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Easy Money Sports
Lee's Free Early Wednesday Selection Is
Coastal Carolina -1½
Lee's Free Early Wednesday Selection Is
Coastal Carolina -1½
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Nevada Sharpshooter
Your free winner for Wednesday: Take WYOMING -13½ over San Jose StComment
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Huddle Up Sports
Free Play: LaSalle -5Comment
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Hawkeye Sports
Wednesday's Free Pick: Massachusetts + 5Comment
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Golden Dragon Sports
Free Pick Toronto -5Comment
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Arthur Ralph Sports
FREE play: WED Marquette -6Comment
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Platinum Plays
Free Pick the North Texas Green Eagles +2½ over Louisiana TechComment
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The Vegas Steam Line
Your free winner for Wednesday: Take GEORGE WASHINGTON -6½ over FordhamComment
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High Stakes Syndicate
Free Selection for Wednesday: Tex-San Antonio Roadrunners - 2 1/2Comment
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Tommy Brunson
Comp play for Wednesday is the Hoyas plus the points in their opening round game versus the Red Storm.
This will be the third meeting of the year between the long-time rivals, and thus far the Hoyas are 2-0 both straight up and against the spread in a pair of games that have been decided by a grand total of just 7-points!
That being the case, stick with the underdog in this one, as Georgetown may be cold - losers of 4 in a row both straight up and against the spread - but St. John's isn't exactly mowing teams down these days either, as the Johnnies enter just 1-3 straight up their last 4 games.
With Georgetown having won 6 of the last 9 series meetings straight up, have to take the points out to play tonight at Madison Square Garden.
Look for another nailbiter of a meeting between these 2 Big East schools.
Georgetown plus the points to be there.
2* GEORGETOWNComment
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Jeff Benton
Your Wednesday freebie is the Under in the Raptors-Pistons meeting at the new Little Caesars Arena in Motown.
With last night's Under at Philips Arena in Atlanta, the Raptors have now held Under the total in each of their last 4. Expect the Raptors to be a little dragging tonight after being on court on the road last night, and that could easily translate to a slower paced game from the Raptors.
Detroit has played Under the total in their last pair of games, and they are 5-1-3 Under the total overall their last 9 times on the court.
Series numbers also point towards a lower-scoring game, as the Under is 3-1-1 the past 5 meetings between these Eastern Conference rivals.
Lower-scoring game in store for Wednesday night between the Raptors and the Pistons. Play it Under.
3* TORONTO-DETROIT UNDERComment
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College basketball conference tournament week: Favorites and best bets
Ashton Grewal
College basketball conference tournament week is here which means the biggest programs and future NBA lottery picks take the court in the hopes of cutting down the nets. The sheer volume of games can be a lot to handle for oddsmakers and sports bettors alike.
ACC (March 6-10, Brooklyn)
Favorite: Virginia Cavaliers +140 (28-2 overall, 17-1 conference) – The Cavaliers ran wild in conference play and became the first ACC team to finish with only one league loss since the 2002 Maryland Terrapins. This is the best version of Virginia since Tony Bennett became the head coach in 2009 – but it still butters its bread on the defensive side of the ball.
The Cavaliers allowed the fewest points per game in the country (52.8) and held high-scoring sides like Duke and UNC to 63 and 49 points respectively. Be on the lookout for news regarding leading scorer Kyle Guy. The Cavs guard hurt his ankle in the regular season finale against Notre Dame.
Live dog: NC State Wolfpack +2500 (21-10 overall, 11-7 conference) – The Wolfpack own some resume-padding wins and some head-scratching losses too. NC State topped Arizona in non-conference play, downed Duke and beat UNC at Chapel Hill. First year coach Kevin Keatts had his crew humming to end the regular season; The Wolfpack went 7-3 straight up in their last 10 games and 5-1 against the spread in their last six.
Atlantic 10 (March 7-11, Washington D.C.)
Favorite: Rhode Island Rams +150 (23-6 overall, 15-3 conference) – The Rams entered the season as the favorites to win the Atlantic 10 after they returned most of the same group that won the conference tournament in 2017, and nearly knocked off eventual Final Four team Oregon in the Round of 32. Rhode Island has lost twice in the last week of the regular season and had just one convincing win over its final five contests.
Live dog: Davidson Wildcats +250 (18-11 overall, 13-5 conference) – The odds could be better but Davidson are playing as well as any team in the conference entering the tournament and it took down Rhode Island and St. Bonaventure during the regular season. The Wildcats are led by potential A-10 Player of the Year Peyton Aldridge, who leads the conference in scoring at 21.3 points per game.
Big East (March 7-10, New York)
Favorite: Villanova Wildcats -175 (27-4 overall, 14-4 conference) – The Wildcats are one of the few teams to be the favorite to win their conference tournament despite failing to win the regular season crown. Villanova is granted this exception by the oddsmakers because of how thoroughly it smashed top seed Xavier in the two meetings this season. Jay Wright’s side finished with the nation’s fourth-best scoring margin (+16 ppg) despite playing the sixth-toughest schedule in the nation.
Live dog: Seton Hall Pirates +1200 (21-10 overall, 10-8 conference) – The Pirates won four of their last five regular season games, with the one loss an overtime contest against Villanova. Seton Hall sat down Texas Tech and lost by one to Rhode Island in its non-conference schedule. Desi Rodriguez, the squad’s leading scorer, has been out since Feb. 21 when he rolled his ankle against Providence. His return could be a big boost for the Pirates.
Big 12 (March 7-10, Kansas City)
Favorite: Kansas Jayhawks +180 (24-7 overall, 13-5 conference) – The Jayhawks won their 14th consecutive Big 12 regular season title under head coach Bill Self but it was no cakewalk this time around. Kansas lost its top recruit and used a seven-player rotation during the regular season. Like all Self teams, this year’s KU team relies heavily on its starting point guard – Devonte’ Graham. Kansas would be in big trouble if Graham got hurt or in early foul trouble during the league tournament.
Live dog: Oklahoma Sooners +1800 (18-12 overall, 8-10 conference) – It seems like a long, long time ago but the Sooners started the season by winning 12 of their first 13 games and knocked off Oregon, USC and Wichita State along the way. They still have Trae Young, who – at times – has shown off Steph Curry-type range with jumper off the dribble.
Mountain West (March 7-10, Las Vegas)
Favorite: Nevada Wolf Pack +120 (26-6 overall, 15-3 conference) – Nevada is among the highest-scoring teams in the nation and possesses two dead-eye shooters from deep in Caleb Martin and Kendall Stephens. The Wolf Pack won the MWC a year ago and entered the season as the faves to take the conference crown again, but had to deal with a slew injuries during the campaign.
Live dog: San Diego State Aztecs +500 (21-10 overall, 11-7 conference) – The Aztecs are in great shape heading into the MWC tournament as long as Trey Kell is healthy. San Diego State went 3-4 SU without their senior point guard in the lineup. Kell was a big part of the Aztecs’ six-game win streak to close the regular season.
Pac-12 (March 7-10, Las Vegas)
Favorite: Arizona Wildcats +200 (24-7 overall, 14-4 conference) – There’s no questioning the Wildcats are the class of the conference but there’s enough stuff going on in the background that will warrant an oral history penned by Jonathan Abrams. Head coach Sean Miller’s name is all over the FBI’s NCAA basketball investigation – including an alleged 100K payment for freshman and Pac-12 Player of the Year Deandre Ayton. Miller and Ayton are ploughing ahead as is second-leading scorer Allonzo Trier, who recently returned to the Wildcat lineup after a two-game suspension due to a positive PED test.
Live dog: Southern California Trojans +400 (21-10 overall, 12-6 conference) – This is a little bit of a cheat code because the Trojans are the second fave to win the tournament. They didn’t do much in their non-conference schedule but they showed last season they can string some solid performances together over a short amount of time. Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright are talented big men who can dominate a game against the right opponent.
SEC (March 7-11, St. Louis)
Favorite: Auburn Tigers +300 (25-6 overall, 13-5 conference) – The Tigers are tied with Tennessee and Florida for the shortest odds to win the SEC tournament and The Athletic listed the Volunteers as the pick to cut down the nets. Auburn would be the clear fave to win the conference tournament if it didn’t look like big man Anfernee McLemore was done for the season. The Tigers are one of the top offensive teams in the nation but their defense loses a lot without McLemore manning the paint and protecting the rim.
Live dog: Alabama Crimson Tide +3000 (17-14 overall, 8-10 conference) – Winning a string of games over a short amount of time sometimes requires just two things: excellent team defense and one outstanding offensive guard. Alabama has both of these qualities. The Crimson Tide rank 28th in the country in opponent field goal percentage (41.4) and freshman point guard Colin Sexton is an expert at making tough hoops.Comment
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Utah Jazz vs. Indiana Pacers Preview and Predictions 03-07-2018
6th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Indiana Pacers worked their way into the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference with wins in three straight and are aiming for No. 3. The Utah Jazz, who visit the Pacers on Wednesday, are in their own playoff battle but are on the outside looking in at 10th place in the West despite their own three-game surge.
Indiana entered play Tuesday a half-game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 3 spot but just three games above the No. 8 spot in a tightly packed East. "It says that we're a good team and we can play," Pacers All-Star guard Victor Oladipo told reporters after a 92-89 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. "There are guys in this locker room that can play at a high level. It's great to have those guys. I'm happy to be a part of this program and this team. We just have to continue to keep getting better." The Jazz are winners of 15 of their last 17 games but still entered play on Tuesday 1 1/2 games out of the No. 8 spot in the West -- just four games behind the No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers. "We've won three games in a row," Utah point guard Ricky Rubio told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Maybe we have some things that we can do better, but the winning is all that matters."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS Indiana
ABOUT THE JAZZ (34-30): Center Rudy Gobert is one of the key players leading the charge up the standings for Utah and he delivered 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting, 17 rebounds and a pair of blocks in Monday's 94-80 win over Orlando. "Rudy's playing out of his mind right now," Utah guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters. "I think it's him being aggressive on both ends. We're doing well. But it starts with Rudy, and he's been leading us." Gobert is averaging 14.9 points on 62.6 percent shooting, 11.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over the last 17 contests.
ABOUT THE PACERS (37-27): Oladipo committed a career-high 10 turnovers on Monday but shooting guard Bojan Bogdanovic stepped up to carry the offense with 29 points. "I think (Bogdanovic is) a good shooter and you have games or a week or so where you may lose your rhythm, might be fatigued and you have to find that by working and maybe getting some rest," Indiana coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "He's been pretty consistent for us all season long and tonight and nights where Victor doesn't have anything going, we need guys like that, guys that can go and get something." Bogdanovic is averaging 21.6 points on 56.5 percent shooting, including 57.7 from beyond the arc, over the last five games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Jazz PF Derrick Favors (neck) sat out Monday and is day-to-day.
2. Pacers PF Trevor Booker, who signed with the team on Saturday, is expected to make his debut against the Jazz.
3. Indiana earned a 109-94 win at Utah on Jan. 15 in a game Gobert missed.
PREDICTION: Jazz 102, Pacers 99Comment
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Toronto Raptors vs. Detroit Pistons Preview and Predictions 03-07-2018
7th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Toronto Raptors will try to increase their lead atop the Eastern Conference when they put a five-game winning streak on the line at the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. A strong fourth quarter led the Raptors to a 106-90 win over Atlanta at home Tuesday night, giving Toronto a season high-tying two-game lead in the East.
"We're trying to be one of those teams that takes care of business whenever possible and that will set you up for better standings in the long run," Toronto guard Fred VanVleet, who had seven assists Tuesday, told reporters of his team's ability to lock down and avoid a letdown against a last-place team. "Anytime we're favored or whatever we're trying to not take anything for granted or overlook anyone." The Pistons have lost three straight for the third time in less than a month and are in danger of falling out of playoff contention. They sit 4 1/2 games behind eighth-place Miami with 18 to play - 10 of which will take place on the road - and coach Stan Van Gundy is aiming to hit the reset button before the difficult stretch run. "It's hard to come in and tell a team, 'We've got to make more shots.'" Van Gundy told the media at Tuesday's practice. "Our focus today was on the things we can control every night. Getting back on defense, getting matched up, pulling in and taking the roll man, blocking guys out, setting screens, moving the ball. That stuff you can do every night and we're not doing them consistently."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, TSN 4/5 (Toronto), FS Detroit
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (46-17): DeMar DeRozan led the way with 25 points in Tuesday's win while four others scored in double figures for Toronto, which improved its NBA-best home record to 27-5. C.J. Miles finished with 14 points and is averaging 15.3 points in 22 minutes over the last three games while making 12-of-27 from 3-point range. Kyle Lowry, who matched DeRozan with a team-high 20 points in a 123-94 win over Detroit on Feb. 26, dipped to four points against Atlanta but handed out seven assists against zero turnovers
ABOUT THE PISTONS (29-35): Detroit once again struggled to find production beyond the Blake Griffin-Andre Drummond combination Monday. The two big men put up a collective 40 points on 15-of-27 shooting against Cleveland, compared to 50 points on 19-of-60 for the 10 other players to appear in the game. Some help might soon be on the way in the form of guard Reggie Jackson, who could return to practice this weekend as he rehabs a sprained ankle that has kept him out since Dec. 26.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors SF OG Anunoby (ankle) has missed three straight games and PG Delon Wright (toe) left Tuesday's game and did not return.
2. Pistons SF Stanley Johnson (back) sat out Tuesday's practice and is questionable for this one.
3. The Raptors have scored at least 100 points in 16 straight games, which is tied for the franchise record.
PREDICTION: Raptors 108, Pistons 103Comment
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Houston Rockets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Preview and Predictions 03-07-2018
7th March 2018 by Gracenote
The red-hot Houston Rockets take aim at their 17th consecutive victory when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Houston recorded a 122-112 road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday and stands six victories shy of the franchise record 22-game winning streak from the 2007-08 season, which ranks fourth in NBA history.
The Western Conference-leading Rockets recorded their 50th victory of the campaign while going 17-of-33 from 3-point range against the Thunder and are eight wins shy of the franchise record (58-24 in 1993-94). MVP candidate James Harden had 23 points and 11 assists against Oklahoma City and has scored more than 20 points in each of the past six contests. Milwaukee lost 92-89 to the Indiana Pacers on Monday for its fifth setback in the past six games. Despite the slide, the Bucks are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and five games clear of the ninth-place Detroit Pistons.
Video: Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Full Game Highlights / March 6 / 2017-18 NBA Season
TV: 8 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), FS Wisconsin
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (50-13): Point guard Chris Paul scored 25 against the Thunder and broke out of a long-range shooting slump by going 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Paul was just 11-of-48 from behind the arc over the previous nine games and his shooting success came after he reported early for Tuesday's shootaround to get in some extra shooting with teammate Eric Gordon. "I just shoot it," Paul told reporters after the victory. "I've never shot this many 3s - the way Coach (Mike D'Antoni) encourages it is cool. But I can shoot."
ABOUT THE BUCKS (34-30): All-Star small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has 19 30-point performances and his next one will make him the 10th player in franchise history to record 20 such efforts in a single season. Antetokounmpo posted 18 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to the Pacers for his 32nd double-double, which matches last season's career-best total. Swingman Khris Middleton will look to bounce back from a 1-of-7 shooting performance and is averaging just eight points on 6-of-21 shooting over the past two games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Harden scored 31 points as the Rockets posted a 115-111 home win over the Bucks on Dec. 16.
2. Houston F Trevor Ariza has made at least three 3-pointers in each of the past six contests.
3. Milwaukee backup C Tyler Zeller (hip, back) is questionable after missing Monday's game.
PREDICTION: Rockets 122, Bucks 110Comment
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