Tuesday 1/10/17 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kentucky Wildcats (13-2) at Vanderbilt Commodores (8-7)

Date: January 10, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Can anyone in the Southeastern Conference stop Kentucky?

It's a question SEC fans are asking as Kentucky heads to Nashville to face Vanderbilt on Tuesday evening.

Kentucky (13-2, 3-0 SEC) is No. 6 in both major polls, but that might be underselling the Wildcats a bit. They top Ken Pomeroy's rankings as of late Monday afternoon, after demolishing their first three SEC opponents -- Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Arkansas -- by 23, 42 and 26 points, respectively.

What has made the 'Cats scary on both ends of the floor is the play of its three starting guards -- point guard De'Aron Fox, and wings Isaiah Briscoe and Malik Monk.

Monk leads the SEC in scoring at 21.9 points per game, and Briscoe and Fox have each registered triple-doubles this season.

Monk has been plagued by inconsistency at times -- he scored 16 points on 17 shots, one game removed from putting up 47 points against North Carolina -- but has averaged 24 points in the three games since while shooting 62.1 percent from the field.

Fox led the team in scoring (27) against Arkansas and paces the SEC in assists per game (6.7) by a wide margin. Briscoe, an elite on-ball defender, has significantly improved his offensive game (15.2 ppg, 50.7 percent shooting from the field).

Kentucky also has gifted interior players with forwards Bam Adebayo, who averages 13.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks, and forward Derek Willis, who scored 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench against Arkansas.

"If there's a weakness, you guys can let us know," Vanderbilt coach Bryce Drew joked this week.

But as Kentucky knows, winning in Memorial Gymnasium isn't always easy. Vanderbilt won there 74-62 last season, and the Wildcats, who are 11-point favorites, haven't beaten the Commodores by double digits in Memorial Gym in its last 10 games there.

After getting blown out at Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 8, the Commodores have played much better. Drew scrapped much of his four-out, one-in offense for one more like last year's coach, Kevin Stallings, ran, one that finds shooters and uses back cuts to loosen defenses.

"They're a terrific offensive team with 3-point shooters," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "That's how they played, and they're running almost all of the stuff with adjustments, but it's mostly the stuff that they ran a year ago."

Vanderbilt ranks 13th in the country in 3-point shooting (40.3 percent) and has hit 40 3-pointers in its three SEC games while making 77.4 percent of its free throws, which ranks 12th nationally.

Kentucky's focus will be on guard Matthew Fisher-Davis, who averaged 27 points in the three games before Saturday's loss at Alabama, during which he scored just seven points on nine shots from the floor.

But the Wildcats will also have to worry about 7-foot-1 center Luke Kornet. The senior is one of the country's better shot-blockers. He has averaged 15.5 points in the last four games and seems to be healing from persistent knee issues.

Kentucky is more athletic and holds opponents to 29.7 percent 3-point shooting. But the Commodores have six players who have hit at least 14 3-pointers this season, and they move the ball well in their half-court offense.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Xavier Musketeers (13-2) at Villanova Wildcats (15-1)

Date: January 10, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Third-ranked Villanova will have a chance to tie a remarkable record when it hosts No. 15 Xavier Tuesday night at The Pavilion.

The Wildcats (15-1, 3-1 Big East) are in search of their 46th consecutive victory at their cozy 6,500-seat on-campus arena on the Main Line. They also won 46 straight games here from 2007-11.

For Villanova to match this record, it will have to defeat a very potent Xavier team, which has won six in a row and improved to 13-2 and 3-0 in the Big East following a 97-82 win over St. John's on Saturday.

After an eight-point loss at No. 18 Butler last Wednesday, the Wildcats bounced back with a commanding 93-81 victory over Marquette Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Villanova, which dropped two spots to No. 3 in the latest poll released Monday afternoon, led by 30 points late in the second half.

Senior Kris Jenkins, who knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer over North Carolina to capture last season's national championship, led the way with 23 points. Preseason National Player of the Year candidate Josh Hart scored 19 points and made some clutch baskets down the stretch.

"We're just learning as we go along," Jenkins said. "We've got some new guys in some new roles with our three senior leaders. It's something that we're working on and getting better at."

Redshirt freshman guard Donte DiVincenzo played one of his strongest games all season and finished with eight points and a career-high six assists in 29 minutes.

"He's a big part of this team," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "Being hurt last year, he not only missed a lot of games but a lot of teaching time in practice. He can really pass the ball. He can really score and rebound. We need him. Donte gives us great versatility. He's big for us."

Xavier, the last remaining unbeaten team in the Big East, will feature an upgraded roster with the return of senior guard Myles Davis. He was added to the active roster as of Sunday, following a suspension for two misdemeanor criminal charges reportedly connected with a former girlfriend. Davis missed the first 15 games this season.

"Beginning tomorrow (Monday), Myles Davis is going to be reinstated to our basketball program," Xavier coach Chris Mack said in a prepared statement. "He's met the terms of his suspension, which were outlined to him at the beginning of the school year when he was suspended. I think he learned some valuable lessons from his mistakes, his 15-game long suspension and his reinstatement. I think he needs to continue to make good choices in order to keep his standing within our program.

"He's obviously had a long road to this point. His role on our basketball team will be no different from the other 14 guys in our locker room. He'll earn everything he gets from this point forward. So he has a lot of work to do and I think he recognizes that and understands that. We now move forward with Myles as part of our team."

Junior Trevon Bluiett leads the Musketeers in scoring (17.7 points) and recorded a team-best eight 20-point performances this season. Edmond Sumner ranks second on the team in scoring (15.6) and first in assists (4.9).

"I'm really happy with our effort," Mack told the Cincinnati Enquirer following the 15-point win over St. John's. "I thought we played really unselfish. ... I think we're finding the open man a little bit better than we did earlier in the year, so, yeah, it was definitely an efficient game offensively.

"We shot the eyes out of the ball in the first half. In the second half, had we made more free throws, we'd score over 100 points. Again, you do that against a team that pressures and is as athletic as St. John's is, you take it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Duke Blue Devils (14-2) at Florida State Seminoles (15-1)

Date: January 10, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- No. 9 Florida State and No. 7 Duke both moved up in the AP Top 25 men's basketball poll Monday, setting up a mammoth ACC showdown Tuesday night at the Donald L. Tucker Center.

And being home for this matchup is just fine with the Seminoles (15-1, 3-0 ACC), who are 11-0 this season on their court and ready for whatever the powerhouse Blue Devils (14-2, 2-1) bring their way.

"It's going to be fun," Florida State forward Jarquez Smith said. "We're looking forward to it. We feel like we have a lot to prove this year."

Florida State, which leaped three spots from No. 12 last week, has proved plenty thus far.

The Seminoles have already knocked off three Top 25 teams -- Florida, Virginia Tech and Virginia -- and beat the latter two in back-to-back games.

Add in a win over Wake Forest to kick off ACC play two weeks ago and Florida State is off to its first 3-0 start in the ACC in school history. The Seminoles are tied for first place with No. 20 Notre Dame.

"No one's going to the NCAA Tournament winning three conference games," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said after Saturday's 93-78 rout for its 11th straight win. "So I realize we still got a lot of work to do."

That work continues when the Blue Devils roll into town for a prime-time, nationally televised Top 10 duel. And Florida State hopes to take advantage of two key pieces missing for Duke when the teams tip off.

First, Duke -- winners of two straight and 12 of their last 13 -- will be without coach Mike Krzyzewski, who underwent back surgery last Friday and is out for an unknown amount of time.

Second, the Blue Devils announced Monday that star forward Amile Jefferson (bruised foot) will not play against the Seminoles. Jefferson, who averages 13.6 points and a team-best 10.1 rebounds, was hurt in the first half during Duke's last game against Boston College. The injury is to the same foot that Jefferson broke last season, causing him to miss the final three months of the year.

Acting Duke coach Jeff Capel said Jefferson will be sorely missed against a Florida State team that boasts two 7-footers: centers Michael Ojo (7-1) and Christ Koumadje (7-4).

"Amile is as important a player that we have," Capel told the Charlotte (N.C.) News & Observer on Monday. "His importance, his value cannot be measured by just numbers, and the numbers themselves are incredibly impressive.

"But the things that he does, coaches really value the things that he does. You see it a little different, the leadership, the talking, the experience. Being the most respected guy on the court and in the locker room."

Duke does, however, have its leading scorer Grayson Allen -- a magnet for controversy lately -- back after Allen was suspended indefinitely three weeks ago. The junior guard, who is averaging 15.6 points per game, was caught tripping an opposing player during Duke's Dec. 21 game against Elon and later forced to sit -- although the suspension only lasted one game.

However, in Allen's second game back from suspension against Boston College on Saturday, he was caught on camera appearing to trip yet another player.

The ACC reviewed the tape Sunday and later released a statement saying, "There is nothing conclusive that can be determined as to whether Allen intentionally made contact with an Eagles player using his leg or foot."

And Florida State knows Allen's antics better than most.

Allen was in hot water twice for the same type of infraction last year -- once against Florida State and in another game against Louisville.

In the Blue Devils' February 2016 win over the Seminoles -- an 80-65 Duke victory that marked the teams' last meeting before Tuesday -- Allen tripped guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes and was whistled for a technical.

After the game, Krzyzewski called Hamilton to apologize for his star player's behavior.

"He acknowledged the fact and apologized to our staff and to let Xavier know, too," Hamilton said at the time. "We accepted it and moved on. I was proud of the way Xavier handled it. We've moved on. We don't want it to become an issue. It's over."

The Seminoles, who are 9-35 against the Blue Devils all time, might have moved on, but they will undoubtedly keep the incident in the back of their minds as they seek their first win over Duke in almost five years.

Florida State last beat the Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament in March 2012, and Hamilton knows his team is once again up against a supremely talented squad.

"I think a lot of folks (in the preseason) picked them to win the national title," Hamilton said. "This is a typical Duke basketball team loaded with talent."

Of course, Florida State has plenty of talent of its own this year in leading scorer Dwayne Bacon (18.1 points per game) and five-star freshman forward Jonathan Isaac (12.2 ppg and 7.4 rebounds per game).

Bacon has reached double figures in 25 straight games and Rathan-Mayes has upped his scoring average this season and now averages 10.4 points per game.

But it's Florida State's depth that has emerged as its biggest weapon this year. A dozen Seminoles are seeing double-digit minutes, and their depth is scary.

"They have 12 high-major plus players, and (coach Hamilton) manages their energy level and skill set and matches it accordingly," Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams said after Saturday's loss to the Seminoles. "I think they're just really, really good.

"And, look, I know football is big (at Florida State), but I think coach Hamilton is too much an afterthought and doesn't get the credit he deserves nationally. I think this is the best team he's ever had, in my opinion."

Florida State enters with its highest ranking since the 1992-93 season when it reached No. 7, and the Seminoles are 15-1 for just the second time ever. If they beat Duke, their 16-1 record will match the best start in program history (1988-89).

But getting there will be no easy task.

After Tuesday's game against Duke, the Seminoles continue a brutal ACC gauntlet to start the season by traveling to play No. 14 North Carolina, followed by back-to-back home games against two more ranked teams: No. 20 Notre Dame and No. 14 Louisville.

By the time the brutal stretch is over, Florida State will have faced six of the ACC's seven Top 25 teams in their first seven games.

But so far so good.

"I believe our guys are handling this level and atmosphere with maturity," Hamilton said. "We are constantly making sure they understand where we are. We're (still) at the beginning of the season and we've won three conference games. We've been on the other side, trying to climb up, but now for (these wins) to be meaningful, you got to stay there. You gotta keep stack victories."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kansas Jayhawks (14-1) at Oklahoma Sooners (6-8)

Date: January 10, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

NORMAN, Okla. -- Some things never change, like second-ranked Kansas' stranglehold on the Big 12 and the Jayhawks' position as one of college basketball's powers.

Some things do, like Oklahoma's plunge from Final Four team a year ago to the basement of the Big 12 through three conference games.

A year ago when the Jayhawks and Sooners met for the first time, the teams provided one of the highlights of last season -- a thrilling 109-106 triple-overtime win by Kansas that also jump-started Oklahoma's Buddy Hield's national player of the year candidacy.

But this Oklahoma team isn't the one that pushed Kansas to the brink with Hield's spectacular 46-point performance and eventually advanced to the Final Four.

Oklahoma enters Tuesday night's first meeting between the teams riding a six-game losing streak and still without its best scorer, Jordan Woodard.

Woodard will miss his fifth consecutive game and fourth with an undisclosed medical condition after sitting out Oklahoma's Dec. 21 loss to Auburn with an upper-leg injury.

He did return to practice Monday but will not play against Kansas.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self isn't about to take anything for granted, though.

"To win a league you have to win at home, but you also have to go win games that you have a chance to win on the road," Self said. "We went to TCU and got it done, and certainly this would be a great win, as far as the league race goes, to go to Norman and get it done.

"I've watched them and I know their players are dangerous and we can't allow them to get in a rhythm playing well, which I know they're very capable of."

Kansas has been on a roll since a season-opening overtime loss to Indiana, winning 14 consecutive games.

"One of the top one or two teams in the country," Sooners coach Lon Kruger said. "Very talented. Bill does a great job. Their club is playing with a high level of confidence and does a lot of things very well. Just a very good team."

Kansas hasn't been dominant in Big 12 play, though, winning close games at TCU and at home against Kansas State before a 17-point win over Texas Tech on Saturday that was the program's 2,200th victory, something Self downplayed.

"I think we're about 15-18 wins behind Kentucky, so it's going to take a few years to catch those 'Cats," Self said. "But if we could ever get to the No. 1 slot, then that to me would mean quite a bit. That means that these particular teams would be doing something pretty remarkable."

The Jayhawks can afford to have such thoughts.

For Oklahoma, the focus is on improvement as much as anything as the Sooners' chances for a fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament have slipped away over the last month.

"When you're not winning ballgames, it's a challenge," Kruger said. "We know they're going to keep working at it and their effort is gonna be there. They have to maintain a fresh mindset as well and come every day and get better.

"That's the only answer and there's no quick fix to it. You have to keep growing and getting better from each experience."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Florida Gators (12-3) at Alabama Crimson Tide (9-5)

Date: January 10, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

Florida scored more than 80 points on four occasions during a five-game winning streak, but the No. 23 Gators might need to play a different style to keep that streak intact.

That's because Florida visits Alabama on Tuesday and the Crimson Tide are finding success in a different manner. Alabama is allowing an average of 56.5 points during its four-game winning streak.

So it definitely makes for a clash of philosophies when two of the SEC's four remaining unbeaten teams in conference play square off in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The Gators (12-3, 3-0) feature three players averaging more than 11 points per game, including red-hot sophomore guard KeVaughn Allen (14.7 per game). The Crimson Tide (9-5, 2-0) don't have any players scoring in double digits while limiting opponents to an average of 61.1, which ranks second in the SEC.

"We're an emerging offensive team, but we hang our hats on defense," Alabama coach Avery Johnson said Monday. "We think if we can continue to rebound with our opponents or try to outrebound them, that will have a direct correlation on success for us.

"But we have to get back on defense. We can't give Florida any easy baskets. They are outstanding in the open floor."

Allen has been outstanding from all areas of the floor during the past four games. He has made at least four 3-pointers in each and is 18 of 29 from long range during the span.

Allen is averaging 19.3 points during the stretch and was named SEC Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 18.5 points in last week's victories over Mississippi and Tennessee.

"It's nice to see him really aggressive because he's a really talented scorer," Florida coach Mike White said, "and his teammates rally around that, too."

Allen likes being a difference-maker, but he is more smitten over his team's results.

"It's a big accomplishment to be 3-0," Allen said. "But we have to continue to work hard, go to practice, learn from our mistakes and perform better."

Junior forward Devin Robinson (12.1) and reserve senior guard Canyon Barry (11.8) also are scoring in double digits for the Gators, who average 78.9 points per game. Senior forward Justin Leon averages just 7.2 points but delivered a career-best 19 points in Saturday's 83-70 victory over Tennessee.

Alabama is coming off a 59-56 victory over Vanderbilt to improve to 9-0 when holding teams to 61 or fewer points.

Freshman guard Dazon Ingram leads the Crimson Tide in scoring (9.9), assists (3.9) and steals (16). Freshman forward Braxton Key (9.4 points, 5.5 rebounds) is the only other player averaging more than eight points per game.

The relative lack of firepower leaves Johnson well aware that his team has little margin for error against the Gators.

"Florida is a really good team. They are experienced and they do a great job," Johnson said. "Allen makes 3s from all over the floor. This is a well-coached, experienced basketball team so we're going to have to play our best basketball."

Alabama outplayed Florida in last season's lone meeting as it halted an 11-game losing streak against the Gators by posting a 61-55 road victory. It was only the fourth time the Crimson Tide defeated Florida in the past 26 meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kansas State Wildcats (13-2) at Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-3)

Date: January 10, 2017 9:15 PM EDT

Texas Tech hosts Kansas State on Tuesday night, a day after the Wildcats squeezed into the Top 25 in a tie for 25th with USC.

But a look at the respective resumes of the Red Raiders and Wildcats and it's clear the ranking could just as easily be flip-flopped. Texas Tech and Kansas State look a lot alike as both vie for a place in the upper half of the Big 12 standings.

Kansas State (13-2, 2-1 Big 12) achieved a top-25 ranking despite having no victories over top 25 opponents so far this season. Last week, the Wildcats played rival No. 2 Kansas to a controversial two-point loss in Lawrence, Kan., and hammered struggling Oklahoma in Manhattan, Kan.

Meanwhile, Texas Tech (12-3, 1-2) posted its first victory over a top 25 this season when the Red Raiders edged No. 7 West Virginia by a point in overtime in Lubbock, Texas.

Kansas State (50) and Texas Tech (56) were close enough to throw a napkin over the both of them in RPI as of Monday.

Wildcats coach Bruce Weber knows his team will not be able to roll into Lubbock and intimidate the Red Raiders.

"They run Bob Knight old-school motion," Weber said in his postgame press conference after the win over Oklahoma. "They have versatile, big guys that shoot 3s. We are going to have to play well."

Nor will Texas Tech be likely to overlook the Wildcats. The Red Raiders began conference play with a road trip to Iowa State, then the home game against the Mountaineers and the trip to Kansas.

But they're aware that there are no easy nights in the Big 12.

"(Kansas) Coach (Bill) Self asked me right after the game, 'Who do you play next?' and I said, 'I think Golden State Warriors,'" Texas Tech coach Chris Beard joked after the loss to the Jayhawks. "It's an 18-round fight and you want to give yourself a chance every night. We intend to be a part of the fight."

Kansas State can help its chances to win in Lubbock by keeping up the defensive pressure it showed in the victory over Oklahoma. The Wildcats scored 18 points off 19 Sooners turnovers. Giving up transition points has been a problem for the Red Raiders in their losses.

Another night of balanced scoring would also boost Kansas State's chances. All five starters scored in double digits against Oklahoma, led by guard Wesley Iwundu with 16.

To defend its home court, Texas Tech probably needs to get back to scoring in the paint.

The Red Raiders scored 26 points in the paint in the win over West Virginia but managed just 18 in the loss to Kansas. Texas Tech turned to the 3-pointer against the Jayhawks and, though the Red Raiders hit 11 of 28, they still failed to keep up with Kansas.

The Jayhawks poured in 30 points in the paint against the Red Raiders and also dropped 9 of 18 treys.

Kansas State can score from beyond the arc as it has hit 7.6 3-pointers per game this season, but the Wildcats will likely need balance to pull of a win in Lubbock and retain their ranking.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

**Baylor at West Virginia**

-- West Virginia (13-2 straight up, 6-4 against the spread) is No. 39 in the RPI Rankings, going 3-0 against Top-50 competition with a home win over TCU, a road scalp at Virginia and a neutral-court triumph over Illinois. The Mountaineers are 4-2 versus the Top-100, winning at Oklahoma State but losing at Texas Tech and vs. Temple on a neutral court. Their RPI isn’t strong yet because eight of their wins have come to teams outside of the Top 150.

-- WVU is unbeaten in nine home games with a 2-2 spread record. Bob Huggins’s team is off of Saturday’s 82-70 win over TCU as a 13-point home favorite. Daxter Miles Jr. was the catalyst with 22 points and seven rebounds. Esa Ahmad added 16 points, while Sagaba Konate and Jevon Carter scored 13 points apiece.

-- West Virginia has a balanced scoring attack with seven players averaging at least 7.6 points per game. Ahmad is averaging a team-best 12.9 PPG while shooting 55.1 percent from the field. Carter (10.5 PPG) has a stellar 70/23 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

-- WVU is ranked fourth in the country in scoring offense, averaging 90.1 PPG. The Mountaineers are 16th in the nation in scoring defense (61.4 PPG). They press and trap all over the court for 40 minutes.

-- It’s amazing that WVU scores at such a high clip considering its abysmal free-throw shooting that ranks No. 303 in America (64.6%).

-- As of early Monday night, most betting shops had WVU listed as a five-point favorite. One offshore book had the total at 139.

-- Baylor (15-0 SU, 7-3 ATS) took over the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll on Monday for the first time in school history. The Bears are off to a 3-0 start in league play that has them sharing the Big 12 lead with Kansas. They’ve failed to cover the spread in back-to-back games, however, including Saturday’s 61-57 win over Oklahoma State as a 12-point home ‘chalk.’ Manu Lecomte scored a team-best 17 points thanks to 8-of-10 shooting from the free-throw line. Johnathan Motley added 13 points, 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and three assists.

-- Baylor has only played one true road game to date, rolling to an easy 76-50 win at Oklahoma in the Big 12 opener for both schools. Scott Drew’s team easily took the money as a seven-point road favorite, while the 126 combined points fell ‘under’ the 141.5-point total. Motley paced the winners with 19 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots.

-- Motley, a junior power forward, is averaging team-highs in scoring (15.8 PPG) and rebounding (9.4 RPG) while also blocking 1.1 shots per game. Jo Lusai-Acuil, a seven-foot junior center, is third in the nation in blocked shots (3.5 BPG). He also averages 10.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting at a 62.3 percent clip from the field. Lecomte (11.8 PPG) has a 73/30 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

-- Baylor is ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 58.3 points per game. The Bears are sixth in field-goal percentage defense (37.3%).

-- Baylor has won outright in two underdog spots. The Bears beat Louisville 66-63 as three-point ‘dogs in the finals of the Battle 4 Atlantis down in the Bahamas. They also knocked off Oregon 66-49 as one-point home ‘dogs.

-- WVU won both head-to-head meetings both SU and ATS last season. In fact, the Mountaineers won by double digits in both contests, including an 80-69 home win in Morgantown.

-- The ‘over’ is 5-1 in the last six WVU-Baylor encounters.

-- The ‘over’ is 5-4-1 overall for WVU, 3-1 in its home games. The ‘over’ is 2-0-1 in the Mountaineers’ last three outings (regardless of the venue).

-- The ‘under’ is 7-2 overall for the Bears, 1-0 in their lone road assignment.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

**Duke at Florida State**

-- FSU might have its best team since 1993-94 when Pat Kennedy’s team advanced to the Elite Eight behind the play of Sam Cassell, Charlie Ward, Doug Edwards and Rodney Dobard before getting smashed by Kentucky. Leonard Hamilton’s bunch is in a first-place tie with Notre Dame atop the ACC standings, as both schools have 3-0 record in league play.

-- FSU (15-1 straight up, 10-4 against the spread) is undefeated in 11 home games with a 7-2 spread record. The ‘Noles will bring an 11-game winning streak into this contest.

-- As of early Monday night, most spots had FSU installed as a short one-point favorite with a total of 157.

-- FSU has ACC wins over vs. Wake Forest (88-72), at Virginia (60-58) and vs. Virginia Tech (93-78). Hamilton’s squad took the cash as an 8.5-point home ‘chalk’ Saturday against the Hokies, while the 171 combined points jumped ‘over’ the 160.5-point total. Terance Mann led the way with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Dwayne Bacon contributed 17 points and six boards. Jonathan Isaac, Jarquez Smith and P.J. Savoy were also in double figures with 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively. Savoy logged only seven minutes of playing time, but he drained 3-of-6 attempts from downtown.

-- Savoy doesn’t get many minutes, averaging less than 10 minutes per game. But he knows how to take advantage of them. Savoy is instant offense off the bench, burying 20-of-46 shots (43.5%) from 3-point range. He’s only taken five two-pointers, making two of them. He had 27 points in only 14 minutes of action in a win over So. Miss and went for 18 points in a season-high 23 minutes of action vs. Nicholls.

-- Bacon is averaging a team-best 18.1 points per game. Isaac, a 6’10” freshman forward, is averaging 12.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocked shots per game. Junior guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes is averaging 10.4 points, 4.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. He has a 75/30 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

-- Duke (14-2 SU, 7-8 ATS) is 1-1 both SU and ATS in a pair of road games this year. It will be playing for a second time without legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who had back surgery this past Friday and probably won’t return to the sidelines until early February. Jeff Capel, the long-time assistant who is the former head coach at VCU and Oklahoma, is the new interim head coach. He led the Blue Devils past Boston College by a 93-82 count Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Eagles easily took the cash as 26.5-point road underdogs. True freshman Jayson Tatum paced the winners with 22 points, six rebounds, four steals, three assists and a pair of blocked shots. Grayson Allen added 12 points, 11 assists and three steals, while Harry Giles had 12 points and five boards.

-- Duke will be without fifth-year senior power forward Amile Jefferson, who sustained a bone bruise in his foot. The long-term prognosis is good, but he’s out at FSU. Jefferson is averaging 13.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game.

-- Duke is led by the smoothest southpaw shooter I’ve seen since Chris Mullin. His name is Luke Kennard. The sophomore two-guard is averaging a team-high 20.2 PPG thanks to shooting percentages of 53.1 (FG%), 45.5 (3P%) and 86.5 (FT%). He also pulls down 5.8 RPG. Tatum missed the team’s first eight games, but he’s been making up for lost time since then. Tatum is averaging 17.0 points and 7.1 RPG. Allen (15.6 PPG) has a 59/26 assists-to-turnovers ratio, while Frank Jackson (12.2 PPG) is also scoring in double figures.

-- Giles is a true freshman center who many have tabbed to be the 2017 NBA Draft’s No. 1 overall pick. The five-star recruit blew out his knee during his senior year of high school and missed Duke’s first 11 games. In five games to date, Giles is averaging 12:48 minutes per contest as they slowly work him back into playing shape. He is averaging 5.4 points and 5.4 RPG. His minutes have increased from 4, 6, 13, 17 and then 24 against BC. In last week’s 110-57 home win over Ga. Tech, Giles had 10 points and 12 rebounds. With Jefferson out at FSU, the Winston-Salem product may move into the starting lineup.

-- FSU is No. 11 in the RPI Rankings thanks to six Top-50 wins and eight scalps of Top-100 foes. The Seminoles own home wins over Minnesota, Florida, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech, in addition to a neutral-court victory over Illinois and a win at UVA. The ‘Noles took their only defeat vs. Temple (RPI: 51) on a neutral floor.

-- Duke is No. 13 in the RPI, compiling a 3-2 record against the Top 50 and a 5-2 mark versus the Top 100. The Blue Devils own quality neutral-court wins over Florida, Rhode Island and Penn St., in addition to a home win over Michigan State. The Blue Devils’ losses came at Virginia Tech and vs. Kansas on a neutral court.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (7-7) for the ‘Noles, but they’ve seen the ‘over’ go 6-3 in their home games. However, the ‘under’ is 4-1 in their last five outings (regardless of the venue).

-- The ‘under’ is 10-5 overall for Duke, 1-1 in its road contests. However, the ‘over’ has hit in three consecutive games for the Blue Devils.

-- This 8:00 p.m. Eastern tip will be on ESPN Extra (DirecTV channel 790).

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Indiana will invade College Park on Tuesday night to take on Maryland at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. The Terrapins bounced from a surprising home loss to Nebraska last week by going into Ann Arbor on Saturday and emerging with a 77-70 win as eight-point road underdogs. They are 9-2 SU but just 2-6 ATS at home. Indiana started 0-2 in Big Ten play but responded with Saturday’s 96-80 win over Illinois as 11-point favorites.

-- Oklahoma star guard Jordan Woodward (illness) is ‘out’ for Tuesday’s home game vs. Kansas. Woodward is averaging 17.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game. OU and KU will tip at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

-- Kentucky was listed as an early 11-point road favorite for Tuesday’s trip to Music City to take on Vanderbilt.

-- Boston College has covered the spread in five straight games when listed as a double-digit underdog, winning three of those games outright. The Eagles will host N.C. State on Wednesday, but they won’t be catching double digits in that spot.

-- Northeastern is absolutely on fire, winning seven straight games while going 6-0 ATS. The Huskies are led by T.J. Williams, who is averaging team-highs in scoring (21.1 PPG), assists (6.0 APG) and steals (1.5 SPG). They’re also getting outstanding play from Alex Murphy, who formerly played at Duke and Florida. The grad transfer is averaging 14.7 points and 5.2 RPG while shooting a team-high 51.8 percent clip from the field. Northeastern will put its seven-game winning streak on the line Thursday at home vs. Drexel.

-- The nation’s best ATS teams are South Dakota (12-3-1), Marshall (11-3), Gonzaga (10-2), Fresno State (9-2), Creighton (11-4) and Kentucky (11-4).

-- The worst ATS teams are South Dakota State (3-12-1), No. Iowa (3-11), DePaul (4-11), Long Beach State (3-10) and Sacramento State (2-9).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 10 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews

As I projected on Saturday , Baylor has risen to the No. 1 spot in the polls for the first time in school history and it is just the second team in the past 25 years (2009-10 Syracuse) to reach No. 1 after being unranked in the preseason. The Bears might not want to get too comfortable there as they visit No. 10 West Virginia on Tuesday night. Over the past 10 years, seven other schools (Villanova, Gonzaga, Texas, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Wisconsin) earned the No. 1 ranking for their first time ever like Baylor. And the longest winning streak for those first-time No. 1s was just four games. Baylor is the 59th school to be ranked No. 1 since the poll started in the 1948-49 season. The Bears are 6-point underdogs at WVU.

Auburn at Missouri (+3)

A 7 p.m. ET tip on the SEC Network. Auburn will be without good-looking freshman guard Danjel Purifoy for a while after he suffered a high-ankle sprain in Saturday's 88-85 loss to Ole Miss. Purifoy, who entered the game second on the team with 14.2 points and 6.0 rebounds, had six points and three rebounds before coming out with 7:12 to go in the first half. Auburn had a couple of good nonconference wins over Oklahoma and UConn but has started SEC play at 0-3 following the loss to the Rebels. T.J. Lang missed the tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Missouri's program is a total mess, and I doubt Coach Kim Anderson is brought back next year. The Tigers dropped their sixth straight on Saturday , 71-66 at Georgia. And assistant coach Steve Shields embarrassed the program by fighting with Georgia's director of operations Kevin Davison right before halftime after some players were in a bit of a skirmish. To be fair to Shields, video did appear to show that Davison put his hands on Missouri player Trevor Glassman. Shields went in to defend Davison. Sophomore guard Terrence Phillips led Missouri, which was up six at halftime, in scoring for the second time this season with 20 points. Mizzou tied a season high with 10 steals. Missouri won the lone meeting with Auburn last year 76-61.

Key trends: Auburn is 0-6 against the spread in its past six vs. the SEC. Missouri is 8-3-1 ATS in its past 12 vs. the SEC. The road team is 3-1-1 ATS in the past five meetings.

I'm leaning: Missouri.

No. 15 Xavier at No. 3 Villanova (-7)

Big East matchup on Fox Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET. Xavier will welcome back one of its best players from last season in guard Myles Davis, who has been reinstated following a 15-game suspension for some off-the-court issues. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.1 assists last year in starting all 33 games. Xavier is the only team without a loss in Big East play. It improved to 3-0 in the conference with a 97-82 home win over St. John's on Saturday. Edmond Sumner led the team with 20 points. Kaiser Gates had a career high with 17 points as Musketeers' bench outscored the Johnnies' 36-13. The 97 team points were a season high.

Villanova dropped out of the top spot in the polls thanks to a loss at Butler last Wednesday. .The Wildcats bounced back from that with a 93-81 victory over Marquette on Saturday. Villanova made 14 3-pointers (after hitting only 5-for-20 vs. Butler), shot a season-high 65.3 percent overall and has not lost two straight games since 2013. Kris Jenkins led the way with 23 points. Villanova leads the all-time series with Xavier 22-5. The teams split last year, each winning at home. Last February in Cincinnati, they played a great matchup between Top 5 teams, a 90-83 Musketeers victory.

Key trends: Xavier is 4-1 ATS in its past five vs. the Big East. Villanova is 3-7 ATS in its past 10 at home vs. teams with a winning road record. The Musketeers are 1-6 ATS in the past seven meetings.

I'm leaning: Villanova.

No. 7 Duke at No. 9 Florida State (-1)

ACC matchup with no national TV (WatchESPN though). I don't want to say with certainty that Duke knucklehead Grayson Allen tried to trip another player in the Blue Devils' 93-82 win over Boston College on Saturday, but he might have done so. The play in question occurred in the first half when Allen extended his left leg while trying to fight through a screen set by Boston College's Connar Tava. The ACC felt it necessary to release a statement afterward: "there is nothing conclusive that can be determined" as to whether Allen intentionally made contact with an Eagles player using his leg or foot. So he won't face any discipline from the conference. But if this guy trips another player on purpose, he should never be allowed to play for Duke again. Sad, because Allen's a good player. Against BC, he had 12 points, five rebounds, 11 assists and three steals. That was Duke's first game since losing Coach Mike Krzyzewski for about a month to back surgery.

FSU will catch a break here in that Duke will be without big man Amile Jefferson after suffering a bone bruise in his foot vs. Boston College. This bruise is in the same foot that he broke last season, and that injury cost him the final three months of the season. Jefferson averages 13.6 points and a team-best 10.1 rebounds. Florida State tied a school record with its 11th straight win Saturday, 83-78 over No. 21 Virginia Tech. This team is legit and is 3-0 in the ACC for the first time ever. The Noles already have three victories over ranked teams (back-to-back for first time since 2012 ACC Tournament), also winning at Virginia and against Florida. This is FSU's highest ranking since Feb. 28, 1993 when the Seminoles were ranked sixth in the country. Duke won the lone meeting last year 80-65 at home.

Key trends: Duke is 1-7 ATS in its past eight vs. the ACC. FSU is 6-1 ATS in its past seven in the conference.

I'm leaning: FSU.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Cali's Cat's in dangerous betting territory'

Kentucky Wildcats at Vanderbilt Commodores January 19, 7:00 EST

John Calipari's Wildcats' behind Malik Monk (21.9) and De’Aaron Foxno (16.3) leading four players in double digits are no slouches at getting the ball through the hoop netting 94.2 point/game on 49.0% from the field, 34.9% from long range. Wildcats shouldn't have much trouble chalking up another win while remaining undefeated in SEC play. The Commodores dropping 72.3 points/game haven't got the scoring punch to keep up with just Matthew Fisher-Davis (16.9), Luke Kornet (12.7) in double digit scoring.

Expect Wilcats to move to 14-2 in the standings but picking up a win in the ATS column will be a challenge. This Commodore team does a decent job at keeping the ball out of their own net allowing 68.7 points/game on 42.4% from the field 36.5% fron 3-pt range. Keep in mind, Wildcats' have not been the best bet away from Rupp Arena (7-12 ATS) and hit the hardwood 2-7 ATS last nine meetings, 3-5 ATS last eight trips into Nashville.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Tuesday’s games

Baylor is a 6-point underdog the day after they got to #1 in country for first time ever; Bears are 15-0 vs schedule #38- they won by 26 in only true road game, at Oklahoma. Baylor has six top 50 wins; they’re playing 10th-slowest tempo in country, are #125 at protecting ball, important vs West Virginia pressure. Mountaineers force turnovers on 32.8% of possessions. Bears lost twice to West Virginia LY, after winning six of previous seven games with WVU. Bears won three of last four visits here. Big X home favorites are 2-7-1 vs spread in conference play.

Syracuse is 0-2 in true road games, losing by 17 at Wisconsin, 15 at BC. Orange beat Miami/Pitt at home in their last two games. Virginia Tech allowed 98.5 pts/game in losing its last two games since they upset Duke at home in ACC opener- teams are shooting 56.9% inside arc against Tech in ACC tilts. Syracuse is 4-0 vs Virginia Tech in ACC play, winning by 20-2 in two visits to Blacksburg- last three series games were decided by 2 points or in OT. Tech lost by 8 in OT in Carrier Dome LY. ACC single digit home favorites are 6-2 vs spread.

Ohio U scored 87 pts/game in winning its first two MAC games by 31-18 points; Bobcats are 1-3 in true road games, with only win at Ga Tech- they lost at WKU, Iona, Marshall. Buffalo/Ohio split last six meetings; Bulls beat Ohio in MAC tourney last March. Buffalo lost five of last six visits to Athens, losing last two 63-61/103-96. Buffalo is 2-0 in d-I home games (vs teams #329/344); they split first two MAC games, upsetting Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti last game. Home teams are 8-4 vs spread in MAC games, home dogs are 1-0.

Kentucky won its first three SEC games by 23-42-26 points; they lost by 3 at Louisville, won by 26 at Ole Miss in only two true road games. Vanderbilt is 0-4 vs top 50 teams, with three of those four losses by 10 or less points- they lost by 3 at Alabama Saturday, blowing a 14-point second half lead. Vandy scored only 7 points in last 10:00 of game. Kentucky won eight of last ten games with Vanderbilt, winning three of last four visits here, with wins by 6-9-2 points- they lost at Vandy LY. SEC double digit favorites are 4-2 vs spread this season.

Missouri lost its last six games (four of six were at home), losing first two SEC games by 11-5 points; Tigers are shooting 25.9% on arc, 3rd-worst in country- they’ve made only 20.6% of 3’s in SEC games. Tigers are #340 experience team. Auburn lost its first three SEC games, allowing 88 pts/game; teams are shooting 56.8% inside arc against them in league play. Missouri is 4-1 vs Auburn as SEC rivals; teams split two games played here. Home side won four of the five games. SEC home underdogs are 2-0 so far this month.

Villanova is 6-1 in Big East games with Xavier, winning by 23-13-31 points in three games in Philly- they lost last meeting 90-83 LY. Wildcats are 15-1 vs schedule #23- they beat Marquette by 12 in last game, after losing at Butler last week. Xavier won its last six games; they’re 1-2 in true road games, winning by 5 at Georgetown, losing at Baylor/Colorado. Musketeers scored 81+ points in their last five games. Villanova puts its opponents on foul line less than any team in country. Big East single digit favorites are 9-3 vs spread this season.

Duke will be without big man Jefferson/Coach K tonight. Duke won its last four games with Florida State, after losing four of previous five series games. Blue Devils won last three visits here, by 8-19-3 points. Florida State won its last 11 games, winning first three ACC games by 16-2-15 points- they’re 6-1 in top 100 games, with only loss by 3 to Temple on a neutral floor. Home teams are 6-3-1 vs spread in ACC games when spread was 6 or less points. Duke was 17-10 when Jefferson was injured and couldn’t play last season.

This is really Indiana’s first true road game of year; they lost at Fort Wayne in OT, but there were more Hoosier fans than FW fans in arena that nite. Hoosiers snapped 3-game skid with easy win over Illinois Saturday; they’re 3-4 in top 100 games, Maryland is #318 experience team that plays beyond its years; they’re 5-2 in top 100 games, losing to Pitt/Nebraska. Indiana-Maryland split four Big 14 meetings; home side won three regular series meetings with Terps winning in ’15 conference tourney. Big 14 home favorites of 4 or less points are 4-2 vs spread.

Oklahoma lost its last six games, with four losses by 5 or less points; they’re 0-4 in Big X tilts, losing at home by 26 to Baylor in only conference home game. Sooners are #326 experience team whose bench plays #9 minutes. Jayhawks won 14 games in row since losing opener; they’re 3-0 in Big X, winning by 6-8-17 points. Kansas won five of its last six games with Oklahoma, sweeping senior-laden Sooners LY by 3-4 points. Teams split last four games played here. Big X home underdogs are 2-3 vs spread this month.

Florida won its last five games, winning first three SEC games by 9-7-13 points; Gators are 2-1 in true road games, losing by 5 at FSU, winning by 9 at Arkansas. Alabama won its last four games, allowing 57 pts/game in winning first two SEC games- they rallied back from down 14 in second half to beat Vandy Saturday. Tide is 0-3 in top 50 games, losing by 5-9-13 points. Alabama beat Florida in Gainesville LY, ending an 11-game series skid. Gators won last five visits here, by 7-1-9-6-2 points. SEC favorites of 6 or less points are 3-9 vs spread this month.

New Mexico blew a 14-point lead with 1:10 left at home three nites ago, losing to Nevada in OT; tough game to bounce back from. Lobos lost last two games by total of five points. UNLV lost its first two conference road games by 14-16 points; they’re basically an expansion team that lacks muscle inside. Rebels are 0-7 vs teams in top 125; their best win is #142 Wyoming, but that was at home. UNLV is 4-7 in last 11 games with New Mexico, but they won two of last three games in The Pit. Mountain West home favorites are 10-5 vs spread this season.

Home side won last four Kansas State-Texas Tech games; Wildcats lost by 11-9 points in last two visits here- they’re 11-2 in last 13 series games overall. Tech is 11-2 vs schedule #314; they’re #8 experience team, are 1-2 in Big X, upsetting West Va in OT, losing at Iowa State, Kansas. K-State forced turnovers 24.9% of time in Big X games, but has worst 3FG% defense at same time- they split two true road games, losing by hoop at Kansas, winning at Saint Louis by 31. Big X home favorites are 2-7-1 vs spread in conference play.

Fairfield scored 95 pts/game in winning its last two games, by 6-18 points. Stags are 3-1 at home, with only loss to #96 Bucknell. Fairfield played three starters 38:00+ in an 18-point win in their last game- not much depth. Canisius had 7-game win streak snapped Sunday at Iona; they’re 5-4 in true road games, 6-2 vs teams outside top 150. Canisius won its last four games with Fairfield, winning by 12-26-14 points in last three visits here. Favorites covered last four series games. MAAC home favorites of 4 or less points are 3-4 vs spread.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at The Meadows

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.

Race 7 - Post: 3:00 - 1 mile. TROT - Class Rating: 75 - Purse:$11400 - CD 3-6YO NW 3 EXT PM RACES OR $18,000 LIFE
CONSORTIUM*CHOICES

# 3 FIRE IN MY HEART 5/2
# 2 WHAMBAMTHANKUMAAM 20/1
# 7 RAIL KAT 8/1

All signs point to FIRE IN MY HEART for the selection. He has been performing strongly and the speed ratings are among the most compelling in the group of horses. Seems to have a very good class advantage based on the participants he has faced. With a solid driver, who has won at a very good 29 percent rate the past month, this has to be one of the best choices. WHAMBAMTHANKUMAAM - 66 percent of the time this trainer and horse partnership end up in the money. Big players today. This entrant looks very good. Look at the 75 average TrackMaster SR. RAIL KAT - This horse has a nose for the wire, just look at his better than average win pct.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Monticello Raceway

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.

Race 4 - Post: 1:25 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 79 - Purse:$3000 - N/W $261 P/S L/5-7 OR P/S IN 2016
CONSORTIUM*CHOICES

# 2 SEMALU EXPRESS 5/2
# 3 OAKS HANOVER 3/1
# 5 BULLVILLEBLAST 6/1

After thorough analysis by the handicapping team, SEMALU EXPRESS comes out as the top selection. Overall percentages look good. Can't throw him out of the picture. Exhibits the look of a profitable play, averaging a nifty 80 speed rating. Most definitely the class of the bunch with an average rating of 80. A nice contender. OAKS HANOVER - Feel the need for speed, this fine animal has been turning in some top notch speed figures averaging around 79. Should be considered here if only for the formidable speed rating achieved in the most recent outing. BULLVILLEBLAST - Overall markings appear very nice. Can't throw out at this point.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Louisiana Downs

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 7 - Maiden Claiming - 220y on the Dirt. Purse: $6000 Class Rating: 60

QUARTER HORSE 220Y, FOR ACCREDITED LA BRED MAIDENS, THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD. THREE YEAR OLDS, 124 LBS.; OLDER, 126 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $5,000.


RECOMMENDED*CHOICES


# 3 TIME TA TOAST 10/1

# 8 JLA FLOGOES ON FIRE 7/2

# 6 DASH GOES A LADY 8/1

My pick in this event is TIME TA TOAST and is a solid value bet given the line at 10/1. Reason to like this filly as she has in the saddle one of the best jocks using winning percentages over the last 30 days. Has formidable early pace and will almost certainly fare admirably against this group. The Equibase Speed Fig of 60 from her most recent race looks solid in here. JLA FLOGOES ON FIRE - Is a definite contender - given the 63 speed figure from her most recent race. Don't overlook this filly in your bets - very dangerous with Lujan aboard. DASH GOES A LADY - With a nice class fig average of 71, has one of the top class advantages in this group of horses. It's a good signal that Celestino is using Hernandez on this horse.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Parx Racing

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 6 - Claiming - 6.5f on the Dirt. Purse: $20000 Class Rating: 87

FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NOT WON A RACE SINCE JULY 10. WEIGHT, 124 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $7,500


RECOMMENDED*CHOICES


# 5 MAGICAL FIRE 5/1

# 1 PIN AND WIN 8/1

# 7 BABY CAT 8/1

MAGICAL FIRE is my choice. Has put up strong Speed Figures in dirt sprint races in the past. Should best this group of animals here, showing very good figs of late. With a formidable ROI of +26 this handler has shown strong results with entries running at this distance and surface. PIN AND WIN - He has been racing very well recently while recording solid speed figures. Could best this group based on the speed figure - 88 - of his last effort.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Turf Paradise - Race #2 - Post: 1:10pm - Maiden Claiming - 5.0 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $6,300 Class Rating: 65

Rating:

#4 TICKLE ME PINK (ML=2/1)
#5 SHAZZ (ML=10/1)


TICKLE ME PINK - To play a pony off workouts, you have to know when to tell if a horse is fit. The fact that this filly worked recently at longer distance is a positive angle. The jock and conditioner combination have a profitable ROI when they are put together. The 65 most recent race figure looks good in the TrackMaster PPs. SHAZZ - The return on investment when Gamez and Crotts get together is fantastic. I like this first-time-starter mainly because her workouts for this have been here at Turf Paradise.

Vulnerable Contenders: #8 CORRELATION (ML=9/5), #3 NATIVE SPEAKER (ML=4/1), #2 WILLOW WITCH (ML=8/1),

CORRELATION - Doesn't look to have enough positive aspects to justify the price. NATIVE SPEAKER - This was a live animal, but now this one hasn't been doing anything in the morning. Have to watch your step with this weaker runner. WILLOW WITCH - No favorable outcomes for this vulnerable equine in a short distance contest over the last 60 days tells me that this filly is in a thorny circumstance



STRAIGHT WAGERS:

#4 TICKLE ME PINK is the play if we get odds of 3/2 or better

EXACTA WAGERS:

Box [4,5]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:

None

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:

None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Mahoning Valley Race Course - Race #3 - Post: 1:40pm - Starter Allowance - 4.5 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $12,500 Class Rating: 82

Rating:

#6 CAROLYN M. (ML=6/1)
#5 THIS CATS ON FIRE (ML=15/1)


CAROLYN M. - I like a horse that manages to hit the board as often as this mare. Almost always in the money so don't leave her out of your exotic bets. Mare's last workout should have her fit for today's race. This speed freak should be aided by this shorter distance. This thoroughbred likes to win on different racing tracks. The switch in venue today may be a wake up call. THIS CATS ON FIRE - The jock and handler combination have a beneficial return on investment when they combine forces. I think that today's shorter distance should help this mare.

Vulnerable Contenders: #1A WORLD ELITE (ML=3/2), #1 U AND TEQUILA (ML=3/2), #3 LET'S PLAY TWO (ML=7/2),

WORLD ELITE - A bit of a less than stellar try when this mare finished fifth. When examining today's Equibase class figure, she will have to register a better speed rating than last out to vie in this dirt sprint. U AND TEQUILA - Just cannot bet on this mount. Didn't show me anything positive last time out or on Dec 8th. LET'S PLAY TWO - The victory on Dec 30th probably isn't good enough to beat these today. This runner ran a common speed rating in the last race. She shouldn't show signs of improvement and will probably suffer defeat in today's event running that rating.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Winston - CAROLYN M. - This race horse is meeting a much easier field than in the last race on August 29th. Worth a prime wager today.
*
*
*


STRAIGHT WAGERS:

Bet on #6 CAROLYN M. To win if you can get at least 7/5 odds

EXACTA WAGERS:

Box [5,6]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:

None

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:

None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Tuesday 1/10 Analysis
By Brewster Smith

DRF

FINAL 2016 MEET STATS: 295 - 1254 / $1,893.50

BEST BETS: 32 - 117 / $151.10

Best Bet: MUSTANG MACH N (1st)

Spot Play: MY TEMUJIN N (4th)


Race 1

(4) MUSTANG MACH N Gelding took a tough loss in his last try, is sharp enough to get back to his winning ways. (7) JC KINGDOM was on the move at the 3/4 pole but was when flat turning for home last out. (1) GIDDY UP DELIGHT should get involved from the rail.

Race 2

(3) MAJESTIC MISTRESS Trotting mare moves her trade to Yonkers; in her last one at Woodbine was pretty sharp for second money; should fit well against these. (4) PINA COLADA AS is back to a flat mile and gets the services of Bartlett; she could wake up. (1) TOMBS ANGEL showed some speed in her Saratoga finale and has a win from the fence; watch out.

Race 3

(1) SUMMER SNOW was on the engine most of the way, but made a disappointing break turning for home. Pacing mare is good as any of these and the rail should put her right back in the winning groove. (4) TWIN B HONOUR 5-year-old mare was sharp missing the score by only 3/4 length; big threat. (5) COOL DESIRE was sent down the road once again for her second straight victory.

Race 4

(5) MY TEMUDJIN N showed signs of life for Team Burke last time at Philly. Gelding should appreciate the move to Yonkers and with a favorable trip, he can make tonight a winning one. (1) NORTHERN ASSASSIN A Two dull efforts at the Meadowlands but this 8-year-old is back at the Hilltop where he was a very game second three starts ago. (3) BULLVILLE KYLE Jersey invader could make an impact on the half-mile oval; we shall see.

Race 5

(1) BIG JER was very solid for win honors at the Big M two starts back and that was on the rail. Gelding has every right to boss these at his best. (3) MARTY MONKHOUSER A sitting in the pocket the entire trip and held the place spot last time around at the Meadowlands; dangerous. (4) TRIPLE SEELSTER was on the lead until the 3/4 pole and tired the rest of the way; could turn it around.

Race 6

(6) MASS BALANCE got to the front approaching the 1/2 mile marker but had a troubled trip at odds-on last time out. Trotter is good enough to take this but will need a favorable trip to make this possible. (4) GIDS PASSION went down the road last time out for all the glory, now he moves up in class, but is very capable. (1) METATRON did flash speed in his Meadowlands finale and the fence tonight should help his cause; we shall see.

Race 7

(7) HI HO STEVERINO is back on the half-mile oval where this gelding has done his best running. Post does hurt but he catches a weak group. (4) RIVER RUN FOR RYAN could make some serious noise if he returns to his second and third start respectably. (1) NOBLE FINESSE put in a mild bid to grab the show spot in his last trip to the post; not out of this.

Race 8

(4) STATION THREEOHSIX is clearly knocking at the door based on his last two starts and this 8-year-old does know how to get the job done at Yonkers; the pick. (5) WESTERN ALUMNI was sent down the road in his Saratoga finale for the victory; main danger. (2) TYLER did show good early zip last time upstate but tired in the stretch run; capable.

Race 9

(4) URBANITE HANOVER could be in a perfect spot if he gets the right kind of trip and has back class to overpower these. (1) GRIN FOR MONEY did not have enough gas in the tank and had to settle for the show spot in his most recent outing. (8) MAINLAND KEY N has been in the exacta picture five straight times, so now this 12-year-old pro will have to make some noise from the 8-hole; don't overlook.

Race 10

(1) WHAT A PEACH seems to tire in deep stretch, but the good news is he's back to the mile distance and moves to the rail. Ready to take these all the way. (7) DEWDLE ALL DAY Trotting mare has hit the board in her last four tries and the move to door number seven should not be a cause for alarm. (6) IRON was nailed for win honors in his last try but this gelding appears to be heading in the right direction; watch out.

Race 11

(3) CRUISINWITHMYBABY broke at the start in her last try at the Big M. This pacer knows how to win at Yonkers, and good to see Brennan at the helm; the pick. (5) NEW YORK KITTY was a game winner here two starts back at this level and appears to be a big threat against these. (2) ALBANY GIRL Mare moves to the two slot and that might help her chances with a favorable trip.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Spot Plays

For Tuesday

TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE

Mahoning Valley (3rd) Gabio, 9-2
(6th) Hezalotta Wanda, 8-1


Parx Racing (1st) Running for Ryan, 9-2
(2nd) California Wildcat, 9-2


Sunland Park (6th) Flashy Indian, 6-1
(9th) Debbie Debs, 5-1


Turf Paradise (3rd) Steamnstone, 9-2
(7th) Increase, 7-2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday’s six-pack

Odds to win the 2017 World Series:

3-1— Chicago Cubs

6-1— Boston Red Sox

8-1— Dodgers-Mets-Giants-Astros

10-1— Washington Nationals/Cleveland Indians

12-1— Bronx Bombers

15-1— Texas Rangers