Saturday 2/20/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (25-28) at Heat (30-24)

Date: February 20, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Dwyane Wade never has played a full season in his 13-year career because of an injury history that has taken its toll on nearly every part of his body.

That trend is something the Miami Heat have come to expect, but the serious medical condition of Chris Bosh and the uncertainty that accompanies it has left them even more shorthanded.

The Heat hope to have Wade back in the lineup with the previously suspended Hassan Whiteside on Saturday night when they host a Washington Wizards team completing the NBA's only three-games-in-three-nights stretch of the season.

Wade has played through hip and shoulder soreness to average 18.7 points per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the field. He hasn't averaged fewer points since scoring 16.2 per contest in his 2003-04 rookie season and has never shot worse than the 46.5 percent mark he had that same year.

Now he's being bothered by soreness in the back of his left knee that kept him out of Friday's matchup with Atlanta. The Heat (30-24), who moved percentage points ahead of the Hawks for the Southeast Division lead with a 115-111 win, already were without Bosh because of another battle with blood clots that forced him to miss the final part of last season following the All-Star break.

Whiteside served a one-game suspension for throwing an elbow at San Antonio center Boban Marjanovic's head on Feb. 9, but he's expected to be back against the Wizards (25-28). Miami played with nine players after trading Chris Andersen and Jarnell Stokes in cost-cutting moves before Thursday's deadline.

Wade will have an MRI in the morning to determine if he'll be able to go.

'Obviously it's never a good time (to miss games), but if you say there's a bad time, this is a bad time,' Wade said. "It's nothing I'm overly concerned about. I just want to make sure everything's good.'

The Heat snapped a two-game skid behind Luol Deng, who finished with season highs of 30 points and 11 rebounds. Josh McRoberts also set season highs with 19 points and 10 assists.

'We easily could have said we had guys out, we could have said we lost this game, that's the reason for it,' Deng said. 'But we came out and played hard.'

Wade missed the last meeting as John Wall finished with 18 points and 10 assists in Washington's 106-87 victory Jan. 20, the Wizards' fifth victory over the Heat in the last six matchups.

Wall had 22 points in Friday's 98-86 win over Detroit to give the Wizards back-to-back victories following the All-Star break. Washington held the Pistons to 42.7 percent shooting after Utah shot 40.3 percent in Thursday's 103-89 win.

'We've been saying it half of the season - play defense," Wall said of the Wizards, who came in 24th in the league in scoring defense allowing an average of 105.1 points per game. "It's great to see that we're back to doing what we used to do.'

The NBA no longer is scheduling teams to play back-to-back-to-back, but Washington is in that unique situation because the Jazz game was rescheduled after the original meeting Jan. 23 was postponed because of a snow storm.

The Wizards are 3 1/2 games back of Charlotte and Chicago for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot and acquired Markieff Morris at the trade deadline to help their playoff push. Morris scored six points in 22 minutes in his debut.

After turmoil surrounded his tenure with Phoenix, Morris is happy to be reunited with former Suns teammates Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley.

'It's just guys that actually know me and not on the outside looking in,' Morris said. 'Getting compliments from those guys means a lot.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (22-33) at Hawks (31-25)

Date: February 20, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

While he still believes the Atlanta Hawks can rediscover last season's form, coach Mike Budenholzer knows at some point his players have to start showing it on the floor.

After a troubling defeat to open the second half, the Hawks will try to avoid their longest home skid in nearly two years and deal the Milwaukee Bucks a seventh straight road loss Saturday night.

With the club far off last year's record-setting 60-win pace, Al Horford and Jeff Teague were the subject of trade rumors prior to Thursday's deadline before Atlanta opted to stick with its core.

The Hawks (31-25) did little to instill faith in a potential surge upon returning from the All-Star break. They committed 21 turnovers and lost sole possession of the Southeast Division lead with Friday's 115-111 home defeat to a Miami team that played without All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

"I do believe in the character of our group, but at some point it has to happen on the court," Budenholzer said after Atlanta lost for the eighth time in 13 games. "That character has to come out on the court. It has to come out in the games, and I believe it will."

It'll have to if the Hawks hope to avoid losing three straight at home for the first time since March 2014. They haven't had much trouble there versus Milwaukee, winning 12 of the past 14 meetings.

The Bucks (22-33) have dropped six in a row and 23 of 28 on the road. They've averaged 93.3 points - well below their 98.1 on the season - during their away skid.

Milwaukee couldn't hold on to a 13-point third-quarter lead as its two-game winning streak ended in Friday's 98-95 home loss to Charlotte. It committed nine of its 22 turnovers in the fourth.

"We have to take care of the ball," coach Jason Kidd said. "We get offensive rebounds, and we throw it out of bounds. We have to be able to take care of the ball to get a shot in."

Jabari Parker had season highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds, Middleton added 20 points but also had a team-high six turnovers, and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 18 with 11 boards.

Antetokounmpo has averaged 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in his last 16 games. He's also been tough on Atlanta, scoring 21.7 per game on 57.1 percent shooting in the past three meetings.

The third-year forward led the way with 28 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in a 108-101 overtime home win in the first matchup Jan. 15. Middleton also came up big with 26 points, though he's scuffled with 7.3 per game on 30.6 percent shooting in three career trips to Atlanta.

Paul Millsap finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds in that contest, while Horford contributed 18 and eight. They'll look to bounce back after totaling 26 points on 8-of-24 shooting against the Heat.

Teague has averaged 21.3 points while hitting 10 of 21 from 3-point range in his last four games, but he's totaled 17 on 6-of-21 shooting with eight turnovers in his past two versus Milwaukee.

Jerryd Bayless remains out for the Bucks due to a sprained knee, while Kirk Hinrich, obtained from Chicago on Thursday, is expected to make his debut with the Hawks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (23-33) at Timberwolves (17-38)

Date: February 20, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The New York Knicks hit a new low during a dismal stretch this week, but maybe a matchup against one of the NBA's worst teams will help.

Of course, it could also result in another rock bottom.

The reeling Knicks seek only their second win in the last month when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.

New York (23-33) followed six straight losses before the All-Star break with Friday's 109-98 defeat at Brooklyn, the club's seventh straight road loss to the Eastern Conference's second-worst team.

The seven-game overall skid is the Knicks' longest of the season and drops them to 1-11 since a 118-111 overtime win over Utah on Jan. 20.

The drought resulted in the firing of Derek Fisher on Feb. 8, though interim coach Kurt Rambis insists the Knicks still have playoff aspirations this season. They have plummeted six games back of Charlotte and Chicago for the eighth seed in the East.

Performances like Friday's won't help as New York's 16 turnovers turned into 21 points for the Nets, who dominated inside with a 48-32 scoring advantage in the paint.

"That's the game right there," said Carmelo Anthony, who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists. "We can't be giving away games like this. It's crunch time now."

It's hard to pinpoint if it's the offense or defense that has resulted in New York's demise. The Knicks' 42.2 field-goal percentage and 97.1 points per game since Jan. 22 each rank toward the bottom of the league, and their opponents are shooting 46.4 percent in that stretch, including 40.8 from 3-point range.

New York might soon get a shot in the arm offensively, but it won't come in this game. The Knicks announced Friday that they plan to sign guard Jimmer Fredette to a 10-day contract on Monday.

Fredette is a former college player of the year at BYU and has played well for New York's Development League team, though he has averaged just 6 points for three NBA teams since Milwaukee took him with the 10th pick of the 2011 draft.

Rambis has lost both his games since taking over for Fisher and faces his former team on Saturday. He coached the Timberwolves to a 32-132 record from 2009-11.

Minnesota (17-38) entered the break with wins in three of four games but returned with Friday's 109-104 loss at Memphis.

The Timberwolves, who have won four of six at Target Center, have averaged 109.7 points over their previous six games overall but allowed 110.5 in the same span.

Turnovers also doomed the Wolves in their latest loss with their 22 against the Grizzlies marking their most since matching that number Dec. 26.

"We were a little careless with the ball and the outlet passes," said Zach LaVine, who made 4 of 6 from 3-point range and scored 22 points. "We were making some dumb passes. You know, just not the right ones."

The Knicks' 107-102 win at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 16 snapped Minnesota's two-game streak in this series.

Anthony fell one assist shy of a triple-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds, while Ricky Rubio had 12 assists, 10 boards, nine points and eight steals for the Wolves.

Arron Afflalo had 29 points for the Knicks, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (48-5) at Clippers (36-18)

Date: February 20, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Clippers acquired Jeff Green prior to the trade deadline hoping he will eventually make a difference in a potential playoff series with the Golden State Warriors.

They will get a glimpse of that Saturday night when Green makes his Clippers debut against a Warriors team coming off a stunning loss.

The Clippers (36-18) are highly unlikely to overcome a 12 1/2-game deficit and catch Golden State (48-5) in the Pacific Division. However, they're looking ahead to the postseason, where they could meet as early as the second round.

Getting Green for Lance Stephenson and a draft pick in a trade-deadline deal with Memphis on Thursday was done for exactly that reason.

"I really wanted more length," coach Doc Rivers told the team's official website. "When you look at the teams we have to beat, we need to get longer, more athletic, and we need to increase our shooting. I think with Jeff we did all three of those things."

Green was averaging 19.9 points and 5.3 rebounds while coming off the bench in his final eight games with the Grizzlies. He's capable of playing either forward position - a huge help with Blake Griffin still out with a broken hand.

"As a player, as a competitor, all I want to do is win," said Green, who played under Rivers in Boston from 2011-13. "That's what this organization is about, and that's what this team's trying to do. I'm happy to be a part of that."

Green joins a team on a 20-5 run, with all but one win coming without Griffin.

The Clippers turned in perhaps their most impressive performance of that stretch Thursday, getting 28 points and 12 assists from Chris Paul in a 105-86 rout of San Antonio.

Paul is averaging 24.1 points over the past eight games.

"Chris' leadership has been through the roof," said guard Jamal Crawford, who is averaging 21.0 points in a seven-game stretch, 7.4 higher than his season average.

Paul has scored 28.7 on 53.7 percent shooting in his last three matchups with Golden State, including 35 in a 124-117 home loss Nov. 19.

That was the Clippers' fourth straight loss in the series, and the Warriors have scored 113.0 points and hit 45.5 percent from 3-point range during that span.

Golden State is trying to avoid consecutive losses for the first time since April after it was blown out 137-105 at Portland on Friday - its most lopsided defeat in nearly four years.

'This is the NBA, so there's going to be nights where the other team gets hot,' said coach Steve Kerr, whose team committed 13 of its 20 turnovers in the third quarter. "I'm OK with the other team making shots. What I'm not OK with is losing our poise in the third quarter.'

Stephen Curry reached 30 points for the 24th time this season, scoring 31 with 7 of 13 from long range. The league's leading scorer is averaging 33.8 points over the past five games, and his 29.8 season average is the highest by a Warrior since Ricky Barry's 30.6 in 1974-75.

Curry has totaled 71 points in two season meetings with the Clippers, including 40 at Los Angeles in November.

Draymond Green, who could find himself matched up with Jeff Green, fell two assists shy of a triple-double Friday. He finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high nine turnovers.

Green had 19 points, nine assists and six boards in the last meeting with the Clippers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Saturday, February 20 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

The trade deadline was pretty much a dud. The Chicago Bulls were rumored to be shopping All-Star Pau Gasol. Instead they traded 82-year-old backup guard Kirk Hinrich. The Houston Rockets were shopping Dwight Howard. They dealt Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton. The Atlanta Hawks surely were going to trade either Jeff Teague or Al Horford. They instead sent away Shelvin Mack. Three title contenders appeared to make solid secondary moves with Cleveland getting stretch forward Channing Frye from Orlando, Oklahoma City acquiring Randy Foye from Denver, and the LA Clippers landing Jeff Green from Memphis while dumping the headache that is known as Lance Stephenson (addition by subtraction there). The impending huge rise of the salary cap had most of the GMs around the league standing pat and hoping they can sign guys who will hit free agency like Gasol, Howard and Horford. There could be north of 20 teams able to offer a max contract this offseason. So once all that shakes out, I do think there will be plenty of trading action this summer.


Bucks at Hawks (-8.5, 207)

Milwaukee hosted Charlotte on Friday and Atlanta hosted Miami. The Bucks and Hawks have played only once, with Milwaukee winning 108-101 in overtime at home on Jan. 15. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Khris Middleton scored 26 points and Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams added 15 points apiece for the Bucks. Both Monroe and MCW were rumored on the market ahead of Thursday's deadline but stayed put. They are coming off the bench of late. Paul Millsap had 23 points and Horford 18 for Atlanta in that first meeting. The Hawks better hope Horford re-signs this offseason or it was a big mistake not to accept even 50 cents on the dollar for him. Teague remains under contract.

Key trends: The road team is 8-2 against the spread in the past 10 meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in four of the past five meetings.

Early lean: Hawks and under.

Wizards at Heat (TBA)

Washington hosted Detroit on Friday, meaning this is a very rare third game in three nights for the Wizards; their game Thursday vs. Utah was a makeup game. Miami was in Atlanta on Friday with Dwyane Wade a game-time call. The Heat made a couple of minor moves this week that won't affect the team on the court but will save ownership several million dollars by getting the club under the luxury tax. Washington probably got the best player traded ahead of the deadline in forward Markieff Morris from Phoenix. He had been a very unhappy camper with the Suns since the team traded his twin brother to Detroit this past offseason. But Markieff Morris had been playing much better under Phoenix interim coach Earl Watson and has a pretty reasonable contract. On the season, he averages 11.6 points and 5.2 rebounds. Will Morris be enough to get the Wiz back into the playoffs? They didn't give up anything of current value to get him. It's the final meeting of the regular season between these two. Washington leads 2-1 and won the game in Miami 114-103.

Key trends: The Wizards are 2-5 ATS in the past seven in Miami. The over is 6-2 in the past eight meetings.

Early lean: Wait on Wade, although the Wizards should be totally gassed and might sit a guy or two themselves.

Knicks at Timberwolves (-2.5, 204.5)

New York was in Brooklyn on Friday and Minnesota in Memphis likely again without center Nikola Pekovic. Both teams were quiet at the deadline. The Knicks don't have any assets other than Carmelo Anthony, who has a no-trade clause, and untouchable rookie Kristaps Porzingis. Minnesota was hoping to deal guard Kevin Martin but might just buy him out now. The Wolves could deal Ricky Rubio this summer. It's the last time this season we see the NBA's two best rookies face off in Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns and Porzingis. That order is the same in which the NBA Rookie of the Year voting will finish as well unless Towns gets hurt soon. On Dec. 16, the Knicks beat the visiting Wolves 107-102. Porzingis had 11 points, seven blocks and six rebounds, while Towns had 25 points and 10 rebounds. Arron Afflalo led the Knicks with 29 points, and Anthony had 20 points and 15 rebounds.

Key trends: The underdog is 5-2-1 ATS in the past eight meetings. The over is 4-1 in the past five.

Early lean: Wolves and over.

Warriors at Clippers (+4.5, 221)

Obviously Golden State had no need to do anything at the deadline. L.A. certainly upgraded with Green over Stephenson. Green can play both small forward and as a stretch four. Green is averaging 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists this season while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from 3-point range. I'm not sure he was worth a future first-round pick as well (protected 2019), but the Clippers are in win-now mode. This is the Saturday night ABC game and will have live betting at sportsbooks. Tough second of a back-to-back for the Warriors as they were in Portland on Friday. And really, this is a rare game the rest of the way you can actually see them losing. The Clippers were one of two teams not to play Friday. They beat visiting San Antonio 105-86 on Thursday. Chris Paul had 28 points and 12 assists. The Clips got a huge break when the Spurs' Kawhi Leonard was a surprise scratch. Golden State has won two high-scoring games vs. the Clippers this season but had to rally from a 23-point deficit to take the first one in early November. The Warriors have won four straight in the series overall and two in a row in Los Angeles.

Key trends: The road team is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings. The over is 9-3 in the past 12 in L.A.

Early lean: Clippers and over.

 

[Phul985]

Any GoldenBoyWins? TIA

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Saturday's hot teams
-- Washington won three of last four games (7-3 last 10AU). Miami won seven of its last ten games (4-7 last 11HF). .
-- Minnesota won three of its last five games (3-8HF).
-- Warriors won 11 of their last 12 games (3-5 last 8AF). Clippers won four of their last five games (1-2HU).

Cold teams
-- Milwaukee lost eight of last 11 games (1-5 last 6AU). Atlanta lost three of its last four games (5-3 last 8HF).
-- Knicks lost their last seven games (7-5 last 12AU).

Series records
-- Wizards won five of last six games with Miami.
-- Hawks won eight of last ten games with Milwaukee.
-- Knicks won six of last nine games with Minnesota.
-- Clippers lost their last four games with Golden State.

Totals
-- Three of last four Miami games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Atlanta-Milwaukee games stayed under.
-- Over is 7-0-1 in Minnesota games if it played night before.
-- Four of last five Clipper games satyed under the total.

Back/backs
-- Washington is playing third night in row because of a makeup game Thursday; they're 5-3 vs spread last eight times they played nite before. Miami is 5-4 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Bucks are 9-5 vs spread if they played nite before, 0-3 in last three. Atlanta is 3-7 vs spread last ten times they played night before.
-- Knicks lost three of last four if they played night before. Minnesota is 4-4 vs spread if it played night before (1-7SU).
-- Golden State is 9-3 vs spread if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College basketball betting TV guide: Must-watch, must-wager games
By STEVE MERRIL

College basketball is in full swing with conference play shaping the field for the NCAA tournament. Steve Merril has scoured the schedule for the must-watch, must-wager games for each day on the college hoops calendar so that you don’t miss any of the action.

Saturday: Oklahoma at West Virginia
Where to watch: ESPN, 4:00 p.m. ET

Oklahoma just lost to Kansas for the second time this season, but those defeats don't take much away from the season they are having. The Sooners already have 20 wins on the season, but they only beat West Virginia by 2 points on their home court. The Mountaineers come in off a loss at Texas, so they’ll be primed for a peak performance in this game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's Top Action

DUKE BLUE DEVILS (20-6, 9-4 ACC) at LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (20-6, 9-4 ACC)

KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, KY
Tip-off: Saturday, Noon ET
Line: NA

Two ACC title hopefuls will meet for the second time in two weeks on Saturday when No. 20 Duke visits No. 18 Louisville.

The red-hot Blue Devils (12-12-1 ATS overall) are unbeaten this month, as their 74-73 upset at 8.5-point favorite North Carolina on Wednesday makes them a perfect 5-0 SU (3-2 ATS) in February. Each of the past three wins has been versus a top-15 team in the nation, including a victory over the Cardinals (11-11 ATS), who they beat 72-65 on Feb. 8 in Durham. Louisville also lost its subsequent game at Notre Dame, but bounced back with a 72-58 home victory over Syracuse on Wednesday.

These schools are meeting for just the third time in ACC play, with the Blue Devils also prevailing at Cameron Indoor Stadium last season, 63-52, and they also split a pair of neutral-court meetings three seasons ago with the Cardinals rolling to an 85-63 blowout in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight to avenge a 76-71 loss four months earlier.

Both sides have positive betting trends to wager on. Duke has been a very good road team recently at 11-2 SU in its past 13 games, including 5-2 (SU and ATS) this season. But beating Louisville at home has proven to be a difficult task this season, as the school is 16-1 SU (9-4 ATS) at the KFC Yum! Center, where they are destroying opponents by an average of 25.1 points per game.

The only major injury concern is Blue Devils G Matt Jones (11.2 PPG), who severely sprained his ankle during Wednesday's win and is doubtful to return on Saturday.

Duke is always known for its high-octane offense, and this season is no exception as the group is averaging a robust 83.1 PPG on 47.3% FG and 39.1% threes. This is a decent foul-shooting team (72.5% FT) that rarely turns the ball over (10.0 TOPG), but has a pedestrian +2.3 RPG margin this season, as top rebounder Amile Jefferson (11.4 PPG, 10.3 RPG) hasn't played since Dec. 5 due to a broken foot. This offense needs to be super efficient, because its defense is not strong with 71.0 PPG allowed on 47.3% FG and 33.8% threes.

In addition to Jefferson, four other Duke players average at least 11 points per game, led by G Grayson Allen (20.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.0 SPG) and F Brandon Ingram (17.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.5 BPG, 1.1 SPG). The sophomore Allen has scored at least 15 points in 15 straight games, where he has averaged 21.1 PPG while getting to the foul line exactly 100 times (83% FT, 83-of-100).

Allen has been especially hot during his team's five-game win streak with a whopping 22.4 PPG on 45% FG and 50% threes (16-of-32). This stretch includes when Allen lit up Louisville for 19 points on 4-of-6 threes.

The 6-foot-9 Ingram is also on fire, recording 19 straight games of 13+ points, where he's averaged 19.7 PPG (49% FG, 45% threes) with 8.0 RPG. This run included a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Feb. 8 win over the Cardinals.

The other two healthy double-digit scorers on this team are freshman F/G Luke Kennard (12.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG) and junior G Matt Jones (11.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG). Kennard can hurt opponents from anywhere on the court, and loves getting to the foul line where he is nearly automatic at 91% FT (74-of-81). He scored 11 points versus Louisville two weeks ago and also came up big at North Carolina on Wednesday with 15 points on 6-of-9 FG (3-of-4 threes).

With Jones not likely to play with his sprained ankle, the team will rely heavily on freshman G Derryck Thornton (8.0 PPG, 2.7 APG), who was forced to play 39 minutes on Wednesday. Thornton is a quality shooter at 37% threes and could be the team's best perimeter defender with eight steals over his past four games.

Louisville leads the nation in scoring margin at +17.0 PPG, as its offense puts up 77.7 PPG on 47.8% FG and 36.2% threes, while the elite defense allows only 60.7 PPG on 38.1% FG and 31.3% threes. This team is relentless on the glass with its +8.7 RPG margin and 14.1 offensive RPG, and forces many more turnovers (14.4 TOPG) than it commits (11.8 TOPG). The biggest weakness for the team is foul shooting (69.3% FT), but that number has risen to 73% FT (88-120) over the past seven games.

Louisville has three main scorers that pace the offense in G Damion Lee (16.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.6 SPG), G Trey Lewis (12.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG) and C Chinanu Onuaku (9.7 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.0 BPG). The senior Lee has scored at least 10 points in every game except for two, but made only 3-of-15 shots in the loss at Duke. He has been much better in two games since that defeat though, including a well-rounded stat line of 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in Wednesday's victory over Syracuse. Lee, who played his first three collegiate seasons at Drexel, is shooting a career-best 45% FG to go along with strong rates of 37% threes and 86% FT.

Lewis, who is also a senior transfer, has scored 11+ points in four straight games, including 11 points on 5-of-10 FG at Duke and 14 points on 6-of-11 FG on Wednesday. He is knocking down 38% threes and 85% FT this season after draining 42% threes at Cleveland State last season. The 6-foot-10 Onuaku is coming off a huge performance against the Orange with 13 points (6-of-9 FG), 15 rebounds and four assists, but was a complete non-factor at Duke two weeks ago. In that defeat, the sophomore managed only two points and three rebounds in 22 foul-plagued minutes, but he did block three shots.

Another key to the Cardinals' success is the play of G Quentin Snider (9.6 PPG, 3.7 APG), who carries a stellar 2.9 Ast/TO ratio this season with 97 assists and 33 turnovers. Snider had a strong effort at Duke when he scored 12 points (4-of-9 FG, 2-of-5 threes) in 25 minutes before fouling out, but has made only 5-of-19 shots (2-of-10 threes) over the past two games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's NCAAB Top 25 betting cheat sheet

Each team has just a handful of games remaining on their schedule to put impressive wins on their resumes before Selection Sunday. So ranked teams look to secure high seeds and bubble teams hope to stamp their dance ticket, we break down Saturday's Top 25 action in our betting cheat sheet.

Florida Gators at No. 23 South Carolina Gamecocks (-2.5, OFF)

* Florida is coming off a 57-53 win at Georgia on Tuesday and knows it will face an even tougher environment at South Carolina, but have won seven straight meetings dating to Jan. 15, 2011, and they haven’t lost at South Carolina since 2010.

* South Carolina has lost two straight – a blowout home loss to Kentucky and a stunning 72-67 defeat at Missouri on Tuesday – and needs to get back on track to buoy its postseason prospects. The Gamecocks are slumping at the offensive end, having shot just 33.1 percent in their back-to-back losses.

Trends:

* Florida is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings at South Carolina.
* South Carolina is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 home games.
* Over is 5-0 in Florida's last five home games.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings at South Carolina.

No. 19 Duke Blue Devils at Louisville Cardinals (-7, OFF)

* The Blue Devils have ripped off five straight victories - the last three of which have come against three of the teams vying for the ACC title (Louisville, Virginia and North Carolina). The shorthanded Blue Devils sustained yet another injury Wednesday - this time to starting guard Matt Jones - yet somehow managed to sneak out of Chapel Hill with their second straight one-point win.

* The Cardinals overcame a two-game slide that began with the loss to Duke and staged arguably their finest performance in conference play, defeating Syracuse 72-58 on Wednesday.Chinanu Onuaku (9.7 points, 8.6 rebounds) led the interior effort with 13 points, a career-high tying 15 boards and four assists, producing his ninth double-double of the season.

Trends:

* Duke is 0-4 ATS in its last four games following an ATS win.
* Louisville is 5-1 ATS in its last six home games.
* Under is 5-1 in Duke's last six games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Louisville's last six games overall.

No. 7 Xavier Musketeers at Georgetown Hoyas (+4.5, OFF)

* Xavier is in a lookahead spot Saturday versus Georgetown with a huge battle with No. 1 Villanova on the dockett next weeek. The Musketeers’ 11 wins are already the most in three seasons in the Big East and they can point to depth and balance as the key ingredients to success, with six players recording at least 9.4 points per contest.

* Georgetown dropped a 72-64 decision Wednesday against Seton Hall for its fifth loss in six games, falling to .500 in the league. The Hoyas lost senior center Bradley Hayes (broken left hand) indefinitely and 6-10 freshman Jessie Govan has started in his place the last two games, scoring a season-best 27 on Wednesday.

Trends:

* Xavier is 4-1 ATS in its last five road games.
* Georgetown is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games versus a team with a winning SU record.
* Under is 5-1 in Xavier's last six road games.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

St. Bonvaventure Bonnies at No. 13 Dayton Flyers (-8, OFF)

* St. Bonaventure needs to do some work if it wants to get on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble and it did not do itself any favors on Wednesday, when its five-game winning streak came to an end with a 71-64 loss at last-place La Salle.

* The Flyers had their own lengthy winning streak come to an end when a 79-70 setback at St. Joseph’s on Wednesday snapped a nine-game streak. The Flyers dropped back into a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 with St. Joseph’s and VCU with Wednesday’s loss.

Trends:

* Over is 4-0 in Dayton's last four games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Road team in 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* St. Bonaventure is 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings.

No. 10 Miami Hurricanes at No. 4 North Carolina Tar Heels (-6, OFF)

* The Hurricanes dominated Virginia Tech in the second half on Wednesday night to win 65-49 and set up a showdown for first place. Senior guard Sheldon McClellan, who leads the Hurricanes in scoring (16.1 on 52.1 percent shooting), has come up big against the best - averaging 17.3 points on 57.1 percent shooting against the five ranked foes Miami has beaten.

* North Carolina doesn't have any time to feel sorry for itself after its painful loss to rival Duke on Wednesday with first place in the ACC on the line Saturday. Johnson leads the Tar Heels in scoring (16.9 points per game), is first in the ACC in field goal percentage (62.3) and tied for first in rebounds (10.4).

Trends:

* Under is 6-0 in the last six meetings at North Carolina.
* Miami is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Under is 5-0 in North Carolina's last five overall.
* North Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.

No. 22 Baylor Bear at No. 25 Texas Longhorns (-5, OFF)

* The Bears, who are a Big 12-best 4-2 in road conference games, face the league's top four teams in the final weeks. Taurean Prince leads the Bears with 15.1 points and is the only player in the Big 12's top 12 in scoring, rebounding (5.8) and steals (1.3).

* Texas meets its fourth straight ranked opponent and is 3-0 at home against Top 25 teams this season. The Longhorns, who swept West Virginia and are looking to sweep Baylor, also have a chance to avenge losses to Oklahoma and Kansas. Texas has won five of seven against Baylor, including a 67-59 victory earlier this month.

Trends:

* Baylor is 0-5 ATS in its last five games following a straight up win.
* Texas is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games overall.
* Baylor is 4-0 in Baylor's last four games overall.
* Under is 6-0 in last six games following a SU win.

Butler Bulldogs at No. 1 Villanova Wildcats (-10.5, OFF)

* The Bulldogs have won four of five with their only loss in that stretch coming against a quality Xavier team. The team is coming off a 13-point home win against Creighton behind 21 points and eight rebounds from Kelan Martin.

* The Wildcats appear headed toward a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with 15 wins in their last 16 games. The Wildcats disposed of Temple by 16 points their last time out with Jalen Brunson pacing the team with a career-high 25 points.

Trends:

* Under is 3-0-1 in the last four meetings.
* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Butler is 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Under is 5-1 in Butler's last six road games.

No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners at No. 11 West Virginia Mountaineers (-2.5, OFF)

* No. 3 Oklahoma suddenly appears very vulnerable, especially on the road. The Sooners will try to avoid a third straight loss overall and a third straight road setback on Saturday. The slump has dropped the Sooners into third place in the Big 12 standings, one game behind the Mountaineers and two back of the Jayhawks with five games remaining in the regular season.

* West Virginia had a chance to make its own case for the top spot in the Big 12 but sandwiched road losses at Kansas and at Texas around a home win over TCU. The Mountaineers are searching for healthy bodies on the perimeter with guards Daxter Miles Jr. (hamstring) and Jaysean Paige (ankle) both nursing injuries.

Trends:

* Oklahoma is 0-4 ATS in its last four games overall.
* West Virginia is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games following a SU loss.
* Under is 4-0 in Sooners last four games versus a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 7-1 in West Virginia's last eight home games.

No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks at Kansas State Wildcats (+5.5, OFF)

* The second-ranked Jayhawks eye their seventh straight victory Saturday. Entering the weekend, Kansas sits a game up on West Virginia for first place in the Big 12 standings.

* Kansas State is near the bottom of the league standings and had a hard time keeping up with the Jayhawks when the teams met earlier this month. The Wildcats defeated TCU by 14 their last time out, while the Jayhawks crushed Oklahoma State by 27.

Trends:

* Kansas is 6-0 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Kansas State is 0-4 ATS in its last four games a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1 in Kansas' last seven road games.
* Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings at Kansas State.

No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats at No. 24 Texas A&M Aggies (Pick'em, OFF)

* Jamal Murray is averaging 28.3 points over the past four games - the Wildcats won each by an average of 22.5 points - and is averaging a team-best 19.2 entering Saturday. The Wildcats will be without senior forward Alex Poythress (10 points, 6.6 rebounds) for the fifth straight game due to a knee injury, and junior forward Marcus Lee (6.6 points, 6.2 rebounds) is questionable after injuring his lower back against Tennessee.

* Texas A&M started 7-0 in SEC play, and the win over the Rebels halted a five-game conference losing streak. The Aggies are 14-1 at home with the lone defeat coming against South Carolina on Feb. 6.

Trends:

* Kentucky is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games versus a team with a winning SU record.
* Texas A&M is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Over is 13-5 in Kentucky's last 18 road games.
* Under is 10-1 in Texas A&M's last 11 games overall.

TCU Horned Frogs at No. 15 Iowa State Cyclones (-17.5, OFF)

* No. 15 Iowa State looks to avoid its fifth loss in seven games Saturday. The Cyclones stand among the top 20 in the nation in scoring (82.6) and were third in field goal percentage (50.3) going into the weekend, but struggled on the defensive end in a 100-91 overtime loss at Baylor on Tuesday.

* TCU has dropped four of its last five contests and must contain productive senior forward Georges Niang, who went over 2,000 points in his career last time out. The Horned Frogs are better on the defensive end – 69.1 points per game against – than on offense, where they are last in the league at 40.6 percent from the field and in scoring (66.2).

Trends:

* TCU is 1-7 ATS in its last eight road games.
* Iowa State is 4-1 ATS in its last five Saturday games.
* Under is 4-0 in TCU's last four versus Big 12 teams.
* Under is 4-1 in Iowa State's last five Saturday games.

No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+2, OFF)

* Notre Dame puts an impressive three-game winning streak on the line Saturday. The 18th-ranked Fighting Irish have knocked off then-No. 1 North Carolina, Clemson and Louisville in succession to climb into an enviable position in the ACC, as they enter the weekend in position to gain a double-bye in the upcoming conference tournament.

* The Yellow Jackets are looking to climb at least one spot in the standings in order to avoid having to play in the first round of the ACC tourney, which includes only the bottom four seeds. They have won two of their last three after an 86-80 win at Florida State on Wednesday.

Trends:

* Notre Dame is 0-5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Georgia Tech is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Notre Dame's last four road games.
* Under is 5-1 in Georgia Tech's last six games overall.

No. 16 Purdue Boilermakers at No. 21 Indiana Hoosiers (-4, OFF)

* No. 21 Indiana looks to take sole possession of first place in the Big Ten Saturday. Indiana controls its own destiny in the quest for its second Big Ten title in four years, but has struggled recently against its bitter rival, and hopes to beat the Boilermakers for the first time since Feb. 16, 2013.

* Purdue bounced back from a disappointing 61-56 loss to Michigan with a 71-61 win over Northwestern to move within two games of Iowa and Indiana with four regular-season contests remaining. The Boilermakers are a sparkling 15-1 at home but have dropped three of their last four road games and are averaging just 58.5 points in their last two defeats away from home. Purdue has enjoyed some recent success against the Hoosiers, winning the last three games in the series, including a 67-63 victory in Bloomington on Feb. 19, 2015.

Trends:

* Purdue is 0-4 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Indiana is 5-1 ATS in its last six home games.
* Under is 13-3 in Purdue's last 16 Saturday games.
* Over is 4-1 in Indiana's ;ast five games versus a team with a winning SU record.

Oregon State Beavers at No. 17 Oregon Ducks (-10.5, OFF)

* Oregon State won the first meeting between these teams earlier this season, which followed a 13-day layoff for the Beavers and broke a four-game losing streak against the Ducks. Gary Payton II continues to lead Oregon State in scoring, rebounding and assists, but the 6-foot-3 senior guard has been less active on the boards lately, finishing below his 7.7 rebounding average in six straight games and eight of the last nine.

* Oregon shot poorly while losing back-to-back games in the Bay Area to California and Stanford last week and needs a win to keep pace with No. 12 Arizona for the conference lead. Dillon Brooks continues his breakout season for Oregon, as the 6-6 sophomore wing is averaging 23.7 points over the last three games to raise his scoring average to a team-high 17.2.

Trends:

* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings at Oregon.
* Home team is 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Oregon State is 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Betting 3-Point Play: Three Interesting Feb. 20 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews

I'm not going to preview Duke's game Saturday at Louisville, although I love the Cardinals as it's a huge letdown game for the Blue Devils. But one thing to monitor going forward for Duke is the status of starting guard Matt Jones. He suffered a badly sprained ankle in the upset of North Carolina on Wednesday and is going to miss quite a bit of time. Jones averages 11.7 points and leads the team in made 3-pointers with 59 for the season. Coach K's team is really, really thin so this could be a problem going forward -- especially against a pressure defensive team like Louisville.

Saint Joseph's at Davidson (+3.5)

Atlantic 10 game at 2 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. It's incredibly rare for a team to go unbeaten on the road during a college basketball regular season. Obviously Kentucky did it last year because the Wildcats didn't lose until the Final Four. If I gave you 10 guesses, I'd be willing to wager you wouldn't have picked Saint Joseph's as the only team left in Division I without a true road loss. That's in some jeopardy on Saturday. The Hawks (22-4, 11-2) are in a three-way tie with Dayton and VCU atop the A-10, although VCU was likely to win at home Friday night vs. Richmond. Saint Joseph's is done playing those two. It lost at home to VCU 85-82 on Jan. 5 but beat No. 15 Dayton 79-70 on Wednesday in Philadelphia. That probably got Saint Joseph's off the NCAA Tournament bubble for good. DeAndre Bembry had 16 points, 13 rebounds and three assists with no turnovers. Isaiah Miles added 12 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for SJU. They are two of the conference's better players. If you are wondering, Saint Joseph's has two road games left after this: UMass and St. Bonaventure.

Davidson (15-9, 7-6) is playing for conference tournament seeding at this point. The Wildcats beat Richmond on Tuesday 83-79 despite playing without one of the nation's leading scorers in Jack Gibbs. He averages 24.9 points along with 4.9 assists and 4.2 rebound but sat out with an illness. So did fellow guard Jordan Barham, who averages 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds. I'm surprised there's an opening line here because of those two but obviously oddsmakers must feel comfortable they are playing. This is the only scheduled meeting this season between the schools.

Key trends: Saint Joe's is 9-0 against the spread in its past nine road games. Davidson is 0-4 ATS in its past four after a win.

I'm leaning: Davidson has won 32 of its past 34 at home. I like the Cats here if Gibbs and Barham play. Otherwise, Saint Joseph's.

No. 3 Oklahoma At No. 10 West Virginia (+3.5)

This Big 12 matchup is at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN and is the only Top-10 matchup on the schedule (Miami-North Carolina just misses with the Canes at No. 11). Oklahoma (20-5, 8-5) was No. 1 for a few weeks but could fall out of the Top 15 with a loss here as the Sooners have dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season. Last Saturday, it was home to Kansas, which is fine. On Wednesday, it was at Texas Tech, which isn't OK. Oklahoma, the nation's top 3-point shooting team, was just 6-for-23 from long range. Player of the Year favorite Buddy Hield was held to 16 points and was 3-for-10 from long range. He has 1,997 career points and needs five to move into sixth place on the Big 12's all-time scoring list. OU has to win here to likely have a shot at the Big 12 regular-season title.

WVU (20-6, 9-4) is a game behind first-place Kansas. The Mountaineers lost 85-78 at No. 24 Texas on Tuesday. Jaysean Paige, WVU's leading scorer at 14.0 points per game, injured an ankle in the first half and didn't return. He was scoreless in six minutes. Paige is listed as probable here. The Mountaineers also played without guard Daxter Miles Jr. with a hamstring injury. He didn't even travel and is questionable here. Miles averages 10.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. West Virginia lost at Oklahoma 70-68 on Jan. 16. Khadeem Lattin had a tip-in of a Jordan Woodard missed layup with one second remaining. Hield had 17 in that one.

Key trends: The Sooners are 1-5 ATS in their past six road games. The Mountaineers are 13-3 ATS in their past 16 at home. The home team is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings.

I'm leaning: Oklahoma only because WVU isn't 100 percent.

Saint Mary's at Gonzaga (-5.5)

This West Coast Conference game is at 10 p.m.. ET on ESPN2. It's my favorite mid-major rivalry and Saint Mary's (21-4, 12-3) can tie the Zags for first. ESPN actually has SMC among its "First Four Out," so the Gaels clearly need this one. They have a lousy RPI of 67 and haven't played a ranked team. SMC's best non-conference win is probably vs. Stanford and the Cardinal aren't very good this season. The Gaels nearly were caught looking ahead to this one on Thursday as they escaped at Portland, 74-72. Joe Rahon hit the winning jumper with three seconds left. Alec Wintering's last-second 35-foot rimmed out for Portland.

Gonzaga (21-6, 13-2) is currently projected as a No. 9 seed in the Big Dance and has an RPI of 63. Its only good non-conference win was over UConn. The Zags had no trouble Thursday at home in trashing Pacific 90-68. Kyle Wiltjer had 19 of his 26 points in the second half and Domantas Sabonis finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Gonzaga looks to avoid the season sweep here as the Zags lost at Saint Mary's 70-67 on Jan. 21. Evan Fitzner hit two free throws with 2.9 seconds left and Gonzaga's Josh Perkins hit the front rim on a heave at the buzzer. Gonzaga had won eight straight in the series. SMC likely will be the WCC's top seed with a win here because it has a much easier schedule remaining than Gonzaga does; the Zags have a tough trip to BYU left.

Key trends: SMC is 1-9 ATS in its past 10 games. Gonzaga is 2-10 ATS in its past 12 Saturday games. The Bulldogs are 8-0 ATS in the past eight meetings.

I'm leaning: Gonzaga.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Notes for Saturday's games..........

Georgetown won 81-72 at Xavier Jan 19, scoring 1.21 ppp, making 10 of 25 on arc, 61.6% inside arc- they're 2-4 in series, splitting pair here, but Hoyas are 2-6 overall since that win, beating Creighton/St John's at home. Musketeers won seven of last eight games, winning three of last four on road, with only loss by 14 at Creighton. Big East home dogs of 5 or less points are 3-5 against the spread.

Duke lost Jones (ankle) Wednesday, will likely use max of six players in this game (3 guys played 39:00+ vs UNC); they beat Louisville 72-65 in first meeting 12 days ago, outscoring Cards 15-7 over last 5:36 after they blew 15-point lead. Louisville split last six games; they can't go play in postseason- this is their Super Bowl. Cardinals 6-1 at home in ACC- the only loss was to Virginia. ACC home favorites of 7+ points are 19-20.

North Carolina is 2-3 in last five games after losing to Duke in last game; Tar Heels lost four of last five series games- 'canes won 68-59/63-57 in last two visits here. UNC was 1-13 on arc Wednesday; they won six of seven ACC home games (1-4-1 as HF). Miami won its last five games, with wins at Florida St/Ga Tech; their three road losses are by 8-11-16 points. ACC home favorites of 6 or less points are 13-11 vs spread.

Baylor is 2-3 in last five games, losing 67-59 at home to Texas Feb 1st, its 5th loss in last seven series games- they shot 35.2%. Bears lost last three visits here, by 9-5-2 points. Baylor is 4-2 on Big X road, losing at Kansas/WV. Big X home favorites of 5 or less points are 8-4 vs spread. Texas lost two of last three games but is 7-0 at home in Big X, winning by 10+ points in three of their last four home games

Villanova is 5-0 vs Butler in Big East play; they beat Bulldogs 60-55 in first meeting Jan 10- Butler led 27-21 at half in brickfest where teams hit combined 7-30 on arc. Bulldogs lost previous two visits here, by 19-12 points. Villanova won its its last six games, is 15-1 in its last 16- they're 2-4 as home favorites. Butler won four of last five games, is 3-4 on road in conference. Big East double digit home favorites are 9-8 vs spread.

Kentucky won its last four games, all by 10+ points, since losing pair of road games at Kansas/Tennessee; Wildcats won three of four vs Texas A&M in SEC play, winning both visits here in OT. Kentucky is 3-3 in SEC road games. Aggies lost five of last seven games, but only one of the losses was at home (81-78 to South Carolina). SEC home teams 17-14 vs spread in games with spread of 4 or less points.

Illinois State won eight of last nine games; they beat Northern Iowa by 9 at home Jan 23, making 12-30 on arc. UNI shot 60% inside arc but lost- they've won four of last five games with ISU, which lost last ten visits here, last four by 8+ points. Panthers won six of last seven games, with three straight home wins, by 9-3-14 points. MVC home favorites of 6 or less points are 6-10 against the spread.

Home side won last six Oklahoma-West Virginia games; Sooners lost by 5-21 in last two visits here. Oklahoma lost three of last four games after starting season 19-2; they beat West Virginia 70-68 at home Jan 16. OU outscored Mountaineers 27-13 on line in game they trailed by 7 early in second half. West Virginia is 5-5 in its last 10 games after starting year 15-1; they're 5-1 at home in Big X, with only loss to Texas. Big X home favorites of 4 or less points are 6-2.

Cincinnati won six of last eight games, winning 58-57 at UConn Jan 28, outscoring Huskies 5-0 over last 1:27 of game. Huskies are 4-2 in last six series games, but lost last three visits here, by 5-5-12 points. Cincy won its last six home games since losing to Temple. UConn is 4-2 on road in AAC; they've won five of six games since loss to Cincy. AAC home favorites of less than 5 points are 6-2 against the spread.

Purdue won its last three games with Indiana by 18-16-4 points; this is only meeting of year between in-state rivals. Purdue split its last four games; they lost three of last four on road, with win by 4 at Minnesota. Hoosiers are 4-3 in last seven games; they're 7-0 at home in conference, 5-2 as home favorites. Purdue is 0-2 as a Big 14 underdog. Big 14 home favorites of less than 5 points are 7-5 vs spread.

Gonzaga lost 70-67 at St Mary's Jan 21, blowing 15-point second half lead; Zags shot 67.6% inside arc, but lost for first time in last eight tilts with Gaels, who lost last four visits to Spokane by 14-5-22-21 points. Zags lead St Mary's by game in WCC. St Mary's is 3-2 in last five games after starting season 18-2. Gonzaga won seven of last eight games; they did lose at home to BYU in a WCC game last month. WCC home faves of 7 or less points are 7-15 against the spread.

Cal-Irvine lost 74-52 at Hawai'i nine days ago; Rainbows made 14-30 on arc in game they led 38-21 at half. Hawai'i lost two of three visits here, losing by 4-15 points. Anteaters are 4-1 at home in Big West, with four wins by 9+ points- loss was to UCSB. Big West home favorites of less than 5 points are 4-9 vs spread. Hawai'i is 5-0 on road in Big West; they won their last five games and 13 of last 14, losing to Long Beach State.

Tennessee Tech outscored Belmont 34-15 over last 11:17 to beat Bruins 89-79 at home Jan 30; their 2nd win in seven OVC games with Belmont. Bruins won tough game at Eastern Kentucky Thursday; Tennessee Tech hasn't played in a week- they lost last three visits here, by 22-2-18 pts. . OVC home favorites of 8+ points are 12-10 vs spread. Belmont split its last six games. Tech lost three of last five road games, losing by 6-7-30.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Big-12 Showdown'

Both West Virginia Mountaineers and Oklahoma Sooners look to get back in the win column when the schools tip things off at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown Saturday. Mountaineers fell to 20-6 (14-9 ATS), 9-4 (8-5 ATS) in the Big-12 with its 85-78 loss at Texas Wednesday night. Mountaineers no slouches when it comes to scoring (80.0) are one of the best at keeping the ball out of their own basket giving up just 65.6 points/game on 42.1% from the field, 31.1% from long range.

Sooners unable to solve Texas Tech in their last game walking off at the wrong end of a 65-63 decision fell to 20-5 (10-13 ATS) on the campaign, 8-5 (4-9 ATS) within the conference. Sooners one of the better teams in the country on offense hitting 46.4% from the filed along with a nation best 43.6% from outside net 82.8 points/game. Sooners are a work in progress on the defensive side as they allowing opponents 71.4 per/contest.

Sooners have dominated this series since Mountaineers joined the Big-12 winning 6-of-8 meetings (5-3 ATS) including a 70-68 victory, non-cover when the teams collided in Norman earlier. Expect a little pay-back as home court advantage will play a significant role in West Virginia winning this contest.

The Mountaineers have won 11-of-12 in front of the friendly crowd with a profitable 7-2 ATS record in lined games. Mountaineers also enter on a solid 12-2 stretch at home hosting a Big-12 rival (10-4 ATS) including a win/cover last time Sooners visited Morgantown. Another positive for West Virginia backers, the Mountaineers have cashed 4-of-5 tickets following a loss its previous effort. The fact Oklahoma has not been a good bet on the road in conference play recently (2-8 ATS) and just 1-3 ATS after a SU loss adds fuel Mountaineers are the choice.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Betting Preview

St Bonaventure at Dayton February 20, 12:00 EST

The 13th-ranked Dayton Flyers are coming off a humbling loss the last time out, but that just makes them more attractive and value-packed in the online sportsbook odds. They’re heading into Saturday’s showdown against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies.

Let’s find out why Dayton looks like a value-packed pick in this contest! Also, check out the recap of when these two last met which was on January 19th.

Why Bet The St. Bonaventure Bonnies

St. Bonaventure (17-7 SU, 12-7-1 ATS) had their five-game winning streak snapped in their humbling 71-64 loss against lowly LaSalle on Wednesday night while failing to cover the spread as a 9-point road dog to fall to 1-3 ATS over their last four games.

The Bonnies had a one-point lead late in regulation, but LaSalle took control in the final two minutes to get the win. Marcus Posley scored a team-high points and drained five three-pointers, but the Bonnies shot just 37 percent in the loss while allowing the Explorers to snap their 10-game losing streak.

Why Bet The Dayton Flyers

The Flyers (21-4 SU, 12-12 ATS) had their nine-game winning streak snapped in their convincing 79-70 loss to St. Joe’s on Wednesday night while failing to cover the spread as a 1-point road dog to fall to 0-2-1 ATS over their last three games.

Junior guard Charles Cooke led the Flyers with a team-high 16 points, but Dayton made just eight of their whopping 31 three-point attempts against a St. Joe’s team that is clearly underrated.

“That to me is as good of a team as we’ve seen this season,” Dayton coach Archie Miller said. “They’re a different type of team because of the way their skill level is. I think Coach has got them clearly from an offensive perspective really in a great rhythm because of their movement. They’re hard to guard. I thought the thing that was really surprising to me though was how they overpowered us for about 40 minutes. Physically I thought they dominated us. They were commanding in how they approached the game.”

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

While the odds for this matchup aren’t out just yet, I’m expecting Dayton to be favored by somewhere between 6-8 points. I also like the Flyers to get the SU win and ATS cover because of their loss to St. Joe’s. Dayton has won nine of their last 10 meetings against St. Bonaventure including their 85-79 road win on Jan. 19 as a 3-point road favorite.

While the Flyers average 2.3 fewer points per game than the Bonnies, they also limit their opponents to 6.5 fewer points per game defensively and rank 28th in the nation in points allowed.

The Flyers are 5-1 ATS in their last half-dozen games against the Bonnies and I expect them to improve on that mark after getting humbled the last time out!

My final score prediction is Dayton 78 St. Bonaventure 70.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Betting Preview

Purdue vs Indiana February 20, 08:30 EST

In one of Saturday’s most-interesting matchups between ranked opponents, the No. 17 Purdue Boilermakers and the No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers will be locking horns in Bloomington, as both teams seek to finish the season strongly and earn a top seed on Selection Sunday. For the conference-topping Hoosiers, the game will particularly come with extra pressure, given the manner in which the likes of Iowa and Maryland are breathing down Indiana’s neck in the Big Ten standings. Can the Hoosiers hold serve at home in the college basketball lines, or will the Boilermakers come up big with an upset? Read on as we take you through this game’s betting guide, complete with free NCAAB betting tips and picks.

Why Bet on Purdue (21-6, 9-5 Big Ten)

It was far from perfect in their last outing, but the Boilermakers played well enough to beat Northwestern on Tuesday, 71-61, marking the fourth win in their last six outings. The biggest game-changer against Northwestern was the fact that the big physical Purdue players, who are second in the Big Ten with 42.3 RPG, had 45 rebounds while limiting their opponents to just 27. This enabled them to claim the win in spite of shooting 38.3 percent from the field and committing nine turnovers.

To beat the Hoosiers and their red-hot offense, the Boilermakers will once again need to dominate the boards, on top of figuring better in scoring. This essentially means that Purdue’s leading scorer A.J. Hammons (14.6 PPG along with 8.2 RPG) will need to lead his teammates into a strong road effort this Saturday.

Why Bet on Indiana (21-6, 11-3 Big Ten)

Like the Boilermakers, Indiana is 4-2 SU in its last six games, including the 80-64 drubbing of Nebraska on Wednesday. As we’ve seen severally this season, Indiana banked on its lethal offense—12th in the nation in scoring (83.4 PPG) and 24th in the nation in assists (16.5 APG)—to overwhelm the Cornhuskers in a very one-sided affair. Getting into rhythm early in the game against Purdue will be extremely important, as the Boilermakers have a solid defensive unit that allows just 63.5 points per game on 38.3 percent shooting from field, ranking 16th and 10th in the country in the two respective areas.

In the defense, the Hoosiers haven’t been that solid (allowing 69.4 PPG), but you can expect the always-charged-up crowd at Assembly Hall to factor into the game, revving up Indiana players for a strong defensive showcase.

Purdue at Indiana College Basketball Picks

The fact that the Boilermakers are 3-0 SU/ATS in their last three meetings with Indiana (dating back to 2014) means they should not be discounted from being able to pull an upset here. That said, the Hoosiers are impressively 10-0 SU and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games, underlining the strong home court they’ve been known to have over the years. And because of the latter reason, we believe the Hoosiers should be your preferred pick on both the Moneyline and point spread.

Game Total: OVER, Final Score Prediction: Indiana 86, Purdue 80

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Pompano Park

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 7 - Post: 9:18 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 77 - Purse:$4500 - CLAIMING $5,000 HENNESSEY PICKED 5 OVER 6


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 5 A LIST 9/2


# 1 WESTERN LEGEND 6/1


# 8 FLAK JACKET 4/1


A LIST looks really good to best this group. Appears that this race horse's running style fits well in this contest. Definitely will be there at the finish. WESTERN LEGEND - With a 78 avg class rating, this race horse has one of the best class advantages in the bunch. That 78 TrackMaster Speed Rating clocked in the last affair puts this standardbred in the mix here. FLAK JACKET - Have an instinct this one might sneak by in this event.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Yonkers Raceway

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 7 - Post: 9:10 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 94 - Purse:$20000 - NON-WINNERS OF $25,000 IN LAST 5 STARTS


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 6 SUNFIRE BLUE CHIP 9/2


# 1 MELMERBY BEACH 5/2


# 7 CASIMIR JITTERBUG 7/1


SUNFIRE BLUE CHIP is the clear stand out wager in the eyes of the number crunching team. The number crunching team knows that speed is King in harness racing. This interesting entrant will unlock our way to a nice victory. Could very likely take this group of horses given the 98 speed rating earned in his last affair. Deserves a shot given the positive win figure he sports. MELMERBY BEACH - Take a good look at making this horse your win bet based on high win percentage alone. A good win statistic has been earned by fine animals coming from the 1 hole. CASIMIR JITTERBUG - With a super driver, who has won at a good 21 percent rate the past month, this has to be one of the top selections. Seems to have a respectable class advantage based on the opponents he has faced.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Los Alamitos (Quarter Horse)

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 4 - Maiden Claiming - 300y on the Dirt. Purse: $7540 Class Rating: 87

QUARTER HORSE 300Y, FOR MAIDENS, THREE YEARS OLD. WEIGHT, 124 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $10,000.


RECOMMENDED CHOICES

The Walker Group Picks

# 2 FACTOR X 9/5


# 1 GRAND PASSES 3/1


# 3 SHES WALKING AWAY 5/1


I like FACTOR X here. His 76 average has this gelding with among the most respectable Equibase Speed Figures in this race. Earned a solid speed figure last time out. Has been running in the most competitive company of the group recently. GRAND PASSES - He has been racing very well lately while recording solid speed figs. Flores has one of the best winning percentages in this group with entries running at this distance and surface. SHES WALKING AWAY - Could beat this field given the 71 speed rating put up in her last outing.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Louisiana Downs

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 8 - Trial - 300y on the Dirt. Purse: $6000 Class Rating: 81

QUARTER HORSE 300Y, FOR ACCREDITED LOUISIANA BRED TWO YEAR OLDS WHICH ARE PAID TO DATE. FINAL PAYMENT MUST BE ON ACCOUNT WITH THE HORSEMEN'S BOOKKEEPER AT THE TIME OF ENTRY. SUPPLEMENTARY NOMINATIONS OF $6,000 MUST ACCOMPANY THE ENTRY. WEIGHT: 122 LBS.


RECOMMENDED CHOICES

The Walker Group Picks

# 1 SAN LORENZO LADY 8/1


# 7 MY FAST SENSATION 12/1


# 6 SIZZLIN HOTTIE 10/1


I think SAN LORENZO LADY is a strong pick especially at a long price. The progeny of Coronas Leaving Yo have produced strong numbers racing in their first asking, combining for a +34 return on investment. Has been running admirably lately and will almost certainly be up on the lead early on. Trejo and Alvarez have a strong win percentage together. MY FAST SENSATION - Players have done very well with fillies and colts of this sire in the past, whose +4 ROI is one of the best in this group. Robbins has earned sharp gains (+281 return on investment ) with first asking starters. SIZZLIN HOTTIE - This trainer has produced entrants that have consistently produced strong board hit percentages in their first contest. This handler has the top return on investment in this group with entries racing at this distance and surface. Aceves has strong numbers that point to this filly to be a sharp contender.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Santa Anita - Race #3 - Post: 1:35pm - Maiden Special - 7.0 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $56,000 Class Rating: 95

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#7 SNICKER (ML=3/1)
#2 FAST MUNNY (ML=4/1)
#3 DALMORE (ML=5/1)


SNICKER - This trainer (Hollendorfer) has a fabulous win percent with first time starters. This jockey and trainer's horses have been generating a profitable return on investment. 'King Jerry' is giving this one Lasix for the first time. I like it. The 'x-factor' at work here is that this colt has been working over this track getting ready for his first start. FAST MUNNY - When this jock and conditioner team up you have to take a look. Prat and Dollase have been fantastic together. Dollase is giving this one Lasix for the first time. You have to like that. We have a healthy horse here. Dollase puts him in this clash ready to win. DALMORE - Just check out his most recent fig, 82. That one fits well in this group. This thoroughbred wins a lot of cash per start. I believe he can add to that total right here in this race. Look at this pattern of improvement. 73/80/82 are the last three speed figures.

Vulnerable Contenders: #5 ZICONIC (ML=5/2), #4 ADIOS REALITY (ML=6/1), #1 ONE MORE ROUND (ML=6/1),

ZICONIC - Probably won't make much of a mark this time out. ADIOS REALITY - Way too far back in the beginning of the last route race will probably make it tough to make an impact today in this sprint race. That was simply not a very good display in the last event. ONE MORE ROUND - No good fortune for this horse in a short distance event over the last couple months tells me that this colt is in a formidable spot Last raced on January 3rd at Santa Anita, finishing sixth. Not likely to move up off of that effort in today's event.


STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Bet on #7 SNICKER to win if we can get at least 3/1 odds

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [2,7]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
Pass

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
Skip