Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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02-22-21 | Grizzlies +5 v. Mavs | Top | 92-102 | Loss | -107 | 10 h 45 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day There could be some rust on the Dallas squad as this is their first game since losing to Portland 8 nights ago. The Mavericks have been on the selfish side as they are 25th in assists this season while Memphis leads the league in that category. Memphis has leveled off a bit since losing only three games in January. The Grizzlies figure to show some resiliency after being crushed Saturday by Phoenix. Memphis had a couple of guys out and they rested a couple of key players. They have shown they can respond after a bad beat this season. They lost to Toronto by 15 earlier this month and then beat Charlotte in the next game. They also were beaten by 31 by New Orleans 6 nights ago and won 24 hours later over OKC. |
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02-22-21 | Stars v. Panthers OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -100 | 2 h 43 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NHL Total of the Day Consider that the 9-3-4 in Stars last 16 road games, 5-2 in Stars last 7 overall, 5-2 in Stars last 7 vs. NHL, and 5-2 in Stars last 7 vs. Central. While the over is 19-7 in Panthers last 26 Monday games and 42-20-2 in Panthers last 64 games playing on 1 days rest. |
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02-22-21 | Syracuse v. Duke -5.5 | Top | 71-85 | Win | 100 | 7 h 29 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day Duke continues to surge, as they’ve won and covered three straight games. It’s not likely a coincidence that they’ve done so with freshman Jalen Johnson exiting the program. Duke’s chemistry and energy along with their defense all appears to be much improved. Also, Duke is shooting the ball tremendously making 50-of-113 three-point attempts over their last five games. That serves as a great advantage when going against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense. |
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02-22-21 | Morehead State v. SIU-Edwardsville UNDER 132.5 | Top | 56-48 | Win | 100 | 7 h 55 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Total of the Week The under is 14-6 in Eagles last 20 overall, 37-16 in Eagles last 53 games following a straight up win, and 23-10 in Eagles last 33 road games. While the under is 6-2 in Cougars last 8 games as a home underdog and 7-3 in Cougars last 10 home games. |
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02-22-21 | NC-Greensboro -8 v. Western Carolina | 77-56 | Win | 100 | 5 h 35 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The home team is playing to stay out of last place in the SoCon (they’re 2-12). The visitor is playing still with a shot at winning the regular season title (they’re 11-4 in first place.) Schedule-raters who rank schedule strengths say that WCU has played the toughest SoCon slate so far. Which means that it only stays as tough, or tougher, with this match-up against a 16-7 overall opponent. UNCG will be laying more points when they meet in Greensboro Wednesday night, so why not do it here instead of there? WCU is the only team in the conference that averages less than 1.0 points per possession in SoCon games, and UNCG is the only team in the conference allowing less than 1.0 ppp in same. |
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02-21-21 | Flyers v. Bruins -174 | 3-7 | Win | 100 | 10 h 11 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Flyers are heading to Boston without several key players due to health and safety protocols. They are coming off a 3-2 home loss to the Rangers in their first game back after four consecutive postponements. They have lost three of their last four overall. The Flyers are 5-14 in the last 19 meetings in Boston, and they have failed to cover in four straight as an underdog. The Bruins are 9-3 in their last 12 overall. |
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02-21-21 | Wolves v. Knicks -2.5 | Top | 99-103 | Win | 100 | 9 h 24 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day Don’t look now, but Tom Thibodeau’s New York side has won 3 of 4 and is in playoff position in the East, not something that would mean much to the Lakers or Milwaukee, but for a Knick franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs in the last 7 seasons and that has won only one playoff series in this century, it’s a big deal. Thibs’ team has been among the top three in the NBA defensively for the entire season (currently 3rd on the year; 1st in last 8 games in defensive rating), and is getting some stronger play from other directions than Julius Randle lately. PG Elfrid Payton has scored 15 ppg and shot 48% while getting 5 rpg and 4 apg over last 8 games, RJ Barrett is at 17 ppg and 6.2 rpg on the season, 6th man Immanuel Quickley has been a surprise (although his shooting has fallen off a bit of late) and the addition of ex-Thibodeau favorite Derrick Rose (11 ppg since arriving from Detroit, played for him in Chicago and Minny). Timberwolves have been winning about once every two weeks (5-23 L28), and Thibodeau might have a bit of emotion against his old employer and snaps 4-game Knick losing streak in series. |
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02-21-21 | Thunder -2 v. Cavs | 117-101 | Win | 100 | 9 h 35 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Cavaliers – nine straight losses -- make the fewest three-pointers per game in the NBA (9.1) and they have been only too happy to compound that problem by resting one of the best inside scorer/rebounders in the league – Andre Drummond – as they try to get rid of him after the guy has played only 33 games for them since they acquired him from the Pistons. Who makes these decisions? One schedule-ranker out there says OKC has played the second-toughest slate in the NBA to this point. Cleveland represents serious class relief from that grind. |
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02-21-21 | Pistons v. Magic -2 | 96-105 | Win | 100 | 8 h 6 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units This is the first for the Pistons in consecutive games vs. Orlando and they finish this trip in the Big Easy. They have lost 8 of their last 11 games and could only muster 95 points in the loss on Friday. In that loss to Memphis, they turned it over 10 more times than the Grizzlies. Only Minnesota has won fewer games this season than Detroit. Orlando generally pounds the glass and they defend, holding teams to 111 points a night, 10th overall. They have won 3 of 4 and are shooting for their third win in a row. Nikola Vucevic is having a solid year as he is scoring 24 points a game, grabbing 11 boards and averaging 4 assists. |
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02-21-21 | Maryland v. Rutgers -4.5 | Top | 68-59 | Loss | -108 | 4 h 4 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day There should be no shame in the two losses Rutgers has suffered over the last month, with losses coming on the road at Iowa and Michigan. The Scarlet Knights overall have gone 5-2 as of late, including against the spread. Rutgers’ length and athleticism will cause issues for a perimeter based Maryland team that relies on shooting from three-point range. Rutgers is 5th-best in the Big 10 in limiting three-point attempts and possesses multiple athletic defenders that can match up well with a smaller Maryland team. Consider that Rutgers is 21-8-2 ATS in their last 31 games following a ATS win. |
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02-21-21 | Cincinnati v. Houston -13 | 52-90 | Win | 100 | 3 h 33 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Not a lot to like about this Cincinnati team despite the fact they enter with four straight wins. Look at it this way: somebody had to win their games against Temple (twice), Tulane and Central Florida, all with losing records, opponents who merely did what they normally do to help raise the Bearcats’ record to 5-4. Big deal, right? They won the games by 3, 3, 2, 1. They’ve played one other ranked opponent this season, scored 56 losing at Tennessee. |
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02-20-21 | Flames v. Oilers -121 | 1-7 | Win | 100 | 12 h 12 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The first-goal bugaboo is costing the Calgary Flames, and that will be a focus when they hit the ice for a road clash against the Edmonton Oilers tonight. A 2-1 loss to their provincial rivals Friday night was the 11th time in 17 games the Flames surrendered the first goal. As much as they stayed in the game until the end, the lesson was obvious. Therefore, emotions were mixed about having taken any steps forward during their third loss in four outings. The Flames have a 4-7-0 mark when allowing the first goal, and in Friday's clash, the Oilers gave a perfect example of how to choke the life out of a team in the third period. The Flames managed only five third-period shots on goal, too few for a team that's being questioned about its determination. The need to find emotion is a worrisome development considering the Flames are on the outside of a playoff spot and were facing their biggest rivals, who are on a roll. Thanks to the Friday win, the Oilers have won eight of their past 10 games. |
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02-20-21 | Wizards v. Blazers -4 | 118-111 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 58 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Washington enters this game 4 games under .500 on the road. Teams can pack it in against the Wizards since they are 28th in the league from downtown. When Washington lost to this club earlier this month they gave up 75 points in the first half and Portland won despite losing to the Bucks 24 hours earlier and despite the fact Damian Lillard shot it at 39% from the floor. This is a pit stop home game for Portland. They just won three on the road, play here, and pack for another 3 games with room service. The Blazers have won 6 in a row, 8 of 10 and twice against Philly. |
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02-20-21 | Virginia -2 v. Duke | Top | 65-66 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 24 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day It's been a difficult year for Duke, with Coach K continually suggesting he would prefer not to play during a pandemic, and one of their starters opting out in the middle of the season. They have won back to back games on the road against bottom feeders, but their last two home games were losses to Notre Dame and North Carolina. The Cavs are coming off a blowout loss to #4 ranked FSU, but they have previously won on the road at Georgia Tech and #12 ranked Clemson. The Cavaliers are 8-0-1 ATS in their last nine games following a loss, and the road team is 21-6-1 ATS in the last 28 meetings. Duke has only covered in two of their last 10 home games. |
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02-20-21 | DePaul v. St. John's -11 | 88-83 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 31 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units St. John’s continues to be the story of the Big East, as the Red Storm have gone 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 games. The Johnnies are getting terrific point guard play from freshman Posh Alexander and will look to continue their winning ways against a beat up DePaul backcourt. Both starters Charlie Moore and Javon Freeman- Liberty missed DePaul’s last game on Wednesday against Seton Hall. Even if that duo can suit up, the Blue Demons are likely to have a ton of issues on offense. DePaul ranks 316th nationally in turnover rate, and will face a daunting task against St. John’s pressure. |
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02-20-21 | Seton Hall -4 v. Georgetown | 75-81 | Loss | -114 | 7 h 39 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Unit Seton Hall’s defense is starting to play more to the standard that Kevin Willard has created with the Pirates program. Seton Hall limited three of their last four opponents to 0.81 points per possession or less on the offensive end. Seton Hall has already displayed the ability to shut down Georgetown’s offense. The Pirates limited the Hoyas to 17-of-53 shooting from two-point distance on December 23rd. |
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02-20-21 | Panthers -172 v. Red Wings | 1-2 | Loss | -172 | 7 h 16 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The biggest issue that the Florida Panthers might have today is fighting overconfidence. The Panthers overwhelmed the Red Wings 7-2 on Friday night, and the teams will face each other once again this afternoon in Detroit. Florida has won four of the five meetings with Detroit this season and Bobrovsky is 2-0-0 against the Red Wings. The Panthers have won six straight in Detroit, with the Red Wings' last home victory over the Panthers coming on Jan. 5, 2018. Detroit has lost its last three games overall (0-2-1), and the margin of defeat Friday was its largest this season. |
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02-20-21 | Duquesne v. Richmond -9 | Top | 72-79 | Loss | -104 | 6 h 37 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day Richmond is now further removed from their program pause due to COVID-19. The Spiders now have two games under their belt and will look to benefit from a Duquesne team exiting the same sort of situation. Dukes head coach Keith Dambrot said he has no idea of how good his team will be after an 18 day layoff. Dambrot said he has no idea if it’s the right call, but he has kept practices to no longer than one hour this week. Duquesne will have their hands full with a veteran Richmond team looking to get back on track after a hard fought loss to VCU. Consider that Richmond is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games vs. a team with a losing road record and 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games as a home favorite. |
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02-20-21 | Golden Knights v. Avalanche -111 | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 5 h 5 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Knights and Colorado are trying to stay in the top four of the West Division. Vegas is second and the Avalanche third, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs after the 56-game regular season. The Knights will have to shrug off the 3-2 loss at home. They rallied to tie it at 2-2 only to see Nazem Kadri score on a scramble in front of the net with 41 seconds left. It was an offensive explosion of sorts for Colorado after being shut out by Marc-Andre Fleury on Sunday. Consider that Colorado is 12-4 in their last 16 vs. a team with a winning % above .600 while Vegas is 2-5 in the last 7 meetings vs Colorado. |
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02-20-21 | Connecticut +7 v. Villanova | Top | 60-68 | Loss | -110 | 2 h 13 m | Show |
Big East Play of the Day Connecticut is a drastically different team with star guard James Bouknight back in the fold, and the Huskies remain undervalued in his second game back. Bouknight returned to score 18 points in 24 minutes on Tuesday against Providence, as the Huskies built a comfortable 18 point lead at one point in the process. Where UConn can match up well against Villanova is on the defensive end of the floor, where they are exceptional at running opposing teams off of the three-point line. That is where Villanova prefers to operate, as they rank 33rd in three-point attempt rate. Consider that UConn is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record and 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games |
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02-20-21 | La Salle -2.5 v. St. Joe's | 82-91 | Loss | -110 | 2 h 40 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units St. Joseph’s has not played a game since January 30th and will be jumping back into action against a La Salle team that provided trouble for the Hawks in their first meeting this season. LA Salle won comfortably, at one point leading by as much as 21 points with 5:47 remaining on January 18th. The Explorers did so by making 31-of-51 two-point attempts and only needed to make five three-pointers to put 90 points on the board. |
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02-19-21 | Toledo v. Buffalo -2 | 80-70 | Loss | -101 | 11 h 1 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Buffalo has ripped off three impressive victories in MAC play, rolling to a win by at least 20 points in each outing. Nate Oats (Alabama) left a sound program behind and the aggressive Bulls play as hard as any team in the MAC and appear to be hitting their stride at the right time. Junior big man Josh Mballa is a force inside who can take advantage of a Toledo defense that ranks 226th in two-point percentage allowed. On the other end of the floor, Buffalo has excelled at defending the perimeter. The Bulls rank 3rd-best nationally in three-point percentage allowed and 58th in three-point attempt rate. Above the arc is where Toledo prefers to operate. |
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02-19-21 | South Dakota State v. North Dakota State +1 | 68-67 | Push | 0 | 11 h 33 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units South Dakota State suffered a big loss this week when it was announced that starting guard Noah Freidel was opting out of the season. Friedel, a two year starter opting out, results in the loss of one of the Jackrabbits best shooters and more reliable players. They’ll look to re-gather on the road in a rivalry spot against an experienced North Dakota State team. The Bison are the best team in the Summit League at defending the three-point line, which can offset a major part of South Dakota State’s attack. |
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02-19-21 | Pistons v. Grizzlies -5 | Top | 95-109 | Win | 100 | 10 h 41 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day These cannot be pleasant times in Detroit. The team has decided to shut down Blake Griffin until they can move him. The Pistons are 19th or worse in scoring, allowing points, rebounding and assists. In Chicago on Wednesday, the Pistons allowed the Bulls to rally and win. It probably is not a lot of fun playing for Detroit these days. Jerami Grant shot the ball 25 times against Chicago. The rest of the team only got 57 shot attempts. Memphis has some quality wins to boast about against teams like Philly, Brooklyn and Phoenix. They lead the league in assists. In the win against OKC on Wednesday they forced 18 turnovers. Grayson Allen has picked up his production for the Grizzlies scoring his average or better in 5 of the last 6 games including a 22-point outburst on Wednesday. Consider that Detroit is 5-16 ATS in the last 21 meetings vs Memphis |
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02-19-21 | Marist +8.5 v. St. Peter's | 54-59 | Win | 100 | 10 h 56 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units John Dunne, Marist head coach, came to the Red Foxes directly from a 12-year stint at Saint Peter’s. It took him a while, but after four straight losses with a sub-par roster, Marist won the most recent meeting last season. They thought we’d forget about this fact after their series from Feb. 6-7 got virused-out. But we remember. Marist hasn’t played since Jan. 31 but it’s an easy prep for the coaching staff and Saint Peter’s would shoot erratically if they played every danged day. |
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02-19-21 | Panthers -176 v. Red Wings | 7-2 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Florida Panthers can thank the Detroit Red Wings for contributing to their strong road start. They've actually fared quite well at Detroit over the years. Looking to match a club record with at least one point in each of their first seven road contests, the surging Panthers aim for a fifth consecutive away victory over the struggling Red Wings on Friday night. Florida's among the NHL's top teams through the first month of the season with 10 wins and 22 points through 14 games, largely because of its 5-0-1 road mark. The Panthers earned points in their first seven road games (4-0-3) in 1996-97. Florida's current four-game road winning streak began with 3-2 wins at Detroit on Jan. 30-31. Since November 2009, the Panthers are 14-2-1 at Detroit. Huberdeau has two goals with 11 assists in 13 career games at Detroit, and 13 points during his last eight against the Wings overall. |
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02-19-21 | Robert Morris v. Detroit -9 | Top | 74-85 | Win | 100 | 8 h 8 m | Show |
Horizon League Play of the Day After being 2-5 in Horizon League play, the Titans have gone 6-1 since. The only loss in the stretch was on a back-to-back at Cleveland State on Saturday after winning the first game. Detroit leans heavily on star guard Antoine Davis, and for good reason. The 6’1 junior has totaled at least 23 points in nine straight games. Davis is shooting 42.3% from long range during conference play. Robert Morris is a team that is likely going to begin to feel the impact of losing top player, 6’’7 senior A.J. Bramah to an opt out last week. Consider that Robert Morris is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss and 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog. |
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02-18-21 | Colorado v. Oregon -3 | Top | 56-60 | Win | 100 | 11 h 5 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit PAC-12 Play of the Day As Dana Altman’s teams often do, the Ducks are starting to peak at the right time. Oregon has won three in a row, including an impressive sweep of the Arizona schools last weekend in the Pac 12. Oregon has welcomed back point guard Will Richardson from injury, and that has made a world of difference for the Ducks. Now playing off of Richardson, Rutgers transfer Eugene Omoruyi, has totaled 62 points in the last three games, which is no coincidence. Omoruyi’s tough and physical presence on the perimeter is a difficult matchup for a Colorado team that recently allowed 1.09 points per possession in a loss to California. Consider that Colorado is 18-43-1 ATS in their last 62 games as a road underdog. |
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02-18-21 | Heat v. Kings +1 | 118-110 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 51 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The long, Western excursion of the worst point spread team in the NBA- somebody else’s 8-19-2 ATS Miami Heat -- continues with this second of back-to-backs, off last night’s brutal blowing of a big lead and subsequent overtime loss at Golden State. It’s as if whoever drew up the schedule hates Miami, given that the Kings enter with two rest days and angried up off four straight home losses. Who loses four straight home games after they go 3-1 on an Eastern trip? Only the Kings, right? They should be fully focused and it’s a turnabout situation for when they played at Miami in their own second of back-to-backs on Jan. 30 (w/Heat rested), losing just 105-104. Maybe it’s too obvious and doesn’t factor Sacramento’s habitual screw-up tendencies into the decision, but when the league’s most overrated team drags its losing butt into town 24 hours after the latest non-cover |
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02-18-21 | Rutgers +9 v. Michigan | 64-71 | Win | 100 | 9 h 59 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Rutgers, a near double digit underdog, has started to capture what made them the talk of the Big 10 through Christmas this season. The Scarlet Knights have gotten past a rough patch and have won five of six games, covering the spread in four of those outings. Rutgers’ stout interior play offers a challenge for a Michigan team that has bullied opposing frontcourts most of the season. Rutgers 3rd ranked two-point percentage defense in Big 10 play should prove helpful. |
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02-18-21 | Arizona +2 v. UCLA | Top | 60-74 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit CBB Upset of the Day If Arizona cannot participate in the post-season (they can’t, they won’t), then, while a regular-season Pac 12 title is still mathematically possible, weeping Arizona State (done!) and beating UCLA are pretty high on the list of goals. “I told you guys we were not a juggernaut,” said Bruins’ head coach Mick Cronin recently about his down-trending bunch. The Wildcats lost 81-75 to the Bruins on Jan. 9 and although head coach Sean Miller would have people believe otherwise, they’re in better shape than UCLA is right now. Consider that UCLA is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss, 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win, and 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite |
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02-18-21 | BYU v. Pacific +5.5 | 80-52 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 54 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Provo people are hyping the fact that BYU has never lost back-to-back games in the era of head coach Mark Pope. That era began only last year and there’s a first time for everything. They’re off an 11-point loss at Gonzaga, a fair enough effort but so what? In a second game in three nights, at high Provo, UT altitude on Jan. 30, Pacific took the Cougars to double-overtime before backing down. It was 64-64 after 40 minutes. Defense-and-rebounding home dog with revenge on national television (CBS cable). |
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02-18-21 | Raptors v. Bucks -6 | 110-96 | Loss | -104 | 7 h 28 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Familiarity breeds contempt and these teams may have that feeling since they just played on Tuesday. Toronto’s Kyle Lowry had to exit the game in the third quarter. Look for Milwaukee to be primed to pay back the Raptors for just beating them. The Bucks have to do a better job on Fred VanVleet, who is having a career year and Milwaukee has to play more up-tempo. Look for Khris Middleton to be aggressive after he scored just 11 points Tuesday and had 0 assists. This season he is averaging 20 points, 6 boards and 6 assists. |
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02-18-21 | Sabres v. Capitals -151 | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 7 h 22 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units With much of their regular lineup finally back, the Capitals snapped their losing streak Tuesday with a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Washington collected a season-high 42 shots in the victory while rookie goalie Vitek Vanecek stopped 26 of 27 shots. Nicklas Backstrom recorded an assist for his team-leading 19th point of the season. The forward has two goals and four assists over the course of a four-game points streak. Washington is 3-0-1 in four previous meetings with Buffalo this season. Vanecek has delivered some of his best work against the Sabres, going 2-0-1 with a .934 save percentage and 2.21 goals against average in three games. Vanecek is likely to make his 12th consecutive start on Thursday, as Washington has relied on the rookie while Ilya Samsonov continues to recover from a COVID-19 diagnosis. Dating back to the 2014-15 season, the Capitals hold a 15-3-2 record in their last 20 games against the Sabres. |
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02-18-21 | Devils v. Bruins -201 | 3-2 | Loss | -201 | 7 h 17 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Devils face the well-rested Bruins, who are unlikely to be in a very good mood after absorbing just their second regulation loss of the season Saturday. Boston is 0-2-0 against the Islanders and 10-0-2 against everyone else. The Bruins entered Wednesday with the most points in the Eastern Conference, but their fast start has come in spite of a sputtering offense. Boston has scored 12 of its 42 goals via the power play but is 0-for-10 in power-play chances the past four games, a span in which it has scored just eight goals overall. The four days off between games allowed head coach Bruce Cassidy to tinker with the Bruins' lines. During practice Monday, Cassidy placed Jake DeBrusk on the top line in place of David Pastrnak, who skated on the second line. Pastrnak is tied for second on the Bruins with three even-strength goals and tied for fourth with 10 points, but Cassidy said he hoped the shuffling would have a trickle-down effect. DeBrusk has yet to score in nine games after collecting 19 goals in 65 regular-season games last year. |
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02-18-21 | Iowa +2.5 v. Wisconsin | 77-62 | Win | 100 | 7 h 57 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Iowa has looked more like itself lately, rolling to a 13 point win over Rutgers and winning by a 30 point margin at Michigan State. The Hawkeyes offense produced 1.21 and 1.30 points per possession in the two victories. That level of offensive output will be tough for a struggling Badgers offense to keep pace with. Wisconsin now ranks 242nd nationally in two-point percentage. A disappointing senior season for big man Nate Reuvers will not help the Badgers case in trying to slow down Luka Garza |
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02-17-21 | Jets v. Oilers OVER 6.5 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 31 m | Show |
Rating: 20 Unit NHL Total of the Year The over is 5-1-1 in Oilers last 7 vs. a team with a winning record, 4-1 in Oilers last 5 home games, and 7-3 in Oilers last 10 games as a home favorite. In addition, the over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings. |
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02-17-21 | Minnesota v. Indiana -6 | Top | 72-82 | Win | 100 | 10 h 19 m | Show |
Big-10 Play of the Day Minnesota’s road struggles have continued, as they now stand at 1-6 against the spread during Big 10 play. Making matters worse is that the Gophers could possibly be without starting center Liam Robbins on Wednesday. At best, Robbins will be limited, putting the Gophers in a tough spot when going against Indiana star big man Trayce Jackson-Davis. Indiana will be in a much better spot at home after playing the last two games on the road. Indiana’s letdown against Ohio State on Saturday was a reasonable one, considering the quality of Ohio State and the Hoosiers coming off of a double overtime win at Northwestern |
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02-17-21 | South Carolina v. Tennessee -11.5 | 73-93 | Win | 100 | 10 h 16 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Tennessee will benefit from a short-handed South Carolina roster on Wednesday night. The Gamecocks will be without starting guard Jermaine Cousinard and forward Justin Minaya. Those two starters account for the second and third most minutes on an already struggling South Carolina team. Tennessee and freshman guards Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson will also present an issue for a Gamecock defense that has not been able to stop anyone off the dribble this season. |
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02-17-21 | Duke v. Wake Forest +7 | 84-60 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 44 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Wake Forest enters as a two possession underdog on Wednesday, and the Demon Deacons have proven they can be plenty competitive in year one under Steve Forbes. Wake Forest is perhaps still a bit undervalued as they’ve compiled a 9-3 record against the spread in ACC play. Forbes found his offense to really perform at a high level this past week against Florida State. Said Forbes, “Offensively, I thought we really had them messed up. We were cutting and screening, running motion. They had a really hard time guarding it. I thought we were moving the ball.” |
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02-17-21 | Pistons +3 v. Bulls | 102-105 | Push | 0 | 9 h 14 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units An unforgiving February schedule for Chicago -- with Lauri Maarkenen out and Wendell Carter not quite in game-shape after returning from his injury absence -- just got harder with the late mandate to play this game on what had been scheduled as an off-day. The Pistons are probably quite happy to have avoided a Texas trip into disease and icy disaster, with this short jaunt to Chicago in its place. Dwayne Casey is a good coach and playing without Blake Griffin gives him an opportunity to get creative, and to spread minutes around to pros hungry for opportunity. |
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02-17-21 | Blackhawks -131 v. Red Wings | 2-0 | Win | 100 | 9 h 8 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Chicago Blackhawks got off to a slow start this season, but they're working overtime to make up for it. The Blackhawks are 6-1-1 in their past eight games, with four overtime victories, entering Wednesday night's back end of a two-game series at Detroit. Chicago opened a six-game trip with a 3-2 victory against the Red Wings on Monday as Dominik Kubalik scored his second goal of the game with 17 seconds remaining in OT. Chicago leads 3-0 in the season series between the teams. The Blackhawks lead the league in games that end in extra time, with six games decided in overtime and two more in a shootout. Consider that Detroit is 14-54 in their last 68 overall. |
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02-17-21 | Rockets v. 76ers -10.5 | Top | 113-118 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 35 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Mismatch of the Day Following an initial uptick period in which the Houston players were happy to be rid of James Harden and determined to show the world that they could compete without him, it appears that the energy level has dropped, opponents have scouted them well, too many guys are injured and the honeymoon period is over. “It’s only gonna get worse before it gets better. Give it time. Whole new system, coaching and players. Let everything sink in,” says one seemingly level-headed observer. The absence of Christian Wood didn’t seem like it would be followed by road losses by 20, 29, 22 and 12 points at losing teams Charlotte, New Orleans, New York and Washington. But they were, with home losses to San Antonio and Miami thrown in for good measure. Consider that Houston is 7-23 ATS in their last 30 games playing on 1 days rest. |
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02-17-21 | Knicks -4 v. Magic | Top | 89-107 | Loss | -107 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day When teams play a lot of one-on-one basketball, things can go awry. Orlando is not only 27th in assists but only two clubs put up fewer points nightly. Orlando’s Cole Anthony is gone and Evan Fournier, James Ennis and Al-Farouq Aminu are all iffy for this game. Break up the Knicks. They have won 3 of 5 and 5 of 7 and they are finally putting points on the board. With center Mitchell Robinson sidelined with a hand issue, New York has been forced to go small and it has worked of late. In the Monday win over Atlanta the New York combination of guards accounted for 57 points. Consider that Orlando is 6-20-2 ATS in their last 28 games as a home underdog. |
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02-17-21 | Marquette v. Butler -2 | Top | 73-57 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 54 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Big East Play of the Day After Marquette won the prior meeting 70-67 at home on Feb. 2, Butler had to be kicking themselves because they got 21 turnovers, made only 9 themselves, sank only 13 of 25 free throws while Marquette was shooting a not-likely-to-be repeated 61.5% on field goals. Marquette played badly enough to lose, but didn’t. But they’ve lost all three games since! |
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02-16-21 | Xavier v. St. John's -1 | Top | 84-93 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Big East Play of the Day Xavier looked out of sorts in their return to the floor on Saturday, losing at home to UConn. Xavier has only played two games since January 10th and now have to deal with a relentless St. John’s team that has been surging. St. John’s will certainly look to wear down the Musketeers and their ability to sustain pressure over the course of 40 minutes should make a difference. Prior to the second half of their game against Butler, the Red Storm had been on fire. St. John’s now gets to return home after having been on the road for four of their last five games. Consider that St. Johns is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall and 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. |
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02-16-21 | Blazers -5 v. Thunder | Top | 115-104 | Win | 100 | 8 h 9 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day Oklahoma City just shocked the Milwaukee Bucks but they caught a tired team that was at the end of a 6-game road trip. OKC is in the bottom third of the league in allowing points and only 4 teams overall score fewer points nightly. This is a ‘payback’ game for the Blazers. They lost to OKC last month but there were excuses. They were playing the second of a back-to-back game and Damian Lillard had a poor shooting night going just 8 for 22 from the field. Consider that Portland is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game, 5-1 ATS in their last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game, and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win. |
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02-16-21 | Capitals v. Penguins OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -117 | 7 h 37 m | Show |
Rating: 10 Unit 10* NHL Total of the Month The over is 18-7-2 in Capitals last 27 Tuesday games and 27-11-1 in Capitals last 39 vs. a team with a winning record. While the over is 8-1 in Penguins last 9 games as a favorite and 4-1 in Penguins last 5 overall. In addition the over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in Pittsburgh and 7-0 in the last 7 meetings. |
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02-16-21 | Missouri v. Georgia +3.5 | 70-80 | Win | 100 | 7 h 55 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Missouri big man Jeremiah Tilmon will miss his second game in a row on Tuesday night against Georgia. Without their big man, Missouri loses their identity, as they prefer to play through Tilmon often. Georgia will be fortunate to not see the size Missouri normally possesses, as the Bulldogs often struggle against bigger and more physical post players. Now without Tilmon’s presence, Georgia can get out and run and not have to worry about how to defend the post or finish over length. |
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02-16-21 | Dayton +3.5 v. Rhode Island | 89-91 | Win | 100 | 7 h 53 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Dayton has played well lately against teams that are not VCU. VCU has shown to have the Flyers number this year, and have been responsible for two of the Flyers three losses since January 6th. Outside of those matchups, Dayton has gone 6-1 against the spread in that timespan. On the other side is a Rhode Island group that looks like a broken team, having lost four games in a row. Rams point guard and leader Fatts Russell is not near 100% and will have his hands full with Dayton guard, Jalen Crutcher. |
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02-16-21 | Iowa State +11.5 v. Oklahoma State | 58-76 | Loss | -117 | 4 h 51 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units At 0-11 in the Big 12, can head coach Steve Prohm get his ISU Cyclones to play as desperate as they did vs. West Virginia, or at Oklahoma and at TCU recently when they lost by only 3-7 points? It might be possible. When they lost 81-60 at home Jan. 25, they were coming off a pause and guard Jalen Coleman-Lands and forwards Solomon Young and Javan Johnson didn’t play. They’re back, representing 98 minutes and 35.0 ppg. |
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02-15-21 | Nets -4 v. Kings | 136-125 | Win | 100 | 12 h 9 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Second of back-to-backs for the Kings after going at it vs. Western Conference rival Memphis last night in a battle of wannabe #8 West seeds clawing at that bottom rung. The rested Nets were probably in their hotel rooms watching it. It’s the first of back-to-backs before Brooklyn flies overnight to Phoenix, where the road trip becomes testier in a Suns-Clippers-Lakers ending. |
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02-15-21 | Blackhawks -134 v. Red Wings | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 60 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Chicago recorded two home victories over Detroit last month by scores of 4-1 and 6-2. At the time, the Wings were missing a handful of players due to the league's health and safety COVID-19 protocols. The lopsided nature of those wins stands out for the Blackhawks, since most of their subsequent games haven't been decided in regulation. Their last three victories have come in overtime, and three of their other 10 games since facing Detroit have gone to overtime or shootouts. Alex DeBrincat scored the game-winner 35 seconds into overtime on Saturday in Chicago's 3-2 home win over Columbus. DeBrincat has collected the decisive goal in three of the Blackhawks' last five outings. Consider that 14-53 in their last 67 overall. |
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02-15-21 | Hawks v. Knicks +2 | 112-123 | Win | 100 | 10 h 44 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Atlanta has lost 6 of 7 and the win in this time frame came against a team that was playing the second of a back-to-back game. When Atlanta lost to the Knicks early in the season they had no answer for Julius Randle. The Knicks have won 4 of 6 and one of the losses in that span was by a bucket to Miami. New York can throw a lot of guards at a team and that should help the play making factor too. In the win over Houston on Saturday, starting point guard Elfrid Payton had 15 on 7 for 11 shooting. Reserve point guards Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley combined for 38 points, 5 boards and 5 assists. |
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02-15-21 | Islanders -125 v. Sabres | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 36 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Immediate success for Buffalo might be tough to come by considering how many important contributors could be missing. The Sabres last lost consecutive games in defeats at Philadelphia on Jan. 19 and a setback at Washington three days later. They are also 2-3-1 at home this season. Buffalo hasn't had much success while amid an 0-2-1 rut against the Islanders, who have won three of their last four games and are 3-0-3 over the last six. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored twice and Jordan Eberle had a goal with an assist as New York posted two third-period goals in a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Consider that Buffalo is 5-12 in their last 17 overall and 2-10 in their last 12 games as an underdog. |
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02-15-21 | Panthers v. Lightning UNDER 6 | Top | 6-4 | Loss | -115 | 3 h 31 m | Show |
Rating: 4 Unit NHL Total of the Day The under is 6-2 in Panthers last 8 road games, 4-1 in Panthers last 5 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game, and 7-3-1 in Panthers last 11 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. While the under is 5-2-1 in Lightning last 8 Monday games. |
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02-15-21 | Virginia v. Florida State -1 | Top | 60-81 | Win | 100 | 9 h 58 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day Florida State’s ability to utilize their versatility on the defensive end should prove beneficial on Monday night. The Seminoles can switch defenders across the board and that creates an issue for a Virginia offense that has gained an advantage by creating matchups with big men Jay Huff and Sam Hauser in the half court. On the offensive end, Florida State’s ability to space the floor and shoot from distance is equally helpful against Virginia’s pack line defense. Florida State is making 38.7% of three-point attempts this season, 15th-best nationally. Florida State is a rare ACC foe that Virginia has struggled with, winning four of the last seven in this series. Consider that Florida State is 15-5-2 ATS in their last 22 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game. |
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02-15-21 | Murray State -11 v. SIU-Edwardsville | 86-57 | Win | 100 | 7 h 55 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units This is Edwardsville’s eighth game of the month of February. That’s too many for a team with no college hoops pedigree. They’re off a 20-point road loss at Jacksonville State. They’ve lost by 28 at Belmont during this stretch, by 15 on this floor vs. Austin Peay. During this stretch, they’ve been able to win against Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech, three of the Ohio Valley slum dogs. Murray State is a penthouse team whose stats say that their record should be better than it is. |
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02-14-21 | Lakers -3 v. Nuggets | Top | 105-122 | Loss | -106 | 11 h 19 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Knockout of the Day The Lakers hit the road after they had mucho trouble with Oklahoma City at home, twice, then didn’t put Memphis away until late. Therefore, they will go to Denver and lose, because they are allegedly "struggling"? Maybe, but we wouldn’t bet on it. Remember – the Lakers scrimmage against opponents like OKC. They tend to play for real against the opponents they really need to measure themselves against. When they meet those opponents on the road, they don’t need to win by as much to get the money for their backers. With Utah hot-hot-hot, leading the West at 21-7, where are these Lakers? Ho-hum, a relative afterthought, a half-game behind, 21-6, poised to take over when the peak-too-soon Jazz begin falling to Earth. |
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02-14-21 | Bucks -11.5 v. Thunder | Top | 109-114 | Loss | -106 | 9 h 27 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Mismatch of the Day Before the Bucks lost a second straight game (and didn’t cover the spread) at Utah, we noted that they were 36-18 ATS when coming off a loss the last two-plus seasons. But we didn’t pick them to cover at Utah because Utah is too good. The "trend" didn’t take into account who they were playing. Tonight, they play off two straight losses and the opponent is not good. However, the opponent is 14-10 ATS, not bad. But most of that "trend" for OKC has been compiled covering road games at larger numbers against opponents who don’t take the Thunder seriously (they’re 11-3 ATS on the road). Off two straight losses (to 21-7 and 16-9 opponents), the Bucks will take them seriously. Also consider that Milwaukee is 17-5 ATS in their last 22 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. |
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02-14-21 | Minnesota v. Maryland -2.5 | Top | 59-72 | Win | 100 | 8 h 6 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day The overall length and athleticism gave the Gophers issues in their first meeting, as the Terps won by a final of 63-49 on the road. Maryland limited Minnesota to 39.1% shooting from two-point distance in the win. Maryland has their back against the wall after losing two in a row and will welcome a Minnesota team that has yet to win a road game this season. While Maryland’s 10-10 record doesn’t look great on paper, they have yet to lose to a team that sits outside of the KenPom Top 50. Consider that Minnesota is also 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games |
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02-14-21 | Wolves v. Raptors -8 | 116-112 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 1 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Minnesota will be without D’Angelo Russell for this game and that is a big problem for the Wolves. The point guard is averaging 19 and 5 dimes a night. Ricky Rubio took his place in the loss Wednesday and Ricky has some explaining to do. He only had 5 points in the game and Ricky only had 5 points Friday in the loss to Charlotte. The Wolves come to Tampa Bay at the wrong time as Toronto will be focused after losing to Boston on Thursday by 14 points. They had won 5 of 6 going into the Thursday outing and they have had time for that loss to set in. The Raptors share the ball and they are in the top 10 in the league in scoring. This is a game they need with the next pair against Milwaukee. |
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02-14-21 | Oregon State +5 v. Arizona State | Top | 73-75 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit PAC-12 Play of the Day The leader of Hurley’s girlies, now 2-12-1 ATS, head coach Bobby, seems to be semi-delusional. After losing by 11 points at home to an Oregon team that’s barely played, he said: “To be that close is a statement to just how hard these kids are playing despite a ton of adversity.” There are teams with only eight available scholarship players who do just fine. And then there’s Arizona State, who was losing games, and money vs. the spread, when they had more of them. Beavers head coach Wayne Tinkle was extremely disappointed at how his players shied away from the paint and chucked the ball at Arizona, while fouling Arizona’s bigs on the other end for a 10-34 disparity in free throw attempts in Thursday’s 9-point loss (but they covered!). He will kick their butts and make sure they go that route in an easier match-up down there. |
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02-14-21 | Bradley v. Missouri State -10 | Top | 57-72 | Win | 100 | 5 h 2 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NCAAB Mismatch of the Day Bradley announced on Saturday that all Elijah Childs, Danya Kingsby, Terry Nolan and Ja’Shon Henry had been suspended for the weekend series against Missouri State. That accounts for three starters and a key reserve for the Braves. Without that group of players, the Braves would trail by 44-24 at the half and lose by 80-58. While the spread has been adjusted for Sunday, it’s likely still too low for a decimated Bradley roster. |
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02-13-21 | Flames -130 v. Canucks | 1-3 | Loss | -130 | 12 h 29 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom has had his way against his old team already this season, and tonight in Vancouver, he hopes the trend continues. Not that the erstwhile Canucks goalie has hard feelings against his former teammates. Quite the opposite. But after signing a six-year, $36 million free agent contract to join the Flames in the offseason, he has been at his best when facing Vancouver. With Markstrom between the pipes, the Flames have won all three meetings so far this season, including a 3-1 affair Thursday night. Markstrom has stopped 90 of 93 shots faced in those contests, one of them a shutout. He was a major factor in the most recent result, even though the Canucks were the better team through two periods. Consider that Calgary is 13-4 in their last 17 games as a favorite while the favorite is 40-19 in the last 59 meetings between these two clubs. |
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02-13-21 | Heat v. Jazz -5 | Top | 94-112 | Win | 100 | 12 h 51 m | Show |
NBA Play of the Day Utah is coming off last night’s signature victory over Milwaukee, but not to worry, as the Jazz are not only 17-1 SU in their last 18, they are 16-2 against the points and have covered 3 of their first 4 chances playing the second night of back-to-back games. Jazz have made 18 treys per game over the past 15 and shot 41% from long range. Still, it’s never easy in the NBA, and Miami has won 4 straight, with Jimmy Butler starting to warm up (23 ppg, 9 rpg, 9 apg in his last 7 games). Utah has won 11 in a row against Eastern Conference teams, with a 10-0-1 spread mark, so all things considered, just lay the points. |
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02-13-21 | Lightning v. Panthers OVER 5.5 | Top | 6-1 | Win | 100 | 5 h 8 m | Show |
NHL Total of the Day The over is 6-1 in Lightning last 7 games playing on 1 days rest, 4-1-1 in Lightning last 6 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game and 46-22-4 in Lightning last 72 Saturday games. While the over is 18-7-1 in Panthers last 26 Saturday games, 36-16-1 in Panthers last 53 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game, and 41-20-4 in Panthers last 65 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game. |
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02-13-21 | SE Missouri State v. Austin Peay -10 | 63-78 | Win | 100 | 8 h 35 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Murray State-Austin Peay weekend road continuum is a tough deal for Ohio Valley also rans when there is one day in between games. When the visit to Austin Peay becomes the second of back-to-backs, Friday-Saturday, after playing at Murray State the night before, it gets a lot harder despite the relatively short bus trip (80 minutes) from one place to the next. SEMO dropped the second game of this trip by 22, 18 points the last two seasons. |
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02-13-21 | Arkansas +3.5 v. Missouri | 86-81 | Win | 100 | 6 h 38 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Razorbacks haven’t won two straight on the SEC road since 2016-17, when they played three games in the NCAA Tournament. Off the 1-point win at Kentucky on Wednesday, they come to Cuonzo’s place with the #10-ranked Tigers of Missouri coming home off an embarrassing loss at Ole Miss. Mizzou won 81-65 at Arkansas when the Razorbacks played mostly with four guards in the absence of forward Justin Smith. Adjustments from that game are all for Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman, who notes that “We had two guys go 1-for-21” on a day they nevertheless got 21 turnovers, 11 made by two of Missouri’s starting guards. He’ll no doubt take a cue from Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis, who, following his team’s 80-59 win vs. the Tigers, said, “You can’t let Missouri play downhill.” |
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02-13-21 | Senators v. Jets -220 | 2-1 | Loss | -220 | 5 h 26 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Winnipeg Jets have defeated the Ottawa Senators four times in as many meetings this season. But to hear the Jets tell it, they'll have to be at their best when the teams wrap up a two-game series this afternoon in Winnipeg. The Jets won the opener 5-1 on Thursday as Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves and Paul Stastny and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist. Captain Blake Wheeler, Mathieu Perreault and defenseman Neal Pionk also scored for Winnipeg and Mark Scheifele had two assists. Consider that Ottawa is 12-48 in their last 60 road games. |
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02-13-21 | 76ers v. Suns +1 | 111-120 | Win | 100 | 5 h 38 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Told ya’ the 76ers would not get revenge in Portland. Merely sticking Ben Simmons into a game against an opponent that beat them the last time they met is not the way it works. Here, Philadelphia tackles another winning team out West. The Sixers are 11-2 home, 7-6 on the road. Milwaukee, who they lead by 2 games atop the East, and who has a +9.5 scoring differential (compared to Philly’s +3.8), couldn’t win here earlier in the week. So, why should Philly win against a 15-9 SU and ATS home side that has been playing consistently good defense, contrary to the ol’ Suns basketball brand? |
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02-13-21 | Iowa v. Michigan State +5 | 88-58 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 11 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The fact that Iowa could not kill Michigan State in their first meeting -- when the situation dictated that the Hawkeyes should have a very fine opportunity to do so -- would seem to bode poorly for them as they enter the return match in Sparty-land. Michigan State is 10-7, with zero (0) wins against anyone ranked. Their ownership of Iowa is causing us to think they have a chance. And we know that they’re 4-13 ATS, so shame on us if you know what |
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02-13-21 | Tennessee -2.5 v. LSU | Top | 65-78 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 52 m | Show |
SEC Game of the Week No. 16 Tennessee and LSU are both part of a tight battle for second place in the SEC as they prepare to meet Saturday in Baton Rouge, La. The Volunteers (14-4) and the Tigers (12-6) are 7-4 in league play as is Arkansas. Missouri and Florida are 6-4. First-place Alabama is 11-1. The Volunteers held a 44-26 halftime lead against Georgia and led by as many as 23 points in the second half before a sloppy finish. Barnes said he thinks Yves Pons, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year who has led the Vols in scoring in each of the last five games in which he played, will return from a knee injury that sidelined him against Georgia and play against LSU. Consider that LSU is 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games as a home underdog. |
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02-13-21 | Northern Illinois v. Kent State -15 | 58-80 | Win | 100 | 4 h 43 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Northern Ill is 2-10 overall, 1-6 in the MAC, hasn’t played since losing by 20 points at Ball State on Jan. 16. They average a mere 59.4 ppg, with a -4.5 Assist/Turnover ratio, 39.8% field goal shooting and a low 62.4% free-throw percentage. They’ve played four MAC road games so far, and trailed them all at halftime by margins of 14, 11, 16, and 15 points. Hey, other than all that, they’re fine! |
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02-13-21 | Canisius +1.5 v. Quinnipiac | 89-70 | Win | 100 | 3 h 46 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Your host lumbered out to a 19-6 lead against the visiting Post-Pause Puppies after 12 minutes yesterday afternoon, as Canisius was shooting 2-for-23. This was to be expected! But Quinnipiac already had 7 team fouls at that point, because they’re really not very good, shoot bricks from all angles and do things like take lane violations on free throws. They’d go on to lose the game 74-67. Therefore, we now have… an anger play! Against Quinnipiac! Because they’re not good, and because we should have known better with Mike Dunleavy’s son and Tom Pecora on the same home coaching staff, and because Canisius won’t open the game shooting 2-for-23 off a layoff this time |
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02-12-21 | Blues -126 v. Coyotes | 4-1 | Win | 100 | 7 h 14 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units With Robert Thomas sidlelined by a broken thumb, Berube moved checkers Ivan Barbashev and Oskar Sundqvist into scoring-line roles and added physical winger Mackenzie MacEachern to Monday's lineup. The Blues looked more like their old selves as a result. They put 43 shots on goal at one end and blocked 28 at the other. They picked up their physical play and recorded 21 hits. Captain Ryan O'Reilly scored two goals and added an assist in that game, giving him six points in his last five games. David Perron has five points in his last five games. Consider that St. Louis is 20-7 in their last 27 in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation and 10-3 in the last 13 meetings in Arizona. |
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02-12-21 | Thunder v. Nuggets -11.5 | Top | 95-97 | Loss | -111 | 11 h 8 m | Show |
NBA Play of the Day The Nuggets ended a three-game losing streak by pummeling bottom-dweller Cleveland. Another bottom-dwelling foe makes the climb to 5,280 feet elevation preparing to be swallowed by a still-hungry bottom feeder that will take them seriously, unlike the Lakers, who use a team like OKC to work on their games and practice winning the close ones. Off two overtime losses vs. the scrimmaging Lakers, this doesn’t seem like a good spot for the depth-shy visitor. Consider that Oklahoma City is 1-12 ATS in the last 13 meetings. |
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02-12-21 | Bucks v. Jazz -3 | 115-129 | Win | 100 | 11 h 6 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units It’s a match-up of the teams with the NBA’s two highest power ratings. Utah is the hottest team in the league, of course. But they figure to be laying a trey or more against a high-quality foe, never their best scenario. Bucks off a loss: 36-18 ATS since beginning of 2018-19 season. But how many times were they playing a road game against the NBA’s best-record team that entered the game 16-1 SU and 15-2 ATS last 17 games? Aha. Not once. |
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02-12-21 | Georgia Tech +3.5 v. Clemson | Top | 72-74 | Win | 100 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
ACC Play of the Day “No. 20 Clemson falls at Georgia Tech,” said a headline from Jan. 20. If they’d asked us, we’d have told them that the Tigers were beaten by the better team. “Number 20. Ha. Who they kiddin’? “The Tigers won the rebounding battle 28-18 and racked up 30 points in the paint,” they wrote. “The Tigers also collected 17 bench points and 16 assists.” Hey, they lost the game 83-65! The Yellow Jackets shot the lights out but even if they don’t do that again, we’ll take point guard Juan Alvarado making his way through Clemson’s D in a near pick’em. Consider that Georgia Tech is 22-9 ATS in their last 31 games following a ATS loss. |
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02-12-21 | Pelicans +3 v. Mavs | 130-143 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 40 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Mavericks delivered as promised on Wednesday night, dropping to 1-9 ATS on their home floor winning and failing to cover vs. Atlanta, pretty much as expected although it would have nice for the Hawks to get the straight-up win and not lose by 1 point. After scoring 120 points twice in their first 15 games, the Pelicans have scored 123 or more four times in their last nine. “I’ve had zero to do with that,” says head coach Stan Van Gundy. We believe that! “Our guys have just gotten comfortable playing together. We’re making plays for each other. We’re getting higher quality shots.” Alrighty, then. Off a losing visit to an Eastern Conference team (Chicago) in which the Bulls had two quarters of 40+ points (Hello? From what butt was that pulled?), the Law of Averages -- considering Dallas has the worst 3-point percentage in the league -- should swing the visitors’ way tonight. |
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02-12-21 | Bruins -171 v. Rangers | 1-0 | Win | 100 | 5 h 17 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Boston is 8-2 in their last 10 vs. a team with a losing record, 37-14 in their last 51 games following a win, and 57-25 in their last 82 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game. While New York is 9-20 in their last 29 vs. a team with a winning % above .600, 11-27 in their last 38 Friday games, and 4-12 in their last 16 overall. In addition, the favorite is 20-8 in the last 28 meetings. |
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02-12-21 | Canisius v. Quinnipiac -4.5 | 74-67 | Loss | -110 | 1 h 1 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Welcome back, Canisius! Unable to play since Jan. 3. For their tribulations, they are asked to make just about the longest possible in-conference trip, from their Buffalo, NY home all the way down to southern Connecticut to face an opponent giving up less than 1.0 points per possession in MAAC play. ‘The wheels on the bus go round and round…’ Good luck! |
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02-11-21 | 76ers v. Blazers +5.5 | 114-118 | Win | 100 | 8 h 15 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Philly won its 11th game in its last 14 starts at Sacramento on Tuesday, with Joel Embiid scoring 25 pts. and grabbing 17 boards. Embiid has scored 34 ppg and taken 10.4 rpg while shooting 56% in his last 9 games, including scoring 37 a week ago in Philly against Portland in a 121-105 home loss to the Blazers. Portland was without Damian Lillard as well as previously injured CJ McCollum (still out indefinitely). Lillard has scored 32 ppg in his last 12, and has dished 8 assists a game, and Gary Trent heads four other Blazers contributing DDs. One of those is backup C Enes Kanter, who outboarded Embiid 18-5 in the win in Philly to lead the Blazers to a 53-37 edge off the glass. Sixers will be looking for revenge, but number seems high. |
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02-11-21 | Ducks v. Golden Knights -215 | 1-0 | Loss | -215 | 10 h 38 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Vegas Golden Knights, who have yet to lose in regulation at home this season, will look to try and complete a sweep of its two-game series with the Anaheim Ducks tonight in Las Vegas. Vegas improved to 7-0-1 at home with a wild 5-4 victory on Tuesday night, blowing a three-goal lead in the third period before defenseman Zach Whitecloud, with the aid of a screen by Ryan Reaves, scored the winner with 3:56 remaining on a rebound of a William Carrier shot. It was the third straight victory for the Golden Knights, who improved to 8-1-1 overall, the best 10-game start in franchise history. The only regulation loss came at Arizona, 5-2 on Jan. 22, with the only home setback four nights later to the St. Louis Blues, 5-4 in a shootout. Consider that Vegas is 21-6 in their last 27 games as a home favorite. |
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02-11-21 | Magic v. Warriors -7.5 | 105-111 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Orlando training room looking like a M*A*S*H unit these days, with injuries to Gordon, Fournier, Anthony, Fultz, Aminu and Carter-Williams stripping HC Steve Clifford’s dance card. Aminu and Fournier could be available for this one, but the Magic are just 3-13 since promising start through first week of January. Golden State returning home after splitting a pair in Dallas against the Mavs and then another set with the Spurs in San Antonio. Now the Warriors have 4 straight at the Chase Center beginning with very beatable Orlando. Steph Curry has been rocking since Christmas and has scored 32 or more in 5 straight games, averaging 37 ppg and shooting 58% overall and 50% from beyond the arc in his last 5, and he’s still getting some nice help from Kelly Oubre Jr. (20 ppg L5) and Andrew Wiggins. Warriors covered 4 straight as chalk; Magic dropped 6 of L7 as a dog. |
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02-11-21 | Senators v. Jets -200 | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 8 h 33 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Ehlers found the net in all three meetings with Ottawa this season, including scoring in overtime to lift Winnipeg to a 4-3 victory on Jan. 19. Ehlers collected a goal and an assist in both the Jets' 4-1 win over the Senators two nights later and their 6-3 triumph on Jan. 23. "(Ehlers is) gifted. ... He's got all the tools," said Andrew Copp, who set up both of Ehlers' goals on Tuesday. "If we can continue to get better as a line, find that rhythm, as a line we can be really dangerous." Mark Scheifele extended his point streak to four games (two goals, three assists) after setting up Ehlers' second goal against the Flames. Scheifele boosted his club-best totals in assists (10) and points (15) by notching five assists and seven points in the three encounters with Ottawa last month. The struggling Senators showed heart on Tuesday before dropping a 3-2 decision to the Edmonton Oilers, marking their third straight loss and 12th in the last 13 games (1-11-1). Ottawa held a 42-22 edge in shots, including 30-10 over the last two periods. Consider that Ottawa is 5-21 in their last 26 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. |
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02-11-21 | Red Wings v. Predators -168 | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 7 h 28 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Red Wings, who finished with the worst record in the NHL last season, handed Florida its first regulation loss of the season Sunday and lost by a narrow 2-1 margin to the host Panthers on Tuesday, with the game decided by a fluke goal that bounced off an attacker's shoulder and into the net. The Red Wings remain in last place in the Central Division but have a chance to get out of the cellar when they wrap up a six-game trip with a two-game series at seventh-place Nashville. Detroit coach Jeff Blashill was pleased with the defensive effort but is looking for more consistency on the offensive end. The Red Wings have scored just seven goals through the first four games of their trip, with four of those coming in Sunday's victory. They have scored a lone goal in the three other games. Consider that Detroit is 13-52 in their last 65 overall. |
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02-11-21 | Oregon State +12 v. Arizona | 61-70 | Win | 100 | 6 h 27 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Beavers lost 98-74 to Arizona at home, when OSU was coming off a pause. Arizona freshman guard Benn Mathurin scored 31 points in that game. “He’s no longer an unmarked freshman,” says his head coach, Sean Miller. “So the scouting report (changes) and the defense will try to take away certain things that we do for him and that he’s very good at.” Aha. |
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02-11-21 | Louisiana-Monroe v. UL - Lafayette -9 | Top | 72-66 | Loss | -104 | 6 h 24 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit CBB Play of the Day The visitor has lost 10 straight and scored from 49 to 63 points in the last six. This is their fifth straight road game, prior to a home re-hook with ULL in two nights. Bob Marlin’s Ragin Cajuns are coming home off a pair of road losses at Arkansas State by 8 and 6 points. In the second, a back-to-back, they trailed 46-29 at haltime but ‘won’ the second half 48-37. Ah, some momentum to ride on, outta that loss and into the winner’s circle again. Consider that UL Monroe is 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. while the home team is 4-0 ATS L4 meetings |
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02-11-21 | Lightning v. Panthers OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 3 h 27 m | Show |
Rating: 5 Unit NHL Total of the Week The over is 7-3-1 in Lightning last 11 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game, 7-3 in Lightning last 10 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game, and 7-3-2 in Lightning last 12 games following a win. While the over is 21-7 in Panthers last 28 Thursday games, 8-3-2 in Panthers last 13 games a home underdog, and 35-16-1 in Panthers last 52 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game. In addition, the over is 39-18 in the last 57 meetings between these two teams. |
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02-11-21 | Iowa State +15 v. Kansas | 64-97 | Loss | -105 | 3 h 43 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units A 78-66 win over Oklahoma State on Monday was a great sign that there are brighter days ahead, but the Jayhawks must still close against Texas Tech, Texas and Baylor before the conference tournament even rolls around. All five KU starters scored in double-figures on Monday, led by center David McCormack’s 23 points and 10 boards. Freshman forward Jalen Wilson and sophomore guard Christian Braun recorded double-doubles and the defense held the Cowboys to 35 percent shooting. If Kansas can replicate that, it will be dangerous come March regardless of where it finishes in the Big 12. If it can’t, games like these against an Iowa State team that has overcome a COVID outbreak and is back intact as a dangerous spoiler that nearly won at Oklahoma an should’ve beaten TCU won’t be gimmes. The Cyclones have dropped eight consecutive games but Self is calling this the “biggest weekend of the season.” He’s trying to make sure his team is prepared for taking a stiff punch from a 15-point underdog that is much better than their record indicates and has nothing to lose as it takes back-to-back shots at the struggling conference power. |
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02-10-21 | Pelicans -2.5 v. Bulls | Top | 116-129 | Loss | -108 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day The Bulls will be without two 7-footers, Lauri Maarkenen and Wendell Carter. Otto Porter has been out for the last four games, too. Are you excited about backing a starting group of Patrick Williams, Daniel Gafford, Coby (I Barely Played One Season of College Basketball) White, Denzel Valentine and Zach LaVine, with Thaddeus Young, Cristiano Felicio, Ryan Arcidiacono, Garrett Temple and Tomas Satoransky coming off the bench? If so, then why? Consider that New Orleans is 23-8 ATS in their last 31 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400. |
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02-10-21 | Hawks +4 v. Mavs | 117-118 | Win | 100 | 6 h 2 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units We thought Atlanta would beat this Mavericks team at home last week. Didn’t happen. They sat Trae Young on us with no notice given. Is this a mulligan we can hit straight and true? Dallas has been one of the most overrated teams in the NBA so far at 10-15 ATS. The bulk of that “disappointment” has occurred on this floor, where the Mavericks are 1-8 ATS laying points. If Atlanta can’t make this situation work – three days off since they last played, the better to target revenge from only one week ago – then we can just dislike them intensely and wish them the worst, until the next time they look like the right side. |
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02-10-21 | Houston -12.5 v. South Florida | Top | 82-65 | Win | 100 | 5 h 46 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit CBB Play of the Day South Florida is coming off a program pause, first game since Jan. 9. For their first assignment after it, they are forced to travel to the nation’s #8-ranked team, whose starters are coming off a loss at East Carolina. Kelvin Sampson didn’t play the “A” group in the next game, against NAIA’s Our Lady of the Lake. This means that five guys who’ve made serious contributions to a 16-2 team allowing only 57.5 points per game are playing for the first time since a ‘shocking’ defeat, and will be out to redeem themselves against a rusty foe that scored only 57, 68, 51, 69 points in its four games prior to the pause. Consider that UCF is 17-35-1 ATS in their last 53 Wednesday games. |
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02-10-21 | Wichita State -2 v. UCF | 61-60 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 37 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Houston (16-2) is 10-2 in AAC play and unlikely to be challenged for the regular season title. However, Wichita St has quietly moved to 11-4 and 7-2 in AAC play. Wichita St's season was marred before it got started, as head coach Gregg Marshall resigned as coach of Wichita State after multiple allegations of verbal and physical abuse spanning years on November 17, 2020. Marshall's success started at Winthrop (seven NCAA berths in nine years) and continued at Wichita St, winning the NIT title in 2011 then winning 30-plus games in three straight seasons, including a Final 4 appearance in 2013. Lead assistant Isaac Brown was named interim head coach. Wichita State has the same number of league defeats as No. 8-ranked Houston but the Shockers aren't drawing votes for the top-25 but are building their credentials for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. They've won 10 of their last 12 and will make it 11 of 13 in this winnable game at UCF. Consider that Wichita State is 40-17-1 ATS in their last 58 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record. |
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02-10-21 | Virginia v. Georgia Tech +4.5 | 57-49 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 18 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The tallest and smallest players on the roster helped the Cavaliers (13-3, 9-1 ACC) hold off the Yellow Jackets (9-6, 5-4) in a 64-62 victory on Jan. 23 at Charlottesville, Va. Virginia guard Kihei Clark missed his first eight shots in that game and finished 1 of 10 from the field, but the one bucket by the 5-foot-9 junior was a doozy. His short jumper with 68 seconds left provided the final points of the game. The Yellow Jackets were in another battle Saturday against Notre Dame, this time pulling out an 82-80 victory and improving their home record to 8-2. Georgia Tech overcame a 50-35 halftime deficit against the Fighting Irish, with Michael Devoe scoring 14 of his 19 points in the second half to fuel the rally. Alvarado also scored 19 points and added six rebounds, six steals and five assists. Consider that Georgia Tech is 50-24 ATS in their last 74 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. |
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02-09-21 | Celtics v. Jazz -6 | Top | 108-122 | Win | 100 | 7 h 9 m | Show |
Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day The hottest team in the NBA takes the court for the first time since a 3-0 road trip raised the recent run to 15-1 SU, 14-2 ATS since Jan. 8. Utah is 19-5, a half-game ahead of the Lakers for best record in the West, and the league. They are peaking too soon, but is the peak still peaking or is the tail-off is ready to start? With the Celtics adding Jaylen Brown to their absentee list on top of Marcus Smart, perhaps it’s a reason for the Jazz to continue with the peaking. Without those two the floor for Boston, the Suns shot just 27.6% from three-point range yet still beat the Celtics by 9 points. The next time Utah shoots as low as 27.6% from three-point range will be the first time this season. |
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02-09-21 | Lightning -167 v. Predators | 6-1 | Win | 100 | 5 h 53 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units After starting arguably the NHL's best goaltender for each of the season's first nine games, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper knew he had an important issue at hand. Andrei Vasilevskiy needed a night off, and he got one Monday when the Lightning beat the host Nashville Predators 4-1 for their fifth consecutive win. The teams meet again Tuesday in Nashville, and Vasilevskiy figures to back between the pipes. Vasilevskiy, the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner, has been rock solid again for Cooper after guiding the Lightning to the franchise's second Stanley Cup championship last season. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cooper had to lean on the 26-year-old Russian a little more than he expected. Backup Curtis McElhinney went on the COVID-19 protocol list Jan. 16 -- just two games into the season -- and came off two weeks later. With his backup sidelined, Vasilevskiy hunkered down and started night after night for Tampa Bay, going 7-1-1 and posting sterling numbers -- a 1.88 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. He has allowed two tallies or fewer in seven of his nine starts. Consider that Tampa Bay is 97-27 in their last 124 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. |
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02-09-21 | Rockets +6 v. Pelicans | 101-130 | Loss | -100 | 4 h 3 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Last night, the Rockets probably set a record for most late and failed close-out attempts on a rookie three-point shooter who has the lowest release point in the league. LaMelo Ball killed them because they let him. Now, brother Lonzo has his opportunity and if he was watching Houston’s terrible defensive rotations last night during the Pelicans’ bye, then he’ll be excited about the possibility of having himself a great shooting night, too. But Houston guards John Wall and Eric Gordon sat last night. They don’t do back-to-backs. Guess they don’t make enough money to extend themselves. But with the experience of those two back on the floor tonight, Houston’s defense can better extend. Sorry, Lonzo. |
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02-09-21 | Oilers -195 v. Senators | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 3 h 3 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Edmonton is a perfect 3-0-0 against the Senators this season, including a 3-1 victory on Monday night. All three of those victories are part of the Oilers' 4-1-0 record over their past five games. Scoring continues to be an issue for the Senators despite their improved play. Monday marked the sixth time in 10 games that Ottawa was held to a single goal. Even the Senators' only goal on Monday wasn't technically their own score, as Evgenii Dadonov was given official credit after Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson accidentally tipped the puck into his own net. Goalie Matt Murray started for the Senators on Monday, so Marcus Hogberg is Ottawa's probable starter in the second end of the back-to-back set. Hogberg has an 0-4-0 record, a 4.54 goals against average and an .844 save percentage in five games this season. Consider that Ottawa is 7-24 in their last 31 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. |