Friday 12-7-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Massachusetts Minutemen vs. Providence Friars Preview and Predictions 2018-12-07

NCAAB Predictions 6th December 2018 by Gracenote
Providence looks to build some momentum after an emotional overtime road victory and get some revenge on an old New England rival when it hosts Massachusetts on Friday night. The Friars needed a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to tie before winning 105-100 at Boston College on Tuesday and hope to turn the tables on UMass, which earned a 72-63 home win in the 33rd meeting last season.

"It's one of the better team wins we've had in a long while," Providence coach Ed Cooley told reporters after beating BC. "We've talked about our depth for awhile and it came through. ... I'm really proud of our young kids." Guard A.J. Reeves, one of three freshmen starters Tuesday, drained the key shot at the end of regulation and registered 24 points while six Friars scored at least nine as they won their fourth straight contest. UMass got 30 points from Luwane Pipkins in the victory over Providence last season, but the Minutemen have stumbled out of the gate in 2018-19 with four losses in nine games after coughing up a nine-point lead in the 82-78 setback against Holy Cross on Tuesday. "I've got to do a much better job of holding our guys accountable to being disciplined on the defensive end of the floor, to getting our guys understanding everything that goes into and impacting winning," Minutemen coach Matt McCall told reporters. "We're a young, inexperienced basketball team that needs to get a lot better."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1 LINE: Check Intertops for the latest line

ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS (5-4): Pipkins, a 5-11 junior, leads the team in scoring (19.9) - after averaging 24 in the last three games - assists (6.6) and steals (1.7) while sinking a team-high 29 shots from behind the 3-point arc. Junior forward Jonathan Laurent averages 11.2 points and junior guard Curtis Cobb (10.9) has connected on 15 from 3-point range the past five contests. Sophomore guard Carl Pierre (10.2 points) scored only two against Holy Cross after averaging 13 the previous four, and senior center Rashaan Holloway (10.1 points) leads the team in rebounds (7.0).

ABOUT PROVIDENCE (7-2): Junior guard Alpha Diallo tops the Friars in scoring (16.8), despite going 4-of-23 from the field the past two games, rebounds (8.8), assists (3.7) and steals (1.6). Reeves pushed his season scoring average to 14.9 with his efforts Tuesday and sophomore center Nate Watson (11.1 points) scored 19 - one off his career high - and grabbed 10 boards for his first double-double. Freshmen starters David Duke (nine points) and Jimmy Nichols Jr. (seven) also contributed to the win over Boston College while junior guard Maliek White scored a season-high 10.

TIP-INS

1. Providence senior G Isaiah Jackson is averaging 12.3 points in four games since going scoreless against Michigan.

2. Holloway is second in the Atlantic 10 in field-goal percentage (70.7) and Pipkins tops the league in assists.

3. The Friars are 58-2 in non-conference games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence during Cooley's eight years.

PREDICTION: Providence 76, UMass 66

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Texas Christian Horned Frogs vs. Southern California Trojans Preview and Predictions 2018-12-07

NCAAB Predictions 6th December 2018 by Gracenote
USC missed a chance to boast its NCAA Tournament resume when it dropped a 73-61 decision to No. 6 Nevada at home on Saturday. But the Trojans get another shot at picking up a quality non-conference win when they face TCU on Friday night in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

USC led the Wolf Pack 35-34 at halftime but fell behind by as many as 19 points in the second half thanks to turnovers and 36 percent shooting, including 3-of-16 from 3-point range. "We expect more from our upperclassmen, to understand when the other team has scored four, six, eight, nine points in a row, that at that point, you have to take a great shot," Trojan coach Andy Enfield said. "We did take a couple of good ones. We just missed them. And then we took a couple contested or rough shots." Next up is a TCU squad that returns four starters from a team that finished 9-9 in the ultra-competitive Big 12 Conference, ended a 20-year NCAA Tournament drought and comes in off a 67-59 victory over arch-rival SMU on Wednesday night. "Real happy with our guys," Horned Frogs coach Jamie Dixon told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "How we did it, just found a way. And just getting better as the year goes on."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1 LINE: Check Intertops for the latest line

ABOUT TCU (6-1): The win at SMU was the third in a row for the Horned Frogs since a stunning 73-64 home loss to Lipscomb on Nov. 20. Junior guard Jaylen Fisher, who was 5-of-8 from 3-point range, and senior forward JD Miller led the way with 15 points apiece while senior point guard Alex Robinson added nine points, seven assists and two steals. Five players average in double figures led by junior guard Desmond Bane (15.3) and sophomore forward Kouat Noi (14.8) followed by Robinson (12.9), Miller (11.9) and Fisher (10.3).

ABOUT USC (5-3): The Trojans have missed 6-6 freshman guard Kevin Porter Jr., who has been hampered by a bruised quad suffered in a 99-80 win over Missouri State on Nov. 20 but is expected to play Friday night after missing two games and then playing only four minutes against Nevada. The explosive Porter, who is averaging 11.7 points and 3.3 rebounds and has had several highlight reel dunks, is penciled in as the sixth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by nbadraft.net. Five Trojans are averaging in double figures led by 6-11 junior forward Nick Rakocevic (15.3) and 6-10 junior forward Bennie Boatwright (15.2).

TIP-INS

1. Robinson, who has had 12 or more assists in a game three times this season including 14 in a 77-69 win over Fresno State, leads the nation in assists with an average of 9.1 per game.

2. Rakocevic leads the Pac-12 Conference and ranks tied for fifth nationally in rebounding with an average of 11.8 per game.

3. The series is tied 1-1, with USC winning the last meeting, 83-59 on Dec. 19, 2011 at the Galen Center.

PREDICTION: USC 81, TCU 76

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Preview and Predictions 2018-12-07

NCAAB Predictions 6th December 2018 by Gracenote
Nevada matched its best start in Division I history with a 73-61 victory at USC on Saturday to improve to 8-0. To top that mark, the No. 6 Wolf Pack will need to knock off another undefeated and ranked team late Friday night when they face No. 20 Arizona State in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

It's the fifth contest in a six-game stretch of games away from Reno for Eric Musselman's squad, which followed up winning the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational over Thanksgiving with a revenge 79-65 victory over Loyola Chicago, the team that knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament in March before the USC win. After Friday night's game, Nevada takes an early flight to Phoenix on Saturday morning for a Sunday afternoon game at Western Athletic Conference contender Grand Canyon. "It's hard to go 8-0," Musselman said at his weekly press conference. "Sometimes people don't understand how hard it is to get a win. To see the focus the guys have had ... we've been away from home a lot. Without question this is our hardest stretch of the season. We're four games through it and we'll see how we come out on Sunday night when we're back on a plane from Phoenix back home." Arizona State, which comes in off an 83-71 victory over Texas Southern on Saturday, has won 20 straight non-conference regular season games - the longest active streak in the nation.

TV: 11:59 p.m. ET, ESPN2 LINE: Check Intertops for the latest line

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (7-0): Luguentz Dort, a 6-4, 215-pound freshman guard, is making his way up NBA mock draft charts thanks to a start that sees him leading the Sun Devils in scoring (21.7) and steals (2.1) while also grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game. "When plays break down Dort is so good at creating his own shot," Musselman said. "They could run offense and something breaks down and he finds a seam in the defense and he creates something for himself or something for others." Senior Zylan Cheatham, a 6-8 transfer from San Diego State who has a 41 1/2 -inch vertical leap, was named the Pac-12's Player of the Week after registering the second triple-double in school history in the win over Texas Southern, finishing with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

ABOUT NEVADA (8-0): Senior swingman Caleb Martin, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year, leads the team in scoring (19.9) despite twice going scoreless in the first half of wins over BYU and Pacific. Jordan Caroline, a 6-7, 235-pound forward who is the son of former NFL star Simeon Rice, is averaging a double-double (18.5 points, 10 rebounds) while Cody Martin, the 6-7 twin brother of Caleb and also a first team preseason all-Mountain West pick, is averaging 9.9 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game and was the league's defensive player of the year last season. The Wolf Pack have added another big offensive weapon in guard Jazz Johnson, a 5-10 transfer from Portland who is averaging 12.3 points off the bench and ranked ninth nationally in 3-point shooting (56.8 percent) entering Thursday.

TIP-INS

1. Arizona State ranked second nationally in rebounds per game (46.0) and seventh in rebound margin (plus-13.0).

2. Nevada has outrebounded all eight of its opponents this season and has also won every opening tip.

3. Nevada has made 27 more free throws (162) than its opponents have attempted (135).

PREDICTION: Nevada 89, Arizona State 86

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cole Faxon

Dec 07 '18, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | Oral Roberts vs Missouri
Play on: Oral Roberts +17 -102 at 5Dimes

FREE PLAY on Oral Roberts +17 -102

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bobby Conn

Dec 07 '18, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | James Madison vs George Mason
Play on: James Madison +6½ -110 at Bovada

1* Free Play on James Madison +6½ -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hunter Price

Dec 07 '18, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | James Madison vs George Mason
Play on: James Madison +6½ -110 at Bovada

1* Free Pick on James Madison +6½ -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Info Plays

Dec 07 '18, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | James Madison vs George Mason
Play on: James Madison +7½ -107 at YouWager

1* Free Play on James Madison +7½ -107

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Steve Janus

Dec 07 '18, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | James Madison vs George Mason
Play on: James Madison +6½ -110 at Bovada

1* Free Sharp Play on James Madison +6½ -110
My money is on the Dukes to cash in as a road dog against the Patriots. James Madison comes in at 7-4, while George Mason is a mere 4-6. Patriots have been overvalued from the get go this season, as they failed to cover their first 4 games out of the gate and are just 2-8 ATS on the season, including a miserable 1-5 ATS mark at home. Duke's have covered 6 of their lat 9 against a team from the A-10 and Patriots are 4-16-1 ATS last 21 vs a team with a winning record. Bet James Madison +6.5!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sal Michaels

Dec 07 '18, 7:05 PM in 1h
NBA | Nuggets vs Hornets
Play on: Hornets +1 +102 at 5Dimes

Free Play on Hornets +1 +102

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jack Jones

Dec 07 '18, 7:05 PM in 1h
NBA | 76ers vs Pistons
Play on: Pistons -1 -110 at sportsbook

Jack’s Free Pick Friday: Detroit Pistons -1
It was announced late this morning that Joel Embiid would get the day off to rest for the 76ers. I think his absence is huge in this game, especially against a team like the Pistons who are led by a dominant frontcourt in Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. The Pistons should control the paint in this one, which will be key to their victory.
Off back-to-back losses to the Thunder and Bucks, the Pistons come in highly motivated for a victory. And they have one of the more underrated home-court advantages in the NBA over the past several seasons. They are 9-4 at home this year.
The 76ers have done most of their damage at home this season. But they are just 4-8 SU & 3-9 ATS on the road this year. Plus, they are coming off a road loss to the Raptors, who have the best record in the NBA. This could certainly be a ‘hangover’ spot for them from that defeat as they won’t be nearly as motivated to face the Pistons as they were the Raptors.
The 76ers are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 road games. The Pistons are 5-0 ATS in their last five Friday games. Detroit is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games following a loss. Philadelphia is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Bet the Pistons Friday.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kenny Walker

Dec 07 '18, 7:05 PM in 1h
NBA | Pacers vs Magic
Play on: Pacers +2½ -110 at BMaker

Free Pick on Pacers

[Can'tPickAWinner]

John Martin

Dec 07 '18, 7:05 PM in 1h
NBA | Pacers vs Magic
Play on: Magic -2 -108 at 5Dimes

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Orlando Magic -2
The Magic have gone 11-2-1 ATS in their last 14 games overall. One of their non-covers came last time out as 4.5-point home dogs to the Nuggets where they lost by 6 in overtime. And they were playing the second of a back-to-back in that game. I really like this Magic team, and they should be able to win and cover tonight against the Indiana Pacers, who remain without their best player in Victor Oladipo. It’s no surprise the Pacers have gone 1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS in their last three games without Oladipo with their only win coming by 6 at home against the terrible Bulls as 8-point favorites. The Magic are 8-1 ATS after allowing 115 points or more this season. Orlando is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games on one days’ rest. Give me the Magic.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ben Burns

Dec 07 '18, 7:35 PM in 2h
NBA | Raptors vs Nets
Play on: Nets +9½ -105 at 5Dimes

I used the Nets as my NBA "Game Of The Week" in their last game and they rewarded me with a wire-to-wire cover against OKC. While I respect Toronto, I believe that Brooklyn is offering us solid value once again this evening.
The Raptors are off a big win over the 76ers and they've got a "revenge game" against the Bucks, who beat them 124-109 earlier, on deck. That being the situation, it may be easy to look past the lowly Nets. Note that Toronto is just 3-7 ATS its last 10, when coming off a home win, 4-9 ATS when off a home game overall.
While they may be just 2-9 SU their last 11 overall, the Nets only lost one of those 11 games by more than 10 points - and that came on the road, when they were playing the second of b2b games. Brooklyn's last two games both resulted in 2-point losses. Speaking of close games, two of three 2018 meetings (all last season) between these teams were decided by four points or less. This one figures to also be close. Consider grabbing the generous points.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mike Williams

Dec 07 '18, 8:05 PM in 2h
NBA | Grizzlies vs Pelicans
Play on: Pelicans -5 -115 at sportsbook

1* on Pelicans -5 -115

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Stephen Nover

Dec 07 '18, 8:05 PM in 2h
NBA | Thunder vs Bulls
Play on: Bulls +9 -108 at BMaker

Jim Boylen made his Bulls coaching debut against the Pacers on Tuesday and Chicago covered an eight-point road spread losing 96-90 to the Pacers. The Bulls showed more discipline and intensity under the veteran coaching of Boylan than they did with Fred Hoiberg, who was letting Zach LaVine run the team
The Bulls' talent level isn't that bad especially with Lauri Markkanen back from an elbow injury. He's gotten the rust off after playing in the past two games. Chicago should be pumped for a strong effort in Boylan's first home game as head coach. Oklahoma City is playing its third road game in five days. The Thunder have had trouble getting up during their past three road games against weaker teams. They defeated the Suns by 10, lost to the Kings and had to come from 23 points down to nip the Nets by two this past Wednesday. (Editor's note: Stephen Nover is on a huge 9-1 run the past three days. Stephen is winning in all the sports! So get on board with him and starting turning huge profits in football, basketball and hockey starting today with his Games of the Week in the NBA and NHL.)