WUNDERDOG
1 OF 3
Game: Philadelphia at Chicago (8:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: Philadelphia +10 (-110)
The Chicago Bulls have emerged as the unlikely team to beat in the NBA East. All the talk centered on Miami assembling their trio of stars and Boston and Orlando with a challenge. Chicago has emerged to be above them all in the standings. Philadelphia opened the season at 3-13 and a playoff berth seemed improbable at best, but this team has come together to move over the .500 mark and will be in the playoffs. The Sixers have become a tough out, and although they do lose some games, not many teams are blowing them out. The Sixers, since December 29, some three months ago, have lost just a total of four games by more than 10 points. There is certainly value on them in this spot.
Play on Philadelphia and the points.
1 OF 3
Game: Philadelphia at Chicago (8:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: Philadelphia +10 (-110)
The Chicago Bulls have emerged as the unlikely team to beat in the NBA East. All the talk centered on Miami assembling their trio of stars and Boston and Orlando with a challenge. Chicago has emerged to be above them all in the standings. Philadelphia opened the season at 3-13 and a playoff berth seemed improbable at best, but this team has come together to move over the .500 mark and will be in the playoffs. The Sixers have become a tough out, and although they do lose some games, not many teams are blowing them out. The Sixers, since December 29, some three months ago, have lost just a total of four games by more than 10 points. There is certainly value on them in this spot.
Play on Philadelphia and the points.
SPORTS WAGERS
Milwaukee +110 over CHARLOTTE
You take these bad teams like the Cats that occasionally come to life with a string of two or three good games in a row to give their fans some hope and then they take two steps backwards again. We see it time and time again with teams like the Raps, Clip Joint, T-Wolves and Kings and now Charlotte is in that position. The Bobcats are coming off back-to-back wins over the Knicks and Celtics. The win over New York is not a big deal, as the Knickerbockers are reeling but it’s a big deal to the Bobcats because they dislike that foe immensely and Charlotte enjoys beating them more than any other opponent. Despite the Bobcats erratic play, they find themselves on the verge of overtaking Indiana for eighth spot in the meager Eastern Division. Now they’ll play a team that is the complete opposite of the Knicks. Nobody really has disdain for the Bucks, a team that plays tremendous defense and as a result can beat anyone at any given night. Milwaukee and Charlotte are both battling for that last playoff spot and this one is crucial in their quest to surpass the Pacers. Charlotte is a game ahead of Milwaukee and a game behind Indiana and thus they’ll come into this one feeling plenty of pressure to win it. They never respond well under pressure so don’t expect them to respond here. Play: Milwaukee +110 (Risking 2 units).
NEW YORK –101 over Orlando
Buy low, sell high and you’re usually going with the best of it. The Knicks have just about hit bottom with six straight losses and nine losses in their last 10 games. They were cruising along and gaining steam but they had to have Melo and thus far it’s cost them nothing but grief. However, it’s early in the deal and Carmelo Anthony is still one of the best offensive players in the game. Having said that, the Knicks are not a mentally down team. The reports are that the practices are spirited and the mood is good so with that comes a team on the verge and intent on turning this thing around. Orlando has won five in a row. Those five wins came against New Jersey, Cleveland, these same Knicks, Denver (at home by three) and finally Milwaukee in OT. In other words they beat nobody with the exception of the Nuggets on their home floor by the skin of their teeth. When they beat the Knicks last week, Amare Stoudemire had his worst game of the year with 13 points and the Knicks trailed by just one going to the fourth. The Knicks get a great chance of redemption here with an opportunity to silence the critics and get some credibility back. It says here they do exactly that against a very beatable road Magic. Play: New York –101 (Risking 2 units).
Chicago +112 over DETROIT
It’s hard to envision the enormously talented Blackhawks suffering the same fate as the Edmonton Oilers or Florida Panthers but that’s precisely what’s going to happen unless they pick it up. Chicago has dropped five of eight and sits just one point ahead of Calgary for the final playoff spot. Calgary is not the problem, however, as the Blackhawks have three games in hand on them. The bigger concern is Dallas, who has played the same number of games as Chicago and is trailing them by just a deuce. The Blackhawks play four of their next five games on the road and this is the first of those games. They know they have to play their best here. They have no games left with Dallas and three games left with Detroit. They play in Boston tomorrow and they know that’s no easy task. Chicago has beaten the Red Wings in two of three games this season and they’ve won the last two by identical 4-1 scores. The Red Wings have lost three of their last four with only win over that span coming against the Leafs. They’re battling San Jose for the second overall in the conference but they’re in and they’re not going to knock themselves out in the final two weeks to decide the difference between second and third place. That’s not to say that Detroit won’t come to play. They will but mentally they’re in a pretty comfortable place right now while the Blackhawks are not. Incidentally, backup Joey MacDonald starts for Detroit. Play: Chicago +112 (Risking 2 units).
Milwaukee +110 over CHARLOTTE
You take these bad teams like the Cats that occasionally come to life with a string of two or three good games in a row to give their fans some hope and then they take two steps backwards again. We see it time and time again with teams like the Raps, Clip Joint, T-Wolves and Kings and now Charlotte is in that position. The Bobcats are coming off back-to-back wins over the Knicks and Celtics. The win over New York is not a big deal, as the Knickerbockers are reeling but it’s a big deal to the Bobcats because they dislike that foe immensely and Charlotte enjoys beating them more than any other opponent. Despite the Bobcats erratic play, they find themselves on the verge of overtaking Indiana for eighth spot in the meager Eastern Division. Now they’ll play a team that is the complete opposite of the Knicks. Nobody really has disdain for the Bucks, a team that plays tremendous defense and as a result can beat anyone at any given night. Milwaukee and Charlotte are both battling for that last playoff spot and this one is crucial in their quest to surpass the Pacers. Charlotte is a game ahead of Milwaukee and a game behind Indiana and thus they’ll come into this one feeling plenty of pressure to win it. They never respond well under pressure so don’t expect them to respond here. Play: Milwaukee +110 (Risking 2 units).
NEW YORK –101 over Orlando
Buy low, sell high and you’re usually going with the best of it. The Knicks have just about hit bottom with six straight losses and nine losses in their last 10 games. They were cruising along and gaining steam but they had to have Melo and thus far it’s cost them nothing but grief. However, it’s early in the deal and Carmelo Anthony is still one of the best offensive players in the game. Having said that, the Knicks are not a mentally down team. The reports are that the practices are spirited and the mood is good so with that comes a team on the verge and intent on turning this thing around. Orlando has won five in a row. Those five wins came against New Jersey, Cleveland, these same Knicks, Denver (at home by three) and finally Milwaukee in OT. In other words they beat nobody with the exception of the Nuggets on their home floor by the skin of their teeth. When they beat the Knicks last week, Amare Stoudemire had his worst game of the year with 13 points and the Knicks trailed by just one going to the fourth. The Knicks get a great chance of redemption here with an opportunity to silence the critics and get some credibility back. It says here they do exactly that against a very beatable road Magic. Play: New York –101 (Risking 2 units).
Chicago +112 over DETROIT
It’s hard to envision the enormously talented Blackhawks suffering the same fate as the Edmonton Oilers or Florida Panthers but that’s precisely what’s going to happen unless they pick it up. Chicago has dropped five of eight and sits just one point ahead of Calgary for the final playoff spot. Calgary is not the problem, however, as the Blackhawks have three games in hand on them. The bigger concern is Dallas, who has played the same number of games as Chicago and is trailing them by just a deuce. The Blackhawks play four of their next five games on the road and this is the first of those games. They know they have to play their best here. They have no games left with Dallas and three games left with Detroit. They play in Boston tomorrow and they know that’s no easy task. Chicago has beaten the Red Wings in two of three games this season and they’ve won the last two by identical 4-1 scores. The Red Wings have lost three of their last four with only win over that span coming against the Leafs. They’re battling San Jose for the second overall in the conference but they’re in and they’re not going to knock themselves out in the final two weeks to decide the difference between second and third place. That’s not to say that Detroit won’t come to play. They will but mentally they’re in a pretty comfortable place right now while the Blackhawks are not. Incidentally, backup Joey MacDonald starts for Detroit. Play: Chicago +112 (Risking 2 units).
