2-17-12

[Mr. IWS]

Note:

ALL PLAYS POSTED ARE UNCONFIRMED UNLESS YOU BUY THEM YOURSELF. THERE IS BAD INFO PASSED AROUND FROM TIME TO TIME, SO PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK

[Mr. IWS]

SPORTS WAGERS

Milwaukee +7½/+273 over ORLANDO

The Magic have beaten the Bucks four straight and seven of eight including a game in Milwaukee just six days ago. As a result, Orlando has no score to settle here. The Bucks do and we’re confident they can pull it off. The schedule has had a huge impact in wagering on the NBA this season. It's something we must always consider and we could have found a glitch here against the home side. The Magic will play their fifth game in seven nights. After this game, they embark on a five-game trip that starts Sunday with the first of four games in five nights. That game Sunday is against the Heat in the second game of a nationally televised double-header on ABC. For a Magic team that has been caught napping on several occasions this season, this one has all the same warning signs. This one is not about talent and stats. It’s about the situation that bodes well for our purposes. With Orlando’s eye off the ball here, an upset would not surprise. Play: Milwaukee +7½ (Risking 1.65 units to win 1.5) Play: Milwaukee +273 (Risking 0.5 units).

Washington +11 over UTAH

This line is just plain ludicrous. The Wizards are widely regarded as one of the least talented and most dysfunctional team in the NBA. That was very true when the season began and the Wiz were constantly getting blown out. A lot has changed in a short while. Flip Saunders was fired and the club is now 5-8 under Randy Wittman and 3-3 over its last six. The Wizards’ only losses over their past six games have been to the red-hot New York Knicks and division-leaders Miami and the Clippers. They won their first two games on this five-game road trip against Detroit and Portland by a combined 36 points. They're also displaying a different mentality on the court, as they are now winning as a team and losing as one. Getting 11 points against a talented but green Jazz club is a gross overlay. Teams like Miami, Philly, Oklahoma City and Chicago are favored by 11 points, not teams like Utah. The Jazz are a .500 club at 14-14 and they'll be hard pressed to remain at .500. Sure, they play well at home but they return to Salt Lake after a three-game trip. Any complacency or taking this unfamiliar intruder lightly could result in not only an easy cover for the Wizards but an outright win also. Play: Washington +11 (Risking 2.2 units to win 2).

[Mr. IWS]

SPORTS WAGERS

Anaheim +119 over NEW JERSEY

The Ducks are 17-11-5 since Bruce Boudreau took over but they're 14-2-3 with a league-leading 31 points since Jan. 6. Anaheim is once again getting outstanding goaltending from Jonas Hiller. Two years ago, Hiller was considered one of the best in the game but he missed a large portion of games last season and was rather average at the start of this one. He's since regained that form from two seasons ago. Martin Brodeur starts for the Devils. If you read this section regularly, there's nothing more to say. The Devils, too, are hot. They've won six of eight and the top line is once again scoring at a torrid pace. New Jersey is a top-tiered team whose only weakness is in goal. That makes them unappealing as the chalk against the hottest team in the NHL. It's also worth noting that the Devils rarely see the Ducks and could be looking ahead to a pair of upcoming games in Montreal and Toronto. Play: Anaheim +119 (Risking 2 units).

Montreal +110 over BUFFALO

The Sabres are back to playing the same poor way they were playing prior to the break. Buffalo is desperately lacking desire, discipline and the intangibles it takes to win at this level. Since a modest run just after the all-star break, the Sabres have lost three in a row and have been outscored 13-4. They had a 2-0 lead in Philly last night after one period and lost 7-2. A disheartened Buffalo bunch will now play its third game in four days after winning just eight of its last 26 games. The Canadiens come in losers of two straight. They've lost six consecutive games to this rival and that has to be eating away at them. There are no excuses for losing to them again, as they catch the Sabres demoralized and in a difficult scheduling spot. Montreal had won four straight before losing back-to-back games to Carolina and Boston. However, they rallied from two down against the B's to pick up a point and send that game to OT. As a result, the Canadiens have picked up points in five of their last six games. Expect another strong effort here in an attempt to end their recent woes against this fragile host. Play: Montreal +110 (Risking 2 units).

[Mr. IWS]

David Banks

Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers
ESPNs Friday night doubleheader closes out with a Pacific Division match-up between Steve Nashs Phoenix Suns (12-18, 12-18 ATS) and Kobe Bryants Los Angeles Lakers (17-12, 13-16 ATS); tip-off from the Staples Center is set to go live at 10:30 ET.

Since going on its longest win streak of the season (3-games), Phoenix has gotten back to losing games while also failing to cover the pointspread in doing so. The Suns have dropped three of their last four games heading into tonights match-up with the rival Lakers which is the first of a home and home series with the back end to be played back in the desert on Sunday night. The Suns extended their losing streak to three both SU & ATS their last time out after dropping a tough 101-99 home decision to the Atlanta hawks; the two-point defeat saw them fail to cover as one-point underdogs. The defense faltered in all three losses allowing each opponent to average 104 points per game 7+ points more than their seasonal average of 96.9 PPG allowed (#21). Though the Suns have dropped seven of their 17 overall road games, theyve managed an 8-9 record versus the closing pointspread.

The Lakers won their second game in a row on Tuesday night by grinding out an 86-78 home win and cover against the Atlanta Hawks; LA closed as 5.5-point favorites. The pointspread triumph halted their mini two-game losing streak against the closing number and pulled them to within two-games of the Pacific Division leading Clippers. Its been the big three of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum thats led the Lakers charge to date, as the next highest scorer after them is Matt Barnes whose only been good for an average of 7.0 PPG. With the lack of offense, Coach Mike Brown has had to rely on his defense to keep the squad in games against stiffer competition. So far, that MO has somewhat held up with LA giving up an average of just 90.4 PPG (#4) on 41.7 percent shooting from the field (#1). The Lakers have been at their best in front of the Tinseltown crowd winning 12 of 14 and covering the spread in nine of those contests.

The purple and gold already owns a commanding win against the Suns this season after trouncing them 99-83 as 7.5-point home chalk back in early January. The win was the teams third straight in the recent series (1-1-1 ATS) and moved them to 7-3 SU but just 4-5-1 ATS in the L/10; the over cashed in six of those games. Though the road team has covered at a 5-1-1 clip the L/7, Phoenix has gone a bankroll depleting 8-20-1 ATS the L/29 times it opposed a +.500 opponent. Los Angeles has covered seven of its L/10 against sub .500 road teams, but checks in with just a 4-10-1 ATS record its L/15 within the division.
PICK: PHOENIX +PTS

[Mr. IWS]

PAUL LEINER

17 FEB
100* Princeton/Columbia Over 122
50* VCU -6 over Northern Iowa

[Mr. IWS]

Viking Sports NHL 2.17
Wash/Fla 5.5 o
Bos/Win 5.5 u

Mon/Buf 5 u

[Mr. IWS]

Jimmy Boyd 2/17
5* Cleveland Cavaliers +10.5 (Bovada)

4* Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 (Bet Online)

[Mr. IWS]

Dom Chambers 50 Dime- Dallas Mavericks

[Mr. IWS]

JIM Feist

3 TEAM NHL PARLAY POUNDER
Bruins
Hurricanes
Red Wings

[Mr. IWS]

MTI

4* Bucks +8

[Mr. IWS]

The Popular Choice

3* Magic -8 1/2
3* Knicks - 11

[Mr. IWS]

ATS LOCK

3 Toronto
3 Ok City

[Mr. IWS]

SB PROFESSOR
As always, picks are against the pointspread and not just to win outright. Friday's NBA picks:

8:00 PM EST
816. Memphis Grizzlies -4*

Other Game:
806. Toronto Raptors -7
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SB PROFESSOR
Here are the Friday NHL picks with the current Money Lines:

Carolina Hurricanes +125
Buffalo Sabres -107
Florida Panthers -111

[Mr. IWS]

WUNDERDOG
97-71 Season-to-Date 58% +$3890
Game: Dallas at Philadelphia (8:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: Game Total UNDER 180 -110

The Philadelphia 76ers have become the new kids on the block in the NBA Atlantic. They have already beaten some impressive teams here in the Lakers, Indiana, Orlando, Chicago, and Atlanta. They have done it with an incredible defense on their home court that has seen 14 of their 18 opponents held in the 80s or less. Dallas will get their attention because they have won five straight, and are the reigning champs in the NBA. The Mavs have also been highly defensive resulting in 18 of their last 27 falling shy of the total. Philly has also been at their defensive best after a loss having gone 15-3 to the under in their last 18 after a setback. Play the UNDER in this one.

[Mr. IWS]

Matt Rivers
200,000*
Memphis Grizzlies