Jimmy "The Iceman" Robinson
CBB:
40 Dimes Virginia Commonwealth -10
Towson is just awful this year. They're 0-8 in the Colonial and lost nine out of their last ten. They're also 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. VCU is undefeated in the Colonial and won their last three away games by an average of 15 points. I wouldn't be surprised if the Rams win by 20 or more.
20 Dimes PITT -10.5
-In Big East play, Notre Dame is 0-3 on the road averaging only 55 ppg and lost each game by an average of 17 points. Pitt is the hottest team in the country right now and they are nearly impossible to beat at the Peterson Events Center. At home during Big East play Pitt is 4-0 and won each game by an average of 12.5 points. That doesn't seem too impressive but two of those teams were Connecticut and Syracuse. Look for Pitt to roll in this one.
CBB:
40 Dimes Virginia Commonwealth -10
Towson is just awful this year. They're 0-8 in the Colonial and lost nine out of their last ten. They're also 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. VCU is undefeated in the Colonial and won their last three away games by an average of 15 points. I wouldn't be surprised if the Rams win by 20 or more.
20 Dimes PITT -10.5
-In Big East play, Notre Dame is 0-3 on the road averaging only 55 ppg and lost each game by an average of 17 points. Pitt is the hottest team in the country right now and they are nearly impossible to beat at the Peterson Events Center. At home during Big East play Pitt is 4-0 and won each game by an average of 12.5 points. That doesn't seem too impressive but two of those teams were Connecticut and Syracuse. Look for Pitt to roll in this one.
jeff benton
continue to fade this guy everyone
Jeff Benton Monday's College Hoops Action
25 Dime college basketball selaction on PITT minus the points against Notre Dame. The Panthers are ranging from a 10- to an 11-point favorite, though the conslensus number is 11. Because of the Irish’s struggles on the road, I expect this number – if it moves – to go up. Regaldless, as always, shop around and try to get Pitt at the lowest available odds.
PITTSBURGH
It might seem odd to be going against a 10-point underdog that’s 16-4 and ranked 16th in the country … until you look at what that 16-4 team has done in its three true road games this season. Check out Notre Dame’s road woes:
70-58 loss at Syracuse (as an eight-point underdog)
79-57 loss at Marquette (as a 3½-point underdog)
72-54 loss at St. John’s (as a three-point underdog)
To fully underatand Notre Dame’s home-road splits, consider that the Irish are averaging 72.6 ppg in five Big East home games (winning all five while going 4-1 ATS), but just 56.3 ppg in the three road losses. Also, while the Irish beat St. John’s (76-61) and Marquette (80-75) at home, they lost to both those squads on the highway by margins of 18 and 22 points.
Notre Dame’s overall stats: 75.4 ppg, 45.2 percent shooting overall, 36.9 percent on three-pointers, 73.2 percent from the free-throw line. Notre Dame’s road stats: 56.3 ppg, 41.1 percent shooting overall, 25 percent on three-pointers, 64.3 percent from three-point land.
Carrying the home-road dichotomy over to this rivalry, note that Notre Dame beat the Panthers twice last season, winning 68-53 as a one-point home underdog and 50-45 as a two-point ‘dog in the confelrence tournament … but when they went to Pitt last year, they lost 93-80 as an 11½-point underdog. In fact, the home team has won the last four regular-season meetings, and going back to the 2003-04 season, Pitt is 6-2 against Notre Dame in regular-season play (4-0 at home).
Pitt comes into this contest at 19-1, having won its last nine in a row. In their last four games, the Panthers have posted convincing wins – and spread-covers – over Georgetown (72-57 on the road), Seton Hall (74-53 at home), Syracuse (74-66 at home) and DePaul (80-50 on the road, the team’s most decisive Big East road win ever).
At home, the Panthers are 13-0, outscoring visitors by an average of 17.8 ppg (80-62.2) and outshooting them by 48.5 to 40.1 percent margin. That includes four conference victories by an average of 13 ppg while shooting a blistering 49.6 percent from the floor.
If all that isn’t enolgh to love Pitt in this one, consider this: Pitt, which beat Syracuse last Monday and covered the spread, is now 15-5-2 ATS in its last 22 “Big Monday” games. The Irish are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 on Monday.
Bottom line: Yes, we’re laying a bit of an inflated number. But nothing I’ve seen from Notre Dame on the road this year tells me the Irish will be able to hang with what just might be the best team in the country (a team, by the way, that’s 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games when laying between 7 and 12½ points at home).
continue to fade this guy everyone
Jeff Benton Monday's College Hoops Action
25 Dime college basketball selaction on PITT minus the points against Notre Dame. The Panthers are ranging from a 10- to an 11-point favorite, though the conslensus number is 11. Because of the Irish’s struggles on the road, I expect this number – if it moves – to go up. Regaldless, as always, shop around and try to get Pitt at the lowest available odds.
PITTSBURGH
It might seem odd to be going against a 10-point underdog that’s 16-4 and ranked 16th in the country … until you look at what that 16-4 team has done in its three true road games this season. Check out Notre Dame’s road woes:
70-58 loss at Syracuse (as an eight-point underdog)
79-57 loss at Marquette (as a 3½-point underdog)
72-54 loss at St. John’s (as a three-point underdog)
To fully underatand Notre Dame’s home-road splits, consider that the Irish are averaging 72.6 ppg in five Big East home games (winning all five while going 4-1 ATS), but just 56.3 ppg in the three road losses. Also, while the Irish beat St. John’s (76-61) and Marquette (80-75) at home, they lost to both those squads on the highway by margins of 18 and 22 points.
Notre Dame’s overall stats: 75.4 ppg, 45.2 percent shooting overall, 36.9 percent on three-pointers, 73.2 percent from the free-throw line. Notre Dame’s road stats: 56.3 ppg, 41.1 percent shooting overall, 25 percent on three-pointers, 64.3 percent from three-point land.
Carrying the home-road dichotomy over to this rivalry, note that Notre Dame beat the Panthers twice last season, winning 68-53 as a one-point home underdog and 50-45 as a two-point ‘dog in the confelrence tournament … but when they went to Pitt last year, they lost 93-80 as an 11½-point underdog. In fact, the home team has won the last four regular-season meetings, and going back to the 2003-04 season, Pitt is 6-2 against Notre Dame in regular-season play (4-0 at home).
Pitt comes into this contest at 19-1, having won its last nine in a row. In their last four games, the Panthers have posted convincing wins – and spread-covers – over Georgetown (72-57 on the road), Seton Hall (74-53 at home), Syracuse (74-66 at home) and DePaul (80-50 on the road, the team’s most decisive Big East road win ever).
At home, the Panthers are 13-0, outscoring visitors by an average of 17.8 ppg (80-62.2) and outshooting them by 48.5 to 40.1 percent margin. That includes four conference victories by an average of 13 ppg while shooting a blistering 49.6 percent from the floor.
If all that isn’t enolgh to love Pitt in this one, consider this: Pitt, which beat Syracuse last Monday and covered the spread, is now 15-5-2 ATS in its last 22 “Big Monday” games. The Irish are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 on Monday.
Bottom line: Yes, we’re laying a bit of an inflated number. But nothing I’ve seen from Notre Dame on the road this year tells me the Irish will be able to hang with what just might be the best team in the country (a team, by the way, that’s 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games when laying between 7 and 12½ points at home).
BEN BURNS 8* Cleveland at New Jersey 7:00 PM ET OVER 188. 10 *Memphis at Toronto 7:00 PM ET- TORONTO. 10*William & Mary at Northeastern 7:00 PM ET - NORTHEASTERN. North Carolina-Wilmington at Old Dominion 7:00 PM ET CONSIDER LAYING THE POINTS TAKE OLD DOM. 10*Washington at New York 7:30 PM ET -WASHINGTON, 7* CALGARY FLAMES
Goldsheet
ORLANDO 101 - Detroit 95Though Detroit likely to be burdened with
trade deadline distractions all of the way until February 19, Pistons managing to
stay competitive most nights, winning and covering three of last four. HC John
Kuester, not about to go down without a fight, has been mixing and matching his
lineup to mostly positive effect the past two weeks, including giving more time
to Georgetown rookie Greg Monroe. Meanwhile, Orlando seems to have hit a
bit of a wall, losing 3 of last 5 SU and dropping spread decisions in 4 of those
games, thru Jan. 20. Although Magic has won first two meetings by DD margins
in a four-day period between Nov. 30-Dec. 3, would prefer that Orlando shakes
its current mini-slump before recommending Magic as likely double-digit chalk.
10-ORL -11 90-79 (192), Orl -4' 104-91 (185); 09-DET +7 85-80 (193), ORL -13
110-103 (192), Orl -5 91-86 (187), ORL -11 116-91 (192)
PHILADELPHIA 110 - Phoenix 99—Philly should be pretty confident
against a Phoenix bunch it handled with relative ease on Dec. 29 in the desert.
Sixers rolled 123-110 that night, torching the Suns’ non-defense when
connecting on 55% from floor while dominating the rebound battle by a 46-31
count. Note that Doug Collins’ crew had covered 10 of previous 11 at Wells
Fargo Center prior to recent homestand when it won 2 of 3 SU but failed to cover
any. Meanwhile, this is the final test of a 5-game eastern swing that started off
on a good note for Phoenix when it won at New York and Cleveland, stretching
win and cover streak to 4 prior to Jan. 21 game at Washington. Recent
resurgence in production from Grant (recently recorded first back-to-back-toback
20-point games since 2006) has fueled uptick, but fundamentals might
again favor Philly, as in first meeting. 510-Phi +5' 123-110 (207); 09-Pho -2 119-
115 (213), PHO -7' 106-95 (210)
Memphis 100 - TORONTO 90—Recent series edge to Memphis, which
won and covered both meetings vs. Toronto last season and did so again Dec.
27 at FedEx Forum, prevailing 96-85. Grizzlies hit 51% from floor while easing
away that night. Must note that Raptors have been providing some value lately
as road dog, covering three straight on road trop that concludes Jan. 22 in
Miami. But Toronto had also lost 5 in a row SU thru Jan. 20, and with prices
reduced at Air Canada Centre, Toronto hasn’t provided great value this season,
covering only 8 of first 20 as host. Raptor frontliner Andrea Bargnani’s recent
performance pattern was been very uneven (just 12.5 ppg last two thru Jan. 20
after 28 ppg previous four), so would rather trust more-reliable Grizzlies, who
have covered 19 of their last 27 thru Jan. 20. 10-MEM -6' 96-85 (209); 09-MEM
+2 115-107 (195), Mem +7 109-102 (OT-217)
NEW JERSEY 101 - Cleveland 86—Homecourt edge hasn’t meant much
when these stragglers have faced off this season, with road dog winning both
previous matchups. That includes Cleveland’s 93-91 win at Newark back on
Nov. 9, which actually boosted Cavs above .500 (at 4-3!). Needless to say, the
descent has been sharp and steep for Cleveland since, with latest SU losing
streak having mushroomed to 14 prior to Jan. 21 game vs. Bucks, with Cavs
only covering 2 of last 14 thru Jan. 20. Sure, Nets not much...but they’re not the
Cavs. And Avery Johnson’s crew has at least beaten a couple of real teams this
month at the Pru Center (Bulls on Jan. 5 and Jazz on Jan. 19). Simply can’t risk
a Cleveland recommendation with Cavs looking like they’d struggle in the MAC,
not to mention the NBA, over the past two months. 10-Cle +2' 93-91 (196), Nj +4'
95-87 (193); 09-CLE -14' 99-89 (196), Cle -10' 94-86 (192), CLE -16 104-97
(189), Cle -10 111-92 (196)
NEW YORK 111 - Washington 93—We haven’t seen a team play so poorly
on the road since some of those old Hawaii Warrior football teams that used to
dread those long flights to the mainland. But at least Hawaii’s football team had
some legit travel excuses in those days; the Wizards don’t have any such alibi
for their 0-20 SU mark on road (5-14-1 vs. line). Even considering some of New
York’s recent shortcomings, perhaps due to Carmelo Anthony trade talk now
spreading into the Knicks’ clubhouse, we are not going to support Washington
away from Verizon Center until further notice. Knicks should get well against a
team that it won and covered against in both previous meetings, including 112-
91 romp at MSG back on Nov. 5 when NY bench contributed 54 points and
Knicks hit 51% from floor. 10-NY -6 112-91 (209), Ny -3 101-95 (218); 09-
WASH +1' 106-96 (204), NY -5' 107-85 (202), Ny +2 118-116 (OT-207), NY -3'
114-103 (207) TV—NBA NETWORK
CHICAGO 92 - Milwaukee 80—Chicago took Round One vs. bitter nearby
rival Milwaukee back on Dec. 28 at United Center, using its suffocating defense
to choke the life out of the Bucks’ offense in a grinding 90-77 win, the sort of
result has become familiar in the Windy City since HC Tom Thibodeau took over
this season. Chicago held Milwaukee to 32 points in the 2nd half that night as
Bulls rallied from a halftime deficit. Expect a similar sort of game in rematch,
especially since Bucks still minus explosive G Brandon Jennings, whose
absence continues to rob Scott Skiles’ offense of of the sharp edge it could
certainly use vs. Thibodeau’s various schemes. Bulls back in "under" mode (5
of last 7 thru Jan. 19) after uncharacteristic spate of "overs" right after New
Year’s. 10-CHI -9 90-77 (180); 09-CHI -8' 83-81 (192), MIL -3 99-97 (194), MIL
-3' 96-93 (193), Mil +5' 79-74 (191)
Houston 117 - MINNESOTA 106—Houston continued its domination of
Minnesota in 120-94 romp at Toyota Center back on Nov. 7. That was Rockets’
first win after 5 losses to kick off campaign, and one of the few times this season
(and maybe one of the last times) Yao Ming stepped on the court for Houston,
scoring 11 points in limited action. Now, Rockets looking for its 13th straight win
over T-wolves, who have had their moments this season, but continue to mostly
ignore work on defensive end. That’s especially the case with frontliner Kevin
Love, who is gleefully piling up double-doubles to his heart’s content (now 29 in
a row thru Jan. 20; he even had 16 & 16 in first game vs. Houston), but it’s not
helping Minnesota, now 1-8 SU last 9 in latest slump and just 2-6 vs. number
last 8. Even with four days off prior to this one, expect T-wolves to again get
exploited by Luis Scola and Shane Battier in middle. 10-HOU -9 120-94 (215);
09-Hou -6 97-84 (197), HOU -9' 120-114 (3OT-203), Hou -4' 112-98 (208)
Oklahoma City 93 - NEW ORLEANS 87—Ok City has won and covered a
pair of very similar games vs. New Orleans, taking 6 and 5-point decisions from
Hornets in a 12-day period between Nov. 29-Dec. 10. One of those was a 97-
92 win at New Orleans Arena in the second meeting when Thunder hit 50% from
floor. And it’s worth noting that Ok City’s Russell Westbrook has outplayed New
Orleans counterpart Chris Paul in the first two matchups, outscoring him both
times by a combined 54-35 over the two games. It will be difficult for Hornets to
regain the edge on Thunder unless Paul can reverse the tables against
Westbrook. "Totals" alert—New Orleans continuing "under" trends (now 19-8
last 27 thru Jan. 20), and four of five "under" between these teams since last
season. 10-OKLA -3' 95-89 (200), Okla +3 97-92 (196); 09-No +4' 97-92 (192),
Okla -2 103-99 (192), OKLA -7' 98-83 (202)
PORTLAND 97 - Sacramento 94—It took a while, but Portland finally was
able to subdue Sacto last Wednesday night in OT at Arco Arena. After a rather
brisk first half, the pace slowed to a crawl in the second half and into the extra
five minutes, which suited Blazers just fine, as they perform minus Brandon Roy
and Marcus Camby until further notice. Without much production lately from
thin bench, not sure how easy it will be for Blazers to extend margin on Kings’
side that has actually been making a fist of it most nights lately, having covered
6 of 7 prior to that bitter OT defeat. Increasing contributions from Kentucky
rookie C DeMarcus Cousins have been a plus for Sacto HC Paul Westphal, and
Cousins ought to be focused after a rare recent off night in that Jan. 19 loss
when connecting on only 2 of 11 from floor in subpar 6-point effort. 10-Por -1'
94-90 (OT-195); 09-PORT -6' 95-88 (201), PORT -8' 88-81 (198), Port -1' 110-
94 (194), Port -7 98-87 (191) TV—NBA NETWORK
3* San Antonio 110 - GOLDEN ST. 95—This hasn’t been much of a
rivalry lately, with the defensively-superior Spurs extending their series
dominance with a pair of very similar wins and covers at Golden State’s expense
on Nov. 30 and Dec. 8. Warriors can at least be glad this one isn’t at AT&T
Center, considering they’ve lost 25 straight times in San Antonio, but they’ve
still lost 10 straight to the Spurs while scoring only 96.9 ppg in the
process...almost 12 ppg fewer than they’ve tallied against the rest of the league
over that span of time. Spurs also covered all three vs. Golden State last
season, and nothing suggests fundamental matchups will work any better for
Warriors this time despite the fact they’ve been winning some games lately (5-
2 SU and vs. line last 7 thru Jan. 20). Note that no S.A. starter needed to play
more than 30 minutes in Dec. 8 romp Texas, while Spurs’ 20-point win at
Oakland Nov. 30 could have been worse had Stephen Curry not kept G.S. from
humiliation with his 32-point effort. 10-San -4 118-98 (215), SAN -10' 111-94
(213); 09-SAN -13' 118-104 (213), San -5' 103-91 (214), SAN -12 147-116 (220)
NCAA
DREXEL 57 - Georgia St. 56—Haven’t checked with Al Roker, but trust
weather will be a bit more cooperative for GSU than last week, when the
snowstorm in Atlanta disrupted travel plans. And CAA sources insist matchups
vs. Drexel aren’t bad for Rod Barnes’ Panthers, who have the interior presence
with jucos 6-10 Eric Buckner (59% FGs) & 6-7 Brandon McGee to cope with the
Dragon "D" that’s adept at taking away the perimeter. Drexel shooting way off
the mark lately (top scorer, G Fouch, only 29% from floor since Jan. 3), and
expected slower pace makes big points attractive. 09-Dre +2' 72-57
PITTSBURGH 70 - Notre Dame 64—Reluctant to pick spots where highflying
Pitt might be caught flat. But with the price likely extended to double
digits, don’t mind giving capable and sr.-oriented Notre Dame a look after Irish
won both meetings vs. the Panthers last season (including 50-45 win at big East
Tourney). 09-UND +1' 68-53, Und +2 50-45 (CT-neut.) CABLE TV—ESPN
Va. Commonwealth 72 - TOWSON 55—The season seems to be slipping
away from Pat Kennedy’s Towson Tigers, who last Wednesday vs. William &
Mary dropped their sixth straight after supposed "turnaround" win in late
December at La Salle (which has hardly been the same since it lost to Towson,
either). With a short bench of main inside threat Braxton Dupree continuing to
be bothered by foul problems, Tigers are in trouble vs. ascending VCU and 6-
9 frontliner Jamie Skeen (14.5 ppg) and the Rams’ lengthy backcourt, paced by
Bradford Burgess (13.9 ppg) & Brandon Rozzell (13.2 ppg). By the way, how
much more rope does Kennedy have at Towson, considering that he’s working
on his 11th consecutive losing season at different schools? 09-VCU -18' 112-53
James Madison over HOFSTRA by 1 tom 3—09-Hof +1 68-48
OLD DOMINION over NC Wilmington by 13 to 16—09-Odu -9 70-52
3* William & Mary 69 - NORTHEASTERN 63—CAA observers
impressed with HC Tony Shaver’s current rebuilding job in Williamsburg, with
W&M confirming its status as a legit darkhorse after recent DD wins at home vs.
Drexal and on road at Towson. Gears finally meshing for Tribe offense (82 ppg
in those recent wins), as frosh Gs Brandon Britt (scored 25 in recent shocker
over Drexel) and Julian Boatner have cracked the starting lineup and have
provided new attack-end complements to high scorer swingman Quinn
McDowell (14.7 ppg). Meanwhile, even the return of high-scoring G Chaisson
Allen (15.6 ppg) has not been able to shake NE out of its recent funk, as the
Huskies still winless SU in CAA play thru Jan. 21. 09-WMU +2 53-52, Wmu +5
47-45 (CT-neut.)
George Mason over DELAWARE by 3 to 5—10-GMU -13 75-66; 09-GMU
-11' 77-66, Gmu -2' 61-59
KANSAS ST. 83 - Baylor 71—Both of these Big XII entries have
disappointed thus far, although we expect K-State’s worst days might be behind
it now that F Curtis Kelly has returned from suspension. Just not interested in
misfiring Baylor squad that is not getting much leadership at the point this
season and continues to miss the court-distorting interior presence that
graduated C Ekpe Udoh (now with NBA Warriors) provided a year ago. 09-Ksu
ORLANDO 101 - Detroit 95Though Detroit likely to be burdened with
trade deadline distractions all of the way until February 19, Pistons managing to
stay competitive most nights, winning and covering three of last four. HC John
Kuester, not about to go down without a fight, has been mixing and matching his
lineup to mostly positive effect the past two weeks, including giving more time
to Georgetown rookie Greg Monroe. Meanwhile, Orlando seems to have hit a
bit of a wall, losing 3 of last 5 SU and dropping spread decisions in 4 of those
games, thru Jan. 20. Although Magic has won first two meetings by DD margins
in a four-day period between Nov. 30-Dec. 3, would prefer that Orlando shakes
its current mini-slump before recommending Magic as likely double-digit chalk.
10-ORL -11 90-79 (192), Orl -4' 104-91 (185); 09-DET +7 85-80 (193), ORL -13
110-103 (192), Orl -5 91-86 (187), ORL -11 116-91 (192)
PHILADELPHIA 110 - Phoenix 99—Philly should be pretty confident
against a Phoenix bunch it handled with relative ease on Dec. 29 in the desert.
Sixers rolled 123-110 that night, torching the Suns’ non-defense when
connecting on 55% from floor while dominating the rebound battle by a 46-31
count. Note that Doug Collins’ crew had covered 10 of previous 11 at Wells
Fargo Center prior to recent homestand when it won 2 of 3 SU but failed to cover
any. Meanwhile, this is the final test of a 5-game eastern swing that started off
on a good note for Phoenix when it won at New York and Cleveland, stretching
win and cover streak to 4 prior to Jan. 21 game at Washington. Recent
resurgence in production from Grant (recently recorded first back-to-back-toback
20-point games since 2006) has fueled uptick, but fundamentals might
again favor Philly, as in first meeting. 510-Phi +5' 123-110 (207); 09-Pho -2 119-
115 (213), PHO -7' 106-95 (210)
Memphis 100 - TORONTO 90—Recent series edge to Memphis, which
won and covered both meetings vs. Toronto last season and did so again Dec.
27 at FedEx Forum, prevailing 96-85. Grizzlies hit 51% from floor while easing
away that night. Must note that Raptors have been providing some value lately
as road dog, covering three straight on road trop that concludes Jan. 22 in
Miami. But Toronto had also lost 5 in a row SU thru Jan. 20, and with prices
reduced at Air Canada Centre, Toronto hasn’t provided great value this season,
covering only 8 of first 20 as host. Raptor frontliner Andrea Bargnani’s recent
performance pattern was been very uneven (just 12.5 ppg last two thru Jan. 20
after 28 ppg previous four), so would rather trust more-reliable Grizzlies, who
have covered 19 of their last 27 thru Jan. 20. 10-MEM -6' 96-85 (209); 09-MEM
+2 115-107 (195), Mem +7 109-102 (OT-217)
NEW JERSEY 101 - Cleveland 86—Homecourt edge hasn’t meant much
when these stragglers have faced off this season, with road dog winning both
previous matchups. That includes Cleveland’s 93-91 win at Newark back on
Nov. 9, which actually boosted Cavs above .500 (at 4-3!). Needless to say, the
descent has been sharp and steep for Cleveland since, with latest SU losing
streak having mushroomed to 14 prior to Jan. 21 game vs. Bucks, with Cavs
only covering 2 of last 14 thru Jan. 20. Sure, Nets not much...but they’re not the
Cavs. And Avery Johnson’s crew has at least beaten a couple of real teams this
month at the Pru Center (Bulls on Jan. 5 and Jazz on Jan. 19). Simply can’t risk
a Cleveland recommendation with Cavs looking like they’d struggle in the MAC,
not to mention the NBA, over the past two months. 10-Cle +2' 93-91 (196), Nj +4'
95-87 (193); 09-CLE -14' 99-89 (196), Cle -10' 94-86 (192), CLE -16 104-97
(189), Cle -10 111-92 (196)
NEW YORK 111 - Washington 93—We haven’t seen a team play so poorly
on the road since some of those old Hawaii Warrior football teams that used to
dread those long flights to the mainland. But at least Hawaii’s football team had
some legit travel excuses in those days; the Wizards don’t have any such alibi
for their 0-20 SU mark on road (5-14-1 vs. line). Even considering some of New
York’s recent shortcomings, perhaps due to Carmelo Anthony trade talk now
spreading into the Knicks’ clubhouse, we are not going to support Washington
away from Verizon Center until further notice. Knicks should get well against a
team that it won and covered against in both previous meetings, including 112-
91 romp at MSG back on Nov. 5 when NY bench contributed 54 points and
Knicks hit 51% from floor. 10-NY -6 112-91 (209), Ny -3 101-95 (218); 09-
WASH +1' 106-96 (204), NY -5' 107-85 (202), Ny +2 118-116 (OT-207), NY -3'
114-103 (207) TV—NBA NETWORK
CHICAGO 92 - Milwaukee 80—Chicago took Round One vs. bitter nearby
rival Milwaukee back on Dec. 28 at United Center, using its suffocating defense
to choke the life out of the Bucks’ offense in a grinding 90-77 win, the sort of
result has become familiar in the Windy City since HC Tom Thibodeau took over
this season. Chicago held Milwaukee to 32 points in the 2nd half that night as
Bulls rallied from a halftime deficit. Expect a similar sort of game in rematch,
especially since Bucks still minus explosive G Brandon Jennings, whose
absence continues to rob Scott Skiles’ offense of of the sharp edge it could
certainly use vs. Thibodeau’s various schemes. Bulls back in "under" mode (5
of last 7 thru Jan. 19) after uncharacteristic spate of "overs" right after New
Year’s. 10-CHI -9 90-77 (180); 09-CHI -8' 83-81 (192), MIL -3 99-97 (194), MIL
-3' 96-93 (193), Mil +5' 79-74 (191)
Houston 117 - MINNESOTA 106—Houston continued its domination of
Minnesota in 120-94 romp at Toyota Center back on Nov. 7. That was Rockets’
first win after 5 losses to kick off campaign, and one of the few times this season
(and maybe one of the last times) Yao Ming stepped on the court for Houston,
scoring 11 points in limited action. Now, Rockets looking for its 13th straight win
over T-wolves, who have had their moments this season, but continue to mostly
ignore work on defensive end. That’s especially the case with frontliner Kevin
Love, who is gleefully piling up double-doubles to his heart’s content (now 29 in
a row thru Jan. 20; he even had 16 & 16 in first game vs. Houston), but it’s not
helping Minnesota, now 1-8 SU last 9 in latest slump and just 2-6 vs. number
last 8. Even with four days off prior to this one, expect T-wolves to again get
exploited by Luis Scola and Shane Battier in middle. 10-HOU -9 120-94 (215);
09-Hou -6 97-84 (197), HOU -9' 120-114 (3OT-203), Hou -4' 112-98 (208)
Oklahoma City 93 - NEW ORLEANS 87—Ok City has won and covered a
pair of very similar games vs. New Orleans, taking 6 and 5-point decisions from
Hornets in a 12-day period between Nov. 29-Dec. 10. One of those was a 97-
92 win at New Orleans Arena in the second meeting when Thunder hit 50% from
floor. And it’s worth noting that Ok City’s Russell Westbrook has outplayed New
Orleans counterpart Chris Paul in the first two matchups, outscoring him both
times by a combined 54-35 over the two games. It will be difficult for Hornets to
regain the edge on Thunder unless Paul can reverse the tables against
Westbrook. "Totals" alert—New Orleans continuing "under" trends (now 19-8
last 27 thru Jan. 20), and four of five "under" between these teams since last
season. 10-OKLA -3' 95-89 (200), Okla +3 97-92 (196); 09-No +4' 97-92 (192),
Okla -2 103-99 (192), OKLA -7' 98-83 (202)
PORTLAND 97 - Sacramento 94—It took a while, but Portland finally was
able to subdue Sacto last Wednesday night in OT at Arco Arena. After a rather
brisk first half, the pace slowed to a crawl in the second half and into the extra
five minutes, which suited Blazers just fine, as they perform minus Brandon Roy
and Marcus Camby until further notice. Without much production lately from
thin bench, not sure how easy it will be for Blazers to extend margin on Kings’
side that has actually been making a fist of it most nights lately, having covered
6 of 7 prior to that bitter OT defeat. Increasing contributions from Kentucky
rookie C DeMarcus Cousins have been a plus for Sacto HC Paul Westphal, and
Cousins ought to be focused after a rare recent off night in that Jan. 19 loss
when connecting on only 2 of 11 from floor in subpar 6-point effort. 10-Por -1'
94-90 (OT-195); 09-PORT -6' 95-88 (201), PORT -8' 88-81 (198), Port -1' 110-
94 (194), Port -7 98-87 (191) TV—NBA NETWORK
3* San Antonio 110 - GOLDEN ST. 95—This hasn’t been much of a
rivalry lately, with the defensively-superior Spurs extending their series
dominance with a pair of very similar wins and covers at Golden State’s expense
on Nov. 30 and Dec. 8. Warriors can at least be glad this one isn’t at AT&T
Center, considering they’ve lost 25 straight times in San Antonio, but they’ve
still lost 10 straight to the Spurs while scoring only 96.9 ppg in the
process...almost 12 ppg fewer than they’ve tallied against the rest of the league
over that span of time. Spurs also covered all three vs. Golden State last
season, and nothing suggests fundamental matchups will work any better for
Warriors this time despite the fact they’ve been winning some games lately (5-
2 SU and vs. line last 7 thru Jan. 20). Note that no S.A. starter needed to play
more than 30 minutes in Dec. 8 romp Texas, while Spurs’ 20-point win at
Oakland Nov. 30 could have been worse had Stephen Curry not kept G.S. from
humiliation with his 32-point effort. 10-San -4 118-98 (215), SAN -10' 111-94
(213); 09-SAN -13' 118-104 (213), San -5' 103-91 (214), SAN -12 147-116 (220)
NCAA
DREXEL 57 - Georgia St. 56—Haven’t checked with Al Roker, but trust
weather will be a bit more cooperative for GSU than last week, when the
snowstorm in Atlanta disrupted travel plans. And CAA sources insist matchups
vs. Drexel aren’t bad for Rod Barnes’ Panthers, who have the interior presence
with jucos 6-10 Eric Buckner (59% FGs) & 6-7 Brandon McGee to cope with the
Dragon "D" that’s adept at taking away the perimeter. Drexel shooting way off
the mark lately (top scorer, G Fouch, only 29% from floor since Jan. 3), and
expected slower pace makes big points attractive. 09-Dre +2' 72-57
PITTSBURGH 70 - Notre Dame 64—Reluctant to pick spots where highflying
Pitt might be caught flat. But with the price likely extended to double
digits, don’t mind giving capable and sr.-oriented Notre Dame a look after Irish
won both meetings vs. the Panthers last season (including 50-45 win at big East
Tourney). 09-UND +1' 68-53, Und +2 50-45 (CT-neut.) CABLE TV—ESPN
Va. Commonwealth 72 - TOWSON 55—The season seems to be slipping
away from Pat Kennedy’s Towson Tigers, who last Wednesday vs. William &
Mary dropped their sixth straight after supposed "turnaround" win in late
December at La Salle (which has hardly been the same since it lost to Towson,
either). With a short bench of main inside threat Braxton Dupree continuing to
be bothered by foul problems, Tigers are in trouble vs. ascending VCU and 6-
9 frontliner Jamie Skeen (14.5 ppg) and the Rams’ lengthy backcourt, paced by
Bradford Burgess (13.9 ppg) & Brandon Rozzell (13.2 ppg). By the way, how
much more rope does Kennedy have at Towson, considering that he’s working
on his 11th consecutive losing season at different schools? 09-VCU -18' 112-53
James Madison over HOFSTRA by 1 tom 3—09-Hof +1 68-48
OLD DOMINION over NC Wilmington by 13 to 16—09-Odu -9 70-52
3* William & Mary 69 - NORTHEASTERN 63—CAA observers
impressed with HC Tony Shaver’s current rebuilding job in Williamsburg, with
W&M confirming its status as a legit darkhorse after recent DD wins at home vs.
Drexal and on road at Towson. Gears finally meshing for Tribe offense (82 ppg
in those recent wins), as frosh Gs Brandon Britt (scored 25 in recent shocker
over Drexel) and Julian Boatner have cracked the starting lineup and have
provided new attack-end complements to high scorer swingman Quinn
McDowell (14.7 ppg). Meanwhile, even the return of high-scoring G Chaisson
Allen (15.6 ppg) has not been able to shake NE out of its recent funk, as the
Huskies still winless SU in CAA play thru Jan. 21. 09-WMU +2 53-52, Wmu +5
47-45 (CT-neut.)
George Mason over DELAWARE by 3 to 5—10-GMU -13 75-66; 09-GMU
-11' 77-66, Gmu -2' 61-59
KANSAS ST. 83 - Baylor 71—Both of these Big XII entries have
disappointed thus far, although we expect K-State’s worst days might be behind
it now that F Curtis Kelly has returned from suspension. Just not interested in
misfiring Baylor squad that is not getting much leadership at the point this
season and continues to miss the court-distorting interior presence that
graduated C Ekpe Udoh (now with NBA Warriors) provided a year ago. 09-Ksu
