Wednesday 1-9-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Preview: Bulls at Trail Blazers
Gracenote
Jan 8, 2019

The Chicago Bulls failed to earn a win on a three-game homestand and now find themselves staring down a five-game, west coast road trip. The Bulls will try to put up a fight when they begin the excursion by visiting the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Chicago, which visits Golden State, Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver on the rest of the trip, is trying to play a physical style under interim coach Jim Boylen and could not get enough stops in a 117-100 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. "We've just got to be tougher," Bulls guard Zach LaVine told reporters. "I think that's the main thing. We're going to miss defensive assignments. We're going to miss shots sometimes. But I think overall, we've got to be a tougher team. We have individual, tough players. But as a team we've got to be a lot tougher. That's the main thing I see right now." The Trail Blazers are winners of four of their last five games and reached the midpoint of their schedule with a 111-101 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday. "I like the fact that we've had a little bit of ups and downs already," Portland point guard Damian Lillard told reporters. "We've experienced some adversity early in the season and we got through it. We got to the midway point feeling good about ourselves."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), NBCS Northwest (Portland)

ABOUT THE BULLS (10-30): Boylen wants the offense to work slowly and from the inside out, and Chicago attempted 18 3-pointers to the Nets' 46 on Sunday. "I know I can pick up the slack and shoot more and look to hunt some more threes," LaVine told reporters. "I've been good at getting into the paint and scoring that way. With Bobby (Portis) coming back, he hits a lot of threes off of pops and things like that. Lauri (Markkanen) hits threes. We have some 3-point shooters. I think we're taking less. We just have to hit more of them and then just be more efficient, get to the foul line more, get to the penalty early and stuff like that." LaVine led the Bulls with 27 points on Sunday while going 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (24-17): Portland is sitting in the top eight of a stacked Western Conference and is happy with the way it attacked the first half of the schedule. "You think you should probably go in and win every game, but with that being said, I think we had the toughest schedule in the league for the first 41 games and to come out 24-17, we're in a good place," coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "But it's a long season and there's not much you can do - you can't look back on it. It's a long season and every game is going to be competitive." The Trail Blazers are 2-1 on their five-game homestand and own a 16-7 record in their own arena.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Portis (ankle) returned from a seven-game absence on Sunday and scored 17 points in 20 minutes off the bench.

2. Trail Blazers C Jusuf Nurkic scored at least 20 points in each of the last three games.

3. Portland swept the two-game series last season and has taken three straight from Chicago.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 110, Bulls 98

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Pistons at Lakers
Gracenote
Jan 8, 2019

The Los Angeles Lakers are still without superstar LeBron James, but Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball are beginning to step up in his absence. Ingram and Ball will try to guide the Lakers to a second consecutive victory when they host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

Los Angeles dropped five of six games after James (groin) went down on Christmas Day, leading to coach Luke Walton publicly challenging Ingram and Ball to play with more "passion." The pair combined for 13 points on 5-of-20 shooting in a 108-86 loss at Minnesota on Sunday but heard Walton's comments and spoke to each other after that dud, leading to a combined 50 points on 20-of-36 shooting in a 107-97 victory at Dallas to finish off the two-game road trip on Monday. The Pistons could stand to play with more passion themselves after dropping 14 of the last 18 games but are not ready to declare themselves out of the race in the Eastern Conference. "Believe me, we are nowhere near throwing in the towel yet," Detroit coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "Starting over, I have done that before and it took a little while. We are further ahead than that, but we are not a finished product and believe me we are not out of the playoff race yet, by any means. So, I haven't even thought about that."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, FS Detroit, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE PISTONS (17-21): Power forward Blake Griffin is playing in Los Angeles for the first time since the Los Angeles Clippers traded him away last season but is more concerned with the way his current team is playing. Detroit, which is beginning a four-game road trip against the Lakers, built first-quarter leads at home against Utah and San Antonio in the last two games only to falter in the second period and go on to lose. "It's been the last two games," Griffin told reporters. "I don't think that's our calling card. But there's nothing wrong with getting off to a hot start. I think our focus and intensity level has been very high the past two games and we need to be able to sustain that for a lot longer. We've just got to find a way, whether it's getting rest earlier or whatever it is, we've got to find a way."

ABOUT THE LAKERS (22-19): Ingram scored a season-high 29 points in Monday's triumph and made it clear that he and his coach have a strong relationship. "Me and Luke have numerous talks about numerous things," Ingram told reporters. "I think it's always motivational talks to see what I can do on the basketball floor. It's not just what he said to y'all, it's constant talk of how I can be better, how I can be more consistent. Whatever it is, I just try to take the challenge. Just try to be better." James will not play on Wednesday and remains out indefinitely, though he is expected to be examined again on Friday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pistons SF Stanley Johnson is 2-of-12 from the floor over the last three games, including 0-of-7 from 3-point range.

2. Lakers PF Kyle Kuzma (back) returned from a two-game absence on Monday and managed 13 points on 4-of-20 shooting.

3. The teams split two meetings last season, with each protecting home court.

PREDICTION: Lakers 116, Pistons 107

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jimmy Boyd

Jan 09 '19, 6:30 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | Georgetown vs Xavier
Play on: Xavier -5 -108 at pinnacle

1* Free NCAAB Pick on Xavier Musketeers -5
This is the perfect get right spot for Xavier at home against a banged up Georgetown team that may be without two key players in guard Matthew McClung and forward Trey Mourning. Two guys that didn't play in their last game, which they lost at home to St. John's
We can bank on a big time effort here from the Musketeers, who after opening up Big East play with a win at DePaul have dropped 2 straight in blowout fashion. Xavier really struggled to get the offense going at Marquette, but should no problem scoring against a Hoyas team that is giving up 76.9 ppg on the season and 86.5 ppg in league play.
One thing that the Hoyas do really well is rebound, but that's not a huge concern given that the Musketeers are 19-4 in their last 23 at home against a team that averages 40 or more boards and 12-3 ATS in the last 2 seasons against teams that are outrebounding opponents by 4+ boards/game. Hoyas are now 1-5-1 ATS last 7 conference games and 0-7 ATS last 7 off a straight up loss. Take Xavier!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dave Price

Jan 09 '19, 6:30 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | Vanderbilt vs Georgia
Play on: Georgia -1½ -105 at BMaker

Dave’s Wednesday Free Play:
1* on Georgia -1.5
The Key: The Georgia Bulldogs are 6-1 SU & 6-1 ATS at home this year and winning by 17.7 PPG on average. Their only home loss came to Arizona State by 2 points, and they covered as 3-point dogs. I like their chances of winning this game against the Vanderbilt Commodores, who recently lost one of their best players in Darius Garland to a season-ending injury. The Commodores have only played 3 road games this season and are 1-2, losing by double-digits to both Kansas State and NC State and winning at USC, which was early in the season when the Trojans were down. Georgia is 18-6 ATS in its last 24 games off a road loss by 20 points or more. The Bulldogs are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 home games against teams who force 14 or fewer turnovers per game. Tom Crean is 9-1 ATS in his coaching career off a game where his team was outrebounded by 15 or more. Take Georgia.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sal Michaels

Jan 09 '19, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | UMass Lowell vs New Hampshire
Play on: New Hampshire +7 -109 at GTBets

Free Play on New Hampshire +7 -109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bobby Conn

Jan 09 '19, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | La Salle vs VCU
Play on: VCU -12½ -113 at pinnacle

1* Free Play on VCU -12½ -113

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Matt Josephs

Jan 09 '19, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | Houston vs Temple
Play on: OVER 138 -110

Temple is coming off a split of AAC road games against UCF and Wichita State. In comes undefeated Houston who is bringing a balanced offensive attack and a really good defense. Houston has seven guys who average six points per game or more on the season with Corey Davis Jr and Armoni Brooks leading the way. The Cougars have just two true road games winning 63-53 at Oklahoma State and 76-62 at BYU. They gave up 77 points at home to Memphis last time out and have gone over in four of their last seven overall. The defensive numbers are nice, but they also played eight games as double digit favorites so you'd expect success. Temple's defense has been pretty bad as of late allowing 81 to Wichita, 78 to UCF and 75 to Davidson. They've gone over in three of their last four. Yes, Alston and Rose could struggle but NPL and Moorman are starting to score a little bit. This total seems a bit low and the game could be close meaning FTs. I think this one goes over.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kenny Walker

Jan 09 '19, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | Vermont vs Maine
Play on: Maine +12½ -109 at GTBets

Free Pick on Maine

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Info Plays

Jan 09 '19, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | Ohio State vs Rutgers
Play on: Rutgers +7 -109 at GTBets

1* Free Play on Rutgers +7 -109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Marc David

Jan 09 '19, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | La Salle vs VCU
Play on: La Salle +13½ -109 at GTBets

LA SALLE @VCU
La Salle is just 3-10 but played some tough teams out of conference. They had an 8 point loss at Temple where they were tied at the half and a 13 point loss at Florida and they were within 10 points for most of the game but the biggest surprise was a 7 point loss to Villanova where they led at the half and were within a couple of points with less than 5 minutes left in the game before losing by 7. VCU relies on defense as they only average 70 points a game while they are hitting just 39% from the floor over their last 5 games. This seems like way too many points to pass up.
Take La Salle for FREE PICK

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Totals Guru

Jan 09 '19, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | Houston vs Temple
Play on: OVER 136 -105

Free Total Annihilator On Houston vs Temple over 136 -105

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ASA

Jan 09 '19, 7:00 PM in 2h
NCAA-B | Marquette vs Creighton
Play on: Creighton -2½ -105 at BMaker

Join ASA's RED HOT COLLEGE HOOPS RUN (6-1 since January 1st) tonight with their 10* SEC GAME OF THE WEEK!
ASA CBB PLAY ON Creighton -2.5 over Marquette, Wednesday at 7:00 PM ET
The unranked home team is favored over the ranked road team. Anytime this situation pops up it’s worth a strong look as there is a reason the unranked team is the favorite. Marquette has a very good 12-3 record but let’s keep in mind they’ve done almost all of their damage at home. In fact, since November 24th, they have left home ONCE. That’s it. 8 home games during that stretch and one road game. That one road game just happened to be a 20 point loss @ St Johns. The Golden Eagles only other true road game this year was in mid-November and another blowout 23-point loss @ Indiana. Creighton comes in with a 10-5 record but nearly half (7) of their games have been away from home (road/neutral). The Jays are coming off a 2 game road trip where they won @ Providence and lost @ Butler. The Jays are simply one of the top shooting teams in the nation ranking 11th in adjusted offensive efficiency, 3rd in efFG%, 5th in 3-point shooting percentage, and 11th in 2-point shooting percentage. They are an even better shooting team at home making 51% of their shots & 45% of their 3-points attempts. Creighton averages 82 PPG at home and they are facing a Marquette defense that has given up 96 & 89 points in their 2 true road games. The Jays are 6-2 at home this year and their losses have come vs a very good Ohio State team (back in November) and to what many consider to be the best team in college basketball, Gonzaga (a game Creighton led by 7 at half. This is a double revenger for the Blue Jays who lost two tight games to Marquette last year with both games being decided by 4 points. Creighton has been favored by at least 6.5 points in each of the last 3 years vs Marquette and now we’re getting value laying only 3 because of Marquette’s overall record, which is better than it looks as we discussed. Creighton gets this home win and cover.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

John Martin

Jan 09 '19, 7:05 PM in 2h
NBA | Pacers vs Celtics
Play on: Celtics -6½ -115 at BMaker

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Boston Celtics -6.5
The Boston Celtics have been a great bet at home for quite some time. They are 35-17 ATS in their last 52 home games. They are 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five home games with all five wins coming by at least 7 points and by an average of 15.6 PPG. They should continue their success at home tonight with their favorable situation. It will be just the 2nd game in 5 days for the Celtics tonight. The Pacers will be playing for a second consecutive day after beating the Cavs on the road last night. It will also be the 3rd game in 4 days for the Pacers. The Celtics are 11-1 ATS in home games against good teams that outscore their opponents by 3 or more points per game over the last two seasons. Boston is 13-2 ATS off a home win by 20 points or more over the last three seasons. Give me the Celtics.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Scott Rickenbach

Jan 09 '19, 7:05 PM in 2h
NBA | 76ers vs Wizards
Play on: 76ers -2½ -109 at pinnacle

Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Game #517 Wednesday Free Pick Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - Even though this is a back to back spot (these teams met in Philly last night), the Sixers are in good shape as last night's win was a blowout. The win by a huge margin for the 76ers allowed them to rest guys and no one played more than 28 minutes in the game for Philadelphia. Now they're facing the same struggling Wizards team tonight at DC and, of course, since they're on the road they're laying a very small number. Philly is now on a 21-10 SU (22-9 ATS) run in January games! The Sixers are also 8-1 SU against Southeast Division opponents this season and, again, this line is so low that a SU win almost guarantees an ATS cover. As for Washington, they are an ugly 5-12 (SU and ATS) this season in games against teams with a winning record. Also, as an underdog this season, the Wizards are 5-14 SU (and 6-13 ATS). Look for a road rout in this one as the 76ers are truly "feeling it" right now while the Wizards have lost 11 of their last 16 games. Free Pick PHILADELPHIA

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Ricky Tran

Jan 09 '19, 7:05 PM in 2h
NBA | Pacers vs Celtics
Play on: Celtics -6 -109 at GTBets

Ricky's 1* Free Play on the Boston Celtics.
Key Angle: It's important to remember that Ricky never makes a bet on any game based on just one angle. In order to make the grade, all his premium picks must meet several important criteria. He doesn't share all his secrets within his analysis, instead he chooses to reveal only the angle that he feels is the most significant.
- Scheduling and revenge. The Pacers come in off a satisfying hammering of the Cavs in Cleveland just last night. Boston has lost three straight in this series, including a 102-101 setback in Indiana in the first matchup this year back on November 3rd. These are my “key angles” for this selection.
Key Trends:
- Indiana is just 5-6 ATS this year as a road underdog.
- The Pacers are only 2-5 ATS in their last seven off a road win vs. a division rival.
- The Celtics are a solid 8-5 ATS this season in trying to revenge a loss vs. an opponent.
The verdict: The stage is set for a blowout!