Lryansports
NCCAB
Iowa State Cyclones +5
NBA
Utah @ New Jersey Over 192.5
Pho @ Cleveland Under 214.5
5 POINT TEASE
San Antonio San Antonio -7 & Utah Jazz-.1/2
FIRST HALF PLAYS
New York @ Houston Houston -1
Indiana @ Golden State Golden State -2
First half plays will be played for 2 units in second half if they do not cover in the first half
NCCAB
Iowa State Cyclones +5
NBA
Utah @ New Jersey Over 192.5
Pho @ Cleveland Under 214.5
5 POINT TEASE
San Antonio San Antonio -7 & Utah Jazz-.1/2
FIRST HALF PLAYS
New York @ Houston Houston -1
Indiana @ Golden State Golden State -2
First half plays will be played for 2 units in second half if they do not cover in the first half
jeff benton
Jeff Benton Wednesday's Pro & College Hoops Action
15 Dime NBA selection on the UTAH JAZZ minus the points at New Jersey. Utah is a 6- to 6½-point road favorite acroas the board both here in Vegas and offshore. Tough to say which way this pointspread is going to go beclause it was announced late this morning that Jazz point guard Deron Williams is questionable with the flu. That makes it extremely implrtant that you monitor any line moves and shop around to get the best of the number.
10 Dime college basketball selection on GEORGIA TECH minus the points at Wake Forest .The Yellow Jackets are a 14-point home favorite across the board both here in Vegas and offshore.
JAZZ
I subscribe to the “no second-guessing/no regrets” theory of handicapping, for the simple reason that such hindsight thinking only aggravates you and doesn’t change the results. That said, I have to admit I’m a little ticked off that I didn’t go against the Nets on Monday when they played at Golden State. New Jersey went into that one on a five-game slide (and a 1-10 SU slump), and on top of that the Nets not only were conaluding a tough West Coast road trip (Suns, Lakers, Blazers, Warriors), but it was their 11th roadie in their last 15 games going back to Dec. 17.
Indeed, the Nets were ripe for the picking, and sure enough they ran out of gas in the final two minutes and lost 109-100 as a 7½-point pup.
Well, I may have missed an opportunity 48 hours ago, but I’m not going to let this easy winner pass me by. How can I say “easy winner” when the Jazz are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine games, are coming off Monday’s humiliating 108-101 loss at the Wizards as a 4½-point road favorite and might be missing All-Star point guard Deron Williams (flu)? Because this is a horrible situation for New Jersey, having to play a playoff-caliber team less than 48 hours after returning from a four-game, six-day Western Conference road swing.
If you’ve followed me through the years, you know that “team playing its first home game after a lengthy cross-country road trip” is one of the best go-against situations in the NBA. And even though the Nets bucked that trend earlier this season when they followed up a four-game trip to L.A. (Clippers), Utah, Sacramento and Denver with a 107-101 overtime home win over Atlanta, it’s important to note that New Jersey had two full days after returning home to get settled in and prep for the Hawks. Additionally, the fact that two of the Nets’ 10 wins this season have come against the Hawks is a clue that New Jersey matches up well with Atlanta.
Certainly, the Nets do NOT match up well with Utah, which has taken the last four meetings by convincing scores of 103-92 and 108-92 on the road and 116-83 and 98-88 at home. The Jazz cashed in each of those four contests, all as a favorite.
Now, does Utah get a pass for Monday’s no-show in the nation’s capital? No. Make no mistake, with that being the start of a five-game road trip that includes stops at the Celtics and Lakers, that’s not a game Utah should’ve lost, but the players simply came out flat. The good news for us: Because of Monday’s result, you know the Jazz team that takes the floor in New Jersey tonight will be 100 percent focused, angry and deterlmined. There will be no looking past the Nets, even if they’ve lost 11 of 12.
Finally, even though Utah has failed to cover in seven of nine overall and five of six as a favorite, the Jazz have made a fortune vs. the Eastern Conference lately (31-12-2 ATS last 45), and against the Atlantic Division in particular (9-2 ATS last 11). Jerry Sloan’s squad is also 5-2 ATS in its last seven after a SU loss and 5-1 ATS in its last six as a road chalk of 5 to 10½ points. By comparison, New Jersey is in ATS funks of 2-5 against the Western Conference, 7-18 against the Northwest Division, 5-11 when playing after one day of rest and 5-12 as a ‘dog of 5 to 10½ points.
Bottom line: Look for the Nets to come out slulgish in just their fifth home game in the last month, while the Jazz – trying to rebound from Monday’s disappointing loss to the Wizards – come out with a killer instinct that they’ll maintain for 48 minutes en route to a fifth straight easy win and cover against New Jersey.
GEORGIA TECH
This isn’t so much a play on the Yellow Jackets – even though they’re coming off an impressive 78-58 upset win over North Carolina – as it is a play against god-awful Wake Forest. And when I say god-awful, here’s what I mean:
The Demon Deacons have just one victory in eight games over in the last calendar month, and that was a non-lined game against something called High Point.
Since beating High Point, the Demon Deacons have opened ACC play with three humiliating losses to N.C. State (90-69), Maryland (74-55) and Virginia Tech (94-65) – we’re talking three borderline Tournament teams come March. Even worse, the Deacons never threatened to cover the pointspread in any of those losses despite being an underdog of 13, 14 and 19 points!
In addition to those three ACC debacles, Wake Forest’s ledger features losses to Richmond (90-74), Presbyterian at home (66-64), UNC-Wilmington (81-69), Winthrop at home (83-74), VCU (90-69) and Stetson at home (89-79).
The Demon Deacons’ signature win this season? A 76-73 home triumph over Iowa (arguably the worst team in the Big Ten). Their other victories came against the likes of Hampton, Elon University, Marist, Holy Cross, UNC-Greensboro and High Point.
Not only has Wake Forest dropped all four of its road games by margins of 29, 21, 16 and 8 points, but they’ve surrendered 94 (Virginia Tech), 90 (N.C. State), 90 (Richmond) and 83 (Xavier) points in those four defeats. And in two neutral-site games, the Deacons also gave up 81 points to UNC-Wilmington and 90 points to VCU!
By comparison, while Wake Forest’s defense has been atrocious on the road, Georgia Tech’s stop unit has been tremendous at home. After shutting down the athletic Tar Heels last week, the Yellow Jackets are now holding visitors to 61.9 ppg on 38.1 percent shooting.
And get his: Georgia Tech has won and covered four of the last six meetings with Wake Forest; the home team is on a 5-0 SU and ATS rivalry at home (including Georgia Tech’s 79-58 win as a 5½-point home chalk last year), and the winner has covered the spread in each of the last 11 series meetings.
Bottom line: For an 8-8 team (Georgia Tech’s record) to be this big of a favorite against a conference rival, and for me to be confidently laying that big price, tells you just how – I’ll say it again – god-awful Wake Forest is.
Jeff Benton Wednesday's Pro & College Hoops Action
15 Dime NBA selection on the UTAH JAZZ minus the points at New Jersey. Utah is a 6- to 6½-point road favorite acroas the board both here in Vegas and offshore. Tough to say which way this pointspread is going to go beclause it was announced late this morning that Jazz point guard Deron Williams is questionable with the flu. That makes it extremely implrtant that you monitor any line moves and shop around to get the best of the number.
10 Dime college basketball selection on GEORGIA TECH minus the points at Wake Forest .The Yellow Jackets are a 14-point home favorite across the board both here in Vegas and offshore.
JAZZ
I subscribe to the “no second-guessing/no regrets” theory of handicapping, for the simple reason that such hindsight thinking only aggravates you and doesn’t change the results. That said, I have to admit I’m a little ticked off that I didn’t go against the Nets on Monday when they played at Golden State. New Jersey went into that one on a five-game slide (and a 1-10 SU slump), and on top of that the Nets not only were conaluding a tough West Coast road trip (Suns, Lakers, Blazers, Warriors), but it was their 11th roadie in their last 15 games going back to Dec. 17.
Indeed, the Nets were ripe for the picking, and sure enough they ran out of gas in the final two minutes and lost 109-100 as a 7½-point pup.
Well, I may have missed an opportunity 48 hours ago, but I’m not going to let this easy winner pass me by. How can I say “easy winner” when the Jazz are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine games, are coming off Monday’s humiliating 108-101 loss at the Wizards as a 4½-point road favorite and might be missing All-Star point guard Deron Williams (flu)? Because this is a horrible situation for New Jersey, having to play a playoff-caliber team less than 48 hours after returning from a four-game, six-day Western Conference road swing.
If you’ve followed me through the years, you know that “team playing its first home game after a lengthy cross-country road trip” is one of the best go-against situations in the NBA. And even though the Nets bucked that trend earlier this season when they followed up a four-game trip to L.A. (Clippers), Utah, Sacramento and Denver with a 107-101 overtime home win over Atlanta, it’s important to note that New Jersey had two full days after returning home to get settled in and prep for the Hawks. Additionally, the fact that two of the Nets’ 10 wins this season have come against the Hawks is a clue that New Jersey matches up well with Atlanta.
Certainly, the Nets do NOT match up well with Utah, which has taken the last four meetings by convincing scores of 103-92 and 108-92 on the road and 116-83 and 98-88 at home. The Jazz cashed in each of those four contests, all as a favorite.
Now, does Utah get a pass for Monday’s no-show in the nation’s capital? No. Make no mistake, with that being the start of a five-game road trip that includes stops at the Celtics and Lakers, that’s not a game Utah should’ve lost, but the players simply came out flat. The good news for us: Because of Monday’s result, you know the Jazz team that takes the floor in New Jersey tonight will be 100 percent focused, angry and deterlmined. There will be no looking past the Nets, even if they’ve lost 11 of 12.
Finally, even though Utah has failed to cover in seven of nine overall and five of six as a favorite, the Jazz have made a fortune vs. the Eastern Conference lately (31-12-2 ATS last 45), and against the Atlantic Division in particular (9-2 ATS last 11). Jerry Sloan’s squad is also 5-2 ATS in its last seven after a SU loss and 5-1 ATS in its last six as a road chalk of 5 to 10½ points. By comparison, New Jersey is in ATS funks of 2-5 against the Western Conference, 7-18 against the Northwest Division, 5-11 when playing after one day of rest and 5-12 as a ‘dog of 5 to 10½ points.
Bottom line: Look for the Nets to come out slulgish in just their fifth home game in the last month, while the Jazz – trying to rebound from Monday’s disappointing loss to the Wizards – come out with a killer instinct that they’ll maintain for 48 minutes en route to a fifth straight easy win and cover against New Jersey.
GEORGIA TECH
This isn’t so much a play on the Yellow Jackets – even though they’re coming off an impressive 78-58 upset win over North Carolina – as it is a play against god-awful Wake Forest. And when I say god-awful, here’s what I mean:
The Demon Deacons have just one victory in eight games over in the last calendar month, and that was a non-lined game against something called High Point.
Since beating High Point, the Demon Deacons have opened ACC play with three humiliating losses to N.C. State (90-69), Maryland (74-55) and Virginia Tech (94-65) – we’re talking three borderline Tournament teams come March. Even worse, the Deacons never threatened to cover the pointspread in any of those losses despite being an underdog of 13, 14 and 19 points!
In addition to those three ACC debacles, Wake Forest’s ledger features losses to Richmond (90-74), Presbyterian at home (66-64), UNC-Wilmington (81-69), Winthrop at home (83-74), VCU (90-69) and Stetson at home (89-79).
The Demon Deacons’ signature win this season? A 76-73 home triumph over Iowa (arguably the worst team in the Big Ten). Their other victories came against the likes of Hampton, Elon University, Marist, Holy Cross, UNC-Greensboro and High Point.
Not only has Wake Forest dropped all four of its road games by margins of 29, 21, 16 and 8 points, but they’ve surrendered 94 (Virginia Tech), 90 (N.C. State), 90 (Richmond) and 83 (Xavier) points in those four defeats. And in two neutral-site games, the Deacons also gave up 81 points to UNC-Wilmington and 90 points to VCU!
By comparison, while Wake Forest’s defense has been atrocious on the road, Georgia Tech’s stop unit has been tremendous at home. After shutting down the athletic Tar Heels last week, the Yellow Jackets are now holding visitors to 61.9 ppg on 38.1 percent shooting.
And get his: Georgia Tech has won and covered four of the last six meetings with Wake Forest; the home team is on a 5-0 SU and ATS rivalry at home (including Georgia Tech’s 79-58 win as a 5½-point home chalk last year), and the winner has covered the spread in each of the last 11 series meetings.
Bottom line: For an 8-8 team (Georgia Tech’s record) to be this big of a favorite against a conference rival, and for me to be confidently laying that big price, tells you just how – I’ll say it again – god-awful Wake Forest is.
John Chang of Bookie Assassin
10 dimes Phoenix Suns -7
After disappointing most fans earlier in this season, the Suns might again be a force to be reckoned with. They've won three straight, including a SU and ATS win at New York last game. They're clicking on all cylinders, and it looks as though the trades made last month have been beneficial for the Suns high scoring offense. Cleveland has lost a remarkable 23 out of their last 24 games, and have gone 5-18-1 ATS in that streak. Let's roll with the Suns here.
20 dimes HOUSTON ROCKETS/New York Knicks over 219
Two rapid fire offenses, two porous defenses. Easy play here.
10 dimes NORTH CAROLINA STATE +10.5
NC State is catching Duke at a great time, as it seems Coach K's team has hit a bit of a slump. The Blue Devils haven't covered in three straight games, and the Wolfpack have a tendency to play Duke fairly tough in this rivalry. Ten points is fantastic at home. Roll with the dog.
10 dimes Phoenix Suns -7
After disappointing most fans earlier in this season, the Suns might again be a force to be reckoned with. They've won three straight, including a SU and ATS win at New York last game. They're clicking on all cylinders, and it looks as though the trades made last month have been beneficial for the Suns high scoring offense. Cleveland has lost a remarkable 23 out of their last 24 games, and have gone 5-18-1 ATS in that streak. Let's roll with the Suns here.
20 dimes HOUSTON ROCKETS/New York Knicks over 219
Two rapid fire offenses, two porous defenses. Easy play here.
10 dimes NORTH CAROLINA STATE +10.5
NC State is catching Duke at a great time, as it seems Coach K's team has hit a bit of a slump. The Blue Devils haven't covered in three straight games, and the Wolfpack have a tendency to play Duke fairly tough in this rivalry. Ten points is fantastic at home. Roll with the dog.
