07:00 PM CBB [513] TOTAL o154.5 -110 (Saint Bonaventure vrs Hofstra)
07:00 PM CBB [518] Villanova -17.5 -110
07:00 PM CBB [555] Purdue -11.5 -115
08:00 PM CBB Added Game [562] Illinois -12.5 -110
08:05 PM NBA [509] San Antonio Spurs -4-105
07:05 PM NHL [4] Philadelphia Flyers -157
08:35 PM NHL [18] Chicago Blackhawks -205
1 unit bet pays 60 ....betdsi line
Goood luck everyone!! :firing: :toast: :SIB:em71:
ripped, cut and pasted, otherwise written by others, from across the internets:
Bradley at Ball State
Play: Bradley +8
Bradley head coach Brian Wardle knew his first year in Peoria would be a difficult one as the Braves entered the 2015-2016 campaign with the distinction of being one of only three teams in the country with ten or more freshmen on their roster. The Braves won three conference games and finished with a school-record 27 losses last season.
Wardle enters year two of his rebuilding project in better shape with five returning starters who spent last season improving upon their size, strength and overall fitness. Transfer Jojo McGlaston, who played two years at Utah State before sitting out last season at Diablo Valley College, has been impressive since arriving on campus.
The 6-5 swingman is averaging 11.4 points (51.5% FG%; 41.7% 3-PT%) and has joined sophomore Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye in the backcourt. The most pleasant surprise for coach Wardle has been the rapid growth of freshman point guard Darrell Brown, who leads the Braves with 13.6 points per game on 47.9% shooting from the field and 46.4% from beyond the arc.
Bradley's backcourt depth is significantly better this season with returnees Ronnie Suggs and Antoine Pittman, both of whom gained 10-12 pounds of muscle by dedicating themselves to the team's weight training program. With greater talent and depth in the backcourt, Wardle has been able to play at a faster pace this season.
The Braves already have two upset wins this season - taking down Wofford as 3.5-point underdogs and Eastern Illinois as 5-point underdogs. From a technical standpoint, Bradley is 11-4 ATS in its last fifteen games as an underdog, 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games as an underdog and 10-1 ATS in its last eleven games following a loss.
In contrast, Ball State is a money-burning 16-37-2 ATS as a favorite, 6-21 ATS as a home favorite and 1-4-1 ATS in its last six non-conference affairs.
Florida +7.5
Fifth-ranked Duke will take on No. 24 Florida in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Blue Devils are coming off a 94-55 win over Maine in which they played without starting guards Grayson Allen and Frank Jackson. Both should be ready to go on Tuesday night.
The win over the Black Bears also marked the highly anticipated debuts of freshman Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden. Tatum, the third-ranked player the Class of 2016, started the game against Maine and finished with 10 points. Bolden, who at 6-11 is a possible NBA lottery pick next year, came off the bench and added seven points.
The Gators are 7-1 thus far with the only loss coming to then No. 11 Gonzaga. Florida is deep and plays outstanding defense. KeVaughn Allen leads the team in scoring averaging 12.4 points a game. Canyon Barry, a 6-6 senior, adds 12.1 per game and 6-8 junior Devin Robinson averages 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. Allen, Barry, and Robinson are three of seven players who play at least 20 minutes for head coach Mike White.
Tuesday?s game marks the 17th meeting between the two schools. Duke holds a 12-4 advantage, which includes a win over the Gators in the 1994 national semifinal. Purdue faces Arizona State in the second Jimmy V Classic game.
St. Louis vs. Wichita State
Play: Wichita State -27
The Shockers have no mercy when it comes to beating up on bad teams. They already have home wins of 30, 37, 27, 37 and 46. The one concern is a road game at Oklahoma next, but they have enough talent to beat up on a terrible St. Louis squad. The Billikens have yet to play a true road game and has losses by 31 to Kansas State, 30 to BYU and 21 to Ball State. STL is 5-17 ATS the last three seasons in non-conference games. The Shockers have covered in 15 of their last 23 as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points. They have also covered in 17 of their last 27 home games. Two years ago WSU won this game 81-52. I think we could see something along the same lines.
IUPU-Indianapolis vs. Illinois
Play: Illinois -12
The Illinois Fighting Illini have been an undervalued commodity here of late. They are coming off their two most impressive wins of the season, and now they are only laying 12 points at home to an overmatched IUPUI squad tonight.
Illinois beat NC State 88-74 as 2-point favorites in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. It followed that up with an even more impressive 64-46 victory over VCU on a neutral court as 6.5-point dogs, covering the spread by a whopping 24.5 points in the process.
IUPUI is 1-5 on the road this season, losing five of those games by double-digits. It lost by 10 at Eastern Kentucky, by 23 at Marquette and by 14 at Illinois State. It also lost 58-61 at SIU-Edwardsville as 7-point favorites. Those four results alone show that Illinois is easily capable of covering this 12-point spread tonight.
Illinois is 6-0 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points over the past three seasons. The Fighting Illini are 7-0 ATS when playing against a bad team with a win percentage between 20% and 40% over the past three seasons, winning these games by 20.7 points per game on average. The Jaguars are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games. The Fighting Illini are 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
Houston at Arkansas
Play: Houston +6.5
Second true road test for Kelvin Sampson's Cougars. Houston sure didn't fare well in the initial journey, as they got run over in the second half at LSU. The Cougars might have been a little full of themselves in that one, as they went in as road chalk off five straight wins, four of them blowouts. I wouldn't think that will be an issue here as Arkansas is a known quantity and everyone knows they're tough at home. But I also think the Razorbacks are beatable. They've only faced two top 100 opponents so far. The Hogs came from way back to get past Arlington, and got drilled at Minnesota. Houston has also faced a soft early season schedule, with a pretty good Vermont the only quality opponent. The Cougars won that game at the wire. Off the stats, it looks to me like there's a slight edge overall on the Houston side, although it's pretty marginal. But the Cougars are receiving a good number of points here, and that's the tipping point for me in what looks like a close game.
IPFW @ Notre Dame
Pick: Under 155
Notre Dame has gone UNDER 10 of its last 14 games as a favorite dating to last season, including seven of 10 as a home favorite. The Fighting Irish held North Carolina A&T to just 53 points in its win on Sunday and 30.2 percent shooting. Notre Dame is holding all opponents to just 36.6 percent from the field this season and 62.6 points. V.J. Beachem led the Irish with 19 points against the Aggies and Matt Ryan added 17 points. IPFW beat Miami Ohio 87-71 on Saturday with Bryson Scott and Mo Evans scoring 24 and 23 points, respectively. IPFW allows an average of 77.1 points per game and held Miami to a .377 field goal percentage.
My free play for tonight is on the defending national champions, who are back on top of the college basketball world, as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation.
The Villanova Wildcats moved from No. 2 to No. 1 this week, after former No. 1 Kentucky lost to UCLA last weekend. Tonight the Wildcats will continue their domination in the Big 5, with a blowout win over city-rival La Salle, at the Palestra.
Villanova is now 8-0 after its 88-57 blowout win over Saint Joseph's on Saturday afternoon, in a Big 5 clash. Tonight the Wildcats will improve to 3-0 in the Big 5.
Overall, the champs own a record 16 consecutive Big 5 wins.
It's hard to side against senior Josh Hart, after seeing that triple-double against Saint Joe's, as he scored 16 points, yanked 11 rebounds and dished a career-best 10 assists. Hart now has 19 assists in the past two games. His game is complete, and is arguably the hardest working player every time he steps on the floor.
There is also senior forward Kris Jenkins, who popped for a team-high 20 points versus Saint Joseph's. I know the Explorers have won three in a row, but both Jenkins and Hart will make things difficult and will be hard to defend.
The Explorers, who are 0-4 against Villanova at the Palestra since 1999, are mired in ATS slides of 1-8 versus non-conference foes and 0-5 against the Big East.
2* VILLANOVA
So check it, No. 20 Arizona is down to seven available scholarship players. I watched this team in person when it had just eight available scholarship players, a couple weeks back on Thanksgiving weekend. The Wildcats survived one scare, but then lost to Butler.
The team has resolve. So after losing to No. 8 Gonzaga on Saturday in Los Angeles, I think we'll see the same thing we saw when Arizona lost to Butler in the title game of the Continental Las Vegas Invitational. Five days later it trounced Texas Southern by 22 points at McKale Center.
Tonight, three days after their seven-point setback to Gonzaga, the Wildcats are going to take care of Irvine, regardless of being down yet another player - starting point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright.
Look, Arizona's top three scorers are freshmen -- 7-foot forward Lauri Markkanen (17.8 points per game), guard Kobi Simmons (11.6) and wing Rawle Alkins (11.5) - and they're all maturing real quick this season, in having to shoulder the burden until sophomore guard Allonzo Trier makes his season debut.
Trier traveled with the team to Los Angeles last weekend, but still hasn't suited up for the 'Cats. He averaged 14.8 points last season. There is still no reason being given for the hold up, as the NCAA hasn't cleared him for Arizona to use.
The Anteaters, meanwhile, are coming off a 58-55 victory at Santa Clara on Wednesday, the same Santa Clara team Arizona 69-61 in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving. This is a major upgrade, though, and I don't see Irvine being able to contain Simmons or Markkanen.
The Wildcats, who beat the Anteaters 71-54 two seasons ago at McKale, have covered 21 of their last 31 when laying points in this range.
4* ARIZONA
Bowling Green vs. Evansville
Play: Evansville -6
The Purple Aces are worth a look here, as I see them having no problem taking down Bowling Green by double-digits at home. Evansville has a great home court edge and the Falcons have yet to win a road game and will be playing on the highway for the 2nd time in 3 days, as they just played at Cincinnati on Sunday. The Falcons want to push the pace offensively, but don't play any defense and will struggle to score here against a stingy Evansville defense. We got a strong system backing a fade of Bowling Green. Dogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points who average 62 or more shots/game against a team that has held their opponents to 37% or less from the field in their last 2 games are a mere 43-85 (34%) ATS since 1997. That's a 66% success rate on laying the points with Evansville in this spot.
A bonus freebie for you tonight, as I like Fort Wayne to get it done against Notre Dame. It's merely a line that stands out on the college card, and we're going to take a shot against the 23rd-ranked team in the nation.
Couple things to note with this game...
This is the same Fort Wayne (7-2) that beat then-No. 3 Indiana during Thanksgiving week. And with that win, the Mastodons have build confidence they can play with any team in the country. Whether they can or not remains to be seen, but they have the right attitude.
Also, Notre Dame (8-0) has an even bigger game on deck, as the Irish face the newest top-ranked team - defending national champion Villanova - on Dec. 10. Notre Dame won its first eight games by an average of 26.5 points, and could come in here overconfident, with 'Nova on the brain.
Finally, my last point, there's Fort Wayne forward John Konchar, a redshirt sophomore who is averaging 13.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He's registered four double-doubles for points and rebounds, and won't be easy to defend.
Let's play this bonus freebie selection, as I see it landing on single digits.
NJIT +18 -106 over MINNESOTA
The Golden Gophers are off to a hot 7-1 start with their only loss occurring against Florida State by eight, as an 8?-point dog. The Gophers also defeated Vanderbilt by four this past Saturday as a 2?-point choice. Minnesota is in first place in the Big Ten and they?re starting to get some attention. That?s precisely the time to step in and fade because they are not a first place team, they?ve played a slew of cupcakes and they?ve been at home for every game except one, which happened to be their only loss. That?s how Rick Petino operates and he passed it down to his son Richard, who coaches the Gophers. The strategy or manipulation of the system is to schedule games against very weak opponents and destroy them. Build up your resume so that people are talking and then see what happens in conference play. The Gophers are really not that strong a team. They lost 21 out of their last 24 games last year and their third, fourth, fifth and sixth leading scorers from last year are all gone. Kevin Dorsey left the program after his freshman campaign while Charles Buggs started 21 games and did a lot of the little things a team needs to win games that don?t show up on the stats sheet. As long as the Gophers keep winning and putting up skewed numbers, we are going to fade them often because right now they?re overpriced in a big way. There is a serious premium to pay to back a 7-1 Big Ten team playing an unknown Atlantic Sun team and if the Gophers cover here, good for them but we?re going with the best of it by taking back inflated points.
The Highlanders are 5-4. Only one of their four losses was by more than the points offered here on a day when they were cold as hell from the floor but they were only a 2?-point dog that day against Georgia State. In summarizing, the Highlanders have played nine times and have lost by these many points just once. NJIT played #17 Purdue tough in an 11-point loss at Purdue. They also played Utah State tough in a nine-point loss. NJIT does not have a signature win but neither do the Gophers. Damon Lynn and Tim Coleman on the same team is a dangerous duo that you might now want to give this many points to. Coleman was nominated for Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Year. As versatile as any player in the conference, Coleman finished 2015-16 ranked third in the ASUN in both steals per game and double-doubles, fourth in rebounds per game, fifth in blocks per game and three-point FG percentage and 11th in points per game. Dude is back at it this year. Meanwhile, Damon Lynn was selected to the College Court Report Top 100 Players in College Basketball for 2016-17. The Highlanders are not deep but they?re experienced and they can hang with lower level teams from major conferences. The Gophers are one such team that this guest can hang with.
In the Sights, NCAA Hoops
There is one of those classic early-season spots that the markets don?t price well tonight, a case of an underdog playing harder than the favorite, and also a reduced home court advantage, and that puts #535 Brown (7:00 Eastern) into play, with some +15 available in the early trading, and this one carrying value at +13 or better.
The perception of this being a cross-town rivalry is not a part of the consciousness of the marketplace, the line being driven by power ratings, but the game does mean something extra to the Brown players, their biggest outside of anything in the Ivy League. It has mattered even more since former Bear star Mike Martin took over as HC, this now being his ninth go-round as either player or coach against the Friars. For a feel on how much the game means note that despite being double-figure underdogs in all four meetings since he took over on the sidelines, it has been a 3-1 ATS that includes two outright upsets. The only ATS failure came last season and you could forgive that one a bit ? having been beaten in 2014, NBA-bound Kris Dunn and his Providence teammates brought a little extra focus. Yet even that one was not too far from the price, the Friars winning by 21, as -15.
How much of a road trip is this for the Bears? One mile. That is the distance from campus across the bridge to the Dunkin? Donuts Center, and it is annually the shortest trip for any lined team to play a road game. They?ll have plenty of fan support, and on the floor there are enough scorers to be able to compete, with senior PG Tavon Blackmon certainly not intimidated by the matchup, having already played 98 career floor minutes vs. the Friars, much of that head-to-head vs. Dunn.
Note that while this is a big deal for Brown, it brings nowhere near the same passion for the Providence players, who just beat Rhode Island on Saturday in their biggest non-conference game. The Friars would be more than happy to just win and move on, and without much depth they will be hard-pressed to build margins this season.
SPURS AT TWOLVES
PLAY: SPURS -4
The data is compelling. Going back well more than one decade, the evidence clearly exists that teams forced to play with no rest don?t do especially well. Only five franchises have a winning overall record in this situation, and the ledger is more than ample enough to support the conclusion.
But the one franchise that might want to object to the change that?s going to take place would be the San Antonio Spurs. They?ve got the best no rest record in the NBA in that time frame, and it?s by a pretty substantial margin. Evidently, Greg Popovich knows how to handle this situation better than his coaching brethren.
The Spurs will be sans rest this evening as they head to Minnesota after squeezing out a one-point win at Milwaukee. The Spurs are already 4-1 so far this season playing with no rest.
Interestingly, while it?s just on what?s taken place so far in the current campaign, rest doesn?t seem to agree much with the Timberwolves. They?re sporting some really ugly numbers when having what?s supposed to be luxury of a little time off between games.
Minnesota has also been completely inefficient when playing off a win. The Timberwolves have yet to even win twice in succession this season, and have only covered one spread in six tries with supposed momentum on their side.
San Antonio will eventually lose a road game, but I like the chances of the Spurs moving to a perfect 13-0 away from home this season with a win tonight. Minnesota has some terrific young talent, but they just haven?t put it together yet and they?ve actually been pretty much as lousy at home as they have on the road. The number here is reasonable enough to support a play on the Spurs minus the points.
Been a long time since anyone can claim the New York Knicks are a better basketball team than the Miami Heat, but such is the case nearly two months into the season.
Tonight, when the Knicks head to South Beach, the confidence level will be on high, and I think they should win this game outright. Granted, the line is only one, the Knicks have been playing much better than Miami behind veterans Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose, and budding superstar Kristaps Porzingis.
The Knicks (11-9) have won three in a row and eight of their past 11, and sit just one game out of third place. While two games over .500 is nothing to be excited about when it comes to the Eastern Conference - or all of the NBA for that matter - that and talk of third place is much better than recent Knicks teams.
Perspective: at no point over the past three-plus seasons have the Knicks been three games over .500. Tonight they will be, after topping Miami (7-13).
The Heat reside in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, and yes they're returning home after a 2-1 road trip, but the only bright spot I can see with this team right now is center Hassan Whiteside, who ranks first in the NBA in rebounds (14.9) and third in blocks (2.6).
Whitside averages a team-best 17.8 points on 56.2 percent shooting from the floor, but injuries are plaguing Miami right now, with small forwards Luke Babbit (hip flexor) and Justise Winslow (wrist) and shooting guards Dion Waiters (groin) and Josh Richardson (ankle) are expected to sit out.
Take the Knicks tonight.
5* KNICKS
Magic vs. Wizards
Play: Under 198
The Wizards (6-11, 7-11 ATS)are slightly above break- even going 5-4 after opening the season 2-8. John Wall led seven players in double figures with 25 points in Monday's 118-113 win over the Brooklyn Nets, which salvaged the finale of a three-game road trip for Washington.
The Magic (9-12, 8-13 ATS) are 3-1 thus far on their five-game trip, including a victory at San Antonio and another Sunday against a Detroit team that had won five of six. It?s a marked improvement for Orlando which went winless at home against three sub-.500 teams including Washington.
Opponents are averaging 89.5 points against the Magic on the road trip and Serge Ibaka is a big reason for the improvement on the defensive end. The former OKC star was a big force against Detroit with a season high-tying four blocks and a season-high three steals. He also had 21 points on 9 of 11 shooting and has scored at least 16 in five of his last six games. One of those was a 19-point, eight-rebound, four-block effort in the 94-91 loss to Washington last month.
Orlando is 1-5-1 in the last 21 series meetings and 1-8-1 in the last meetings in Washington. The Magic are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games but 0-5 vs. the number in their past five against the NBA Southeast Division.
The UNDER is 7-2 in the last nine meetings while the Magic are 4-0 the UNDER in their last four overall. Orlando is 6-0 ATS in its last six road games.
Phoenix vs. Utah
Pick: Utah -7
The Utah Jazz picked up a 107-101 win at the Los Angeles Lakers last night. They travel home to Utah to take on the Phoenix Suns here the next day, but I don't think fatigue will be a factor for Utah. This is a team that plays at the slowest tempo in the NBA, and they simply won't allow the Suns to drive up the tempo.
Phoenix has dropped three of its last four games and 138-109 at Golden State on Saturday. The Suns are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games playing on two days rest while the Jazz are a solid 4-1 ATS in their last five games playing on no rest.
The Suns are 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings, and I don't see them covering the spread this time around either.
Phoenix vs. Utah
Pick: Utah
Regardless of how Utah performs Monday night in LA (facing the Lakers), it appears as if this line will be way too low. Most rating systems, including my own, would have the Jazz laying double digits here. The Suns, fresh off giving up 138 pts to the Warriors on Saturday (I had the Over!) are as bad as ever and I say lay the pts.
The Jazz are down some key contributors, such as George Hill and Derrick Favors. Not to mention, Alec Burks hasn't even suited up this year. But the team keeps on winning, as in five of their last six w/ the only defeat coming by a single point to Miami. Defensively, they have a clear edge here over Phoenix. While the Suns allow 115.2 PPG on the road, the Jazz allow just 91.8 PPG at home. Needless to say, these teams find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of defensive efficiency; Utah is fourth while Phoenix is 21st.
These teams met four times last year and Utah won every time. Three of the games were decided by double digits and the fourth was a nine-point game. Phoenix never scored more than 89 pts in any of the four games. The Jazz are more formidable this season and will have an even more distinct edge if Hill returns Tuesday night. Plus, they have Gordon Hayward, who averages a strong 23.1 PPG here in Salt Lake City. I know it was Golden State, but giving up as many points as Phoenix did Saturday is pretty unforgivable.
Magic at Wizards
Pick: Magic
Orlando has a chance to wrap-up a very good road trip with a win tonight. They have already beaten Detroit and San Antonio during the 3-1 road stretch. The Magic have been slamming the door on the defensive end and we expect them to throw a wrench into the Wizards' system tonight. Washington is off a nice win on Monday, beating the Nets in Brooklyn, thanks to a 67-point second half. We doubt they'll find the same open looks against the Magic. Washington is also just 3-9 ATS when playing in the second of back-to-back nights and they have covered just one of their last five off a SU win. Meanwhile, the Magic are on a 4-1 ATS road run.
Phoenix vs. Utah
Play: Under 203
Phoenix after getting clobbered by Golden State last time out, by a 138-109 count, will come into Utah wanting to play much better defense, and will be more methodical in their approach than their usual take no prisoners fast pace propensities. As we all know Utah bases their successes and failures on their ability to control pace and their ability to play strong defense. Utah ranks 1st in the NBA in defense and 25th in offense and 30th in pace. This combination of these obvious habits, will result in a tilt that I am betting sees these two sides combine to stay on the low side of the number. It must be noted that HC Snyder of the Jazz is 13-3 UNDER L/6 in home games versus lower tier sides - outscored by their opponents by 6+ points/game, with the combined average score of those games ringing in at 186.8 ppg. Utah in their L/82 games as favorites have seen both themselves and their opponents combine for 187.8 ppg.
Edmonton -? +140 over BUFFALO
Regulation only. We?ve been supporters of the undervalued Sabres many times this year but it is now time to switch gears for this one game. The Sabres are coming off four very intense games against Ottawa, the Rangers, Boston and Washington since the return of Jack Eichel. An energized Buffalo team picked up five out of a possible eight points during that stretch, which included an OT loss in Washington last night. The Sabres also have the Capitals on deck. After four intense games against East rivals and with Washington on deck, we could easily see the Sabres take a bit of a breather here. Playing its fifth game in a week, Buffalo?s energy and intensity levels figure to be lower here against a Western conference team that it rarely sees.
Edmonton is playing at a high level and will play its first game of trip here. Teams? often play its best game of a trip during the first leg. Edmonton is just 5-4 over its past nine games but we?re more interested in the performances than the results. It is a rare day when the Oilers don?t create more chances than their opponents. In back-to-back losses to Arizona during this 5-4 stretch, the Oilers outshot the Coyotes by a combined 83-57. In their recent loss to the Maple Leafs, Edmonton held Toronto to 23 shots on net in a 4-2 loss. The Oilers could easily be on a nine-game winning streak or an 8-1 run and they would be much higher priced here if they were. The Oilers are playing a disciplined, attacking style and they?re good at it. Put a very good Oilers team in a good spot up against what figures to be a physically and mentally drained Sabres? team and we like our chances.
Vancouver +169 over NEW JERSEY
OT included. The Devils are a well-structured, well-coached squad that is not easy to play against. What they lack in talent, they make up for with their commitment to playing the game the right way and taking care of the little details that win hockey games. However, on their best day, the Devils cannot be priced in this range because they?re just not good enough yet nor do they win enough games. New Jersey also returns home from a 1-3 four-game trip. They have just two wins in their last nine games and both victories were because they ran into weak goaltending. When the Devils concluded their four-game trip in Nashville on Saturday, they were outshot 42-22 in a 5-4 victory. When they defeated the Maple Leafs, also by a 5-4 count, they were outshot 31-30. So, while the Devils reputation is that of a sound defensive team, the numbers say otherwise and they also say that you still need talent on the blue-line to get the puck out and create chances the other way of which the Devils have very little. New Jersey has allowed four goals or more in seven of their past eight games and it is a 25th ranked puck possession team. The Devils are dead last in the NHL in scoring chances with 327, which is 20 chances less than the second worst team, the Arizona Coyotes.
The Canucks on their worst day are more difficult to beat than the Devils on their best day. Vancouver?s defense is getting better and more confident with each passing week. After an awful 10-game losing streak that is stuck in the market?s perception of them, Vancouver is 7-5 over their past 12 games with victories over Toronto, Minnesota, Dallas and the Rangers among others. They also took the Blackhawks to OT in Chicago during that span. Playing on the West Coast, not many outside of that region watch or pay attention to Vancouver. They had an awful season a year ago, they were falling apart the season before that and they had that aforementioned 10-game losing streak this year. However, pay no attention to any of that. The Canucks have shored up their defense and they are playing a better structured game than the Devils. They are also starting to score some goals, which makes coming to the rink a lot more enjoyable. The Canucks are the league?s most undervalued team that must be bet at this price on The Rock.
Calgary +117 over DALLAS
OT included. Who is it going to be for Dallas, Kari Lehtonen and his .892 save percentage or Antti Niemi and his .872 save percentage over his last four starts? Oh look, it is Kari Lehtonen after Niemi allowed 10 goals on 70 shots over his past two games. The point is that it does not matter because when you spot a tag with the Stars, you are going with the worst of it because their goaltending loses them games all the time. The Flames can relate because weak goaltending cost them about 40 games last year. Now Dallas returns home from a four-game trip to play one of the hottest offenses in the NHL.
The Flames have outscored their last three opponents by a count of 14-5. They continue to get outstanding goaltending from Plan B goaltender Chad Johnson and his .928 save percentage. Calgary is getting balanced production and it sure doesn?t hurt that Johnny Gaudreau is back and didn?t look like he missed a minute in his return to action against the Ducks on Sunday. There is a good feel surrounding the Flames these days. They are moving up the ranks in the standings and in the under the hood metrics. In five of their past eight games, Calgary has surrendered two goals or less and they catch the Stars here at precisely the right time. Good spot, good price and a great chance to cash a ticket.
Devils -110
I'll go with the Devils here tonight...My only concern for New Jersey has been the goal tending play they have offered up in the past week and a half....I feel a big OT win the other night against Nashville brings some positive vibes for this team in this one...A home game that is pretty big for them with the Canadiens on deck for Thursday...This one can get them up for that contest in my eyes...Devils are attacking rather well, so I expect them to get some goals against the leagues 25th rated goals against squad Canucks...Vancouver has played well over the last few weeks, but I feel new Jersey is in a good spot here...Price is a bit high, but feel ok laying the lumber here with the Devils...Devils are one of the leagues best killing the penalty and the Canucks are one of the leagues worst converting advantages into goals...This might be what the Canucks need to get a win here..I don't see it....
Montreal vs. St Louis
Play: Montreal +120
You don't get many opportunities to have plus money with the #1 team in the league but that is the case here and that is certainly something that is worth a look. I am not saying that Montreal is the best team in the league but, as you can see from the standings, no team in the NHL has earned more points in the standings than the Canadiens have to this point. From a situational standpoint, the Habs are fully focused on this game. With their win over the Kings at LA on Sunday, the Canadiens are now 2-2 so far on this road trip and there has been a lot of internal discussion about wanting to end this 5 game road trip with a winning mark. They now are in St Louis to face a Blues club that is wrapping up a lengthy homestand. Even though St Louis is off of a loss, a 5th straight home game may not remedy the situation as the Blues have won just 1 out of 4 this season when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on home ice. It is just a "complacency" issue that sometimes happens to teams on a lengthy homestand and the Blues have shown a tendency already this season to fall into that trap. The Blues beat the Habs 4-3 in St Louis in January but the Canadiens had won each of the 3 prior meetings and they have their eyes on revenge here. Montreal has won 5 of 7 this season (and 37 of 56 the last 3 seasons combined) when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Off of the big 5-4 win over the Kings, the Habs stay hot here.
07:00 PM CBB [518] Villanova -17.5 -110
07:00 PM CBB [555] Purdue -11.5 -115
08:00 PM CBB Added Game [562] Illinois -12.5 -110
08:05 PM NBA [509] San Antonio Spurs -4-105
07:05 PM NHL [4] Philadelphia Flyers -157
08:35 PM NHL [18] Chicago Blackhawks -205
1 unit bet pays 60 ....betdsi line
Goood luck everyone!! :firing: :toast: :SIB:em71:
ripped, cut and pasted, otherwise written by others, from across the internets:
Bradley at Ball State
Play: Bradley +8
Bradley head coach Brian Wardle knew his first year in Peoria would be a difficult one as the Braves entered the 2015-2016 campaign with the distinction of being one of only three teams in the country with ten or more freshmen on their roster. The Braves won three conference games and finished with a school-record 27 losses last season.
Wardle enters year two of his rebuilding project in better shape with five returning starters who spent last season improving upon their size, strength and overall fitness. Transfer Jojo McGlaston, who played two years at Utah State before sitting out last season at Diablo Valley College, has been impressive since arriving on campus.
The 6-5 swingman is averaging 11.4 points (51.5% FG%; 41.7% 3-PT%) and has joined sophomore Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye in the backcourt. The most pleasant surprise for coach Wardle has been the rapid growth of freshman point guard Darrell Brown, who leads the Braves with 13.6 points per game on 47.9% shooting from the field and 46.4% from beyond the arc.
Bradley's backcourt depth is significantly better this season with returnees Ronnie Suggs and Antoine Pittman, both of whom gained 10-12 pounds of muscle by dedicating themselves to the team's weight training program. With greater talent and depth in the backcourt, Wardle has been able to play at a faster pace this season.
The Braves already have two upset wins this season - taking down Wofford as 3.5-point underdogs and Eastern Illinois as 5-point underdogs. From a technical standpoint, Bradley is 11-4 ATS in its last fifteen games as an underdog, 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games as an underdog and 10-1 ATS in its last eleven games following a loss.
In contrast, Ball State is a money-burning 16-37-2 ATS as a favorite, 6-21 ATS as a home favorite and 1-4-1 ATS in its last six non-conference affairs.
Florida +7.5
Fifth-ranked Duke will take on No. 24 Florida in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Blue Devils are coming off a 94-55 win over Maine in which they played without starting guards Grayson Allen and Frank Jackson. Both should be ready to go on Tuesday night.
The win over the Black Bears also marked the highly anticipated debuts of freshman Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden. Tatum, the third-ranked player the Class of 2016, started the game against Maine and finished with 10 points. Bolden, who at 6-11 is a possible NBA lottery pick next year, came off the bench and added seven points.
The Gators are 7-1 thus far with the only loss coming to then No. 11 Gonzaga. Florida is deep and plays outstanding defense. KeVaughn Allen leads the team in scoring averaging 12.4 points a game. Canyon Barry, a 6-6 senior, adds 12.1 per game and 6-8 junior Devin Robinson averages 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. Allen, Barry, and Robinson are three of seven players who play at least 20 minutes for head coach Mike White.
Tuesday?s game marks the 17th meeting between the two schools. Duke holds a 12-4 advantage, which includes a win over the Gators in the 1994 national semifinal. Purdue faces Arizona State in the second Jimmy V Classic game.
St. Louis vs. Wichita State
Play: Wichita State -27
The Shockers have no mercy when it comes to beating up on bad teams. They already have home wins of 30, 37, 27, 37 and 46. The one concern is a road game at Oklahoma next, but they have enough talent to beat up on a terrible St. Louis squad. The Billikens have yet to play a true road game and has losses by 31 to Kansas State, 30 to BYU and 21 to Ball State. STL is 5-17 ATS the last three seasons in non-conference games. The Shockers have covered in 15 of their last 23 as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points. They have also covered in 17 of their last 27 home games. Two years ago WSU won this game 81-52. I think we could see something along the same lines.
IUPU-Indianapolis vs. Illinois
Play: Illinois -12
The Illinois Fighting Illini have been an undervalued commodity here of late. They are coming off their two most impressive wins of the season, and now they are only laying 12 points at home to an overmatched IUPUI squad tonight.
Illinois beat NC State 88-74 as 2-point favorites in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. It followed that up with an even more impressive 64-46 victory over VCU on a neutral court as 6.5-point dogs, covering the spread by a whopping 24.5 points in the process.
IUPUI is 1-5 on the road this season, losing five of those games by double-digits. It lost by 10 at Eastern Kentucky, by 23 at Marquette and by 14 at Illinois State. It also lost 58-61 at SIU-Edwardsville as 7-point favorites. Those four results alone show that Illinois is easily capable of covering this 12-point spread tonight.
Illinois is 6-0 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points over the past three seasons. The Fighting Illini are 7-0 ATS when playing against a bad team with a win percentage between 20% and 40% over the past three seasons, winning these games by 20.7 points per game on average. The Jaguars are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games. The Fighting Illini are 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
Houston at Arkansas
Play: Houston +6.5
Second true road test for Kelvin Sampson's Cougars. Houston sure didn't fare well in the initial journey, as they got run over in the second half at LSU. The Cougars might have been a little full of themselves in that one, as they went in as road chalk off five straight wins, four of them blowouts. I wouldn't think that will be an issue here as Arkansas is a known quantity and everyone knows they're tough at home. But I also think the Razorbacks are beatable. They've only faced two top 100 opponents so far. The Hogs came from way back to get past Arlington, and got drilled at Minnesota. Houston has also faced a soft early season schedule, with a pretty good Vermont the only quality opponent. The Cougars won that game at the wire. Off the stats, it looks to me like there's a slight edge overall on the Houston side, although it's pretty marginal. But the Cougars are receiving a good number of points here, and that's the tipping point for me in what looks like a close game.
IPFW @ Notre Dame
Pick: Under 155
Notre Dame has gone UNDER 10 of its last 14 games as a favorite dating to last season, including seven of 10 as a home favorite. The Fighting Irish held North Carolina A&T to just 53 points in its win on Sunday and 30.2 percent shooting. Notre Dame is holding all opponents to just 36.6 percent from the field this season and 62.6 points. V.J. Beachem led the Irish with 19 points against the Aggies and Matt Ryan added 17 points. IPFW beat Miami Ohio 87-71 on Saturday with Bryson Scott and Mo Evans scoring 24 and 23 points, respectively. IPFW allows an average of 77.1 points per game and held Miami to a .377 field goal percentage.
My free play for tonight is on the defending national champions, who are back on top of the college basketball world, as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation.
The Villanova Wildcats moved from No. 2 to No. 1 this week, after former No. 1 Kentucky lost to UCLA last weekend. Tonight the Wildcats will continue their domination in the Big 5, with a blowout win over city-rival La Salle, at the Palestra.
Villanova is now 8-0 after its 88-57 blowout win over Saint Joseph's on Saturday afternoon, in a Big 5 clash. Tonight the Wildcats will improve to 3-0 in the Big 5.
Overall, the champs own a record 16 consecutive Big 5 wins.
It's hard to side against senior Josh Hart, after seeing that triple-double against Saint Joe's, as he scored 16 points, yanked 11 rebounds and dished a career-best 10 assists. Hart now has 19 assists in the past two games. His game is complete, and is arguably the hardest working player every time he steps on the floor.
There is also senior forward Kris Jenkins, who popped for a team-high 20 points versus Saint Joseph's. I know the Explorers have won three in a row, but both Jenkins and Hart will make things difficult and will be hard to defend.
The Explorers, who are 0-4 against Villanova at the Palestra since 1999, are mired in ATS slides of 1-8 versus non-conference foes and 0-5 against the Big East.
2* VILLANOVA
So check it, No. 20 Arizona is down to seven available scholarship players. I watched this team in person when it had just eight available scholarship players, a couple weeks back on Thanksgiving weekend. The Wildcats survived one scare, but then lost to Butler.
The team has resolve. So after losing to No. 8 Gonzaga on Saturday in Los Angeles, I think we'll see the same thing we saw when Arizona lost to Butler in the title game of the Continental Las Vegas Invitational. Five days later it trounced Texas Southern by 22 points at McKale Center.
Tonight, three days after their seven-point setback to Gonzaga, the Wildcats are going to take care of Irvine, regardless of being down yet another player - starting point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright.
Look, Arizona's top three scorers are freshmen -- 7-foot forward Lauri Markkanen (17.8 points per game), guard Kobi Simmons (11.6) and wing Rawle Alkins (11.5) - and they're all maturing real quick this season, in having to shoulder the burden until sophomore guard Allonzo Trier makes his season debut.
Trier traveled with the team to Los Angeles last weekend, but still hasn't suited up for the 'Cats. He averaged 14.8 points last season. There is still no reason being given for the hold up, as the NCAA hasn't cleared him for Arizona to use.
The Anteaters, meanwhile, are coming off a 58-55 victory at Santa Clara on Wednesday, the same Santa Clara team Arizona 69-61 in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving. This is a major upgrade, though, and I don't see Irvine being able to contain Simmons or Markkanen.
The Wildcats, who beat the Anteaters 71-54 two seasons ago at McKale, have covered 21 of their last 31 when laying points in this range.
4* ARIZONA
Bowling Green vs. Evansville
Play: Evansville -6
The Purple Aces are worth a look here, as I see them having no problem taking down Bowling Green by double-digits at home. Evansville has a great home court edge and the Falcons have yet to win a road game and will be playing on the highway for the 2nd time in 3 days, as they just played at Cincinnati on Sunday. The Falcons want to push the pace offensively, but don't play any defense and will struggle to score here against a stingy Evansville defense. We got a strong system backing a fade of Bowling Green. Dogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points who average 62 or more shots/game against a team that has held their opponents to 37% or less from the field in their last 2 games are a mere 43-85 (34%) ATS since 1997. That's a 66% success rate on laying the points with Evansville in this spot.
A bonus freebie for you tonight, as I like Fort Wayne to get it done against Notre Dame. It's merely a line that stands out on the college card, and we're going to take a shot against the 23rd-ranked team in the nation.
Couple things to note with this game...
This is the same Fort Wayne (7-2) that beat then-No. 3 Indiana during Thanksgiving week. And with that win, the Mastodons have build confidence they can play with any team in the country. Whether they can or not remains to be seen, but they have the right attitude.
Also, Notre Dame (8-0) has an even bigger game on deck, as the Irish face the newest top-ranked team - defending national champion Villanova - on Dec. 10. Notre Dame won its first eight games by an average of 26.5 points, and could come in here overconfident, with 'Nova on the brain.
Finally, my last point, there's Fort Wayne forward John Konchar, a redshirt sophomore who is averaging 13.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He's registered four double-doubles for points and rebounds, and won't be easy to defend.
Let's play this bonus freebie selection, as I see it landing on single digits.
NJIT +18 -106 over MINNESOTA
The Golden Gophers are off to a hot 7-1 start with their only loss occurring against Florida State by eight, as an 8?-point dog. The Gophers also defeated Vanderbilt by four this past Saturday as a 2?-point choice. Minnesota is in first place in the Big Ten and they?re starting to get some attention. That?s precisely the time to step in and fade because they are not a first place team, they?ve played a slew of cupcakes and they?ve been at home for every game except one, which happened to be their only loss. That?s how Rick Petino operates and he passed it down to his son Richard, who coaches the Gophers. The strategy or manipulation of the system is to schedule games against very weak opponents and destroy them. Build up your resume so that people are talking and then see what happens in conference play. The Gophers are really not that strong a team. They lost 21 out of their last 24 games last year and their third, fourth, fifth and sixth leading scorers from last year are all gone. Kevin Dorsey left the program after his freshman campaign while Charles Buggs started 21 games and did a lot of the little things a team needs to win games that don?t show up on the stats sheet. As long as the Gophers keep winning and putting up skewed numbers, we are going to fade them often because right now they?re overpriced in a big way. There is a serious premium to pay to back a 7-1 Big Ten team playing an unknown Atlantic Sun team and if the Gophers cover here, good for them but we?re going with the best of it by taking back inflated points.
The Highlanders are 5-4. Only one of their four losses was by more than the points offered here on a day when they were cold as hell from the floor but they were only a 2?-point dog that day against Georgia State. In summarizing, the Highlanders have played nine times and have lost by these many points just once. NJIT played #17 Purdue tough in an 11-point loss at Purdue. They also played Utah State tough in a nine-point loss. NJIT does not have a signature win but neither do the Gophers. Damon Lynn and Tim Coleman on the same team is a dangerous duo that you might now want to give this many points to. Coleman was nominated for Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Year. As versatile as any player in the conference, Coleman finished 2015-16 ranked third in the ASUN in both steals per game and double-doubles, fourth in rebounds per game, fifth in blocks per game and three-point FG percentage and 11th in points per game. Dude is back at it this year. Meanwhile, Damon Lynn was selected to the College Court Report Top 100 Players in College Basketball for 2016-17. The Highlanders are not deep but they?re experienced and they can hang with lower level teams from major conferences. The Gophers are one such team that this guest can hang with.
In the Sights, NCAA Hoops
There is one of those classic early-season spots that the markets don?t price well tonight, a case of an underdog playing harder than the favorite, and also a reduced home court advantage, and that puts #535 Brown (7:00 Eastern) into play, with some +15 available in the early trading, and this one carrying value at +13 or better.
The perception of this being a cross-town rivalry is not a part of the consciousness of the marketplace, the line being driven by power ratings, but the game does mean something extra to the Brown players, their biggest outside of anything in the Ivy League. It has mattered even more since former Bear star Mike Martin took over as HC, this now being his ninth go-round as either player or coach against the Friars. For a feel on how much the game means note that despite being double-figure underdogs in all four meetings since he took over on the sidelines, it has been a 3-1 ATS that includes two outright upsets. The only ATS failure came last season and you could forgive that one a bit ? having been beaten in 2014, NBA-bound Kris Dunn and his Providence teammates brought a little extra focus. Yet even that one was not too far from the price, the Friars winning by 21, as -15.
How much of a road trip is this for the Bears? One mile. That is the distance from campus across the bridge to the Dunkin? Donuts Center, and it is annually the shortest trip for any lined team to play a road game. They?ll have plenty of fan support, and on the floor there are enough scorers to be able to compete, with senior PG Tavon Blackmon certainly not intimidated by the matchup, having already played 98 career floor minutes vs. the Friars, much of that head-to-head vs. Dunn.
Note that while this is a big deal for Brown, it brings nowhere near the same passion for the Providence players, who just beat Rhode Island on Saturday in their biggest non-conference game. The Friars would be more than happy to just win and move on, and without much depth they will be hard-pressed to build margins this season.
SPURS AT TWOLVES
PLAY: SPURS -4
The data is compelling. Going back well more than one decade, the evidence clearly exists that teams forced to play with no rest don?t do especially well. Only five franchises have a winning overall record in this situation, and the ledger is more than ample enough to support the conclusion.
But the one franchise that might want to object to the change that?s going to take place would be the San Antonio Spurs. They?ve got the best no rest record in the NBA in that time frame, and it?s by a pretty substantial margin. Evidently, Greg Popovich knows how to handle this situation better than his coaching brethren.
The Spurs will be sans rest this evening as they head to Minnesota after squeezing out a one-point win at Milwaukee. The Spurs are already 4-1 so far this season playing with no rest.
Interestingly, while it?s just on what?s taken place so far in the current campaign, rest doesn?t seem to agree much with the Timberwolves. They?re sporting some really ugly numbers when having what?s supposed to be luxury of a little time off between games.
Minnesota has also been completely inefficient when playing off a win. The Timberwolves have yet to even win twice in succession this season, and have only covered one spread in six tries with supposed momentum on their side.
San Antonio will eventually lose a road game, but I like the chances of the Spurs moving to a perfect 13-0 away from home this season with a win tonight. Minnesota has some terrific young talent, but they just haven?t put it together yet and they?ve actually been pretty much as lousy at home as they have on the road. The number here is reasonable enough to support a play on the Spurs minus the points.
Been a long time since anyone can claim the New York Knicks are a better basketball team than the Miami Heat, but such is the case nearly two months into the season.
Tonight, when the Knicks head to South Beach, the confidence level will be on high, and I think they should win this game outright. Granted, the line is only one, the Knicks have been playing much better than Miami behind veterans Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose, and budding superstar Kristaps Porzingis.
The Knicks (11-9) have won three in a row and eight of their past 11, and sit just one game out of third place. While two games over .500 is nothing to be excited about when it comes to the Eastern Conference - or all of the NBA for that matter - that and talk of third place is much better than recent Knicks teams.
Perspective: at no point over the past three-plus seasons have the Knicks been three games over .500. Tonight they will be, after topping Miami (7-13).
The Heat reside in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, and yes they're returning home after a 2-1 road trip, but the only bright spot I can see with this team right now is center Hassan Whiteside, who ranks first in the NBA in rebounds (14.9) and third in blocks (2.6).
Whitside averages a team-best 17.8 points on 56.2 percent shooting from the floor, but injuries are plaguing Miami right now, with small forwards Luke Babbit (hip flexor) and Justise Winslow (wrist) and shooting guards Dion Waiters (groin) and Josh Richardson (ankle) are expected to sit out.
Take the Knicks tonight.
5* KNICKS
Magic vs. Wizards
Play: Under 198
The Wizards (6-11, 7-11 ATS)are slightly above break- even going 5-4 after opening the season 2-8. John Wall led seven players in double figures with 25 points in Monday's 118-113 win over the Brooklyn Nets, which salvaged the finale of a three-game road trip for Washington.
The Magic (9-12, 8-13 ATS) are 3-1 thus far on their five-game trip, including a victory at San Antonio and another Sunday against a Detroit team that had won five of six. It?s a marked improvement for Orlando which went winless at home against three sub-.500 teams including Washington.
Opponents are averaging 89.5 points against the Magic on the road trip and Serge Ibaka is a big reason for the improvement on the defensive end. The former OKC star was a big force against Detroit with a season high-tying four blocks and a season-high three steals. He also had 21 points on 9 of 11 shooting and has scored at least 16 in five of his last six games. One of those was a 19-point, eight-rebound, four-block effort in the 94-91 loss to Washington last month.
Orlando is 1-5-1 in the last 21 series meetings and 1-8-1 in the last meetings in Washington. The Magic are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games but 0-5 vs. the number in their past five against the NBA Southeast Division.
The UNDER is 7-2 in the last nine meetings while the Magic are 4-0 the UNDER in their last four overall. Orlando is 6-0 ATS in its last six road games.
Phoenix vs. Utah
Pick: Utah -7
The Utah Jazz picked up a 107-101 win at the Los Angeles Lakers last night. They travel home to Utah to take on the Phoenix Suns here the next day, but I don't think fatigue will be a factor for Utah. This is a team that plays at the slowest tempo in the NBA, and they simply won't allow the Suns to drive up the tempo.
Phoenix has dropped three of its last four games and 138-109 at Golden State on Saturday. The Suns are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games playing on two days rest while the Jazz are a solid 4-1 ATS in their last five games playing on no rest.
The Suns are 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings, and I don't see them covering the spread this time around either.
Phoenix vs. Utah
Pick: Utah
Regardless of how Utah performs Monday night in LA (facing the Lakers), it appears as if this line will be way too low. Most rating systems, including my own, would have the Jazz laying double digits here. The Suns, fresh off giving up 138 pts to the Warriors on Saturday (I had the Over!) are as bad as ever and I say lay the pts.
The Jazz are down some key contributors, such as George Hill and Derrick Favors. Not to mention, Alec Burks hasn't even suited up this year. But the team keeps on winning, as in five of their last six w/ the only defeat coming by a single point to Miami. Defensively, they have a clear edge here over Phoenix. While the Suns allow 115.2 PPG on the road, the Jazz allow just 91.8 PPG at home. Needless to say, these teams find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of defensive efficiency; Utah is fourth while Phoenix is 21st.
These teams met four times last year and Utah won every time. Three of the games were decided by double digits and the fourth was a nine-point game. Phoenix never scored more than 89 pts in any of the four games. The Jazz are more formidable this season and will have an even more distinct edge if Hill returns Tuesday night. Plus, they have Gordon Hayward, who averages a strong 23.1 PPG here in Salt Lake City. I know it was Golden State, but giving up as many points as Phoenix did Saturday is pretty unforgivable.
Magic at Wizards
Pick: Magic
Orlando has a chance to wrap-up a very good road trip with a win tonight. They have already beaten Detroit and San Antonio during the 3-1 road stretch. The Magic have been slamming the door on the defensive end and we expect them to throw a wrench into the Wizards' system tonight. Washington is off a nice win on Monday, beating the Nets in Brooklyn, thanks to a 67-point second half. We doubt they'll find the same open looks against the Magic. Washington is also just 3-9 ATS when playing in the second of back-to-back nights and they have covered just one of their last five off a SU win. Meanwhile, the Magic are on a 4-1 ATS road run.
Phoenix vs. Utah
Play: Under 203
Phoenix after getting clobbered by Golden State last time out, by a 138-109 count, will come into Utah wanting to play much better defense, and will be more methodical in their approach than their usual take no prisoners fast pace propensities. As we all know Utah bases their successes and failures on their ability to control pace and their ability to play strong defense. Utah ranks 1st in the NBA in defense and 25th in offense and 30th in pace. This combination of these obvious habits, will result in a tilt that I am betting sees these two sides combine to stay on the low side of the number. It must be noted that HC Snyder of the Jazz is 13-3 UNDER L/6 in home games versus lower tier sides - outscored by their opponents by 6+ points/game, with the combined average score of those games ringing in at 186.8 ppg. Utah in their L/82 games as favorites have seen both themselves and their opponents combine for 187.8 ppg.
Edmonton -? +140 over BUFFALO
Regulation only. We?ve been supporters of the undervalued Sabres many times this year but it is now time to switch gears for this one game. The Sabres are coming off four very intense games against Ottawa, the Rangers, Boston and Washington since the return of Jack Eichel. An energized Buffalo team picked up five out of a possible eight points during that stretch, which included an OT loss in Washington last night. The Sabres also have the Capitals on deck. After four intense games against East rivals and with Washington on deck, we could easily see the Sabres take a bit of a breather here. Playing its fifth game in a week, Buffalo?s energy and intensity levels figure to be lower here against a Western conference team that it rarely sees.
Edmonton is playing at a high level and will play its first game of trip here. Teams? often play its best game of a trip during the first leg. Edmonton is just 5-4 over its past nine games but we?re more interested in the performances than the results. It is a rare day when the Oilers don?t create more chances than their opponents. In back-to-back losses to Arizona during this 5-4 stretch, the Oilers outshot the Coyotes by a combined 83-57. In their recent loss to the Maple Leafs, Edmonton held Toronto to 23 shots on net in a 4-2 loss. The Oilers could easily be on a nine-game winning streak or an 8-1 run and they would be much higher priced here if they were. The Oilers are playing a disciplined, attacking style and they?re good at it. Put a very good Oilers team in a good spot up against what figures to be a physically and mentally drained Sabres? team and we like our chances.
Vancouver +169 over NEW JERSEY
OT included. The Devils are a well-structured, well-coached squad that is not easy to play against. What they lack in talent, they make up for with their commitment to playing the game the right way and taking care of the little details that win hockey games. However, on their best day, the Devils cannot be priced in this range because they?re just not good enough yet nor do they win enough games. New Jersey also returns home from a 1-3 four-game trip. They have just two wins in their last nine games and both victories were because they ran into weak goaltending. When the Devils concluded their four-game trip in Nashville on Saturday, they were outshot 42-22 in a 5-4 victory. When they defeated the Maple Leafs, also by a 5-4 count, they were outshot 31-30. So, while the Devils reputation is that of a sound defensive team, the numbers say otherwise and they also say that you still need talent on the blue-line to get the puck out and create chances the other way of which the Devils have very little. New Jersey has allowed four goals or more in seven of their past eight games and it is a 25th ranked puck possession team. The Devils are dead last in the NHL in scoring chances with 327, which is 20 chances less than the second worst team, the Arizona Coyotes.
The Canucks on their worst day are more difficult to beat than the Devils on their best day. Vancouver?s defense is getting better and more confident with each passing week. After an awful 10-game losing streak that is stuck in the market?s perception of them, Vancouver is 7-5 over their past 12 games with victories over Toronto, Minnesota, Dallas and the Rangers among others. They also took the Blackhawks to OT in Chicago during that span. Playing on the West Coast, not many outside of that region watch or pay attention to Vancouver. They had an awful season a year ago, they were falling apart the season before that and they had that aforementioned 10-game losing streak this year. However, pay no attention to any of that. The Canucks have shored up their defense and they are playing a better structured game than the Devils. They are also starting to score some goals, which makes coming to the rink a lot more enjoyable. The Canucks are the league?s most undervalued team that must be bet at this price on The Rock.
Calgary +117 over DALLAS
OT included. Who is it going to be for Dallas, Kari Lehtonen and his .892 save percentage or Antti Niemi and his .872 save percentage over his last four starts? Oh look, it is Kari Lehtonen after Niemi allowed 10 goals on 70 shots over his past two games. The point is that it does not matter because when you spot a tag with the Stars, you are going with the worst of it because their goaltending loses them games all the time. The Flames can relate because weak goaltending cost them about 40 games last year. Now Dallas returns home from a four-game trip to play one of the hottest offenses in the NHL.
The Flames have outscored their last three opponents by a count of 14-5. They continue to get outstanding goaltending from Plan B goaltender Chad Johnson and his .928 save percentage. Calgary is getting balanced production and it sure doesn?t hurt that Johnny Gaudreau is back and didn?t look like he missed a minute in his return to action against the Ducks on Sunday. There is a good feel surrounding the Flames these days. They are moving up the ranks in the standings and in the under the hood metrics. In five of their past eight games, Calgary has surrendered two goals or less and they catch the Stars here at precisely the right time. Good spot, good price and a great chance to cash a ticket.
Devils -110
I'll go with the Devils here tonight...My only concern for New Jersey has been the goal tending play they have offered up in the past week and a half....I feel a big OT win the other night against Nashville brings some positive vibes for this team in this one...A home game that is pretty big for them with the Canadiens on deck for Thursday...This one can get them up for that contest in my eyes...Devils are attacking rather well, so I expect them to get some goals against the leagues 25th rated goals against squad Canucks...Vancouver has played well over the last few weeks, but I feel new Jersey is in a good spot here...Price is a bit high, but feel ok laying the lumber here with the Devils...Devils are one of the leagues best killing the penalty and the Canucks are one of the leagues worst converting advantages into goals...This might be what the Canucks need to get a win here..I don't see it....
Montreal vs. St Louis
Play: Montreal +120
You don't get many opportunities to have plus money with the #1 team in the league but that is the case here and that is certainly something that is worth a look. I am not saying that Montreal is the best team in the league but, as you can see from the standings, no team in the NHL has earned more points in the standings than the Canadiens have to this point. From a situational standpoint, the Habs are fully focused on this game. With their win over the Kings at LA on Sunday, the Canadiens are now 2-2 so far on this road trip and there has been a lot of internal discussion about wanting to end this 5 game road trip with a winning mark. They now are in St Louis to face a Blues club that is wrapping up a lengthy homestand. Even though St Louis is off of a loss, a 5th straight home game may not remedy the situation as the Blues have won just 1 out of 4 this season when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on home ice. It is just a "complacency" issue that sometimes happens to teams on a lengthy homestand and the Blues have shown a tendency already this season to fall into that trap. The Blues beat the Habs 4-3 in St Louis in January but the Canadiens had won each of the 3 prior meetings and they have their eyes on revenge here. Montreal has won 5 of 7 this season (and 37 of 56 the last 3 seasons combined) when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Off of the big 5-4 win over the Kings, the Habs stay hot here.
