Service Plays Tuesday 3/18/14

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

68 betting stats for 68 NCAA tournament teams
by Brian Covert

It's tough to track all the teams vying for the national title when the NCAA tournaments gets underway this week. If you need a quick crash course in college hoops, here's one defining stat for all 68 teams doing the Big Dance this March.

MIDWEST REGIONAL

1. Wichita State – The Shockers had the NCAA’s best ATS record going 24-6-1 ATS.

2. Michigan – The Wolverines enter the tournament as the team who commits the least amount of fouls, averaging only 14.5 per game.

3. Duke - The Blue Devils were the country’s second-most efficient offensive team averaging 1.179 points per possession.

4. Louisville – The Cardinals’ average victory margin of plus-21.1 points led the country.

5. Saint Louis – The Billikens’ were the second-best team at defending the three, allowing only 12.4 points off the long ball.

6. UMass – The Minutemen were 13-1 SU in non-conference games having played the nation’s seventh toughest non-conference schedule based on the RPI index.

7. Texas – The Longhorns were the fourth-best offensive rebounding team in the country with 13.2 per contest.

8. Kentucky - The Wildcats were second in the country in rebounding margin at plus-10.5 per game.

9. Kansas State – Wildcats head coach Bruce Weber is only 9-11 all time in the NCAA tourney with five of those wins coming in final run with Illinois.

10. Arizona State – The Sun Devils’ 26.2 rebounds per game was the nation’s third-best mark.

11. Iowa – The Hawkeyes were second in the nation in first-half scoring, averaging 40.9 points in the opening 20 minutes.

Tennessee – The Volunteers are the 20th-best rebounding team and 15th-best defensive rebounding team in the NCAA.

12. North Carolina State – The Wolfpack were 21-13 SU and 18-12-1 ATS.

Xavier – The Musketeers are the 32nd-best shooting team in the country with a FG percentage of 47.1.

13. Manhattan – The Jaspers return to the tournament for the first time since 2004 when, as a No. 12 seed, they upset No. 5 Florida.

14. Mercer – The Bears have seven players who average over 10 minutes per game but only one player, Langston Hall, who averages in double figures.

15. Wofford – The Terriers have the 265th-best offense in the country averaging 67.7 points per game but the 23rd-best defense allowing only 62.4.

16. Cal Poly – The Mustangs were just 13-19 overall and their 62 points per game is amongst the worst of teams still playing.

Texas Southern – The Tigers go into the tourney having won nine in a row including three straight at neutral sites.

SOUTH REGIONAL

1. Florida – The Gators have 13 players – four seniors and nine underclassmen – who average at least 10 minutes per game.

2. Kansas – The Jayhawks were 5-2 SU in neutral-site games but just 3-4 ATS and were just 5-6 SU and 4-7 ATS in true road games - a total ATS mark of 7-11 away from Lawrence.

3. Syracuse – The Orange won only two games SU and covered one after losing their undefeated season in a loss to Boston College on Feb. 19.

4. UCLA – The Bruins had the NCAA’s ninth-best offense in D-1, averaging 81.8 points per game.

5. Virginia Commonwealth – The Rams led the nation in steals per game with 11.3 per contest.

6. Ohio State – In 14 years as a D-1 head coach, Thad Matta has been to the tournament 11 times only losing in the first round once.

7. New Mexico - The Lobos are 14-3 in its last 16 conference road/neutral games, with all three losses coming by a combined five points.

8. Colorado – The Buffaloes were just 7-7 SU after losing guard Spencer Dinwiddie in January.

9. Pittsburgh – As head coach of the Panthers, Jamie Dixon has only lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament once.

10. Stanford – This is the first NCAA tournament berth for the Cardinal under current head coach Johnny Dawkins.

11. Dayton – Flyers leading scorer Jordan Sibert, an Ohio native, is a transfer from OSU having played his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Buckeyes.

12. Stephen F. Austin – The Lumberjacks enter the tournament having won 26 in a row SU.

13. Tulsa - The Golden Hurricane had D-1’s second-best ATS record, going 22-8 ATS.

14. Western Michigan – The only major statistical team category in which the Broncos rank in the Top 100 is rebounding, where they are 84th with 25.1 boards per game.

15. Eastern Kentucky – The Colonels are in the Top 30 in the country in 2-point (No. 2) and 3-point field percentage (No. 28) as well as in free throws (No. 19).

16. Albany – For the second year in row, the Great Danes went 9-7 during the American East Conference but won the outright title in the conference tourney.

Mt. Saint Mary’s – As a team, Mt. St. Mary's shoots 44.1 percent from the field, 74.1 percent from the free throw line and averages 76.2 points.

WEST REGIONAL

1. Arizona – The Wildcats were the NCAA’s most defensively efficient squad, allowing just 0.865 points per possession.

2. Wisconsin - The Badgers are the best team in D-1 at protecting the basketball, averaging only 8.1 turnovers per game.

3. Creighton - The Bluejays led the NCAA in both 3-point shooting attempts and 3-point percentage, hitting 42 percent from behind the arc on over 24 attempts per game.

4. San Diego State – The Aztecs allowed teams to shoot just 42 percent from the floor and just 0.879 points per possession, both the third best marks in D-1 hoops.

5. Oklahoma – The Sooners’ 82.2 points per game was good for seventh in the country while their 75.9 points against was 308th.

6. Baylor – The Bears are the nation’s 24th-best rebounding team with 38.7 per game and seventh-best offensive rebounding team with 12.5 per game.

7. Oregon – The Ducks averaged 43.2 points per second half - the second-best mark in the country.

8. Gonzaga – The Zags had the NCAA’s second-best first-half scoring margin with 8.9 points per game.

9. Oklahoma State – The Cowboys finished the regular season 4-1 SU and ATS after losing seven in a row (1-6 ATS).

10. BYU – The Cougars were the nation’s third-best offensive team with 83.2 points per game but the Over only cashed in 13 of their 30 games.

11. Nebraska – The Cornhuskers had the nation’s 50th-best defense and played Under the total in 18 of 30 games during the regular season.

12. North Dakota State – North Dakota State’s Taylor Braun was the Summit League’s Player of the Year and scored 30 or more points on four different occasions this season.

13. New Mexico State – The Aggies won nine of 10 to end the regular season and have lost only twice since February.

14. UL Lafayette – The Ragin’ Cajuns have lost just once since February and their top two scorers, Elfrid Payton and Shawn Long, account for half the team’s 81.9 points per game.

15. American – The Eagles had the NCAA’s seventh-best defense, allowing only 53.6 points per game and won the Patriot League by holding BU to just 36 points in a 55-36 win.

16. Weber State – The Wildcats allowed opponents to score just 18.6 percent of their points off 3-pointers, the third lowest percentage in the country.

EAST REGIONAL

1. Virginia – The Cavaliers allowed 55.1 points per game, the lowest mark in the NCAA.

2. Villanova - The Wildcats’ 21-9 ATS mark was the sixth-best record in the nation.

3. Iowa State - The Cyclones are the most unselfish team in the nation averaging 18.5 assists per game.

4. Michigan State – If the Spartans don’t make the national semifinals, it will be the first senior class Tom Izzo has failed to take to a Final Four.

5. Cincinnati – The Bearcats’ record is the best in Mick Cronin’s tenure and he has not lost in the first round in their last three trips to the NCAA tournament.

6. North Carolina - The Tar Heels were third in the country, averaging 47.1 points per game off of 2-point buckets.

7. Connecticut – The Huskies finished 26-8 overall playing the nation’s 22nd-toughest schedule based on RPI rankings.

8. Memphis – The Tigers played the 19th most difficult non-conference schedule going 10-2 and 3-1 in neutral site games.

9. George Washington – The Colonials’ have only made it out of the first round only three times in their history and not once in the last 20 years.

10. Saint Joseph’s – The Hawks were 5-1 SU in neutral-site games this season.

11. Providence – The Friars’ hit free throws at a 78.1 percent clip, the second-best mark in the country.

12. Harvard – The Crimson led the Ivy League with a 26-4 record SU and had the league’s best ATS record at 16-8.

13. Delaware – The Blue Hens’ 36.6 points per game in the first half ranks 36th in the country while their 42.6 points in the second 20 minutes ranks seventh.

14. N.C. Central – The Eagles finished the season on a 20-game win streak.

15. UW Milwaukee – The Panthers’ 21.6 3-point attempts is 47th in the country but their 7.1 attempts made is only 85th.

16. Coastal Carolina – The Chanticleers finished the year 18-12 SU and played only the nation’s 196th-toughest schedule based on RPI rankings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA tournament opening line report: Behind the March Madness odds
by Colin Kelly

Everybody looking to jump into their NCAA Tournament office pool at least gets the luxury of letting the bracket marinate for the next couple of days. Not so for sports book operators.

Once the bracket was unveiled Sunday, oddsmakers had to get down to the serious work of setting lines on the 32 games that will play out over the course of two of the greatest days on the sports betting calendar – Thursday and Friday on the first weekend of the Big Dance.

Yes, there are those four play-in games, two of which are actually pretty appealing: North Carolina State vs. Xavier (-1.5) Tuesday night, and Iowa vs. Tennessee (-1.5) Wednesday night. But the tourney doesn’t really start until Thursday’s 16-game slate gets rolling, followed by another 16-game feast Friday. So how hard was it to set numbers for this year’s tourney?

“The No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed will almost always have the smallest spreads,” Mike Perry of Sportsbook.

But one game this year helped defy that general trend.
No. 8 Colorado is actually a 5.5-point underdog to No. 9 Pittsburgh - not only the largest spread of all the No. 8-No. 9 games, but a larger spread than several favorites hold against No. 10, 11 or 12 seeds.

No. 5 Cincinnati is just a 2.5-point chalk over No. 12 Harvard

No. 5 Oklahoma is only a 4.5-point fave vs. No. 12 North Dakota State

No. 6 North Carolina is laying -4 against No. 11 Providence

No. 6 Baylor is a 3.5-point favorite against No. 11 Nebraska

No. 7 New Mexico is favored by three against No. 10 UCLA

No. 7 Texas is a 1.5-point favorite vs. No. 10 Arizona State.

“Both our oddsmakers had Pittsburgh-Colorado at Pitt -5.5,” Perry said. “That’s a tough matchup for Colorado, at least from a height perspective, as Pitt is a much taller team.”

Specifically, Perry cited 6-foot-9 senior forward Talib Zanna, who has posted double-doubles in each of his last four games, including 19 points and 21 rebounds in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal win over North Carolina on Friday.

“Zanna is poised to have yet another monster game,” Perry said.

Two games proved tough for Perry and his oddsmakers to reach a consensus on. And not surprisingly in this case, they were No. 8-No. 9 matchups, though the favorite wasn’t in doubt:

No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State

No. 8 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Kansas State.

“One of our oddsmakers had Oklahoma State -1.5, and another had them -3.5, so we settled on -2.5,” Perry said. “For Kentucky-Kansas State, one linesmaker had the Wildcats -4 and the other -7, so we settled on -5.”

Perry said he considers the Oklahoma State-Gonzaga tilt to be one of the most intriguing matchups, based solely on Cowboys star Marcus Smart, who at one point this season got into an altercation with a Texas Tech fan - drawing a three-game suspension - but who has been solid lately.

“Drama always seems to follow Marcus Smart, so this should be a fun game to watch, just based on that,” Perry said. He was also struck by No. 5 Cincinnati being just a 2.5-point chalk against Ivy League champ and 12th-seeded Harvard.

“That’s a lot of respect from oddsmakers for an Ivy League team,” he said. “I can see this being a big decision for the shop, with us needing the Crimson to cover.”

Perry expects most bettors to follow the chalk Thursday and Friday, especially for Midwest No. 1 seed Wichita State and No. 4 seed Louisville.
“Those two teams have been covering machines,” he said. Indeed, the Shockers are No. 1 in the nation with a 24-6-1 ATS record, and the Cardinals have cashed five in a row, winning by double digits all five times.

That said, there are some underdogs to look out for, including aforementioned Harvard, which played a solid non-conference schedule that included NCAA tourney teams Colorado and Connecticut. And Perry thinks Oklahoma will need to be quite mindful of unheralded No. 12 seed North Dakota State.

“The Bison opened a lot of people’s eyes when they went into South Bend and beat Notre Dame,” Perry said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Betting 101: March Madness money management tips
by Doc Sports

The bettors who have successful NCAA tournaments are going to be the ones who can successfully manage their money through the tournament. Here are four crucial tips for March Madness money management.

Pace yourself

It’s a long tournament: 67 games over three weeks. You don’t need to try to get rich in the Round of 64. So many games are happening at once that it can be tough to effectively handicap all of them. There’s no rule saying that you have to bet on every game.

Instead of going for maximum action, know what you can handle and give yourself the best possible chance of success. There’s nothing worse than having an empty wallet heading into the second week of the tournament. It’s life-or-death for teams to win every game they play. Be sure you don’t put yourself in the same situation.

Don’t fall in love with your bracket

Heading into the tournament you are almost certainly going to fill out a bracket or two. Is there anyone in the country who doesn’t? For bettors, though, it is crucial to separate your bracket from your wagering.

If you’re too tied to your bracket, then you have a preconceived notion of how things will turn out in a given game. That means you will be betting with a bias, and that’s no way to bet successfully. Every game in the tournament is an individual event and needs to be viewed as such. Teams that look ahead past the immediate game in hand almost always get themselves into trouble. Don’t fall into the same trap.

Watch the public

Public interest in college basketball is dramatically higher for these three weeks than at any other time. That means that there’s a whole lot of dumb money thrown at games. For well-informed bettors, that can create tremendous opportunities.

If a high-profile, public team plays a lesser-known squad then the action is almost certain to be skewed. That doesn’t mean you should bet on the unknown blindly, but it could indicate the best value spots in the tournament. There’s no better way to effectively manage your money than to invest in strong value.

Be disciplined

There are few events more exciting than the NCAA tournament, and few that require so much focus from bettors over an extended period. It’s far too easy to get carried away by that excitement, and to let that empty your wallet. You need to establish a firm plan before the tournament starts - the size of your tournament bankroll, unit size, vig you will accept, and so on.

Once that plan is in place, you need to revisit it regularly to be sure you’re sticking to it, and be willing to walk away from betting on the tournament if things go poorly and you have reached your limits. Discipline is the single biggest factor to successful money management in all betting, and that is especially true during March Madness.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

March Madness Seed Statistics
by Trevor Whenham / Doc Sports

We are now just a couple days away from the start of the greatest three weeks in sports. That means that the focus now is on filling out your brackets and finding winners. To help you dominate your pool this year, here are some updated March Madness seed statistics to help you out:

No. 1 seeds

There is a lot to like about each of the four teams assigned a No. 1 seed in this tournament, and there are questions to ask about each of them. While each team is vulnerable in some ways, there is a good chance that at least one will still be standing on the final weekend of the tournament. In the 64-team era of the NCAA Tournament, which started in 1985, we have only had two years in which at least one No. 1 seed hasn’t made the Final Four — in 2006 and 2011. In 2011 we saw plenty of carnage — Kansas was the only top seed to make it as far as the Elite Eight.

While one No. 1 seed is likely, four top seeds advancing isn’t. That only happened one year — in 2008. When you are filling out your bracket, then, you don’t want to avoid the chalky picks entirely, but you can afford to get creative at times as well.

The last two years we have seen the top overall seed in the tournament win the tournament — Kentucky in 2012, and Louisville last year. While that seems like a strong trend, that hasn’t really been the case. The top overall seed has only won the tournament six times in the 64-team era, and Kentucky broke a streak of top seed futility spreading back to 1995.

One thing you can continue to be very confident of is that a No. 1 seed will not lose in the first round. Everyone wants the biggest of all upsets to happen, but in 116 tries it hasn’t yet. Last year Southern came within six of Gonzaga, and Kansas only beat Western Kentucky by seven, so at least things were a little interesting. That means that a No. 16 has stayed within single-digits of a No. 1 three times in the last two years — something that hadn’t previously happened since 1997.

Top three seeds

Aside from top overall seed Louisville last year, the Final Four was reasonably unlikely — Syracuse and Michigan were No. 4 seeds, and Wichita State was a No. 9. The teams that were knocked out in the Elite Eight were two No. 2 squads and two No. 3s, though, so the top three seeds still represented five of the final eight. The year before it was six of eight. Quality tends to fare well in this tournament.

What we almost never see, though, is a situation where all 12 top three seeds advance to the second weekend. The only time that happened was in 2009. Last year didn’t come close after Harvard upset No. 3 New Mexico and No. 2 Georgetown fell to Florida Gulf Coast in the opening round.

The hunt for big upsets

Last year No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast pulled off the shocker. The year before Norfolk State beat Missouri and Lehigh beat Duke. Three No. 15 winners at massive odds in the last two years could convince you that chasing these big upsets is worthwhile. The math still suggests it is not. We have now seen 116 games between a No. 2 and a No. 15. The top seed has won 109 — 94 percent of games played. Over the long term, then, the higher seeds have been very profitable despite recent craziness.

Wichita State advanced all the way to the Final Four as a No. 9 seed last year. That marked the 24th time in 29 years that at least one team ranked No. 6 or lower has made at least the Elite Eight.

Savvy upset hunters know that the No. 12 seed is the place to look in the opening round, and last year was no exception. Akron was the only No. 12 seed that didn’t win their opener last year. In the 29 years of the 64-team era, we have seen at least one No. 12 advance at least once in all but three tournaments played. Last year Oregon made it on to the Sweet 16 as a No. 12, marking the fifth time in six years that a No. 12 has made it that far. Gambling with lower seeds than that is very risky — though No. 13 La Salle and No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast both made the second weekend last year — but penciling a No. 12 in to make a nice run is not a terrible idea.

When Wichita State made the Final Four as a No. 9 seed, it marked the second time in three years that a team seeded in the bottom half of the bracket made it that far — VCU made it in 2011 before losing to No. 8 Butler. Those two efforts show that lower seeds are increasingly competitive in this tournament, Remember, though, that lower-seeded teams have not played well in the championship game. Only three teams ranked below a No. 3 have ever won the tournament — and they were only seeded fourth, sixth and eighth.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Possible Cinderella teams for each NCAA tournament Regional
by Chase Ruttig

Selection Sunday is over and it’s time to start building your brackets. One of the toughest things to do when mapping out the NCAA tournament is uncovering the Cinderellas.

Here are some prime candidates from each regional to shock the field and make a deep run through the field of 64.

South Regional

No. 12 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (31-2, 1-1 ATS)

A typically dangerous No. 12 seed in the South region, Stephen F. Austin hasn’t lost since November. The Lumberjacks have won 27 straight games to take the Southland Conference double.

With the 45th-ranked offense in the country and the 26th-ranked defense, the unheralded mid-major tries to translate one of the nation's longest winning streaks into a deep tournament run.

First, Stephen F. Austin will have to get past mid-major giants VCU as a 8-point underdog. But with the Rams coming off a loss to St. Joseph's in the Atlantic 10 final, there’s hope for the Lumberjacks.

East Regional

No. 11 Providence Friars (23-11, 18-15 ATS)

Benefiting from Villanova's shocking loss to Seton Hall in the Big East tournament, Providence came out on top with a big upset over newcomers Creighton at Madison Square Garden. The Friars are hoping to follow in the footsteps of former conference foe UConn, which took a similar path to the NCAA – and the national title – in 2011.

Backed by leading scorer Bryce Cotton's 21.4 points per game, Providence is the second best team in the country from the free-throw line at 78.1 percent - a number that March Madness historians know can become a factor down in the crunch. That steady hand from the foul line could prove profitable as a 5-point underdog versus North Carolina in the Round of 64.

West Regional

No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys (21-12, 13-15-1 ATS)

Heading into the season, nobody would have predicted the Cowboys to be tournament underdogs. Stillwater prepared for a potential conference title before a long losing streak and a suspension for Marcus Smart derailed their season.

Oklahoma State has one more chance to flip the script on its nightmare of a year with a deep March run, starting as a 1-point underdog against Gonzaga in Round 2.

Okie State has been playing much better basketball recently, with a win over Kansas on its resume. With little expectations left, a lack of pressure may be just what the Cowboys need to ride their high-powered offense (80.3 point per game) to the Final Four.

Midwest Regional

No. 14 Mercer Bears (26-8, 2-3 ATS)

After beating Florida Gulf Coast in the Atlantic Sun Championship, Mercer tries its best FGCU impression with an out-of-nowhere run as a double-digit seed. The Bears have a lot going for them heading into the national tournament.

Mercer has a balanced team that shares the workload on both ends of the floor, ranking in the Top 100 of most major statistical categories. The Bears will test their Cinderella mettle early as 10.5-point underdogs against No. 3 Duke in the Round of 64 Friday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Today's NHL Picks

Toronto at Detroit

The Maple Leafs head to Detroit tonight to face a Red Wings team that is 0-8 in its last 8 games when playing on 1 days rest. Toronto is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Maple Leafs favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+115). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, MARCH 18 Time Posted: 9:00 a.m. EST

Game 1-2: Dallas at Pittsburgh (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 12.078; Pittsburgh 10.957 Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1; 6 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 3-4: Minnesota at NY Islanders (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 11.606; NY Islanders 10.448 Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1; 5 Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota (-115); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-115); Under

Game 5-6: Boston at New Jersey (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Boston 13.163; New Jersey 10.426 Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 2 1/2; 6 Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-135); 5 Dunkel Pick: Boston (-135); Over

Game 7-8: Carolina at Columbus (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 11.250; Columbus 10.337 Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1; 5 Vegas Line & Total: Columbus (-165); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+145); Under

Game 9-10: Toronto at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 11.771; Detroit 10.796 Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 1; 6 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-135); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+115); Over

Game 11-12: NY Rangers at Ottawa (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 12.038; Ottawa 10.217 Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 2; 5 Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-115); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-115); Under

Game 13-14: Colorado at Montreal (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 11.110; Montreal 12.226 Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1; 6 Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-120); 5 Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-120); Over

Game 15-16: Chicago at Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 11.722; Philadelphia 12.665 Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1; 5 Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-120); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+100); Under

Game 17-18: Buffalo at Calgary (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 9.660; Calgary 11.909 Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 2; 6 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 19-20: Nashville at Edmonton (9:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 11.875; Edmonton 10.740 Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1; 4 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: Edmonton (-120); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Nashville (+100); Under

Game 21-22: Washington at Anaheim (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.000; Anaheim 12.625 Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1 1/2; 6 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-185); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (-185); Over

Game 23-24: Florida at San Jose (10:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Florida 11.682; San Jose 11.264 Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1/2; 4 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-300); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Florida (+250); Under

 

[gremlin]

ras
NCAA Wednesday
Cal Poly -2.5
Iowa -1.5

 

[gremlin]

ras Tuesday
Xavier -2.5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Today's NBA Picks

Toronto at Atlanta

The Raptors travel to Atlanta tonight to face a Hawks team that is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 home games. Toronto is the pick (-8 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Raptors favored by 8 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-2 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, MARCH 18 Time Posted: 10:30 a.m. EST

Game 521-522: Miami at Cleveland (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Miami 122.276; Cleveland 121.693 Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 1; 193 Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 9 1/2; 196 Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+9 1/2); Under

Game 523-524: Toronto at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 124.585; Atlanta 115.974 Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 8 1/2; 193 Vegas Line & Total: Toronto by 2 1/2; 199 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-2 1/2); Under

Game 525-526: Milwaukee at Portland (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 109.854; Portland 124.981 Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 15; 214 Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 12; 209 Dunkel Pick: Portland (-12); Over

Game 527-528: Washington at Sacramento (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington 120.384; Sacramento 116.383 Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 4; 207 Vegas Line & Total: Washington by 2; 202 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Washington (-2); Over

Game 529-530: Orlando at Golden State (10:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 113.571; Golden State 123.922 Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 10 1/2; 198 Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 12 1/2; 202 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Orlando (+12 1/2); Under

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ecks and Bacon

Ben lee had Np on Monday.

For Tuesday in college basketball E&B like North Carolina State +2.5/Xavier.

Ben lee is 70-89-2 -$1973 through twenty weeks.

All E&B selections will be for $50 unless noted

 

[Zilph]

Ben Burns

NHL	Dallas vs. Pittsburgh	*SPECIAL* Burns' NHL Personal Favorite! ~ PAYBACK TIME!	betonline @ -173 Pittsburgh
NCAAB	Xavier vs. N.C. State	Burns' First Four Personal Favorite! (Tuesday) ~ LIMITED TIME SPECIAL!	top bet @ -2 -110 Xavier
NBA	Washington vs. Sacramento	Burns' NBA Personal Favorite! (Won Again Monday)	pinnacle @ -1 -105 Washington
NHL	Florida vs. San Jose	Burns' 10* BLUE CHIP SUPER TOTAL! ~ LIMITED TIME $12 SPECIAL!	pinnacle @ Under 5.5 -117

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Cappers Access

Robert Morris +15.5
Davidson +7
Xavier -2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Tuesday, March 18

NCAA play-in games (Dayton)
Mt St Mary's hasn't played in week after winning NEC title game out at Robert Morris; they've won four games in row, were down 19 with 9:10 left in first-round win over St Francis. MSM is 0-2 vs teams in America East, losing by 6 to UMBC, 4 to Binghamton. Albany won title game on Long Island Saturday afternoon, had 5-hour bus ride home, hasn't had a lot of time to practice since; they're 6-1 in last seven games. Great Danes want slower tempo, have more experienced team- they played Duke in NCAAs last March. MSM coach is an old VCU assistamt- they want to play faster, press.

Xavier will have crowd support playing in Dayton; Musketeers are 6-8 in last 14 games- their big guy Stainbrook played only 24:00 in couple of Big East tourney games (foot). Xavier is 6-10 in road/neutral games, but beat Wake Forest by 15 in only game vs ACC opponent. Wolfpack won four of last five games, is 8-7 in road/neutral games- they lost by 11 to Cincinnati, Xavier's crosstown rival. Both teams are used to being in the NCAAs, but not this scenario; Xavier's last game was Friday, State's on Saturday, so Musketeers, with less travel time, have more prep time. Wolfpack's Warren will be best player on court.

Notes on Other Games- Tuesday
-- Robert Morris won NEC by two games, lost title game at home, has to play St John's team that is 11-4 in last 15 games. Colonials played an NIT game at home LY, beating Kentucky.
-- Florida Gulf Coast lost America Sun title game at home, visits Florida State team that went 5-3 in last eight ACC games. Eagles were in Sweet 16 of NCAAs LY; are they excited to be here?
-- West Virginia/Georgetown are both offensively challenged; both sides lost five of their last seven games. Hoyas won last four home games.

-- Belmont/Green Bay are both regular season champs who got upset in conference tourney; Bruins won 14 of last 17 games, haven't played in 10 days. Green Bay PG Sykes had bum ankle during Green Bay's OT loss in Horizon tourney, also ten days ago. Phoenix won 19 of its last 22 games overall.
-- Minnesota is 7-10 in last 17 games; they haven't played since losing on Friday in Big Dozen tourney. High Point lost by 35 to Georgetown, 21 to Syracuse, 41 to Arkansas- they haven't played in 11 days.
-- Georgia State blew 10-point lead with 4:00 to go Sunday, lost in OT in Louisiana, now is playing in Clemson 52 hours later. Tigers got beat in last 0;05 by Duke Friday- their last six games were all decided by 5 or less points, or in overtime.

-- Missouri is 15-1 vs teams ranked outside top 100. Davidson is well-coached, hasn't played in nine days; they're 4-10 in non-SoCon games, 1-6 vs top 100 teams, with only win vs Georgia and several ugly losses.
-- Arkansas fell off bubble by getting upset in last two games- they won last five home games. Indiana State was 2nd-best team in MVC, but isn't very athletic- they're 1-6 vs top 100 teams.
-- Utah was 2-7 on road in Pac-12, winning at USC/Cal; they beat BYU of WCC by 17 in rivalry game. St Mary's hasn't played in 9 days since losing WCC semis- they're 3-4 in last seven games overall.

-- Stony Brook lost America East final at home to Albany, now has to take 5-hour bus ride north to Albany to play Siena, which might be into this, since it is Patsos' first year with Saints. Siena won five of its last seven home games, with both losses in OT. Saints had more prep time.
-- VMI plays 3rd-fastest games in country; they've won nine of last 12 games, haven't played in 10 days. Canisius lost tough game to Iona in MAAC semis nine days ago; they start four seniors.
-- Wright State was handed home game in Horizon final, then laid an egg and lost; now they're visiting East Carolina squad that lost 14 of last 21 games after 10-2 start. ECU played four non-D-I teams. Oy.

-- Eastern Michigan is Syracuse clone that plays 2-3 zone; they won six of last eight games, with both losses to Toledo. Norfolk State doesn't do a lot with 3-pointers, which could be a problem here.
-- Chattanooga is coached by former VCU assistant, so they're going to press/run; they went 4-6 last ten games after starting out 8-0 in SoCon. East Tennessee State is 14-5 vs teams ranked outside top 200.

-- Valparaiso lost four of last six games; they're in bottom 10 in country in turning ball over. Columbia hasn't played in nine days- they only lost by 9 at Michigan State, by 6 to St John's.
-- Sam Houston State lost Southland final to SF Austin Saturday; they won pair of SWAC games this year, beating Prairie View in double OT, beating Pine Bluff by 26. Alabama State lost SWAC semifinal Friday.
-- Portland State won six of last eight games; they lost by 16 at home to Portland of WCC- their last game was Friday. San Diego hasn't played since losing WCC tourney in Vegas 10 days ago- they're 3-6 in last nine.

 

[mrmoneymaker]

Jimmy Boyd?

 

[HotRocks]

ras
NCAA Wednesday
Cal Poly -2.5
Iowa -1.5

anyone know his record since his return? or where I can find it?

TIA

 

[illinifan23]

anyone know his record since his return? or where I can find it?

TIA

I did not track it exactly but last week I believe he went 1-3 or 1-4, someone else can confirm. Had a couple tough beats

 

[jdsabre]

Paul Leiner

100* Florida Gulf Coast +12

50* Albany -2

 

[jdsabre]

Tom Barton


2* Georgia State +7

 

[jdsabre]

Diamond Dog Sports
Over Hawks 202.5 -110 (0.5*)


#533 NC State +2.5 -110 (1*)
#537 FGCU +11.5 -110 (0.5*)
#547 Davidson +7.0 -110 (3*)

 

[RANGERDOG]

Here are today's (March 18) system bets: Washington {A} bet - Confirmed official play unless a freak injury happens to John Wall Orlando {A} bet - Note: Unofficial play due to their road record being in the bottom 10% (worst) Milwaukee {A} bet - Note: Unofficial play due to their road record being in the bottom 10% (2nd worst) =================================== Since you're a member of my Exterminator system, make sure to follow the guidelines below: - All {A} bets are not part of the Exterminator system. Unless, however, if you have the ability to buy 3 points at -170 odds, then it is strongly advisable to place a small wager on all the {A} bets with buying 3 points, up to 5% of your bankroll. This is an optional betting strategy, which has proven to be a profitable one based on my extensive research. Buying 3 points on {A} bets has won over 65% of the time over the years, so you should get in on the {A} bets if you can buy 3 points at -170 odds. -All {B} and {C} bets are qualified under both the original SBC system as well as the Exterminator system. For the Exterminator system, just bet a flat percentage of your bankroll on both {B} and {C} bets. - Remember to bet on the point spread (handicap line) - Buying 3 points is only applicable under the original SBC system, but not in the Exterminator system. - If your team is a favorite, bet on the money line. If the team is a big favorite resulting in odds that are too unfavorable for you to be comfortable with, then you can either optionally skip the series, or bet on the point spread plus 3 points as normal (only applicable under the original SBC system), but do not continue betting on the series if your team wins the game but the bet does not cover. Always consider the injury and the best/worst road team filters. Check the injuries to ensure your team's best player isn't out. I will always make my best effort to notify you of game-changing injuries whenever I am aware of them to ensure that you don't make wagers on team that don't pass the injury filter. However, I cannot make guarantees that I will always be able to be on top of every single injury, every game, every day, at all times. Some teams may hold off on releasing relevant injury information until much later in the day. A bet will be unofficial if it does not pass the filters of the system. Ultimately as a bettor, I always strongly encourage that if there's any uncertainty about the status of your team's best player for a game that you always check on final injury updates. Good luck, Tony the Sports Betting Champ

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