Tuesday 1/5/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (14-22) at Bulls (20-12)

Date: January 05, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

A knee injury cost Jabari Parker his chance to play in his hometown as a rookie and a second matchup versus another Chicago schoolboy legend, Derrick Rose.

It's now the Bulls point guard who is dealing with an injury as Chicago seeks a season-high fifth consecutive victory Tuesday night when it hosts the Milwaukee Bucks.

Parker, the No. 2 overall pick in 2014, tore his left ACL on Dec. 15, missing the last three games between the teams - and a pair of trips down Interstate 94 to the United Center.

Parker did face Rose and the Bulls in Milwaukee, scoring eight points on 4-of-12 shooting in a 95-86 loss Nov. 5, 2014. Rose had 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting in the matchup of former Simeon Academy standouts.

The oft-injured Rose has sat out the past three games because of tendinitis in his right hamstring, and an MRI showed no structural damage in either his hamstring or knee. He's considered a game-time decision.

"The hamstring feels a lot better and the swelling in the knee has gone down," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "He just had a little bit of soreness, weakness in it before (Sunday's game in Toronto) so we took a cautious approach with it."

Jimmy Butler had a record-breaking performance in Rose's absence, scoring 40 of his 42 points in the second half of a 115-113 victory. That topped Michael Jordan's 39 in the second half in a 117-116 win over Milwaukee on Feb. 16, 1989.

"I'm just happy we won, to tell you the truth. I don't want to be compared to (Jordan)," said Butler, who finished one point off his career high set in a quadruple-overtime loss to Detroit on Dec. 18.

"I'm just happy we got the win, points or no points."

The Bulls (20-12) are seeking their seventh victory in the past eight regular-season matchups with their Central Division rivals. Chicago is facing Milwaukee (14-22) for the first time since winning last year's opening-round playoff series, capped by its 120-66 beatdown of the Bucks - their worst postseason loss in franchise history - in Game 6 at the Bradley Center.

The Bucks need a few more wins to get into playoff position in the suddenly competitive Eastern Conference. Nine teams are currently above .500 compared with five at the end of last season.

Milwaukee came up well short of a third consecutive victory Monday with a 123-98 drubbing by visiting San Antonio.

Milwaukee has won its past two road games after dropping 14 of 15 but has lost in five of its last six visits to Chicago, including the playoffs. The Bulls are 14-5 at home and have won three straight.

The Bucks might not have Jerryd Bayless because of a left ankle injury suffered in Monday's loss. He missed 11 games last month with the same ailment.

"I don't know his full status. We'll obviously learn more tonight and (Monday)," interim coach Joe Prunty said. "We've been through it before. It's always been a next-man-up mentality and that won't change. Everybody's got to be prepared."

Butler is averaging 24.9 points in his last seven games against Milwaukee, including last year's playoff series. Pau Gasol had a streak of nine double-doubles versus the Bucks snapped in the Game 6 victory.

Among those performances was a career-high 46 points and 18 rebounds in a 95-87 win at the United Center on Jan. 10.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (14-20) at Mavericks (19-15)

Date: January 05, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Still seeking their first victory of 2016, a visit from the Sacramento Kings historically has got the Dallas Mavericks in the win column.

Rajon Rondo will have a say in the matter this time.

The Mavericks try to extend their home win streak over the Kings to 22 games Tuesday night, but Rondo is looking to make his return to Dallas more memorable than his stint last season.

Dallas (19-15) pushed its winning streak to four by shooting 51.2 percent from the floor - 14 of 27 from beyond the arc - in Wednesday's 114-91 win over a Golden State team playing without Stephen Curry.

The Mavericks, however, followed with a 106-82 loss at Miami on New Year's Day before falling 105-98 to New Orleans a night later. They shot 39.8 percent in those two, missing 39 of 56 attempts from long range.

"I don't know," guard Wesley Matthews said when asked about the team's struggle for consistency. "This is annoying, though. We didn't play well in Miami, and we didn't play well in too many stretches (Saturday)."

Dallas last dropped three games in a row Nov. 22-25.

The Mavs, however, have won 21 straight home games over Sacramento dating to February 2003 for the franchise's longest home winning streak over a single opponent. It's the second-longest active home winning streak by one team against another, trailing only San Antonio's 32-game run against Golden State.

Dallas, though, lost 112-98 at Sacramento on Nov. 30 after taking 21 of the previous 23 overall matchups.

Rondo had 21 points, his first against the Mavericks after leaving them via free agency over the summer. The guard was acquired by Dallas in a trade with Boston and had a tumultuous 46-game stint that included clashes with coach Rick Carlisle. The four-time All-Star averaged 9.3 points and 6.5 assists.

Rondo's production has returned with the Kings (14-20), leading the NBA with 11.6 assists per game while adding 12.0 points. He came one rebound shy of a triple-double Monday, dishing out 19 assists and scoring 13 points in a 116-104 win at Oklahoma City.

"He's played extremely well. It's no surprise. He's a prideful guy," Carlisle said.

DeMarcus Cousins had 33 points and a season-high 19 rebounds while Sacramento capitalized on Kevin Durant's absence due to a sprained toe. That was one point better than Cousins' total in a 142-119 romp of Phoenix two days earlier.

Cousins has been a problem for the Mavs, averaging 28.7 points and 12.0 rebounds over the last three meetings - all at home - after scoring 31 on Nov. 30. Things haven't gone as well at Dallas, where he's averaging 18.3 points in seven visits.

Dirk Nowitzki went 5 for 15 from the field while finishing with 13 points Nov. 30, but he's averaging 25.3 points on 56.1 percent shooting over the last three home games against the Kings.

The forward had 24 points Saturday after averaging 12.0 and making 29.5 percent from the field - 3 of 13 from behind the arc - over the previous three games.

Deron Williams' status is unknown after a left hamstring injury forced him to sit out the fourth quarter Saturday. He had 11 points in his second game off the bench after the same injury forced him to miss the previous four.

"He's doing better," Carlisle said. "We won't know until tomorrow whether we're going to play him or consider playing him. He's making progress."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (32-2) at Lakers (8-27)

Date: January 05, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Back in 1959-60, the Warriors were based in Philadelphia and the Lakers in Minneapolis.

This is only relevant Tuesday night since Draymond Green has a chance to eclipse a franchise record set from that season.

Green will seek an unprecedented fourth straight triple-double for the Golden State Warriors when they visit a Los Angeles Lakers team showing improvement without Kobe Bryant.

The game-changing forward had 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists Monday in a 111-101 home victory over Charlotte. Green became the first player in franchise history to post three straight triple-doubles since Tom Gola in 1959-60 in Wilt Chamberlain's rookie season.

'He's playing at a very, very high level,' reigning league MVP Stephen Curry said. 'His consistency is just off the charts. ... It's amazing how he can impact the game.'

Gola and Chamberlain are Hall of Famers. Golden State (32-2) looks like it has one player in Curry, who had 30 points after seeing only 14 minutes Saturday in an overtime win over Denver because he re-injured his left leg.

Curry showed no ill effects, draining a 3-pointer with 5:34 left for a 17-point lead that resulted in the 10th assist Green needed for his triple-double.

The last player with three straight triple-doubles was Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook last season. Westbrook had four straight, becoming the first to do that since Michael Jordan had seven in a row in 1988-89.

Klay Thompson scored 30 on Monday and is averaging 31.3 in his last three games for the Warriors, who are 7-1 in the second half of back-to-back games.

Thompson's idol growing up in Los Angeles was Bryant, though the Lakers superstar is a shadow of his former self now. Bryant is the NBA's worst shooter overall (34.1 percent) and on 3-pointers (25.9)

He has missed the last two games with a sore right shoulder and is questionable.

What's not in question is that Los Angeles (8-27) is playing well without him. The Lakers hadn't posted consecutive wins all season until their current three-game run, with Lou Williams totaling 54 points in the last two games without Bryant.

Williams scored a season-high 30 and Larry Nance Jr. had 15 and 14 boards in Sunday's 97-77 rout of Phoenix.

"Our guys are playing with a lot of confidence, sharing the ball, playing together, competing and that's part of the process that we've been talking about," coach Byron Scott said.

The Lakers will test themselves against the league's best after getting crushed 111-77 at Golden State on Nov. 24. Bryant was 1 of 14 for four points, making 1 of 7 3-pointers as the Lakers shot a season-low 14.3 from long range and were outscored 56-32 in the paint.

"Who doesn't want to beat the best?" Nance said about Tuesday's game. "Who doesn't want to play the best and play your best against the best? No motivation needed when you're talking about the Golden State Warriors."

Scott is feuding with forward Julius Randle, who has gotten upset about being substituted.

"The bottom line is like I told him before, you gotta grow up," Scott said.

Golden State forward Harrison Barnes scored eight points Monday as he returned from a 16-game absence from a sprained left ankle.

The Warriors are 4-28 at Staples Center against the Lakers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wild NBA scheduling betting trend is producing 80 percent winners
By BIG AL MCMORDIE

The NBA season is a little over two months old and there have been little in the way of surprises this year. The top two teams were expected to be the Warriors and Spurs (and they are). And the best team out East was expected to be Cleveland (and it is).

Perhaps the only surprise has been the play of the three other Western Conference semifinalists from last season (Rockets, Clippers and Grizzlies), as each of those teams has struggled. But with three fifths of the season to go, there's more than enough time for teams to get their groove back. Let's take a look at the upcoming week.

Spread watch

Go figure. The Clippers had underwhelmed through the game versus the Lakers on Christmas, in which Blake Griffin tore his left quadriceps tendon. At December 25, the Clippers were 17-13 SU and 10-16-4 ATS and they failed to cover the spread by an average of 2.6 points per game. But, in their five games without their best player, they're a perfect 5-0 both SU and ATS and they've covered by an average of 9.9 points in those games.

I'm not ready to proclaim that the Clippers are back to being contenders. After all, the five teams they defeated (Utah, Washington, Charlotte, New Orleans and Philadelphia) have losing records. This week, the Clippers' schedule remains soft, with zero games against winning teams. As they say, timing is everything.

If the Clippers had lost Griffin immediately before a difficult stretch in their schedule, they would have felt his absence much more. As it stands, they've been able to win without him. But this, I believe, sets them up for a loss at Portland Wednesday, given that the Clippers have only covered 22 of their last 63 on the road if they were on a four-game (or better) pointspread win streak.

Total watch

Kyrie Irving returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup against Philadelphia on December 20. Since then, Cleveland has gone Under the total in seven straight games. The primary reason has been on the defensive end. Cleveland has held its last seven opponents to 89.57 points per game, compared to a defensive average of 96.0 ppg at the time Irving returned.

This week, Cleveland has a home game versus Toronto, prior to going on the road to play the Wizards, T-Wolves and Sixers. Washington has also played its last four (and six of its last seven) games Under the total. The first meeting between the teams this season went Under by 23 points, so that will be a situation to watch.

Injury watch

Stephen Curry missed two full games (at Dallas, at Houston) and most of a third (vs. Denver) last week, due to a bruised lower left leg. His status is day-to-day, so it's unclear if he will be on the hardwood Monday versus Charlotte or Tuesday versus the Lakers.

Should Curry be sidelined, I feel it would be worthwhile to bet against Golden State. He's actually worth more than Las Vegas gave him credit for in the Warriors' two games in Texas last week. In particular, I really like the Charlotte situation Monday, as the Hornets lost their previous game by 19 points to the Thunder and Charlotte has covered five straight off a loss by more than 10 points.

Schedule watch

There's always a lot made of the NBA schedule with regard to back-to-back games, four games in five nights, etc. So much so, that the league made a conscious decision this summer to reduce the number of those situations. But this season, the least rested teams have been an ATM machine at the sportsbook.

Unrested teams playing their fifth game in seven nights are a spectacular 28-7-1 ATS this season, including a perfect 9-0 ATS if these tired team's boast a win percentage at least .133 better than its opponent's win percentage.

This week, we will have four teams fall into our general angle: Golden State (at Lakers, Jan. 5), Toronto (at Philly, Jan. 9), Miami (at Utah, Jan. 9), and Utah (at Lakers, Jan. 10). And the chances are good that all four will also fall into our .133 win percentage differential tightener (check Miami/Utah's win percentages on Jan. 9).

The Golden State situation (at the Lakers) would be my fave of the bunch, given that the Warriors are 20-7-2 ATS their last 29 when playing without rest, while the Lakers are 6-14 ATS their last 20 when playing foes in a five game/seven nights situation.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Tuesday, January 5 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

If you are a Chicago Bulls fan, you have to be thinking: "Here we go again!" Of course I'm talking about an injury to Derrick Rose. He was to have an MRI on his right knee Monday. Rose doesn't think it's anything serious, but at this point you almost have to expect it will be. He tore the medial meniscus in that right knee in November 2013 and then re-tore it in February 2015. And of course he tore the ACL in his left knee in April 2012. Rose has missed Chicago's past three games, but with a hamstring issue. The Bulls might honestly be better off without Rose at this point. By some metrics he has been one of the worst NBA regulars this season. Rose is averaging 14.1 points but shooting just .386 from the field overall and .246 from long range. Teams are playing off him and daring him to shoot jumpers. His knees are so shot that Rose is struggling to finish at the rim these days. Rose has a player efficiency rating of 10.61. That's 252nd in the league and one spot worse than Cleveland's James Jones, who barely even plays. It's really a shame as Rose could have gone down as one of the great point guards ever. Maybe this injury is nothing, but he's clearly never going to be the MVP player he once was.

Knicks at Hawks (-8.5, 204.5)

Final meeting of the season between these two already. The Hawks won the first two but lost 111-97 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Arron Afflalo blew up with a season-high 38 points for New York. He was 14-for-17 overall and 7-for-8 from 3-point range. In the previous six games, he was just 20-for-63 from the field (32 percent). The Knicks are 8-17 when he scores fewer than 15 points and 8-2 when he scores 15 or more. Paul Millsap had 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists and five steals for the Hawks. Kyle Korver had 13 points and finally made a 3-pointer. He has been struggling in a big way from long range. He missed 21 straight before connecting in the second half. It was his first game scoring in double digits since Dec. 20.

Key trends: The favorite is 6-2 against the spread in the past eight meetings. The "over/under" is 4-0 in the past four.

Early lean: Hawks and over.

Bucks at Bulls (-7.5, 198)

This is the first of an NBA TV doubleheader and thus should have live betting at sportsbooks. Second of a back-to-back for Milwaukee as it hosted San Antonio on Monday. Giannis Antetokounmpo was going to play despite having some major dental work done Sunday. Chicago won a fourth straight on Sunday, 115-113 in Toronto. Jimmy Butler set a franchise record in scoring 40 points in a half, doing so in the second. Rather hard to believe Michael Jordan never did that; his high was 39 in 1989. Butler did it despite getting a stitch in his mouth after getting elbowed there in the second quarter. The Bulls seem to be adjusting to Coach Fred Hoiberg's offense as they have scored at least 100 points in seven straight. Rose thinks there's a chance he plays here but that obviously depends on the MRI. Right now he's a game-time decision. First meeting of the season between these teams. Bulls won three of four last regular season and then beat the Bucks in a chippy playoff series, clinching in six.

Key trends: The Bucks are 1-5 ATS in their past six in Chicago. The under is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings.

Early lean: Bulls and under.

Kings at Mavericks (-4.5, 213)

Sacramento was in Oklahoma City on Monday. The Kings just got back rookie center Willie Cauley-Stein from a long injury absence in a blowout of the Suns on Saturday. Dallas lost a second straight Saturday, 105-98 at home to New Orleans. The Mavs had won six straight at home in the series. Point guard Deron Williams wasn't able to play in the fourth quarter due to left hamstring tightness. He had just recently returned from missing four games with an issue in that hamstring. The Kings beat the visiting Mavs 112-98 in the first meeting this season. Dallas had won the previous six meetings. Don't expect a very warm welcome here for Kings point guard Rajon Rondo as he basically quit on Dallas last season. He and Coach Rick Carlisle were definitely not the best of friends.

Key trends: The home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 7-0 in the previous seven.

Early lean: Mavericks and under.

Warriors at Lakers (TBA)

The NBA TV nightcap. No surprise a TBA here because it's not clear if Steph Curry or Kobe Bryant will play. Golden State hosted Charlotte on Monday and Curry was questionable after he re-injured his shin in Saturday's overtime win over Denver. The Warriors are totally banged up. Leandro Barbosa and Festus Ezeli were both expected to sit again Monday. But the good news is that forward Harrison Barnes was looking good to play vs. the Hornets. He has been out since Dec. 27 with a sprained ankle. The Lakers are on a three-game winning streak, which I wasn't sure they would do this entire season. Although I wouldn't get too excited as that includes wins over sorry Philadelphia and free-falling Phoenix. Kobe has missed the past two with a shoulder injury and he's questionable. L.A. was slaughtered 111-77 at Golden State on Nov. 24 in the only meeting thus far. That was the Warriors' record 16th win to start the season. Curry had 24 points and nine assists. Kobe shot 1-for-14 for just four points, matching the worst shooting performance of his career in a game where he had at least one basket.

Key trends: Warriors are 8-3 in the past 11 meetings. The over is 4-1 in the past five.

Early lean: Have to wait on Curry and to a lesser extent Kobe.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Hot teams
-- Hawks won seven of last nine games, but lost to Knicks by 14 on Sunday (6-2 last 8HF).
-- Bulls won their last four games (6-13HF).
-- Sacramento won last two games, by 23-12 points (7-7AU).

Cold teams
-- Knicks lost five of their last seven games (3-6 last 9AU).
-- Bucks lost four of their last six games (5-1 last six AU).
-- Dallas lost last two games, by 7-24 points (8-4HF).

Series records
-- Knicks lost five of last seven games with Atlanta.
-- Bulls won seven of last ten games with Milwaukee.
-- Mavericks won six of last seven games with Sacramento.
-- Golden State is 6-1 in last seven games with Lakers (5-2 against the spread).

Totals
-- Seven of last eight New York-Atlanta games went over.
-- Eight of last ten Milwaukee-Chicago games stayed under.
-- Last seven Sacramento-Dallas games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Golden State-Laker games went over total.

Back/backs
-- Milwaukee is 7-1 vs spread if it played the night before.
-- Sacramento is 4-4 vs spread if it played the night before.
-- Golden State is 6-2 vs spread it it played night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Golden Eagles (10-4) at Friars (14-1)

Date: January 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While Kris Dunn continues to play well despite having the city of Providence on his shoulders, Marquette's freshmen are finding the going a little bit tougher in Big East play.

Looking to make up for an ordinary effort in last season's series, Dunn will try to lead the eighth-ranked Friars to their best start in 51 years Tuesday night against the visiting Golden Eagles.

Dunn finished fifth with 17.0 points per game in conference action last season. The preseason All-American has been even better in 2015-16, totaling 46 points, six 3-pointers, 16 rebounds, 15 assists and five steals in Providence's first 2-0 league start in seven years.

The junior guard finished with 26 points while hitting 4 of 7 from 3-point range to go along with nine rebounds, six assists and three steals in Saturday's 83-65 home win over St. John's. He poured in 12 straight points after the Red Storm closed to within 56-50 with 9:30 remaining.

'Every game Kris plays, this whole city is getting on his shoulders. That's why he came back to school,' coach Ed Cooley said after his squad improved to 9-0 at home. "He wants to be the leader. He wants to be the guy, and I'm going to help him do that."

The Friars (14-1, 2-0) last won their first 10 games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in 2010-11. They're going after their first overall 10-game winning streak since a 13-game run to open the 1988-89 season and first 15-1 start since winning their first 17 in '64-65.

Dunn, however, had 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in a 75-66 loss at Marquette last Jan. 3 before finishing with 16 in a 77-66 home win March 1.

Ben Bentil scored eight points on 3-of-10 shooting in the last meeting, but he enters this one with a team-high 18.9 per game. The sophomore forward is shooting 58.5 percent in his last three after finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds against the Red Storm.

Sophomore forward Rodney Bullock contributed 13 points, eight boards and three blocks Saturday. He's averaging 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks over his last seven games.

Marquette's young players aren't fairing nearly as well. Freshman Henry Ellenson has totaled 26 points on 7-of-29 shooting (24.1 percent) in the team's back-to-back losses after he scored 16.8 per game and shot 45.1 percent heading into league play.

Haanif Cheatham had 17 points in Wednesday's 83-63 home loss to Seton Hall before scoring six while picking up four fouls for the second straight game in Saturday's 80-70 defeat at Georgetown. Fellow freshman starter Traci Carter has totaled four points and eight fouls in the last two contests.

Duane Wilson has been a bright spot, averaging 14.8 points over his last four games. The sophomore led Marquette (10-4, 0-2) with 22 points and seven 3-pointers in the March loss at Providence.

The Golden Eagles haven't dropped their first three conference games since an 0-5 start in 1998-99. They've lost two of three in this series since winning 10 straight from 2007-14.

Marquette had lost 15 in a row against ranked opponents before an 81-80 win over then-No. 22 LSU in the semifinals of the Legends Classic in New York on Nov. 23.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Gamecocks (13-0) at Tigers (7-5)

Date: January 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

South Carolina's attempt to carry its undefeated start into SEC play will come against a team that it's often struggled to beat.

The 22nd-ranked Gamecocks will seek just their second win in eight matchups against Auburn on Tuesday night.

South Carolina (13-0) extended its best start since going 17-0 in 1933-34 with an 86-76 win against Memphis on Saturday. The Gamecocks didn't take the lead for good in that tight battle until Mindaugas Kacinas' two free throws with 8:39 remaining, among their school-record 46 on 63 attempts.

Duane Notice went 12 of 12 from the line while scoring 15 points. Sindarius Thornwell had a team-best 18 points and Michael Carrera had 16 with 11 rebounds.

"(This game) gets us ready for conference play because every game in conference is going to be just like that. Every game is going to be a battle," Thornwell said. "Having this game right before conference was good for us. ... We've been in tough games like this the last three seasons but we've ended up on the other side (of the scoreboard)."

South Carolina started 9-3 in 2014-15 and won its final seven nonconference games, capped by an upset of then-No. 9 Iowa State. The Gamecocks then went 1-6 to open their SEC season en route to a 6-12 finish.

"We tasted a little bit of success and everyone kind of got wrapped up," Kacinas said. "Right after that, we just went down the cliff. This year, we've tried to stay focus. We don't care about what's our record. We're just trying to keep moving forward."

Among those early league defeats was a 71-68 loss at Auburn on Jan. 17, their third straight on that court and the only meeting between the schools in 2014-15.

Auburn (7-5, 1-0) graduated its leading scorer from last season's game but has one of the best in the SEC this season in newcomer Kareem Canty, a transfer from Marshall averaging 19.3 points.

Canty and freshman Bryce Brown each scored 20 in the Tigers' SEC opener, an 83-77 win over Tennessee on Saturday.

Another transfer, Tyler Harris, provided 19 as the short-handed Tigers (7-5, 1-0) avoided a third consecutive defeat. T.J. Dunans, averaging 12.4 points, is among four players that are out for the program and T.J. Lang's status is unclear because of a concussion suffered Saturday.

Brown will try to make up for those absences by scoring at least 20 in a third consecutive game. Much of that production in the past two contests has come from the 3-point line, where he's 11 for 21.

"We have these injuries that have definitely affected us as a team, but I definitely still think we can compete in the SEC and win a lot of ballgames," Brown told the school's official website. "Nobody knew we would have these injuries, so I prepared myself at all times."

Notice has a combined for 39 points in his past two games against Auburn, including a 74-56 victory in the 2014 SEC tournament. The Gamecocks have lost all six regular-season games versus the Tigers since the beginning of 2010-11.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulldogs (11-3) at Blue Demons (6-8)

Date: January 05, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

After opening Big East play with consecutive losses to ranked opponents, Butler now gets a chance to take any building frustration out on a team that's more accustomed to discouraging conference results.

The 18th-ranked Bulldogs head to DePaul on Tuesday night, with the Blue Demons' first two league games hinting at a ninth straight losing season in the conference.

Butler (11-3, 0-2) lost its league opener for the third time in as many seasons in the Big East, falling 81-73 to then-No. 12 Providence at home Thursday. It followed that setback with Saturday's 88-69 loss at then-No. 6 Xavier, and even with the difficult competition, coach Chris Holtmann wasn't covering for his players.

"We obviously have to get a lot better, that's the bottom line," said Holtmann, whose team had won its previous eight games, including two over ranked opponents. "We're not near where we need to be right now. So we've got a lot of work ahead of us."

The Bulldogs had scored 86.6 points per game and shot 50.8 percent on the winning streak before dipping to 71.0 and 40.2 marks in the last two - some of that falling on Kellen Dunham as he tries to overcome an alarming shooting slump.

The senior leads Butler with 14.9 points per game, but that's down from 16.4 over the previous two seasons mostly because he's averaged 8.0 and shot 19.4 percent overall and 13.5 from 3-point range in his last six. The 6-foot-6 guard has also pulled down only one rebound in 57 minutes over the last two games.

"Certainly we need him to make shots for us to beat good people, but we've beaten good people without him making shots," Holtmann said. "Kellen's got to play the rest of the game the way we expect him to play. He's got to play defense at a high level, he's got to rebound for us. He's not just a shot maker."

Thirteen points on 4-of-12 shooting against Xavier was actually a drastic improvement as he came off the bench for the first time this season and just the second time since his freshman year.

"I was happy to see some shots fall, but it wasn't enough," Dunham said. "I was shooting with the expectation that they will go in. They are going to go in. I have confidence the rest of the year."

Butler is 3-1 against DePaul in conference play with its three straight wins coming by an average of 19.0 points. Dunham has averaged 21.0 in all four, including a 30-point effort - two off his career high - in a 99-94 double-overtime loss on Jan. 9, 2014.

The Blue Demons (6-8, 0-2) have dropped five of six after Saturday's 78-74 defeat at Seton Hall. It was their 10th straight Big East loss, with those coming by an average of 11.8 points. The slump began with an 83-73 defeat at Butler on Feb. 7 and was followed five games later with a 67-53 home loss to the Bulldogs.

Both of those games are part of a 2-52 span against the Top 25, but both wins have come over their previous five against ranked teams, including an 82-61 win over then-No. 20 George Washington on Dec. 22.

Against Seton Hall, top scorer Billy Garrett Jr. stayed hot with 20 points and a season-high eight assists. He's averaging 20.3 points and shooting 60.0 percent over the last three games after scoring 13.5 per game on 38.9 percent in the first 11.

Garrett scored 22 in the win over Butler two seasons ago but has been held to 8.3 per game while shooting 38.1 percent in the three losses that followed.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Owls (6-6) at Huskies (10-3)

Date: January 05, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Led by some solid guard play and a renewed focus on the defensive end, Kevin Ollie's Connecticut team has returned to the AP Top 25 following a two-week hiatus.

This time, the 23rd-ranked Huskies hope to stay there as they try to remain unbeaten at home Tuesday night against Temple, which is coming off one of its worst performances of the season.

After spending two years at Seton Hall, Sterling Gibbs is already proving to be a valuable addition in his first season with UConn. He stepped up with a big 3-pointer Saturday to halt Tulane's 17-0 run before hitting another to give the Huskies back the lead in a 75-67 road win.

Gibbs scored 13 of his 16 in the final 6:32 while adding with eight rebounds and seven assists in the American Athletic Conference opener. The senior guard, who averaged 16.3 points for the Pirates last season, has scored in double figures in each of his last four games.

'We knew when we got him that we were going to have a player down the stretch who would take big shots," Ollie said. "(I'm) not saying he's going to make all of them, but he will take them with confidence."

Rodney Purvis, who leads the Huskies with 15.6 points per game, is averaging 20 points while making 14 of 24 from 3-point range over his last four. Fellow backcourt starter Daniel Hamilton just missed his sixth double-double Saturday with 19 points and nine rebounds.

With its fifth straight win, Ollie's squad moved back into the poll for the first time since its was No. 25 in the week of Dec. 14. That stay was short-lived after UConn (10-3, 1-0) allowed UMass-Lowell to shoot 50 percent in an 88-79 home win.

The Huskies, who rank third among AAC teams by holding opponents to 38.3 percent shooting, have gotten back on track by giving up a 38.2 mark in their last three. They should be able to continue that trend as they go after their second 8-0 home start in four seasons.

Temple (6-6, 1-1) was riding high during a 5-2 stretch following an impressive 77-70 win at then-No. 22 Cincinnati last Tuesday. The Owls, however, fell flat Saturday when they shot 34.5 percent - including 3 for 23 from 3-point range - in a 77-50 home loss to Houston.

"We thought we had some momentum building up," coach Fran Dunphy said. "We had a terrific win on the road, but it's not good enough. Every day you have to come out ready to go."

Obi Enechionyia and Quenton DeCosey led Temple with just nine points apiece Saturday. DeCosey had averaged 18.5 over his previous four games but the senior guard has struggled against the Huskies with 13.5 per game on 30 percent shooting in four career meetings.

After allowing the Cougars to shoot 54.4 percent, the Owls will have to tighten things up against a UConn team that ranks among the nation's top 15 with a 50.3 field-goal percentage.

Amida Brimah, however, is sidelined for at least four more weeks after suffering a broken finger on Dec. 21. The 7-foot center leads the Huskies with a 72.5 field-goal percentage.

UConn had won four straight in this series before Temple took both meetings last season. Purvis had 18 points in the March loss, but Hamilton missed 19 of 24 shots in the two games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cornhuskers (8-7) at Hawkeyes (11-3)

Date: January 05, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

A pair of upsets propelled Iowa into the national rankings for the first time this season, and it will try to enhance its chances of remaining there by avoiding one at home against Nebraska.

Before another high-profile matchup, the No. 19 Hawkeyes will seek their best Big Ten start in 13 seasons Tuesday night.

Iowa defeated two ranked conference opponents in the same week for the first time since Jan. 19-22, 1987, when it topped former No. 1 Michigan State 83-70 at home last Tuesday and rallied from a 19-point deficit for a 70-63 victory at then-No. 14 Purdue on Saturday.

Jarrod Uthoff, the Big Ten's second-leading scorer at 18.1 points per game, had a team-best 25 in the latest win. Mike Gesell scored a career-high 25 in the victory over Michigan State.

The Hawkeyes (11-3, 2-0) were rewarded with their first spot in the rankings since checking in at No. 25 for the week of Jan. 19, 2015. They were subsequently knocked out after three consecutive defeats.

They'll try to avoid that fate this time by winning their only game this week. Iowa gets an eight-day break before its rematch at No. 5 Michigan State on Jan. 14, and is looking for its first 3-0 start in the Big Ten since 2002-03.

"It is just a bigger target on our back," center Adam Woodbury told the school's official website. "People always see the number and want to judge us by where we're ranked. It doesn't matter. You have to win, that's all that matters."

The Hawkeyes have won four straight over Nebraska and claimed two victories last season by a combined 39 points. They have won each of their past three home games against Nebraska by double digits, and will face a team that's started 8-7 and 0-2 in the conference.

"We're beyond taking anybody lightly," coach Fran McCaffery said.

The Huskers have a new leading scorer for this matchup in Kansas transfer Andrew White III (17.3 ppg). Shavon Shields, averaging 15.4, scored 25 in a 70-59 loss at Iowa on Jan. 5, 2015.

Coach Tim Miles' team, though, doesn't have another player scoring more than 8.9 per game and only four players are averaging 7.1 or better.

By contrast, Iowa has seven players averaging at least 6.0 points and is the second-highest scoring team in the Big Ten (81.7). One of those players, Anthony Clemmons, will likely be a game-time decision because of a hip injury suffered at Purdue.

Nebraska has struggled at the defensive end to start to conference play, allowing both its two opponents to shoot at least 50.0 percent and a combined 46.3 from 3-point range.

Indiana had the best shooting performance by a Huskers opponent in two seasons, connecting at 54.9 percent in a 79-69 victory Saturday. The Hoosiers went 9 of 18 from beyond the arc.

"We've got some younger guys, but I'm not using that as an excuse. We just need to keep going," freshman forward Jack McVeigh said. "Every game we are looking to get better. Now we need to learn from this game."

Nebraska has started at least 0-2 in each of its five seasons in the Big Ten and only avoided beginning 0-3 or worse last season.

This is the only scheduled meeting between the schools.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wildcats (11-2) at Tigers (8-5)

Date: January 05, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

While Kentucky's Tyler Ulis is proving he belongs on the big stage, LSU's Ben Simmons will finally get his chance in the spotlight against a Top 25 team.

The freshman phenom will face a ranked opponent for the first time when the ninth-ranked Wildcats visit Baton Rouge for a Tuesday night SEC matchup.

Simmons is demonstrating why he was chosen as the conference's preseason player of the year, averaging 20.5 points and a league-high 13.1 rebounds. However, his first major test will come against Kentucky (11-2, 1-0), which has regrouped from a mediocre stretch behind Ulis' strong play.

The Wildcats lost their only true road game 87-77 against UCLA on Dec. 3, and after wins over Eastern Kentucky and Arizona State, they fell 74-67 to Ohio State in New York on Dec. 19. Ulis has helped a turnaround into SEC play, though, by combining for 41 points and 18 assists in a 75-73 win over No. 16 Louisville on Dec. 26 and Saturday's 83-61 conference-opening rout of Ole Miss.

The sophomore point guard turned in 20 points, 10 assists and six steals against the Rebels as the Wildcats improved to 7-0 when he scores at least 12.

'He is out to prove who he is," coach John Calipari said. "I just want a team full of guys that want that.'

Ulis averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 assists in 37 games off the bench last season with his minutes chewed up by a group of current NBA players. With the starting point guard spot and a healthy dose of minutes, Ulis has lifted his numbers to 13.4 points and 5.9 assists per game.

Ulis finished with two points on 1-of-6 shooting and three assists in 26 minutes during a 71-69 win at LSU on Feb. 10, a rare test for the Wildcats last season.

The Tigers were one of the few teams Kentucky had trouble with on the way to a 31-0 regular-season record. LSU used a 21-2 second-half run to challenge the Wildcats, but a last-second 3-pointer wouldn't fall.

It was Kentucky's eighth win in the last nine games of this series. The Wildcats have won four of five at Baton Rouge.

LSU (8-5, 1-0) has been inconsistent this season but has won four of five - the outlier a 77-71 loss to Wake Forest on Dec. 29. That was the Tigers' first home defeat after winning their first seven games at Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Simmons helped LSU regroup with 36 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday's 90-82 win at Vanderbilt. That was the third-most points by a major-conference freshman in his league debut since 1996-97.

The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward made 10 of 15 shots and 16 of 19 free throws - and he still finished seven points off his career high.

The last major conference freshman to score 30-plus points in each of his first two league games was Texas' Kevin Durant in 2006-07.

"To do that your first night out in this type of environment here says a lot about him," said coach Johnny Jones, whose team will look to open SEC play 2-0 for the first time since 2010-11. "But certainly not surprised about his play, and not a lot surprises me about him. I've been around him enough now."

Simmons' 16 free throws were the most by an LSU player in an SEC game since Chris Jackson made 16 at Florida in December of 1988. That was also Jackson's first SEC game.

The status of Kentucky junior Dominique Hawkins is unclear after he left Saturday's game with an ankle injury. X-rays reportedly revealed no breaks. Hawkins had a career-high 13 points against Louisville.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Betting 3-Point Play: Three Interesting Jan. 5 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews

I had a solid Saturday of picks in this space, hitting on Minnesota +10 against visiting Michigan State and San Francisco +13 against visiting Gonzaga, which needed overtime to escape. Did miss on Butler +6 at Xavier. This week gets off to a great start on Monday night when the nation's top two teams, Oklahoma and Kansas, face off. It's only the 40th time ever that has happened (AP poll teams) and first since early in the 2013 season. Probably won't see it again this regular season unless it's the Sooners and Jayhawks when they meet in Norman on Feb. 13. Here's a look at three intriguing Tuesday matchups.

Marquette at No. 8 Providence (-9)

A 7 p.m. ET tip on Fox Sports 1. The Friars (14-1) routed St. John's 83-65 on Saturday. All-American guard Kris Dunn had 26 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals. He was named the Big East Player of the Week on Monday. Dunn leads the Big East in assists (7.3) and steals (3.1) and is second in scoring (17.5 ppg). He is the only player in the nation to rank in the Top 10 in steals (second) and assists (sixth). Providence is 2-0 in league play for the first time in seven seasons. The Friars have won eighth straight games, their longest since 1993-94. The 14-1 record is the program's second-best start ever. The 1965 team was 15-0.

Marquette (10-4) lost at Georgetown on Saturday, 80-70. With the score tied at 11, Georgetown used a 15-2 run to take a commanding lead it wouldn't give up. The Golden Eagles were down 19 in the second half and weren't able to get closer than six. Marquette star center Henry Ellenson, who will be a lottery pick this year along with Dunn, was only 4-for-15 from the field and finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Marquette has won 11 of the past 13 in the series but is 3-4 all-time at Providence. Each team won on its home court last year. Providence did so by 11.

Key trends: Marquette is 3-11 against the spread in its past 14 after a loss. The Friars have covered four straight vs. the Big East. The favorite is 11-1 ATS in the past 12 meetings.

I'm leaning: Providence.

Wisconsin at Indiana (-7.5)

Big Ten matchup is at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Wisconsin (9-6) has been a big disappointment, and of course Coach Bo Ryan stepped down a few weeks ago. The Badgers are 2-1 under interim coach Greg Gard. They followed a close loss to Purdue to open Big Ten play with a 79-57 home win over Rutgers on Saturday. Zak Showalter scored a career-high 21 points on a 8-for-8 from the field, four of those coming from 3-point range. Ethan Happ struggled in the Purdue loss but bounced back with 16 points and 10 rebounds in just 21 minutes. In the three games under Gard, the Badgers are shooting 47.1 percent and averaging 72.7 ppg. UW shot 41.2 percent and averaged 65.7 ppg in the 12 games under Ryan.

Indiana (12-3) has opened conference play with road wins at Rutgers (79-72) and then Saturday at Nebraska, 79-69. Senior guard Yogi Ferrell had 24 points vs. the Cornhuskers. Freshman Thomas Bryant had 19 points. Sophomore guard James Blackmon, who averages 15.3 points, missed a second straight game with a knee injury and he's questionable here. It was IU's seventh consecutive win and second consecutive Big Ten road win for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Indiana's 1976 national championship team, the last unbeaten NCAA champ, will be honored at halftime. Those Hoosiers were named the best single-season team in college basketball history by NCAA.com, USBWA and sports information directors. Bobby Knight isn't expected to be there Tuesday but it's possible. Wow, what a reaction that would get.

Key trends: Wisconsin is 1-8 ATS in its past nine after a win. IU is 4-0 ATS in its past four vs. teams with a winning record.

I'm leaning: Wisconsin has won 14 of the past 15 meetings. But those Badgers teams were much better. Take IU.

Boise State at Utah State (+1.5)

This is your latest betting NCAA option on Tuesday with a 10 p.m. ET start and on the CBS Sports Network. Boise State (10-4) opened Mountain West play with an 84-80 home win over Colorado State on Saturday. Mikey Thompson scored on a putback and star Anthony Drmic hit two free throws in the final 12 seconds. James Webb III led Boise with 28 points and Drmic finished with 21 points. Webb was named the conference's player of the week on Monday. BSU nearly blew a 16-point lead. It was Boise's 16th straight home win and seventh victory in a row overall this season. BSU has never started 2-0 since joining the Mountain West.

Utah State (9-4) is off a 70-67 home loss on Saturday to preseason Mountain West favorite San Diego State. USU had won 25 straight conference home openers. Lew Evans had 22 points and 11 rebounds in a losing effort. The Aggies were only 5-for-20 from long range. Utah State is 18-1 at home against Boise State, suffering its first home defeat of the series last season (68-63). USU brought back four starters from that 18-13 team and was picked third in the preseason Mountain West poll.

Key trends: Boise State is 0-5 ATS in its past five after a win. USU has covered eight of its past 11 vs. the Mountain West. Boise is 1-7 ATS in the past eight meetings.

I'm leaning: Utah State.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Notes for Tuesday's games..........

Richmond won five of last seven games with Rhode Island, winning two of last three visits here, but losing 66-43 LY. Spiders allowed 81 ppg in losing last two games; St Joe's made 11-21 from arc against 'em Saturday. Richmond is 1-2 in true road games, with 91-82 win at Wake Forest. URI won three of last four games, with two of three wins in OT. Favorites covered five of first seven A-14 games this season.

Wisconsin is 14-1 in its last 15 games with Indiana; this is Badgers' first Big 14 road game without Ryan. Wisconsin won five of last six visits to Indiana; they're 1-1 in true road games, losing by 17 at Oklahoma, taking OT win in Syracuse. Hoosiers won last seven games; they have #2 eFG% in country, shooting 45.1% on arc (#4). Indiana 2-3 vs top 100 teams, beating Creighton/Notre Dame- they're 8-0 at home.

VCU is 3-2 in A-14 games with St Joe's; home side won all three regular season games, teams split pair in A-14 tourney. Rams are 0-5 vs top 75 teams; their best win was over #99 Old Dominion. VCU is shooting 32% on arc, big dropoff from previous years. Hawks won seven in row; they were 11-21 on arc in win over #71 Richmond Saturday, its best win of year- they're 0-2 vs top 50 teams, losing to Florida/Villanova.

Home side won last five Marquette-Providence games; Golden Eagles are 0-2 in last two visits here, losing by 1-11 points. Marquette lost first two Big East games, allowing 81.5 ppg, getting exposed for playing the #336 non-conference schedule. Providence won its last eight games, scoring an average of 84.7 ppg in last three games. Favorites are 7-3 vs spread in Big East games this year.

Auburn won six of last seven games with South Carolina, winning three in row here, by 11-16-3 points. Tigers are 3-4 in last seven games after win over Tennessee Saturday; they're shooting 38.5% on arc but only 63.3% on line. Gamecocks are one of two unbeatens left in country; they beat Clemson by 6 in only true road game. Carolina is 8-0 vs teams outside top 100, with all eight wins by 14+ points.

Texas won three of last four games with Kansas State, winning by 3-13 in last two played here; Longhorns are playing at #272 pace- Smart's VCU teams played 80-25-74 pace last three years, so this roster isn't what he is used to coaching. K-State split pair of true road games, losing by 10 at A&M, winning by hoop at Georgia, its only win in four top 100 games, with losses by 10-10-4 points to UNC-A&M-West Virginia.

Oklahoma State won four of last six games with Baylor; Cowboys' 74-65 win here LY ended their 8-game skid at Baylor. This is State's first true road game; they're 0-2 in top 100 games, losing by hoop to Florida, by 10 to Tulsa. Baylor is 9-0 at home, 0-3 on road (all to top 40 teams); Bears lost by 28 at Kansas Saturday when Jayhawks hit 11-19 on arc- they are 1-3 vs top 100 teams, with best win over #26 Vanderbilt. .

Butler won last three games with DePaul by 33-10-14 points, with two of those three here; Bulldogs lost first two Big East games after starting season 11-1; opponents hit 22-47 from arc in two losses. Blue Demons lost five of last six games; win was over GW by 21, its only win in eight top 100 games. Three of their last five losses were at home. Home dogs are 0-3 vs spread in Big East this season.

Home side won both Clemson-Syracuse ACC games; Tigers lost 57-44 in 2014 visit, beat Orange 66-58 at home LY. Tigers lost three of last four games with losses by 6-23-11 points- they're 0-3 in true road games, 1-4 vs top 100 teams- their best win was over #48 Florida State on Saturday. This is last game of Boeheim's suspension; Orange scored 56 ppg in 0-2 ACC start, losing by 21 at Pitt, 13 at Miami.

Kentucky won eight of last nine games with LSU, winning three of last four visits here- they won 71-69 here LY, losing 87-82 in '14. Wildcats lost by 10 at UCLA in only true road game; they're 3-2 in top 100 games, with other loss to Ohio State on neutral floor. LSU has young team even besides ace freshman Simmons; they won four of last five games, are 1-3 vs top 100 teams, with only win by 8 at Vanderbilt Saturday.

Creighton lost last four games with Georgetown; they went 0-3 vs Hoyas LY, losing 60-55 in Big East tourney after getting drubbed 67-40 at home. Bluejays are 10-2 vs teams outside top 50; they've got #8 eFG% in US. Georgetown won eight of last ten games after 1- start, scoring 75 ppg in winning first two Big East games. Hoyas have #26 eFG% defense- they hold teams to 40.4% inside the arc.

Arkansas won five of last seven games with Vanderbilt, winning last two meetings 77-75/82-70; Vandy lost last three visits here by 8-23-12 pts. Young Commodores are 3-5 in last eight games after 5-0 start; they're 2-5 vs top 100 teams, with best win over #60 Stony Brook. Arkansas is 1-3 in last four games, with two of three losses in OT; they're making 41.8% on arc (#10) but have #231 eFG% in country, their worst in seven years.

Utah State won eight of last ten games with Boise State; last four were all decided by 6 or less points. Broncos lost seven of last eight visits here- they won 68-63 (-1.5) LY. Aggies are 0-4 vs top 100 teams, with three losses by 10+ points- they lost 70-67 to San Diego State last game. Boise is 1-2 in true road games with loss at Montana; they have #272 eFG% defense, are 2-3 vs top 100 teams, with 74-72 win over #38 Oregon.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Tuesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Mahoning Valley (2nd) Wedded Prince, 3-1
(5th) Eildon Hall, 3-1


Sunland Park (6th) Velvet Heels, 5-1
(8th) Stormin Creek, 4-1


Turf Paradise (4th) Cooper's Storm, 3-1
(5th) Lord Vancouver, 5-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday's six-pack

Odds to win this year's Super Bowl

9-2-- Arizona, New England-- Carson Palmer has zero playoff wins.

5-1-- Carolina-- Underrated team.

6-1-- Denver-- Only team to win a game this year without scoring a TD on offense and they did it twice, in Weeks 1-5

13-2-- Seattle-- Whacked Vikings 38-7 here five weeks ago.

11-1-- Pittsburgh-- Favorites are 10-6 vs spread in this round since 2011.

25-1-- Kansas City, Cincinnati-- Lewis/Dalton combo is 0-4 in playoffs.

35-1-- Green Bay, Minnesota-- At this point, wouldn't bet Packers with your money; they looked awful the last two weeks.

50-1-- Washington-- Won NFC East for second time in four years.

90-1-- Houston-- Won lousy division after starting season 2-5.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Tuesday

749 FURMAN @ 750 NC GREENSBORO 7:00 PM

Take: FURMAN -2

I’m on the Furman side, and as is usually the case here, I’m using the Southpoint current number for grading purposes. That’s not the best line available as this is being written, so if you’re playing this game, I’d advise shopping around.

I’m playing the numbers game here. Neither the Paladins nor the Spartans are particularly good, but off the key categories I like to focus on, the visiting Furman side has some edges over their Greensboro hosts.

Beyond the stats, there are a couple of other things I like here as well. One is the big depth advantage owned by Furman. Another is the fact that Greensboro is about as awful as it gets from the stripe. The Spartans have connected on a pathetic 59% of their free throws for the season. In a game that figures close, that inability to make the charity tosses could be critical.

I also like the fact that the Paladins are off a very positive performance. Beating VMI is definitely not a big deal on its own. But Furman was off a very tough two-point loss against a better than most are aware UNC-Asheville squad, and bouncing back to blow out the Keydets was impressive.

Small road chalk is not the worst option in the world in college basketball and that’s the route I’ll travel here with a play on Furman.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Bonus Play for Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 10:35 PM EST

(707) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS (708) LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Take: Over the total

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Tuesday, January 5, 2016 is in the NBA scheduled contest between the Golden State Warriors and LA Lakers. The Warriors continue to prove they are the best team in the NBA, now posting a 31-2 record heading into Monday Night's contest vs Hornets. Tonight's game will be the 2nd of a back-to-back spot for the Warriors. Not to fret though, the last four times this season that the Warriors were in this spot, they are 3-1 O/U and have scored 114 or more points in those overs. The one UNDER also happened to be their first loss of the season at Milwaukee. Kobe Bryant is questionable tonight. While this is his last season, he's still averaging just over 17 ppg this season. If you look at the series between these clubs, you see a lot of OVERS. The one meeting this year in Golden State did go UNDER, however, they total is 11-6 O/U the last 17 meetings between these clubs. Warriors guard and the NBA scoring leader, Steph Curry, is still battling that lower leg injury. Wouldn't be surprised if they rested him all or part of tonight's contest at the Lakers. Still, don't think it will matter as this game should go over quite easily. Take the OVER.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Scott Spreitzer

Georgetown vs Creighton

Bonus Play Creighton

I'm recommending a play on Creighton on Tuesday night. During his son Doug's freshman season, Creighton head coach Greg McDermott once joked that he new he had job security in Omaha for at least three more seasons. This marks the second season since "Dougie Buckets" wore a Blue Jay uniform and the first season didn't go too well. But while the Jays were in a serious rebuilding mode last year, things are starting to round into form this campaign. McDermott has done a fantastic job of recruiting and the faithful knew the team was a season away from getting back into contention in the Big East. Thus far, the Jays are 10-5 SU, beating most of the teams they should have beaten. And while they aren't ready yet to hang with teams like Villanova & Oklahoma, (lost by 14 & 13, respectively), the Jays can handle a slightly overvalued Georgetown squad. We have gone against the Hoyas a couple of times this season, including a big game winner on Monmouth on these pages. Creighton still gets up and down the floor, scoring over 85 ppg on 50% shooting. The Jays have nine players averaging more than 10 minutes played per game and seven players are averaging between 13 & 7.5 ppg. McDermott's troops will look to push the tempo and I don't believe Georgetown will be able to "keep up." Creighton lost to Villanova last time out, but they're 9-2 ATS off a SU loss and on an 8-1-1 ATS run in Big East play. I'm recommending a play on Creighton on Tuesday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.