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NBA bettors should fade or forget these four tanking teams
by Brian Covert
Tanking is alive and well in the NBA. Just ask former Toronto Raptors GM Brian Colangelo, who admitted to tanking during the 2011-12 NBA season last week.
And with a bumper crop of pro talent in the college ranks counting the days until the NBA Draft and just about 20 games left on the schedule, these four teams could be full tank mode by the end of this week. Bettors beware.
Philadelphia 76ers (15-46 SU, 22-39 ATS)
You knew the tank was on when on draft night, the 76ers traded their starting point guard (Jrue Holiday) for a prospect who everyone knew wouldn’t play this season (Nerlens Noel). However, much to everyone’s surprise, they still find themselves second from bottom.
But after trading their best all-around player, Evan Turner, at the deadline it seems the Sixers want to make a serious run at the basement. The result is a 15-game losing streak (that has featured notable NBA players like Henry Sims and James Anderson playing significant minutes) which has seen them come within 10 points of their opponent only five times.
Los Angeles Lakers (21-42 SU, 33-29-1 ATS)
Think the Lakers are too prideful an organization to throw in the towel? Well, the 408 points they’ve allowed in the last three games says otherwise. Los Angeles is 3-7 SU and 5-5 ATS in its last 10 games, but has been especially dreadful during that three-game stretch, watching New Orleans, the L.A. Clippers, Denver shoot a collective 56.3 percent.
The team sounds like it’s shutting down Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash for the year and with 12 of 19 games remaining against Western Conference playoff games (including two each against OKC, San Antonio, and the L.A. Clippers) the Lakers are quite happy to play out the string and see what the offseason brings them.
New Orleans Pelicans (25-37 SU, 26-32-4 ATS)
It’s obvious the Pelicans expected to be better than they are. That’s the only way to explain putting a first-round pick, along with Nerlens Noel, in their deal to land Jrue Holiday. But they have been bad and the only way for that deal to not look outright terrible is to finish in the bottom five in the league, where that pick becomes a protected one.
New Orleans currently sits with the tenth-worst record but is only three games up on the Lakers, who have the fifth worst. Of the Pelicans remaining games, 14 are against teams currently in the playoffs including seven against the like of the Heat, Thunder, Spurs, Clippers, and Rockets.
Utah Jazz (21-41 SU, 27-32-3 ATS)
A 114-88 loss to the lowly Milwaukee Bucks tells you everything about the Utah Jazz at this point – they’re not too concerned about winning. They followed that crap effort with a loss to New York Friday.
Utah isn’t the most enticing of NBA markets, far away from the bright lights of a Los Angeles, New York, or Chicago. The chances of the Jazz enticing any superstars through free agency aren’t very good, so the NBA draft represents their best hope at getting that transcendent player. Given their recent play it seems the Jazz are making a serious play to get one in this draft.
The problem is they currently sit fifth and what they need – a scorer, namely Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker- probably won’t be available to them at that position. So Utah is going to want to try and get as high as possible by losing as much between now and the end of the season. -
**Big Easy, a big Under for Pelicans/Nuggets
Justin Hartling
Don't expect a lot of offense when the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans meet, especially in the Big Easy. The past 12 games in New Orleans between the Nuggets and Pelicans have gone Under 11 times.
In the one meeting this season in New Orleans the teams went Under by 7.5-points, with a total line of 201.5.
The Nuggets and Pelicans open at ------ Sunday.
**Porous defense makes Lakers a good 'Over' bet
The Los Angeles Lakers' defense is cashing in big time for Over bettors. The Lakers are 3-0 Over/Under over the last three games and 7-1 O/U over the last eight games.
During the last three games, the Lakers have allowed a whopping 408 points - or 136 points per game.
Their defense will get tested with Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in town Sunday afternoon. The total is currently 229.5.Comment
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Sunday's Big Ten Tips
By David Schwab
Michigan has already clinched the Big Ten regular season title, but the next four teams in the standings will be in action against one another this Sunday in their season finale looking to build some momentum heading into this week’s Big Ten Tournament.First, No. 22 Michigan State will travel to Columbus to square-off against the Ohio State Buckeyes in a 4:30 p.m. ET start. Sunday night’s top matchup in the Big Ten pits No. 9 Wisconsin on the road against Nebraska.
No. 22 Michigan State Spartans at Ohio State Buckeyes (CBS, 4:30 p.m. ET)
The Spartans remained neck-and-neck with Michigan in the Big Ten standings for most of the season but a straight-up record of 5-5 in their last 10 conference games brought an end to their title hopes. Overall, they are 12-5 SU in Big Ten play with an 11-6 record against the spread. The total has gone OVER in four of their last six games.
Michigan State is coming off a huge 86-76 victory over No. 24 Iowa this past Thursday as a 4 ½-point home favorite. In the win over the Hawkeyes, four of five starters scored in double figures which mirrored the same exact scoring scenario for the season. Gary Harris leads this foursome with an average of 17.7 points, with Adreian Payne a close second with 15.8 points per game. The Spartans are scoring an average of 76.5 PPG while shooting an effective 47.3 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from 3-point range.
Ohio State cruised through the non-conference portion of its schedule with a perfect 13-0 record SU that had the team ranked third in the AP poll. After opening conference play with double-digit victories against Purdue and Nebraska, the wheels started coming off with four straight losses.
They were able to turn things around from there with a 7-2 SU run, but lately it appears that the Buckeyes are up to their old tricks with back-to-back losses to Penn State and Indiana as road favorites. They are now 9-8 both SU and ATS in conference play. The total has stayed UNDER in three of their last five outings.
The Buckeyes are averaging a pedestrian 70 PPG and shooting just 45 percent from the field, but they have hung their hat this season on a defense that is ranked seventh in the nation in points allowed (58.8). Ohio State has allowed 60 points or more in four of its last six games which could be of some cause for concern for Saturday’s matchup. LaQuinton Ross leads the team in scoring with 14.6 PPG and Lenzelle Smith Jr. is the only other Buckeye scoring in double figures (11.8).
Ohio State opened as a three-point home favorite for the second game in this season’s series after losing to Michigan State 72-68 in overtime as a six-point road underdog on Jan. 7. The total went OVER the 134-point betting line in that game after staying UNDER in six of the previous seven meetings. The underdog in this series is 7-2-1 ATS in the last 10 games.
No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers at Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big Ten Network, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Wisconsin can lock-up the second seed in the Big Ten Tournament with a win on Sunday night or with a Michigan State loss to Ohio State. It is 12-5 SU in conference play on the strength of an eight-game SU winning streak. It has been hit or miss betting on the Badgers with a 4-4 record ATS during this run. The total has been evenly split at 4-4 as well. Overall, they have gone just 7-10 ATS against the rest of the Big Ten and the total has stayed UNDER in three of their last four road games.
The Badgers have displayed some solid balance on offense with six different players averaging at least nine points as part of a team scoring average of 73 PPG. They are shooting 45.6 percent from the field and a very efficient 75.3 percent from the foul line, which is ranked 16th in the nation. Frank Kaminsky put up 22 points in this past Wednesday’s 76-70 victory over Purdue, but Wisconsin could not cover the 12-point spread at home. He leads the team with 13.3 PPG and 6.3 rebounds; however Sam Dekker has been able to mirror those numbers with 13.1 points and 6.3 boards as well.
Nebraska has just one SU loss in the Big Ten over its last eight games to move into fourth-place in the standings at 10-7 SU. It has failed to cover in two of its last three contests, but overall it has gone a healthy 13-4 ATS in conference play. The total has stayed UNDER in nine of the Cornhuskers’ last 10 games. This is not all that hard to understand considering they are averaging 66.7 PPG and shooting 42.6 from the field.
Terran Petteway is one of two Nebraska players scoring in double figures with an average of 17.8 points. He is shooting just 42.9 percent from the floor but an impressive 82 percent from the free throw line. The other player is Shavon Shields with 12.2 PPG. These two have averaged over 32 minutes of playing time this season while starting all 29 games. The Cornhuskers are allowing an average of 64.6 PPG and they have now held their opponents to fewer points than this in seven of their last eight games.
Wisconsin opened as a four-point road favorite in what will be the first game between these two conference foes this season. These two have met four previous times since Nebraska joined the Big Ten and while the Badgers have swept the series SU it is tied 2-2 ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in three of the four games.Comment
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Three steps to spotting NCAAB conference tournament upsets
by Chase Ruttig
The NCAA tournament may get all the hype but for hardcore basketball bettors, the best value lies in the major conference tournaments.
With the big boys kicking off the postseason this week, we pinpoint a few key components when it comes to spotting possible upset teams in the conference tournaments.
Senior value
Schools that are loaded with upperclassmen always get a boost when it comes to March as many players will be ending their basketball careers, leading to great performances.
"Teams with veterans and several seniors often perform well in conference tournaments, especially when they are in must-win situations," Covers Expert Steve Merril says. "These are the type of teams that can sometimes make a run and upset some favorites, especially if the veteran team is facing a younger team that might be better, but young with freshman and sophomores."
Current teams that have large senior cores include Louisville (15-13 ATS), which has talented seniors Russ Smith and Luke Hancock, St. Louis (25-5 SU, 9-18 ATS), which has five seniors on the roster and Iowa State (22-7, 12-15 ATS), which has seniors Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane leading the team in scoring, assists, steals and rebounds.
3-point shooting
Like in the NCAA tournament, you can never have enough perimeter shooting. In a one-game format, it’s sometimes impossible to knock off a team that is scoring from downtown at will.
"Teams that shoot the 3-point shot well are also dangerous in conference tournaments because if they get hot during a three or four-day span, they can make a run and upset some more talented teams," says Merrill.
Creighton (23-6, 15-12) is second in the Big East and leads the country in 3-point shooting, at 41.9 percent from downtown, and makes over 10 threes a night. Other teams with strong 3-point averages include UCLA (40.1%), Michigan (40%), UConn (39.4%), Michigan State (39.1%) and Arizona State (39%).
Peaking at the right time
Often times, a team that was slow out off the blocks to start conference play – for whatever reason (injuries, suspensions, coaching changes) – finds its form just in time for the conference tournament. These hot team can shock a higher seed that may have back into the postseason after cooling down late in the schedule.
Teams that are on streaks heading into the conference tournaments include Providence (three straight wins leading into a season finale with Creighton), Memphis (wins over SMU and Louisville this week), North Carolina (10 straight wins leading into season finale with Duke), and Oregon (six straight wins heading into season finale with Arizona).Comment
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Wichita State third team ever to start 33-0
by Justin Hartling
Nobody expected the Wichita State Shockers to be this dominant at the start of the season. The Shockers became only the third team in Men's D-1 history to start 33-0 with a 67-42 victory over Missouri State Saturday.
Wichita State joins the 90-91 UNLV and the 78-79 Indiana State teams as the only schools to go 33-0 in their season.
With the win Saturday, the Shockers move onto the MVC championships Sunday. Wichita State is currently +1000 to win the NCAA championships according to Williamhill.Comment
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Kobalt 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts
My favorite time of the year in Las Vegas is finally here. Yes, it’s March Madness, but for a few gear heads like myself, that means more than college basketball. It means Las Vegas NASCAR weekend is upon us. It means thousands of wonderfully colored jackets and t-shirts walking up and down the street with pockets full of cash that have combined to bring in over a billion dollars into the local economy since NASCAR first started coming to Las Vegas in 1998.
We have different vibes throughout the year in Las Vegas. New Year's Eve is always a rocking event, but it’s one where most of the locals stay home. The National Finals Rodeo take over the city in December, and while there is nothing more entertaining than hearing the hootin’ and hollerin’ at a backjack table with six intoxicated cowboys, it still is more about everyone else other than locals.
During the Las Vegas NASCAR week, this is something we -- as Las Vegans -- can call our own. We don’t have a pro sports franchise, but the week is something everyone in Las Vegas can call our own. And it’s not so much about the race itself, but rather the buzz of the event itself that makes it so invigorating. When I see those haulers carrying all those stock cars come down the strip on Thursday (Wednesday this year), I get a chill.
It’s an event unlike any other we have in Las Vegas because it‘s for the residents in Las Vegas as well as the thousands that fill every room in town. With over 140,000 seats available at the track, there is enough room for the locals to be just as big a presence as our valued guests. And the people that do choose to make Las Vegas their NASCAR destination of choice are some of the favorites of those working in tipping categories.
The moans and groans from bartenders, cocktail waitresses and bellmen can be heard up and down the strip when conventions like CES, Comdex, and the Magic show come to town with their thrift nature. Those guys are here for business -- and strippers -- but the NASCAR crowd is the perfect mix of family, vacationers and best of all, gamblers.
If we could only have two races a year!
The gambling aspect takes on a whole new level at the sportsbooks because this is the only time of the year where fans visiting from outside the state can make a legal wager before going to a race. The Las Vegas race is the highest handled race of the season for every book. They‘ll write more than two times the volume in wagers that they take on the next highest handled event, the Daytona 500, a race that has two months of action built up from the off-season.
Because of so much NASCAR handle and so much demand, the books go all out to give the bettors what they want and offer Super Bowl style propositions. Bettors will be able to bet just about anything that happens on the NASCAR final results sheet from cautions, lap leaders to number of cars on the lead lap when the checkered flag flies.
Despite all the propositions and matchups, the main betting option is still choosing the driver to win, so I’ll offer a couple of drivers to consider with a huge emphasis placed on last season when seven of the 11 1.5-mile races were won by Joe Gibbs Racing drivers. There are a few aero changes that may alter what we saw last year, but fast is still fast, and the JGR cars should all be expected to be very fast, including last years Las Vegas winner Matt Kenseth.
Having built up JGR, I would be remised if I didn’t mention the Penske duo of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, two drivers that came on strong in the final three 1.5-mile races of 2013. Keselowski won at Charlotte and then was sixth each at Texas and Homestead. He also finished third in last years Vegas race. Both drivers were super strong at Phoenix last week, and while Phoenix and Vegas don’t correlate, they both look like they are on the upswing, and both will offer far better odds than four-time Vegas winner Jimmie Johnson, who will once again be the favorite.
Practice will be a major factor in determining who is going to win, and all your wagers should not be completed until then. On Thursday, the teams will have a test session and then run through the regular drill of practices and qualifying on Friday and Saturday. But the best value lies within the numbers right, so go ahead and take a shot with a few before we know the entire story with how fast some of the drivers really are.
As of now, it's Miller Lite's for everyone in the grandest Vegas party of all!
Enjoy the city everyone, including the locals who help make this the most successful event of the NASCAR season.
Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #2 Brad Keselowski (10/1)
2) #18 Kyle Busch (10/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (7/1)
4) #20 Matt Kenseth (15/2)
5) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10/1)Comment
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Game of the Day: Michigan State Spartans at Ohio State Buckeyes (-3)
The back half of the Big Ten slate has not been particularly kind to either Ohio State or Michigan State, and both still have work to do. The Spartans will attempt to earn the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament when they visit the Buckeyes on Sunday. Ohio State dropped its last two games to fall out of position for a first-round bye in the conference tournament and is looking at the No. 5 seed depending on how things shake out in the final weekend.
Michigan State avoided a three-game losing streak with an 86-76 home win over Iowa on Thursday and is enjoying a period of relative health as it draws to the end of the regular season. Keith Appling shook off hip and wrist injuries to reach double figures with 12 points in the win over the Hawkeyes and Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson are both rounding into form following absences earlier in the Big Ten season. The Buckeyes had some serious problems at the offensive end in a loss at Indiana last weekend and need one more win to finish over .500 in conference play.
TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
LINE HISTORY: The Buckeyes have opened as 3-point home faves.
POWER RANKINGS: Michigan State (-9.1) - Ohio State (-6.9) + Home Court (-3.0) = Buckeyes -0.8
INJURY WATCH: N/A
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Ohio State was 15-0 when they lost in OT at Michigan State. That loss snowballed and Ohio State went on a 1-5 SU and 0-6 ATS slide. Michigan State comes in off their senior night 86-76 win over Iowa and now the Spartans must regroup and play another big game." Steve Merril
ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (23-7, 16-11-2 ATS, 15-14-2): The Spartans got Dawson back in a 53-46 loss to Illinois on Mar. 1 and are 18-2 with their leading rebounder in the lineup. Appling missed three games before playing through his various injuries for four straight but declared himself healthy before the Iowa contest and ended up with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting - his first double-digit scoring performance since the previous meeting with Iowa on Jan. 28. Appling hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime on Jan. 7 and hit 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to seal a 72-68 home victory as Michigan State took the first meeting from the Buckeyes.
ABOUT OHIO STATE (22-8, 15-14 ATS, 12-16 O/U): The Buckeyes failed to make a 3-pointer (0-of-11) for the first time since 2004 in the 72-64 loss at Indiana last weekend and made 24 of their 25 field goals inside the paint. “I think we’re really lacking in a confidence issue, we’re lacking in a toughness issue in terms of playing through situations,” coach Thad Matta told the Columbus Dispatch. “Those are things that somehow, someway we’ve got to get corrected.” Ohio State has been held under 65 points in five of its last six games.
TRENDS:
* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Ohio St.
* Spartans are 0-3-1 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Spartans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games.
* Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.Comment
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NBA
Hot teams
-- Bulls won five of their last seven games.
-- Thunder won three of their last four games.
-- Nuggets won lost last two games, but lost six of their last seven road games. New Orleans also won last two games, after it lost eight in a row before that.
-- Brooklyn won four of its last five games.
-- Houston won six of its last seven games. Trailblazers won six of their last eight.
-- Toronto won eight of its last ten games. Timberwolves won seven of their last nine.
-- Golden State won eight of its last ten games. Suns won three of their last four.
Cold Teams
-- Miami lost last two games, after winning its previous eight.
-- Lakers lost last three games, allowing 136.3 ppg. Really, they did.
-- Pistons lost six of their last seven games. Boston lost seven of nine.
-- Sacramento lost four of its last six games.
-- Pacers lost their last three games, by 2-22-26 points. Dallas lost three of its last four games.
Series records
-- Heat won five of last six games with Chicago.
-- Lakers lost seven of last nine games with Oklahoma City.
-- Nuggets lost last three visits to New Orleans, by 2-24-16 points.
-- Pistons won five of their last six games with Boston. Celtics lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Nets won five of last seven games with Sacramento.
-- Rockets won four of last five games with Portland.
-- Raptors won five in row, nine of last ten games with Minnesota.
-- Pacers won three of last four games with Dallas.
-- Warriors won seven of last nine games with Phoenix.
Totals
-- Three of last four Miami games went over total.
-- Five of last six Thunder games went over total.
-- 15 of last 19 Denver-New Orleans games stayed under.
-- Seven of last ten Detroit games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Sacramento games stayed under.
-- Last eight Portland games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last eight Minnesota-Toronto games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Dallas-Indiana games stayed under total.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Golden State games.Comment
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NHL
Hot teams
-- Red Wings are 5-3 in their last eight games.
-- Bruins won their last four games, allowing seven goals.
-- Buffalo won four of its last six games.
-- Blues won their last four games, allowing six goals. Minnesota won five of its last six.
-- Kings won their last six games, allowing eight goals. Edmonton won six of its last ten.
Cold teams
-- Rangers lost three of their last four games.
-- Florida lost five of its last seven games.
-- Blackhawks lost three of their last five games.
Totals
-- Three of last four Ranger games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Boston games went over the total.
-- Last three Chicago games went over the total.
-- Four of last five St Louis road games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Los Angeles games stayed under.
Series records
-- Rangers are 2-0 vs Detroit this season, 3-2ot/1-0.
-- Bruins won their last seven games with Florida.
-- Sabres lost three of last five games with Chicago.
-- Blues won their last seven games with Minnesota.
-- Kings won 11 of their last 13 games with Edmonton.Comment
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Players NBA *8* Sunday on Miami on 9 March
Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* (Regular Play) on Miami at Chicago @ 1:00 p.m. ET
The Chicago Bulls host the Miami Heat Sunday. “The Bulldog” breaks down his selection on Miami with his Three-Factor Analysis: 1. Miami is faced with the possibility of a rare three-game losing streak, something that just doesn’t happen to the Heat. Expect LeBron & Co. to leave it all on the court Sunday in hopes of getting back on track. 2. Chicago’s recent play has trimmed this spread too low, giving us great road value on Miami. While the Bulls are playing well, they been beating up on weaker opponents and catching better ones in bad spots. 3. Chicago may not have the horse to run with Miami. The Bulls have struggled to put up points at times this season, like their recent losses to Brooklyn and Memphis. Chicago doesn’t have the outside shooting like Miami and could be buried quickly if the Heat get hot from 3-point range.
Play on Miami as an 8* Regular Selection Sunday.
Good luck, Scott.
Players NBA *10* Sunday on OVER in Dallas on 9 March
Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* (Top Play) on OVER in Dallas vs. Indiana @ 7:35 p.m. ET
The Dallas Mavericks host the Indiana Pacers Sunday. “The Bulldog” breaks down his selection on OVER in Dallas with his Three-Factor Analysis: 1. The Pacers have allowed an uncharacteristic amount of points the last two games, watching Charlotte put up 109 and Houston hang 112 points in loss for Indiana. 2. Dallas has had no trouble finding the bottom of the basket in its recent outings, averaging almost 108 points per game since the All-Star break. The Mavs have played Over the total in six of those nine games. 3. The Pacers held a players-only meeting after losing to the Rockets and will undoubtedly be looking to turn up the intensity on offense, after scoring 87 and 86 points in their past two efforts.
Play on OVER in Dallas as a 10* Top Selection Sunday.
Good luck, Scott.
Players NHL *10* Sunday on OVER in N.Y. Rangers on 9 March
Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* (Top Play) on OVER in N.Y. Rangers vs. Detroit @ 12:00 p.m. ET
The New York Rangers host the Detroit Red Wings Sunday. “The Bulldog” breaks down his selection on OVER in N.Y. Rangers with his Three-Factor Analysis: 1. Detroit is coming off a seven-goal explosion in a win over New Jersey. The Red Wings have played Over the total in three of their last four games. 2. New York is also 3-1 O/U in its last four outings, but it’s been the Rangers lack of defense that has pushed those score Over the total. They’ve given up 15 total goals in those four games. 3. Both teams have either top offensive players working their way back from injury – like Detroit’s Johan Franzen – or are working in some new lines after making some big deals at the deadline – like New York’s Martin St. Louis. Expect these teams to find their form soon.
Play on OVER in N.Y. Rangers as a 10* Top Selection Sunday.
Good luck, Scott.Comment
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Ben Burns
NCAAB Maryland+3
NCAAB Ohio St -3
NBA Portland+6
NBA Phoenix/Golden St Over 211.5Comment
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Double Dragon Sports
10* Florida State
Umass
NebraskaComment
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ATSLOCKS - Northwestern +9Comment
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Cappers Access
Maryland +4
Michigan St +3
NC St -6.5Comment
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