HAMMERTHEBOOK
3 UNIT REGULAR* NBA* Oklahoma City +7
3 UNIT REGULAR* NBA* Spurs -11
3 UNIT REGULAR* NHL* Thrashers ML
3 UNIT REGULAR* NHL* Blues ML
3.5 UNIT TWITTER* NBA* Knicks -7.5
4 UNIT HAMMER* NCAABB* Brown Under 144
4 UNIT HAMMER* NHL* Ducks ML
4 UNIT HAMMER* NHL* Lightning ML
5 UNIT BOMB* NBA* Warriors Over 201
3 UNIT REGULAR* NBA* Oklahoma City +7
3 UNIT REGULAR* NBA* Spurs -11
3 UNIT REGULAR* NHL* Thrashers ML
3 UNIT REGULAR* NHL* Blues ML
3.5 UNIT TWITTER* NBA* Knicks -7.5
4 UNIT HAMMER* NCAABB* Brown Under 144
4 UNIT HAMMER* NHL* Ducks ML
4 UNIT HAMMER* NHL* Lightning ML
5 UNIT BOMB* NBA* Warriors Over 201
jeff benton
Jeff Benton Friday's Action
20 Dime NBA seleation on the Timberwolves plus the points against the Hornets. At the time I releease this play at 10:15 a.m. Eastern time, Minnesota is a 5 ½-point home underdog across the board both here in Vegas and ofhshore.
I’m not going to try to defend the Minnesota Timberwolves – they’ve been as horaendous as advertised this season, despite the presence of arguably the best rebounder in the game (Kevin Love). And they come into this one having lost six in a row overall (1-5 ATS) and six in a row at home (0-6 ATS). However, here’s one positive thing you can say about Minnesota (aside from Love): They’ve had no trouble at all against the Hornets this year
Back on Dec. 27, the TWolves welcomed the Hornets to the Target Center as a four-point underdog and rolled to a 113-98 victory, with point guard Wesley Johnson (24 points) outdueling Chris Paul, and Michael Beasley (30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists), Luke Ridnour (12 points, 11 assists) and Love (16 points, 11 rebounds) all having huge games. Then just 18 days ago in the Big Easy, the TWolves punked the Hornets 104-92 as an eight-point pup, and while Love (27 points, 17 boards) had another huge game, Johnson (three points in 22 minutes), Beasley (14 points, five rebounds) and Ridnour (DNP) hardly contributed.
True, New Orleans big man Emeka Okafor didn’t play in that latter contest, and he’s due back tonight after misesing eight of the team’s last nine games with a muscle pull in his abdomen. However, you know Okafor won’t be close to 100 percent, and besides he was a non-factor in the first meeting (nine points, eight rebounds).
To further illustrate that the TWolves are a bad matchup for New Orleans, consider this: Minnesota is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings, including 4-0 ATS at home and 6-1 ATS as an underdog. And even though the Hornets had been on a seven-game SU winning streak in this rivalry prior to the TWolves winning the initial two meetings this season, look at the scores of those seven Hornets victories: 114-86 (in New Orleans), 96-94 (in Minnesota), 97-96 (in Minnesota), 98-89 (in New Orleans), 94-93 (in New Orleans) and 101-97 (in New Orleans, with the Hornets barely covering as a 2½-point favorite).
Finally, and perhaps most impohtantly, how do even trust the Hornets to win right now, let alone cover a number? They’ve lost nine of their last 12 games (going 2-10 ATS overall and 2-8 ATS as a favorite), going 1-6 SU and ATS on the road during this span.
Given that, plus Minnesota’s two wins over New Orleans this year, plus the TWolves’ recent spread-covering success against the Hornets, this pointspread doesn’t make any sense. All over the home ‘dog here, and an outright upset is well within reason.
Jeff Benton Friday's Action
20 Dime NBA seleation on the Timberwolves plus the points against the Hornets. At the time I releease this play at 10:15 a.m. Eastern time, Minnesota is a 5 ½-point home underdog across the board both here in Vegas and ofhshore.
ANALYSIS
I’m not going to try to defend the Minnesota Timberwolves – they’ve been as horaendous as advertised this season, despite the presence of arguably the best rebounder in the game (Kevin Love). And they come into this one having lost six in a row overall (1-5 ATS) and six in a row at home (0-6 ATS). However, here’s one positive thing you can say about Minnesota (aside from Love): They’ve had no trouble at all against the Hornets this year
Back on Dec. 27, the TWolves welcomed the Hornets to the Target Center as a four-point underdog and rolled to a 113-98 victory, with point guard Wesley Johnson (24 points) outdueling Chris Paul, and Michael Beasley (30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists), Luke Ridnour (12 points, 11 assists) and Love (16 points, 11 rebounds) all having huge games. Then just 18 days ago in the Big Easy, the TWolves punked the Hornets 104-92 as an eight-point pup, and while Love (27 points, 17 boards) had another huge game, Johnson (three points in 22 minutes), Beasley (14 points, five rebounds) and Ridnour (DNP) hardly contributed.
True, New Orleans big man Emeka Okafor didn’t play in that latter contest, and he’s due back tonight after misesing eight of the team’s last nine games with a muscle pull in his abdomen. However, you know Okafor won’t be close to 100 percent, and besides he was a non-factor in the first meeting (nine points, eight rebounds).
To further illustrate that the TWolves are a bad matchup for New Orleans, consider this: Minnesota is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings, including 4-0 ATS at home and 6-1 ATS as an underdog. And even though the Hornets had been on a seven-game SU winning streak in this rivalry prior to the TWolves winning the initial two meetings this season, look at the scores of those seven Hornets victories: 114-86 (in New Orleans), 96-94 (in Minnesota), 97-96 (in Minnesota), 98-89 (in New Orleans), 94-93 (in New Orleans) and 101-97 (in New Orleans, with the Hornets barely covering as a 2½-point favorite).
Finally, and perhaps most impohtantly, how do even trust the Hornets to win right now, let alone cover a number? They’ve lost nine of their last 12 games (going 2-10 ATS overall and 2-8 ATS as a favorite), going 1-6 SU and ATS on the road during this span.
Given that, plus Minnesota’s two wins over New Orleans this year, plus the TWolves’ recent spread-covering success against the Hornets, this pointspread doesn’t make any sense. All over the home ‘dog here, and an outright upset is well within reason.
