GAMBLERS WORLD
Tip of the Day - April 3, 2010
Sport: NCAA Basketball
Game: 8:45PM West Virginia Mountaineers vs Duke Blue Devils
Play On: Duke (-2) (Game 822)
Current Line: Duke (-2)
Over/Under: 131
Inside the Board Room: Duke continues to cash and cash. They have won ATS in every game this tourney. We cannot see any reason why this will not continue. It is hard to believe that the Mountaineers are still winning without starting point guard Darryl Bryant, who has been downgraded to doubtful for the game. Duke heads to the Championship!
Tip of the Day - April 3, 2010
Sport: NCAA Basketball
Game: 8:45PM West Virginia Mountaineers vs Duke Blue Devils
Play On: Duke (-2) (Game 822)
Current Line: Duke (-2)
Over/Under: 131
Inside the Board Room: Duke continues to cash and cash. They have won ATS in every game this tourney. We cannot see any reason why this will not continue. It is hard to believe that the Mountaineers are still winning without starting point guard Darryl Bryant, who has been downgraded to doubtful for the game. Duke heads to the Championship!
Johnny Guild
Charlotte Bobcats (40-35) at Chicago Bulls (36-39)
Look for the Bulls to be in charge tonight at home against the Bobcats. Chicago has won eight of the last ten clashes against Charlotte at the United Center. Take the injury riddle Chicago Bulls to grab a needed win in a close contest at home. The Bobcats are a miserable 11-26 on the road this season.
Chicago Bulls -3
Butler Bulldogs -1
Duke Blue Devils -2.5
Charlotte Bobcats (40-35) at Chicago Bulls (36-39)
Look for the Bulls to be in charge tonight at home against the Bobcats. Chicago has won eight of the last ten clashes against Charlotte at the United Center. Take the injury riddle Chicago Bulls to grab a needed win in a close contest at home. The Bobcats are a miserable 11-26 on the road this season.
Chicago Bulls -3
Butler Bulldogs -1
Duke Blue Devils -2.5
Evan Altemus
3 Units Duke / W.Virginia Under 131
First and foremost, Duke is not used to playing a physical and tough team like West Virginia. The ACC is not a physical conference, and Duke hasn't played any physical teams in the tournament, so I expect them to have a hard time adjusting to West Virginia's style of play. However, the Blue Devils have good size, and they also play tough defense. The Mountaineers don't have the shooting to keep up with the Blue Devils, so they will really try and slow the pace down. West Virginia matches up well with Duke because they are so tough against the three. Duke loves to get their guards open for three pointers, which was the key in their win against Baylor. However, they will really struggle to get good outside shots against West Virginia's very tough perimeter defense. With both teams playing such tough defense, I look for this game to be lower scoring, especially since West Virginia is not a good shooting team. Take the under.
3 Units Duke / W.Virginia Under 131
First and foremost, Duke is not used to playing a physical and tough team like West Virginia. The ACC is not a physical conference, and Duke hasn't played any physical teams in the tournament, so I expect them to have a hard time adjusting to West Virginia's style of play. However, the Blue Devils have good size, and they also play tough defense. The Mountaineers don't have the shooting to keep up with the Blue Devils, so they will really try and slow the pace down. West Virginia matches up well with Duke because they are so tough against the three. Duke loves to get their guards open for three pointers, which was the key in their win against Baylor. However, they will really struggle to get good outside shots against West Virginia's very tough perimeter defense. With both teams playing such tough defense, I look for this game to be lower scoring, especially since West Virginia is not a good shooting team. Take the under.
Mike Lineback
Toronto / Philadelphia Over 204.5
Teams' are Over the total 10 of L12 meetings & Over this number in 4 of L5 contests, including a 115-101 Philly upset in Toronto on 3/7. Toronto are trying to hold onto the #8 seed in the East & Philly have nothing to lose. As a result, strongly believe this game will be very competitive & potentially very high scoring. Why? Because Toronto don't play any defense, and Philly are more motivated to play offense than defense, at this point of the season. Raptors scoring 103 ppg on season and allowing 105.3 ppg. In addition, they allow 108.4 ppg on road. Believe line has been adjusted some, because Philly have played a rough schedule lately, and vs. some quality defensive teams (Charlotte, OKC, Atlanta, Milw., Orlando L5). Philly, also getting healthy, which gives them more offensive weapons and a more productive 2nd unit. Take the OVER.
Toronto / Philadelphia Over 204.5
Teams' are Over the total 10 of L12 meetings & Over this number in 4 of L5 contests, including a 115-101 Philly upset in Toronto on 3/7. Toronto are trying to hold onto the #8 seed in the East & Philly have nothing to lose. As a result, strongly believe this game will be very competitive & potentially very high scoring. Why? Because Toronto don't play any defense, and Philly are more motivated to play offense than defense, at this point of the season. Raptors scoring 103 ppg on season and allowing 105.3 ppg. In addition, they allow 108.4 ppg on road. Believe line has been adjusted some, because Philly have played a rough schedule lately, and vs. some quality defensive teams (Charlotte, OKC, Atlanta, Milw., Orlando L5). Philly, also getting healthy, which gives them more offensive weapons and a more productive 2nd unit. Take the OVER.
HOPEFULLY POSTED FOR THE LAST TIME TODAY:
INDIAN COWBOY
NCAA GOY EARLY RELEASE
6 unit play Butler -1 over Michigan St
6 Unit Play. #820. Take Butler -1 over Michigan State (Saturday @ 6:05pm est). Yes, Indeed! Butler Bulldogs! Hoosiers! The nostalgia, the pride of the heartland, that is who we ride with today. But, I am not riding with Butler as our March Madness GOTY simply because of personal favoritism to this team, but rather, mathematically and situationally it makes sense. Sure, Michigan State is getting slightly more love from the public, but Butler is rightly favored for a reason. They are the better team in my book. This is also a home game for this team. I look for Michigan State to come out and take the early lead as Butler usually starts out slow as you can tell from most of their games in the Dance. Then, they make the necessary adjustments, see what the defense offers and pulls with full steam ahead of the other team. Butler is a top ten power ranking team. Take a look at their resume and you will see why I am releasing this game early with little to no hesitation. This team has knocked some huge heavyweights and it is not by accidents. Similar to the Hoosiers of the old, they are extremely sound fundamentally. This team beat a top 40 UTEP team at first by a score of 77-59 (big second half), beat an incredibly talented Murray State team by a bucket holding them to just 52 points, beat the number one seed in Syracuse by four points despite Syracuse coming back to take the lead in that game, and defeated a very capable and talented Kansas State team. Michigan State beat quality teams as well, but again, Butler beat two top ten ranked teams to get here, and they are top ten ranked themselves where as Michigan State is a top 25 team in my book and at the end of the day, I like Butler with the home court advantage here. Note, Michigan State shoots around 68-69% from the line while Butler shoots a solid 73.9% from the charity stripe which does make a difference in my opinion- its good for being top 35 in the nation in free throw shooting. Let's roll with the Bulldogs as they have all the things working in their favor for a win - a tight win, but a win nonetheless.
INDIAN COWBOY
NCAA GOY EARLY RELEASE
6 unit play Butler -1 over Michigan St
6 Unit Play. #820. Take Butler -1 over Michigan State (Saturday @ 6:05pm est). Yes, Indeed! Butler Bulldogs! Hoosiers! The nostalgia, the pride of the heartland, that is who we ride with today. But, I am not riding with Butler as our March Madness GOTY simply because of personal favoritism to this team, but rather, mathematically and situationally it makes sense. Sure, Michigan State is getting slightly more love from the public, but Butler is rightly favored for a reason. They are the better team in my book. This is also a home game for this team. I look for Michigan State to come out and take the early lead as Butler usually starts out slow as you can tell from most of their games in the Dance. Then, they make the necessary adjustments, see what the defense offers and pulls with full steam ahead of the other team. Butler is a top ten power ranking team. Take a look at their resume and you will see why I am releasing this game early with little to no hesitation. This team has knocked some huge heavyweights and it is not by accidents. Similar to the Hoosiers of the old, they are extremely sound fundamentally. This team beat a top 40 UTEP team at first by a score of 77-59 (big second half), beat an incredibly talented Murray State team by a bucket holding them to just 52 points, beat the number one seed in Syracuse by four points despite Syracuse coming back to take the lead in that game, and defeated a very capable and talented Kansas State team. Michigan State beat quality teams as well, but again, Butler beat two top ten ranked teams to get here, and they are top ten ranked themselves where as Michigan State is a top 25 team in my book and at the end of the day, I like Butler with the home court advantage here. Note, Michigan State shoots around 68-69% from the line while Butler shoots a solid 73.9% from the charity stripe which does make a difference in my opinion- its good for being top 35 in the nation in free throw shooting. Let's roll with the Bulldogs as they have all the things working in their favor for a win - a tight win, but a win nonetheless.
SPORTS WAGERS
CHICAGO –3 over Charlotte Pinnacle
The overachieving at home Bobcats are coming off a very intense, OT win last night in Charlotte against the Bucks. They ended up winning by a penny and both teams challenged every possession. It was a good game but it sure wasn’t a pretty one. Now the Cats will take its 11-26 road record to Chicago to play its third game in four days and the tail end of back-to-backs. Furthermore, Stephen Jackson is a bit banged up and is not 100% and if he doesn’t go off, the Cats virtually have no shot of winning on the road. Good luck to them. The Bulls are fighting for their playoff lives, as they continue to chase the Raps for the final playoff spot. Toronto plays a matinee game in Philly so the Bulls will know the result of that one when this one begins. Regardless of the outcome the Bulls need to be 100% focused here and why wouldn’t they be. They have Luol Deng back, Noah is once again playing significant minutes and Kirk Henrich is back in the starting lineup. The Bulls are healthy and they’re a dangerous and very streaky team. They, too, played last night and came away with a win in Washington. The Bulls have now won three of its last four and under these circumstances against this abhorrently challenged offense, they might just put this intruder away very early. Get in on this one early, as there’s a very good chance this line will rise. Play: Chicago –3 (Risking 2.18 units to win 2).
Nashville +1.80 over DETROIT
2:00 PM EST start. We’re pretty sure that nobody wants to play the Red Wings come playoff time and who could blame them. This team is red-hot at a crucial time and they’re proving once again that when the chips are down they’re a team to fear. Detroit controlled its on destiny and is cruising into the playoffs now instead of fighting to get in after its current seven-game winning streak. They can even leapfrog over the Preds this afternoon with a win here and surely that’s a distinct possibility. However, in terms of value, the Preds have to be considered a decent play. Nashville is rarely out of a game and is almost always in a position to win. They play a tough, disciplined, physical style and they play it for 60 minutes. Furthermore, it’s not like the Preds are in a funk either. Like the Red Wings, Nashville is hot too, winning four in a row on the road and winning nine of its last 12 overall. Lastly, in a year in which goaltending is a big concern for most teams, it’s not for the Preds because Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis might be the best goaltending duo in the business. Overlay. Play: Nashville +1.80 (Risking 2 units).
Buffalo +1.06 over MONTREAL
The Sabres can finish as high as the #2 seed in the East, a position they hold right now but they’re also just a single point ahead of Pittsburgh and New Jersey, thus, they can also finish as the #3 or #4 seed. The Habs meanwhile, picked up a huge win last night, 1-0 in Philly, and once again they won, not because they were the best team on the ice but because Jaroslav Halak bailed them out. Of the 126 teams going to the playoff the Canadiens will be the 16th best team and once again, as I pointed out in this week’s blog, Jaroslav Halak is the league’s MVP. The pressure is by no means off the Habs, as the Rangers are coming hard and both Philly and Boston are just two points behind them. After a playoff-like game last night Montreal will get right back at it here to play its third game in four nights and the tail end of back-to-backs. The Habs have just two wins over its last seven games and those wins came against the sinking Flyers and the dead Panthers. Enter the Sabres and they’re the inferior team is every aspect. For sure they’ll be jacked up playing in Montreal on Hockey night in Canada and they’re also very aware that they’re in a position to make life miserable for the Habs while helping themselves out. So, any take-back on the Sabres against the Habs is a worthwhile one and you can double that under these circumstances. Play: Buffalo +1.06 (Risking 2 units).
CHICAGO –3 over Charlotte Pinnacle
The overachieving at home Bobcats are coming off a very intense, OT win last night in Charlotte against the Bucks. They ended up winning by a penny and both teams challenged every possession. It was a good game but it sure wasn’t a pretty one. Now the Cats will take its 11-26 road record to Chicago to play its third game in four days and the tail end of back-to-backs. Furthermore, Stephen Jackson is a bit banged up and is not 100% and if he doesn’t go off, the Cats virtually have no shot of winning on the road. Good luck to them. The Bulls are fighting for their playoff lives, as they continue to chase the Raps for the final playoff spot. Toronto plays a matinee game in Philly so the Bulls will know the result of that one when this one begins. Regardless of the outcome the Bulls need to be 100% focused here and why wouldn’t they be. They have Luol Deng back, Noah is once again playing significant minutes and Kirk Henrich is back in the starting lineup. The Bulls are healthy and they’re a dangerous and very streaky team. They, too, played last night and came away with a win in Washington. The Bulls have now won three of its last four and under these circumstances against this abhorrently challenged offense, they might just put this intruder away very early. Get in on this one early, as there’s a very good chance this line will rise. Play: Chicago –3 (Risking 2.18 units to win 2).
Nashville +1.80 over DETROIT
2:00 PM EST start. We’re pretty sure that nobody wants to play the Red Wings come playoff time and who could blame them. This team is red-hot at a crucial time and they’re proving once again that when the chips are down they’re a team to fear. Detroit controlled its on destiny and is cruising into the playoffs now instead of fighting to get in after its current seven-game winning streak. They can even leapfrog over the Preds this afternoon with a win here and surely that’s a distinct possibility. However, in terms of value, the Preds have to be considered a decent play. Nashville is rarely out of a game and is almost always in a position to win. They play a tough, disciplined, physical style and they play it for 60 minutes. Furthermore, it’s not like the Preds are in a funk either. Like the Red Wings, Nashville is hot too, winning four in a row on the road and winning nine of its last 12 overall. Lastly, in a year in which goaltending is a big concern for most teams, it’s not for the Preds because Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis might be the best goaltending duo in the business. Overlay. Play: Nashville +1.80 (Risking 2 units).
Buffalo +1.06 over MONTREAL
The Sabres can finish as high as the #2 seed in the East, a position they hold right now but they’re also just a single point ahead of Pittsburgh and New Jersey, thus, they can also finish as the #3 or #4 seed. The Habs meanwhile, picked up a huge win last night, 1-0 in Philly, and once again they won, not because they were the best team on the ice but because Jaroslav Halak bailed them out. Of the 126 teams going to the playoff the Canadiens will be the 16th best team and once again, as I pointed out in this week’s blog, Jaroslav Halak is the league’s MVP. The pressure is by no means off the Habs, as the Rangers are coming hard and both Philly and Boston are just two points behind them. After a playoff-like game last night Montreal will get right back at it here to play its third game in four nights and the tail end of back-to-backs. The Habs have just two wins over its last seven games and those wins came against the sinking Flyers and the dead Panthers. Enter the Sabres and they’re the inferior team is every aspect. For sure they’ll be jacked up playing in Montreal on Hockey night in Canada and they’re also very aware that they’re in a position to make life miserable for the Habs while helping themselves out. So, any take-back on the Sabres against the Habs is a worthwhile one and you can double that under these circumstances. Play: Buffalo +1.06 (Risking 2 units).
ULTIMATE CAPPER
Michigan State (5) vs. Butler (5), 6:05 ET: The first game of the evening pits two teams that not many people thought would make the Final Four. The Michigan State Spartans had a very solid season, but didn't exactly set the world on fire. Then, Junior guard and leading scorer Kalin Lucas went down with a foot injury and everyone wrote the Spartans off. This proves even more how great of a coach Tom Izzo is. Reaching the Final Four for the 6th time in 12 years. Their 4 wins to get here weren't exactly pretty, but that really doesn't matter. Durrell Summers has picked up the scoring for the Spartans by averaging 20 points per game in their four NCAA Tournament wins. He only averaged slightly over 10 points a game during the regular season. They will face an upstart Butler Bulldogs team who will be playing the Final Four only 7 miles from their campus and bring a 24-game winning streak into Saturday's game. This is a team that is well coached by Brad Stevens. They spread the ball around and play good defense by forcing turnovers. Center Matt Howard can also bang with the best in the paint. It's hard to go against Tom Izzo in big games like this, but it's also hard to go against an underdog playing at home.
Pick: Butler -1
West Virginia (2) vs. Duke (1), 8:45 ET: The second game of the evening has the team many thought should have received the #1 seed instead of Duke. West Virginia gets to prove the doubters wrong with a win over Duke and a chance at the National Championship. Just like Michigan State, the Mountaineers are playing short-handed. Guard Darryl Bryant is doubtful to play Saturday. He was averaging 10.6 points per game for the Mountaineers. Senior De'Sean Butler has picked up the scoring slack by averaging 20 points in West Virginia's last 3 wins. Duke has had a pretty easy time in the tournament, covering the spread in all 4 games. Kyle Singler will be key in this game. He has to try and contain Butler and not give him open looks at the 3 point line. Duke will look to push the tempo in this game by creating turnovers. I picked Duke to win it all before the tournament started and I will stick to it here.
Pick: Duke -2
NBA:
Milwaukee -2.5 over Phoenix
Michigan State (5) vs. Butler (5), 6:05 ET: The first game of the evening pits two teams that not many people thought would make the Final Four. The Michigan State Spartans had a very solid season, but didn't exactly set the world on fire. Then, Junior guard and leading scorer Kalin Lucas went down with a foot injury and everyone wrote the Spartans off. This proves even more how great of a coach Tom Izzo is. Reaching the Final Four for the 6th time in 12 years. Their 4 wins to get here weren't exactly pretty, but that really doesn't matter. Durrell Summers has picked up the scoring for the Spartans by averaging 20 points per game in their four NCAA Tournament wins. He only averaged slightly over 10 points a game during the regular season. They will face an upstart Butler Bulldogs team who will be playing the Final Four only 7 miles from their campus and bring a 24-game winning streak into Saturday's game. This is a team that is well coached by Brad Stevens. They spread the ball around and play good defense by forcing turnovers. Center Matt Howard can also bang with the best in the paint. It's hard to go against Tom Izzo in big games like this, but it's also hard to go against an underdog playing at home.
Pick: Butler -1
West Virginia (2) vs. Duke (1), 8:45 ET: The second game of the evening has the team many thought should have received the #1 seed instead of Duke. West Virginia gets to prove the doubters wrong with a win over Duke and a chance at the National Championship. Just like Michigan State, the Mountaineers are playing short-handed. Guard Darryl Bryant is doubtful to play Saturday. He was averaging 10.6 points per game for the Mountaineers. Senior De'Sean Butler has picked up the scoring slack by averaging 20 points in West Virginia's last 3 wins. Duke has had a pretty easy time in the tournament, covering the spread in all 4 games. Kyle Singler will be key in this game. He has to try and contain Butler and not give him open looks at the 3 point line. Duke will look to push the tempo in this game by creating turnovers. I picked Duke to win it all before the tournament started and I will stick to it here.
Pick: Duke -2
NBA:
Milwaukee -2.5 over Phoenix
