Tuesday 1-8-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Louisiana State Tigers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-08

NCAAB Predictions 7th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/07/2019

With a stunning collapse against Georgia State just over a month ago in the back of its minds, Alabama did just enough to make sure to avoid a similar fate in a riveting home win versus No. 14 Kentucky over the weekend in its SEC opener. The Crimson Tide seek their second 2-0 start to conference play in three seasons and attempt to win six in a row for the first time under fourth-year coach Avery Johnson on Tuesday when they visit LSU.

Alabama, which coughed up a 22-point lead with just over 14 1/2 minutes remaining on Dec. 4 in an 83-80 loss to Georgia State when the Panthers buried a 3-pointer as time expired, almost had its hearts broken again Saturday as the Wildcats nearly clawed all the way back from an 11-point deficit with just over three minutes left. However, the Crimson Tide got the stop they needed this time when Kentucky guard Tyler Herro's 3-point attempt bounced off the rim in the waning seconds. Alabama's first potential six-game winning streak since 2014-15 won't come easy though, as the Tigers have won 15 straight in the Maravich Center. Rust could be a bit of a factor in this contest for LSU, which hasn't played a game since defeating Louisiana Monroe 81-69 on Dec. 28 to improve to 8-0 at home this season.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT ALABAMA (10-3, 1-0 SEC): Tevin Mack (9.9 points) almost singlehandedly kept the Crimson Tide in the game early Saturday, going 6-for-6 from 3-point range en route to 20 of his team's 38 first-half points and the bulk of his season-high 22. Donta Hall (11.1 points, 8.3 rebounds) produced this third consecutive double-double with 11 points and 10 boards Saturday but did not record a block after rejecting 10 shots over the previous three games; he needs one more block to become the seventh player in program history to record 200 for his career. Sophomore Herbert Jones enjoyed the best all-round performance of his career against Kentucky, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds and a career-best six assists without a turnover in 23 minutes.

ABOUT LSU (10-3, 0-0): After finding his groove while coming off the bench the previous two games, Tremont Waters - a 5-11 sophomore - returned to the starting lineup against the Warhawks and tallied 11 points, 10 assists and a career-high tying eight steals. The Tigers' four freshmen - Naz Reid, Emmitt Williams, Ja'vonte Smart and Darius Days - combined for 50 points, 27 rebounds and five blocks versus the Warhawks, most of which came from Reid as he supplied 17 points, 12 boards and a season-high four blocks. The three post players from that group - Reid, Williams and Days - shot 17-of-23 from the field, and Williams (12 points, eight boards) fell two rebounds short of giving LSU a third player with a double-double.

TIP-INS

1. LSU has recorded at least 11 steals in six of its last seven games and ranks seventh in the country with an SEC-best 10 per game.

2. After shooting 30.9 percent and averaging 6.1 triples in their first seven games, the Crimson Tide are converting 39 percent beyond the arc and averaging 8.3 3-pointers since.

3. The Tigers have shot 60 percent or worse from the foul line in each of the last two contests after converting 75.4 percent of their free throws over their first 11 games.

PREDICTION: LSU 77, Alabama 73

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Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Preview and Predictions 2019-01-08

NCAAB Predictions 7th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/07/2019

No. 14 Mississippi State aims for its 10th consecutive victory when it opens SEC play against host South Carolina on Tuesday. The Bulldogs, who have climbed to their highest ranking since 2011, have won the last two meetings and three of the past five.


After posting a 71-69 win at Florida to begin their SEC schedule, the Gamecocks play their next two contests at home with a chance for an unexpected hot start to the conference slate following a disappointing non-conference performance. It was the second straight win following a four-game skid for South Carolina, but two of those losses came against top-five teams, and coach Frank Martin's squads are never an easy matchup. "They're just really physical. They play really hard," Bulldogs coach Ben Howland told reporters. "They really embody (Martin) in terms of the toughness and the fight that they bring. They're really tough defensively. They're always one of the best defensive teams in the country, year in and year out. It's always tough to score on that team." Howland would like to see his squad show that same mentality, saying the Bulldogs have to improve defensively going into SEC play - especially in the perimeter.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU


ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (12-1): While Howland is disappointed with his team's performance at the defensive end, the Bulldogs have excelled on offense. Five players average double figures in scoring, with guards Quinndary Weatherspoon (17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds) and Lamar Peters (13.2, 6.2 assists) leading the way. Aric Holman (12.5 points, 8.6 rebounds) is a force in the post but also can step out and shoot 3-pointers.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (6-7, 1-0 SEC): The Gamecocks are the opposite of the Bulldogs in that they rely on their defense to make up for some offensive deficiencies. Freshman guard A.J. Lawson (13.2 points) leads the team in scoring, but its most important player is Chris Silva (12.9, 6.7 rebounds), who has scored in double figures in six consecutive games - averaging 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds during the stretch. Hassani Gravett (10.8 points) has improved as an outside shooting threat and scored 22 points against Florida.


TIP-INS

1. The Bulldogs are 20-2 over the last two seasons and have won 12 straight when Weatherspoon scores 20 or more points.

2. Silva has gone to the free-throw line at least eight times in three straight games and is 16-of-17 over his last two contests.

3. Mississippi State is 27-1 under Howland when allowing 60 points or fewer.


PREDICTION: Mississippi State 74, South Carolina 69

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Purdue Boilermakers vs. Michigan St Spartans Preview and Predictions 2019-01-08

NCAAB Predictions 7th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/07/2019

Michigan State looks to extend its winning streak to nine when it hosts Purdue in a Big Ten Conference contest Tuesday night. The No. 5 Spartans are coming off a road win over No. 17 Ohio State on Saturday, while the Boilermakers earned their third straight victory with an 86-70 decision over No. 25 Iowa on Thursday.

Junior guard Carsen Edwards is one of the most dangerous scorers in the country, ranking fourth with 25.5 points per game while shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range. Senior guard Ryan Cline is the only other double-figure scorer for coach Matt Painter, averaging 12.6 points and dishing out a team-high 3.6 assists, and Edwards and Cline are Painter's workhorses, with each averaging better than 32 minutes of playing time. Junior forward Nick Ward is coming off a Big Ten Player of the Week award for the Spartans and is second on the team in scoring at 16.7 points on 66.2 percent shooting from the floor. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has potentially the best point guard in the country in junior Cassius Winston, who tops the team in scoring at 17.7 points while leading the Big Ten in assists per game (7.6).

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT PURDUE (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten): After the departure of Isaac Haas from last season's team, the thought was that 7-3 sophomore Matt Haarms would step right into the role of scoring big man for the Boilermakers. But Haarms has struggled a bit at times, leading Painter to move him to a reserve role over the last three contests, and Haarms has started to flourish coming off the bench like he did in his first season with Purdue. After scoring more than 10 points once in his 11 starts, Haarms has eclipsed that mark twice in his three games as a reserve, including a 14-point effort in 15 minutes against Iowa.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (13-2, 4-0): With junior guard Joshua Langford sidelined with an ankle injury, Kyle Ahrens has moved into the starting lineup for Izzo, which leaves reserve moments on the wing, and freshman Aaron Henry has been getting them. The 6-6 forward played 19 minutes off the bench against Northwestern two games ago, scoring four points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out a career-best four assists. The athletic Henry played 14 minutes against Ohio State, including key stretches late in the second half as the Spartans pulled away, providing some of the rebounding and on-the-ball defense that Langford usually provides, and likely earning more time from Izzo as long as Langford is out.

TIP-INS

1. The Boilermakers lead the Big Ten in 3-pointers made per game with 10.7, while the Spartans are No. 2 at 8.9 per contest.

2. Michigan State is ninth in the country, averaging 87.1 points, and is second in the nation in assists per game with 21.3.

3. Sophomore forward Xavier Tillman brings defensive intensity off the bench for the Spartans, leading the team in blocks (26) and steals (16).

PREDICTION: Michigan State 83, Purdue 72

[Can'tPickAWinner]

North Carolina Tar Heels vs. NC State Wolfpack Preview and Predictions 2019-01-08

NCAAB Predictions 7th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/07/2019

No. 16 North Carolina State is off to its best start in 45 years and can validate that one more time when it hosts 12th-ranked North Carolina on Tuesday night for an early-season ACC showdown. The Wolfpack boast a victory over 10th-ranked Auburn and rallied from a 10-point deficit for an 87-82 triumph at Miami (Fla.) in the ACC opener Thursday to match the start of their 1973-74 NCAA championship team (13-1).

"Definitely a game to build on," N.C. State junior point guard Markell Johnson told reporters after scoring 20 points in 23 minutes Thursday. "Being down 10 on the road to come back and win is big. We feel like we can come back from anything." The Wolfpack, who have won seven straight, entered the week second in the nation in field goal shooting percentage (52.1) and will face perhaps their toughest test when they take on a North Carolina team which held Pittsburgh to 30.6 percent from the floor Saturday while winning its league opener 85-60 on the road. "I just think we locked down on defense," Tar Heels freshman guard Coby White told reporters. "We got out in transition and we ran our sets and we just played harder and with a lot of effort." North Carolina coach Roy Williams said he liked his team's poise on the road against Pitt and the Tar Heels will need the same type of effort to earn their fourth straight victory after losing three times in a six-game span.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (11-3, 1-0 ACC): Senior guard Cameron Johnson has led a balanced offense, averaging 16.3 points on 52.3 percent shooting from the field and 48.6 from 3-point range - including 15-of-27 from behind the arc the last five games. "I just feel like I'm a little better overall physically, a little more fine-tuned," Johnson told reporters. "As I keep getting older, I keep getting a little better and more experienced, so I feel like that's all added up for me." White (14.4) is tied for second on the team in scoring after recording 22 versus Pitt and senior forward Luke Maye (14.4 points, team-high 9.9 rebounds) has two double-doubles in the last three games.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (13-1, 1-0): Johnson stepped up by draining 6-of-8 shots and dishing out five assists in the win against Miami and coach Kevin Keatts told reporters of the effort: "He made some big shots. I thought he played like a veteran guard in the league." Senior guard Torin Dorn was just 3-of-9 from the field last time out, but leads the team in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (6.5) while shooting 52.6 percent from the field overall. Junior guard C.J. Bryce has contributed 11.2 points per contest and sophomore guard Devon Daniels (10.5), a transfer from Utah, scored 19 versus Miami and is averaging 14 over the last four games.

TIP-INS

1. North Carolina senior G Kenny Williams (team-best 4.2 assists) is shooting just 37.6 percent from the field after finishing last season at 48.6.

2. N.C. State sophomore G Blake Harris sat out Thursday's win with a hip pointer and his status is uncertain.

3. The Tar Heels have won five of the last six meetings overall and five straight against the Wolfpack in Raleigh, N.C.

PREDICTION: North Carolina 82, N.C. State 76

[Can'tPickAWinner]

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Kansas State Wildcats Preview and Predictions 2019-01-09

NCAAB Predictions 8th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/08/2019

Both West Virginia and Kansas State were expected to contend in the Big 12, but injuries and ineffectiveness have made for a difficult ride thus far. Both teams will be trying for their first conference win when the Mountaineers visit Kansas State on Wednesday.

West Virginia had three losses to non-power conference teams during its pre-Big 12 slate and then opened league play with setbacks to No. 8 Texas Tech at home and then at Texas on Saturday. "I thought our effort was OK," Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins - who elected to start walk-on Taevon Horton in a symbolic gesture aimed at rewarding players he sees giving effort - told reporters. "We had some breakdowns." The Wildcats lost to the same two teams from the Lone Star State, most recently dropping a 63-57 decision at Texas Tech on Saturday. West Virginia entered Tuesday ninth in the 10-team league in shooting (42.4 percent), while Kansas State was last (42.0).

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (8-6, 0-2 Big 12): The Mountaineers have played without star forward Sagaba Konate (knee) for the last five games and there is uncertainty surrounding the junior's future, as family gets involved in the decision-making as it pertains to the injury. "It's not my decision," Huggins told the media after the loss in Texas. "It's he and his family and he's 21-years old, so he should be able to make those kinds of decisions for himself. It's a family situation and they have to do what they think is right. At the same time, we can't sit here and wish him back. We can't sit here and cry, 'Oh, woe is me,' because he isn't here. We've got to figure out a way to win." Freshman Derek Culver, who was suspended for the first 10 games, has helped to fill the void and is averaging 13.3 points and 9.3 rebounds over his last three games.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (10-4, 0-2): Already without preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Dean Wade (foot), the Wildcats lost Kamau Stokes (10.8 points per game) for one game due to a foot injury of his own, but the senior guard was able to return for Saturday's tilt and scored seven points in 21 minutes. Barry Brown Jr., another senior guard, had 16 points and leads the team in scoring (13.6) and steals (1.8). Behind Brown, Wade and Stokes, junior forward Xavier Sneed is the team's fourth player averaging in double figures on the scoreboard (10.7), but he was held to four points on 1-of-8 from the floor at Texas Tech and is shooting 27.7 percent over his last five games.

TIP-INS

1. West Virginia has won nine of the last 10 meetings, including an 89-51 rout at home in the most recent encounter last February.

2. Wildcats F Makol Mawien recorded his first career double-double in the loss to Texas Tech with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

3. Mountaineers F Esa Ahmad averaged 14.3 points in non-conference play but has just 16 points on 4-of-12 shooting through the two Big 12 losses.

PREDICTION: Kansas State 65, West Virginia 60

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sal Michaels

Jan 08 '19, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | Eastern Michigan vs Ball State
Play on: Eastern Michigan +12½ -110 at sportsbook

Free Play on Eastern Michigan +12½ -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cole Faxon

Jan 08 '19, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | Eastern Michigan vs Ball State
Play on: Eastern Michigan +11½ -105 at sportsbook

FREE PLAY on Eastern Michigan +11½ -105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bobby Conn

Jan 08 '19, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | Iowa State vs Baylor
Play on: Iowa State -2½ -109 at pinnacle

1* Free Play on Iowa State -2½ -109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hunter Price

Jan 08 '19, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | Iowa State vs Baylor
Play on: Iowa State -2½ -109 at pinnacle

1* Free Pick on Iowa State -2½ -109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mark Wilson

Jan 08 '19, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | Texas A&M vs Kentucky
Play on: Kentucky -12½ -108 at pinnacle

Free Play on Kentucky -12½ -108

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Brad Diamond

Jan 08 '19, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | Texas vs Oklahoma State
Play on: Texas -3 -109 at pinnacle

7:00 Eastern
(613) Texas over Oklahoma
FREE CBB SELECTION…BDS
It’s still fresh in my mind the effectiveness of the Longhorn football team during the recent bowl season, so, that just might have pointed this handicapper to the right spot on the CBB schedule for Tuesday. Clearly, Texas has an edge in SOS and available talent with a 10-4 mark, while struggling offensive unit Okie State tries to improve on their 6-8 early season run. In addition, we can’t help noting the home unit is 0-8 ATS L8 times out, 0-6 ATS versus talented units with over a .600 mark, 0-5 ATS record off a SU loss. For our money the Longhorns are the play. Good Luck.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Steve Janus

Jan 08 '19, 7:00 PM in 1h
NCAA-B | Iowa State vs Baylor
Play on: Iowa State -2½ -110 at sportsbook

1* Free Sharp Play on Iowa State -2½ -110
My money is on the Cyclones to easily cash in a win and cover here at Baylor in Tuesday's Big 12 action. Iowa State is finally getting some respect as they are No. 20 after their 17-point blowout win at home over Kansas. I just don't see this team suffering a letdown against a very mediocre team like Baylor. The Bears just don't have the offensive fire-power to keep pace and I don't see the defense stopping this high-powered ISU offense. Bet the Cyclones -2.5!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

John Martin

Jan 08 '19, 7:05 PM in 1h
NBA | Wizards vs 76ers
Play on: Wizards +9 -110 at sportsbook

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Washington Wizards +9
The Wizards have been playing great since John Wall was put on the shelf for the season. They seem to get along better without him, and it helps that they got Otto Porter Jr. back from injury just as Wall went out. The Wizards are 3-1 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall with their only loss coming on the road by 6 at Miami as 6.5-point dogs. They also went on the road and won by 18 at Oklahoma City as 10-point dogs. And now they are catching a big number here against the 76ers tonight. It’s a 76ers team that is battling illness as both Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler are sick, though both are expected to play tonight. Either way it’s too many points. The 76ers are 2-11 ATS off two or more consecutive wins this season. Give me the Wizards.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Doug Upstone

Jan 08 '19, 7:05 PM in 1h
NBA | Wizards vs 76ers
Play on: UNDER 228 -105

On Tuesday night, Play Under on road teams like Washington when the total is 220 to 229.5, revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, off a road win by 10 points or more. Dating back 23 years, this rare totals situation is 26-5 UNDER, 83.9 percent.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mike Williams

Jan 08 '19, 8:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | Northern Iowa vs Illinois State
Play on: Northern Iowa +6½ -109 at GTBets

1* on Northern Iowa +6½ -109