1-16-14

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[Can'tPickAWinner]

Nets at Hawks: What bettors need to know

Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks (+2, 192.5)

Game will be played at O2 Arena, London, England

The sightseeing in London will conclude and the game takes center stage on Thursday when the Brooklyn Nets face the Atlanta Hawks at The O2. The 19,000-seat venue has long been sold out and the Nets are finally playing solid basketball and rolled off five straight wins before falling to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. The Hawks have hit a rough patch with four losses in six games and will serve as the home team.

The NBA continues to cultivate its presence in London with its fourth regular-season game held in the city but Brooklyn forward Andrei Kirilenko told reporters he doesn’t foresee a time when the league expands to London. “I don’t think it’s realistic only because of the traveling,” said Kirilenko, who is from Russia. “Maybe if it’s going to be a whole division, like the Euroleague is a division for the NBA like the West or Eastern Conference – so once a year you go to another continent and play three games there and then come back and adjust, maybe it’s going to work. But it’s definitely not going to work coming to London and then coming back. It’s physically impossible.”

TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBATV, YES (Brooklyn), SportSouth (Atlanta)

LINE: The line opened with the Nets as 1.5-point faves and now sit a -2. The total opened at 192.5.

COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Brooklyn (-6) - Atlanta (-6.5) + neutral site (0) = Atlanta -0.5

ABOUT THE NETS (15-22, 17-20 ATS): Guard Joe Johnson had 23 points when Brooklyn beat the Hawks on Jan. 6 and would like to have another solid outing against his former club. Johnson averaged 27.3 points over a three-game span before dropping to 11 in the loss to Toronto. Johnson is two 3-pointers away from becoming the 20th player in NBA history to reach 1,500 for his career and feels Brooklyn is finally in rhythm as a team. “We’ve kind of figured out some minor things and to roll with what we’ve got,” Johnson told reporters. “And we’ve been doing a pretty good job of guys helping one another on both ends of the floor.”

ABOUT THE HAWKS (20-18, 21-17 ATS): Atlanta’s offensive prowess has diminished since losing center Al Horford to a season-ending injury and the squad has failed to reach 100 points in five of the last seven games. The recent loss to the Nets was a prime example as the Hawks scored just 34 second-half points on 11-of-31 shooting. Power forward Paul Millsap appears to be on his game with his first back-to-back 20-point outings of the season. Millsap suffered through a 1-of-10 shooting performance (for four points) in a loss to the Indiana Pacers before rebounding with the two strong efforts.

TRENDS:

* Nets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Hawks are 0-4 ATS in their last four games playing on three or more days rest.
* Under is 6-1 in the Hawks last seven games overall.
* Over is 7-2-1 in Nets last 10 games vs the Southeast.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Brooklyn has won three of the past four meetings, including a 91-86 home victory earlier this month.

2. Hawks SF Kyle Korver has extended his record streak of consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer to 107.

3. Nets PG Deron Williams (ankle) didn’t make the trip to London and will miss his 16th game of the season.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NBA Top 3 Tracking season win total losers

Earlier in the week, we looked at NBA teams which were well on their way to surpassing their preseason win projections, well here are three teams which ones are on pace to fall woefully short.

Here are three teams that are "NOT" in good position to reach their total (totals courtesy LVH):

Brooklyn Nets (15-22; projected win total: 52.5)

The hype surrounding the Nets' retooled roster fueled a lofty preseason win total - one that now seems silly in retrospect. Brooklyn hasn't been healthy all season - injuries to center Brook Lopez and point guard Deron Williams have robbed the club of its two most valuable players - and the rest of the Nets have been far too inconsistent since the start of the campaign. Brooklyn has played much better of late - winning five of its last six games - but would need to go 38-7 the rest of the way to surpass its total. That's not happening.

New York Knicks (14-22; projected win total: 49.5)

This season was supposed to represent a step forward for the Knicks, who jettisoned a future first-round pick to acquire former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani from Toronto in an effort to provide some scoring help for Carmelo Anthony. Bargnani has been mediocre except for the occasional spurt of productivity - but he's far from the biggest problem. New York ranks 22nd in scoring among starting units, 22nd in team field-goal percentage and second from the bottom in rebounding. For a team that can't play lockdown defense with any regularity, those numbers simply won't do.

Memphis Grizzlies (17-19; projected win total: 49)

The biggest disappointment in the West resides in Tennessee, where the Grizzlies have crumbled after losing All-Star center Marc Gasol to a torn meniscus. For a team that relies so heavily on formidable post defense, Gasol's absence has forced Memphis to find a way to generate more offense - something it has largely failed to do. The Grizzlies were 26th in points per game in December, and while they've jumped to sixth in January - just as Gasol is preparing to return - it will take a 32-14 finish for Memphis to equal its projected victory total.

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NBA betting: Faves dominate in NBA games played abroad

The NBA is always trying to expand its brand and has made a habit of scheduling regular season games abroad. This season is no different as the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks will play at the O2 Arena in London, England Thursday afternoon.

It's no secret that the league would love having a European division with franchises in cities like London, Paris, and Madrid. Regular season matchups in international cities are nothing new to the league. In fact, since 1990, there have been 16 regular season games played abroad.

The favorite has dominated SU and ATS in those 16 games on foreign turf, going 14-2 SU and 11-5 ATS.

Here is a list of the regular season games played in countries outside of the USA and Canada.

January 17, 2013 (London, England) - New York Knicks 102, Detroit Pistons 87 (Knicks -5.5, U 195)
March 4, 2011 (London, England) - New Jersey Nets 116, Toronto Raptors 103 (Nets -2.5, O 203.5)
March 5, 2011 (London, England) - New Jersey Nets 137, Toronto Raptors 136 (Nets -2.5, O 205.5)
October 30, 2003 (Saitama, Japan) - Seattle Sonics 109, Los Angeles Clippers 100 (Sonics -1.5, O 180.5)
November 1, 2003 (Saitama, Japan) - Seattle Sonics 124, Los Angeles Clippers 105 (Sonics -3.5, O 186)
November 6, 1999 (Tokyo, Japan) - Sacramento Kings 100, Minnesota Timberwolves 95 (Kings -2.5, U 208)
November 7, 1999 (Tokyo, Japan) - Minnesota Timberwolves 114, Sacramento Kings 101 (Timberwolves -1.5, O 205)
December 6, 1997 (Mexico City, Mexico) - Houston Rockets 108, Dallas Mavericks 106 (Rockets -9.5, O 202.5)
November 7, 1996 (Tokyo, Japan) - Orlando Magic 108, New Jersey Nets 95 (Magic -7, O 181.5)
November 9, 1996 (Tokyo, Japan) - Orlando Magic 86, New Jersey Nets 82 (Magic -6.5, U 190)
November 4, 1994 (Yohohama, Japan) - Portland Trail Blazers 121, Los Angeles Clippers 100 (Blazers -7.5, O 217)
November 5, 1994 (Yokohama, Japan) - Portland Trail Blazers 112, Los Angeles Clippers 95 (Blazers -8, U 215)
November 6, 1992 (Yokohama, Japan) - Seattle Sonics 111, Houston Rockets 94 (Rockets -2.5, U 212)
November 7, 1992 (Yokohama, Japan) - Seattle Sonics 89, Houston Rockets 85 (Sonics -3, U 209.5)
November 2, 1990 (Tokyo, Japan) - Phoenix Suns 119, Utah Jazz 96 (Suns -2.5, U 215.5)
November 3, 1990 (Tokyo, Japan) - Utah Jazz 102, Phoenix Suns 101 (Suns -3.5, U 214)

Favorite ATS: 11-5 ATS
Favorite SU: 14-2
O/U: 8-8

[Can'tPickAWinner]

PGA Tour heads to La Quinta, CA on Thursday
by Freddy Wander

Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation

Tees Off: Thursday, January 16
The Club at PGA West & La Quinta Country Club – La Quinta, CA

Odds to Win Tournament

Golfer Odds
Webb Simpson 12-to-1
Zach Johnson 12-to-1
Brandt Snedeker 15-to-1
Keegan Bradley 15-to-1
Harris English 20-to-1
Rickie Fowler 25-to-1
Gary Woodland 25-to-1
Bill Haas 25-to-1
Ryan Palmer 30-to-1
Billy Horschel 30-to-1
Charles Howell III 30-to-1
Brian Gay 40-to-1
Charley Hoffman 40-to-1
Robert Garrigus 40-to-1
Brian Stuard 50-to-1
Martin Laird 50-to-1
Jason Kokrak 50-to-1
Tim Clark 50-to-1
Brendon de Jonge 50-to-1
Jeff Overton 50-to-1
Pat Perez 60-to-1
Kevin Stadler 60-to-1
Kevin Na 60-to-1
Freddie Jacobson 60-to-1
Jonas Blixt 60-to-1
Kevin Chappell 60-to-1
Chris Stroud 60-to-1
Matt Every 60-to-1
John Senden 60-to-1
Nicolas Colsaerts 60-to-1
Matt Jones 60-to-1
Luke Guthrie 60-to-1
12 golfers 80-to-1
5 golfers 100-to-1
FIELD (Any other golfer) 5-to-2

An impressive group, including 17 past major winners, heads to California for the Humana Challenge, played over multiple courses in the Coachella Valley. Last year’s tournament saw a shootout in which three players (Brian Gay, Charles Howell III, David Lingmerth) shot 25-under par, resulting in a two-hole playoff where Gay came away the victor. Here are some players to keep an eye on this week:

Golfers to Watch

Webb Simpson (12/1): While Simpson has not been in the top-10 at this tournament since 2009, including a missed cut last year, his recent play warrants him consideration this time around. He has placed in the top-7 in his past four tournaments in 20013-2014, including a win in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open last October and a third-place finish at Kapalua to start the new year.

Zach Johnson (12/1): Johnson has been the hottest player on tour recently with top-8 finishes over his past three tournaments, including two victories. He has shot 68 or better in 12 of his past 15 rounds, and has the second-highest driving accuracy so far this season (74.1%). In a tournament that is so low scoring, he should really have some great opportunities.

Brian Gay (40/1): Gay was the winner of this event last season and placed in the top-15 in both 2010 and 2011. His recent play has not been the greatest though, placing lower than 30th in four of his past six tournaments, but could be revived in a place where has had success in the past. Gay enters Thursday with a combined minus-18 score in his past six rounds.

Bill Haas (25/1): The 31-year-old Haas is currently ranked 31st in the world while placing in the top-25 in each of his last five tournaments, including all four in the 2014 season. He missed the cut last year at the Humana Challenge, but placed second in 2011 when it was known as the Bob Hope Classic and won the tournament in 2010.

Brian Stuard (50/1): Another 31-year-old, Stuard has two straight top-6 finishes, placing 6th in the Sony Open last week and coming in 2nd in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba back in November. He placed 10th the first time playing this event, which included a 10-under 62 on Saturday (8 birdies, 2 eagles, 2 bogeys), and could ride his recent play to his second career PGA victory this weekend.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

PGA betting Humana Challenge Preview and Picks
by Matt Fargo

The PGA stops in La Quinta, California for the Humana Challenge from The Club at PGA West.

Last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Jimmy Walker finished strong to win his second tournament of the season and second of his career. The PGA Tour leaves the island of Hawaii and heads to the mainland this week for the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation, formally known as the Bob Hope Classic.

This will be the third consecutive year of a tournament change. What used to be a five-day event has been scaled back to the customary four days and the Pro-Am portion of it has been scaled back to just three days with Sunday being played by professionals only.

If you like birdies, you have come to the right place. This is where Joe Durant’s -36 in 2001, the lowest score in PGA Tour history and David Duval’s 59 in 1999, took place. Since this is a Pro-Am event, patience is key as the rounds are not quick and there are tons of distractions along the way. Players who hit the ball straight, hit a lot of greens and putt well have the best chances here.

This used to be one of the biggest stops on tour but it slowly started going downhill as the big name players opted out. Part of the reason is that the European Tour has hosted the Abu Dhabi Championship on the same weekend many times which is the case again this year. Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Luke Donald are just a few of the big names teeing it up in the United Arab Emirates but the Humana Challenge still features a solid lineup.

Webb Simpson and Zach Johnson are co-favorites (+1,200) but we will be looking just below them four our top guy in Brandt Snedeker (+1,500). He finished T11 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, his first start since coming back from a knee injury. He took last week off which will help him here and he has had success in this event with a T8 in 2012 and a T10 in 2010.

Gary Woodland (+2,500) took last week off following his T13 at the Hyundai and actually went back home to tweak some things in his swing. He had a strong finish to last season with a win at the Reno-Tahoe Open and then a T2 at The Barclays three weeks later. He then added a solo second at the CIMB Classic in October. He lost in a playoff here in 2011 and is a birdie machine

Charles Howell III (+3,000) is coming off his fourth top ten of the season, the most on tour, after a T8 last week at the Sony. He opened with a disappointing 71 but he closed strong which gives him some momentum heading to California. He lost in a playoff here last year and he has made the cut in all four starts since returning in 2010 after a couple years off. Still looking for his first win since 2007.

After some inconsistent play to open the season, Ryan Palmer (+3,000) finished T8 last week which he can ride into the Humana Challenge. He has three career wins, his last coming at the Sony Open in 2010. He has been a solid player at he start of seasons and last year his T6 finish here was the best of his career. He opened last week with a 65 and another strong start should have him around on Sunday.

Brendon De Jonge (+5,000) has played very well here and is worth a hard look at this price. This tournament is known for low scoring and De Jonge led the tour in birdies last season with 399. His best finish here is a T12 back in 2012 but he has a streak of 17 straight rounds under par so he is very capable of going low. He is coming off a T51 last week but was consistent throughout.

Recommended Tournament Win Five Pack at the Humana Challenge - (All for one unit)

Brandt Snedeker (+1,500)

Gary Woodland (+2,500)

Charles Howell III (+3,000)

Ryan Palmer (+3,000)

Brendon De Jonge (+5,000)

2014 Record to date after one event:: -5 Units

Sony Open in Hawaii -5 Units

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Steve's Golf Picks

Humana Challenge from The Club at PGA West

John Peterson 95 to 1

Nicolas Colsaerts 85 to 1

Ben Martin 215 to 1

Brian Stuard 55 to 1

Billy Horschel 27 to 1

Robert Garrigus 50 to 1

Head to head for tournament
Billy Horschel (-115) over Rickie Fowler
Robert Garrigus (-130) over Jonas Blixt

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Australian Open betting tidbits: Day 5

Day 5 of the Australian Open, means the start of Round 3 and as matches get tougher so does the capping. So we dug up some more essential betting tidbits for the men's draw.

Denis Istomin v Novak Djokovic (2)

- The last time Istomin was in the Third Round at the Aussie Open he met Djokvic and lost in straight sets.
- Djokovic didn't face one break point in his Second Round match against Loenardo Mayer.

Fabio Fognini (15) v Sam Querrey

- This is Fognini's first appearance in the Third Round of the Aussie Open.
- Querrey cruised through his Second Round match in just one hour 37 minutes versus ranked Ernests Gublis.

Tommy Robredo (17) v Richard Gasquet (9)

- Robredo hit 66 winners compared to 25 unforced errors in his Second Round match.
- Gasquet has advanced to the Fourth Round of the Aussie Open the last two years.

Stanislas Wawrinka (8) v Vasek Pospisil (28)

- Wawrinka defeated Pospisil earlier this month (6-4, 5-5 RET) in the semifinals at the Chennai Open in India.
- This is Pospisil's first appearance in the Third Round of a Grand Slam event.

Jeremy Chardy (29) v David Ferrer (3)

- Chardy hit 76 winners in his second Round match, but also had 73 unforced errors.
- Ferrer, who has advanced to at least the quarterfinals the last three years, had zero aces in his last match.

Florian Mayer v Jerzy Janowicz (20)

- Mayer upset No. 14 Mikhail Youzhny in the Second Round in a five set match (6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3).
- Janowicz has advanced to the Third Round in back-to-back Aussie Opens.

Kevin Anderson (19) v Edouard Roger-Vasselin

- Last year Anderson had his best finish at the Aussie Open when he advanced to the Fourth Round.
- Roger-Vasselin is making his first appearance in the Third round, he only had two unforced errors last match.

Tomas Berdych (7) v Damir Dzumhur

- Berdych won 88 percent of his first serve points in his Second Round match.
- Dzumhur's Second Round opponent Ivan Dodig retired with the match 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 4-1.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BrentonAyton

Soccer
Alferton (England Conference Premier) 1.75

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WINNING POINTS

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Texas-Arlington* over Louisiana-Monroe by 5

***BEST BET
Cleveland State* over Oakland by 22
Four Oakland players are seeing 30-37 minutes per game despite that hard early
schedule, when depth should have been being built. Now coach Kampe has already
lost a home conference home game to an opponent (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) that
Cleveland State beat by 26 points on the road. Attaboy, coach. Oakland’s 6’10”, 260
second-leading scorer Corey Petros (13.4 ppg) hits only 58.5% on his free throws.
CLEVELAND STATE, 84-62.

Louisville* over Houston by 15

East Carolina over Florida Atlantic* by 4

Florida International* over Old Dominion by 1

Georgia State* over Arkansas State by 5

Marshall* over North Texas by 9

Vanderbilt* over Missouri by 3
It’s a sluggish start to SEC for Missouri, a team averaging 75 ppg that scored only 64
in OT vs. Georgia, then 70 vs. Auburn. They started with garbage foes. Vandy is stale
cookies, but not garbage.
VANDERBILT, 69-66.

St. John’s* over Providence by 4
Providence head coach Ed Cooley whines about injuries and other personnel issues,
says things like, ‘I’ve never had it this bad,’ and the Friars are 6-9 ATS heading into
the week. But they are playing the Red Brick here, coach Lavin’s offensive joke on the
world.
ST. JOHN’S, 63-59.

***BEST BET
Memphis* over Connecticut by 19
The Huskies of UConn were taken down at Houston and SMU in their first road
trips to faraway American Athletic lands. Memphis is a stronger program. The Tigers
had enough muscle and poise to hold down the Louisville guards at Louisville, and if
these veteran UConn guards weren’t good enough to lead their teams to wins against
non-NCAA type programs in their first few road encounters, why should they trump
the Tigers?
MEMPHIS, 80-61.

Charlotte* over Tulsa by 5
Southern Miss* over Rice by 22

Middle Tennessee* over UTEP by 9
UTEP hasn’t played many games since three players, including leading scorer
McKenzie Moore, were tossed from the now-tainted team for gambling allegations.
They weren’t scoring much before, probably won’t score much after. Forget them.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE, 67-58.

UL-Lafayette over South Alabama* by 1
Teams that shoot only 39% from the field, like South Alabama, often find a way to
kill the people who back them.
UL-LAFAYETTE, 70-69.

Western Kentucky* over Arkansas-LR by 3
Host WKU will have had a full week to sit and stew about a 23-point home loss to
Sun Belt newcomer Georgia State. Lazy scouting, people! At least they know the ins
and outs of their long-time Sun Belt cousin, but not well enough – two losses last year!
WESTERN KENTUCKY, 69-66.

UAB* over Texas San Antonio by 20
Opponents are shooting only 39.7% from the field against UAB, and UAB is grabbing
an astounding 48.5 rebounds per game. This cheesey 5-10 SU UTSA team is just
so dead, right?
UAB, 71-51.

Colorado* over UCLA by 1
Bruins won 78-75 here last year, the only meeting.
COLORADO, 82-81.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee over Illinois-Chicago* by 4
Most of the recent outings by host IUC have been double-digit losses. Milwaukee has
been scoring well recently, with the exception of one 49-point stinker output tossed
in at Cleveland State.
WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE, 71-67.

Troy* over UL-Monroe by 3

Ohio State over Minnesota* by 9
Nice effort in OT loss at Michigan State by Minnesota. But they didn’t win, and this
assignment isn’t any easier despite having home floor. They’ve already lost to Michigan
here, and Michigan isn’t a world-beater.
OHIO STATE, 76-67.

BYU over San Francisco* by 2
USF has yet to collapse in the aftermath of Cody Doolin’s bolting, and a lot of guys
besides Doolin rained 3s in last year’s win here vs. the Cougars.
BYU, 86-84.

Arizona* over Arizona State by 16
Betting against the best teams will usually make you sad by the end of 40 minutes.
The visitor is not one of the best teams. Host Arizona is.
ARIZONA, 75-59.

***BEST BET
Louisiana Tech over Tulane* by 30
Tulane is a dreaded 8.8 Assists per Game team that doesn’t rebound strongly. On
defense, they’ve allowed opponents to shoot 47% from the field overall, 38.1% from
three-point range. They have a -3 Assist to Turnover Ratio. Louisiana Tech comes into
C-USA from the WAC, where they had to endure a ridiculous travel slate every year
to the Rockies, the Northwest, to the deserts of the Southwest, to Hawaii, and back.
By contrast, this is a little, in-state jaunt over to New Orleans, with a 14-3 SU team
averaging 86 ppg, pulling down a near national-high 42 rebounds per game, with a
+4 Assist-to-Turnover Ratio.
LOUISIANA TECH, 89-59.

Loyola Marymount* over Portland by 2

Gonzaga over Pepperdine* by 11

Santa Clara* over San Diego by 6

Utah* over USC by 9
USC’s ability to defend against anybody that can score the ball better than average is
highly suspect, but they have some size edges that can help them exploit Utah’s
defense.
UTAH, 84-75.

Cal Poly-SLO* over CS Northridge by 11

Cal Davis* over Cal Riverside by 2

Cal Santa Barbara* over Long Beach State by 8

***BEST BET
Cal Irvine* over CS Fullerton by 27
Gotta love that Irvine pounded Cal-Riverside on the road without allowing their two
best ‘big’ starters, leading scorer and rebounder Will Davis (6’8”) and 3.5 per game
shot-blocker Mamadou Ndiaye (7’6”) to leave the bench. Both are expected back for
this conference home opener. Gotta pity Fullerton’s 6’6” and 6’7” post players looking
up to those two, especially N’Diaye, when there is also 6’10” Mike Best and 6’10”
John Ryan to deal with in the Anteaters’ regular rotation.
CAL-IRVINE, 88-61.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WINNING POINTS

PRO BASKETBALL

*Atlanta over Brooklyn by 3
The Nets have stepped up their defense and their bench is stronger with Andrei
Kirilenko back. The Hawks are 13-6 ATS at home this season, but their rebounding
has gone down with Al Horford out.
ATLANTA 96-93.

***BEST BET
*Indiana over New York by 14
The Pacers remain focused ranking first in fewest points allowed per game and defensive field goal percentage. It's helped them cover 24 of their first 36 games, including an overtime cover against the Knicks during the team's first meeting on Nov. 20 at Madison Square Garden, 103-96. The well coached Pacers should have plenty of energy playing for only the second time in six days.
INDIANA 98-84.

***BEST BET
Oklahoma City over *Houston by 10
It's a bad scheduling spot for the Rockets playing for the fifth time in seven days. This
is the Rockets' first of five consecutive home contests. Their full mental focus might
not be there since they just returned from a four-game road trip that finished last night
in New Orleans. The Thunder buried Houston, 117-86, at Oklahoma City on Dec.
29 – and that was without Russell Westbrook. It was just the fourth time the Rockets
were held under 90 points.
OKLAHOMA CITY 111-101.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

POINTWISE

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

KEY RELEASE
VANDERBILT over Missouri (Thurs) RATING: 5

(5:30) CLEVELAND STATE 77 - Oakland 58 _____ _____

(7:00) LOUISVILLE 93 - Houston 70 (CBSC) _____ _____

(7:00) East Carolina 62 - FLORIDA ATLANTIC 61 _____ _____

(7:00) Old Dominion 74 - FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 72 _____ _____

(7:00) Arkansas State 69 - GEORGIA STATE 64 _____ _____

(7:00) MARSHALL 70 - North Texas 68 _____ _____

(7:00) VANDERBILT 63 - Missouri 62 (ESPN2) _____ _____

(7:00) ST JOHNS 69 - Providence 60 (FOX1) _____ _____

(7:00) MEMPHIS 77 - Connecticut 69 (ESPNU) _____ _____

(7:00) CHARLOTTE 81 - Tulsa 78 _____ _____

(8:00) SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 76 - Rice 46 _____ _____

(8:00) MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE 75 - Utep 64 _____ _____

(8:00) SOUTH ALABAMA 80 - La-Lafayette 61 _____ _____

(8:00) WESTERN KENTUCKY 63 - Arkansas-Little Rock 58 _____ _____

(8:00) UAB 87 - Texas-San Antonio 62 _____ _____

(8:00) COLORADO 76 - Ucla 75 _____ _____

(8:00) ILLINOIS-CHICAGO 64 - Wisconsin-Milwaukee 56 _____ _____

(8:30) TROY 62 - La-Monroe 61 _____ _____

(9:00) MINNESOTA 68 - Ohio State 65 (ESPN2) _____ _____

(9:00) SAN FRANCISCO 79 - Byu 77 (ESPNU) _____ _____

(9:00) ARIZONA 76 - Arizona State 60 (FOX1) _____ _____

(9:00) Louisiana Tech 62 - TULANE 51 _____ _____

(10:00) LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT 65 - Portland 63 _____ _____

(10:00) Gonzaga 78 - PEPPERDINE 72 _____ _____

(10:00) SANTA CLARA 57 - San Diego 56 _____ _____

(10:00) UTAH 69 - Southern California 59 _____ _____

(10:00) CAL-POLY SLO 72 - Cal-Northridge 63 _____ _____

(10:00) CAL-DAVIS 76 - Cal-Riverside 72 _____ _____

(10:00) CAL-SANTA BARBARA 75 - Long Beach State 74 _____ _____

(10:00) CAL-IRVINE 83 - Cal-Fullerton 66 _____ _____

(7:00) MOREHEAD STATE 68 - SE Missouri State 63 _____ _____

BEST BETS
CLEVELAND STATE
ARKANSAS STATE
VANDERBILT (5)
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE
SOUTH ALABAMA
UCLA
CAL-RIVERSIDE

[Can'tPickAWinner]

POINTWISE

NBA BASKETBALL

(3:05) Brooklyn Nets 95 - Atlanta 90 (NBA) (London) _____ _____

(7:00) INDIANA PACERS 103 - New York 80 (TNT) _____ _____

(9:35) HOUSTON 115 - Oklahoma City 109 (TNT) _____ _____

BEST BETS
BROOKLYN
INDIANA (4)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NBA

Hot teams
-- Atlanta won seven of its last eight games. Nets won five of their last six games.
-- Knicks/Pacers both won five of their last six games.
-- Rockets won five of last six games, but their starters played a ton last in tough win at New Orleans.

Cold Teams
-- Thunder lost three of their last four games.

Series records
-- Nets won three of last four games with Atlanta.
-- Knicks lost four of last five games with Indiana.
-- Rockets lost four of last five visits to Oklahoma, with three of four losses by 22+ points.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Atlanta games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven New York games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Rocket-Thunder games stayed under.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Rangers won three of their last four games.
-- Flyers won seven of their last ten games.
-- Ottawa won six of its last seven games.
-- Islanders won seven of their last nine games.
-- Florida won three of last four at home. Sharks won eight of their last twelve games.
-- Blues won eight of their last nine games.
-- Minnesota won five of its last seven games.
-- Avalanche won six of last eight games. New Jersey won three of its last four.

Cold teams
-- Red Wings lost four of their last six games.
-- Predators lost four of their last six games.
-- Canadiens lost three of their last four road games.
-- Tampa Bay lost its last three home games.
-- Los Angeles lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Oilers lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Dallas lost six of last seven games. Bruins lost three of their last four.
-- Winnipeg lost five of its last six games. Calgary lost eight of last ten.
-- Canucks lost seven of their last eight games. Phoenix lost six of last seven.

Totals
-- Under is 3-0-1 in Rangers' last four games.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Philly-Nashville games.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in Montreal's last four games.
-- Four of last five Islander games went over total.
-- Last five San Jose games stayed under the total.
-- Four of Kings' last five games stayed under.
-- Last nine Edmonton games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-1-2 in last eight Boston games.
-- Under is 6-1-3 in last ten New Jersey games.
-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Winnipeg games.
-- Eight of last ten Vancouver-Phoenix games stayed under.

Series records
-- Rangers lost three of last five games with Detroit.
-- Flyers won four of last five games with Nashville.
-- Senators won their last five games with Montreal.
-- Islanders won three of last four games with Tampa Bay.
-- Panthers won their last three games with San Jose.
-- Kings won five of last six games with St Louis.
-- Oilers lost four of last five games with Minnesota.
-- Visiting team won four of last five Boston-Dallas games.
-- Avalanche won three of last four games with New Jersey.
-- Flames won their last four games with Winnipeg.
-- Canucks won three of last four games with Phoenix.