COVERS - PICK 'N' ROLL
(Tracking Started On 2/22/2011)
11-17-0 (NBA)
10-8-0 (NCAA HOOPS)
THURSDAY 3/17/2011
NBA
Cleveland Cavaliers at Portland Trail Blazers (195)
Portland looks a whole lot better when Brandon Roy is taking it hard to the cup. His bad knees keep him from playing a ton of minutes every night, but he’s making the most of his time on the floor lately.
Roy put up 21 points against Dallas in less than 28 minutes of work, helping the Blazers to an impressive 104-101 victory over the Mavs as a 1.5-point underdog on Tuesday. He missed Wednesday’s practice with tightness in his lower back, but the team expects him to be fine to play against the Cavs, which has “trap game” written all over it. Just ask Portland coach Nate McMillan.
“Some people would call that a trap game in the NBA where you end up playing a team’s record and not playing the game,” McMillan told reporters. “We know how important this game is, and we need to come out and play a good basketball game and win this game tomorrow.”
Winning is one thing, covering this number is something totally different. We’ll stick with the over, which has cashed in on each of the last five meetings between these clubs.
Pick: Over
NBA
Chicago Bulls at New Jersey Nets (+5.5)
As the chatter about a possible MVP for Derrick Rose gets louder by the day, his Chicago Bulls have been blowing out every team that joins them on the hardwood.
Rose put up 23 points, seven assists and four rebounds as the Bulls hammered the Wizards 98-79 on Tuesday, covering as fat 15.5-point favorites.
It was the seventh straight game that Rose scored at least 20 points, coinciding with the seven-game winning streak Chicago is on heading into Thursday’s contest. Meanwhile, the Nets are on a bit of a roll themselves with five consecutive wins and look like a totally different team now that Deron Williams is running the show.
"I think we are playing good right now, we are jelling pretty well, having such a short time together. We're having fun," Williams told reporters.
Keep an eye on this line leading up to the tip. Joakim Noah is expected to play for the Bulls after missing a couple with an illness, but Carlos Boozer is expected to sit.
Pick: Bulls
