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4 Unit Play. #724 Take Connecticut Huskies -4.5 over Harvard Crimson (7 pm ESPN U) Connecticut is coming off back-to-back losses but that will end tonight facing a mid-major from a one bid conference. Harvard is the best team in the Ivy League once again; however, they have not had any success when facing UCONN. UConn has dominated this series, winning 16 of the 18 all-time meetings.
4 Unit Play. #751 Take Duquesne Dukes -4.5 over Fordham Rams (7 pm) Fordham has been a bottom feeder in the Atlantic-10 for most of this decade and thus we will lay the short number with the Dukes in Pittsburgh tonight. Duquesne has won 4 of the last 5 meetings with Fordham and have rebounded from last season trying to match their win total with a victory tonight. A win tonight will give the Dukes 5 straight wins.
4 Unit Play. #786 Take UNLV Rebels -8 over Nevada Wolf Pack (9:15 pm CBSSN) The Rebels are coming off one of the more shocking results of the season losing at home to Air Force over the weekend. Now they need a team to take out their frustration against and who better than an in-state rival in Nevada. UNLV has won 55 of the 74 meetings between these two schools including the last 8 games. Last season with both in the MWC they beat Nevada by double digits both times
Robert Ferringo
NCAAB
7* Take #720 Cleveland State (-7.5) over Detroit (7 p.m.)
4* Take #735 Drexel (+1) over William & Mary (7 p.m.)
3* Take #729 Toledo (-3) over Western Michigan (7 p.m.)
3* Take #743 Eastern Michigan (Pk) over Bowling Green (7 p.m.)
3* Take #727 Akron (-5.5) over Ball State (7 p.m.)
2* Take #782 Oklahoma State (-12) over Texas (9 p.m.)
2* Take #742 Buffalo (-12) over Northern Illinois (7 p.m.)
2* Take #790 Fresno State (-7.5) over Air Force (9 p.m.)
2* Take #746 Kent State (-2) over Ohio (7 p.m.)
2* Take #748 Virginia (-10) over Wake Forest (7 p.m.)
2* Take #757 Georgetown (-2) over Providence (7 p.m.)
2* Take #775 Arkansas (-3) over Texas A&M (9 p.m.)
2* Take #777 Illinois (+10) over Wisconsin (9 p.m.)
2* Take #791 New Mexico (-3) over Wyoming (9 p.m.)
2* Take #765 Indiana State (-1) over Drake (8 p.m.)
1* Take #761 Southern Illinois (+4) over Loyola-Chicago (8 p.m.)
ALLEN EASTMAN
4-Unit Play. Take #727 Akron (-5.5) over Ball State (7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 8)
There is a big difference in these two programs and this game looks like a blowout. Akron is 7-3
ATS in the last 10 meetings with Ball State and they have won nine straight. The Zips won by 12
at Ball State last year and the Cardinals are just 5-13 ATS in their last 18 home games. They
don't have a big home court advantage. Akron is one of the best programs in the MAC and they
will want to open conference play with a convincing win. This game is a mismatch and this line
jumped off the page at me when I saw it. I think that the visiting team will get the job done.
3-Unit Play. Take #726 Oakland (-7) over UW-Milwaukee (7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 8)
I like the homer in this one. Oakland plays tough in its home gym. And these teams in the Horizon
League aren't used to the environment. Milwaukee is coming off an ugly 77-49 loss to Cleveland
State. I don't think they have let that game go and it will stay with them into this one. Oakland
has won three of four games and their only loss was on the road at Wright State. They have gone
4-1 ATS in their last five home games and UW-Milwaukee is just 2-5 ATS in its last seven league
games. Oakland will take care of business and get another win its new league
STRIKE POINT SPORTS
College Basketball Game of the Month
6-Unit Play. #790 Take Fresno State (-7.5) over Air Force (10 p.m., Wednesday, January 8)
I think Fresno State is going to lay the wood to Air Force tonight. I was expecting the line to
have the Bulldogs favored by five or so, and I think this number still suits us well. Both teams and
their records are somewhat of smoke and mirrors, most notably Air Force. The Bulldogs are 7-8 on
the season but laying this number to a team with a 8-5 record tells you plenty about who is going
to do what in this game. Fresno State also had a tough stretch of games to begin December,
having to play three straight games at Utah, at Cal and then a neutral game against ranked
Florida. On top of that, one of their best players Tyler Johnson was injured for a four-game
stretch in late November and early December, so really this Bulldogs team has only been healthy
for the last couple of weeks as they regain their top stride. As for Air Force, well they aren't 8-5
good. Two of their wins were against non-Division I teams and four of their other six wins were to
teams ranked outside the RPI Top 200 (bad teams like Arkansas Pine Bluff and UC Riverside). Also,
they have losses to bad teams like Jackson State, UC Davis and VMI. Furthermore, this Air Force
team has only gone on the road three times all season. They lost to VMI by eight and UC Davis by
six. Fresno State can and will beat Air Force by more than both those margins of victory. Bottom
line is I am not buying what Air Force is selling. And neither are oddsmakers if you take into
consideration the spread. Fresno State's RPI is nearly 80 spots better than Air Force, and that
tells me they are the better, more complete and capable team, especially at home. Last season at
home Fresno State beat Air Force by 15, and in this season's first meeting I think a similar win margin will be the result. Last time out this past weekend, albeit in defeat, Fresno State played
one of their better games all season, covering as a double digit underdog at Boise State. They
scored 79 points on the road and I think the high 70s or low 80s is a reason number for them
tonight. Hump Day has worked well for Fresno State with the team going 20-7 ATS in their last 27
Wednesday games. Here they turn in a very quality performance to even up their record on the
year and notch their first victory of Mountain West play as they cover against Air Force and win
by double digits.
2-Unit Play. #722 Take Central Michigan (-2) over Miami (OH) (7 p.m., Wednesday, January 8)
This line is short even if Central Michigan have been pretty average the last month or so, and
that is because Miami Ohio isn't any good. They are horrible on the road and have been worked
over every game away from home this season sans against a bad Tennessee State team. The
Redhawks are scoring in the low 60s and that isn't going to be good enough to beat Central
Michigan at home. It's just not. CMU takes care of business here.
2-Unit Play. #765 Take Indiana State (-1) over Drake (7 p.m., Wednesday, January 8)
The Sycamores have been blitzing the competition the last couple of weeks, registering four
straight wins by double digits, including this past weekend when we backed ISU as our 8-Unit
Game of the Year. If you remove a quality loss at a really good Saint Louis team then it would be
six straight double figure wins by Indiana State. And while I don't think they have another easy
win against Drake, I still think it's a win nonetheless for ISU, which would be their third straight
league victory to open up MVC play. I really like this Indiana State team, and also I do not think
Drake is as legit as they have shown this year. It's why the Sycamores are favored on the road.
They come through and continue to establish themselves as the second best team in the league
behind undefeated and Top Ten ranked Wichita State.
2-Unit Play. #785 Take Nevada (+8) over UNLV (9:15 p.m., Wednesday, January 8)
The Wolf Pack are on the up and up after a really crappy go in non-conference. And considering
UNLV has already lost four home games this season, I think they are being overvalued in what will
be a crucial conference game for Nevada to keep momentum after a quick 2-0 conference start.
21-point scorer Deonte Burton is a stud and is capable of really putting up a strong effort vs. the
Rebels. Nevada has covered each of the past two games in Vegas against UNLV and I think they
do well to make this one a back-and-forth, competitive affair throughout. The Wolf Pack have
already won four road games this season, and here they come through as a live dog and cover in
the desert.
JASON SHARPE
3 Unit Play Take #728 Ball State +6 over Akron (7:00pm est):
I have been anti-Akron for much of this season so far. Don't get me wrong I think the Zips are still
a decent squad but are extremely overvalued. This will be their fifth road game this season and
they come in just 1-3 overall. They are just 2-3 their last five games and both those wins weren't
overly impressive victories either.
Ball State has a new coach and it's usually around this time of the season where you start to see
teams like them play better as they become more familiarized with the new teachings. The
Cardinals are a solid 3-2 at home this season and have played a very tough schedule thus far.
Look for a close game here. Take Ball State and the points in this one.
3 Unit Play Take #738 Penn State pick'em over Minnesota (7:00pm est):
Huge game for Penn State and a measuring stick for where this program is at right now. They
know they have to play better here than they have in their first two Big ten contests. Penn State
has played well this year at times beating a solid La Salle and St. John's and staying close versus
Pittsburgh, Ole Miss and Princeton.
Minnesota has had a fairly easy schedule all things considered and this is just their 2nd true road
game all season long. Most of their wins this season have come against below average teams
also.
Take Penn State in this one.
ANDRE GOMES
NBA - 707 Indiana Pacers @ 708 Atlanta Hawks
NOTE: detailed write up to be released later
Pick: 3 units (Single Dime Play) on 707/708 Under 188.5 @ -110
Strike Point Sports
6* #790 Take Fresno State (-6) over Air Force (10 p.m., Wednesday, January 8)
2* #785 Take Nevada (+8) over UNLV (9:15 p.m., Wednesday, January 8)
2* #765 Take Indiana State (-1) over Drake (7 p.m., Wednesday, January)
2* #722 Take Central Michigan (-2) over Miami (OH) (7 p.m., Wednesday, January 8)
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