2-14-14

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Friday's Olympic hockey cheat sheet

Here's a look at Friday's Olympic men's hockey action (odds courtesy Bet365):

Czech Republic vs. Latvia (+540)

The Czechs started flat in their opening game and couldn't recover, ultimately falling 4-2 to Sweden. They should have an easier time of it against a Latvian squad that dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker to Switzerland but simply doesn't have the offensive firepower to keep up with the elite teams. Ondrej Pavelec is expected to get the start in goal for the Czech Republic after being held out of the opener as Jakub Kovar drew the start against the Swedes but was yanked after allowing three goals on 11 shots.

Sweden vs. Switzerland (+420)

The Swedish offense looked impressive in its win over the Czech Republic, getting a pair of goals from standout defenseman Erik Karlsson and singles from Henrik Zetterberg and Patrik Berglund. Zetterberg is a question mark for the game with a herniated disc issue in his back; he'll need to be cleared by NHL doctors before being given the go-ahead to play. The Swiss were fortunate to squeak past Latvia - getting its only goal with 7.9 seconds remaining - and will need a much better performance from its power play, which went 0-for-5 on the evening.

Canada vs. Austria (OFF)

Much was made of the decision to start Carey Price ahead of Roberto Luongo in the Canadian net for the defending champion's tournament opener against the Norwegians. Luongo gets his shot to make a positive contribution against an Austrian side that thoroughly dismantled 8-4 by fringe contender Finland on Thursday. The Austrians showed they won't be pushovers on the offensive end - getting a hat trick from New York Islanders forward Michael Grabner - but looked overwhelmed defensively, surrendering 52 shots and a pair of power-play goals.

Norway vs. Finland (-1,429)

The Finns' balanced lineup has been the focus heading into the competition, and it was on full display in Thursday's rout of the Austrians. Thirteen different players finished with at least one point, led by Mikael Granlund (two goals, one assist), Sami Vatanen (three assists) and Jarkko Immonen (two goals). Veteran forward Teemu Selanne left the game with an upper-body injury, but is expected to be in the lineup against Norway. Expect either Kari Lehtonen or Antti Niemi to start in goal for Finland after Tuukka Rask allowed four goals on 20 shots in the opener.

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Nine NCAAB games postponed

The winter storm slamming the American east coast has postponed more NCAAB games Thursday. There is now a combined 14 games postponed between Wednesday and Thursday.

The postponed games and make-up dates are:

Louisville @ Temple - Friday, Feb. 14 (TBD)

Lipscomb @ Mercer - Friday, Feb. 14 7PM ET

Western Carolina @ Chattanooga - Friday Feb. 14 7 PM ET

SMU @ Rutgers - Friday, February 14 (TBD)

Northwestern @ Michigan State - Monday, Feb. 17 7 PM ET

Charleston Southern @ High Point - Monday, Feb. 17 (TBD)

Wagner @ Fairleigh Dickinson - Monday, Feb. 24 7 PM ET

Central Connecticut State @ St. Francis (NY) - Tuesday, Feb. 18 7 PM ET

Texas State @ Georgia State - (TBD)

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Kari Lehtonen to start for Finland Friday

After an 8-4 win over Austria, Finland is going with Kari Lehtonen in net on Friday, according to sources out of Finland.

Lehtonen was widely expected to be third on the depth chart in goal for Finland behind Tuukka Rask and Antti Niemi. Lehtonen has a .916 save percentage with the Dallas Stars in the NHL this season.

According to Sportsbook Finland will face Norway as -900 faves Friday.

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The Factsman

Friday CBB Video Pick

816 Iona -15

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Patrick brushes off Petty's 'can't win' comment
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service

Distributed by The Sports Xchange

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When Danica Patrick arrived for media day Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, she knew exactly what to expect.

It didn't take long for the inevitable questions to surface. What did she think of comments made by seven-time champion Richard Petty earlier in the weekend?

In essence, Petty doubted Patrick could ever win at NASCAR's highest level, saying that the driver of the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet could win a race only "if everybody else stayed home."

Patrick, however, artfully deflected Petty's comments, which were made Sunday during an appearance at the Canadian Motorsports Expo in Toronto.

"People have said things in the past, and they're going to say things in the future," said Patrick, who is winless in 46 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts. "I still say the same thing: that everyone's entitled to their own opinion. People are going to judge what he said, whether they judge it well or not, and I'm just not going to."

Patrick added it would be difficult to use Petty's comments as a source of motivation, because she's already giving 100-percent effort.

"You can't try any harder in the car," Patrick said. "I think that's something that probably every driver would tell you when someone questions our effort level. You can't try any harder. You're doing everything you can.

"And maybe, subconsciously, there's some motivation, but I can't tell. I'm giving it my all every single time I'm getting in the car, whether I'm making a simple qualifying run or I'm in the race. It is what it is and, again, people are entitled to their opinions, and that's fine."

Petty said if Patrick were a male driver, "nobody would ever know if she showed up at a race track." But Petty also said the attention Patrick has brought to NASCAR racing has been good for the sport in terms of broadening its audience.

Brad Keselowski, the 2012 series champion, believes Petty's remarks about Patrick's inability to win went a bit too far.

"He makes some pretty strong points, when you read his whole transcript, but it's a long ways to go out there and say someone will never win a race," Keselowski said. "I wouldn't want to have my name behind that comment, so I think I would probably give that a little more time and see how that one plays out, because there are races where I think she could win."

Aric Almirola, one of Richard Petty Motorsports' two Sprint Cup drivers, offered a balanced view of his boss' comments.

"I think that RP's opinionated, and sometimes he says stuff, and I think it gets taken out of context just because of the way he says stuff," Almirola said. "At the end of the day, Danica's got talent. She knows she has talent. If she didn't have any talent at all, she wouldn't be in the position she's in, right?

"She has talent. There's no doubt about that. But for people to put expectations on her, to say that she's going to come in here and win races and contend for a championship, I think is very lofty, especially at this point right now. You look at guys like Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. He went all season last year and didn't win a race.

"He certainly is capable of winning races. He's proved that before. She's never proved that she's won races at this level or against this kind of competition. And I think people underestimate how tough our sport really is."

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Game of the Day: Arizona at Arizona State

Arizona Wildcats at Arizona State Sun Devils (+5, 133)

Arizona proved in its last win that it has enough firepower to remain the frontrunner in the Pac-12, but its remaining path to a conference title figures to test its mettle. The third-ranked Wildcats begin a stretch in which they play five of their final seven games on the road Friday against Arizona State. Arizona lost starter Brandon Ashley for the season in its Feb. 1 setback at California, then struggled in a home victory against Oregon before routing Oregon State on Sunday.

Each of the Wildcats’ five remaining road games is against an opponent they have already defeated, perhaps none of which were more impressive than their 91-68 triumph on Jan. 16 against the Sun Devils. Arizona State has won five of six since that setback, although it has coughed up a second-half lead of at least 16 points in two of its last three victories. “I think for the second game in as many weeks of having a big lead and then losing it, our guys showed great character in retaking the lead and winning both (games),” Sun Devils coach Herb Sendek told the school’s official website.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: The early odds out of Las Vegas had Arizona as a 4.5-point road favorite with the total opening at 133 points.

POWER RANKINGS: Arizona (-17.5) - Arizona State (-7.8) - Home Court (-3.0) = Arizona -6.7

INJURY WATCH: Arizona - Brandon Ashley (Out - Foot)

ABOUT ARIZONA (23-1 SU, 14-9 ATS, 5-17 O/U): In the nearly three games that Ashley has missed (he logged two minutes against California), former sixth man Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has stepped into his spot in the lineup and averaged 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds – each of which is a slight improvement over Ashley’s season averages. The Wildcats outscored the Beavers 40-12 in the paint and 13-0 in second-chance points, continuing their season-long domination in both areas. Arizona owns a plus-13.3 advantage in the paint (854-535) and has nearly doubled up its opponents in second-chance points (326-166).

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (18-6 SU, 11-11 ATS, 9-12 O/U): Wildcats coach Sean Miller attributed the absence of second-leading scorer Jermaine Marshall – out with a groin injury on Jan. 16 – to Arizona’s success against Jordan Bachynski, who was limited to three points in the first meeting. “You don’t have to account for that 16 points per game…(Friday) will be much more difficult because they have another shooter (Marshall) on the court,” Miller told the Arizona Daily Star. Bachynski was nearly unstoppable last week, averaging 21.5 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks en route to winning Pac-12 Player of the Week honors.

TRENDS:

* Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Under is 39-16-1 in Wildcats' last 56 overall.
* Under is 38-17-3 in Sun Devils' last 58 home games.

CONSENSUS: 64 percent of the wagers are on Arizona -5.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAB

Friday, February 14

Yale beat Harvard last week; both teams are 5-1 with eight games left in season; no conference tourney in Ivy, so Bulldogs have shot to win Ivy in huge upset. Bulldogs swept Penn LY by 9-14 points; they're 2-1 as home favorites, winning by 7-10-4 at home. Ivy League home favorites of 7+ points are 4-5 vs spread. Quakers are 0-2 as road underdogs, with losses by 17-30 points in their two Ivy road games.

Harvard won eight of last nine games with Columbia, but lost 78-63 here LY; Crimson is 3-3 as Ivy favorite, 1-0 on road- they won by 30 in only road game, at Dartmouth. Harvard won three of last four visits here, by 29-19-7. Columbia lost three of last four games, beating Cornell by 10 in only home game so far. Ivy League home underdogs are 4-2 vs spread. Harvard has made 43.6% of its 3-pointers in league play.

Cornell is 0-19 vs D-I teams; their only win was against Oberlin, which is 6-16 in D-III; Big Red won 18 of last 21 games with Dartmouth, with wins in last 10 games played here. Ivy League home teams are 5-1 vs spread if spread was less than 5 points. Cornell is 4-2 vs spread in Ivy, but they were getting double digits in all four covers. Dartmouth is 2-4 in Ivy, despite playing five of the six games at home.

Brown won four of its last five games, is 3-0 at home in Ivy, winning by 17-12-8 points; Bruins lost three of last four games with Princeton but won six of last eight played here- home side is 11-5 in last 16 series tilts. Princeton is 1-4 in Ivy after going 12-2 out of conference- they've lost twice in OT, another by one point- their only Ivy win was over an awful Cornell team. Ivy League home underdogs are 4-2 vs spread.

Detroit didn't want Oakland joining Horizon, so this will be good rivalry game as years go on; Grizzlies (+2.5) won first meeting 77-69 on Jan 11, rallying from 11 down with 8:10 to play. Horizon home favorites of 5 or less points are 4-13 vs spread. Oakland lost its last three games, is 1-3 as home favorite, with last two home wins by a point each. Detroit won three of last four games, covering last three on foreign soil.

Arizona won six of last seven games with Arizona State, winning 91-68 (-14) in first meeting Jan 16, leading 24-8 after 10:00; Wildcats are 2-2 as road favorites, with only one road win by more than four points. ASU is 4-1 in last five games, with last three wins by 2 points or in OT. Pac-12 home dogs of 5 or less points are 10-6 vs spread. Arizona won three of last four visits to Tempe, with all three wins by 15+.

Canisius (-9.5) outscored Niagara 26-7 on line in 87-74 home win Jan 22, with Baron scoring 31 points; Griffins won last two series games, after Niagara had won 17 of previous 20. MAAC home underdogs of 6 or less points are 4-7 vs spread. Canisius lost last two games to Iona/Jaspers- they're 2-2 as road favorites, winning last two away games. Niagara lost last four games, with three losses by four or less points.

Iona (-6.5) won 89-71 in first MAAC meeting at Monmouth Feb 4, with Gaels making 23-30 (77%) of shots inside arc. MAAC double digit home favorites are 7-8 vs spread. Iona won its last eight games (6-2 vs spread); they're 4-4 as home favorites, 2-3 when laying double digits. Monmouth lost last five games, three by 6 or less points; they're 5-3 as underdogs on road. Iona is making 41.7% from arc in MAAC, best in league.

Marist won three of last four games, covered last three; Red Foxes (+4) lost 67-58 at Siena Jan 10- Saints outscored them 29-16 on line in game where five Foxes had 4+ fouls. Siena is 2-5 on MAAC road, 2-3 as road underdog- thery're 0-4 vs spread in last four games. MAAC home faves of 5 or less points are 12-10 vs spread. Marist is 3-2 as home favorite, winning last three home games by 7-2-14 points.

Chattanooga lost two of last three games after starting 8-0 in conference; Moccasins are 5-0 at home, 2-1 as home favorites, winning by 9-1-21-10-15 points at home. Western Carolina won three of last four games, is 2-2 on SoCon road, losing by 11 at Wofford, 14 at Elon. WCU forces a turnover 22.7% of time, best in league. Southern Conference favorites are 10-7-1 vs spread in games where spread was 3 or less points.

Temple lost 11 of last 12 games, is 1-9 in AAC, 3-4 vs spread as a dog, losing home games by 7-10-4 points, with win over Rutgers. Louisville hasn't played in nine days; they've won six of last seven games, is 4-1 as road favorite, winning away games by 25-7-12-39-15 points. Cardinals are forcing turnovers 23.7% of time, making 41% from arc, both best in AAC. AAC double digit favorites are 16-5 vs spread, 3-1 on road.

SMU (-12) beat Rutgers 70-56 at home Jan 18, holding Knights to 33% from floor, forcing 18 turnovers; Mustangs are in top 25 for first time in 28 years- they're 7-1 in last eight games, 9-1 in last ten vs spread, 1-1 as road favorites (2-2 SU on road). Rutgers won two of last three games, is 2-1 as home dogs. Home teams are 9-2 against spread in their conference games. AAC home underdogs are 6-11 vs spread.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAA Basketball Picks

Arizona at Arizona State

The Wildcats thumped the Sun Devils (91-68) at home on January 16 and now head to Tempe where Arizona State is 4-19 ATS in its last 23 games in a revenge game after a road loss to an opponent. Arizona is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Wildcats favored by 8. Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-5). Here are all of today's games.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 Time Posted: 8:30 a.m. EST

Game 801-802: Pennsylvania at Yale (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Pennsylvania 46.062; Yale 56.694 Dunkel Line: Yale by 10 1/2 Vegas Line: Yale by 9 Dunkel Pick: Yale (-9)

Game 803-804: Harvard at Columbia (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Harvard 61.561; Columbia 52.520 Dunkel Line: Harvard by 9 Vegas Line: Harvard by 6 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Harvard (-6 1/2)

Game 805-806: Dartmouth at Cornell (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Dartmouth 49.687; Cornell 41.555 Dunkel Line: Dartmouth by 8 Vegas Line: Dartmouth by 3 Dunkel Pick: Dartmouth (-3)

Game 807-808: Princeton at Brown (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Princeton 57.234; Brown 51.304 Dunkel Line: Princeton by 6 Vegas Line: Princeton by 2 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Princeton (-2 1/2)

Game 809-810: Detroit at Oakland (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 54.645; Oakland 53.087 Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2 Vegas Line: Oakland by 3 Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+3)

Game 811-812: Arizona at Arizona State (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 75.309; Arizona State 67.091 Dunkel Line: Arizona by 8 Vegas Line: Arizona by 5 Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-5)

Game 813-814: Canisius at Niagara (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Canisius 55.096; Niagara 52.379 Dunkel Line: Canisius by 2 1/2 Vegas Line: Canisius by 5 Dunkel Pick: Niagara (+5)

Game 815-816: Monmouth at Iona (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Monmouth 48.387; Iona 61.482 Dunkel Line: Iona by 13 Vegas Line: Iona by 15 Dunkel Pick: Monmouth (+15)

Game 817-818: Siena at Marist (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Siena 48.748; Marist 56.076 Dunkel Line: Marist by 7 1/2 Vegas Line: Marist by 4 Dunkel Pick: Marist (-4)

Game 819-820: Western Carolina at Chattanooga (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Western Carolina 50.163; Chattanooga 50.256 Dunkel Line: Even Vegas Line: Chattanooga by 2 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Western Carolina (+2 1/2)

Game 823-824: SMU at Rutgers (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: SMU 71.195; Rutgers 57.749 Dunkel Line: SMU by 13 1/2; 152 Vegas Line: SMU by 8; 144 Dunkel Pick: SMU (-8); Over

Game 825-826: Louisville at Temple (6:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Louisville 78.225; Temple 57.627 Dunkel Line: Louisville by 20 1/2; 157 Vegas Line: Louisville by 14; 152 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Louisville (-14); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chase Diamond

9* Western Carolina +2½

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No. 13 Louisville favored big at Temple Friday
by Robert Livingston

Liacouras Center - Philadelphia, PA
Tip-off: Friday, 6:00 p.m. ET
Line: Louisville -14

For the fourth time in its past five games, No. 13 Louisville will be a double-digit favorite as it continues American Athletic Conference play Friday against cellar-dweller Temple. This game was postponed on Thursday due to snow.

Louisville (10-10-1 ATS) enters this one coming off an eight-day layoff after pushing against Houston 77-62 as 15-point favorites on Feb. 5. The Cardinals are 1-2-1 ATS in their past four games and 4-5-1 ATS (8-2 SU) against AAC opponents. Over the past three seasons, Rick Pitino’s squad is 13-3 ATS in road games after one or more consecutive games going Under the total. Overall, the Cardinals are 4-2-1 ATS on the road this season. The Owls have been absolutely dreadful lately, losing their past three SU and ATS after their lone conference SU victory against Rutgers. They are 8-11 ATS and 4-6 ATS in the AAC, going 1-9 SU in league action. But since 1997, underdogs of 10 to 19.5 points, after allowing 75 points in at least five consecutive games, with just one or fewer starters returning from last season, are 29-6 ATS. The last time these two programs met was in March 2002 when Temple won 65-62 as four-point underdogs.

Louisville’s offense is impressive this season, totaling 82.3 PPG (14th in Div. I) on 47.6% shooting (31st in Div. I) with 15.3 APG (40th in Div. I). The Cardinals also take deft care of the ball with only 10.6 turnovers per game. More impressive than their offense, though, is their stifling defense that holds opponents to 62.4 PPG on 39.7% shooting. They force 17.3 turnovers per game (4th in Div. I) with 9.6 SPG (3rd in Div. I). SG Russ Smith (18.3 PPG, 4.7 APG) is the team’s star, pacing the club in scoring and assists as a natural shooting guard who has had to handle the ball more this season. That means he has turned it over 3.1 times per game, but he is also a menace defensively with 1.8 SPG. He is the only Cardinals player with more than 1.5 turnovers per game. He’s joined in the backcourt by SG Chris Jones (10.9 PPG, 1.9 SPG) and swingman Wayne Blackshear (9.7 PPG, 45.1% threes), who is set to play after missing the team’s last game due to a concussion. Like Blackshear, SF Luke Hancock (11.5 PPG) is a swing player who can do damage shooting the ball. Down low, PF Montrezl Harrell (12.6 PPG, 8.2 RPG) is the team’s primary threat to score and grab rebounds. He is the lone Louisville player grabbing more than five rebounds per game, though SF Stephan Van Treese (2.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG) has been coming into his own, especially on the glass (5.7 RPG in 24.7 MPG in past three games), since Chane Behanan was kicked off the team.

The Temple offense averages 74.6 PPG (94th in Div. I) on a poor 43.4% shooting clip (236th in Div. I). But the offense has the unique characteristic of being the only in the nation to feature four players who average at least 14.0 PPG. Their issues come on the defensive end, where they yield a whopping 77.8 PPG (325th in nation) on 46.4% shooting while only forcing 10.9 turnovers per game. SG Dalton Pepper (17.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG) is the team’s top scorer, hitting 40.8% of his threes this season. Since a 33-point outburst in a near upset of Cincinnati in which he hit 8-of-14 threes, Pepper is just 7-of-31 (23%) from behind the arc. Junior PG Will Cummings (16.4 PPG, 4.4 APG) runs the offense for Fran Dunphy and is averaging 5.6 APG over the team’s past five contests. Sophomore SG Quenton DeCosey (15.2 PPG) rounds out the backcourt, though he is just 11-of-37 (29.7%) from the field in the team’s past three games. PF Anthony Lee (14.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG) rounds out the quarter of options for this offense, leading the team in boards, including 10.0 RPG over the past three contests.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations™ - FoxSheets

CBB DARTMOUTH at CORNELL
Play Against - A favorite (DARTMOUTH) off an upset loss to a conference rival as a favorite, a marginal losing team (40% to 49%) playing a losing team
62-28 over the last 5 seasons. ( 68.9% 31.2 units )
7-3 this year. ( 70.0% 3.7 units )

CBB W CAROLINA at UT-CHATTANOOGA
Play Against - A road team vs. the money line (W CAROLINA) playing only their 3rd game in a week, in a game involving two marginal winning teams (51% to 60%)
57-10 over the last 5 seasons. ( 85.1% 35.3 units )
2-2 this year. ( 50.0% -1.7 units )

CBB HARVARD at COLUMBIA
Play Against - A road team vs. the 1rst half line (HARVARD) off an upset loss as a home favorite, top level team, winning 80% or more of their games on the season
62-28 over the last 5 seasons. ( 68.9% 31.2 units )
7-4 this year. ( 63.6% 2.6 units )

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DAVID BANKS

CBB
Arizona Wildcats vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
There is a nice intra-state matchup involving the second ranked team in the
land on ESPN Friday when the once beaten Arizona Wildcats (23-1, 14-9 ATS)
make the short trip to visit the Arizona State Sun Devils (18-6, 11-11 ATS)
at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe at 9:00 ET. The Wildcats have won two straight
games since suffering their only defeat at California, but they could have
their hands full vs. the Sun Devils, who are 13-1 here at home.

Arizona was cruising along at 21-0, but not only did the Wildcats lose
their first game to the Golden Bears, but they also lost starting forward
Brandon Ashley for the season with a torn ligament in his foot that required
surgery. The Wildcats have not quite been the same since that injury just two
minutes into the game at Cal, as besides going on to lose that contest, the
Wildcats were then life and death to get by Oregon 67-65, and that was at home
at the McKale Center where Arizona had usually been blowing teams out. The
Cats did regroup to win easily 76-54 in their last game on Sunday, but that
was vs. a mediocre Oregon State team that is currently ranked 93rd on the
Pomeroy Ratings. To put that in perspective, the California team that beat
Arizona is ranked 45th, the Oregon team that fell just short at Tucson is ranked
32nd and now this may be the Wildcats' stiffest test yet, visiting an
Arizona State team ranked 33rd, and that is not to mention the great emotion the
Sun Devils figure to bring to this rivalry game at home.

And emotion aside, the Sun Devils also appear to have the talent to
potentially pull an upset! Granted, nobody is playing better defense than Arizona
this season as the Wildcats lead the nation in both defensive efficiency and
in effective field goal percentage allowed at 41.9 percent, but Arizona
State is not chopped liver defensively either, ranking 25th in efficiency and
31st in effective field goal percentage allowed. Furthermore, the Sun Devils
actually rank much higher than Arizona in effective field goal percentage
offensively, as they rank 30th in the nation at 53.7 percent while the Wildcats
are down in 90th at 51.6 percent. The Sun Devils do a lot of their damage
from beyond the three-point arc, where they rank 19th at 39.4 percent, and
that three-point percentage is at 40.1 percent here in Tempe. If the Sun
Devils can shoot over the Wildcats with their typically good three-point
shooting, then Arizona could be in serious danger of possibly losing its second game
and dropping a bit in the rankings.

Arizona is 1-5 ATS in its last six games vs. teams with winning straight up
records, 1-4 ATS in its last five games following a straight up win and 0-5
ATS in its last five games vs. teams with a winning percentage above .600.
Arizona State is 5-2 ATS in its last seven home games vs. teams with winning
road records. Also, the home teams are 4-1 ATS in the last five
head-to-head meetings.
PICK: ARIZONA ST. SUN DEVILS+5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Brown cashing in for bettors in Ivy League play

For you Friday night bettors, the Ivy League’s best team to wager on by percentage is Brown, which is 12-8 SU and a sturdy 6-3-1 ATS.

The Bears are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five outings. Harvard (18-4 SU) has had six more lined games and is 10-6 ATS.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cappers Access

Oakland -3
Arizona -5