:03 left; Eagles won three of last four series games, winning last four played here, by 12-3-1-14 points. Hoyas won four of last six games but are 1-4 as road underdogs. Marquette won four of its last five games, is 3-2 as home favorite- favorites covered five of their seven home tilts. Big East home favorites of 5 or less points are 11-7 vs spread.

Home teams won six of last eight Tulsa-UTEP games, with home team winning last four; Hurricane lost last three visits to El Paso, by 14-10-9 points, but have won last five games overall, covering last seven- they're 11-2 vs spread in conference. C-USA home favorites of 4 or less points are 11-8 vs spread. UTEP won four of last five at home, with five wins by 10+ points; they're 3-3 as home favorites.

UCLA (+4) won 70-68 at Oregon Jan 20, snapping 4-game series skid; Ducks won two of last three visits here. Oregon won last three games, is 2-1 as road dog; Ducks lost five of last six road games, with lone win at Wazzu. Pac-12 home teams are 11-14 vs spread in games where spread was 4 or less points. UCLA won four of last five at home; they're 6-0 as home favorites, with all six home wins by 12+ points.

UCSB (-2.5) beat Cal-Irvine 80-60 Jan 20, its 4th win in last five series games, but Gauchos lost three of last four visits to Bren Center, losing by 2-3-2 points. Big West home favorites of 4 or less points are 4-3 vs spread. Irvine won five of last six games, is 2-3 as home favorite, with home wins by 18-6-3-18 points. Gauchos won six of last seven games; they're 2-0 as road dog, with Big West losses by 8-2-2 points.

Long Beach (+6.5) shot 67.4% inside arc, won 92-83 at Hawai'i Jan 30, its second win in three Big West games vs Rainbows, who lost here LY by 4. 49ers won seven of last nine games, are 4-1 as home faves- they've lost at home to UCSB/Irvine. Hawai'i won its last four road games, four of last five games overall; they're 1-1 as a road underdog. Big West home favorites of 4 or less points are 4-3 vs spread.

Oregon State (-8) beat USC 76-75 in OT at home Jan 20, its fifth win in last seven series games; Beavers had 19 offensive boards in first meeting. OSU lost last four road games, with last win at Wazzu- they've lost four of last five games overall. Pac-12 home favorites of more than 7 points are 17-15 vs spread. USC lost last eight games, covering one of last five; they've covered only one of their seven home games.

Chattanooga lost five of last seven games; they're 10-4 after starting 8-0 in SoCon. Mocs (-2) beat Western Carolina 83-73 Feb 13, holding WCU to 4-25 from arc. Chattanooga lost its last three road games. WCU won five of last six games, covering last three; they're 6-2 at home in SoCon, with only loss by 5 to Davidson. SoCon favorites of 7+ points are 13-17 vs spread. WCU forces turnovers 22% of time, best in conference.

Wofford won five of last six games with Elon, winning two of last three visits here; Terriers won five of last six games; favorites covered all five of their SoCon road games. Wofford is 4-2 on SoCon road, losing by 10-1 at Davidson/Chattanooga. SoCon home favorites of 5 or less points are 12-8-1 vs spread. Elon won its last eight games, covered last four; they are 2-4 as SoCon home favorites.

South Dakota State (+8) outscored Denver 7-2 over last 0:36 won 74-73 on road Jan 30 in first Summit game between these two, Jackrabbits won six of last seven games, are 3-1 as home favorites, 3-2 overall at home, losing to Omaha/North Dakota State. Denver won last three games; dogs covered four of their five conference road games. Favorites are 15-7 vs spread in Summit games where spread was 5 or less points.

Iowa is 4-5 in its last nine games after a 15-3 start; Hawkeyes allowed 74+ points in four of last six games, are 3-1 as road favorites, with four road wins, all by 7+ points. Indiana lost seven of last ten games, after it got whacked in second half at Wisconsin Tuesday; they're 3-3 at home in conference, 2-1 as home underdogs. Big Dozen home favorites of 5 or less points are 6-9 vs spread. This is a rescheduled game from last week.

Paul Leiner

100* UCLA -7.5

50* VCU -10.5