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Game of the Day: Spurs at Suns
San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns (+1.5, 209.5)
The San Antonio Spurs look to finish the nine-game rodeo road trip in style when they wrap up the annual excursion against the Phoenix Suns on Friday. San Antonio is 6-2 on the trip to improve its NBA-best road mark to 22-7 and they resumed play after the All-Star break with back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers despite the absence of All-Star point guard Tony Parker. Phoenix stands sixth in the Western Conference and is 18-9 at home.
Backup guard Patty Mills has been a force with Parker out and averaged 27 points against the Clippers and Trail Blazers to raise his average to 21 over the past seven games. He’s doing what Tony usually does in taking over in that fourth quarter,” swingman Danny Green said, aware that Mills scored 29 fourth-quarter points in the two victories. The Suns are 11 games above .500 to equal a season best and have defeated the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics since play resumed.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, KENS (San Antonio), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
LINE HISTORY: Phoenix opened as a 1.5-point favorite but action on the Spurs flipped that spread to Suns +1.5. The total has climbed from 208.5 to 209.5.
COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Spurs (-12.5) - Suns (-8.3) + Home Court (-3.0) = Spurs -1.2
INJURY WATCH: Spurs - Kawhi Leonard (Prob - hand), Tim Duncan (Ques - rest), Aron Baynes (Ques - knee), Tony Parker (Out - hand). Suns - Eric Bledsoe (Out - knee).
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Not sure which stat to put more stock into: A 2-11 SU record versus .600 or better competition (both wins vs. the Clippers) or an 16-6 SU record without Tony Parker the last two seasons." - Covers Expert Bryan Power.
WHAT BOOKS SAY: "Expect Phoenix to be about a 1-point favorite. Also expect us to need the Spurs. They have looked great on their current road trip despite not having Tony Parker." - Mike Perry, Sportsbook.ag.
ABOUT THE SPURS (40-15 SU, 27-28 ATS, 33-21 O/U): Small forward Kawhi Leonard is expected to return to the lineup after missing the past 13 games due to a broken finger. Leonard was averaging 11.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals prior to his injury and San Antonio also missed his ability to shut down opposing forwards. The Spurs got center Tiago Splitter (shin) back against Portland and veteran guard Manu Ginobili (hamstring) recently returned as well. Parker is sidelined with injuries to his shin, groin, hand and back.
ABOUT THE SUNS (32-21 SU, 35-17-1 ATS, 29-23 O/U): Guard Gerald Green continues to excel as the fill-in starter with Eric Bledsoe (sidelined). Green is averaging 26 points over the last four games, including a career-best 36-point outing against Denver on Tuesday. Phoenix is 11-4 this season when Green scores 20 or more points and the journeyman is averaging 16.3 points in his 35 starts. Green has made multiple 3-pointers in five straight games and nine of the last 11.
TRENDS:
* Over is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings in Phoenix.
* Spurs are 6-2-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.
* Over is 14-6 in the last 20 meetings.
* Road team is 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
COVERS CONSENSUS: 64 percent of bets on Spurs -1.5 and 64 percent of bets on Over 209.5. -
USA seeing a ton of action in men's hockey semifinal
Andrew Avery
The United States opened as slight underdogs (-110) but that has changed as bettors are hammering the USA over Canada.
Lines opened yesterday with Canada as the -120 favorite, but the roles have reversed and now the USA is the -120 fave.
"A ton of action - 80 percent - is on the USA so they are now the fave," says Mike Perry of Sportsbook. "Sixty percent of the cash is on the Over 5.5 (-105)."Comment
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Friday's Olympic hockey betting cheat sheet
Here's a look at Friday's Olympic men's hockey action:
Sweden vs. Finland (+135)
The Finns enter their semifinal match with Sweden as underdogs, which should come as no surprise to anyone following them. Finland reached the semis with an impressive 3-1 victory over Russia, a result that was widely labeled an upset even though the Finns were the team coming off a bye. They'll face a serious test from a Swedish team that cruised to an unbeaten record in Group C before trouncing Slovenia in quarterfinal action. Both teams have a plus-10 goal differential so far, tied for second-best in the competition.
United States vs. Canada (-128)
Anyone who has watched the Olympic tournament must be wondering how the Canadians come into their semifinal matchup with the rival Americans as the favorites. Canada edged Latvia 2-1 - needing a third-period goal from Shea Weber to advance - while the U.S. punched its ticket to the medal round with a convincing 5-2 triumph over the Czech Republic. The Americans have steadily improved throughout the competition, while the Canadians have not - and will be without star center John Tavares, who suffered torn knee ligaments.Comment
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Steve's Golf Picks Round 3
2 unit - Jason Dufner (-140) over Ernie Els
1 Unit Sergio Garcia (-130) over Rickie FowlerComment
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Ben Burns olympic hockey
swedenComment
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Cappers Access
Wright St -5
Bulls -7Comment
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Gamblers Data
Free Plays Friday
Bulls -7
Mavs -11.5Comment
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Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports
Free Play 9-2 RUN Fri MASS -1Comment
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NCAAB
Friday, February 21
VCU beat UMass twice LY, by 9-18 points in its first season in A-13; Rams lost last two road games by 7-2 points, scoring 62 points in both games, losing two of last three after an 11-1 run. UMass won three of last four games but lost at home to George Mason. Average total in two series games LY was 143.5. A-13 home teams are 10-13 vs spread in games where spread was 3 or less points.
Detroit (-2) beat Wright State 58-53 at home Jan 4, outscoring Raiders 20-11 on line in game they trailed by 6 with 9:24 left. Titans won six of last eight series games, winning last three visits here by 10-16-7 points. Detroit won three of last four games, all of which were decided by six or less points, with two going OT. Horizon home favorites of more than 5 points are 15-10 vs spread. Raiders lost four of their last six games.
Dartmouth (+7.5) upset Princeton 78-69 at home Feb 1, ending 8-game series skid in game where Tigers took 30 3's, only 21 2's. Big Green lost last four visits here by 28-15-12-5 points. Ivy League double digit home favorites are 3-5 vs spread. Princeton is 2-5 in Ivy, splitting two home games. Dartmouth lost its last four games, three by 10+ points- they're 0-3 on Ivy road, losing by 16-3-10 points.
Brown (+1) beat Columbia 64-56 at home Feb 1, its fourth win in row vs Lions; Bruins trailed by 5 with 10:13 left. Brown lost four of last five visits here, winning by 3 LY. Bruins are 5-3 in Ivy, 1-2 on road, losing at Harvard/Yale by 7 each, winning 13 at Dartmouth. Columbia lost four of last six games but is 2-1 at home, with only loss to Harvard in double OT,. Ivy League home favorites of 7 or less points are 5-1 vs spread.
Harvard made 12-20 from arc, hammered Penn 80-50 Feb 1, its 8th win in last ten series games; Crimson won four of last five visits here, with all four wins by 6 or less points. Ivy League home underdogs are 7-3 vs spread. Harvard is 3-0 on Ivy road, winning by 30-4-23 points- they're tied for lead in Ivy with six games left. Quakers are 3-0 at home in Ivy; home team won all seven of their conference games.
Yale won last six games, is tied for Ivy lead and doesn't play Saturday; they play at Columbia Sunday. Bulldogs (-17) beat Cornell 61-57 Feb 1, as Big Red took early 13-3 lead, but Yale had 18 offensive rebounds and held on. Ivy League home underdogs are 7-3 vs spread. Yale won three of last four series games, but hasn't swept Cornell since '04. Cornell lost two of three Ivy home games, with losses by 16-23 points.
Last three Oakland games were decided by 3 or less points; four of their last seven were decided by exacrtly one point. Grizzlies (-10) beat UIC 76-75 at home Jan 25, forcing 22 turnovers (+15). Horizon home teams are 6-23 vs spread in games where spread was 5 or less points. Oakland lost six of last nine games, with all three wins by a point UIC lost last 16 games, is 0-13 in Horizon but its last two losses were by 3-6 points.
Iona won its last nine games, seven by 8+ points; Gaels won seven of last nine games with Rider, winning three of last four visits here, winning by 20-4-13 points. MAAC home underdogs of 5 or less points are 4-10 vs spread. Rider lost three of last four games, losing last two at home to Marist/Manhattan by 7-17 points. Gaels won last five road games, four by 8+ points- they're making 41.2% of their 3's in MAAC play. .
Home teams won last seven Manhattan-Siena games; Jaspers lost last seven regular season visits to Albany, and also lost to Saints in five of last seven MAAC tourneys, but Manhattan won last six games overall, with five wins by 11+ points. Siena lost four of last five games, with a couple OT losses and a 1-point loss at Marist. MAAC home underdogs of 5 or less points are 4-10 against the spread.Comment
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Mighty Quinn
Mighty missed with Canisius (-5) on Thursday and likes Princeton on Friday.
The deficit is 265 sirignanos.Comment
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Stephen Nover
Triple Star NBA Total of the Month Perfect 10-0 Run!
Portland/Utah Over 202Comment
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PAUL LEINER
100* Oakland -2
50* Rider +4.5Comment
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Winning Angle Basketball (record is 23-25 last 48)
FRIDAY BASKETBALL
Play Princeton -13 over Dartmouth (TOP NCAA PLAY)
7:00 PM EST
Dartmouth has lost 7 of the last 9 games against the spread and they have also lost 19 of the last 20 games when playing as an underdog of ten points or more. Dartmouth has lost 26 of the last 33 games vs. Princeton and they are only averaging 61 points a game on the road this season.
Play VCU +1 over Massachusetts (TOP NCAA PLAY)
7:00 PM EST
Massachusetts has lost 74 of the last 118 games against the spread when the line posted is between +3 to -3 and they have also lost 68 of the last 125 games against the spread when playing in the month of February. Massachusetts has lost 44 of the last 79 games against the spread coming off a road win and they have lost 33 of the last 51 games against the spread coming off a game where they shot 45% or worse as a team from the free throw line.
Play Iona -4 over Rider (TOP NCAA PLAY)
9:00 PM EST
Iona has covered the spread in 7 of the last 9 games and they have also covered the spread in 16 of the last 22 games coming off a conference home win. Iona has covered the spread in 5 of the last 6 games when playing as a road favorite of 3.5 to 6 points and they are averaging 83 points a game this season.
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Play Dallas -9.5 over Philadelphia (TOP NBA PLAY)
Play Portland -9 over Utah (TOP NBA PLAY)Comment
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The Winners Circle (record is 24-22 last 46 picks)
FRIDAY BASKETBALL PLAYS
10* Play Princeton -13 over Dartmouth NCAA TOP PLAY
10* Play Harvard -11.5 over Pennsylvania NCAA TOP PLAY
10* Play Yale -11 over Cornell NCAA TOP PLAY
10* Play Dallas -9.5 over Philadelphia NBA TOP PLAY
10* Play Toronto -6.5 over Cleveland NBA TOP PLAYComment
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