Thursday 4/2/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Canucks look to continue hot road play Thursday
Justin Hartling

The Vancouver Canucks have won their past five games on the road against good competition. The five road victories have come against San Jose, L.A., Arizona, St. Louis and Nashville.

Vancouver has outscored their hosting opponents 19-9 over those five contests and has held the opposing team to one goal on three occasions.

The Canucks travel to Chicago Thursday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Red Wings slouching as playoffs loom
Justin Hartling

The Detroit Red Wings have dropped four of their past five and seem to have confusion as to who their starting goaltender will be heading into the postseason. In those give games Jimmy Howard has started two and Petr Mrazek has started three with neither looking good.

Mrazek is expected to start his second-straight game when the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins Thursday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Unders cash as Islanders offense continues to falter
Justin Hartling

The New York Islanders have a 1-7-1 over/under mark in their past nine contests, thanks to a once potent offense slowing down. The Isles have averaged 1.8 goals over their past nine, which is a significant dropoff of their average of 3.0 goals on the season.

New York will visit the red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Golf: Shell Houston Open

Tournament: Shell Houston Open
Date: Apr. 2 - Apr. 5
Venue: Golf Club of Houston
Location: Humble, TX

The PGA stays in Texas with the Shell Houston Open this week, the final tournament leading up to the Masters. The par-72, 7,441-yard course attempts to replicate Augusta as best as it can since it was given this notch in the schedule, but solid play here doesn’t necessarily mean a strong showing in the chase for the “Green Jacket.”

Four of the top-10 players from the Official World Golf Rankings will be teeing it off this week, with Henrik Stenson leading the charge along with Texan Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia and Jimmy Walker. Another eight players from the top-25 will also be in the field as Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer and Victor Dubuisson are a few of those names that are coming from overseas.

Last week, the aforementioned Jimmy Walker took the trophy in San Antonio, a course 30 minutes from his home, and in the process became the first multiple winner of the year while also breaking a curse of leaders going into Sunday losing, which lasted more than two months.

It is going to be tough for this year’s event to be much better than what we saw last year as Aussie Matt Jones came from six shots down on Sunday and shot a 66, including a very long birdie putt on 18, to force a playoff. He then went on to go pin hunting with a chip-in birdie on the same hole, downing Matt Kuchar with the tremendous shot. His score of 15-under-par was the worst winning mark since 2010 as there is typically plenty of scoring here with the victor being in double-digits under par in each installment since 1999. Not many have dominated this course recently and there are no golfers in the field that have multiple wins here.

Let’s take a look over a few names who could distance themselves from the rest of the field once Sunday afternoon rolls around.

Golfers to Bet:

Matt Kuchar (15/1): Kuchar had a very disappointing loss here last season but has still been dominant at this course with a top-eight finish in each of his past three starts. He hit an amazing 86.1% of GIR last year before throwing up a 72 on Sunday and losing in the playoff. Overall he is 34-under-par in those three events and shot 70 or better in 10-of-12 rounds. He already has seven top-25s in his nine outings this year and is coming off a solid 69 on Sunday to finish 15th in San Antonio. His short game has been great this year with 0.616 strokes gained putting (15th on tour), a scrambling percentage of 68.1% (5th on tour) and a sand save percentage of 72.4% (best on tour); all of which will be vital in Houston as he goes for his eighth career PGA win.

Louis Oosthuizen (29/1): Oosthuizen has played a mere four events on the PGA tour thus far on the season, making 3-of-4 cuts with a top-14 finish each time. The former Open Championship winner may have missed the cut here last year with a 72-73 on the first two days, but he rattled off three consecutive top-16 showings in his previous three visits with his best showing coming in 2012 as he ranked third after leading heading into Sunday, but coming up short with a final day 75. Look for the South African to do well once again on a course that fits him very well.

Lee Westwood (30/1): Westwood is certainly not the player that he once was, winning just once on the European tour since mid-2012 and failing to get a victory on American soil since 2010, but he has come around of late with six consecutive made cuts to start off this season. He placed in the top-25 at each of those events as his 70.00 scoring average has him ranked 12th on tour. He has been a consistent finisher here as well and has done no worse than 30th when going back to 2010. His great putting (0.609 strokes gained putting (17th on tour) should keep his solid play here going once again this week.

Carlos Ortiz (90/1): The rookies showed some impressive skills last week in San Antonio as he rebounded from an opening round 79 to make the cut and eventually finish with a one-over, 15th-place finish; his sixth top-25 placing of the year. He was also in the top-25 at Bay Hill and continues to show up with his long drive (297.0 yards per, 33rd on tour) from week-to-week. He parlays that length with a solid putting game (0.441 strokes gained putting, 34th on tour) and a top-50 ranking in sand save percentage (58.7%, 31st on tour) to be on his way to a first career PGA victory. Look out for this youngster as he gets more comfortable among his peers.

Brice Garnett (450/1): Garnett has only two career top-10 finishes and one of them came here last season when he posted a score of eight-under and tied for seventh. He hit 76.4% of GIR and 69.6% of fairways in the solid showing and has done well this year with 67.4% of greens hit in regulation (55th) as he’s made the cut in 8-of-14 tourneys. This is certainly a big long shot of a pick, but Garnett plays on the weekend more often than not and could repeat with a second straight great performance when all is said and done in Houston.

Shell Houston Open Betting Odds

Jordan Spieth 7/1
Jimmy Walker 12/1
Matt Kuchar 15/1
Patrick Reed 15/1
J.B. Holmes 23/1
Sergio Garcia 23/1
Rickie Fowler 24/1
Phil Mickelson 27/1
Louis Oosthuizen 29/1
Lee Westwood 30/1
Ryan Moore 30/1
Bill Haas 35/1
Justin Rose 35/1
Keegan Bradley 35/1
Matt Jones 35/1
Jason Kokrak 40/1
Paul Casey 45/1
Hunter Mahan 50/1
Shawn Stefani 50/1
Brendan Steele 60/1
Cameron Tringale 60/1
Daniel Berger 60/1
Martin Kaymer 60/1
Russell Henley 60/1
Charley Hoffman 65/1
Charl Schwartzel 70/1
Jamie Donaldson 75/1
Justin Thomas 75/1
Graham Delaet 80/1
Carlos Ortiz 90/1
Nick Watney 90/1
Chesson Hadley 100/1
Danny Willett 100/1
Scott Piercy 100/1
Victor Dubuisson 100/1
Charles Howell III 110/1
Francesco Molinari 140/1
Kevin Chappell 140/1
Padraig Harrington 150/1
Robert Streb 150/1
Anirban Lahiri 160/1
Brendon de Jonge 160/1
Pat Perez 160/1
Robert Garrigus 160/1
Joost Luiten 170/1
Scott Stallings 180/1
Jonas Blixt 190/1
Aaron Baddeley 200/1
Angel Cabrera 200/1
Brian Harman 200/1
Erik Compton 200/1
Ernie Els 200/1
Hudson Swafford 200/1
Jeff Overton 200/1
Mikko Ilonen 200/1
Scott Pinckney 200/1
Tony Finau 200/1
Will MacKenzie 200/1
Jerry Kelly 210/1
K.J. Choi 220/1
Martin Flores 220/1
Danny Lee 230/1
Freddie Jacobson 240/1
Alex Cejka 250/1
Brian Davis 250/1
Bryce Molder 250/1
Chad Campbell 250/1
D.A. Points 250/1
Kyle Reifers 250/1
Michael Putnam 250/1
Michael Thompson 250/1
Ryo Ishikawa 250/1
Carl Pettersson 300/1
Chris Stroud 300/1
David Hearn 300/1
David Lingmerth 300/1
Jason Bohn 300/1
Jonathan Byrd 300/1
Zac Blair 300/1
Adam Hadwin 350/1
Andrew Svoboda 350/1
Ben Crane 350/1
Blayne Barber 350/1
John Huh 350/1
John Merrick 350/1
Jon Curran 350/1
Troy Merritt 350/1
Luke Guthrie 400/1
Nicholas Thompson 400/1
Sam Saunders 400/1
Stewart Cink 400/1
Alex Prugh 450/1
Andres Romero 450/1
Billy Hurley III 450/1
Bo Van Pelt 450/1
Brice Garnett 450/1
Chad Collins 450/1
Colt Knost 450/1
David Toms 450/1
Fabian Gomez 450/1
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 450/1
J.J. Henry 450/1
Kevin Kisner 450/1
Mark Wilson 450/1
Scott Langley 450/1
Andrew Putnam 500/1
Ben Willman 500/1
Blake Adams 500/1
Cameron Percy 500/1
Charlie Beljan 500/1
Chez Reavie 500/1
Cody Gribble 500/1
Darren Clarke 500/1
Derek Ernst 500/1
Derek Fathauer 500/1
Jarrod Lyle 500/1
Jhonattan Vegas 500/1
Jim Herman 500/1
Jim Renner 500/1
Johnson Wagner 500/1
Jonathan Randolph 500/1
Justin Leonard 500/1
Ken Duke 500/1
Kevin Streelman 500/1
Mark Hubbard 500/1
Max Homa 500/1
Nick Taylor 500/1
Oscar Fraustro 500/1
Ricky Barnes 500/1
Robert Allenby 500/1
Roger Sloan 500/1
S.J. Park 500/1
Scott Brown 500/1
Scott Verplank 500/1
Steve Wheatcroft 500/1
Steven Bowditch 500/1
Tim Wilkinson 500/1
Tom Hoge 500/1
Whee Kim 500/1
Woody Austin 500/1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

PGA Tour Picks: Shell Houston Open Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews

We finally have our first two-time winner of the current PGA Tour golf season as Jimmy Walker won in his hometown of San Antonio last week at the Texas Open. Well, technically Walker lives 35 miles away in Bourne, but he grew up attending the Texas Open, so it had to feel sweet.

Walker took a four-shot lead into Sunday and never was much challenged, shooting a final-round 2-under 70 to finish 11-under 277 and beat Jordan Spieth, another Texan, by four shots. Walker’s putter was on as he led the field in strokes gained: putting as well as going a cumulative 12-under on the par 5s. Walker, who hadn’t played Tour event since the WGC-Cadillac at Doral, also won the Sony Open in January in Hawaii and now leads the PGA Tour with five victories over the past two seasons. Walker played his first 187 events on the Tour without a win. He has now won five times in his last 37 starts. Walker is up to a career-high No. 10 in the world rankings and was originally going to play this week but not surprisingly withdrew.

Walker has a commanding lead in the FedEx Cup points right now if that sort of thing matters to you. Last season, it took 1,769 points to qualify for the Tour Championship; Walker already has 1,650. Spieth has been playing out of his mind of late and moved up to No. 4 in the world rankings. Over the last five months, he has three wins worldwide and eight Top-10 finishes. The most memorable shot of the Texas Open was nearly the rarest of rare: a hole-in-one on a par 4. Aaron Baddeley did hole out on his drive at the par-4 17th from 336 yards on Thursday. However, that was his second shot because he hooked his first drive into the woods and took an unplayable lie, thus returning to the tee.

I didn’t have Walker, who was 20/1 at bovada to open, as the winner. However, I did get him for a finishing spot under 17.5 as well as at +240 as the highest-placed finisher against Ryan Palmer, Martin Kaymer, Phil Mickelson and Kevin Na. Also hit on Walker at -130 for a Top 20. On Spieth, I collected at -155 for a Top 10 as well as under 8.5 for a finishing spot and -130 head-to-head against Dustin Johnson. Two guys I liked to win were Zach Johnson (T20) and Jim Furyk (T58). I also got Dustin Johnson at -250 for a Top 20, Na (-115) over Harris English and Gary Woodland (-115) over Sean O’Hair. So pretty solid all around.

So the two-event mini-Texas Swing concludes this week at the Shell Houston Open at the Golf Club of Houston, which will be set up as much as possible to replicate Augusta National. Walker wasn’t the only big name who withdrew this week; so did Henrik Stenson, who would have been a favorite as well. I’m sure they are both already in Augusta. There is one spot open for next week’s Masters and that goes to the winner here if not already qualified.

The past two years, the guy who won hadn’t been eligible for the Masters. The defending champion is Aussie Matt Jones. The finish last year was excellent as Jones drained a 46-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with Matt Kuchar and then holed out from off the green for birdie to beat Kuchar on the same hole. Jones started Sunday six shots out of the lead. That playoff was the 22nd in Houston Open history, trailing only the U.S. Open (33).

In case you are wondering, Tiger Woods isn’t playing this week, but it does appear he will at the Masters. Phil Mickelson (25/1) is in Houston.

PGA Tour Golf Odds: Houston Open Favorites

No surprise that Spieth is the 8/1 favorite . If this wasn’t in Texas, I’m fairly confident he wouldn’t be playing, but he badly wants that first one in his native state. Spieth missed the cut here in 2014.

Kuchar is the 10/1 second favorite. What’s wrong with Mr. Top 10? He has just two in nine events this season, and his last was in late January. Kuchar did look a little better last week with a T15. Prior to that runner-up here last year he was T8 in his last two trips to Houston.

Patrick Reed (14/1), J.B. Holmes (20/1) and Rickie Fowler (22/1) round out the favorites. Reed has a win in Hawaii to his credit this year and lost in a playoff in that Tampa-area tournament in his last start. Reed missed the cut in 2013 in his only trip to this tournament. Holmes was a runner-up here in 2009, had a T8 in 2012 and T12 last year. I thought Fowler was going to have the type of year Spieth and Walker are. But Fowler has just one Top 10 in six events. He was sixth here a year ago.

PGA Tour Picks: Houston Open Expert Betting Predictions

No Sportsbook finishing positions posted as of this writing. For a Top-10 finish, I like Spieth (-170), Reed (+115), Sergio Garcia (+225) and Holmes (+185). I don’t like Lefty for a Top 10 but do a Top 20 (+110). Might was well go with a playoff as the winning margin at +250.

Take Lee Westwood at +188 as the top Englishman and Aaron Baddeley at +350 as the top Aussie. I also like Westwood (+350) as the highest-placed finisher against Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, Jason Kokrak and Jones (all +350 as well). Sergio’s my guy for top European at +500.

Head-to-head, lean Reed (-120) over Kuchar (-110), Mickelson (-110) over Fowler (-120), Sergio (-130) over Justin Rose (even money), Holmes (-115) over Ryan Moore (-115), and Bradley (-115) over Haas (-115).

I’m taking Sergio at +2500 as the best value to win. He had the 36-hole lead last year on his way to a T3. I actually may throw a few dollars on Lefty at +2500 as well as he won here in 2011 and usually gets his focus back ahead of the Masters.



Golf Betting: Shell Houston Open Preview and Picks
By Matt Fargo

The Shell Houston Open takes center stage this week back in its familiar spot the week before the Masters after preceding the first Major by two weeks two years ago. Taking place at the Golf Club of Houston in Humble, Texas, this is the final tuneup before players head to Augusta next week and the field is again a strong one. Last week at the Valero Texas Open, we won with Jimmy Walker who became the first multi-tournament winner this year and won for the fifth time the last two seasons.

As mentioned, the field this week is strong headlined by last week’s winner Jimmy Walker as well as top ten players Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose. In total, 14 of the top 30 in the OWGR are playing this week. Other notables include Matt Kuchar, Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson. Spieth is the short favorite at +725 with Walker, Kuchar and Reed coming in at +1,300, +1,600 and +1,700 respectively.

Matt Kuchar (+1,600) has been average over his last four starts with a T15 being his best finish but the good news is that it came last week. He has not missed a cut since last May and since then he has four top fives. If anyone is overdue for a win, it is him and why not here considering in three starts since 2010, he has not finished outside the top ten. This includes a playoff loss last year on a Matt Jones chip in.

J.B. Holmes (+2,600) took last week off after missing the cut at Bay Hill and the rest should do him good. He is having a solid season with a pair of runner up finishes at the Farmers and the Cadillac Championship to go along with another top ten at Pebble Beach. After missing the cut here in 2007, he lost in a playoff in 2009 to Paul Casey and has finished T8 and T12 in his two other starts here since then.

We will take a stab with Phil Mickelson (+3,000) even though he has not been up to his true form this season. His best finish is a T17 at the Honda Classic and he is coming off a T30 last week no thanks to a Sunday 76. He is one of four players in the field this week that has made the cut each of the last five years here and he has the best finishing average at just over 13th. He won here in 2011.

We had Jason Kokrak (+4,500) last week and while he never really challenged the leaders, he once again played solid, consistent golf with a T11 finish. That backed up a T7 and a T6 in his previous two starts and despite never having won, he looks like he will break out sometime soon. While he did miss the cut here last year, he finished solo ninth in 2013 so this could be the breakthrough place.

While Mickelson has the best finishing average the last five years, Cameron Tringale (+7,000) has the best finishing average the last three years at just a tick over 9th. This includes a T8 in 2012 and a solo fourth last year. While he hasn’t done anything spectacular this season, he has just one missed cut in 2015 and in those two top six finishes here, he came in with very similar form.

Recommended Tournament Win Five Pack at the Shell Houston Open – All for 1 Unit

Matt Kuchar (+1,600)
J.B. Holmes (+2,600)
Phil Mickelson (+3,000)
Jason Kokrak (+4,500)
Cameron Tringale (+7,000)

2015 Record to date after 11 events: +55.5 Units.

Hyundai Tournament of Champions -5 Units
Humana Challenge +24 Units
Waste Management Phoenix Open -5 Units
Farmers Insurance Open +8.5 Units
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am +18 Units
Northern Trust Open -5 Units
Honda Classic -5 Units
WGC-Cadillac Championship +16 Units
Valspar Championship -5 Units
Arnold Palmer Invitational -5 Units
Valero Texas Open +19 Units

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Preview: Suns (38-37) at Warriors (61-13)

Date: April 02, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

The final eight games of the Golden State Warriors' season represent little more than tuneups in preparation for what they hope will be a deep playoff run.

If the Phoenix Suns don't get their act together soon, they won't have anything significant to play for, either.

Golden State seeks an 11th straight victory while dealing another blow to visiting Phoenix's slim postseason chances Thursday night.

The Warriors (61-13) have set a franchise record for wins and wrapped up the Western Conference's top seed. They've remained focused, though, and overcame a 17-point deficit to complete a 4-0 road trip with Tuesday's 110-106 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Stephen Curry scored 27 points and Klay Thompson added 25 for Golden State, which has won 15 of 16.

'Obviously, we have everything locked up in the West right now for the regular season, but this was a big win for us,' Curry said. 'It just felt good to get that win and keep our streak going.'

The Warriors sat Draymond Green for the second straight game as he recovers from shin pain. He's questionable to play in this contest as Golden State looks to keep gaining momentum heading into the postseason.

'We just want to establish this high level of play every night so it becomes second nature," Thompson said.

The only thing consistent about the Suns (38-37) lately has been their collapse down the stretch. Phoenix trails Oklahoma City for the West's final playoff spot and has dropped four straight.

The Suns fell 109-97 to the Thunder at home Sunday and 109-86 at Portland the following night, their seventh loss by at least 20 points.

'We played hard but they're a good team,' said Eric Bledsoe, who had 12 points. 'At the end of the day, that's why (the Trail Blazers are) in the position they're in, trying to fight for a high seed.'

Phoenix remains mathematically alive in the race, but it is sounding as if it already knows its postseason fate.

"We had a great chance to at least make a (playoff) push and we gave a lot," said Marcus Morris, who along with his brother, Markieff, scored 11 points. "That was definitely emotionally challenging to come out but, at the end of the day, we're privileged basketball players. It's basketball. We've got to be happy to do this and be happy to play."

Gerald Green and T.J. Warren had 13 points off the bench for the Suns, who played for the ninth time in 10 games without point guard Brandon Knight. He missed eight straight with a left ankle sprain, then went 1 for 10 for three points against the Thunder before sitting out again Monday.

Phoenix, which dealt key guards Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas at the trade deadline, also lost center Alex Len against the Blazers to a broken nose. He's expected to miss at least a week.

The Suns handed the Warriors their first loss of the season Nov. 9, winning 107-95 at home despite Curry's 28 points and 10 assists.

Curry had 25 and seven assists in a 106-87 victory Jan. 31 and 36 points in a 98-80 win March 9.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Game of the Day: Heat at Cavaliers

Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers (-12, OFF)

LeBron James hasn’t fared so well against the organization he left after last season and will try to help the Cleveland Cavaliers gain a season split of the four-game series against the visiting Miami Heat. James and the Cavaliers suffered double-digits in both games down in Miami but did post a convincing 113-93 victory in Cleveland on Feb. 11. James is averaging 24.7 points against the Heat and is two points away from passing Patrick Ewing (24,815) for 20th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Miami has lost four of its last six games and is seventh place in the Eastern Conference with the charging Brooklyn Nets right behind. The Heat fell 95-81 to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday while Cleveland has been off since edging Philadelphia 87-86 on Sunday, when a reporter irritated James by asking if the Cavaliers are in a minor funk. “A minor funk? We were 19-20 at one point,” James shot back. “Ain’t no funk. What’s our record? That’s not much of a funk. We’re playing good ball.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Books online opened the Cavs at -12.

INJURY REPORT: Heat - G Shabazz Napier (Ques-Hip), F Luol Deng (Ques-Knee), F Udonis Haslem (Ques-Illness) Cavaliers - F Kevin Love (Prob-Back), G Iman Shumpert (Ques-Ankle)

POWER RANKINGS: Heat (-2.9) + Cavaliers (-9.8) + Homecourt (-3) = Cavaliers -9.9

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "LeBron James and the Cavaliers host his former mates from Miami at the ‘Q’ in Cleveland. Interesting stat from the Playbook Basketball newsletter tells us that James’ team is 23-4 in Cavs-Heat games in his career, with the home team winning each of the last 13 times. With the Heat having beat the spread in only three of 77 games in straight-up losses against same season avenging teams, there is only one way to look here." - Marc Lawrence

ABOUT THE HEAT (34-40 SU, 33-37-4 ATS, 30-44 O/U): Forward Luol Deng (knee) missed the loss to San Antonio and his availability for the Cavaliers is expected to be firmed up after the mid-day shootaround. Miami did get center Hassan Whiteside (hand) back versus the Spurs after a three-game absence and he scored 10 points. “It’s just about what I can tolerate on the court with the pain,” Whiteside told reporters. “It’s just the performance and how well I can play.”

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (48-27 SU, 37-38 ATS, 29-45-1 O/U): Cleveland is in second place in the East, has won five of its last six games and has posted 16 consecutive home victories and third-place Chicago arrives in town for a nationally televised game on Sunday. That cushion gives the Cavaliers ample opportunity to rest power forward Kevin Love, who took an elbow to his achy back against the 76ers and could again sit out. If Love can’t play, forward Tristan Thompson will move into the starting lineup.

TRENDS:

*Heat are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.
*Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
*Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
*Under is 6-1 in Heat last 7 overall.

CONSENSUS: 58.41 percent are backing the Heat +12.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA playoff picture: Nets, Celtics keep pace
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

By barely holding off the worst team in the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets maintained a slim edge Wednesday in the battle for the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

Center Brook Lopez's basket with two seconds left lifted Brooklyn to a 100-98 victory over the New York Knicks. Brooklyn (34-40) moved into a tie with the idle Miami Heat (34-40) for the seventh and eighth playoff spots in the East.

The Boston Celtics (34-41) stayed a half-game behind Brooklyn and Miami by handing the Indiana Pacers a 100-87 defeat. The Pacers (32-43) fell 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.

The Charlotte Hornets (32-43) powered to a 102-78 rout of the Detroit Pistons to remain two games back of the Nets and Heat.

Higher up the Eastern Conference standings, the Toronto Raptors (45-30) moved into a tie for third with the Chicago Bulls (45-30). The Raptors dumped the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-99, while the Bulls fell 95-91 to the sixth-place Milwaukee Bucks.

In the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets (51-24) climbed into a tie with the idle Memphis Grizzlies (51-24) by sneaking past the Sacramento Kings 115-111. The Rockets and Grizzlies hold a 2 1/2-game lead over the Portland Trail Blazers in the battle to avoid a second-round playoff matchup with the Golden State Warriors (61-13).

Portland fell 126-122 to the visiting Los Angeles Clippers. While the Clippers (50-26) have a superior record to the Blazers (48-26), Portland maintains the No. 4 slot as the Northwest Division leader.

The Clippers remain a half-game above the San Antonio Spurs in the battle for the No. 5 seed. San Antonio (49-26) eased past the Orlando Magic 103-91 Wednesday.

The Warriors, who already wrapped up the best record in the Western Conference, were idle Wednesday. They return to action Thursday with a home game against the Phoenix Suns, whose playoff hopes are on life support.

Memphis has a Friday home game against eighth-place Oklahoma City (42-33). The Thunder dropped a high-scoring shootout against Dallas, 135-131, and fell four games behind the seventh-place Mavericks.

Oklahoma City's closest pursuer, the New Orleans Pelicans (40-34), pulled within 1 1/2 games of a playoff spot by blasting the Los Angeles Lakers 113-92.

Thursday's abbreviated NBA schedule consists of just three games, but two will carry major playoff implications.

The Heat will play the Cavaliers and old friend LeBron James in Cleveland. The game will mean far more to the visitors than the Cavs, who are safely ensconced in second place in the East.

The Rockets travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks in a game that will impact the top and bottom halves of the potential West playoff bracket.


NBA PLAYOFF PICTURE THROUGH GAMES OF APRIL 1

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Atlanta Hawks (56-19), Southeast Division champions

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (48-27), Central Division leaders

T3. Toronto Raptors (45-30), Atlantic Division champions

T3. Chicago Bulls (45-30)

5. Washington Wizards (42-33)

6. Milwaukee Bucks (37-38)

T7. Miami Heat (34-40)

T7. Brooklyn Nets (34-40)

--

9. Boston Celtics (34-41)

10. Charlotte Hornets (32-42)

11. Indiana Pacers (32-43)


WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Golden State Warriors (61-13), Pacific Division champions

T2. Memphis Grizzles (51-24), Southwest Division co-leaders

T2. Houston Rockets (51-24), Southwest Division co-leaders

4. Portland Trail Blazers (48-26), Northwest Division leaders

5. Los Angeles Clippers (50-26)

6. San Antonio Spurs (49-26)

7. Dallas Mavericks (46-29)

8. Oklahoma City Thunder (42-33)

--

9. New Orleans Pelicans (40-34)

10. Phoenix Suns (38-37)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Eastern Conference betting road map: Expect a good week from the Celtics
By SEAN MURPHY

The playoff picture hasn't gotten any clearer in the Eastern Conference, with no fewer than four teams battling it out for the eighth and final playoff spot. Things are more settled at the top, where the Hawks own an eight-game edge over the second place Cavs.

Sean Murphy takes a look at four angles to consider over the next seven days.

Spread watch

The Boston Celtics are reeling at the absolute worst time, losers of five of their last seven games and winless ATS over their last three contests.

There is reason to believe they can turn things around this week, however. Boston will sandwich a pair of manageable road games around back-to-back contests at TD Garden. All four games are winnable, coming against the Hornets, Pacers, Bucks and Raptors. I expect to see the C's go 3-1 ATS at worst.

Note that Boston remains 10 games over .500 from an ATS perspective this season. This isn't the time to jump ship in my opinion.

Total watch

The 'under' has been a solid bet in games involving the Milwaukee Bucks but not so much lately.

Milwaukee has seen four of its last six games go 'over' the total but that's a short-term trend that will hold little weight this week. The Bucks have a big week ahead, with four games on tap against Eastern Conference opponents. It starts on Monday in Atlanta as Milwaukee aims to respond following a poor defensive showing against the sharp-shooting Warriors on Saturday night.

With major playoff implications, I expect to see the Bucks tighten things up considerably. Take a good look at the 'under' when they take the floor this week.

Injury impact

Sunday's narrow win over the lowly Philadelphia 76ers may have been a costly one for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they lost both Kevin Love and Iman Shumpert to injuries. The extent of those injuries is not known, so for now they're both listed as day-to-day.

Perhaps it's a good thing that the Cavs don't play again until Thursday when they host the Miami Heat. Needless to say, these injuries are worth paying attention to as we've already seen Cleveland cool off slightly, going just 3-4 ATS over its last seven games following an extended hot streak against the number.

After Thursday's game against the Heat, the Cavs will enjoy another couple of days off before hosting the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

Playbook

At this time last week the Indiana Pacers' biggest concern was a sagging offense that had played a major role in a five-game losing streak that ultimately would reach six before it was snapped last Wednesday against Washington.

We've certainly seen the Pacers step up their game offensively, however, scoring 100 points or more in five straight games. They've managed to win two of their last three contests, so the turnaround at that end of the floor has paid dividends.

Expect to see the Pacers continue to push the pace as they face four beatable Eastern Conference foes this week. Don't be surprised if their run of five consecutive 'overs' continues and they may be worth a shot against the number as well.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Western Conference betting road map: Clippers on offensive roll
By STEVE MERRIL

The NBA's regular season is reaching its late stages and the playoffs are on the horizon. Steve Merril takes a look at four Western Conference teams to keep an eye on this week.

Spread Watch

Phoenix is still mathematically alive for the playoffs, but in reality, the Suns' season will likely come to an end this week. Phoenix has eight remaining games, and after blowing a 20-point lead at home in a huge game against Oklahoma City, the Suns will now be playing out the string.

Phoenix goes into Monday night's game in Portland on a 3-game losing streak, and they play at Golden State on Thursday night. The Suns will likely be on a 5-game losing streak after that game, and if that's the case, Phoenix is simply a bet-against team for the remainder of the season.

Total Watch

The Los Angeles Clippers have played fantastic basketball in the month of March, and that is especially true of their offense. The Clippers have scored 107 points or more in six consecutive games while going 5-1 to the Over.

Their scoring ways are likely to continue this week as they play four games against fast-paced Western Conference teams that all have good offenses. The Warriors, Blazers, Nuggets and Lakers are all willing to run with the Clippers, so expect more high-scoring games from Los Angeles this week.

Injury impact

The Houston Rockets have been besieged with injuries this season, and in fact, they rank third in total games missed by players due to injury.

Houston's latest causality was starting guard Patrick Beverley who tore a ligament in his wrist. He elected to have surgery now, and that means he will miss the remainder of the season. Houston will miss Beverley's defense:

"He's the key to our ability to guard a lot of these very good point guards in the West," said Houston GM Daryl Morey.

Playbook

Portland is in pursuit of locking up the Northwest Division and the #4 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Once the Blazers do that, their plan is to get their starters as much rest as possible before the playoffs start.

Portland plays a big home game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night; they are the current 5th seed. If the Blazers win that game and wrap everything up, be careful backing the Blazers going forward because they will likely be playing their reserves heavy minutes.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds and Predictions: Thursday, April 2 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki.

Typically light schedule this Thursday with the TNT doubleheader and just one other game. Perhaps the most interesting one is Miami at Cleveland, the final time LeBron James sees his former team this regular season -- and you know he doesn't want to lose the season series to old buddy Dwayne Wade. It's quite possible that Cleveland and Miami would face off in the first round of the playoffs as the Cavs are probably going to be the No. 2 seed and the Heat currently are No. 7. Think the TV networks would like that matchup? Here's a look at Thursday's games.


Heat at Cavaliers (-11, 200)

Miami comes off a 95-81 home loss to San Antonio on Tuesday. Wade was just 6-for-20 from the field for 15 points. Hassan Whiteside returned after missing three games with a lacerated hand and had 10 points. The Heat played without Udonis Haslem (flu) and Luol Deng (knee), so they are questionable here. Cleveland has been off since an 87-86 home win over Philadelphia on Sunday. Clearly the Cavaliers were a bit gassed for that game, not scoring in the final 4:04 and shooting only 38.8 percent but still winning their 16th straight at home. Both Kevin Love (lower back) and Iman Shumpert (left ankle) were forced to leave the game early, but neither injury is considered serious. Love, for one, says he expects to play Thursday.

Miami indeed does lead the season series 2-1, winning both games in south Florida. The first was the hyped Christmas Day matchup, a 101-91 Heat victory behind 31 points from Wade and 25 from Deng. That was before Cleveland made all those important trades. The Heat visited Cleveland on Feb. 11 and lost 113-93. James had 18 points to lead seven players in double figures. Wade missed that game with an injury. On March 16 in Miami, the Heat won 106-92 behind 32 from Wade and 20 points and nine assists from Goran Dragic. James had 26, but the Cavs were outscored by 17 with him on the court.

Key trends: The Heat have covered four of their past 14 vs. teams with a winning record. The Cavs are 9-3 against the spread in their past 12 after an ATS loss. The "over/under" has gone under in six of Miami's past seven games. The under is 5-1 in the Cavs' past six at home.

Early lean: Cavaliers and over.


Rockets at Mavericks (TBA)

Dallas was in Oklahoma City on Wednesday while Houston hosted Sacramento. The Rockets are not going to play Dwight Howard in both ends of a back-to-back. I would presume they would play him at home and then not on the road here, but perhaps Houston thinks it can beat the injury-depleted Kings without Howard and could use him more against the Mavericks. That's what I would do. Forward Terrence Jones was set to return from injury Wednesday. The Rockets lost point guard Patrick Beverley to season-ending wrist surgery this week. Shame we rarely got to see this team at full strength.

This is the final meeting of the regular season, with Houston leading 2-1. The Rockets won 95-92 at home on Nov. 22 behind 32 points from James Harden and without Howard. On Jan. 28 in Houston, the Rockets won 99-94 despite just 17 from Harden. Howard missed that one as well. On Feb. 20 in Dallas, the Mavs won 111-100. Al-Farouq Aminu had his best game of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas. Harden had 26 and once again Howard didn't play. Sixteen of the last 20 regular-season meetings between the Mavericks and the Rockets have been decided by eight points or less.

Key trends: Houston is 1-6 ATS in its past seven in Dallas. The under is 4-1 in the Rockets' past five on the road and 6-0 in the Mavericks' past six in the second of a back-to-back.

Early lean: Wait on Howard.


Suns at Warriors (-12, 209.5)

Phoenix is nearing elimination time from the playoffs. The Suns lost a fourth straight Monday, 109-86 in Portland. It wasn't even that close as Portland was up 27 at one point and sat its starters. It was the Suns' seventh loss by 20 or more points this season. Phoenix was again without guard Brandon Knight. He returned after missing eight games on Sunday against Oklahoma City but then tweaked his sprained left ankle. In addition, center Alex Len broke his nose against Portland. Golden State won a great game Tuesday at the Clippers, 110-106 for its 10th straight victory. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 52 points as the Warriors rallied from a 17-point deficit. The home team had won 10 straight regular-season games in the series. Draymond Green missed his second straight game with a minor shin injury.

Golden State lost the first meeting with Phoenix, 107-95 in the desert for the Warriors' first loss of the season. They have routed the Suns in two meetings since. The most recent was 98-80 on the road on March 9. Curry had 36 points.

Key trends: The Suns are 1-5 ATS in their past six at Golden State. The under is 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings.

Early lean: I think Warriors might be a bit flat after Tuesday's big win. Suns won't win but will cover. Go over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play THURS Evansville -8

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 2

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STANFORD (23 - 13) vs. MIAMI (25 - 12) - 4/2/2015, 9:00 PM There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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N ARIZONA (23 - 14) at EVANSVILLE (23 - 12) - 4/2/2015, 7:00 PM There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Thursday, April 2

Trend Report

7:00 PM
NORTHERN ARIZONA vs. EVANSVILLE
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Northern Arizona's last 9 games on the road
Northern Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Evansville is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Evansville is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

9:00 PM
STANFORD vs. MIAMI
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games
Miami is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NIT Championship
By Brian Edwards

NIT Championship - Miami, Fl. vs. Stanford (ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET)
Location: New York, NY
Betting Odds: Stanford -1.5, Total: 134.5

Already playing without starting point guard Angel Rodriguez, Miami lost 7-foot center Tonye Jekiri just six minutes into its NIT semifinal matchup against Temple. Nevertheless, the Hurricanes overcame a 30-25 halftime deficit and won a 60-57 decision as one-point favorites Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

However, when Miami collides with Stanford in Thursday's NIT finals, it won't have Rodriguez or Jekiri, who sustained a concussion.

Therefore, it's understandable that as of early Wednesday night, most books had Stanford (23-13 straight up, 16-19-1 against the spread) installed as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 135.

"We've been like a M.A.S.H. unit," Jim Larranaga said. "But somehow, some way, these guys find a way to stick together."

Miami's Sheldon McClellan was the catalyst against Temple with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Davon Reed added six points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots for UM, which held the Owls to just 2-of-19 shooting from 3-point range.

Temple missed all 15 of its treys in the second half when it made only 22.5 percent of its attempts from the field. Even without Jekiri, UM's leading rebounder (9.9 rebounds per game), the 'Canes won the battle of the boards by a 38-32 margin.

Miami (25-12 SU, 17-17-1 ATS) advanced to New York City with wins vs. N.C. Central (75-71), vs. Alabama (73-66) and at Richmond (63-61). The 'Canes have won seven of their last eight games, going 5-3 versus the number. The lone loss during this span came to Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament.

Miami has been an underdog 11 times this year, going 7-4 ATS with five outright victories. The 'Canes won at Florida, at Duke, at Syracuse and at Pitt as 'dogs. In addition, they should've had a spread cover in a 69-60 loss at Notre Dame as 6.5-point puppies in overtime.

McClellan (14.4 PPG) is UM's leading scorer, but it won't have its second and third-leading scorers against the Cardinal. Rodriguez (11.9 PPG) lead the 'Canes in assists with a 3.9 APG average, while Jekiri (8.6 PPG) paces them in field-goal percentage (50.0%) and blocked shots (1.4 BPG).

Stanford advanced the finals thanks to Tuesday's 67-60 win over Old Dominion as a 3.5-point 'chalk.' The 127 combined points stayed 'under' the 133.5-point tally.

Stanford scored the first 15 points of the game and led 25-4 with less than nine minutes left in the first half. The Monarchs would rally, however, and led briefly midway through the second half.

Chasson Randle led the way for the winners with 24 points, surpassing Todd Lichti as the Cardinal's all-time leading scorer. Stefan Nastic added 17 points and Anthony Brown finished with 14.

Johnny Dawkins's team made it to NYC by posting wins vs. UC Davis (77-64), Rhode Island (74-65) and Vanderbilt (78-75). The Cardinal covered in the first two games but disappointed its backers as 4.5-point 'chalk' against the Commodores.

Randle averages team-highs in scoring (19.4 PPG), assists (3.0 APG) and steals (1.3 SPG).

After cashing in back-to-back games, the 'under' is 16-14-2 overall for Miami.

The 'under' is 18-17-1 overall for Stanford, cashing at a 6-3 clip in its last nine games.

ESPN will have the telecast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.'s Bonus Nuggets**

-- As of early Wednesday evening, multiple reports had Texas closing in on a deal to sign Shaka Smart away from VCU. We've been here before, however. It will certainly be understandable if Smart takes a lucrative deal from the Longhorns, but I won't be shocked if he opts to stay with the Rams.

-- Several scenarios could play out depending on Smart's decision. If he declines an offer from Texas, you would think that Wichita St.'s Gregg Marshall would be next on the list for the Longhorns. Marshall, who met with Alabama AD Bill Battle for seven hours Monday in Wichita, would be more interested in the Texas job than the one at Alabama. Therefore, Smart staying at VCU could lead Marshall to Texas, leaving Alabama still searching for its next coach. Reports out of Tuscaloosa are that Minnesota's Richard Pitino would be next for the Crimson Tide, who want to make a splashy hire after Auburn made noise with its catch of Bruce Pearl last year. Murray St.'s Steve Prohm could also be a candidate at Alabama.

-- If Smart heads to Texas, is Marshall really considering the 'Bama gig? Is Nick Saban involved at this point? Perhaps most important, is Mrs. Terry Saban working the phones with Mrs. Marshall and selling her on T-Town? According to multiple reports, Alabama is offering a salary of more than $3 million per season and the deal could be worth north of $20 million for six seasons. Marshall is believed to make around $1.9 million per year at Wichita St.

-- If Smart leaves VCU, would the Rams consider bringing back Anthony Grant? Grant had three successful seasons with the Rams before leaving for Alabama. He took VCU to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and one NIT. The Rams beat Duke in an opening-round game on Eric Maynard's last-second shot in Grant's first season. Two years later, Maynard's potential game winner was off the mark in a one-point loss to UCLA in the NCAAs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NIT Finals Betting Preview: Stanford vs. Miami

Stanford Cardinal vs. Miami Hurricanes (+1.5, 134.5)

Chasson Randle is one win away from bookending his Stanford career with NIT championships and can complete his senior season in style with a victory against Miami (Fla.) on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Randle became the Cardinal's all-time leading scorer on Tuesday in a semifinal win against Old Dominion as he scored 24 points to move his four-year total to 2,350 points, passing Todd Lichti's mark that stood for more than 25 years. Randle was Stanford's leading scorer as a freshman on its 2011-12 team that defeated Minnesota in the NIT championship game.

The Cardinal are aiming for their third NIT championship - they also won it in 1991 - while the Hurricanes had never even made the semifinals in 11 previous NIT appearances. Miami slipped past Temple in Tuesday's first semifinal behind junior guard Sheldon McClellan, who registered 16 points and 11 boards. The Hurricanes likely will not have point guard Angel Rodriguez (wrist), who has missed the last three games, and also will be without center Tonye Jekiri, who suffered a concussion in the first half against the Owls.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: Both the spread and the total have yet to move off their opening numbers of Miami +1.5 and 134.5 respectively.

ABOUT STANFORD (23-13 SU, 16-19-1 ATS, 17-18-1 O/U): Randle is hardly a one-man show for Stanford, as he averages 19.4 points to join Anthony Brown (14.9) and Stefan Nastic (13.5) in double figures, and the senior trio combined for 55 of the team's 67 points against Old Dominion. “For me to win an NIT championship, for our seniors, (if) we went out on top and won our last game ... that would be very special for us,” Randle told reporters. “For the younger guys, they will have something to hang their hats on for next year going into next season.” Brown is 6-of-9 from 3-point range in the last two games and has made 44.3 percent from the behind the arc on the season.

ABOUT MIAMI (25-12 SU, 17-17-1 ATS, 14-16-2 O/U): The Hurricanes continue to win on the defensive end, as they have captured seven of eight while holding their opponents to 62.3 points during that stretch. However, not having Jekiri (8.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 51 blocks) could be a major blow on Thursday as the team's next best rebounder is McClellan (4.7) and no one else on the squad has more than 17 blocks. "We've been like a M.A.S.H. unit," Miami coach Jim Larranaga said to reporters. "But somehow, some way, these guys find a way to stick together."

TRENDS:

*Cardinal are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
*Hurricanes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
*Over is 7-2 in Cardinal last 9 games following a ATS win.
*Under is 4-1 in Hurricanes last 5 games following a S.U. win.