SPORTS WAGERS
SACRAMENTO –2 over Philadelphia
Before this line was posted I was expecting the Kings to be about a 7-point favorite and was shocked to see it at –2. There is no doubt the books expect the Kings to be flat tonight because under normal circumstances they would absolutely be a bigger favorite than this even without Tyreke Evans in the lineup. Evans missed last game and the Kings still beat the Nuggets. After consecutive games against the Cav’s, Lakers and Nuggets and with the Lakers on deck this has all the ingredients of a letdown and that’s what the oddsmakers are counting on. In other words, this game has trap written all over it, make no mistake about that. I usually will not bite in a situation like this but these Kings are unlike so many other teams in similar situations. The Kings have captured the hearts of every fan in the city and play every game with passion and purpose. The atmosphere at Arco is electric every single game and the players love affair with its fans just keeps growing more and more. The Kings are so tough at home and while the books are expecting a letdown, I’m not. This team wants to win as bad as any team in the league and this is a huge step down in class for them. They took both the Lakers and Cav’s to OT before beating the Nuggets and after playing that trio this one should appear in slow motion for them. So, if this is the sucker bet of the night, shame on me but these Kings appear to be focused and on a mission to make the playoffs. Besides, this intruder seldom offers up any resistance at all. Play: Sacramento –2 (Risking 2.1 units to win 2).
CLEVELAND –6 +1.02 over Atlanta
The Cav’s went into Atlanta last night and made them look like a bottom tier club in the fourth quarter when it counted most. They continue to beat up on this intruder and after last night, not to mention the previous six games between these two, one has to figure the Hawks to be at a huge psychological disadvantage. Fact is, they know they can’t beat the Cav’s and did nothing last night to suggest otherwise. In fact, the Cav’s didn’t even play that good. They were careless with the rock, they didn’t shoot well and LBJ had a well below standard game. Now the venue switches to Cleveland and after a 10-point fourth quarter last night and after losing seven straight to the Cav’s, most of them by double-digits, the Hawks can’t be in a good frame of mind. The Cav’s are the hottest team in the NBA and they should stick to the Hawks again. Play: Cleveland –6 +1.02 (Risking 2 units).
ORLANDO –10½ over Milwaukee
The Bucks are in big trouble. They’ve now gone 4-14 over its last 18 games and both Redd and Bogut were benched in its last game in Charlotte. The Bobcats jumped out to a big lead with a 33-14 second quarter and that’s when Scott Skiles decided to bench his guys. The Bucks made a run but it was more of Charlotte letting up after seeing what appeared to be a “throwing in the towel” move by the Bucks. When it counted, the Cats put them away and finished the deal. Now there’s some dissension on the squad, nobody is playing hard and the Bucks continue to allow the opposition a ton of easy baskets. The Magic should absolutely ruin this team. They’ve been off since Christmas Day and after that humbling loss at home to the Celtics they definitely will not be in a sympathetic mood. This one could get very ugly real quick. Play: Orlando –10½ (Risking 2.02 units to win 2).
ST. BONAVENTURE -9 over Canisius
St. Bonaventure has played a brutal schedule and it’s the sole reason why their record isn’t significantly better. Check out the powerhouses the Bonnies have played this year: Syracuse, Mississippi State, St John’s and potential tournament team Illinois State. Out of those games, the only bad loss came to Mississippi State, and St. Bonaventure managed to hang with Syracuse for about 35 minutes on December 19th. St. Bonaventure hasn’t slipped against opponents they should crush and Canisius should be one of those teams. Aside from playing in the weak MAAC, Canisius shoots a laughable 24.4% from three-point range and has lost to teams like North Florida and Bowling Green. They also allow opponents to shoot 49.5% from two and considering St. Bonaventure is the 8th best team in Division I at shooting inside the arc (55.9%) its safe to say Canisius is going to allow easy baskets tonight. St. Bonaventure is the better team that has so far proven it can beat weak squads and tonight should be no different. Play: St. Bonaventure –9 (Risking 2.14 units to win 2).
Colorado +1.10 over OTTAWA
The Av’s are warming up again after losing 10 of 13 and have now won seven of its last 10 games. They’ve also played the sixth most difficult schedule in the league compared to the Senators 25th toughest according to the Sagarin ratings. The Av’s have scored four goals or more in three of its last four games and if not for a late game meltdown against the Ducks they’d have four wins in a row, as they lead 2-0 going to the third. The Sens are playing good too. However, this is a game that could be nothing but trouble for them. They rarely see the Av’s and after consecutive games against Boston, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Montreal, all rivalry games, we could definitely see them take a night off, especially with the Islanders coming in for a New Year’s Eve game tomorrow. Also consider that they’ve won its last two without Alfredsson and Spezza and will play again without them. This is a great spot for the visitor to catch the Sens at half speed and even if Ottawa plays its best, the Av’s still have a great shot. Play: Colorado +1.10 (Risking 2 units).
Los Angeles +1.55 over CALGARY
The Kings are in a mini funk at the moment but this team works too hard to take it too seriously and it’s only a matter of time before they get back on track. At this price and against the reeling Flames, the Kings are most definitely worthy of some strong consideration here. In fact, Calgary has just two lousy wins over its last eight games and they’re struggling miserably to score goals. They also have the Oilers on deck tomorrow night in what is becoming a traditional New Year’s Eve match-up. Interestingly enough, the home teams went 6-1 last New Year’s Eve but the day before, on the 30th, the home teams lost six of eight games played and again, Calgary will host the Oilers tomorrow. Nice spot and a definite overlay on the visitor. Play: Los Angeles +1.55 (Risking 2 units).
Montreal +1.01 over TAMPA BAY
The Canadiens are getting some healthy bodies back. One game after Brian Gionta returned, Roman Hamrlik will get back into the lineup tonight and that most certainly helps. Andrei Markov has been back for a few games now and he continues to prove that he’s as valuable a defenseman as any in the league. The Canadiens will now send out two decent lines with Cammalleri, Plekanec and Andrei Kos
yn on the first line and Pouliot, Gomez, and Gionta on the second. Montreal is coming off a loss in Ottawa but probably deserved a better fate and didn’t even get a single chance on the power-play. Montreal is the leagues #1 ranked power-play unit. It would also appear that Carey Price will get the call in net after being the back-up for five games and one has to figure that he’ll be pretty jacked up to get back in there. The Bolts are warm for sure with four wins in five games and they have a terrific record against the Habs. In fact, they’ve picked up points in six straight vs Montreal with four wins and two OT losses. However, the puck line says Montreal, as the Lightning are -½ +1.50 and the puck line is something you should never ignore. Books like the Habs and that’s good information. Play: Montreal +1.01 (Risking 2 units).
SACRAMENTO –2 over Philadelphia
Before this line was posted I was expecting the Kings to be about a 7-point favorite and was shocked to see it at –2. There is no doubt the books expect the Kings to be flat tonight because under normal circumstances they would absolutely be a bigger favorite than this even without Tyreke Evans in the lineup. Evans missed last game and the Kings still beat the Nuggets. After consecutive games against the Cav’s, Lakers and Nuggets and with the Lakers on deck this has all the ingredients of a letdown and that’s what the oddsmakers are counting on. In other words, this game has trap written all over it, make no mistake about that. I usually will not bite in a situation like this but these Kings are unlike so many other teams in similar situations. The Kings have captured the hearts of every fan in the city and play every game with passion and purpose. The atmosphere at Arco is electric every single game and the players love affair with its fans just keeps growing more and more. The Kings are so tough at home and while the books are expecting a letdown, I’m not. This team wants to win as bad as any team in the league and this is a huge step down in class for them. They took both the Lakers and Cav’s to OT before beating the Nuggets and after playing that trio this one should appear in slow motion for them. So, if this is the sucker bet of the night, shame on me but these Kings appear to be focused and on a mission to make the playoffs. Besides, this intruder seldom offers up any resistance at all. Play: Sacramento –2 (Risking 2.1 units to win 2).
CLEVELAND –6 +1.02 over Atlanta
The Cav’s went into Atlanta last night and made them look like a bottom tier club in the fourth quarter when it counted most. They continue to beat up on this intruder and after last night, not to mention the previous six games between these two, one has to figure the Hawks to be at a huge psychological disadvantage. Fact is, they know they can’t beat the Cav’s and did nothing last night to suggest otherwise. In fact, the Cav’s didn’t even play that good. They were careless with the rock, they didn’t shoot well and LBJ had a well below standard game. Now the venue switches to Cleveland and after a 10-point fourth quarter last night and after losing seven straight to the Cav’s, most of them by double-digits, the Hawks can’t be in a good frame of mind. The Cav’s are the hottest team in the NBA and they should stick to the Hawks again. Play: Cleveland –6 +1.02 (Risking 2 units).
ORLANDO –10½ over Milwaukee
The Bucks are in big trouble. They’ve now gone 4-14 over its last 18 games and both Redd and Bogut were benched in its last game in Charlotte. The Bobcats jumped out to a big lead with a 33-14 second quarter and that’s when Scott Skiles decided to bench his guys. The Bucks made a run but it was more of Charlotte letting up after seeing what appeared to be a “throwing in the towel” move by the Bucks. When it counted, the Cats put them away and finished the deal. Now there’s some dissension on the squad, nobody is playing hard and the Bucks continue to allow the opposition a ton of easy baskets. The Magic should absolutely ruin this team. They’ve been off since Christmas Day and after that humbling loss at home to the Celtics they definitely will not be in a sympathetic mood. This one could get very ugly real quick. Play: Orlando –10½ (Risking 2.02 units to win 2).
ST. BONAVENTURE -9 over Canisius
St. Bonaventure has played a brutal schedule and it’s the sole reason why their record isn’t significantly better. Check out the powerhouses the Bonnies have played this year: Syracuse, Mississippi State, St John’s and potential tournament team Illinois State. Out of those games, the only bad loss came to Mississippi State, and St. Bonaventure managed to hang with Syracuse for about 35 minutes on December 19th. St. Bonaventure hasn’t slipped against opponents they should crush and Canisius should be one of those teams. Aside from playing in the weak MAAC, Canisius shoots a laughable 24.4% from three-point range and has lost to teams like North Florida and Bowling Green. They also allow opponents to shoot 49.5% from two and considering St. Bonaventure is the 8th best team in Division I at shooting inside the arc (55.9%) its safe to say Canisius is going to allow easy baskets tonight. St. Bonaventure is the better team that has so far proven it can beat weak squads and tonight should be no different. Play: St. Bonaventure –9 (Risking 2.14 units to win 2).
Colorado +1.10 over OTTAWA
The Av’s are warming up again after losing 10 of 13 and have now won seven of its last 10 games. They’ve also played the sixth most difficult schedule in the league compared to the Senators 25th toughest according to the Sagarin ratings. The Av’s have scored four goals or more in three of its last four games and if not for a late game meltdown against the Ducks they’d have four wins in a row, as they lead 2-0 going to the third. The Sens are playing good too. However, this is a game that could be nothing but trouble for them. They rarely see the Av’s and after consecutive games against Boston, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Montreal, all rivalry games, we could definitely see them take a night off, especially with the Islanders coming in for a New Year’s Eve game tomorrow. Also consider that they’ve won its last two without Alfredsson and Spezza and will play again without them. This is a great spot for the visitor to catch the Sens at half speed and even if Ottawa plays its best, the Av’s still have a great shot. Play: Colorado +1.10 (Risking 2 units).
Los Angeles +1.55 over CALGARY
The Kings are in a mini funk at the moment but this team works too hard to take it too seriously and it’s only a matter of time before they get back on track. At this price and against the reeling Flames, the Kings are most definitely worthy of some strong consideration here. In fact, Calgary has just two lousy wins over its last eight games and they’re struggling miserably to score goals. They also have the Oilers on deck tomorrow night in what is becoming a traditional New Year’s Eve match-up. Interestingly enough, the home teams went 6-1 last New Year’s Eve but the day before, on the 30th, the home teams lost six of eight games played and again, Calgary will host the Oilers tomorrow. Nice spot and a definite overlay on the visitor. Play: Los Angeles +1.55 (Risking 2 units).
Montreal +1.01 over TAMPA BAY
The Canadiens are getting some healthy bodies back. One game after Brian Gionta returned, Roman Hamrlik will get back into the lineup tonight and that most certainly helps. Andrei Markov has been back for a few games now and he continues to prove that he’s as valuable a defenseman as any in the league. The Canadiens will now send out two decent lines with Cammalleri, Plekanec and Andrei Kos
yn on the first line and Pouliot, Gomez, and Gionta on the second. Montreal is coming off a loss in Ottawa but probably deserved a better fate and didn’t even get a single chance on the power-play. Montreal is the leagues #1 ranked power-play unit. It would also appear that Carey Price will get the call in net after being the back-up for five games and one has to figure that he’ll be pretty jacked up to get back in there. The Bolts are warm for sure with four wins in five games and they have a terrific record against the Habs. In fact, they’ve picked up points in six straight vs Montreal with four wins and two OT losses. However, the puck line says Montreal, as the Lightning are -½ +1.50 and the puck line is something you should never ignore. Books like the Habs and that’s good information. Play: Montreal +1.01 (Risking 2 units).
