Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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03-05-21 | Dayton +3.5 v. VCU | Top | 68-73 | Loss | -104 | 5 h 47 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Mismatch of the Day Taking two possessions worth of points on double-avenging Dayton. Not since Eric Maynor in 2009 (22.3 ppg) has VCU’s scoring leader averaged as many points per game as VCU’s Bones Hyland (19.2), who’ll be coming off a two-game absence and foot sprain if he plays. Given that second-leading scorer Vince Williams is playing through an injury and nobody else on the favored Rams averages more than 7.3 ppg, doesn’t Anthony Grant go with a box-and-one against Hyland? |
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03-05-21 | Evansville v. Indiana State -5 | Top | 43-53 | Win | 100 | 4 h 26 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Missouri Valley Play of the Day Indiana State will rally around head coach Greg Lansing this week, as rumors that he will not return have surfaced. In what would be a bizarre decision by Indiana State to let Lansing go, the Sycamores can put forth a great effort in Saint Louis this week. They’ll return starting guard Tyreke Key to the lineup after missing games due to injury and Lansing feels this team is ready to break through. “In our tenure, in our earlier years, we did well in the Valley tournament,” Lansing said. “Then we went on a stretch where we weren’t good enough, prepared enough and the guys weren’t competitive enough. We’re not happy not going over any winning games, but this team is different, a special group of young men.” |
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03-05-21 | Massachusetts v. St. Louis -7.5 | 72-86 | Win | 100 | 3 h 44 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Saint Louis easily took care of UMass on Monday, and the two teams now meet again in the quarterfinals of the A10 Tournament. The Billikens featured a bigger look in that meeting with the Minutemen, playing Hasan French more at forward next to centers Jimmy Bell or Martin Linssen. The played a part in Saint Louis dominating the glass, as they collected 46.7% of their own misses, on the way to a 78-57 win. |
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03-05-21 | Duquesne +8 v. St Bonaventure | Top | 59-75 | Loss | -122 | 1 h 32 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day Duquesne battled St. Bonaventure in both meetings this season before running out of steam late. Both games were one possession games after 30 minutes but at that earlier point of the season Duquesne’s conditioning was still an issue off of a program pause due to COVID-19. The Dukes are a physical bunch capable of playing a low scoring slugfest against the Bonnies. The Dukes ability to defend the three-point line, where they rank best in the A10, will be key against a St. Bonaventure attack that shot 37.5% from three-point range in conference play. |
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03-04-21 | Warriors v. Suns -6.5 | Top | 98-120 | Win | 100 | 10 h 56 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day Not a good set-up for the Warriors. Following last night’s ding-donger defeat in Portland, they face the new "hottest team in the NBA" after a night flight into the Arizona desert, where the rested Suns await with some impressive recent numbers including: +14.8 points differential last eight games, including the second best offensive efficiency (1.24 points per possession) and fifth best defensive efficiency (1.09 points per possession) in that span. During it, the Suns are shooting 52.0%, tops in the league for the stretch, and turning it over only 11 times per game, fewest in the league. On Jan. 28, the Suns beat the Warriors by 21 points here without Devin Booker. 6’7" shooting guard Kelly Oubre (15.5 ppg, 5.7 reb in 30.3 minutes per) didn’t play for the Warriors last night |
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03-04-21 | Thunder v. Spurs -6.5 | 107-102 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 52 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Mavericks tried to do the Thunder a favor last night by resting Luka Doncic. OKC could not take advantage, losing the game and the spread 87-78 in a Festival of Bad Shooting. You’ll recall that last week, the Spurs came off a pause to lose 102-99 in OKC on a last-second corner three-pointer by Lu Dort. San Antonio played that game off a 10-day forced break, without Demar DeRozan, Derrick White, Rudy Gay and Keldon Johnson. Only DeRozan and Johnson have returned since, but that should be enough to turn the tables sufficiently. |
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03-04-21 | Texas +2 v. Oklahoma | 69-65 | Win | 100 | 9 h 4 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Sooners are stinging off overtime and 4-point losses to Oklahoma State, but that doesn’t earn them the right to beat the avenging Longhorns, who lost to them 80-79 at home despite playing without head coach Shaka Smart, starters Jericho Sims and Courtney Ramey, and 17-minute reserve Brock Cunningham. Three more Longhorns fouled out and they were down to just five scholarship players at the bitter end. |
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03-04-21 | UCF -2.5 v. East Carolina | 64-60 | Win | 100 | 9 h 0 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units East Carolina was just recently cleared to practice five on five on Monday, meaning the team won’t be anywhere quite near game shape once the ball is tipped off on Thursday night. East Carolina head coach Joe Dooley said his team will be down to nine scholarship players due to Bitumba Baruti being out with COVID-19 protocols, and Tyrie Jackson and Charles Coleman continuing to be sidelined with injuries. The Pirates saw five straight games postponed or canceled during their latest COVID-19 pause as a result of multiple positive tests. |
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03-04-21 | Panthers -130 v. Predators | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 10 h 21 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Nashville provided updates Tuesday on three players it will have a hard time replacing, putting the pressure on the Predators' reserves to step in and provide a spark as the club tries to gain ground in the standings. Center Ryan Johansen was placed on the COVID-19 protocol list. Forward Luke Kunin (lower body, two to four weeks) and defenseman Ryan Ellis (upper body, four to six weeks) also landed on the IR. Adding to their injury woes, starting goalie Juuse Saros left after the first period following helmet-to-helmet contact with Carolina's Nino Niederreiter. Consider that Florida is 18-8 in their last 26 vs. a team with a losing record. |
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03-04-21 | Murray State -3 v. Jacksonville State | 65-68 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 54 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Jax State did it all wrong over the weekend, getting season sweeps of Austin Peay and Murray State for the first time in school history. Too many milestones reached already! Although head coach Ray Harper is a wily tournament underdog from way back, we’d have to say that adjustments are now all on Murray State for this one, as well as the emotional edge of being the better-pedigreed program owning double-revenge in the win-or-go-home game. While most people see JSU as heading into this “the right way” with seven wins in last eight games, the only loss by a mere four points at #1 seed Belmont, we’ve long felt that this is closer to the “wrong way” than right. |
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03-04-21 | Pistons v. Knicks -6.5 | 104-114 | Win | 100 | 7 h 24 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Pistons are dead last in the Eastern Conference and they have struggled mightily on the road. Detroit’s best player this season, Jerami Grant, has been dealing with a bruised left quad. Detroit faced Toronto on Wednesday and they took advantage of the Raptors being shorthanded in the facile Pistons win. Toronto was missing several key players. The Spurs snapped a 3-game Knicks winning streak on Tuesday but New York was missing some key elements. Elfrid Payton was out with a hammy and Derrick Rose was dealing with health and safety issues. With a win the Knicks would go into the All-Star break a game over .500. Rookie Immanuel Quickley has been a bright spot. He had 26 points off the bench in the Tuesday loss and leads all rookies this season with games of 25 points or more. |
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03-04-21 | Sabres v. Islanders -185 | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 38 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Islanders have won four of five (4-0-1) and are 9-2-2 since Feb. 6. Goalie Semyon Varlamov stopped the first 28 shots he faced before the Devils' Miles Wood scored with 13.2 seconds left to cost New York a chance at having different goalies post shutouts in back-to-back games. The Sabres snapped a scoreless drought of two-plus games but still lost their fourth straight (0-3-1) and fell to 2-7-1 since resuming play following a coronavirus pause on Feb. 15. Buffalo, which is in the midst of an NHL-worst nine-season postseason drought, has a league-low 15 points. The Sabres, who suffered consecutive 3-0 losses to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and Sunday, have scored two goals or fewer in seven of their last eight losses and have collected 16 goals in the last 10 games. Buffalo hasn't led since it had a pair of one-goal leads in a 4-3 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 25. Consider that Buffalo is 18-53 in their last 71 road games. |
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03-04-21 | Iowa State v. Texas Tech -17 | Top | 54-81 | Win | 100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Big-12 Play of the Day Rasir Bolton, Iowa State’s leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals – not to mention minutes with 33.6 per game! -- injured an ankle on Sunday and didn’t play in the second half. In Tuesday night’s hosting of Texas, Bolton did not play but two guards who played Bolton-like minutes when they normally don’t shot 2-for-11 and 1-for-8. If Iowa State was a good team, we’d say that these kids would definitely do better next time out. But their only 2 wins have been against low-Major competition. They’re not a good team. |
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03-04-21 | Middle Tennessee v. Florida Atlantic -8.5 | Top | 50-80 | Win | 100 | 6 h 9 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit C-USA Play of the Day Host FAU is a poor man’s version of the highly ranked Houston Cougars. They hit the offensive glass (11.4 ORs per game) and get many second-chance opportunities after missed three-pointers. But they make an above-average percentage of their threes: 38.0%. They are also in the national top 20 in defensive rebounding percentage. All of this would seem to work well against a 3-11 visitor that can’t shoot straight (.96 points per possession in C-USA games). |
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03-04-21 | George Washington +7.5 v. George Mason | 59-73 | Loss | -107 | 6 h 44 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units East Carolina was just recently cleared to practice five on five on Monday, meaning the team won’t be anywhere quite near game shape once the ball is tipped off on Thursday night. East Carolina head coach Joe Dooley said his team will be down to nine scholarship players due to Bitumba Baruti being out with COVID-19 protocols, and Tyrie Jackson and Charles Coleman continuing to be sidelined with injuries. The Pirates saw five straight games postponed or canceled during their latest COVID-19 pause as a result of multiple positive tests. |
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03-04-21 | St. Joe's v. Massachusetts -3.5 | Top | 66-100 | Win | 100 | 1 h 56 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day Massachusetts did not have the luxury of easing back into play off of their |
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03-03-21 | Blues -142 v. Ducks | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 11 h 59 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The St. Louis Blues will take a relentless offense into a rematch with the Anaheim Ducks tonight. The Blues' defense remains a different story. The Blues will enter the second game of a back-to-back at Anaheim having scored 12 goals in their past two games. The most recent goal-scoring onslaught came Monday when St. Louis scored five times yet still received a scare in a 5-4 victory. The game was a slightly milder version of the Blues' 7-6 victory at San Jose on Saturday. That triumph ended a three-game losing streak. As the Blues work their way through several injuries, scoring goals aplenty is nice. They led 4-1 at one point Monday before the Ducks pulled to within one goal twice. Consider that Anaheim is 5-17 in their last 22 games as an underdog while St. Louis is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings in Anaheim. |
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03-03-21 | Boston College v. Florida State -18.5 | 64-93 | Win | 100 | 11 h 38 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Lobos are 2-14 in Mountain West action and have announced that head coach Paul Weir will not return next season. As further punishment, they’re making him coach until the season is over, which includes this road game (they’ve all been road games!) against a 15-4 overall CSU team eyeing first place as it enters 12-3 in conference, in a four-way logjam at the top with San Diego State, Boise State and Utah State. The home favorite sports the top FG% in the conference, 48.6%, which includes the #1 three-point percentage of 38.4%. New Mexico’s three-point percentage is #11 in an 11-team league, 26.1%. The Lobos’ 59.4% free throw percentage is the worst of any main-betting board team. |
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03-03-21 | Creighton v. Villanova -4.5 | Top | 60-72 | Win | 100 | 10 h 15 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Big East Play of the Day Losses have been rare for Villanova since the formation of the new Big East, but when they do occur, the Wildcats respond strongly. Villanova is 22-13-2 against the spread after a loss, which they’re faced with here after a Sunday defeat at the hands of Butler. The motivation does not stop there for the Wildcats, as they also owe Creighton payback from their worst loss of the season on February 13th. In addition, Villanova is also hosting senior day for starters Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels, two pillars of their program for the last four years. |
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03-03-21 | Mississippi State -5 v. Texas A&M | 63-57 | Win | 100 | 10 h 13 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units It’s been a difficult time for Texas A&M, as the Aggies have not played a game since January 30th. Head coach Buzz Williams said his team went a full month without having his full roster available for practice and in total could only complete eight partial practices throughout the month of February. They’ll take on a Mississippi State team that is in the flow of the SEC schedule and has avoided having any shutdown all season long. |
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03-03-21 | Hornets -1 v. Wolves | 135-102 | Win | 100 | 10 h 37 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Unit The T’Wolves are lettin’ it fly. For the season, they’ve averaged a league-high 92.1 field goal attempts per game. But since the Saunders child was fired as head coach, replaced by the former Raptors’ assistant Chris Finch, they’re putting up 97.5 shots per game. The problem with that? With both D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley out, many of those shots are being taken by not-so-hot shooters, finding the net only 42.1% of the time. They’re hittin’ only 30.9% of their three-point attempts under Finch, and turning the ball over like crazy. Charlotte is 2-3 on their road trip, which ends here along with the first half of their season. They have a goal: go into their break following a .500 trip. |
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03-03-21 | New Mexico v. Colorado State -17.5 | 73-87 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 40 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Lobos are 2-14 in Mountain West action and have announced that head coach Paul Weir will not return next season. As further punishment, they’re making him coach until the season is over, which includes this road game (they’ve all been road games!) against a 15-4 overall CSU team eyeing first place as it enters 12-3 in conference, in a four-way logjam at the top with San Diego State, Boise State and Utah State. The home favorite sports the top FG% in the conference, 48.6%, which includes the #1 three-point percentage of 38.4%. New Mexico’s three-point percentage is #11 in an 11-team league, 26.1%. The Lobos’ 59.4% free throw percentage is the worst of any main-betting board team. |
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03-03-21 | Nets -9.5 v. Rockets | 132-114 | Win | 100 | 9 h 4 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here and we are not talking about Appolo 13. The Rockets have not won a game since Feb. 4 and in that win they had one of their best guys, Christian Wood, playing. Wood is out until after the All-Star break. Brooklyn, on the other hand, is rolling. They have only lost twice since Feb. 8. Brooklyn showed grit in the Monday win after the Spurs closed the game with a 10-point run but the Texans lost in overtime. James Harden should be up for this one as he is back to face his former club. The guy who coached him in Houston, Mike Dantoni, who left before they could fire him after his four-season run, is the Nets’ #1 assistant. |
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03-03-21 | Connecticut v. Seton Hall +1.5 | 69-58 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 18 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Seton Hall finds itself in a desperate situation as the Pirates have lost consecutive games to Georgetown and Butler after having previously been safely on the right side of the bubble. The Pirates now can ill afford another loss and will not lack motivation when taking on the Huskies. It’s senior night for the Pirates and they’ll have fans inside the Prudential Center for the first time all season to send off star big man Sandro Mamukelashvili. The big man was a handful for the Huskies in their first meeting this season, as the versatile 6’11 forward totaled 22 points, seven rebounds and two assists in a 80-73 win. |
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03-02-21 | Nuggets v. Bucks -7.5 | Top | 128-97 | Loss | -109 | 5 h 42 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day Denver has several guys with nagging injuries and guys that are dealing with protocol issues. Denver lost to this team by 13 last month when the Nuggets not only lost the battle of the boards but they lost on a night when the Bucks Khris Middleton was 0 for 5 from beyond the arc. This season, Khris is shooting at 43% from distance. The Bucks got Jrue Holiday back Sunday and although he played limited minutes and the rust was evident, Milwaukee still had enough to take care of the Clippers. As usual, Giannis Antetokounmpo did a little bit of everything with 14 boards, 5 assists, 4 blocks and a steal to go along with this 36 points. Bobby Portis has found a niche with Milwaukee. On Sunday, he had 9 points, 7 boards and 3 thefts in 21 minutes. It’s a tough spot for Denver in their current shape with no rest. |
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03-02-21 | Wisconsin v. Purdue -1.5 | 69-73 | Win | 100 | 4 h 3 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Purdue is playing their best at the right time , winning and covering their last three games. Purdue has a rising star in freshman guard Jaden Ivey, who has totaled 40 points in those last three games while playing exceptional defense. Ivey has brought a physical and athletic preference that the Boilermakers needed. Purdue has only allowed one team to produce 1.00 points per possession or more in the last seven games. Purdue has a few long and athletic perimeter defenders including Ivey and Eric Hunter that will make things difficult for Wisconsin guard, D’Mitrik Trice. |
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03-02-21 | Canucks v. Jets -114 | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 11 h 9 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Jets came into last night's game complacent after four-straight victories, but that won't be the case tonight after the humbling shut-out loss. Despite the setback, note that Winnipeg is still 5-1 in its last six at home. Vancouver on the other hand is just 2-9 in its last 12 after shutting out its previous opponent and winning by three or more goals in the process. |
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03-02-21 | Youngstown State v. Oakland -3 | Top | 83-87 | Win | 100 | 2 h 30 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit CBB Mismatch of the Day Oakland gets to restart its season at home after finishing the regular season on the road for four straight games, which included two double overtime losses. The Grizzlies now have had more than a week of rest and preparation to face a team they beat handily in two regular season meetings. In two wins over Youngstown State, Oakland’s offense was clicking, producing 1.17 and 1.20 points per possession. Point guard Jalen Moore was in full control of those outings, dishing a total of 26 assists. |
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03-02-21 | Auburn v. Alabama -11 | Top | 58-70 | Win | 100 | 2 h 12 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit SEC Play of the Day First game for Alabama since clinching the SEC regular-season title with a low-scoring win at Mississippi State. Some will expect a letdown for the home favorite. We do not. It’s an opportunity to put away the school’s archrival at home, convincingly, and not get involved in another 94-90 game like the one they played at Auburn, which was the collegiate debut of the Tigers’ freshman point guard Sharif Cooper. Cooper played well, but now the Tide knows who he is. Others know him as the kid who didn’t play in either of Auburn’s last two games. Auburn can’t play in the post-season, so many will assume they’ll go nuts here. But Alabama knows that. They’ll be ready to punch back. |
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03-02-21 | Illinois v. Michigan -6.5 | Top | 76-53 | Loss | -114 | 2 h 9 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day The 18-1 Wolverines have been darn near infallible against just about all comers. That their one loss came at Minnesota – who is 2-8 since – is pretty much the exception that proves the rule. They are 1 win away from clinching the Big Ten regular season title, with three games to play before the conference tournament. Illinois is their closest pursuer. The Illini’s star guard, Ayo Dosunmu, has been out with a broken nose. Illini head coach Brad Underwood made some recent comments about Michigan’s pause that Wolverines players may interpret as insulting. He also said, “These games mean nothing. There’s no Big Ten championship that means much. These games don’t mean much. They really don’t.” Seems like he’s more interested in pursuing a national championship, eh? |
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03-02-21 | Tulsa v. UCF -3 | 69-73 | Win | 100 | 2 h 5 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Central Florida has played well against zone this season, ranking in the 74th percentile in points per possession against zone while shooting 36.7% from three-point range on the season. The Knights shot 13-of-28 against Tulsa’s zone in their first meeting this season, defeating Tulsa on the road. Tulsa has hit a low point in their season with fans starting to question Frank Haith’s job status. Tulsa could not take advantage of a recent five-game homestand, losing four of five and now have to face an improving UCF squad. |
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03-02-21 | IUPU Ft Wayne +7.5 v. Cleveland State | 104-108 | Win | 100 | 2 h 57 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Because Cleveland State finished in a tie atop the Horizon League, is the #1 seed, and went 3-1 SU and ATS against these Mastodons during the regular season, folks will assume that the first of the five meetings between the teams in Cleveland State’s arena is destined to go the way of the favored Vikings. That could be pre-historic thinking. We’ve already detailed IFPW’s high Effective Field Goal rate when we won our ***BEST BET with them at Wisconsin-GB last week in the opening round. Despite the good shooting, they’re a little sloppy. Their points per possession is only on a par with defensive-minded Cleveland State’s. But CSU is laying the highest number they’ve had to cover all season, in the most important game. |
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03-01-21 | Avalanche -210 v. Sharks | 2-6 | Loss | -210 | 13 h 5 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units After scoring only five goals in the previous three games, the Colorado Avalanche hope their six-goal outburst over the weekend leads to another scoring binge tonight when they open a two-game set in San Jose with the Sharks. The Avalanche got goals from six different players in routing Arizona 6-2 Saturday, when 12 different guys had at least one goal or an assist. But then again, San Jose also scored six goals Saturday night. The difference was, the Sharks lost to St. Louis, 7-6. This is the third meeting this season between the two teams, with the Avalanche winning both late-January games in Colorado. The Avalanche outscored the Sharks 10-3 in the two games. Consider that Colorado is 20-8 in their last 28 road games. |
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03-01-21 | Hornets v. Blazers -6.5 | Top | 111-123 | Win | 100 | 13 h 13 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day The Blazers have two days of rest. The visiting Hornets play the second of back-to-backs. We started saying this a few weeks ago: Portland – still 18-14 -- needs to win games like this while Nurkic and McCollum are out. They enter on a four-game losing streak, three of them on the road against winners (Phoenix, Denver, Lakers). For this they are home, with the favorable set-up, against a loser. They’re in sixth place in the West but only 1.5 games out of ninth. It may not appear so on the surface, but it’s as big a game as they’ll play. Consider that Charlotte is |
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03-01-21 | Blues -133 v. Ducks | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 13 h 38 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The St. Louis Blues at least had Sunday to rest and reflect on a wild, 13-goal game in advance of a road matchup today against the Anaheim Ducks. The Blues earned a 7-6 victory at San Jose on Saturday in a game that was uncharacteristically void of defense for St. Louis. And while it was a rough day to be a goaltender, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington still managed to make an impact ... after he was pulled from the game. The Blues were able to end a three-game losing streak and now face a Ducks team that has lost six in a row. The Blues and Ducks also will play at Anaheim on Wednesday. Consider that the favorite is 37-16 in the last 53 meetings between these two clubs. |
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03-01-21 | Arizona v. Oregon -4.5 | Top | 69-80 | Win | 100 | 10 h 49 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit PAC-12 Play of the Day Oregon returns home after playing three games in a row on the road, and |
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03-01-21 | Canucks v. Jets -130 | 4-0 | Loss | -130 | 11 h 42 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Vancouver Canucks feel like they are getting a raw deal, that their game is better than the results show. Even if they're winless in their last four starts. They would like to think the turnaround will start tonight with a two-day, two-game trip to Winnipeg to face the Jets. All season, Hawryluk has been witness to the action rather than a participant. The Canucks signed the 25-year-old in the offseason to a one-year, two-way contract. Then he was hurt in the final scrimmage of training camp. Hawryluk played 3:28 in his season debut Thursday, a 3-0 loss to the visiting Edmonton Oilers. They will need to play very well or get some breaks against the Jets, who beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in overtime Saturday for their fourth straight win. Consider that Vancouver is 5-17 in the last 22 meetings vs Winnipeg. |
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03-01-21 | Miami-FL v. Virginia -14.5 | 51-62 | Loss | -107 | 7 h 42 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Miami has a quick turnaround from a Saturday loss at Clemson, and will do so with six scholarship players. “We had six guys and two of them didn’t score any points,” Jim Larranaga said. “It’s hard. To only get 58 today, we thought that would probably be the most we could get, 58-60. We’re going to have to hold them in the low-50s to win the ballgame.” Scoring won’t get any easier as the Hurricanes are tasked with going against Virginia’s pack line defense |
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03-01-21 | St. Joe's v. Richmond -14.5 | Top | 76-73 | Loss | -108 | 7 h 39 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day See the Dayton selection above for a reason to be against St. Joe’s this evening. The Hawks are a 3-14 team overall, 2-9 in conference, coming off a 97-point outing in victory. They hit a ceiling so hard, and now it’s time for the bounce-down crash against a 13-6 Richmond team coming home off a loss at Saint Louis where the Spiders played well enough to win despite losing and not covering. Saint Louis – who plays defense while St. Joe’s pretty much does not – beat Richmond where St. Joe’s cannot, in the paint |
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03-01-21 | Dayton +7.5 v. St Bonaventure | 55-52 | Win | 100 | 6 h 37 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Quality dog figures to be taking a couple of possessions worth of points. Taking things at face value, Dayton is off a 97-84 loss at A-10 doormat St. Joe’s. St. Bonaventure is off their most dominant win of the season, 88-41 vs. George Washington Slept Here. Therefore, face-value folks will be all over the home favorite in its home finale. And that’s fine. If we don’t win, and it doesn’t push, then we hope they win. St. Joe’s flung 42 three-pointers at the hoop against Dayton and 18 of them happened to go through the net. It happens. |
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02-28-21 | Suns -10 v. Wolves | 118-99 | Win | 100 | 11 h 39 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The hot-hot Suns conduct a home invasion, rested after winning in Chicago on Friday night, in town yesterday and casing the joint as the lowly T’Wolves were in Washington being abused, again. The home dog that lacks bite (and also lacks the offense of D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley) plays the second of back-to-backs, road to home. |
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02-28-21 | Grizzlies -3.5 v. Rockets | Top | 133-84 | Win | 100 | 10 h 35 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day The Rockets’ latest misadventure was losing by 11 points to what was basically a self-coached Raptors team. When we heard that Toronto would be without six coaches plus Pascal Siakim vs. Houston on Fridayand doubled down on the ***BEST BET. People will cling to any piece of not-so-relevant news in order to take points, won’t they? But bad teams do not take advantage and are not good to latch onto. On Friday night, Memphis lacked defensive intensity in the second of back-to-backs vs. the Clippers. They’ve done that before in the same situation. This is not that situation. Consider that Houston is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games overall and 1-9 ATS in their last 10 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. |
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02-28-21 | North Dakota State -1 v. South Dakota | Top | 89-77 | Win | 100 | 6 h 53 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Summit League Play of the Day North Dakota State will be attempting to even the series against South Dakota this weekend, and will have the benefit of not facing the Coyotes at their best. South Dakota star guard AJ Plitzuweit suffered a gruesome leg injury that likely ended his season. Plitzuweit has averaged 19.0 points per game while making 43.3% of three-point attempts. Without their leading scorer, the Coyotes will have a tough time fending off a North Dakota State team looking for payback on Sunday. |
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02-28-21 | Iowa v. Ohio State -3 | 73-57 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 29 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Beating real ranked Big Ten opponents on the road (not the fake ranked teams like Northwestern and Minnesota, who are ranked early and then lose everything!) has never been part of the Hawkeyes’ identity under Fran McCaffrey. As if anyone needs reminding. We’ll give them their recent win at Wisconsin (ranked #23 when they shouldn’t be!) but not here. Despite having the revenge angle for an 89-85 home loss on Feb. 4, we’ll let them prove they can handle the nationally #4-ranked team on the road when the Buckeyes are off two losses. |
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02-28-21 | Pittsburgh v. NC State -7 | 62-65 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 17 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units If Pitt head coach Jeff Capel has one or three guys capable of replacing the 28.6 points per game that left the program in the form of two starting guards last week, on the road where they hardly ever win, then he’s done a fine job of hiding them. The situation is almost way too obvious for us to be getting involved, especially since the home side often meets favorable situations it screws up. But considering that the two Panthers departees were 14+ ppg juniors as well as the two leading assist guys. |
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02-28-21 | Capitals -135 v. Devils | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 6 h 60 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Caps outshot the Devils 14-8 in the first period. Defenseman John Carlson, who had two assists for the Capitals, admitted his team may have let up a little once it built the 3-0 lead. The win was a signal to the team that the Capitals are finding their stride, said Eller, who scored the eventual game-winner. He particularly liked the way they started Saturday against the Devils and Thursday in a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Consider that Washington is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings in New Jersey, including 21-6 in the last 27 meetings overall. |
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02-28-21 | Villanova -11.5 v. Butler | 61-73 | Loss | -110 | 1 h 26 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Villanova head coach Jay Wright has got his team back to basics after being routed at Creighton two weeks ago. Wright said that his team has re-focused their attention to the defensive end, and that has resulted in allowing 0.94 points per possession and 0.76 PPP to St. John’s in their last two outing. With an improved defense to go with an extremely efficient offense, the Wildcats could be geared for another March run. Complicating matters for Butler is that starting guards Aaron Thompson and Bo Hodges are once again game-time decisions for Sunday. |
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02-27-21 | Red Wings v. Blackhawks -155 | 5-3 | Loss | -155 | 10 h 60 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Chicago Blackhawks will shoot for their third win in a row when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night in the first game of a back-to-back set. Chicago is coming off a pair of road wins against the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier in the week. The Blackhawks posted a 6-5 shootout victory on Tuesday, then added a 2-0 win on Thursday. Strong goaltending has been a key to the Blackhawks' success this season. Rookie Kevin Lankinen has produced an 8-3-3 record to go along with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, and Malcolm Subban has shined as a backup by going 3-1-1 with a 2.13 GAA and a .930 save percentage. Today's matchup will be the fifth of the season between the teams. Chicago owns a perfect 4-0-0 record in the season series, including two wins at home and two on the road. Consider that Detroit is 5-16 in their last 21 games following a win. |
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02-27-21 | Baylor -3 v. Kansas | Top | 58-71 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 9 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Big-12 Play of the Day Earlier this season, KU suffered a home loss to Texas by the score of 84-59. Texas was ranked #8 then, is still in the Top 20. Baylor is ranked #2, with a points differential of +23.1, and beat the Jayhawks 77-69 in January after leading 41-28 at halftime. Wisely, the Bears didn’t pour it on in the second half, the better to lessen Jayhawk revenge emotions for this re-hook. Sweeping Kansas would put a nice cherry on top of Baylor’s seasonal sundae that sure is taking a long time in between spoon fulls. |
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02-27-21 | Nuggets v. Thunder +7 | 126-96 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 4 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Second of back-to-backs on this floor for the host Thunder after they beat Atlanta last night. The Nuggets are rested and off a loss, but with a handful of guys out, their defensive abilities are on the wane. The Thunder have visited Denver twice already (0-2, 119-101 the first time, 97-95 the second). Double-revenge home dog shouldn’t be too taxed to give it a good go in their final home game before the league’s one-week break. They don’t play again until March 3-4 in Dallas-San Antonio. OKC sat Al Horford last night but he should play tonight. Leave it all on the floor. |
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02-27-21 | Pacers +1 v. Knicks | 107-110 | Loss | -108 | 9 h 59 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Pacers are 15-15. The Knicks are 16-17. An opportunity for the Knicks to hit .500, seems like a good time for them to fail. The next game after the Knicks scored 140 points seems like a good time for them to experience “what goes down” after “what went up.” Why the Pacers decided to take 50 of their 84 field goal attempts from three-point range the last time they played the Knicks (and lost 106-102) is a good question with no good answer. But perhaps, without menacing Mitchell Robinson on the floor for New York, Indiana will have the good sense to go inside much more. They also don’t have Victor Oladipo to shoot 3-for-16 like he did in that game. |
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02-27-21 | Stars v. Lightning -182 | 0-5 | Win | 100 | 9 h 11 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Tampa Bay, which claimed its second Stanley Cup in six games over Dallas in October, has regained its footing and won three consecutive games, wrapping up a four-game set with a 3-1 victory Thursday over the Carolina Hurricanes. While the offense has slipped some, goalies Andrei Vasilevskiy and Curtis McElhinney, plus a strong defensive corps, backstopped the club and protected the net in winning three of four against Carolina. After the Lightning went through a recent 1-3-0 stretch, Vasilevskiy (11-3-1, 1.87 goals against, .935 save percentage) notched his 22nd career shutout in a 3-0 win Wednesday, and McElhinney stopped 31 of 32 shots in the finale. Consider that Tampa Bay is 69-29 in their last 98 home games. |
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02-27-21 | Rhode Island v. Duquesne -1 | Top | 75-86 | Win | 100 | 8 h 7 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day Duquesne was robbed of momentum earlier this month when their program had to go on pause. The Dukes now have two games under their belt and now will get to play in their renovated Cooper Fieldhouse for just the second time this season. In their first outing in their new gym, the Dukes impressed in a home victory over Rhode Island. Duquesne’s recent loss to La Salle has deflated their value and a buy-low situation now has appeared. Head coach Keith Dambrot said a good old fashioned butt kicking would be good for his team. The duo of Michael Hughes and Marcus Weathers inside can control the interior in this one for the Dukes. |
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02-27-21 | Missouri State v. Evansville +5.5 | 63-72 | Win | 100 | 8 h 1 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units If you’d told us in advance that Evansville would go out and score 81 points last night, we’d have figured it to have led to a winner for us, taking +5. However, it was not to be as Missouri State hit 69.4% of their shots (they’re at 48.4% for the season). Look, if that’s what it takes to beat us, then we probably should take some pride in that, and stick to our guns for the instant re-hook. Besides, Missouri State locked the MVC’s #3 tournament seed with the win. |
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02-27-21 | Austin Peay +3.5 v. Jacksonville State | Top | 67-75 | Loss | -108 | 6 h 11 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Ohio Valley Play of the Day JSU is off a season-best 54.2% from three-point range in a season sweep of Murray State. This happened on the same Thursday night during which Tennessee Tech pulled a shooting night out of their butts (56.4% overall, 50.0% from three-point range) to beat Austin Peay, who contributed to their own demise with a 5-for-20 (25.0%) outing on three-pointers. The traveling Governors have revenge against JSU, for a 76-70 loss in which their available bench was three players who totaled 3 points. They’ve gotten guys back since then. Consider that Jacksonville State is 5-14 ATS in their last 19 games as a home favorite |
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02-27-21 | Wake Forest v. Virginia Tech -10.5 | Top | 46-84 | Win | 100 | 5 h 24 m | Show |
Rating: 4 Unit ACC Game of the Week In their prior meeting, Va. Tech blocked 9 shots to Wake’s 0, shot 47.8% to Wake’s 36.7%... but won the game only 64-60! Despite that nonsense, we’ll side with the #16-ranked Hokies in their second game back from a pause. They returned from it in a hornet’s nest – all right, a Yellow Jackets’ nest -- at Georgia Tech, turning in their worst offensive game of the season against a good defensive foe. At the same time, Tech exploited their shaky interior defense with 26-and-10 game from Moses Wright, a 6’9” inside scorer the likes of whom Wake Forest does not feature. |
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02-27-21 | Miami-FL v. Clemson -13 | 58-66 | Loss | -110 | 3 h 21 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Miami was dominated from the start in their last outing against Florida State as the Hurricanes are limping to the finish line. Miami is down to six scholarship players and will have to deal with another team that possesses depth and pressure defense. Clemson’s ability to defend for 90 feet will take a toll on a Miami team that simply has run out of bodies this season. Clemson has started recapture some of their play from early in the season and still have plenty to play for as they try to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. |
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02-27-21 | Notre Dame -7 v. Boston College | 90-94 | Loss | -110 | 3 h 17 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Boston College will be playing just their fourth game in the last five weeks, as the Eagles have been hit by two separate program pauses. In addition, the Eagles fired head coach Jim Christian and saw both guards Rich Kelly and Wynston Tabbs opt to transfer. The Eagles program is simply running out the string on the season at this point. Notre Dame has struggled with physicality at times this season as well as switching man-to-man defense. The Eagles do not pose that challenge as they’ve played a passive zone defense for most of the season. |
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02-27-21 | Texas v. Texas Tech -3 | Top | 59-68 | Win | 100 | 1 h 15 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Big-12 Play of the Day Texas Tech hasn’t been able to catch much of a break in the past week, as they had the challenge of playing at Kansas and at Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders lost both by narrow margins but now get to return home against a Texas team that is perhaps in for a letdown. The Longhorns had a different fortune against Kansas, narrowly escaping in overtime. Encouraging for Texas Tech as they have previously defeated Texas this season despite the Longhorns making 13-of-25 three-pointers. The Red Raiders limited Texas to 34.5% shooting from two-point range in that contest |
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02-26-21 | Blazers +5.5 v. Lakers | 93-102 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units After a win by the Lakers over the Wolves on Feb. 16, L.A. was 5-1 when playing without Anthony Davis. They basically were beating poor teams in that span. Since the win Feb. 16, L.A. has lost 4 in a row including a defeat by the 11 and 18 Wizards. The Lakers have failed to reach 100 points in 3 of the last 4 games. Portland comes to the Staples Center in a foul mood after dropping 3 straight games. That is their longest losing streak of the season. In Portland’s last loss, they were in the Mile High and were tied with 12 minutes to go but lost the last quarter and the game by 5. When Portland beat the Lakers early in the season, the Blazers high-flying Derrick Jones was only one for 9 from the floor. In Portland’s last loss, Jones was 7 for 9 from the floor with three blocks. |
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02-26-21 | Hornets v. Warriors -6 | 121-130 | Win | 100 | 14 h 57 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Golden State playing pretty well, coming off victories at New York and Indiana with a 6-3 SU record in the last 9 games. Warriors (or at least Draymond Green) will well-remember how their first encounter with Charlotte ended. A wild 102-100 Hornet win in the Spectrum Center, when Green lost it and was bounced with two technicals with 9.3 seconds remaining, as the Warriors blew their 5-point lead in the final 43 seconds of the match. Have to respect Charlotte on the road, where the Hornets have covered 7 of their last 10 but Golden State has the psychological edge, and remember Steph Curry was a late scratch in that game due to him just not feeling right after pregame drills. Golden State 6-3 as home chalk, and Curry (who scored 37 pts. in 37 minutes Tuesday vs. NY, knows his friends and family will be watching back in Charlotte, where he grew up when his dad Dell was playing for the Hornets. |
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02-26-21 | Avalanche -170 v. Coyotes | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 14 h 49 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units While the Coyotes have had two straight unlikely victories, the Avalanche have lost consecutive games for the first time this season. They dropped a 6-2 decision at home Wednesday to Minnesota after being blanked 3-0 by Vegas on Monday. Consider that Colorado is 18-8 in their last 26 road games while Arizona is 6-15 in their last 21 games following a win. In addition, Colorado is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings while the favorite is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings. |
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02-26-21 | Northern Iowa v. Illinois State +4 | 70-56 | Loss | -112 | 13 h 15 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Northern Iowa is 21-43-3 ATS in their last 67 games following a ATS loss, 19-39-4 ATS in their last 62 games following a straight up loss, and 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 games overall. While Illinois State is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games following three or more consecutive road games. In addition the underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. |
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02-26-21 | Pacers v. Celtics -3 | 112-118 | Win | 100 | 12 h 46 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The busy-busy-busy Celtics dropped to 15-16 when beaten by Luka Doncic in the final seconds Tuesday night. They flew to Atlanta after that to lose a Wednesday night battle of back-to-backers vs. Atlanta. They’re 15-17. If the 15-15 Pacers have a Doncic-type or Trae Young-type player, or somebody that could come out of nowhere to complement a guy like that such as Danilo Gallinari (an unlikely 38 points to Young’s 33 on Wednesday vs. Boston), then they’ve done a fine job hiding him as first-season head coach Nate Bjorken has the fans pining for Nate McMillan. |
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02-26-21 | Rockets v. Raptors -7 | Top | 111-122 | Win | 100 | 12 h 32 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day Rockets are supposed to go up during missions. These Rockets are going down, in flames. Nine losses in last 10 games, the latest to an opponent with the lowest power rating who makes the fewest three-pointers per game in the NBA. Cleveland had lost 10 straight games going into the match-up, but won it by 16 points. Houston has released DeMarcus Cousins (9.6 ppg, 7.6 reb, 2.4 assists, 20.2 minutes). They keep giving serious minutes to P.J. Tucker, who has produced nine games with 0 points. This is the NBA, fellas. If a non-productive player gets serious minutes, and you start nobody taller than 6’6,” and the only true big you bring off the bench is Justin (Who?) Patton, then you’ll lose a lot, by a lot. |
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02-26-21 | Coastal Carolina -6 v. Troy State | 75-59 | Win | 100 | 12 h 35 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Troy has double-revenge for 90-81 and 70-65 back-to-back road losses in late January. But they’re a losing team on a five-game losing streak, not taking many points against a winner. Their shooting percentages of 40.0% overall and 27.8% give you no confidence. Neither does the -4.0 Assist/Turnover Ratio. |
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02-26-21 | Missouri State v. Evansville +6 | Top | 90-81 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 29 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Missouri Valley Conference Play of the Day The road favorite has won six straight. The home dog has lost six straight. Evansville’s six straight losses were against the first, second and fourth place teams in the Missouri Valley, five of them on the road. Missouri State is in third place. But their six straight wins were against 5-11 Southern Illinois w/o Domask, 5-11 Bradley who played without four guys, and 4-12 Illinois State. |
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02-26-21 | UAB -3.5 v. Texas-San Antonio | Top | 64-57 | Win | 100 | 11 h 26 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit C-USA Play of the Day Defense travels, they say. UAB is giving up only 59.5 ppg. They got a game in against Rust on Monday, 2/22, not necessarily to knock off the rust because they’ve been playing steadily since Jan. 8. But they’d lost their final “real” home game to Old Dominion two days earlier, so it was a good way to leave Birmingham for the season. Now, they play four straight on the road to close out their regular-season C-USA slate. A defense this good ought to figure out a way to contain 21+ ppg Jhivan Jackson and force UTSA to adjust in the next game. Consider that Texas San Antonio is 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record and 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games as an underdog |
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02-26-21 | Drake -9 v. Bradley | 80-71 | Push | 0 | 11 h 9 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Drake is 38-15-1 ATS in their last 54 games as a favorite, 27-11-1 ATS in their last 39 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record, and 57-27-2 ATS in their last 86 games overall. While Bradley is 2-11-3 ATS in their last 16 games following a straight up loss, 1-9-2 ATS in their last 12 games overall, and 0-6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record. In addition the favorite 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings. |
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02-26-21 | Purdue +1.5 v. Penn State | Top | 73-52 | Win | 100 | 5 h 11 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day Penn State’s lack of interior defense is a major issue when facing an improving Purdue offense. The Boilermakers now rank 4th-best in the Big 10 in two-point percentage during conference play. They can use 6’10 big man Trevion Williams as an asset when facing a Penn State defense that ranks last in two-point percentage allowed in the Big 10. In the first meeting against Penn State this season, Purdue converted 63.3% of two-point attempts in a 80-72 victory. Purdue has been off since Saturday to prep for this spot, while Penn State had to play games on both Sunday and Tuesday |
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02-25-21 | Washington State v. Arizona -8.5 | 53-69 | Win | 100 | 12 h 34 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units WSU just closed out five straight home games (3-2) with a triple-OT win on Senior Day against the Stanford Mediocre. Leading scorer Isaac Bonton did not play, again. Neither did another ‘floor general,’ Ryan Rapp. Assuming either or both is out again, we say, about travelin’ WSU, ‘No way, Jose.’ |
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02-25-21 | Oilers v. Canucks +123 | 3-0 | Loss | -100 | 3 h 19 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Canucks are offering very fair value as home underdogs here. Yes, the Oilers have won four in a row. They're a money-burning 74-95 (-32.4) over the years, when off three or more consecutive victories though. That includes a 5-10 (-5.6) mark their last 15 in that situation. Off three straight close losses, the most recent to these same Oilers, the Canucks are going to be extremely motivated. This is the final leg of a 4-game homestand for Vancouver, which adds to the desperation. The Canucks are a perfect 5-0 the past five times that they played their previous three at home, 26-14 (+15.9) their last 40 in that situation. |
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02-25-21 | Pelicans v. Bucks -9 | 125-129 | Loss | -106 | 10 h 7 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units New Orleans beat this club last month but they got a couple of breaks which helped in the victory. The Bucks could not throw it in the ocean in that first quarter scoring just 21. The Pelicans were also a bit lucky that the Bucks Khris Middleton had a poor shooting night. Khris was one for 6 from downtown in that loss but is popping at 43% from deep this season. The Bucks have righted their ship. They kicked off this month winning 5 in a row and then they lost 5 straight. They are seeking their 4th consecutive win here and when they beat Minnesota on Tuesday, they did it the right way with 33 assists. Look for Milwaukee to come out ready to play from the opening tip. |
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02-25-21 | SE Missouri State v. Eastern Illinois -5.5 | 94-88 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 17 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units It’s been a long road back for Eastern Illinois this year in regards to their health. The Panthers now do have their full core group back and they’ve been showing that they’re clearly a different team than “6-17 ATS” when healthy. Eastern Illinois went on the road and defeated both Murray State and Austin Peay last weekend. Josiah Wallace, Mack Smith and Jordan Skipper-Brown all started together for the first time in weeks for the Panthers. Smith’s shooting ability was especially helpful, making 8 of 9 three-point attempts over the course of two games. |
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02-25-21 | Clippers -7.5 v. Grizzlies | Top | 94-122 | Loss | -115 | 4 h 9 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day The Grizzlies own the NBA’s Sophomore Jinx of the Year, Ja Morant. Everybody was waiting for him to return after being injured very early in the season and in hindsight, given the well-known existence of the “jinx,” and NBA coaches’ adjustments on players such as Morant, the anticipation seems to have been quite foolish. The team’s strongest identity is the creation of havoc on defense. That’s nice, but shooting the basketball straight is also important, and when harassing defense nevertheless allows 144 points to New Orleans, and the team can score only 92 points when it gives up only 102 vs. Dallas, and the only opponents it’s been able to beat in the last 12 games have been Charlotte, OKC and Detroit |
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02-25-21 | IUPU Ft Wayne +5.5 v. Green Bay | Top | 89-84 | Win | 100 | 9 h 44 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NCAAB Mismatch of the Day The #10 Seed has an offensive Effective Field Goal percentage of 58.2%, fourth highest in the nation behind Gonzaga, Baylor and Belmont. (The first two are the undefeated, #1, #2 ranked teams in the nation, and Belmont is unbeaten atop the Ohio Valley conference.) So, what the heck is Fort Wayne doing as a lowly #10 seed in a First Round Horizon League game? Probably biding their time, tinkering here and there, learning about the opposition they’ve been facing for the first time in their first season in this league, and working themselves up for this double-revenge outing with a seven-season coaching staff vs. Green Bay’s first-season bunch. |
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02-25-21 | Penguins v. Capitals OVER 6.5 | 2-5 | Win | 109 | 7 h 30 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units As long as Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are playing, then these two teams will always be considered the most fiercist of rivals. These teams played here two nights ago and the Pens won 3-2 in OT. I'm expecting a more wide-open contest here though and I look for this total to eclipse the posted number sooner, rather than later. Pittsburgh has won three straight. The Pens average 3.00 GPG and they allow 3.24. The Capitals average 3.28 GPG, but they concede 3.39. A faster-paced game = more shots and more shots = more goals. Consider the "over" in this East Division matchup. |
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02-25-21 | Robert Morris v. Detroit -10 | Top | 73-83 | Push | 0 | 8 h 56 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Horizon League Hammer Detroit had little issue with disposing of Robert Morris last weekend and now meet them to start the Horizon League Tournament on their home floor. Detroit built leads as big as 23 and 19 points in the two meetings last week, producing 1.15 and 1.31 points per possession in their two wins. The Titans attack was led by Antoine Davis totaling 54 points. Detroit has gone on a tear to end the season, going 9-1 against the spread over their last 10 games. |
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02-25-21 | Iowa +5.5 v. Michigan | 57-79 | Loss | -106 | 8 h 53 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units While Michigan’s play this season has been impressive, it should be noted the Wolverines have yet to play either Iowa or Illinois, perhaps the two other most talented teams in the Big 10. Michigan will also be tasked with trying to respond after a huge road victory at rival, Ohio State. With C.J. Frederick back in the lineup, Iowa should again display their early season form, and have won the last four games, covering the spread in three of those outings. Michigan freshman big man Hunter Dickinson is likely to finally meet his match in All American Luka Garza of Iowa. |
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02-25-21 | Central Michigan v. Buffalo -19.5 | 73-85 | Loss | -117 | 3 h 41 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units If Miami-OH could beat Central Mich by 42 points (they sure ‘nuff did, on Tuesday), then imagine the margin Buffalo could make if they cared to, given that the Bulls have the #1 scoring offense and #2 scoring defense in the MAC. They should care, considering they need the game to move up into the conference’s top four. CMU is not playing with a full deck. |
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02-25-21 | Eastern Michigan v. Ohio -11.5 | 67-86 | Win | 100 | 3 h 38 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units EMU is 1-9 in the MAC and has three home games after this final regular-season road date. They’ve lost six straight, the littlest margin by -11 points to a Central Michigan team that most recently got drilled by 42 points at home by a .500 foe. Ohio (12-6) has won five straight and nailed 52% of their three-pointers coming off a two-and-a-half week break on Tuesday. |
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02-24-21 | Tennessee v. Vanderbilt +8 | 70-58 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 21 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Vanderbilt, a two possession underdog, continues to improve and fly a bit under the radar. The Commodores are now 5-0-2 against the spread in their last seven outings, as Jerry Stackhouse continues to put his offense in good spots to succeed. Stackhouse has a star point guard in control of the operation with Scotty Pippen Jr., and will likely hold an edge against an inconsistent Vols backcourt. |
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02-24-21 | Florida State -11 v. Miami-FL | Top | 88-71 | Win | 100 | 10 h 54 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit ACC Mismatch of the Day Miami head coach Jim Larranaga called the Hurricanes situation currently as a ‘miserable’ one, as they’re down to six available scholarship players. Starting guard Harold Beverly has been ruled out indefinitely, joining a long list of sidelined ‘Canes. Miami’s lack of depth poses a serious issue against a Florida State team that can come at them in waves. That proved to be the case in the first meeting on January 27th, as Florida State rolled to a 81-59 victory. Florida State dominated the interior, making 59.1% of two-points compared to 35.5% for Miami. |
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02-24-21 | Spurs v. Thunder -1.5 | Top | 99-102 | Win | 100 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Mismatch of the Day The Spurs will be without DeMar DeRozan for this game because of a death in the family. LaMarcus Aldridge has not played since Feb. 1 with a hip issue but he did practice on Monday. Even if he does play, the rust could be evident. LaMarcus missed a few consecutive games last month and in the game he returned in, he only scored 14 points. Rudy Gay, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Derrick White did not travel for this game because of health and safety concerns. OKC lost Monday but they were playing in the second of a back-to-back game after winning in Ohio. The Thunder have some quality wins on their record against teams like Milwaukee, Phoenix and Brooklyn. When considering schedule strength based on opponents’ records, days of rest, and home and away OKC has had the second toughest schedule in the league according to ESPN. |
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02-24-21 | Warriors v. Pacers -1.5 | Top | 111-107 | Loss | -111 | 11 h 60 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day The Pacers are extra-rested after not playing since Feb. 17. By contrast, the Warriors come out to play for a second of back-to-backs on the road. At Golden State on Jan. 12, the Pacers had enough in the tank in a second of back-to-backs to beat rested Warriors 104-95, using a box-and-one defense against Steph Curry most of the game. (Curry had 20 points, 3 assists; he averages 29.9 and 6.2.) Not sure if the Warriors can adjust if the Pacers do it again. T.J. McConnell didn’t play in that first meeting so the Pacers have an extra, fresh guy to be the “1” chasing outside the box. Consider that Golden State is 5-17-1 ATS in their last 23 games playing on 0 days rest. |
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02-24-21 | NC State v. Virginia -11.5 | Top | 68-61 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 53 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day Off two road losses at Florida State and Duke, Virginia is eligible to come home and smoke the Wolfpack, who is eligible to be fat and happy off road wins at Pitt and Wake Forest as they enter this third straight away from Raleigh. Meeting in-game adversity head-on is not part of what NC State hoops is all about (at least not anymore). When you play Virginia, in-game adversity often strikes in the form of long scoring droughts and the resulting frustration that mounts. Consider that Virginia is 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS loss while NC State is 3-8-2 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record. |
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02-24-21 | New Mexico +1 v. Air Force | 55-62 | Loss | -112 | 9 h 29 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Who is sitting on the New Mexico bench as a “special assistant,” who sat on Air Force’s bench for eight seasons before this? Oh, none other than Dave Pilipovich, the former eight-season Air Force head coach who was fired after last season. He walked off happy following the Lobos’ 73-65 win here on Monday night and it’s not like Air Force – losers of 10 straight -- has the personnel to play much differently than he knows, or will have become taller and faster in the 48 hours since. |
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02-24-21 | Hurricanes v. Lightning -135 | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 8 h 16 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units As usual, two points were at stake when Tampa Bay and Carolina met for third time on Monday night, but the Lightning had a little something else on the line as well: pride. The Lightning snapped a two-game losing streak, which included Hurricanes backup goalie Alex Nedeljkovic's first career shutout on Saturday, and won for just the second time in five games with a 4-2 victory on Monday in Raleigh, N.C. The scene shifts for the two Central Division clubs, who play four times in six days, as the series travels to Tampa for Wednesday's match in the first of a back-to-back set. Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said he and his teammates looked inside themselves after the brief winless stretch against Carolina. Consider that Tampa Bay is 98-29 in their last 127 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. |
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02-24-21 | St Bonaventure v. Davidson -2.5 | 56-53 | Loss | -108 | 6 h 27 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Davidson will get another chance against St. Bonaventure after suffering a defeat on the road against the Bonnies on Sunday. Davidson should be encouraged, as the Bonnies needed to make 9 of 11 second half three-pointers to finally separate distance. Davidson was playing in their first Division I game since January 24th and should be much better in their second game back. Davidson has owned this series in recent history, having covered the spread in seven of the prior nine games. |
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02-23-21 | Wizards v. Clippers -12 | 116-135 | Win | 100 | 10 h 16 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Clippers are rested following Sunday’s certain loss vs. the Nets They catch the Wizards as Washington plays a second of back-to-backs after Monday’s overtime win at the floundering, semi-depleted Lakers, an effort that included coming back from a 17-point early third-quarter deficit. It’s not who you play, it’s when you play them. Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook each played 44 minutes last night to get their 32 and 33 points. Westbrook attempted all of one (1) three-pointer because even he knows he’s a lousy jump-shooter. |
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02-23-21 | Ole Miss v. Missouri -3 | 60-53 | Loss | -112 | 9 h 8 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Missouri is clearly a different team with big man Jeremiah Tilmon in the lineup. The Tigers failed to cover both games without Tilmon last week, but then responded with covering convincingly against South Carolina on Saturday. The Tigers are now 11-7 against the spread with Tilmon in the lineup this season. The Tigers also have a bit of revenge on their mind in this spot, having lost by 21 points on the road to Ole Miss earlier this season. Playing at home, the Tigers should be able to push the ball more effectively, as they played to just 62 possessions in the first meeting against the Rebels. |
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02-23-21 | St. John's +11 v. Villanova | 58-81 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 28 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Wildcats have revenge for 70-59 loss in New York. Who wants to lay a 12-point run with this version of their defense, which hasn’t been up to Jay Wright program standards? Not us. Winning teams that average 80+ ppg (okay, only 78.3 in Big East play, but 1 more than Villanova!) and take this many possessions worth of points don’t come around very often. When the Great College Basketball Card Shuffler deals one of them, playing that card doesn’t seem like a bad idea. |
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02-23-21 | Predators -152 v. Red Wings | 2-0 | Win | 100 | 7 h 19 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Nashville's Pekka Rinne, who made 21 saves on Saturday, posted a 3.02 goals-against average in starting both of those contests against Detroit. Teammate Juuse Saros, meanwhile, is 0-3-0 with a 4.58 goals-against average during four starts this month, but owns a 2.75 GAA in four career games opposite the Red Wings. Detroit snapped an 0-2-1 home rut with Saturday's 2-1 victory over surging Florida. Patrik Nemeth and rookie Mathias Brome each scored their first goal of the season in the second period, and Jonathan Bernier stopped 38 shots as the Wings won for just the fifth time in 2020-21. They last won back-to-back games on March 6 and 8 of last year. Consider that Detroit is 22-45 in their last 67 games as a home underdog, 15-40 in their last 55 games playing on 2 days rest, and 7-19 in their last 26 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game. |
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02-23-21 | Kings +6.5 v. Nets | Top | 118-127 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 30 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Mismatch Sunday night sweep of the West Coast when their largest lay was -4.5 while they went 5-0? Tuesday home game 3,000 miles away from their last victory spot, L.A., laying -7.5 against one of the teams they beat on the trip? Well, now. While covering this spread is certainly within the Brooklyn Ball Hogs’ scope, they are coming off a “mission accomplished” trip. Compared to what they just did out West, this match-up is a nuisance on the work slate. The Kings, on a 0-7 SU, 0-7 ATS skid, nevertheless are pros who want to snap that losing streak. Off two games in Chicago and Milwaukee, they’ve eased into the time zone change while the Nets are suddenly jarred back into it. Consider that Sacramento is 23-9 ATS in their last 32 games as a road underdog |
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02-23-21 | Pistons v. Magic -3.5 | Top | 105-93 | Loss | -108 | 7 h 3 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day This is a re-match of the Sunday game and again, the Pistons will be without Delon Wright, who is averaging 10 points, 5 boards and 5 assists a night. On Sunday, Orlando won the battle of the boards, held Detroit to 28% from beyond the arc and the Magic were just more aggressive getting to the free-throw line 29 times to 21 for the Pistons. Orlando also should now have an improved rotation as the returning Al-Farouq Aminu started and got some rust off. |
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02-23-21 | St. Louis -3.5 v. VCU | Top | 65-67 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 2 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic-10 Play of the Day Virginia Commonwealth was dealt the unfortunate news that star guard Bones Hyland will not be able to suit up on Tuesday. Hyland is averaging 19.2 points per game, and there is no way to replace his individual talent on the offensive side of the floor. The Rams will also be welcoming in a ticked off Billikens team, coming off of a terrible effort at Dayton. Helpful for Saint Louis is their ability to protect the ball against VCU’s pressure, as they rank 63rd-best nationally in turnover rate. |
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02-23-21 | Miami-OH -4 v. Central Michigan | 96-54 | Win | 100 | 5 h 13 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units CMU, 6-12 overall, 2-9 in the MAC, is coming off a break following self-inflicted virus protocols. Senior guard Devontae Lane, “Such a big part of what we do,” was on the bench with crutches during their most recent game, a loss to Western Mich on Feb. 6. The visiting Redhawks went through a tough, four-game losing grind vs. Kent State, Buffalo, Akron, Toledo but dropped down in class to win at CMU’s fellow bottom-dweller Northern Illinois to hit .500 again at 9-9. |
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02-22-21 | Ducks v. Coyotes -155 | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 27 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Arizona has won four of the last five home games against the Ducks. Anaheim has scored only one goal in each of its last two games and the Ducks don't even have a single player with double-digit in points right now. The Coyotes have normally enjoyed a home ice advantage over the years, but that's not been the case this season as they've got four losses in their last five in friendly confines. However, here's the perfect opponent to get untracked against, as note that the Coyotes are 5-1 in their last six when playing on one days rest. The Ducks are 7-19 in their last 26 after scoring two goals or less in their last game. |
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02-22-21 | Heat -6.5 v. Thunder | 108-94 | Win | 100 | 10 h 42 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units OKC coming off a win in Cleveland last night, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander netting 31 pts. and 9 assists, as C Al Horford rebounded from his terrible night on Friday to score 16 pts, with 8 rebs, and a couple of steals to help the Thunder to a 117-101 victory. Miami also off a victory, an emotional, hard-fought win at Staples Center against the Lakers on Saturday, with Kendrick Nunn scoring 27 pts. on 10 of 14 shooting, and Bam Adebayo had another productive night (16-10-6 with 2 steals), and Jimmy Butler (24 pts., 8 rebs. 5 dimes, 2 steals) was once again the straw that stirs the drink. One setback for Spoelstra’s Heat is that G Tyler Herro was KO’d for the 2nd half of that game with a hip problem and is iffy pending Monday’s shootaround. Considering OKC has covered just 3 of last 12 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, have to lean to Jimmy-B’s Heat. |
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02-22-21 | Oregon +4 v. USC | 58-72 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 39 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Oregon is at full strength for one of the few times this season, as junior wing Eric Williams was healthy and logged 25 minutes against Utah on Saturday. With Williams back in the fold along with starting point guard Will Richardson, the Ducks are primed for a late season run. Oregon’s ability to make opposing offenses beat them from the outside will be key against USC’s frontcourt. Oregon’s defense rarely allows two-point field goals, ranking 108th-best in two-point distribution. |