Saturday 2/27/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Rockets' Howard fires longtime agent
By The Sports Xchange

Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard said that he has fired longtime agent Dan Fegan.
Howard announced the decision in a statement to USA Today on Friday.
"As I continue to embark on my NBA journey, I have decided to sever my relationship with Dan Fegan and Relativity Sports," Howard said in the statement. "I have the utmost respect for Dan, but this is the right decision for me. My sole focus remains working with my teammates to position the Rockets for a pursuit of a championship. I wish Dan and the team at Relativity all the best in the future."
Howard, 30, is expected to opt out of his contract after the season and having different representation might help him on the free-agent front. He hasn't yet selected a new agent.
Howard is completing the third season for a four-year, $88 million contract.

---Miami Heat guard Beno Udrih underwent successful surgery to repair a torn plantar plate in his right foot, the team announced.
Udrih is expected to miss three months, the Heat said Friday.
Udrih suffered the likely season-ending injury after playing six minutes in the first half of Miami's 101-93 overtime victory against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Udrih has appeared in 36 games (five starts) with the Heat this season, averaging 4.4 points, 2.5 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 16.3 minutes while shooting 43.4 percent from the field.

---Former All-Star guard Joe Johnson plans to sign with the Heat once he clears waivers, multiple outlets reported.
Johnson negotiated a contract buyout with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday in hopes of joining a playoff-caliber team. He can't officially sign with Miami until he clears waivers on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
Johnson drew interest from several teams before narrowing his list to the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami.
Johnson is a seven-time All-Star and six of those appearances occurred when he was a member of the Hawks. Cleveland's LeBron James openly lobbied for Johnson to join the Cavaliers.
Johnson averaged just 11.8 points and shot 40.6 percent from the field for the Nets this season.

---New Orleans guard Eric Gordon will return to the lineup on Saturday night after missing 16 games since fracturing his right ring finger.
Gordon, 27, has not played after suffering the injury on his shooting hand against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 19. He underwent surgery the next day.
Gordon appeared in all of New Orleans' first 41 games, averaging 14.9 points, 2.7 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Heat (32-25) at Celtics (34-25)

Date: February 27, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

The Miami Heat have been tested every which way this month, and they've not only survived but risen to first place in the Southeast Division.

Still awaiting word on the health of their leading scorer and official status of a key addition, the Heat will visit the Boston Celtics on Saturday for their next obstacle against one of the league's hottest home teams.

While playing through a tough stretch on the court, Miami (32-25) has faced adversity off it. A revolving door of injuries continued to spin with news at the All-Star break that Chris Bosh is dealing with blood clots for the second straight season.

Bosh, averaging 19.1 points, missed the final 30 games of 2014-15 due to a blood clot in his lung and has the same issue in his leg. It remains unclear if he will return, though reports say doctors and the team are urging him to sit out the rest of the season.

It's just one level in the growing stack of Miami's health concerns. Backup point guard Beno Udrih underwent foot surgery this week and will miss three months, while Tyler Johnson will likely miss the rest of the season after shoulder surgery. Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside have each missed games this month.

"Look, you would prefer to have 15 guys available, but very rarely do you play more than 10 guys in a game," coach Erik Spoelstra said at Friday's practice. "So we're 10 strong and that's enough. Is it ideal? I don't even care. That's what we have right now."

It appears the Heat have filled one spot with reports of the signing of Joe Johnson, who was bought out by Brooklyn earlier this week and could sign with Miami on Saturday when he clears waivers. Johnson would fill a shooting need for the Heat as he has made 85 3-pointers, four more than Bosh's team-leading total.

Johnson could play Sunday at New York at the earliest.

The Heat have been able to overtake struggling Atlanta in the Southeast even while short-handed. They dropped back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio entering the break but returned with wins over the Hawks, Washington and Indiana.

That streak was snapped with Wednesday's 118-112 loss to Golden State, though 13 lead changes in the fourth quarter against the league's top team elicited confidence from Spoelstra - whose club has won six of seven on the road.

"It's hardened us," Spoelstra said of the difficult stretch. "That doesn't guarantee anything, but I like the qualities that it's been bringing out of us."

The next challenge is a trip to TD Garden, where Boston (34-25) has rattled off nine straight wins. But the Celtics have cooled since their 9-1 overall stretch from Jan. 22-Feb. 7, trading wins and losses in their last six.

While Miami's defense ranks toward the top of the NBA by holding opponents to an average of 96.9 points, Boston's offense has risen into the top five at 106.2 points per game thanks to a mark of 118.0 over the last seven.

Despite Miami's division lead, Boston still holds the Eastern Conference's third seed.

"We know that they're right behind us and we definitely want to create some separation in the standings," point guard Isaiah Thomas told the team's official website.

Boston, which opened a five-game homestand with Thursday's 112-107 win over Milwaukee, earned a 105-95 victory in Miami on Nov. 30. Avery Bradley made 3 of 6 3-pointers en route to 25 points, while Wade led the Heat with 30.

Miami has won two straight and three of four in Boston.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (18-40) at Pelicans (23-34)

Date: February 27, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Paced by Anthony Davis, the New Orleans Pelicans began their current stretch of success with another victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this month.

Though the All-Star landed awkwardly on his knee in the Pelicans' most recent triumph, Davis seems ready to help them try for an eighth consecutive victory over the visiting Timberwolves on Saturday night.

The Pelicans organization and its fans received a scare Thursday as Davis laid on the ground grabbing his left knee after leaping to block Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook's layup attempt late in the fourth quarter. Davis, though, remained in the game and hit two clutch free throws and grabbed a key rebound in the final minute of a 123-119 home victory, New Orleans' fifth win in seven games.

"I wasn't coming out. I can tell you that," said Davis, who scored 30 to bounce back from a nine-point effort in Tuesday's 20-point loss at Washington.

He said the knee "feels good" after New Orleans improved to 3-1 following the All-Star break. Davis has at least 30 points in three of the last four, including a franchise-record 59 at Detroit on Sunday.

The Pelicans (23-34) shot 52.2 percent - third-highest performance of the season - against the Thunder and have scored at least 110 four times in the last seven.

"Guys are playing at a high level now," Davis said.

New Orleans is 5 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but the immediate focus is to keep progressing.

"We appreciate what we're doing and how we're playing, but the only thing we can think about is the next game," coach Alvin Gentry said. "No streak, no playing well, no anything. Just, what can we do in the next game?"

Davis scored 35 and the Pelicans shot 50.6 percent in a 114-99 home win over Minnesota (18-40) on Jan. 19, but Eric Gordon left with a fractured right ring finger.

Gordon has sat out all 16 games since but Gentry says he will be inserted back into the starting lineup Saturday. The shooting guard, who is averaging 14.9 points and is among the Pelicans' top perimeter shooters with 101 3-pointers, says he's eager to return to a team making a late-season push.

New Orleans' 5-2 stretch began with a 116-102 victory at Minnesota on Feb. 8, with Davis and Jrue Holiday each scoring 27 and Ryan Anderson adding 26.

That game began a stretch in which Holiday is averaging 22.4 points and 8.7 assists for New Orleans, which has shot better than 48 percent all but once during its seven-game series winning streak. It's won five consecutive meetings at home, with the last three by an average of 28.3 points.

Davis has averaged 28.5 points in the last four against the Timberwolves.

Though Minnesota reached 100 points for the first time in seven games against the Pelicans this month, it went 2 of 12 from 3-point range and trailed by as many as 28.

'I'm just going to say it's one of those clunkers,' said Timberwolves interim coach Sam Mitchell, whose team has dropped four of six beginning with that defeat.

Two nights after shooting 51.8 percent in a 124-122 home win over Boston, the Timberwolves made half of their 74 attempts Thursday but went 8 for 21 while being outscored 27-19 in the fourth quarter of a 114-105 loss at Toronto.

Andrew Wiggins, who had 26 points with a season-high six turnovers on Thursday, scored 15 against the Pelicans this month but has at least 20 in three games at New Orleans.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spurs (49-9) at Rockets (29-29)

Date: February 27, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Houston Rockets faced the San Antonio Spurs at the wrong time last month. Now they're hoping to get a tired bunch at the end of a season-high eight-game road stretch.

James Harden is in the midst of one of his scoring binges but San Antonio has gotten back to playing lock-down defense now that its reigning Defensive Player of the Year has returned.

The Rockets will try to win back-to-back games for only the second time in a month Saturday night when they try to keep the Spurs from closing out a 7-1 rodeo trip.

San Antonio (49-9) was coming off its worst loss in three years - a 30-point defeat at Golden State - when it took out its frustration with a 130-99 home win over Houston on Jan. 27.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green each added 18 points as the Spurs shot 55.6 percent and held the Rockets to 38.4.

This time, Houston hopes to take advantage of what could be a weary club that played its seventh straight away from home wrapped around the All-Star break in Thursday's 96-78 win over Utah. Leonard had 29 points and Tony Parker added 16 in the Spurs' fourth straight victory.

Houston (29-29) leapfrogged the Jazz into eighth place in the Western Conference the same night by rallying from a 21-point deficit for a 119-105 win at Portland. Harden stayed hot with 46 points, while Dwight Howard finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

"If we can go out there and play like we did in the second half against (every) team, we'll be capable of a lot of things," said Harden at the end of a 2-3 road swing. "Every single night (it's going to be like a playoff game), and we have to be prepared for that intensity and atmosphere."

Harden has totaled 88 points on 32-of-56 shooting in his last two games and is averaging 36.5 over his past six. He's trying to score at least 40 in three straight for the first time in his career, though he's averaged just 18.3 on 38.3 percent shooting in his last four versus San Antonio.

Seeking their first back-to-back wins since Feb. 2 and 4, the Rockets have averaged 116.3 points in their last three games. The Spurs had surrendered 109.7 per game while their stopper missed three with a calf injury. With Leonard back, they've given up an average of 85 in the last two.

'We had been really spotty and undisciplined,' said coach Gregg Popovich, whose club leads the league in scoring defense with 92.4 allowed per game.

Leonard has scored 19.6 per game on 52 percent shooting with 14 steals in his last five against the Rockets. Parker has averaged 21.5 points in his last four overall, but had totaled six on a combined 2-of-20 shooting in a three-game stretch versus Houston prior to the last meeting.

Aldridge has played well in all three matchups, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds in an 88-84 loss at Houston on Christmas Day and 24 and nine in a 121-103 home win Jan. 2.

The Spurs have won five of six against the Rockets after limiting them to 96.7 points - well below their 105.6 season mark - in this season series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trail Blazers (30-28) at Bulls (30-27)

Date: February 27, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

To start the season, it was difficult to look at Portland's roster and feel right calling them the Trail Blazers. Things started very poorly but a respectable identity has since emerged.

Similarly, Chicago's minutes aren't exactly being spread among the names one might traditionally expect to make up the Bulls.

Portland's in-season shift has legitimate roots as it begins a six-game road trip Saturday night in Chicago, while the Bulls are trying to stay afloat as they wait for key players to return.

On Jan. 8, Chicago (30-27) was 22-12, three games back of Cleveland for the Central Division lead and enjoying a six-game winning streak. Portland (30-28) had just lost its third straight to fall to 15-24 with nine teams ahead of it in the Western Conference as it continued to look for answers after a drastic offseason overhaul.

The 15-4 run that's followed has featured 108.7 points per game after the Blazers were held to 100.9 until that point, though they did just see their season-best six-game winning streak come to an end in Thursday's 119-105 home loss to Houston.

Damian Lillard was held to 6-of-20 shooting for 23 points, but most of the concerns came on the other end. The Rockets shot 53.7 percent - the Blazers are 0-9 when teams make half their shots - and they outscored Portland 62-26 in the paint while overcoming a 15-point halftime deficit.

"Sometimes when you play so well, you forget how hard what you were actually doing is," Lillard told the team's official website. "We got up on them, then they saw a few shots go in. They kept competing, they stuck with it and they played like a desperate team. We kind of took our lead for granted, took what we had been doing for granted and they found like and came back and won the game."

Lillard was probably due for a letdown. The guard had scored at least 30 in his previous five games, and despite the rough shooting night, he's averaging 33.7 points and shooting 46.6 percent and 41.5 from 3-point range in his last six.

Chicago began the season series with a 93-88 road win on Nov. 24 and has won the last two, but that victory came with Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, Nikola Mirotic and Joakim Noah on the floor. It also came with Lillard struggling to take on a larger role, which has obviously since changed. He was held to 4-of-22 shooting for 19 points

"Any time you go on the road it's tough," said Lillard, who has watched the Bulls go 8-15 over the last month and a half. "But they're a really good team, a top Eastern Conference team when they're healthy. We've just got to have our minds right and it's always good to start a road trip off right. That first game we've got to really be locked in and we've got to set the tone for the trip."

The Bulls are stopping home for a game after Friday's 103-88 loss in Atlanta ended a three-game winning streak, though they've still got a three-game home streak going. Coach Fred Hoiberg is more concerned with a turnover issue that's crept up with Chicago averaging 18.5 in the last two games with Rose sidelined by right hamstring tendinitis.

"That's all we've talked about for the last two days is taking care of the basketball," Hoiberg said. "You don't give yourself a chance to win when you have careless turnovers like that."

Pau Gasol had 16 points and 17 rebounds but was 6 of 22, but Doug McDermott had 20 points and is averaging that many on 62.0 percent and 8 of 15 from 3-point range in his last four games. He'd never reached 20 in a game before scoring 30 last Friday.

"We've got to hold down the fort 'til everybody comes back," forward Taj Gibson said. "But we've got a shot."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (29-29) at Bucks (24-34)

Date: February 27, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The Detroit Pistons swapped two former Milwaukee Bucks player for another one in a trade last week that is starting to pay dividends with Tobias Harris in the starting lineup.

The Pistons are 2-0 since Harris became a starter and will try to end a four-game losing road streak against the Bucks on Saturday night.

Detroit (29-29) acquired Harris from Orlando on Feb. 16 for guard Brandon Jennings and forward Ersan Ilyasova. All the players are former Bucks.

The Pistons have started Harris in the frontcourt alongside Marcus Morris and Andre Drummond in the last two games since Anthony Tolliver is out with a right knee sprain. Tolliver had replaced Ilyasova as a starter after the trade.

Harris has totaled 36 points on 57.7 percent shooting in Monday's 96-88 win at Cleveland and Wednesday's 111-91 victory over Philadelphia. Morris has 27 points and 12 assists in those games.

'We have a lot of young, athletic players, and it helps to have Andre back there in the paint,' said Harris, who is averaging 18.3 points on 54.5 percent shooting in four games with Detroit. 'I love being out there with Marcus, because we are both very versatile and we can play off of each other. He can help me and I can help him.'

Detroit is in ninth place in the Eastern Conference as it seeks its first playoff berth in seven seasons.

Drummond, who leads the NBA with 14.9 rebounds per game, has posted 11 straight double-doubles to give him a league-high 49 - eight shy of his career best. The big man has 32 points and 38 rebounds in helping the Pistons split two meetings with the Bucks.

He is also shooting a league-worst 36.1 percent from the line, which would break Wilt Chamberlain's record low of 38.0 in 1967-68.

Drummond will see a familiar face in the paint in former teammate Greg Monroe, who has 34 points and 26 rebounds in the season series. Monroe signed with Milwaukee (24-34) as a free agent after spending his first five seasons with Detroit.

The Bucks have also successfully utilized a recent lineup change by replacing Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams in the starting lineup with O.J. Mayo and Miles Plumlee. Milwaukee won four of its first five games since that move before Thursday's 112-107 loss at Boston, allowing 20 fast-break points and committing 15 turnovers.

'The lineup change, we've had confidence, so that's not the problem,' coach Jason Kidd said. 'We've got to take care of the ball. We had some turnovers there, also offensive rebounds."

Budding young stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker have been playing well, although Antetokounmpo's streak of four straight double-doubles ended Thursday as he finished with 14 points, eight assists and seven boards. Parker is averaging 22.0 points on 50.7 percent shooting in his last four games with 9.8 rebounds.

"The big thing is those two are growing and they're getting better," Kidd said.

Milwaukee continues to rank among the best in the NBA with an average of 49.9 points in the paint while Detroit is first in average second-chance points at 15.3.

The Bucks have won seven of nine at the Bradley Center as they begin a five-game homestand. Sixteen of their final 24 games are at home.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (52-5) at Thunder (41-17)

Date: February 27, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Oklahoma City could be the ultimate finale to Golden State's lengthy road trip. The heavyweight matchup might serve as a preview to the Western Conference final many want to see, and the Warriors could start the progression toward that showdown by clinching the league's first playoff spot.

Bear in mind, there are still more than six weeks to play in the regular season.

Stephen Curry and the Warriors will try to remain on record pace by closing a seven-game trip Saturday night with only their second road win in the last seven-plus years against the struggling Thunder.

The Warriors (52-5) hold the best record in NBA history through 57 games to remain one ahead of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' pace in their record 72-10 season. Golden State remains on track to top that mark despite a stretch of 16 of 23 games away from home since Jan. 5.

The Warriors are 20-3 in that span and 5-1 on their current trip. They have won four straight since returning from the All-Star break with a 137-105 loss at Portland on Feb. 19 - with the latest victory coming in more typical fashion following an unfamiliar stretch of close games.

After tight wins over the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta and Miami, the Warriors blew out Orlando 130-114 on Thursday behind another record-breaking performance from Curry. The reigning MVP drained 10 of 15 3-pointers, including one from half court to close the third quarter, and finished 20 of 27 overall for 51 points.

Curry broke Kyle Korver's record with his 128th straight game with a 3, upping his season total to 276 - just 10 shy of the record he set last season.

'I don't know that the record is that significant because it's so simple for him," coach Steve Kerr said. "His 3-point shot is like a 2-point shot. It's what he does.'

Only seven times in NBA history has a player scored 50-plus points and made at least 10 3-pointers. Curry has four of them, two coming this season. He became the first player with three 50-point games in a season since LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in 2008-09.

The latest helped the Warriors improve to 28-5 away from home, matching their franchise record for road victories set last season. Golden State has won each of its 24 games at Oracle Arena, where it plays 17 of its final 24 after Saturday.

The Thunder (41-17) have won 11 of 12 in this series in Oklahoma City, but the Warriors have taken four of the last five meetings overall - including a 116-108 victory on Feb. 6 in Oakland. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 67 points, while Curry had 26 and 10 assists.

While Golden State is 37-4 when Curry scores at least 25 points, the Thunder are only 9-9 when Durant and Westbrook each reach that mark.

After winning 14 of 16 games from Jan. 12-Feb. 11, the Thunder have dropped three of their last four - including consecutive home games to Indiana and Cleveland last weekend. Westbrook poured in 44 points on Thursday in New Orleans and Durant added 32, but Oklahoma City still fell 123-119 after allowing the Pelicans to shoot 52.2 percent.

'They did whatever they wanted and we didn't show any resistance,' Durant said. 'They got confidence. ... We didn't help (defensively) as much as we should have and that caused us to be in scramble mode.'

Things will only get tougher defensively as Oklahoma City follows a matchup with the NBA's top scoring team (115.3 points per game) with games against Sacramento (107.1), the Clippers (105.0) and the Warriors again next week.

The final meeting of this three-game season series is Thursday in Oakland.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (16-42) at Jazz (28-29)

Date: February 27, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

The Utah Jazz learned some valuable lessons after a humbling defeat to the NBA's second-best team.

It shouldn't be too hard to bounce back against the Eastern Conference's second-worst.

The Jazz seek to complete a second straight season sweep of the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night in a matchup of teams that are used to executing in the half-court.

Utah (28-29) was held to its lowest point total in Thursday's 96-78 home defeat to San Antonio. The Jazz, who fell one-half game behind Houston for the Western Conference's final playoff spot, averaged 113.0 points in their previous three games.

"It's a measure for us," coach Quin Snyder said. "We have some guys that I think can play better and play tougher collectively. You have to play these types of games to know where you are."

The Jazz are 9-2 at home versus East foes and cruised to a 108-86 win at Brooklyn on Jan. 22. Seven Utah players scored at least 10, paced by Gordon Hayward's 21, as the Jazz led by as many as 31.

Brooklyn (16-42) has split two games to start a nine-game road stretch after winning 116-106 over Phoenix on Thursday. It was the Nets' first game since waiving seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson by agreeing to a buyout of his hefty contract.

Bojan Bogdanovic moved into Johnson's starting spot and scored a season-high 24 points as every starter reached double digits. Thaddeus Young scored 18 and Markel Brown had 16.

'He was really our leader. Everybody knew we needed more effort,' Bogdanovic said. 'We are trying to play a little bit faster than usual so we play a lot of secondary offense. After a couple of their bad shots and turnovers, we hit a couple of 3s and that gave us confidence."

Brooklyn is trying to play faster since it is averaging 96.8 possessions per 48 minutes as one of the league's slower teams. Utah is last at 93.1. The Nets average 10.0 fast-break points and Jazz 9.1 for two of the NBA's worst marks.

Brooklyn has scored at least 104 points four times in a 3-3 stretch and began this road trip with Tuesday's 112-104 loss to Portland before scoring 66 first-half points against the Suns.

'It is a great confidence builder. We played so well for a lot of the game in Portland. It was good to break through tonight,' center Brook Lopez said. 'Everyone stayed focused."

Utah acquired point guard Shelvin Mack from Atlanta last Thursday, and Mack is averaging 13.7 points in three games with the Jazz while starting the last two. His addition has cut into the minutes of rookie Raul Neto and Trey Burke.

"We're going to need everybody at that position," Snyder said. "It's a hard thing. It's hard for Shelvin, coming to a new group. It's hard for Trey, it's hard for Raul, that's what it means to be in a rotation and be on a team."

The Jazz are hoping that center Rudy Gobert snaps out of a poor three-game stretch in which he has totaled 17 points and 17 rebounds. He posted five straight double-doubles prior to this funk.

Former Nets first-round pick Derrick Favors is averaging 22.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in his last four games for Utah.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Grizzlies (34-23) at Suns (14-44)

Date: February 27, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

Riding a scoring surge even after losing their star center, the Memphis Grizzlies hardly resemble the offensively challenged club that last faced the Phoenix Suns in December.

The Suns are also far from where they stood at that time.

Seeking their fifth win in six games, the visiting Grizzlies look to keep putting up big numbers Saturday night against a Phoenix team trying to avoid a team-record 14th straight defeat.

Memphis was inept offensively during a 21-19 start, averaging a Western Conference-worst 95.9 points and ranking second-to-last with a 42.9 field-goal percentage. Since then, the club is third in the NBA in shooting (48.8) and 10th in scoring (106.0) while winning 13 of 17.

Marc Gasol had been the catalyst of that outburst, averaging 19.6 points over an 11-game stretch before going down for the season with a broken foot. The Grizzlies, though, have scored 108.6 and shot 49.3 percent in winning four of five without the two-time All-Star.

Mike Conley has averaged 20.2 points and made 11 for 24 from 3-point range in his last six games. P.J. Hairston scored 21, Vince Carter had 19 and Conley added 17 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday when Memphis capped a sweep of a home-and-home set with a 112-95 road win.

Hairston has totaled 38 points while sinking 9 of 16 from beyond the arc in his last two games, while Zach Randolph is scoring 17.9 per game on 51.5 percent shooting over his past seven.

There's little reason to believe Memphis (34-23) can't keep it going as it plays the third of a seven-game stretch against opponents currently with losing records. Phoenix (14-44) gives up a league-high 47.3 field-goal percentage and ranks 29th with 107.6 points allowed per game.

Making matters worse, the Suns are surrendering an average of 118 points and a 49.1 shooting percentage over the past six of a franchise record-tying 13-game losing streak.

On pace for its worst finish since going 16-66 in its 1968-69 NBA debut, Phoenix allowed Brooklyn to shot 49.3 percent in Thursday's 116-106 home loss that dropped them to 2-28 since Dec. 20. Mirza Teletovic led the Suns with a season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds.

'It's tough, man. Nobody likes losing and we're trying to figure it out,' the fourth-year forward said. 'We just have to bring more energy and be more aggressive.'

Teletovic has been a bright spot, scoring 17.9 per game while hitting 23 of 54 (42.6 percent) from 3-point range in his last eight. He contributed 14 points and six rebounds in a reserve role in a 95-93 loss at Memphis on Dec. 6, when Phoenix was in the midst of a 11-14 start.

Conley and Randolph totaled just 22 points in that contest for Memphis, which hadn't yet begun to soar offensively. It needed a dunk at the buzzer off an inbounds play from Courtney Lee to Jeff Green, both no longer with the team.

Now the Grizzlies will try to extend Phoenix's team-record eight-game home slide. They've won eight in a row in this series, though the last two have been decided by a total of three points.

Memphis' Tony Allen could miss his fourth straight game because of a sore left knee.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Inside the Paint - Saturday
By Chris David

All eyes will be on the Chesapeake Energy Arena this Saturday as Oklahoma City (41-17 SU, 23-34-1 ATS) will try to do something that nobody has been able to do this season and attempt to slow down Golden State (52-5 SU, 31-23-3 ATS).

Oddsmakers opened the Warriors as three-point road favorites and based on what we’ve seen from the defending champions, it might be hard to fade them in this spot.

Golden State has been a road favorite of six or less this season nine times and the club has gone 8-1 straight up and 6-2-1 against the spread with the lone loss coming at Dallas when Stephen Curry sat out with a calf injury.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City hasn’t been an underdog at home this season and it’s only been catching points five times this season. Unfortunately for the Thunder, they’ve gone 1-4 both SU and ATS in this role and you could dismiss the win since the line was skewed in a victory at Utah when the status of Kevin Durant was up in the air. He played and OKC hammered the Jazz by 22 points (111-89) as a 1 ½-point underdog.

Looking at the four losses, one of them came to Golden State a few weeks ago in the Bay Area right before the Super Bowl. The Warriors dropped the Thunder 116-108 as eight-point home favorites in a game that saw them lead by as many as 20 points. Oklahoma City made a late run and cut the lead to 103-102 with four minutes left but Golden State closed on a 13-6 run and actually managed to get the push for some bettors.

That game was nationally televised on ABC and this week’s showdown will tip off on the same network at 8:30 p.m. ET. Bettors have seen four games play in this spot so far and the results have been mixed with visitors stealing a pair of games. Underdogs have gone 3-0-1 ATS while the 'under' is 3-1.

Chicago (+10 ½) 96 at Cleveland 83 Under 202
Cleveland (+1 ½) 117 vs. San Antonio 103 – Over 202 ½
Golden State (-8) 116 vs. Oklahoma City 108 – Under 233 ½
Golden State (-4) 115 at L.A. Clippers 112 – Under 228 ½

The Warriors played in the headliner last Saturday in Los Angeles and the Clippers pulled off an improbably backdoor cover with a 13-2 run in the final three minutes.

Most pundits believe the Western Conference is a three-horse race between this pair and San Antonio but I believe too much credit is given to Oklahoma City. If you look at the schedule, the Thunder are nothing but bullies in the West and they really don’t have a quality win on their resume unless you’re counting the home opener versus the Spurs back in October.

Rookie head coach Billy Donovan doesn’t do anything for me and the team was probably better off keeping Scott Brooks. OKC is 15-13 against teams above .500 this season and 26-4 versus the rest of the field. To solidify my bully comment further, Golden State (27-3) and San Antonio (19-7) have both been great against winning clubs and even Cleveland (18-13) and Toronto (19-9) have played well.

Along with those facts, it’s hard to back a Thunder team that has dropped three of their first four games after the All-Star break and expect them to turn it on at a moment’s notice. If that was the case, OKC would’ve shown up last Sunday but the Cavaliers came to town and left with a dominating 115-92 road victory.

The total for this game intrigues me because the number of 234 is the highest we’ve seen this season. In the first go ‘round, these teams combined for 132 in the first-half but Golden State pulled off the gas and only scored 43 points in the final two quarters. That number closed at 233 ½ and the ‘under’ connected. If the Warriors are forced to play 48 minutes, the high side will have a legit shot based on the tempo and outside shooting of both clubs.

Make a note that the ‘over’ was on a 38-21 run in the league since the NBA All-Streak but the ‘under’ bounced back with a 6-2 mark on Friday and we could see more of a balance in the results throughout the weekend.

These teams will meet again next Thursday from Oracle Arena in the third and final encounter of the season.

Along with this matchup, bettors have six other games slated for Saturday night and below is my quick handicap.

Minnesota at New Orleans: No overnight number was posted on this game due to key injuries for both clubs but a lean to the ‘over’ could be in play, especially with a pair of non-playoff teams squaring off late in the season. The Timberwolves play no defense and haven’t held an opponent under 100 in February while the Pelicans have allowed 112 PPG since the All-Star break. If the shots fall, this could cash early in the fourth quarter.

Portland at Chicago: The Trail Blazers got bumped off on Thursday to the Rockets at home, which snapped their six-game winning streak. We’re going to find out how good Portland is very soon since it plays 11 of its next 13 on the road. Fortunately, they start this journey against a depleted Chicago team that played last night and lost by 15 at Atlanta. Chicago has gone 4-6 both SU and ATS on zero days rest but its 3-1 at home in these situations.

San Antonio at Houston: I thought this line would be a little higher (Spurs -5 ½) and it makes me believe that the Rockets have a chance to knock off San Antonio, something they’ve already done at home this season on Christmas Day. It was an ugly 88-84 win for Houston as a seven-point home underdog and one of the rare times that the club actually held somebody under 100 and won. Including that game, the Rockets have been home underdogs five times this season and they’re 3-2 both SU and ATS while the ‘under’ has cashed in all five. I personally use situational handicapping a lot in the NBA and I’m scratching my head in this game. I don’t like to back teams playing at home (Rockets) after a road trip of three or more games but San Antonio is also playing the final game of an eight-game roadie and while they are pros, maybe the homesick angle comes into play.

Detroit at Milwaukee: This is actually a solid game and the line (Bucks-2 ½) and the line tells you it will be a competitive matchup. The pair have squared off twice this season, with each team notching a win and cover at home. In Thursday’s ITP, I talked about the Bucks upcoming stretch at home. They play 10 of their next 12 at home and need to start winning quickly if they want to make the postseason. Milwaukee lost but covered at Boston two nights ago and is 5-2 ATS (4-3 SU) in its last seven. After dropping five straight, Detroit rebounded with an impressive road win over Cleveland and a blowout over Philadelphia. The first two encounters saw totals range from 190 ½ to 192 and this number is as high as 203, which seems a bit inflated with Detroit leaning ‘under’ (5-1 L6) recently.

Brooklyn at Utah: The Nets have only won back-to-back games twice this season and they just beat Phoenix on Thursday. Utah (-11) is a respectable 21-8 SU and 16-12-1 ATS as a favorite this season but it hasn’t been a double-digit ‘chalk’ in any of those games. The Jazz have become a darling of the betting public but sometimes you have to know when to hop off the sinking boat, especially when that ship is 1-5 ATS in its last six and 3-7 ATS in the last 10.

Memphis at Phoenix: I’m wouldn’t advise you to take the Suns just based on talent and even though Memphis is playing on no rest, the Grizzlies have gone 8-3 both SU and ATS in back-to-back spots this season. Different faces on the court for Saturday but Memphis has won nine of the last 10 against Phoenix and they’ve covered seven on those games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Saturday, February 27 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Normally, players who clear waivers and are bought out by their teams won't make any difference in terms of any team winning an NBA title. However, that could change this season with former All-Star guard Joe Johnson. He was released by Brooklyn on Thursday and has until 5 p.m. ET on Saturday to clear waivers. He absolutely will do that at his monster salary ($24.9 million this season in final year of contract). Then the Nets will give him a buyout and Johnson can sign with anyone (but Brooklyn). And reports are that Johnson is going to go title chasing with Cleveland. Certainly other contenders would want him, but San Antonio and Golden State are set at shooting guard. The Thunder also might have interest, but if I'm Johnson I stay in the East as the Cavs are all but locks to reach the NBA Finals. The guy can still contribute and is averaging 13.4 points and shooting 46 percent from 3-point range since Jan. 1. He has a history of hitting last-second shots as well. The Cavs could roll out a small lineup of Kyrie Irving, Johnson, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson against Golden State in the Finals. That's strong.

Heat at Celtics (-5, 208)

This is a matinee with a 3 p.m. ET start. Miami remains without All-Star Chris Bosh amid reports doctors want to shut him down for the season because of that recurrence of blood clot issues. The Heat played great basketball in a highly-entertaining game I watched every second of Wednesday against Golden State but lost 118-112. Dwyane Wade had a season-high 32 points and seven assists for the Heat, who led by as many as 12 and were still up a point with under a minute left. Hassan Whiteside had 21 points and 13 rebounds for Miami. He has been coming off the bench of late, but it sounds as if that will change very soon. Boston beat visiting Milwaukee 112-107 Thursday for its ninth straight home win. All five Celtics starters finished in double figures, led by Isaiah Thomas' 27. Kelly Olynyk missed his fourth straight game with a right shoulder sprain. The Celtics won the first meeting with the Heat, 105-95 in south Florida on Nov. 30.

Key trends: The Heat are 3-8 against the spread in the past 11 meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in four of the past five.

Early lean: Celtics and under. Weird starts like this generally favor the home team in a big way.

Timberwolves at Pelicans (-4, 217)

Minnesota has agreed to a buyout with Andre Miller and is close to doing so with Kevin Martin -- Martin would have some good value around the league. The Wolves lost 114-105 in Toronto on Wednesday to start a three-game road trip. Andrew Wiggins led the Timberwolves with 26 points. They shot 50 percent from the field, falling to 6-6 when doing so this season. New Orleans surprised visiting Oklahoma City 123-119 on Thursday. Anthony Davis had 30 points and Ryan Anderson had 26 off the bench. The Pelicans have lost another player to injury as guard Bryce Dejean-Jones, who has been starting of late, has a fractured right wrist. No team has been as injury-ravaged this season. The Pelicans are 2-0 this season against Minnesota and have won seven straight in the series.

Key trends: New Orleans is 6-1 ATS in the past seven meetings. The over is 5-1 in the previous six in the Big Easy.

Early lean: Pelicans and over.

Trail Blazers at Bulls (TBA)

Chicago was in Atlanta on Friday with Derrick Rose questionable. Portland's six-game winning streak ended in a 119-105 home loss to Houston on Thursday. The Blazers led by 21 in the third quarter. Damian Lillard's streak of five straight games of at least 30 points ended as he had 23. The Rockets were often double-teaming him. This starts a six-game road trip for Portland.

Key trends: The Bulls are 2-6 ATS in their past eight in the second of a back-to-back. Portland is 5-1 ATS in the past six road games. The over is 6-0 in the Blazers' past six overall.

Early lean: Like Portland regardless of Rose.

Spurs at Rockets (+5, 211.5)

How much will San Antonio have left in the tank here? The Spurs conclude their eight-game Rodeo Road Trip. The improved to 6-1 on it with a 96-78 win in Utah on Thursday in the second of a back-to-back. Kawhi Leonard had 29 points and that Spurs defense held the Jazz to their lowest point total of the season. San Antonio improved to 44-0 when it has a higher shooting percentage than its opponent. Houston won by 14 in Portland on Thursday to conclude a five-game trip of its own. James Harden had 46 points. Dwight Howard added 19 points and 13 rebounds for Houston, which had lost four of five. Backup center Clint Capela sat with a sprained foot. This is the final meeting of the regular season, and San Antonio leads 2-1. The Spurs loss was in Houston.

Key trends: The home team is 9-0 ATS in the past nine meetings. The over is 5-1 in the past six overall.

Early lean: Rockets and over.

Pistons at Bucks (+2, 206.5)

Detroit won a second straight Wednesday, 111-91 over the 76ers to get to .500. There were barely any fans at the Palace with a snowstorm hitting the Detroit area. Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 22 points. They were without rookie Stanley Johnson, who is likely out at least a week with a shoulder injury. Milwaukee's two-game winning streak ended in a 112-107 loss in Boston on Thursday. Jabari Parker led Milwaukee with 22 points. The Pistons and Bucks have split two meetings, each wining at home.

Key trends: The Pistons are 1-7 ATS in the past eight meetings. The over is 7-3 in the past 10.

Early lean: Bucks and over.

Warriors at Thunder (+2.5, 232.5)

This is your ABC Saturday night game of the week and will have live betting at sportsbooks. The Warriors are amazing, no doubt, but they have yet to play at either San Antonio or Oklahoma City yet. So now maybe we see how truly great they are. The Warriors close out their seven-game road trip here. They are 5-1 on it following a 130-114 win in Orlando on Thursday. I thought Golden State had a chance to lose that off a really tough game in Miami the night before. But Steph Curry wouldn't allow that to happen with 51 points while also setting an NBA record by hitting a 3-pointer in a 128th straight game. It was Curry's third 50-point game this season. Guy's amazing. Oklahoma City lost in New Orleans on Thursday 123-119 despite 44 points from Russell Westbrook. The Thunder lost at Golden State 116-108 the night before the Super Bowl.

Key trends: The home team is 6-0 ATS in the past six meetings. The over is 7-3 in the past 10.

Early lean: Thunder and I just can't go over that crazy total -- although simply as a fan I hope it does.

Grizzlies at Suns (+6, 207)

Memphis was at the Lakers on Friday. Phoenix has flat-out quit. The Suns dropped a 13th straight game Thursday, 116-106 at home to a bad Brooklyn team. The losing streak ties a single-season franchise record and the Suns' eight straight losses are a record. Newly-acquired Kris Humphries typified the night for Phoenix, going 0-for-9 from the field in just 11 minutes and having two shots blocked on the same possession. Tyson Chandler was back after missing the previous two games. Memphis has won eight straight against Phoenix.

Key trends: The Grizzlies are 6-2 ATS in the past eight meetings. The under is 8-1 in the past nine in Phoenix.

Early lean: Grizzlies and under.

Nets at Jazz (-10.5, 195.5)

Brooklyn won by 10 in Phoenix on Thursday behind a season-high 24 points from Bojan Bogdanovic. He's now the team's starting shooting guard with Johnson gone. Brooklyn's 21-point lead at the half was its largest of the season. Utah had scored at least 111 points in three straight games before running into the Spurs on Thursday night and scoring a season-low 78 in an 18-point home loss. Derrick Favors scored 25 for the Jazz. Newly-acquired point guard Shelvin Mack remained in Utah's starting lineup for the second consecutive game. He has taken that spot from Trey Burke, who only played 11 minutes. Utah won in Brooklyn 108-86 on Jan. 22. The Jazz led by as many as 31 after trailing by 11 early.

Key trends: The favorite is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The under is 8-0 in Utah's past eight following a double-digit loss at home.

Early lean: Jazz and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hot & Not Report
By Joe Williams

Who's Hot

Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-3 ATS L/10) – The Golden Gophers might not be winning a lot of games this season, but they have picked up the pace against the spread with covers in three in a row, and seven of the past 10 heading into Sunday's battle with llinois. They'll have revenge on their minds after losing an overtime thriller at home against the Illini back on Jan. 23, narrowly missing a cover in the 76-71 OT setback.

Nevada Wolf Pack (4-1 ATS L/5) – The Wolf Pack have caught fire lately, winning four of their past five straight-up, and also going 4-1 ATS during the span heading into their outing against Colorado State Sunday. The Wolf Pack lost to the Rams in the previous meeting in Fort Collins Feb. 6, failing to cover. It was one of just two non-covers in their past 10 outings, so they should have a chip on their shoulder heading into this one.

Tennessee State Tigers (11-4-1 ATS L/16) – Overall, the Tigers have been hot against the number for a long stretch. Heading into their home game against Belmont Sunday, they are 4-1-1 ATS in their pats six games. They also covered the number in their first meeting at Belmont Jan. 24, losing 103-95 as 11 1/2-point dogs. While the 'under' is 3-0 in their past three, and 4-1 in the past five, the 'over' might also be a consideration Sunday in this OVC clash.

Xavier Musketeers (4-0 ATS L/4) – Xavier heads Seton Hall Sunday for an interesting high profile Big East tussle. The Musketeers streak in with four wins and four covers over the past four outings. They narrowly missed covering a nine-point spread Jan. 23 in an 84-76 win over the Hall. Xavier has covered five of their past six on the road, too.


Who's Not

Arizona State Sun Devils (2-5 ATS L/7) – The Sun Devils travel to Boulder to battle Colorado, a 20-win team which has flown under the radar a bit. AZ STate has failed to cover in their past three outings, all straight-up losses, and they're 2-5-1 ATS in their past eight road games, too.

Iowa Hawkeyes (0-4 ATS L/4) – The Hawkeyes failed to cover for the fourth straight game Wednesday in a home loss against Wisconsin, and they have dropped three of the past four straight up to lose their grip on the perch of the Big Ten. They travel to Columbus Sunday to battle Ohio State, a team which is a respectable 7-5 ATS over their past 12 games, and 9-4-1 ATS in their past 14 on their home floor.

Southern California Trojans (1-4 ATS L/5) – USC has fizzled out a bit, losing four of their past five games straight up, and failing to cover in four of the last five during the same span. It has been a good idea to fade the Trojans for the better part of a month, as they're 3-7 ATS over the past 10 outings.

Washington State Cougars (3-12 ATS L/15) – Washington State has been a frequent non-cover team all season, and they're a great team to play totals with, too (see below). The Cougars haven't tasted victory since Jan. 3, a span of 14 games, and they have failed to cover in seven in a row at home, too.

Total Notes

-- The 'under' has hit in five in a row for Duke, and seven of the past eight, heading into their game at Pittsburgh Sunday. And, those two over results both came against N.C. State. The 'under' is also 5-1 in Pitt's past six, and 8-2 in their past 10 outings, so you can expect a defensive slog in the Steel City in this ACC showdown.

-- The 'over' has cashed in seven of the past nine for North Carolina State leading into their Saturday trip to Syracuse.

-- The 'over' is 5-1 in the past six for Ohio State heading into their Sunday home meeting with Iowa.

-- The 'over' has is an impressive 5-0-1 in the past six for Siena heading into their MAAC home games against Quinnipiac Sunday. The 'under' did hit in the first meeting back on Jan. 15, and the 'under' is 6-2 in the past eight for the Bobcats.

-- St. Joseph's has hit the 'over' in six of their past seven games heading into Sunday's home battle against St. Louis.

-- Southern Methodist is 4-0 on the 'under' in their past four outings, and 6-2 over their past eight games. The 'under' also hit in their 60-45 win Jan. 17 at Tulane, their next opponent Sunday.

-- The 'under' is 5-1 in the past six outing for Virginia Tech heading into their ACC game at Wake Forest. The 'under' is 8-4 in Wake's past 12 overall.

-- The 'under' has been the overwhelming trend in games for Washington State lately, hitting in four in a row and nine of the past 10 outings heading into Sunday.

-- The 'over' has connected in three in a row for Xavier going into Sunday's battle at Seton Hall, and the over is 6-2 in their past eight games. Their last meeting with the Hall Jan. 23 produced an over winner, totaling 160 points against a 147 number.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

**Maryland at Purdue**

-- The Wynn in Las Vegas opened Purdue (21-7 straight up, 13-11 against the spread) as a three-point home favorite.

-- Purdue has won 15 of its 16 home games while posting a 7-5 spread record. The Boilermakers have been single-digit home ‘chalk’ four times, going 2-2 ATS. They took their only home defeat vs. Iowa as 8.5-point favorites.

-- Matt Painter’s team is mired in a 2-7 ATS slump. Purdue had failed to cover in four straight until taking the cash its last time out in a 77-73 loss at Indiana last Saturday as a 4.5-point underdog. It was the Boilermakers’ third outright setback in their last five games. They shot the ball great in Bloomington, draining 27-of-46 FGs (58.75) and 9-of-19 from downtown (47.4%). However, Purdue committed 13 turnovers compared to only four from IU. In addition, star 7-foot center A.J. Hammons logged merely 16 minutes of playing time due to foul trouble, finishing with only 13 points, one rebound and two blocked shots. Caleb Swanigan had 14 points and eight rebounds in the losing effort.

-- Purdue is No. 21 in the RPI Rankings, going 5-5 against the Top 50 and 8-6 versus the Top 100. The Boilermakers own home wins over Michigan, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Penn State and Ohio State. They also beat Florida on a neutral court and registered road victories at Pitt and at Wisconsin.

-- Hammons is averaging 14.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting at a 58.2 percent clip from the floor. Sophomore forward Vince Edwards (10.2 PPG) hands out a team-best 3.0 APG. Swanigan (9.9 PPG) pulls down a team-high 8.5 RPG, while sophomore point guard P.J. Thompson (5.6 PPG) has a 77/14 assists-to-turnovers ratio and makes 81.8 percent of his shots from the charity stripe.

-- Maryland (23-5 SU, 12-15 ATS) avoided a three-game losing streak by capturing an 86-82 win over Michigan as a 9.5-point home favorite. The Terrapins failed to cover for the third straight game. Rofbert Carter led the way with 17 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Jake Layman needed only six shots from the field in a 16-point effort. The senior forward made five of those attempts, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Melo Trimble finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals. However, Trimble had an abysmal 1/7 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

-- Mark Turgeon’s club is No. 10 in the RPI, posting a 6-4 record against the Top 50 and a 10-4 mark versus the Top 100. The Terrapins have home wins over Iowa, Purdue, Michigan, Georgetown, Penn Sate and Ohio State. They have won at Ohio State and at Wisconsin, in addition to neutral-court triumphs over UConn and Princeton.

-- Maryland has split its eight road games (4-4 SU) while going 3-5 ATS. The Terrapins have been underdogs only twice this year, going 0-2 both SU and ATS.

-- Maryland is led by Trimble, the sophomore point guard who averages teams-highs in scoring (14.0 PPG), assists (5.2 APG) and steals (1.3 SPG). Freshman center Diamond Stone is averaging 12.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game. Carter, the transfer from Ga. Tech, is averaging 12.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Carter also provides a second shot-blocking presence (40 blocks) to the Terps’ stout interior defense.

-- Maryland ranks 11th in the nation in both field-goal percentage (49.1%) and free-throw percentage (75.9%).

-- When these teams met in College Park on Feb. 6, Maryland overcame a three-point halftime deficit and beat Purdue by a 72-61 count as a 5.5-point home ‘chalk.’ The 133 combined points fell ‘under’ the 137.5 combined points. Rasheed Sulaimon was the catalyst with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Carter added 19 points, seven rebounds, two blocked shots, one steal and three assists without a turnover. Trimble went 2-of-12 from the field, but he still produced 14 points, five boards and seven assists compared to just one turnover. Hammons had 18 points and 10 boards for the Boilers in the losing effort.

-- The only other meeting between these schools since Maryland joined the Big Ten came last year in West Lafayette, where the Terps collected a 69-60 win as two-point road underdogs.

-- The ‘under’ is 16-10-1 overall for Maryland, 7-1 in its eight road games. The Terps have seen the ‘under’ go 8-1 in their last nine games and 13-3 in their last 16. Layman paced the winners with 14 points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals.

-- The ‘under’ is 13-11 overall for the Boilers, 6-6 in their home games.

-- ESPN will have the telecast at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

**North Carolina at Virginia**

-- The Wynn opened Virginia (21-6 SU, 12-13 ATS) as a three-point home favorite for this ACC showdown in Charlottesville.

-- Virginia is unbeaten in 13 home games with a 6-5 spread record. Tony Bennett’s squad has been a single-digit ‘chalk’ three times this year, producing a 3-0 spread record.

-- UVA had covered the number in four straight games and was threatening to do so again in backdoor fashion Monday night at Miami. However, a potential tying shot in the final seconds was off the mark and the Hurricanes withstood a late rally to win 64-61 as 1.5-point home favorites. Malcolm Brogdon was the only UVA player in double figures with 28 points. His late 3-point barrage gave the Cavaliers a chance to win in the final minute. London Perrantes had a poor shooting night, but he dished out seven assists without committing a turnover. Anthony Gill finished with six points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots and one steal.

-- Virginia is No. 6 in the RPI, producing a 5-2 record against the Top 25, a 7-3 mark against the Top 50 and a 12-5 ledger versus the Top 100. The Cavs own quality scalps at home over Villanova, California, Notre Dame and Miami. They beat West Va. on a neutral court and have also won at Louisville, at Pitt and at Ohio State.

-- Brogdon leads UVA in scoring (18.2 PPG) and free-throw percentage (87.6%). The senior shooting guard has a 76/41 assists-to-turnovers ratio and pulls down 4.2 RPG. Gill averages 13.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting at a 56.2 percent clip from the field. Perrantes (11.2 PPG) leads the ACC and is third in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (52.5%). The junior guard averages team-highs in assists (4.4 APG) and steals (1.0 SPG).

-- UVA is third in the country in scoring defense, allowing only 59.7 PPG. The Cavs lead the nation in defensive rebounding, pulling down 25.8 per contest. On offense, UVA is extremely efficient, rankings eighth in field-goal percentage (49.3%) and 11th from 3-point range (40.1%).

-- Virginia might be without sophomore forward Isaiah Wilkins, who is listed as ‘questionable’ due to concussion-like symptoms. Wilkins averages 4.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and makes 52.0 percent of his shots from the field. He also has 22 steals, 21 blocked shots and an excellent 41/18 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

-- North Carolina (23-5 SU, 12-15-1 ATS) is atop of the ACC regular-season standings with a 12-3 league record, leading Miami and Louisville by one game apiece. The Cavaliers and Duke are two games behind with a 10-5 ACC ledgers.

-- North Carolina is No. 8 in the RPI, losing four of seven games to Top-50 opponents. The Tar Heels are 12-4 versus the Top 100, however. They own quality home wins over Maryland, Pittsburgh and Miami, but their best road win is at Syracuse (RPI: 54).

-- UNC has won five of its nine road games, but it has limped to a 3-6 spread record. With that said, Roy Williams’s team went to Raleigh on Wednesday night and captured an 80-68 victory as an eight-point road favorite. N.C. State raced out to a 23-10 lead in the first eight minutes, but it didn’t make a field goal in the final nine minutes of the first half. UNC led 38-33 at intermission and was up double digits for the last 12 minutes of the game. Brice Johnson sparked his team with 22 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocked shots. Justin Jackson added 17 points, six boards and three assists without committing a turnover.

-- Johnson is averaging 17.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game for UNC.

-- North Carolina has been an underdog only once this season and it didn’t go well. The Tar Heels went into Louisville and lost a 71-64 decision as 1.5-point ‘dogs.

-- These long-time ACC adversaries split a pair of meetings last year with the road team winning and covering in both encounters. UNC won 71-67 at UVA as a 4.5-point underdog. The ‘over’ has hit four times in a row in this rivalry.

-- The ‘under’ has cashed in seven straight games for UVA to improve to 15-10 overall and 7-4 at home.

-- The ‘over’ is 15-13-1 overall for UNC, but the ‘under’ is 6-3 in its nine road assignments. The ‘under’ is also 9-2 for the Tar Heels in their last 11 games regardless of the venue.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's NCAAB Top 25 betting cheat sheet

We are just a couple of weeks out from college basketball's Conference Tournament weekend. So as 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.

Texas Tech Red Raiders at No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks (-13.5, OFF)

* The Red Raiders reached a new high with Tuesday's 83-79 comeback win over TCU, notching a fifth straight conference victory for the first time in their 20-year stay in the Big 12.

* Kansas has rattled off eight straight victories, covering the spread in each game, following Tuesday's 66-60 win at Baylor to take a two-game lead over Oklahoma and West Virginia with three games to go.

Trends:

* Texas Tech is 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Kansas is 8-0 ATS in its last eight games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Kansas' last seven games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

Rhode Island Rams at No. 22 Dayton Flyers (-8.5, OFF)

* Depth is a major concern as top reserve Christion Thompson (concussion) missed Tuesday’s 65-54 loss at Davidson on Tuesday and is likely out for Dayton contest. The Rams must depend on top scorer Jared Terrell (13.9), who averaged 18.3 over the past three games.

* Dayton, which is tied with VCU and Saint Joseph’s atop the league, is shooting 39.4 percent from the field – 24.2 beyond the 3-point arc – its last three outings after Tuesday’s 52-49 overtime win at Saint Louis. The Flyers will likely be without forward Kendall Pollard (knee) for the fifth straight game.

Trends:

* Dayton is 0-4-1 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Over is 5-1 in Rhode Island's last six games overall.
* Over is 5-1 in Dayton's last six games overall.
* Home team is 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings.

Louisville Cardinals at No. 11 Miami Hurricanes (-3, OFF)

* Louisville's only remaining goal is to win the ACC regular-season title as a result of its self-imposed postseason ban. Freshman forward Deng Adel (4.1 points per game), who started in place of injured power forward Raymond Spalding (bruised shoulder) against Pitt, has provided a needed boost over the past three games, averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds.

* Miami rode the hot shooting of junior forward Davon Reed (21 points, including 5-of-6 on 3-pointers) to bounce back from their humbling 25-point loss at North Carolina with a 64-61 home win over No. 3 Virginia on Monday.

Trends:

* Louisville is 1-7 ATS in its last eight road games.
* Miami is 13-3-1 ATS in its last 17 home games.
* Under is 7-1 in Louisville's last eight games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Miami's last six games overall.

No. 1 Villanova Wildcats at Marquette Golden Eagles (+8.5, OFF)

* Villanova ranks 13th in the nation entering Friday in points allowed (62.5) but gave up a season-high 90 points in Wednesday's seven-point setback at No. 5 Xavier. Top scorer Josh Hart (15 ppg) has shot poorly in three of his last four outings and he also struggled in a 15-point win over Marquette last month, shooting 4-of-12 (0-of-5 from the arc) in that one.

* The Golden Eagles have notched a pair of quality victories against Providence - the last team to defeat Villanova prior to this week and at Creighton its last time out behind a double-double by Henry Ellenson. The Golden Eagles are likely headed for the NIT, but a win over Villanova combined with a late-season push could create a tough call for the Selection Committee.

Trends:

* Villanova is 4-0 ATS in its last four meetings at Marquette.
* Favorite it is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.
* Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings at Marquette.
* Over is 4-1 in Villanova's last five overall.

No. 10 Arizona Wildcats at No. 23 Utah Utes (-3, OFF)

* Arizona, meanwhile, brought a six-game winning streak into its two-game late-week road trip but was upended 75-72 at Colorado on Wednesday night. The Wildcats’ five conference losses have been a combined 17 points, and they haven’t suffered a double-digit defeat since Feb. 27, 2013.

* The Utes have won five straight, including an 81-46 rout of Arizona State on Monday, to close within a half-game of the Ducks at 11-5. The Utes hit 16 3-pointers against the Sun Devils – one off the school single-game record – and are shooting 42.9 percent from beyond the arc during their five-game win streak.

Trends:

* Arizona is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Under is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings.
* Utah is 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Arizona's last four games overall.

No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners at No. 25 Texas (Pick, Off)

* No. 25 Texas begins arguably the toughest three-day Big 12 stretch in school history when it hosts No. 4 Oklahoma on Saturday. The Longhorns then come right back Monday to welcome KansasTexas gave the Sooners all they could handle in the first meeting on Feb. 8 in Norman, losing 63-60 on a Buddy Hield 3-pointer from the left wing with 1.4 seconds to go.

* The Sooners come into the contest tied for second place with West Virginia two games behind the Jayhawks, who can clinch the regular season Big 12 title with a victory Saturday. The Longhorns, who are 3-0 at home this season against top-20 ranked teams, enter the weekend tied for fourth place with Baylor just a game behind Oklahoma and the Mountaineers.

Trends:

* Underdog is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.
* Over is 4-0 in Tezxas' last four games overall.
* Under is 5-0 in Oklahoma's last five games overall.
* Texas is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games overall.

No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats at Vanderbilt Commodores (+1.5, OFF)

* Kentucky's Tyler Ulis has been spectacular with four double-doubles over the last six games. Ulis is averaging 18.5 points and 10.2 assists over his last six games and has shot at least 50 percent from the floor in five of those contests. While Ulis and Jamal Murray have been Kentucky's top players this season, Alex Poythress provided a big lift against Alabama on Tuesday with 14 points in 17 minutes after missing the previous five games with a knee injury.

* Most projections have Vanderbilt squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble with the regular season nearing its conclusion. Vanderbilt enters the weekend tied for fourth place in the SEC standings, two games behind first-place Kentucky. Only a buzzer-beating loss against Mississippi State has separated the Commodores from a five-game winning streak, while the team's last five victories have all come by double digits.

Trends:

* Kentucky is 1-6-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.
* Over is 6-0 in Vanderbilt's last six games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Kentucy is 4-1 ATS in their last five games versus a team with a winning SU record.

DePaul Blue Demons at No. 24 Providence Friars (-12.5, OFF)

* DePaul already claimed the first meeting with a 77-70 triumph on Feb. 2 and it snapped a four-game slide with an eight-point win over St. John's the last time out. Billy Garrett Jr. had 19 points and 10 assists in Thursday's rare offensive outburst for DePaul, which ranks last in Big East action in scoring (66.4 points per game).

* The Friars were hoping that a week off between games would have them rested and ready for the visit to Seton Hall, but the spreading illness hampered three starters - Kris Dunn, Rodney Bullock and Junior Lomomba. The trio combined with fellow starter Ryan Fazekas to score 10 points on 4-of-21 shooting, while Bentil carried the load with 31 points before his ejection for a flagrant-2 foul in the closing minutes.

Trends:

* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Providence is 0-6 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Over is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Over is 6-1 in DePaul's last seven games overall.

No. 20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Florida State Seminoles (+2, OFF)

* After a last-second loss at Georgia Tech last weekend, the Irish won a 13th consecutive game following a defeat with a 69-58 victory over Wake Forest on Wednesday. Senior forward Zach Auguste continued his impressive play with 18 points and 12 rebounds against Wake Forest while forward Steve Vasturia added 16 points and fellow junior guard Demetrius Jackson chipped in 15. The Irish have lost just 13 games since the start of last season and have gone nearly two years without a losing streak.

*The Seminoles will be attempting to snap a season-long five-game losing streak after Thursday’s 80-65 loss at Duke. Sophomore point guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes scored 13 points while freshman guard Dwayne Bacon added 12 and 10 rebounds against the Blue Devils.

Trends:

* Notre Dame is 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Florida State is 0-5 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Notre Dame's last five games overall.
* Over is 6-2 in Florida State's last eight overall.

No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies at Missouri Tigers (+9.5, OFF)

* The 21st-ranked Aggies have rebounded to win three straight since their five-game SEC losing streak, leaving them one game behind first-place Kentucky – whom Texas A&M defeated last Saturday to claim the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Wildcats. Four of Texas A&M’s five straight losses in league play came on the road, where it hasn’t won since posting a 79-45 rout of Georgia on Jan. 16.

* The Tigers are looking for their third straight home victory after registering wins over Tennessee and South Carolina last week. They’ve lost two straight on the road since then and are coming off an 85-76 defeat at Ole Miss on Tuesday in which foul trouble severely tested their lack of depth. The Aggies beat the Tigers 66-53 at home on Jan. 23 and have won three straight in the series.

Trends:

* Texas A&M is 0-4 ATS in its last four road games.
* Missouri is 6-0-1 ATS in its last seven games overall.
* Under is 11-2 in Texas A&M's last 13 games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Missouri's last five home games.

No. 9 Maryland Terrapins at No. 19 Purdue Boilermakers (-3.5, OFF)

* The Terrapins are near the top of the conference in a number of defensive categories during league play, ranking first in blocked shots (97) as well as second in scoring defense (65.7), field-goal percentage defense (39) and 3-point percentage defense (31). Melo Trimble (team-high averages of 14 points, 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals) has 146 assists - the most by a Maryland player since Greivis Vasquez had 208 in 2009-10 - but has committed 18 turnovers in the last three games alone and is 10-of-48 from the field over his last five outings.

* While the Boilermakers have committed more turnovers than the opposition in eight straight games and shot only 67.7 percent from the foul line over their previous five outings, they are converting 47.3 percent of their 3-point attempts over their last six excluding a dismal 3-for-25 effort against the Terrapins in the first meeting.

Trends:

* Maryland is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Purdue is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Under is 13-3 in Maryland's last 16 games overall.
* Under is 11-3 in Purdue's last 14 Saturday games.

Kansas State Wildcats at No. 17 Iowa State Cyclones (-9.5, OFF)

* Kansas State is struggling entering the contest, having lost four its last five, and at 4-11 in the Big 12, ranks above only Oklahoma State (3-12) and TCU (2-13) in the league standings.

* Iowa State has lost five of their last eight games to slip to sixth place in the conference. The issue certainly hasn’t been offense for Iowa State, which is pacing the Big 12 in scoring (83.1 points per game) and field-goal percentage (second nationally at 50.4).

Trends:

* Kansas State is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Iowa State is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Kansas State's last four road games.
* Over is 5-0 in Iowa State's last five games overall.

No. 12 West Virginia Mountaineers at Oklahoma State Cowbos (+6.5, OFF)

* West Virginia served noticed just how competitive it can be come March when it flattened 17th-ranked Iowa State, 97-87, on Monday. Senior guard Jaysean Paige, slowed by an ankle injury in back-to-back losses to Texas and Oklahoma, came off the bench to score a career-high 34 points while guard Daxter Miles Jr., who had missed two games with a right hamstring injury, added three points, three assists and two steals in 13 minutes of action.

* Only TCU scores fewer points in the Big 12 than the Cowboys (67.9) who lost their top scorer, all-Big 12 honorable mention guard Phil Forte (13.3), after three games to an elbow injury and will likely be without freshman star Jawun Evans (12.9 points, 47.5 3-point shooting) for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury.

Trends:

* West Virginia is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Oklahoma State is 1-5 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Over is 6-2-1 in West Virginia's last nine road games.
* Under is 9-2 in Oklahoma State's last 11 home games.

No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels at No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers (-3.5, OFF)

* The Tar Heels moved one step closer to locking up the conference’s top seed with a comfortable 80-68 victory Wednesday at North Carolina State, overcoming a slow start as Brice Johnson scored 22 points with 11 rebounds. North Carolina has won four of its last five coming into the matchup.

* The Cavaliers trail the ACC-leading Tar Heels by two games in the conference standings, and despite a career-high tying 28 points from Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia did not do enough defensively in Monday’s 64-61 loss at No. 11 Miami. The Cavaliers have dropped two of their past three following a seven-game winning streak.

Trends:

* North Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last five road games.
* Virginia is 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Under is 5-0 in North Carolina's last five road games.
* Under is 7-0 in Virginia's last seven games overall.

No. 16 Baylor Bears at TCU Horned Frogs (+8.5, OFF)

* The Bears start the weekend three games behind league-leading Kansas and one back of Oklahoma and West Virginia - their final two opponents of the regular season. Rico Gathers, who leads the Big 12 in rebounding, has come off the bench in each of the last two games after dealing with an illness, but the Bears have gotten big minutes from Johnathan Motley. Baylor is 8-0 against TCU as conference rivals, winning by an average of 19.9 points.

* Chauncey Collins continued his hot streak for last-place TCU - which has lost four straight - with a career-high 29 points against Texas Tech. JD Miller has had two solid starts as the Horned Frogs have been without two regular forwards recently.

Trends:

* Baylor is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings.
* Under is 5-0 in TCU's last five home games.
* TCU is 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a ATS win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Betting 3-Point Play: Three Interesting Feb. 27 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews

Hard as it is to believe, this is the final full Saturday of the 2015-16 college basketball regular season. All of the major conferences conclude their regular seasons next weekend, but most of the smaller ones wrap up this weekend and start conference tournaments next week. So it's time to start doing your homework on potential giant-killers for the Big Dance like a Chattanooga (Southern Conference) or Stephen F. Austin (Southland), to name two.

No. 9 Arizona at No. 22 Utah (-2.5)

Pac-12 matchup is at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both teams are still in the running for the Pac-12 regular-season title, but the loser can probably forget about it. Arizona (22-6, 10-5) is a game behind first-place Oregon. In terms of a potential tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, UA would lose it to the Ducks because Oregon won the teams' only meeting. Arizona should win its final two games after this, at home vs. Cal and Stanford. The Cats might have been looking ahead to Utah on Wednesday when they were upset 75-72 at Colorado. Huge win for the Buffs' NCAA Tournament hopes as they ended a six-game losing streak in the series. Ryan Anderson had 19 points to lead Arizona, which had its six-game winning streak snapped. Allonzo Trier added 15 points but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. That's the thing with Arizona this season: it doesn't really have that true go-to guy.

Utah (22-7, 11-5) is half-game back of the Ducks but a full game in the loss column as Oregon has a game in hand. Utah also loses a head-to-head with Oregon after getting swept. The Utes close the regular season next Saturday at home vs. Colorado. They won a fifth straight game Thursday, 81-46 over visiting Arizona State. The Utes led 30-2 to start the game. Can't say I've seen that before in a major conference matchup. The blowout meant no Utah starter had to play heavy minutes, which is always nice with these quick turnaround games. This is the only scheduled meeting between Utah and Arizona. The Wildcats won both last year.

Key trends: The Utes are 6-1 against the spread in their past seven following an ATS win. Arizona is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings.

I'm leaning: Utah.

No. 7 North Carolina at No. 3 Virginia (-4)

The ACC game of the year is at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Believe it or not, this is the only Top-10 matchup in the conference this season. North Carolina (23-5, 12-3) I believe will wrap up the top seed in the ACC Tournament with a win here. The Heels only have a game lead over Miami and Louisville, but those two play earlier Saturday. Remember that Louisville is ineligible for the postseason. I'd say at worst UNC will lose one more regular-season game, and that's next Saturday at Duke (Heels host Syracuse on Monday). So with a win here, at worst UNC would finished tied with either Miami or Louisville and the Heels own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Canes. UNC avoided a trap game Wednesday in winning 80-68 at NC State. Brice Johnson had his ACC-best 17th double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Virginia (21-6, 10-5) is looking to become the first team to win three straight ACC regular-season titles since Carolina from 2007-09. That would be impossible with a loss. After this, the Cavs go to Clemson and host Louisville and would be favored in those. So if the Wahoos win here, they become huge Duke fans next week. Virginia comes off a 64-61 loss in Miami on Monday. Only Malcolm Brogdon showed up offensively with a career-high 28 points. Second-leading scorer Devon Gill had six. Two UVA forwards are in question here. Reserve Evan Nolte missed the Miami game with a toe injury and starter Isaiah Wilkins did not return after being kneed in the back of the head. Wilkins is less likely to play. This is the only scheduled meeting of the season between UNC and UVA.

Key trends: The Heels are 1-4 ATS in their past five road games. The Cavs are 9-3 ATS in their past 12 after a loss. The home team is 6-2 ATS in the past eight meetings.

I'm leaning: Virginia, which is unbeaten at home and has won 33 of its past 34 there inside the conference.

Gonzaga at BYU (-1)

West Coast Conference game at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2, and it's the regular-season finale for both. The loser of this game probably can kiss an at-large NCAA Tournament bid goodbye. And the winner is hardly a sure thing. Gonzaga (22-7, 14-3) is currently listed among ESPN's "First Four Out." The Zags are tied for the WCC lead with Saint Mary's but were swept in the season series (SMC is at San Francisco on Saturday). Gonzaga avoided a trap game Thursday with an 82-60 win at San Diego. A 20-4 run early in the second half broke things open. The Zags shot 50 percent from the field and outrebounded USD by 17.

BYU (22-8, 13-4) is a game behind Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. The Cougars are listed among the "Next Four Out" for the Big Dance. BYU has the same issue the Zags do: no good nonconference wins. BYU does enter on a five-game winning streak, beating visiting Portland 99-81 on Thursday. Kyle Collinsworth extended his NCAA-record triple-double record with 14 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 16 assists. BYU had 30 assists overall, its most in a game since 1982. A win here for BYU clinches a top-two seed in the West Coast Conference Tournament and the most in-conference wins since the Cougars joined the WCC in 2011. BYU, which split with Saint Mary's, won at then-No. 25 Gonzaga 69-68 on Jan. 14. Nick Emery's only basket of the game was a 3-pointer with 1:38 left that proved to be the winning points. Kyle Wiltjer had 35 in a losing effort for the Zags.

Key trends: The Zags are 6-13 ATS in their past 19 after a win. The Cougars have covered 15 of their past 21 home games. The home team is 9-3-1 ATS in the past 13 meetings.

I'm leaning: BYU. If the Cougars do win to complete the season sweep, there's no way the NCAA selection committee can take Gonzaga over BYU with all other things being equal.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'ACC Showdown'

Hurricanes taken behind the woodshed spanked 96-71 by North Carolina last Saturday bounced back nicely with a 64-61 win over Virginia on Monday night taking over sole possession of second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Canes 22-5 (16-9-1 ATS) on the campaign, 11-4 (8-6-1 ATS) in the conference have won six of seven (5-2 ATS) and carry a sparkling 14-1 (10-3-1 ATS) home record into the contest.

In their last game Louisville got past Pittsburgh 67-60 giving Cardinals a 22-6 (12-11-1 ATS) record overall, 11-4 (6-8-1 ATS) mark within the ACC. Cardinals have won three straight (2-0-1 ATS), five of their last seven (4-2-1 ATS) but come in a dismal 4-5 SU in true road games with a money-burning 2-7 record against the betting line.

Hurricanes’ March Madness seeding at stake along with playing in the comfort of BankUnited Center in South Beach show what they're made of and pick up a much needed victory while covering the 3-point spot.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes

Arizona at Utah February 27, 2:00 EST

Arizona Wildcats took it on the chin Wednesday night dropping a 75-72 decision as 5.5-point road favorites to Colorado Buffaloes. The loss not only snapped Wildcats six game win streak, it also ended a 6-0 stretch vs Colorado. Wildcats will attempt to get back in the win column when they visit Utah Utes who have been difficult to beat in the friendly confines of home court. The Utes have just one blemish on home court this campaign at 14-1 (6-6-1 ATS). However, Wildcats have won twelve straight vs Utes (7-5 ATS) including six consecutive in the thin air of Salt Lake City (5-1 ATS).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Betting Preview

Texas Tech at Kansas February 27, 12:00 EST

The red-hot Texas Tech Red Raiders have made a habit recently out of beating nationally-ranked teams en route to what suddenly looks like a solid seed come March Madness tourney time. After knocking off No. 17 Iowa State, No. 19 Baylor and No. 3 Oklahoma en route to five straight victories, the Red Raiders will look to do the same to the streaking No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks when the two Big 12 national title hopefuls square off at Allen Fieldhouse. Now, let’s find out which of these two programs will come out on top in this NCAA basketball wagering bout.

Why Bet The Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Red Raiders are on fire, having won five straight games and took out TCU 83-79 on Tuesday as junior forward Aaron Ross scored a career-best 25 points to lead Texas Tech to victory. “I’m really proud of how our kids competed tonight,” Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith said. “We didn’t have our best game, but a lot of it had to with TCU coming in ready to play. . We regrouped. And, in this league, nothing’s easy and you have to come ready to play every night.”

Sophomore forward Zach Smith added career-high 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Red Raiders while senior guard Toddrick Gotcher made four three-pointers en route to 16 points as Texas Tech improved to 13-3 at home and take another step toward the national championship tournament after not having participated since 2007.

Texas Tech averages 73.2 points per game while limiting the opposition to 69.3 points per contest defensively.

Why Bet The Kansas Jayhawks

The second-ranked Jayhawks have won and covered the spread in eight straight games including their hard-fought 66-60 win over No. 19 Baylor on Tuesday. Guard Frank Mason scored a team-high 19 points to lead the Jayhawks while forward Perry Ellis added 15 points and guard Devonte’ Graham, 11 points and seven assists. “It was tough,” Kansas forward Landen Lucas said. “The good thing is even when the offense isn’t coming, the one thing we can do is create extra possessions and play well defensively. I think we did that toward the end of the game.”

Kansas averages a stellar 82.1 points per game while limiting their opponents to just 68.3 points per game defensively.

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

Kansas has won each of the last 10 meetings in this series, but I think this contest is going to literally come down to the final possession or two before the Jayhawks eke out the narrow win. The Jayhawks have been a favorite of at least 14 points in each of their last five home dates against the Red Raiders, but I’m expecting Kansas to be favored by about eight points this time around and that is a figure that I believe the Red Raiders will cover with room to spare.

The Red Raiders have two very good players in Aaron Ross and Zach Smith that could give the Jayhawks some problems and they have one of the best coaches in all of college basketball in my estimation in the title-winning Tubby Smith.

My final score prediction: Kansas 77 Texas Tech 75

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Woodbine Harness: Saturday 2/27 Analysis
By Garnet Barnsdale

DRF HARNESS

Race 4 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

20-CENT PICK 5: 3,5,6/6/2,4,5/1,2,7/1,3,4,9 = $21.60

EARLY PICK 4: 1,2,7/1,3,4,9/1,7,9/3,5 = $72

LATE PICK 4: 3,5/7/1,7/2,3,6 = $12

MEET STATS: 261 - 818 / $1374.60 BEST BETS: 42 - 76 / $149.90

SPOT PLAYS: 18 - 76 / $196.90

Best Bet: HOUSE OF TERROR (8th)

Spot Play: ER QUINN (6th)


Race 1

(6) KINETIC KING takes a big class drop and won a class higher on Dec. 21; top call in the opener. (3) OLE JACK MAGIC was a big winner when last in this class and should enjoy this easier company. (5) HUBBY NUMBER ONE also takes a class drop and should get a more aggressive steer.

Race 2

(6) NICKLE BAG was a ridiculously easy winner last week and now shoots for five straight wins. He's tough to go against in his current form. (1) RISE UP NOW should offer some exacta value here returning to a 7-day cycle. (5) NIRVANA SEELSTER was 2nd to the choice last week and has been racing well for several weeks. He should make the ticket again.

Race 3

(5) CAJON LIGHTNING could get a perfect trip behind his stablemate here and should offer the higher price. (2) RAFA fought off several challenges last week but was picked off late. He should be the pacesetter again but needs more late speed. (4) HALF A BILLION scored at huge odds last week aided by a big mid-race battle for the lead; however, his improvement should be respected.

Race 4

(1) YOUR MY SECRET takes a class drop here and should get a much more aggressive steer vs. weaker. (7) MISCHIEVOUSGIRLS also takes the plunge and is sure to be heard from late. (2) MACHET ROCKET has raced well for the Byrons and has an upset chance here is she can carve out an energy-saving following trip.

Race 5

(4) GRIN FOR MONEY overcame terrible cover last week to finish a strong 2nd. He should be able to work out a much better trip here; top call. (1) THE BIG YEAR should get away better here and have some pace to chase. He could upset if he finds the right helmet to follow. (9) VELOCITY DRIVEN takes a big class drop here and will likely be heavily bet but the outer post could be his undoing.

Race 6

(9) E R QUINN was expertly driven to a huge upset last week by Filion. He did show he fits in this class, however, and may go off at a square price here from an outside post; slight nod. (1) BETTER ART should get a better trip this week starting from the inside, using. (7) GRITS N GRAVY has improved racing in this class and is in with an upset chance here.

Race 7

(5) MOHAWK WARRIOR closed strongly last week despite missing 3 weeks action. Returning to a 7-day cycle should make him even tougher here; on top. (3) CROCADILE CANYON went a very big trip at long odds and is one to toss on Pick 4 tickets with the improvement he has shown recently. (4) ULTIMATE BEACHBOY returns home and rejoins Menary's stable. He is certainly good enough to beat these if he is ready to fire his best shot.

Race 8

(7) HOUSE OF TERROR made two moves and drew off to an impressive win last week. If he produces anything close to that mile here he is a repeat winner. (9) SPORTSMANSHIP closed strongly but still couldn't get near the choice last week. He could improve in his 2nd start of the year, however. (10) SINGLE WHITE SOCK was interfered with while making a big move on the final turn last week and he could offer some good value in the exotic wagers here.

Race 9

(7) TRACK MASTER D makes only his second start ever in a claiming race. The first time he was tagged on January 30th he jogged and was taken. History likely repeats here. (1) ONE WARRAWEE debuts for Johnson off the claim and looks like the only real threat to the choice. (5) U F BETTORS HANOVER will be passing horses late but needs a slowing late pace to make the exacta.

Race 10

(6) EASY LOVER HANOVER goes for his third straight win since coming north and handles these with a reasonable trip. (2) SMALLTOWN TERROR has raced great in both conditioned tries and should get a favorable pace setup here. (3) MITT JAGGER should improve making his 2nd start of the year and could seek out a trip rather than race from the front. (8) SABINE PASS will be closing late and is a good bet to hit the Super. (7) YOURE MY HERO was an impressive winner on the barn change but these are a lot tougher; minor share predicted.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Meadowlands: Saturday 2/27 Analysis
By Derick Giwner

DRF HARNESS

Race 3 - $30,000 Guaranteed Pick Five Pool

Race 5 - $25,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

Race 9 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

MEET STATS: 98 - 341 / $567.70 (-$114.30) BEST BETS: 13 - 25 / $53.30 (+$3.30)

Best Bet: PIECE OF THE ROCK (1st)

Spot Play: ASHLEY’S HUSBAND (9th)


Race 1

(6) PIECE OF THE ROCK plunges to the bottom claiming ranks after some even efforts versus second level conditioned foes. Veteran has some back class and I expect to see it on display Saturday. (8) EIGHT TEN EOM knows his way to the front and should take the field as far as he can. (5) UF FAST FEELIN was an easy winner when last seen in for this price tag.

Race 2

(6) MISSILE J was spectacular last week and is hard to pick against versus similar competition. (5) CONNECTING FLIGHT was used early in the mile and paid the price late. Maybe this guy needs to follow horses to put up a fast mile? (3) MAAJAACKKOBE rallied nicely versus the top pick a week ago.

Race 3

(3) TWO HIP DIP put in his best race of the year last week when he rallied home in 27 1/5. He seems to be sitting on a top effort and there is enough outside speed signed on to set him up tonight. (6) UPFRONT BILLY is more than capable of winning against this group and should offer value due to the defection of Gingras to (5) MONEY ON MY MIND, who should be on or near the front.

Race 4

In a race lacking form and seemingly an abundance of early speed players, I see (7) JUS’ LIKE A VIRGIN and (8) FOOL OF IDEAS as interesting plays. Both have been racing somewhat evenly of late, but they also have displayed past ability to leave hard and take charge. I can see either getting aggressive and never looking back at a decent mutuel. (1) RED ROCK finished willingly with no shot a week ago and might just be the favorite now. (2) BUCKEYE IN CHARGE should enjoy the improved post.

Race 5

(6) BRODY ships in from Dover and catches a softer NW $7,775 field. Notice the last time this guy visited the Big M he faced much tougher company. (3) THAT’S MY OPINION was super last time out but hasn’t been known for stringing together top efforts. (4) BAKIN ON THE BEACH gets an improved post and has a chance to get a big piece with the right trip. (8) GRAND THEFT raced evenly after missing a month of action. He seems like a fit here.

Race 6

(2) GIACODELIGHT missed more than eight weeks of action and had post 10 last week, so I don’t think anyone was expecting much. He stays at the basement condition and should bring a much better performance to the track. (9) LAST DRAGON didn’t have much of a chance last time out. I imagine Gingras will have him more involved in the early stages. (1) TWINCREEKS JESSE doesn’t entice on the win end but should get into the trifecta or super.

Race 7

(5) ALLSTAR LEGEND might have finished seventh but that was a pretty strong effort while pressing a quick pace. I’m giving this guy another shot. (7) MR CENSI rallied impressively with Lasix added last time; using. (1) UF LARRY ALLTHEWAY has been racing well of late and picked up a second at this level last time. (2) SOUTHWIND INDY drops down after an even effort; more this week?

Race 8

(8) ROCKIN WIZARD might seem like a stretch to some extent, but he did pace home in 26 4/5 last week while facing a keyed-up Jet Airway. This division of NW $11,750 is softer than what he has been facing. (5) ROCK OUT steps up in theory but tackles mostly similar foes; wire to wire threat. (3) MUDSLIDE hasn’t put in a bad effort this year; trip player.

Race 9

(4) ASHLEY’S HUSBAND comes off what I consider to be a throw-out mile because no one was beating Rockeyed Optimist last week. He is back in with a group he can beat and only needs to be in striking position to mow them down late. (1) CALVIN B seems to be working his way into shape and I expect a step forward in his third start off the bench. (6) DOVUTO HANOVER raced pretty well coming off a layoff last year, though that was for a different barn. (5) ITRUSTYOU qualified back sharply and has plenty of class.

Race 10

I can see almost any of these horses winning. (9) GOLD ROCKS raced big on the drop to this level and won in his previous try in this class. (3) THORN IN YOUR SIDE almost lasted on the engine a week ago. (2) YIPPITY HANOVER was a bit disappointing last time but I’m not willing to completely jump ship. (5) MAJOR WAR has been hanging more often than not, but one of these days he will get over the top.

Race 11

(4) SHOOTER’S DREAM is back on the level of his last win and should prove tough again. (3) COBALT MAN is certainly feeling good right now. (6) FIRST OF ITSKIND steps up but if the pace is fast he could be rolling by late. (2) INVICTUS HANOVER was a winner in his last Meadowlands start.

Race 12

Trainer Mark Silva has (3) AVENUE HANOVER razor sharp right now and despite the class rise and shorter price expected, I’m going to stick with him. (2) CITY PIE took the mandatory step up in class and couldn’t last the mile; drops again. (5) TYRON MY GIGOLO moves into a solid barn and could perk up in a hurry.

Race 13

It certainly won’t be easy, but I have to believe that (10) ART HISTORY is ready for a peak effort in start three this year and can overcome the outside post. (7) GHOST PINE stepped up with a nice mile in his second start for trainer Ron Coyne Jr. I’m inclined to keep using this guy. (2) GIANT SLAYER & (1) INTHEBLINKOFANEYE are razor sharp speedsters with inside posts; clearly dangerous.

Race 14

(6) MUST BE THE BUNNY draws a decent post for the first time in a while and faces an awful field. Eleven-year-old gelding seems to have found a sweet spot this week. (5) JOLLY JUBITER was short after a couple of months on the shelf. He has shown plenty of miles that are good enough to win this race. (3) ROCKIN JIMMY has been closing for a piece of late; change in tactics now? (1) YOU BET YOUR GLASS has been stuck outside week after week; inside now; very capable.