Monday 2/22/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'On the hardwood'

Cavaliers off a dominant performance thrashing Thunder 115-92 as +3.0 point road dogs return to Quicken Loans Arena to host mis-firing Pistons in the midst of a five game slide. According to opening odds the Cavaliers are -9.5 point home favorites.

Cleveland would seem like easy pickins'. However, 'Buyer-Beware'.

In the previous eight meetings in Cleveland the Cavaliers are a money-burning 2-6 against the betting line. Cavaliers also enter the contest a cash-draining 8-16-1 as home chalk running the hardwood vs a division opponent, 4-11 ATS overall vs a division rival off a loss. Those digging deeper to get a better take will also note, Cavaliers have a vig-losing 4-4 ATS record following a twenty or more point victory the previous effort. Additionally, Cavaliers do not respond against the betting line following a 115 or more point performance. In the past eleven after dropping 115 or more points through the iron Cavaliers are a cash draining 3-7-1 ATS.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes

Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks February 22, 7:30 EST

The Knicks are a mess, having lost eleven of their last thirteen games (4-9 ATS). Hosting Toronto Raptors might be the an opportunity to recoup some lost cash. Raptors have struggle against the betting line recently facing a team with a losing record (1-4 ATS) and have not been a good choice last seven playing without rest (2-5 ATS). The Knicks have respond last four at home taking points vs a division opponent (3-1 ATS) and have shown a habit of grabbing the loot running the hardwood against Purple Dinos (7-1 ATS). Knicks are being handed +4.0 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cavaliers (21-5) at Hurricanes (21-5)

Date: February 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Virginia showed why it has one of the nation's stingiest defenses by ending Miami's longest win streak of the season the last time these teams met.

The seventh-ranked Cavaliers now seek to snap the No. 11 Hurricanes' 11-game home win streak Monday night with sole possession of second place in the ACC on the line.

Virginia and Miami have identical records of 21-5 overall and 10-4 in the conference to tie No. 18 Louisville for second, with fifth-ranked North Carolina one game in front. This is the only ACC game Monday.

The Cavaliers allow an average of 59.5 points to lead all major colleges and that kind of defense was a key to their 66-58 home win Jan. 12 over the Hurricanes, who had an eight-game win streak snapped. Miami was held to its lowest point total and 27.3 percent 3-point shooting.

Malcolm Brogdon scored 20 to lead Virginia, which held Miami top scorer Sheldon McClellan to 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

The Cavaliers won for the first time in seven games at Miami in their trip here last season but it wasn't easy. Virginia blew an 18-point halftime lead before pulling out an 89-80 victory in double overtime after trailing in both extra sessions.

London Perrantes scored a career-high 26 points with eight assists in that contest. The junior guard is averaging 18.0 points on 61.9 percent shooting in helping Virginia go 3-0 against Miami in his career.

The Cavaliers have not played since last Monday's 73-53 home rout of North Carolina State came two days after a 63-62 defeat at Duke ended a seven-game win streak. Brogdon scored 22 and Perrantes had 19 versus the Wolfpack.

"We know it's getting closer to March and the postseason and we want to start playing our best ball," Perrantes said. "I feel like we're starting to get into that stride and we just want to keep playing with confidence and keep playing hard."

The Cavs are hoping to get Anthony Gill untracked. Gill, second in the ACC in field-goal percentage at 55.9, is averaging 9.5 points on 43.2 percent shooting in his last four games.

"Teams are playing really well defensively on him," Perrantes said. "We have played some teams that have been really physical against him. We have some other guys that have been stepping up for us."

Miami has to regroup after never really being in contention to take over first place in the ACC in Saturday's 96-71 loss to the Tar Heels. The Hurricanes trailed by as many as 38 points and allowed season highs in points and field-goal percentage (54.2).

"They dominated us, that hasn't happened all year long," coach Jim Larranaga said. "What are we, 21-5 now? That was our 26th game and that hadn't happened to us in our 25 other games. Normally we're able to compete and play pretty well."

No Hurricane scored more than 12 points. Making matters worse, Ja'Quan Newton - one of the ACC's top scoring reserves - left with an injury.

"It appears initially that it might be a bone bruise to his shin," Larranaga said.

Virginia is an NCAA-best 4-0 against Top 25 teams.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Longhorns (17-10) at Wildcats (15-12)

Date: February 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It's been a little more than two weeks since Texas played an unranked team and even longer since it has gotten to face one on the road.

After a difficult stretch against the Big 12's leaders, the No. 24 Longhorns try to get back on course by taking advantage of Monday night's trip to Kansas State.

Texas (17-10, 8-6) went 1-3 in four consecutive games against ranked teams, earning the win against West Virginia on Tuesday. The Longhorns fell well short Saturday against No. 25 Baylor, trailing by as much as 27 points in the second half in a 78-64 defeat.

"They got the best of us," said guard Isaiah Taylor, who was held to 10 points after scoring 23 against the Mountaineers. "We didn't respond well at all. We've got to come out with more fight, more sense of urgency, more sense of focus as a team."

Texas still has a shot at one of the top two seeds in the Big 12 tournament as it trails the three second-place teams by one game. The Longhorns are tied with Iowa State and one game ahead of Texas Tech in a crowded field behind first-place Kansas.

They'll host the No. 2 Jayhawks and No. 3 Oklahoma to close this month, meaning a win over Kansas State (15-12, 4-10) is paramount.

Texas edged the Wildcats 60-57 on Jan. 5 for its third straight win in the series. A 61-57 victory last February ended a four-game losing streak in Manhattan.

The Longhorns are facing an unranked team on the road for the first time since a 58-57 loss to TCU on Jan. 9. They went 2-3 in five consecutive visits to top 15 opponents.

Texas is 12-5 against unranked teams and has won the last four matchups.

Kansas State is 1-3 since an 80-69 upset of then-No. 1 Oklahoma at home Feb. 6, shooting 38.1 percent in the last four. The Wildcats connected at 37.7 percent in a 72-63 loss to Kansas on Saturday, nearly rallying from a 17-point deficit in the second half.

"We are a fighting team. We are going to keep doing what we have to do, listening to (coach Bruce Weber), working hard in practice. We just have to finish the game out," forward Stephen Hurt said. "We need to cut out the other team's runs and just execute better."

Kansas State is 12-4 at home with all of those losses against ranked teams. The Wildcats are 1-9 overall against Top 25 opponents.

Kamau Stokes' right knee injury hasn't helped, as the starting guard has missed all six games this month.

"Obviously, and I am not making excuses, it would be nice to have Kamau," Weber said.

Taylor, averaging a team-best 15.3 points, had 23 at Kansas State last season and scored 14 of his team-high 17 points in the second half of last month's meeting.

The Longhorns have never won four in a row over the Wildcats.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cyclones (19-8) at Mountainers (20-7)

Date: February 22, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

After consecutive losses put a dent in West Virginia's Big 12 title hopes, coach Bob Huggins is focused on getting the Mountaineers healthy enough for a late-season push.

Poor shooting and rebounding led to their demise over the weekend, but that certainly wasn't the case earlier this month when they dealt No. 13 Iowa State only its sixth loss in 75 home games.

With Daxter Miles Jr. day to day and Jaysean Paige hurting, No. 10 West Virginia hopes to replicate that performance and sweep the regular-season series from the visiting Cyclones on Monday night.

The Mountaineers (20-7, 9-5) were in the thick of the conference chase after knocking off then-No. 13 Iowa State and No. 15 Baylor in back-to-back games. However, the dream of the program's first regular-season league title since winning the Atlantic 10 in 1988-89 has faded during a 1-3 stretch.

It won't help if Miles, the team's third-leading scorer at 10.1 points per game, is sidelined again after missing Tuesday's 85-78 loss at then-No. 24 Texas and Saturday's 76-62 home loss to No. 3 Oklahoma due to a strained hamstring.

Paige, averaging a team-high 13.4 points, also missed most of the Texas game because of an ankle injury before scoring 13 on 4-of-16 shooting against the Sooners.

West Virginia, looking to avoid its first three-game skid since Feb. 15-26, 2014, has fallen into a second-place tie with Oklahoma and Baylor - two games back of Kansas.

"You don't have your full compliment of guys so you can't do what you set out to do to start the year," Huggins told the team's official website. "This guy goes down, that guy goes down and all of a sudden you look at what was a strength has become a weakness, particularly the way we have to play."

Though they lead the conference with a plus-8.6 rebounding margin and are fifth with a 45.0 field-goal percentage, the Mountaineers shot 33.3 percent and were outrebounded 48-37 on Saturday.

They're hoping Paige is strong enough to match his effort in Ames on Feb. 2 when he finished with 23 points in an 81-76 win over the Cyclones. Devin Williams scored 17 with 18 rebounds as West Virginia shot 48.4 percent and owned a 43-26 advantage on the glass.

Iowa State (19-8, 8-6) moved past a 2-4 stretch with Saturday's 92-83 home win over TCU. Georges Niang scored 27 points, Abdel Nader added 24 and Deonte Burton had 23 with 14 rebounds.

Still, the Cyclones were outrebounded 43-31 by TCU, which sits last in the Big 12 in rebounding margin.

Niang ranks second in the league with 19.7 points per game for an Iowa State team that leads the conference with an average of 83 and a 50.4 field-goal percentage.

Burton has scored 16.8 in his past four, while Nader has totaled 50 while hitting 10 of 17 from beyond the arc in his last two.

"He turned into Steph Curry overnight," Niang joked about Nader.

Niang has averaged 17.8 points and gone 7 of 16 from 3-point range over his last four matchups with West Virginia. Nader has put up 18 per game on 55.9 percent shooting in three career meetings.

Iowa State, seeking its fifth straight 20-win season, hasn't been as prolific on the road. It's averaging 78.1 points while going 4-5 away from home compared to 86.2 in winning 12 of 14 at Hilton Coliseum.

West Virginia leads the conference in scoring defense (66.0) and turnover margin (plus-4.3).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Big Monday Tip Sheet
By David Schwab

This Monday night’s college hoops action on ESPN really is big with a pair of crucial showdowns in both the ACC and the Big 12.

First up in a 7:00 p.m. ET tip at the BankUnited Center, the Virginia Cavaliers go on the road to face the Miami Hurricanes with both teams 10-4 in conference play and looking to stay on North Carolina’s heels for the lead in the ACC.

At 9:00 p.m. ET from the WVU Coliseum, the Iowa State Cyclones will look to make up some ground in the Big 12 standings when they square-off against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

No. 7 Virginia Cavaliers at No. 11 Miami Hurricanes (ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Pick 'em, 128

Betting Matchup

The 21-5 Cavaliers are currently a half-game behind North Carolina with last Monday’s 73-53 victory against NC State as 11 ½-point home favorites. They have now covered against the spread in five of their last six games. The total stayed UNDER 129 ½ points in that win and it has now stayed UNDER in their last six games.

Senior guard Malcolm Brogdon and junior guard London Perrantes combined for 41 points against the Wolfpack and the team as a whole shot a blazing 53.7 percent from the field. Brogdon continues to lead Virginia in scoring with 17.8 points per game while hitting 46.5 percent of his shots. The Cavaliers are scoring 71.1 PPG and they are ranked second in the nation in points allowed (59.5).

The Hurricanes blew a chance to take the lead in the ACC by getting their doors blown off by North Carolina this past Saturday in a 96-71 loss as 7 ½-point road underdogs. The loss snapped a straight-up five-game winning streak and Miami is now 4-2 ATS during this same stretch. The total went OVER 147 against the Tar Heels after staying UNDER in the previous four games.

Miami had no answer for stopping North Carolina this past Saturday and a nine-point deficit at the half turned into an ugly 25-point loss. The Hurricanes shot just 42.4 percent from the field as opposed to a season average of 47.4 percent. Senior guard Sheldon McClellan (15.8 PPG) was held to 10 points and he has now scored 11 or fewer points in three of his last four games. It was the first time the Hurricanes allowed more than 70 points in their last six outings.

Betting Trends

-- The Cavaliers are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 Monday games and they have covered in four of their last five games following a SU win. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six road games.

-- The Hurricanes are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games at home, but they fall to 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a SU loss. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of their last eight home games.

-- Head-to-head in this ACC tilt, the favorite is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings and the total has gone OVER in four of the last five games played at Miami. Virginia struck first blood in this season’s series with a 66-58 victory on Jan. 12 as a 4 ½-point home favorite. The total stayed UNDER the closing 131 ½-point line.

Iowa State Cyclones at West Virginia Mountaineers (ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: West Virginia -4 ½, 158

Betting Matchup

Iowa State is 8-6 SU in conference play this season and a game behind the 9-4 Mountaineers in the standings following a 92-83 victory against TCU this past Saturday. It failed to cover as a heavy 17 ½-point home favorite to fall to a costly 2-5 ATS in its last seven games and the total has now gone OVER in the last four contests. Overall, the Cyclones are 19-8 SU with a 12-11-1 record ATS.

Senior forward Georges Niang has been a force all season long with a team-high 19.7 PPG to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He lit-up TCU for 27 points and he has now scored at least 24 points in his last three games. All told, the Cyclones are one of the deepest scoring teams in the country with six players averaging at least 10 PPG. Iowa State is averaging 83 points a game and shooting an effective 50.4 percent from the floor.

The Mountaineers will look to pick up the pieces following Saturday’s 76-62 spanking at the hands of Oklahoma as four-point home favorites. This followed an 85-78 road loss to Texas as two-point underdogs and they are now just 1-3 (SU and ATS) in their last four games. The total stayed UNDER 153 ½ points in the loss to the Sooners and it has stayed UNDER in three of their last four outings

West Virginia has averaged 79.3 points this season and at the other end of the court it is holding teams to 66 PPG. Over the course of its last four games, its scoring average has dropped to 69.5 points and it has given-up 75 points or more in all three losses. Senior guard Jaysean Paige and junior forward Devin Williams are each averaging 13 PPG as the team’s top two scorers and they combined for 23 points in Saturday’s loss. One injury note for Monday has Daxter Miles Jr. (10.1 PPG) listed as questionable after sitting out the last two games with a bad hamstring.

Betting Trends

-- The Cyclones are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against a team with a SU winning record, but they have covered in four of their last five Monday games. The total has stayed UNDER in their last five games played on Monday.

-- The Mountaineers are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 home games and they are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a SU loss. The total has stayed UNDER in eight of their last nine games at home.

-- Iowa State’s three-game winning streak both SU and ATS in this series came to an end on Feb. 2 with West Virginia’s 81-76 victory as a five-point road underdog. The total ended as a PUSH in that game after staying UNDER in the previous three meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game of the Day: Virginia at Miami

Virgina Cavaliers at Miami Hurricanes (-1, OFF)

No. 10 Miami (Fla.) doesn't have time to dwell on an embarrassing 96-71 loss at North Carolina on Saturday as it hosts No. 8 Virginia on Monday night. The Hurricanes trailed by as many as 38 points against the Tar Heels and now face another tough test against the well-rested Cavaliers, who haven't played in seven days and have won eight of their past nine games.

Miami's usually solid defense allowed 50 points in the paint, nine 3-pointers and 52.2 percent shooting to the Tar Heels, who looked determined from the tip to make up for its one-point loss to Duke and take over sole possession of first place in the ACC. "Well, that's what happens when one team plays really well and the other doesn't play well at all," Miami coach Jim Larranaga told reporters after the loss. "They had our number from start to finish. We didn't do anything we planned on doing." The defensive-minded Cavaliers beat North Carolina State 73-53 in their most recent game as they continued to play suffocating defense - opponents have averaged only 49.2 points in Virginia's last five wins. Led by senior guard Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia's offense isn't bad either - coach Tony Bennett's team is seventh in the nation in field-goal percentage (49.6), 10th in 3-point percentage (40.6) and 17th in free-throw percentage (75.4).

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: Miami opened as slight 1-point home favorites, while the total is currently off the board.

INJURY REPORT:

Virginia - No injuries to report.

Miami - G J. Newton (questionable Monday, shin).

ABOUT VIRGINIA (21-5, 12-12 ATS, 10-14 O/U): Brogdon is the offensive go-to man for the Cavaliers, averaging a team-best 17,8 points on 46.5 percent shooting. His backcourt mate, junior point guard London Perrantes (11.3 points, 3.9 assists) is a solid 3-point shooter (54.2 percent) and the pair combined for 27 second-half points in Virginia's earlier 66-58 win over Miami. Senior forward Anthony Gill is the Cavaliers' top inside threat (13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds) and combined with senior 7-footer Mike Tobey (7.1 points) for 27 points in that same game.

ABOUT MIAMI (21-5, 15-9-1 ATS, 12-13 O/U): The Hurricanes are led by senior shooting guard Sheldon McClellan (team-leading 15.8 points on 52 percent shooting) and senior point guard Angel Rodriguez (11.5 points, 4.4 assists). Senior 7-foot center Tonye Jekiri (8.1 points, 9.4 rebounds) is usually the team's defensive stopper inside but had no answer for Brice Johnson and Co. on Saturday. Sophomore guard Ja'Quan Newton, the team's second-leading scorer (11.1), left the North Carolina loss with what Larranaga called a left knee bruise and his status is uncertain for the game.

TRENDS:

* Virginia is 4-0 ATS in its last four meetings with Miami.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Miami.
* Under is 6-0 in Virginia's last six games overall.
* Virginia is 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall.

CONSENSUS: Early on in the wagering bettors are backing Virginia with 56 percent of wagers on the Cavaliers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Notes for Monday's games..........

Virginia won its last three games with Miami by 25-9-8 points, beating Hurricanes 66-58 at home Jan 12, in brickfest where teams shot 8-29 on arc combined. Cavaliers won 89-80 in OT here LY, their first win in last six visits to Miami. Virginia won eight of last nine games, with one loss the buzzer-beater at Duke. Miami won its last 11 home games since a November loss to Northeastern. ACC home faves of 3 or less are 8-5.

Home side won seven of last nine Texas-KState games; Longhorns lost four of last five visits to Little Apple- they won here 61-57 LY, after losing by 9-4-26-17 points. Texas lost three of last four games, losing at Oklahoma/Iowa State in last two road games. Wildcats are 3-4 at home in Big X, losing rivalry game with Kansas two nights ago. Big X home dogs of 5 or less points are 5-10 against the spread.

Green Bay made 11-21 on arc, routed Cleveland State 87-67 Jan 7 on the road, their sixth win in last eight series games. Vikings lost three of last four visits here, losing by 4-27-11 points- they won LY's visit here in OT, 66-61. Phoenix won three of last four games; they're 5-1 at home in Horizon. CSU lost seven of its last eight games, losing last two by 23-34 points, Horizon League double digit home favorites are 13-7 vs spread.

Milwaukee won its last five games with Youngstown State, winning on road 81-65 in first meeting Jan 7- Panthers made 12-27 on arc, scored 1.27 ppp that night. Penguins lost last two visits here by 6-15 points; they're lost four of last five games, with win in double OT vs UIC. YSU is 3-5 on Horizon road, losing last two away games by 29-17 points. Horizon League double digit home favorites are 13-7 vs spread.

West Virginia won 81-76 at Iowa State Feb 2, rallying back from down 15 in first half, just WV's second series win in last seven games. Iowa St lost despite shooting 11-22 on arc- they won two of last three visits to Morgantown. Mountaineers lost three of last four games; they're 5-2 at home in conference, losing to Texas/Oklahoma. Big X home favorites of 6 or less points are 11-9 against the spread.

Siena rallied from 12 down with 11:13 left to upset Iona 81-78 on road nine days ago, its first win in last eight games with Iona, which won last three regular season visits here, by 4-9-14 points- it was Gaels' one loss in last seven games- they had big win at Monmouth Friday, avenging an earlier loss. Siena is 7-1 at home, losing to Monmouth; they're 8-2 in last 10 games overall. MAAC home favorites of 3 or less points are 4-8.

Norfolk State won eight of last 11 games after starting season 5-11; they crushed Coppin State 88-56 on road Dec 7, scoring 1.29 ppp, shooting 56.1% inside arc, 7-13 outside it. Norfolk is 9-3 in MEAC, winning last three home games, by 13-19-6 points. Coppin State is 5-5 in its last ten games after starting season 0-14 vs D-I teams (they have two non-D-I wins); Eagles lost last three road games, by 40-5-9 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Woodbine Harness: Monday 2/22 Analysis
By Garnet Barnsdale

DRF HARNESS

Race 4 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

20-CENT PICK 5: 3,5/6,7/6,8/3,5,7,8/1,3,4 = $19.20

EARLY PICK 4: 3,5,7,8/1,3,4/2,4,9/1 = $36

LATE PICK 4: 1/ALL/1,7/1,2,6 = $60

MEET STATS: 250 - 788 / $1326.00 BEST BETS: 41 - 73 / $146.80

SPOT PLAYS: 17 - 73 / $191.30

Best Bet: PRINCE CLYDE (7th)

Spot Play: FOREVER JUST (10th)


Race 1

(5) WARAWEE PROTON qualified well on a track rated three seconds slow for new trainer Moreau. If he has him straightened out, he can take this bunch. (3) GIRL DRAMA continues to race well in this class and will be passing horses late, as usual. (7) FORTUNES FRIEND raced decently first time in this class and can take a share here.

Race 2

(7) IDOLE DUHARAS should be able to carve out a trip similar to last week's here and is the one to beat. (6) UF BETTORS HANOVER continues to rocket home but is often too far back at the 3/4 pole. The short field should help him here. (5) TWIN B WRANGLER has been showing improvement in his last few starts and will score an upset one of these weeks.

Race 3

(6) CROWN CLASSIC seems to have put it all together in his last couple of starts and can double here stepping up into non-winners of two. (8) TRUMPETS lost to the choice two back in her season's debut then blew away a field of maidens last week. She is obviously on the rapid improve and has to be considered here. (7) PISCEAN can contend here with a better drive and a less taxing trip.

Race 4

(5) STORMONT KATE faced a trio of other rapid leavers last time which forced her to take back early. She should have a much better chance of making front or sitting the pocket here which is when she is toughest. (3) WINE PHOTO moves into a high % barn off the claim and looks like the only competition the choice will have for the lead. (8) DOMEDOMEDOME is one of the best in here on paper but will need to work out a trip from out there.

Race 5

(3) INTENDED STYLE roared to an easy win off the claim for a barn that had success with him previously. Call to repeat. (1) JUST HENRY was hung the mile vs. the choice and hung in very well, considering. He could turn the tables here. (4) VELOCITY HEADLIGHT is always tough at this level and is another that must be considered for early Pick 4 tickets.

Race 6

(9) MUSICAL RHYTHM has proven his superiority in this series. He will be very tough to beat here if he stays flat and clears to the front by the end of the first 1/4. (2) HILLSONATOR couldn't stay with the choice late last week but is the obvious alternative and he may try different tactics here and make the choice work harder early; using. (4) FLEET BUMBLEBEE is the “'closer” alternative if you think the top two may trot each other into the ground, which is a possibility with the big cash on the line here.

Race 7

(1) PRINCE CLYDE drops to a level where he dominated on Dec. 21 when last racing this low. He should handle this field. (5) HIT AND GIGGLE A improved last week and should be closing for a good piece of this. (3) TOMITTA BAYAMA is another that will be passing horses late that can offer some value in exacta and trifecta wagers.

Race 8

(3) MIAMI MAGIC looks best of a very inexperienced group. If you were ever going to go “all” in a Pick 4 race, this is the one. (9) J N RYDER looks fast enough to compete here, but is also 0 for 30 lifetime. (6) NORTHERN BRUISER qualified okay and is bred to be much better than he showed last year. He would be no surprise vs. this group.

Race 9

(7) CHARLIE IS A JOKER drops to face much easier and should be formidable here. (1) HLDONTGHTTOYURDRMS was leading between the stretch call and the finish last week only to be chased down by a class-dropper. He looks like the main danger to the choice here. (6) HUBBY NUMBER ONE scored a big win vs. much weaker last week but can take a minor share here.

Race 10

(2) FOREVER JUST finally draws a good post and should be sent on a speed mission here; top call. (6) PRINCE SHARKA is the one the choice will need to contend with early for the front. He is in good form and a worthy contender. (1) ALEXIE MATTOSIE is another that gets post relief and he may work out a great trip here; beware. (3) THE OPTIMIST can follow along and take a share same as he did last week. (8) LIVE AND LEARN is sent out by a trainer that can bring in long bombs and is one to consider on deeper Pick 4 tickets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Monday 2/22 Analysis
By Brewster Smith

DRF HARNESS

Race 7 - $10,000 Guaranteed Pick Five Pool

MEET STATS: 45 - 181 / $330.70

BEST BETS: 4 - 15 / $19.80


Best Bet: OH SUGAR (2nd)

Spot Play: BEACHY DREAM (12th)


Race 1

(2) COLONIAL ROAD was quite dull in his latest; gets serious post relief and the good news is Brennan has the assignment. (4) MONTREAL PHIL flashed speed last out but needs a favorable trip to contend. (7) COME ON RIDGE did not get the job done as the chalk last time around when he tired in deep stretch.

Race 2

(5) OH SUGAR made a first over bid and she did get the lead turning for home, but could not sustain her run through the stretch recently; gets Brennan back in the bike and with a fine-timed drive, she can get the job done. (4) A LITTLE ROLL was sharp in her first pari-mutuel start taking second place money. (3) FAITHFUL FRIEND needs to revert to her February 8th trip to make an impact in here.

Race 3

(3) ROCKSTAR STRIDE now gets a cozy post to work with. On January 9th, this gelding just missed the score by only a nose; has every right to make tonight a winning one. (1) LAWGIVER HANOVER was sent down the road but could not hold off the winner in his latest trip. (7) CASTLE FLIGHT closed fast at the 3/4 pole and opened up for an easy victory against lesser last out.

Race 4

(2) UNIX HANOVER was most likely used up in the early stages when he folded turning for home last out; clearly he has the speed to boss these down the road. (1) ANNUITY could not get it done when this guy was sitting in the pocket most of the way last out. (4) AUCKLAND FLYER could make some noise if given a better trip.

Race 5

(2) BEAS IDEAL unbeaten mare will be tested moving up the ranks but should keep on her winning ways. (1) SILOUETTE moves back to the fence where she made January 25th a winning one. (6) GOLD STAR DYNASTY closed strongly to nail down the placing last out.

Race 6

(2) JAY BEES GRIN N Finally receives post relief; on January 25th this pacer was very sharp to take home second money; ready for action. (4) CLASS SIX is very fast for team Brennan/Burke now he makes his return to the Hilltop where he was a clear-cut winner on December 8th. (1) SIMPLY BUSINESS also gets the luck of the draw and could be a factor in all the exotics slots.

Race 7

(3) ARI ALLSTAR took the pocket route home to victory last time out; seems to be heading in the right direction and two straight is well within his realm. (4) BOBJACKS ANGLE A This might be a perfect spot for this gelding to contend with these and the 4-hole can only help his cause. (1) AMERICAN RAGE closed well from the 8-hole to grab the fourth spot last out and should fare well from the fence.

Race 8

(8) MOONLITEONTHEBEACH His third place finish last out is an indication this guy is ready to move forward despite the move to the 8-hole. Trainer Bamond will call on Sears to get this gelding to greet the cameraman for pictures. (2) CARTOON DADDY moves back inside where he took home top prize three trips ago. (3) DIAL OR NODIAL was late on the scene to grab the fourth money and the inside slot should put him right in the mix.

Race 9

(4) BIN N HEAVEN fast and consistent mare has hit the board in her last six tries; good to see Bartlett keeps the faith and remains on this 4-year-old. (5) TWIN B HONOUR just got up to take home top prize via the pocket route last time around. (1) MYDELIGHT BLUECHIP rallied nicely for all the glory in her recent trip to the post.

Race 10

(4) KEHMMYWOOD Gelding has put in two good efforts in a row and the 6-year-old figures to make some serious noise if given a favorable trip. (2) RURAL ART was in the pocket most of the way but could not get to the winner missing by only a nose last out. (1) CAVIART LUCA moves now to the fence and has done quite well in his last three starts.

Race 11

(4) SNAP TO IT A moves down the ladder for the Bamond barn; gets a better post to work with and at his best, he can boss these. (2) HIGHVIEW CONALL N also gets class relief and the 2-hole can only help his chances against this group. (1) MAINLAND KEY N moves back inside where this gelding missed the victory by only a neck two starts ago.

Race 12

(5) BEACHY DREAM Very consistent gelding might have found a perfect spot to get back into the winner's circle; beat lesser company two starts back and figures to get a favorable trip and score over these. (2) ABERDEEN HANOVER closed fast to grab the place spot and missing glory by a nose last out. (3) ITSONLYROCKNROLL A put in a nice run from the pocket but could not get to the winner in his latest try.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Monday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Mahoning Valley (4th) Solar Maximus, 7-2
(6th) Richard's Tune, 4-1


Sam Houston (3rd) Desired Storm, 9-2
(7th) Tricky Red Devil, 3-1


Turf Paradise (5th) Cherokee War Chant, 3-1
(6th) Classical Hy, 5-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Monday's six-pack

Six of the best minor league prospects for the Kansas City Royals:

1) Raul Mondesi, SS-- Hit only .246 in first 366 minor league games.

2) Kyle Zimmer, P-- Injuries held him to 43 starts in his first three seasons.

3) Bubba Starling, OF-- Could have played football at Nebraska; chose baseball.

4) Miguel Almonte, P-- Had 10 strikeouts in nine IP in majors LY.

10) Cheslor Cuthbert, 1B/3B-- Nicaraguan got 46 at-bats with big club LY.

27) Jose Martinez, OF-- 27-year old hit .384 in 98 AAA games LY.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Roz Wins

Roz's Monday, February 22, 2016, Free CBB Pick:

Virginia has not been strong on the road this season and heads to No. 10 Miami. Miami is in bounce back mode after getting smoked by North Carolina. The Hurricanes are 19-9-1 ATS in their last 29 games overall, 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 home games.

Play Miami.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Monday MLB

SAN DIEGO PADRES Win Total

Take: PADRES Under 73.5

2015 turned out to be a big disappointment for Padres fans. The organization rolled the dice in an effort to contend, and let’s just say things didn’t work out very well. No high expectations this time around, as is pretty clear by the 73.5 win option that’s now available.

I’m looking at the projected opening day roster for the 2016 Padres and having a great deal of trouble comprehending how they’ll win even that many games. This is a really bad looking baseball team, and my guess it that they’re going to get worse as the season wears on. That’s because the Padres are almost going to be forced to do some selling at the deadline. They should have done that last summer, and didn’t. Now they might not have any choice.

The Padres have one sure thing in their rotation in Tyson Ross. But Ross is a sure thing #3 starting pitcher, not a staff ace. He has the stuff to become one, and maybe he outs it all together this season. But Ross, while a very talented guy, is a borderline #2 right now. James Shields could bounce back to a #2 level, but that’s very much in question as he’s now 34 and has logged lots of innings. Andrew Cashner was a tremendous tease with that dynamite fastball. But he’s now 29, the secondary stuff doesn’t wow anyone, and I think Cashner needs a change in scenery.

As for the position players, “ugh” is probably the best one-word assessment I can come up with. This is a very bad looking lineup. In viewing one of the projection sets for the Padres, Wil Myers was the top graded WAR player at 2.0. Matt Kemp was next at 1.9, and I think my hair stylist was third. She’s 63 and in pretty much the same shape I’m in, so that kind of tells you what I think about the likely everyday lineup for the Friars.

I don’t think it’s inconceivable that this Padres team flirts with triple digit losses in 2016. They’re light years behind the Giants and Dodgers on paper, and probably the Diamondbacks as well. The Rockies are likely to be lousy again, but I’ve even got them ahead of San Diego.

This is my first actual bet of the 2016 MLB season, and it’s on the Padres Under 73.5 wins.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Comp NBA Pick, Monday, Feb 22, 2016 7:05 PM ET

(501) DETROIT PISTONS VS (502) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Take: (501) DETROIT PISTONS

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Monday, February 22, 2016 is in the NBA scheduled contest between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers. Big letdown spot here on Monday for the Cavs, who are coming off a big win on Sunday at Oklahoma City. Not only did the Cavs win big, but this is the second of a back-to-back spot for Cleveland. Sunday's win was the fifth in a row for the Cavs and their 13th in their last 17 games. Additionally, the Cavs could be without star guard Kyrie Irving, who had to leave Sunday's contest with an illness. The Pistons have been struggling, losing their fifth straight game on Sunday. The Pistons have done well in Cleveland of late, covering six of the last eight meetings there. This play is really more against the Cavs than anything. If Irving doesn't play then the club will already be short and with the back-to-back spot I'm sure they will look to rest Lebron some here. Don't need Detroit to win outright, just cover the spread. Take the Pistons.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Red Dog Sports

Virginia vs Miami (Fla)

Bonus Play Virginia +1

Miami played poorly on the road at UNC. They did win at home vs. Duke by 11 and defeated Notre Dame as well. UVA has played solid defense lately and has solid offensive players like Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill. I think Virginia wins a close game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bob Harvey

Virginia vs Miami (Fla)

Bonus Play Miami Florida

It’s a HUGE ACC matchup as 8th ranked Virginia visits 10th rated Miami. The Hurricanes are coming off an embarrassing 96-71 loss at North Carolina a game in which they trailed by as many as 38 points. They’ll face a well-rested Virginia Cavaliers that hasn’t played in seven days and have won eight of their past nine games.

The defense first Cavs beat North Carolina State 73-53 in their most recent game as they continued to play suffocating D - opponents have averaged only 49.2 points in Virginia's last five wins. Led by senior guard Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia's offense isn't bad either - coach Tony Bennett's team is seventh in the nation in field-goal percentage (49.6), 10th in 3-point percentage (40.6) and 17th in free-throw percentage (75.4). Virginia ranks second nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 59.5 points per game.

The Hurricanes are 13-1 SU at home (9-3-1 ATS) while the Cavaliers are just 4-5 on the road (6-7 ATS)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jimmy Adams

Texas vs Kansas State

Bonus Play Texas

Texas has dropped 3 of their last 4 games and thus we're getting a steal with the spread here in this Monday night matchup. Sure, the Longhorns have lost a few games recently, but the competition that they've played has been vastly superior to that of Kansas State. UT's most recent defeat came at the hands of Baylor. It was a bad loss and one that will have Texas motivated and ready to play.

On paper the Longhorns are simply the more talented team. I can only assume that the odds makers are counting on Kansas State's home court advantage to be a huge factor. As you can probably tell, I'm not very impressed with the current personnel of the Wildcats. These same Cats have also lost 3 of their last 4, and they are overmatched in the coaching department as well. Shaka Smart is a much better coach than Bruce Weber. Look for Smart to have his guys fired up and ready to roll for this one. Take Texas.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Marc Lawrence

Texas vs Kansas State

Play - Kansas State

Edges - Wildcats: 8-1 ATS with revenge in this series, including 5-0 ATS at home; and 6-1 SU and 7-0 ATS home with revenge in games after facing Kansas. Longhorns: 3-7 ATS after facing Baylor, including 0-3 ATS away; and 2-7 ATS away before facing Oklahoma when playing an avenging opponent. With KSU off a pair of previous home losses, we recommend a 1* play on Kansas State. Thank you and good luck as always.

 

[bigmike83]

Is that Nover's Bonus Play? He has an NBA Play I thought....