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Clippers at Thunder: What bettors need to know
Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder (-4.5, 198.5)
The Los Angeles Clippers are the current owners of the longest winning streak in the Western Conference and have already built up a 2 1/2-game lead in the Pacific Division. The Clippers will put their six-game winning streak on the line on Wednesday, when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have won seven of their last eight and have put up 229 points in back-to-back victories, placing them one spot above Los Angeles in scoring average.
The Clippers began their winning streak with a dominating 106-84 home win over the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 7 and knocked off three straight playoff teams from the East - including defending champion Miami - before becoming the rare team to win at San Antonio on Monday. That marked the beginning of a four-game swing that will take them to Brooklyn and Atlanta after Oklahoma City. The Thunder have done most of their damage against the bottom of the NBA, with only one of their eight victories coming against a 2011-12 playoff team.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, PRIME (Los Angeles), FSOK (Oklahoma City), ESPN
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (8-2, 8-2 ATS): Los Angeles played eight of its first nine games at Staples Center but certainly appeared ready for the road on Monday, when Chris Paul knocked down a jumper to ice the game in the final minute. Paul is averaging 16.3 points and 10.0 assists and has been helped by a much-improved bench that has allowed the All-Star to be sharp at the end of games. Jamal Crawford is leading the team in scoring at 19.7 points off the bench and third-year guard Eric Bledsoe continues to play his way into greater minutes.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (8-3, 6-4-1 ATS): Oklahoma City ranks second in the NBA in scoring offense but has had trouble on the other end, allowing an average of 103.7 points over its last three games. One of those was a 107-97 home loss to Memphis on Nov. 14, during which the Thunder struggled to find a rhythm offensively. That problem has certainly been fixed. Kevin Durant recorded a triple-double in Sunday’s 119-109 win over Golden State while Russell Westbrook scored 30 points. Westbrook had shot 30 percent (9 of 30) in the two previous games before going 12-for-22 against the Warriors.
TRENDS:
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Oklahoma City.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Clippers are 12-3 ATS in the last 15 meetings in Oklahoma City.
* Home team is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings.
* Clippers are 21-8 ATS in the last 29 meetings.
* Underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Clippers F Caron Butler suffered a shoulder strain against the Spurs and will be a game-time decision on Wednesday.
2. Los Angeles took three of the four meetings last season, including a 100-98 victory in Oklahoma City on Apr. 11. Paul led the way with 31 points in that contest.
3. Westbrook is a career 33.8-percent shooter in 15 games against the Clippers.
Three Surprise Moneymakers to Start the NBA Season
Buried in a small-market city and virtually invisible in the NBA since the franchise relocated from Vancouver in 2001, the Memphis Grizzlies are at long last starting to open some eyes.
Heading into Friday night’s tester against the Los Angeles Lakers at home, the Grizzlies are in first place in the Southwest Conference and are 8-2 both SU and ATS.
But Memphis is not alone. The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers are also both leading their divisions and rewarding bettors. New York is 7-1 SU and ATS, and Los Angeles is a firm 8-2 both ways.
Here’s a closer look at these three surprise moneymakers:
Memphis Grizzlies (8-2 ATS)
Memphis’s only non-cover this year was against the Clippers. Their run has included eye-opening victories over the Heat, Thunder and Knicks in a three-game, six-day, back-to-back-to-back stretch that awakened the league as to what it was dealing with. The Grizz have the same cast which lost in seven to the Clippers in Round 1 of the playoffs last season, but four starters are scoring more this season, fueling the surge.
New York Knicks (7-1 ATS)
The Knicks are 15-1 to win the NBA title and are a solid (-6) favorite in New Orleans Tuesday. New York actually had shown some signs of life last season before being sliced apart by the Heat in the playoffs. This season, the core of the team is healthy, the PG play (Ray Felton, Jason Kidd) has been solid and Carmelo Anthony isn’t quite the ball hog that he has been in the past.
Los Angeles Clippers (8-2 ATS)
Los Angeles has tightened its defense since a pair of bad (Cleveland, Golden State) home losses in early November. The Clippers now have six wins (and covers) in a row. Jamal Crawford is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and that leads to a lot of points for a volume shooter. Five players are in double-figures scoring. Los Angeles is in Oklahoma City Wednesday, as it heads east for a few games before an extended homestand that should keep the team healthy until the second week of November.
NBA
Hot Teams
-- Bobcats won/covered four of last five games.
-- Pistons covered five of last seven games (won 2 of last 3).
-- 76ers won six of their last eight games (2-1 as AU).
-- Boston won three of last four at home (1-1-1 as U, all on road). Spurs won/covered last three away games (3-2 as AF).
-- Hawks won three of last four games (0-3 as HF).
-- Miami won seven of last nine games (3-1 as HF). Bucks won three of last four games (2-0 as AU).
-- Clippers won/covered their last six games (2-0 as AU). Oklahoma City won seven of last eight (3-3-1 as HF).
-- Knicks won eight of first nine games (2-0 as Af).
-- Portland won last three games, by 17-2-18 points (2-2 as AU).
-- Lakers are 5-1 since they changed coaches (0-2 SU on road; this is their first road game in two weeks).
-- Nets won five of last six games (1-1 as AU). Golden State won three of its last four games (2-0 as HF).
Cold Teams
-- Raptors lost six of last eight games (2-4 as AU).
-- Orlando lost seven of last eight games (1-0 as HF).
-- Cavaliers lost their last six games (1-5 vs spread, 3-4 as AU).
-- Indiana covered twice in its last seven games (2-2 as HF). Hornets lost their last four games (2-1 as AU).
-- Wizards are 0-9 this season (3-2 as AU).
-- Bulls lost three of last four games, covered one of last eight (0-1 AU). Houston lost seven of last nine games (2-3 vs spread at home).
-- Nuggets lost three of last four games (3-1 as AU). Minnesota also lost three of last four (3-1 as HF).
-- Mavericks lost five of last seven games (4-2 SU at home, all as F).
-- Suns lost four of last five games (0-3 as HF).
-- Sacramento lost last five games (0-5 vs spread, 0-3 as HU).
Totals
-- Four of last five Charlotte games stayed under the total.
-- Four of Pistons' last five games stayed under.
-- Three of four Philly road games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last nine Pacer games stayed under total. Four of last five New Orleans games went over.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Boston games.
-- Six of last seven Atlanta games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Milwaukee games went over. Five of last seven Heat games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Clipper games stayed under total; last three Thunder games went over.
-- Four of last five Houston games went over total.
-- Three of last four Minnesota games stayed under.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in New York road games. Five of last seven Dallas games stayed under.
-- Seven of last nine Phoenix games went over total.
-- Four of six Sacramento home games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven New Jersey games stayed under; four of last five Golden State games went over.
NCAA Basketball Picks
TX-San Antonio at BYU
The Cougars look to take advantage of a TX-San Antonio team that is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games against teams with a winning home record. BYU is the pick (-16) according to Dunkel, which has the Cougars favored by 19. Dunkel Pick: BYU (-16). Here are all of today's games.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. ESTGame 529-530: Auburn at Boston College (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Auburn 52.282; Boston College 57.866
Dunkel Line: Boston College by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston College by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston College (-3 1/2)Game 531-532: NC-Wilmington at Purdue (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NC-Wilmington 45.447; Purdue 68.076
Dunkel Line: Purdue by 22 1/2; 133
Vegas Line: Purdue by 20; 139 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Purdue (-20); UnderGame 533-534: George Washington at Notre Dame (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: George Washington 53.561; Notre Dame 69.464
Dunkel Line: Notre Dame by 18
Vegas Line: Notre Dame by 16
Dunkel Pick: Notre Dame (-16)Game 535-536: Miami (OH) at William & Mary (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (OH) 49.375; William & Mary 53.920
Dunkel Line: William & Mary by 4 1/2; 129
Vegas Line: William & Mary by 6 1/2; 125
Dunkel Pick: Miami (OH) (+6 1/2); OverGame 537-538: Princeton at Syracuse (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Princeton 56.771; Syracuse 77.551
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 21
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 16
Dunkel Pick: Syracuse (-16)Game 539-540: Tulane at Nebraska (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulane 55.080; Nebraska 52.769
Dunkel Line: Tulane by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Tulane by 1
Dunkel Pick: Tulane (-1)Game 541-542: TX-San Antonio at BYU (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: TX-San Antonio 50.008; BYU 68.953
Dunkel Line: BYU by 19
Vegas Line: BYU by 16
Dunkel Pick: BYU (-16)Game 543-544: Colorado State at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado State 61.936; Denver 62.093
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: Denver by 2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado State (+2)Game 545-546: San Diego at UC-Santa Barbara (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego 54.077; UC-Santa Barbara 54.911
Dunkel Line: UC-Santa Barbara by 1
Vegas Line: UC-Santa Barbara by 3
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+3)Game 547-548: Monmouth vs. Tennessee State (12:00 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 551-552: Howard vs. Western Carolina (1:30 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 553-554: Austin Peay vs. Gardner-Webb (4:00 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 555-556: DePaul vs. Western Kentucky (7:00 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 557-558: Wichita State vs. Iowa (9:30 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 559-560: Mississippi State vs. Texas (2:30 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 561-562: Marquette vs. USC (5:00 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 563-564: North Carolina vs. Chaminade (7:30 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 565-566: Butler vs. Illinois (10:00 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 567-568: North Dakota State vs. James Madison (4:30 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 569-570: Youngstown State at Duquesne (7:00 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 571-572: Southern Mississippi at Liberty (6:00 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 573-574: UC-Irvine at Sam Houston State (8:30 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 575-576: Central Michigan vs. Wright State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Central Michigan 51.211; Wright State 54.076
Dunkel Line: Wright State by 3
Vegas Line: Wright State by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Central Michigan (+5 1/2)Game 577-578: Idaho State at Utah (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Idaho State 43.889; Utah 52.250
Dunkel Line: Utah by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Utah by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Utah (-7 1/2)Game 579-580: Delaware vs. Kansas State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Delaware 59.459; Kansas State 65.878
Dunkel Line: Kansas State by 6 1/2; 140
Vegas Line: Kansas State by 8; 137 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Delaware (+8); OverGame 581-582: Pittsburgh vs. Michigan (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 69.632; Michigan 69.891
Dunkel Line: Even; 127
Vegas Line: Michigan by 2 1/2; 123 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+2 1/2); OverGame 583-584: Northeastern vs. UC-Riverside (11:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northeastern 54.502; UC-Riverside 43.782
Dunkel Line: Northeastern by 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Northeastern by 9
Dunkel Pick: Northeastern (-9)Game 585-586: Belmont at Alaska-Anchorage (12:00 p.m. EST)
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Dunkel Pick:Game 587-588: Samford at Toledo (4:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Samford 47.255; Toledo 49.757
Dunkel Line: Toledo by 2 1/2;
Vegas Line: Toledo by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Samford (+5 1/2)Game 589-590: Elon at South Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Elon 48.960; South Carolina 62.217
Dunkel Line: South Carolina by 13 1/2
Vegas Line: South Carolina by 8
Dunkel Pick: South Carolina (-8)Game 591-592: Hofstra at Manhattan (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Hofstra 48.966; Manhattan 58.685
Dunkel Line: Manhattan by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Manhattan by 7
Dunkel Pick: Manhattan (-7)Game 593-594: Morehead State at Kentucky (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Morehead State 53.292; Kentucky 81.215
Dunkel Line: Kentucky by 28
Vegas Line: Kentucky by 24
Dunkel Pick: Kentucky (-24)Game 595-596: Rider at SMU (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rider 51.464; SMU 60.462
Dunkel Line: SMU by 9
Vegas Line: SMU by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: SMU (-7 1/2)Game 597-598: Wyoming at Northern Colorado (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wyoming 57.676; Northern Colorado 50.813
Dunkel Line: Wyoming by 7
Vegas Line: Northern Colorado by 1
Dunkel Pick: Wyoming (+1)Game 599-600: Montana State at Air Force (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montana State 43.813; Air Force 59.003
Dunkel Line: Air Force by 15
Vegas Line: Air Force by 13
Dunkel Pick: Air Force (-13)Game 601-602: Portland State at Portland (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland State 5.392; Portland 46.671
Dunkel Line: Portland State by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Portland by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Portland State (+3 1/2)
DCI College Basketball
The Daniel Curry Index
11/21/12 Predictions
Season
Straight Up: 448-138 (.765)
ATS: 171-179 (.489)
ATS Vary Units: 671-827 (.448)
Over/Under: 45-37 (.549)
Over/Under Vary Units: 69-56 (.552)
2012 CvC Classic
Subregional Round at Atlanta, GA
GEORGIA STATE 69, South Alabama 59
Tennessee State 72, Monmouth 65
Barclays Center Classic
Round Robin at Lexington, KY
KENTUCKY 81, Morehead State 52
Battle 4 Atlantis
Mainland Bracket at Fort Myers, FL
FLORIDA GULF COAST 80, Alcorn State 61
Toledo 68, Samford 63
Cancun Challenge
Final Round at Moon Palace Resort, Cancun, Mexico
Western Carolina 74, Howard 62
Austin Peay 68, Gardner-Webb 66
Western Kentucky 76, DePaul 74
Wichita State 72, Iowa 66
Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout
1st Round at Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, AK
Northeastern 64, UC Riverside 54
CBE Hall of Fame Classic
Subregional Round at Santa Clara, CA
SANTA CLARA 78, Utah Valley 73
USC Upstate 78, Eastern Washington 73
Charleston Classic
at Chestnut Hill, MA
Auburn 62, BOSTON COLLEGE 61
Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off
Championship Semifinals at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Kansas State 72, Delaware 63
Michigan 65, Pittsburgh 62
EA SPORTS Maui Invitational
at Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, HI
Texas 74, Mississippi State 66
Marquette 70, Usc 53
Championship
Butler 65, Illinois 63
Hoops for Hope Classic
at campus sites
SMU 68, Rider 60
UALR 67, Jacksonville 62
Joe Cipriano Nebraska Classic
Round Robin at campus sites
NEBRASKA 64, Tulane 56
Legends Classic
Subregional Round at Huntsville, TX
Southern Miss 74, Liberty 57
UC Irvine 66, SAM HOUSTON STATE 63
Subregional Round at Pittsburgh, PA
DUQUESNE 74, Youngstown State 70
North Dakota State 75, James Madison 69
Utah Thanksgiving Tournament
Round Robin at Salt Lake City, UT
UTAH 67, Idaho State 60
Wright State 58, Central Michigan 55
Non-Conference
AIR FORCE 74, Montana State 62
Arkansas State 79, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 68
BROWN 74, Bryant 61
BYU 81, UT San Antonio 69
Colgate vs. SAINT FRANCIS (PA.): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Colorado State 65, DENVER 63
FLORIDA STATE 81, North Florida 59
Georgia Southern 72, KENNESAW STATE 64
MANHATTAN 73, Hofstra 69
New Hampshire vs. NEW JERSEY TECH: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
NOTRE DAME 71, George Washington 53
OLD DOMINION 82, Vmi 70
Portland State 78, PORTLAND 73
PURDUE 80, UNC Wilmington 60
SAN DIEGO STATE 78, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 49
SETON HALL 75, Maine 51
SOUTH CAROLINA 77, Elon 64
ST. JOHN'S 72, Holy Cross 60
SYRACUSE 74, Princeton 53
TULSA 75, Jackson State 49
UC SANTA BARBARA 76, San Diego 65
VERMONT 65, Yale 52
WILLIAM & MARY 64, Miami (Ohio) 59
Wyoming 72, NORTHERN COLORADO 64
DCI Pro Basketball
The Daniel Curry Index
11/21/12 Predictions
Season
Straight Up: 98-53 (.649)
ATS: 65-85 (.433)
ATS Vary Units: 241-259 (.482)
Over/Under: 80-72 (.526)
Over/Under Vary Units: 174-139 (.556)
Toronto 95, CHARLOTTE 91
ORLANDO 94, Detroit 89
Philadelphia 96, CLEVELAND 89
INDIANA 94, New Orleans 87
San Antonio 96, BOSTON 94
ATLANTA 98, Washington 86
MIAMI 105, Milwaukee 90
OKLAHOMA CITY 102, L.A. Clippers 96
Chicago vs. HOUSTON: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Denver 106, MINNESOTA 101
New York 99, DALLAS 96
PHOENIX 105, Portland 100
L.A. Lakers 104, SACRAMENTO 100
GOLDEN STATE 104, Brooklyn 97
Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports
Our Free Plays are 940-697 (57 + %) over the last 4 1/2 years !
Free play WED: So Carolina -8
Today's NBA Picks
LA Clippers at Oklahoma City
The Thunder look to follow up their 119-109 win over Golden State and build on their 10-3 ATS record in their last 13 games after scoring 100 points or more in the previous game. Oklahoma City is the pick (-4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Thunder favored by 6 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. ESTGame 501-502: Toronto at Charlotte (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 113.286; Charlotte 116.979
Dunkel Line & Total: Charlotte by 3 1/2; 186
Vegas Line & Total: Charlotte by 2; 189 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (-2); UnderGame 503-504: Detroit at Orlando (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 114.485; Orlando 116.791
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 2 1/2; 191
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 1; 186 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-1); OverGame 505-506: Philadelphia at Cleveland (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 116.919; Cleveland 1010.494
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 2 1/2; 180
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia by 4; 183 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+4); UnderGame 507-508: New Orleans at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 113.392; Indiana 122.660
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 9 1/2; 187
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 7; 182
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-7); OverGame 509-510: San Antonio at Boston (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 124.413; Boston 121.288
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 3; 188
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 1 1/2; 194 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-1 1/2); UnderGame 511-512: Washington at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 112.257; Atlanta 120.160
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 8; 188
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 9 1/2; 183 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+9 1/2); OverGame 513-514: Milwaukee at Miami (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 118.048; Miami 126.250
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 8; 207
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/AGame 515-516: LA Clippers at Oklahoma City (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 121.492; Oklahoma City 127.941
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 6 1/2; 194
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 4 1/2; 198 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-4 1/2); UnderGame 517-518: Chicago at Houston (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 116.699; Houston 121.707
Dunkel Line & Total: Houston by 5; 185
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/AGame 519-520: Denver at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 118.992; Minnesota 113.671
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 5 1/2; 188
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/AGame 521-522: New York at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 125.905; Dallas 116.678
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 9; 199
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 1 1/2; 195
Dunkel Pick: New York (-1 1/2); OverGame 523-524: Portland at Phoenix (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland 114.455; Phoenix 117.745
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 3 1/2; 194
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 2 1/2; 200 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-2 1/2); UnderGame 525-526: LA Lakers at Sacramento (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 118.839; Sacramento 116.342
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 2 1/2; 212
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 5 1/2; 208
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (+5 1/2); OverGame 527-528: Brooklyn at Golden State (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Brooklyn 115.688; Golden State 119.799
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 4; 191
Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 2 1/2; 195
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (-2 1/2); Under
CAPPERS ACCESS
Delaware
Michigan
OKC Thunder
JOE WIZ FREE PLAY
Idaho State +8 over Utah U
Maui Invitational: NCAAB Betting Cheat Sheet
Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Texas Longhorns
Texas and Mississippi State will face off at the Maui Invitational on Wednesday in a matchup of winless teams through the first two games of the tournament. The Longhorns likely feel like they deserve better after getting upset by Division II school Chaminade in Monday’s opener, then blowing a late lead in regulation Tuesday and losing to USC in overtime. Mississippi State is probably wondering why it even bothered coming to Hawaii. Because of injuries and suspensions, the Bulldogs brought only eight players on the trip - two are walk-ons - and were subsequently beaten by 46 points by North Carolina in the opener and by 27 against Marquette the following day.
TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU
ABOUT TEXAS (2-2): Finding a cause for the Longhorns’ failures this tournament are a little tough to pin down. They scored the game’s first eight points against Chaminade and then went on cruise control. By the time they got serious, it was too late. It would help if Texas took better care of the basketball. They have 32 turnovers through the first two games. The Longhorns have also allowed 22 offensive rebounds, an area they controlled in their first two victories this season.
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (1-3): There have been a few bright spots for the Bulldogs during the trip. Roquez Johnson, a 6-7 sophomore guard, has established himself as a go-to offensive player. He scored 12 points against North Carolina and 16 more against Marquette, combining for 15 rebounds in those games. Fred Thomas, a freshman guard who wasn't cleared by the NCAA until August, scored a team-high 17 points against Marquette, making 4-of-8 from 3-point range.
Marquette Golden Eagles vs. USC Trojans
USC and Marquette bring a sense of comfort into their consolation game at the Maui Invitational on Wednesday. They both lost their openers Monday in surprisingly different ways, then came back with betters efforts Tuesday in their victories. The Trojans are still waiting for guards Jio Fontan and J.T. Terrell to get their shots untracked. Fontan, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, is shooting 8-for-33 on the season (24.2) percent. Terrell is only slightly better at 14-for-48 (29.1). Marquette has received some break-out play from junior guard Vander Blue, who has combined for 39 points in the first two games.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2
ABOUT USC (3-1): The player who should give the Golden Eagles the biggest trouble is 7-foot junior center Dewayne Dedmon, another player coming off a serious knee injury last season. He flashed his game-changing abilities in an overtime victory Tuesday against Texas. He blocked a shot in the final minute of regulation that resulted in a fast-break dunk by Terrell that tied the score and allowed the game to reach overtime. He then converted a three-point play late in the extra period to give his team the lead for good.
ABOUT MARQUETTE (3-1): The Golden Eagles have a player similar to Dedmon in 6-8 junior forward Davante Gardner. He has scored in double digits in every game this season, getting 15 points and 12 rebounds in the victory Tuesday against Mississippi State. Chris Otule, a 6-11 senior, has been slow to bounce back from a season-ending knee injury last season, but gives the Golden Eagles additional size to help match up with USC.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Chaminade Silveswords
Chaminade gets another chance to play giant-killer when the Silverswords meet No. 9 North Carolina in the third-place game at the Maui Invitational. Chaminade, a Division II program, opened the tournament with a surprising win against Texas, 30 years after stunning top-ranked Virginia on its home floor in Honolulu. The Tar Heels figure to be chapped after losing their semifinal against Butler, 82-71. They grabbed just one offensive rebound in the first half and didn’t get to the free-throw line until 13:13 remained in the game.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET. ESPN2.
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (4-1): Getting off to a better start should be paramount for North Carolina. They fell behind by eight points four minutes into the game against Butler and scored just 18 points in the first half, their lowest first-half total since 1996. The nudge needs to come from their starting group, which didn’t have a player score more than 13 points against Butler or shoot better than 50 percent from the field. James Michael McAdoo, considered the best player for North Carolina, finished with an unimpressive 10 points and seven turnovers.
ABOUT CHAMINADE (2-2): The Silverswords could do no wrong in their opening-round upset against Texas, shooting 34-for-39 from the foul line, 10-for-30 from 3-point range and collecting 14 offensive rebounds against the taller Longhorns. As is the case following most upsets, Chaminade came crashing back to earth against Illinois, making just 6 of 12 from the free-throw line, committing 14 turnovers and getting heavily outrebounded by the guard-driven Fighting Illini. If the Silverswords are to win two games in this tournament for the first time in 29 years, they’ll need to be even better than they were against Texas.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Butler Bulldogs
Two schools located just 120 miles apart will meet on an island 4,500 miles away when Butler plays Illinois on Wednesday night in the final of the Maui Invitational. Butler, hailing from Indianapolis, Ind., reached the championship game by knocking off No. 9 North Carolina in Tuesday’s semifinal, 82-71, a win that seemed much easier than its last-second victory the day before against Marquette. Illinois breezed through USC in the opening round and then took care of business against tournament host and Cinderella story Chaminade in the second round.
TV: 10 p.m. ET. ESPN.
ABOUT ILLINOIS (4-0): The Fighting Illini continue to win with solid guard play. Brandon Paul is averaging 21.5 points, 3.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds after finishing in the top two in all three categories last season. Fellow senior D.J. Richardson is the team’s sharpshooter, connecting on 31.8 percent of his 3-pointers this season. They’ve been supported by sophomore Tracy Abrams, who has nearly quadrupled his scoring average from last season (4.3 to 15.3). Joseph Bertrand, the team’s fourth-leading scorer last season, made sure he wasn’t forgotten, scoring a team-high 14 points in the win against Chaminade.
ABOUT BUTLER (3-1): The Bulldogs seem to have gotten over their 15-point loss to Xavier last week. Rotnei Clarke and Khyle Marshall, held to seven points apiece in the loss, put those performances behind them in a hurry once they reached Maui. Marshall, a 6-6 junior forward, scored a career-high 24 points in the win against Marquette and came back with 10 points and 11 rebounds against North Carolina. Clarke, 6-0 senior guard who played three seasons at Arkansas before transferring, scored 20 points and hit the last second 3-pointer to beat Marquette, then put up 17 points against the Tar Heels.
StatFox Super Situations™ - FoxSheets
NBA LA LAKERS at SACRAMENTO
Play On - Road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (LA LAKERS) good offensive team - scoring 99+ points/game on the season, after allowing 55 points or more in the first half in 2 straight games.
47-19 since 1997. ( 71.2% 26.1 units )
NBA SAN ANTONIO at BOSTON
Play On - Road teams vs. the money line (SAN ANTONIO) average defensive team (92-98 PPG) against a poor defensive team (98-102 PPG), after a loss by 6 points or less.
52-28 over the last 5 seasons. ( 65.0% 29.4 units )
1-0 this year. ( 100.0% 1.0 units )
NBA LA CLIPPERS at OKLAHOMA CITY
Play Under - Any team vs. the 1rst half line hot shooting team - 3 straight games making >=47% of their shots against opponent after a game making 12 or more 3 point shots.
67-31 since 1997. ( 68.4% 32.9 units )
PAUL LEINER
100* George Washington +17
100* Michigan -2
50* Wright State -6
DAVID BANKS
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
The points may be worth taking when two hot teams get together on ESPN Wednesday night, as the Los Angeles Clippers (8-2, 8-2 ATS) pay a visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder (8-3, 6-4-1 ATS) at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, OK at 7:30 ET. The Clippers are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the best record in the Western Conference thanks to their current six-game winning streak both straight up and ATS, while the defending Western Conference Champion Thunder are on a 7-1 straight up run.
In fact, a case can be made that the Clippers are playing the best basketball in the NBA through 10 games when you consider that they rank second in the league in field goal percentage offensively at 49.2 percent and also second in the NBA in field goal percentage allowed defensively at 41.9 percent, translating to an excellent average winning margin of +8.9 points per game. And it is not as if the Clippers' six-game winning streak has come vs. a bunch of cream puffs either, as they beat the Spurs twice including a win at San Antonio in their last game Monday as well as the Trail Blazers on the road and the Heat, Bulls and Hawks at home. Los Angeles has been extremely well balanced offensively with five players averaging double-digits, led by Jamal Crawford (19.7 points per game), Blake Griffin (17.2) and Chris Paul (16.3), and the Clips also boast the NBA leader in field goal percentage in center DeAndre Jordan at an amazing 68.1 percent (47-for-69).
The Thunder traded away one member of last year's Big Three when they shipped James Harden to the Houston Rockets just a few days before this season started, but apparently that has not affected their play too much. One key reason for that is because the key recipient in that trade, Kevin Martin, is third on the club in scoring at 17.6 points per game while filling Harden's sixth man role off the bench. Naturally, the two leading scorers are the usual suspects, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. It has also helped that defensive specialist Serge Ibaka has been more consistent on the offensive end this year averaging 14.6 points. However, while the Thunder are 8-3, they are only 1-3 vs. teams that are currently over .500 with the lone win coming vs. a 5-4 Golden State team that does not figure to be over .500 by year's end. Also, while these teams have been just about equal offensively with Oklahoma City averaging 101.7 points and the Clippers averaging 101.5, the Clippers are allowing nearly three points per game less defensively at 92.6 points compared to 95.2 Interestingly, Los Angeles is a perfect 3-0 straight up on the road while two of Oklahoma City's three losses have come here at home.
The Clippers are a blistering 12-3 ATS in the last 15 head-to-head meetings in Oklahoma, and they are 21-8 ATS in the last 29 meetings overall regardless of the venue.
Pick: LA CLIPPERS+4.5
Info Plays
7* Denver Nuggets -3