Tuesday 11/17/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (5-5) at Knicks (5-6)

Date: November 17, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Charlotte Hornets have been outrebounded in five straight games.

No team exposed that weakness better than the New York Knicks did last week.

The Hornets managed to survive a big disparity on the boards to extend their win streak over the Knicks to four heading into Tuesday night's rematch at Madison Square Garden.

Charlotte (5-5) has seen its average rebound margin dip to minus-3.2 after being outrebounded by an average of 12.6 in a five-game stretch in which it is 3-2.

"We have to have everybody coming back to rebound," coach Steve Clifford said. "Everybody's gotta come back to rebound, so that way, it's our only chance. If you hit and block out, the other guys can't (rebound). We're just not doing that."

The Hornets overcame a 52-33 edge on the glass by the Knicks in last Wednesday's 95-93 home win. New York averages 15.5 second-chance points for one of the league's best marks, but was held to a season-low 10 that night.

Rookie Kristaps Porzingis had a season-high 15 rebounds in that contest, which will be remembered for his 3-pointer that was ruled to have come after the final buzzer. The Knicks stormed the court in celebration when he hit the shot.

Nicolas Batum scored a team-high 24 points in that game for Charlotte to start a three-game stretch in which he is averaging 28.3 on 57.4 percent shooting. He scored 33 - two off his career high - in Sunday's 106-94 home victory over Portland.

"Maybe," said Batum when asked whether this was his best career stretch. "My role is different right now and we're winning games. It's not like I'm playing great and we don't win."

The Frenchman had a huge effort in the wake of the attacks in Paris, and a countryman stepped up Sunday for the Knicks. Kevin Seraphin had 12 points in 14 minutes in a 95-87 win over New Orleans.

Seraphin is a little-used reserve who had not seen more than nine minutes of action for New York before he scored six points in nine minutes in the fourth quarter alone.

"He was ready," said Carmelo Anthony, who is averaging 26.6 points in his last five games. "He was a big part of our run that we made in the second half. To see him, and what he's dealing with emotionally and mentally, be prepared today when his number was called was big.'

New York (5-6) is averaging 41.7 bench points for one of the league's best marks.

The Knicks limited Al Jefferson to four points on 2-of-10 shooting in the last meeting. That was part of a three-game stretch in which the Hornets big man totaled 19 points on 28.6 percent shooting before he scored 29 and made 13 of 17 shots versus the Trail Blazers.

"He's hard to guard 1-on-1, we know that," Hornets guard Jeremy Lin said. "Coach made it a priority in terms of talking about when and where to get him the ball."

Jeremy Lamb, averaging 13.3 points to rank among the league's best reserves, missed the Hornets' practice Monday with a shoulder injury.

Charlotte is seeking to win five straight over New York for the first time.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nuggets (5-5) at Pelicans (1-9)

Date: November 17, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Denver coach Mike Malone refused to use fatigue as an excuse for his team's latest performance, but the Nuggets might play better after getting a couple days off on their road trip.

A matchup with the lowly New Orleans Pelicans could also help the Nuggets get back on track Tuesday night following a lopsided defeat that ended their first win streak of 2015-16.

Denver (5-5) played its fourth game in six days and the second half of a back-to-back Saturday, losing 105-81 to Phoenix. Rather than blaming the schedule, though, Malone pointed to his team's "selfish play" in the first half.

The Nuggets were outscored 60-28 in the opening 24 minutes of their three-game trip and had their three-game win streak snapped.

"Young teams like us forget why you've had success," Malone said. "I'm very disappointed in the effort and very disappointed in our lack of teamwork and unselfish play. It's back to the drawing board. I think our guys felt a little full of themselves because they won three in a row and they forgot how we need to play."

Denver will try to bounce back against the Pelicans (1-9), who held an opponent to fewer than 100 points for the first time this season Sunday. However, they also failed to score 90 for a second straight contest in a 95-87 loss to New York.

Anthony Davis had 36 points in his return from a two-game absence due to a bruised right hip, but no teammate had more than 16. The short-handed team had its lowest-scoring game in a 100-81 loss at Toronto on Friday.

"We're the only ones that can dig us out of this," coach Alvin Gentry said. 'We don't have any excuses. As I said, we can play hard and we can compete and do what we're supposed to do and if it works out, then fine.

"If it doesn't work out, then fine also. But we're not doing that. We're not competing at the highest level that we can from the standpoint that you get the game back workable."

The Pelicans are missing Tyreke Evans, Kendrick Perkins, Norris Cole and Quincy Pondexter due to injuries.

The status of the Nuggets' Kenneth Faried is uncertain because of an ailing back that kept him out of the second half Saturday, while teammate Joffrey Lauvergne is reportedly close to returning from a lower back strain. The French center hasn't played since Nov. 1.

The Nuggets have won four of five against the Pelicans, needing two overtimes for a 118-111 victory at New Orleans in the latest matchup March 15.

Denver's Will Barton, who scored a then-career high 25 points in that game, had 26 in a 107-98 victory over Houston on Friday. Barton has totaled 45 points in his last two games and grabbed 12 rebounds against the Suns.

He totaled 41 points and 19 boards in his final two meetings with the Pelicans in 2014-15.

Davis is averaging 30.7 points, 14.3 rebounds and 5.7 blocks in his last three home games against Denver. He had 36 points and 14 boards while matching a career high with nine blocks and setting another with seven assists March 15.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (7-4) at Warriors (11-0)

Date: November 17, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have played a substantial role in helping the Golden State Warriors extend a dominant run at home against the Toronto Raptors.


The defending champions could be missing at least one of them Tuesday night as they seek their best home start in 35 years and an 11th straight win at Oracle Arena over the Raptors.

The Warriors didn't look particularly good without Thompson on Saturday, falling behind by 17 to a one-win Brooklyn team before rallying for a 107-99 overtime home win.

Thompson has been bothered by a stiff back in recent weeks, but is expected to return as Golden State looks to open 7-0 at home for the first time since winning its first 10 in 1980-81.

"It's about us getting better in the regular season and playing at our highest level come playoff time and the wins will take care of themselves as long as we keep at our main focus," interim coach Luke Walton said.

Thompson totaled 45 points and hit 9 of 14 from 3-point range to help the Warriors win two meetings with Toronto by a combined 45 points last season. The All-Star guard also has averaged 21.3 points and shot 14 of 23 (60.9 percent) from beyond the arc in three career matchups at Oracle.

Golden State has scored 119.7 points per game while winning by an average of 14.7 during its run at home against the Raptors. Stephen Curry had 32 points and 12 assists, Marreese Speights scored 26 and Green added 16 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a 126-105 win Jan. 2.

Green recorded his second career triple-double Saturday with 16 points, 12 assists and 10 boards, but he's questionable for this meeting because of a bout with the flu.

Andre Iguodala could start in the frontcourt after he had 15 points and hit a tying 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds remaining Saturday. Curry, who scored 34 but went 13 of 31 from the field, has averaged 28.6 points and 10.4 assists in five home games versus Toronto.

"We can't get caught up in the Steph Curry show or the atmosphere of how its going to be in the arena," Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan said. "We've got to go out there and play disciplined basketball on the defensive end and understand that they're going to make tough shots - that's what they do."

Toronto ranks in the top 10 with 97.1 points allowed per game, but allowed Sacramento to shoot 51.3 percent and 10 of 25 from 3-point range in a 107-101 loss Sunday that marked its fourth loss in six games after opening the season with five straight victories.

The Raptors will likely have a tough time bouncing back in the second of this five-game trip against a Golden State team averaging an NBA-best 114.1 points and 12.2 3s.

DeMar DeRozan finished with 24 points, Kyle Lowry scored 22 and went 6 for 12 from 3-point range, and DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph had 17 points apiece.

Toronto hit 15 of 31 attempts from beyond the arc, but committed 16 turnovers for the second straight game and was outscored 52-28 in the paint.

"To win in this league you've got to take care of the ball, make sure we get good attempts and get stops on the other end," coach Dwane Casey said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Why can't LeBron and the Cavaliers cover the NBA spreads?
By BIG AL MCMORDIE

With three weeks in the books, the NBA wheat is starting to separate itself from the NBA chaff. The Top 6 teams are well-defined, at least from a margin of victory standpoint: Warriors, Spurs, Cavaliers, Heat, Thunder and the upstart Celtics.

The one common thread which runs through most of these teams is strong defensive play, as the Spurs, Heat, Warriors and Celtics are the Top 4 ranked teams in Defensive Rating. And, of those six clubs, all but the Cavaliers have played a majority of their games Under the total (the Cavs are 5-5 O/U).

“Big” Al McMordie takes a closer look at the week that was, and the week ahead in the NBA:

Spread watch

The Cavaliers are certainly the class of the Eastern Conference. Even without Kyrie Irving on the floor, the Cavs have bolted out to an 8-2 record and have won their games by 7.20 ppg, to rank third in margin of victory behind the Warriors (16.27) and Spurs (10.56). But a superb victory margin has not translated into success at the betting window.

After losing to Milwaukee, 108-105, in double-overtime Saturday, as a 5-point favorite, Cleveland's pointspread losing streak reached an unfathomable seven games (after starting the season with three ATS wins). Interestingly, since 1990, there have been 226 teams which lost exactly their previous seven games ATS. But only three of those teams - before this year's Cavaliers - had a win percentage of .800, or better.

After the loss to the Bucks, LeBron James remarked, "We're not a great team right now... We give a half-ass effort sometimes and expect that we can just make a run at the end."

I would think that James' critique might light a fire under the Cavaliers in their next game, on Tuesday, at Detroit. And given that those 226 teams, referenced above, that had lost seven games in a row to the spread went 123-97-6 ATS in their next game (including 63-39-3 ATS on the road), the Cavs surely are worth a look.

Total watch

The Miami Heat are one of six NBA teams giving up less than a point per possession, and currently rank No. 2 in Defensive Rating (behind San Antonio). The Heat have also played their last eight games Under the total (after tipping off the season with an Over vs. the Hornets). For the season, Miami is surrendering just 90.2 ppg. This Tuesday, the Heat will host the Timberwolves, and nine of the last 13 meetings between those two clubs have sailed Under the total.

Injury Watch

Kevin Durant suffered a hamstring injury in last week's game vs. the Washington Wizards, and he then missed the Thunder's next two games, at home vs. Philly (win) and Boston (loss). He is expected to miss, at the least, OKC's next two games at Memphis on Monday, and at home vs. New Orleans.

The Thunder have gone 28-29 without their All-Star in the lineup the past two seasons (compared to 23-12 with him), and they're 27-29-1 ATS in those 57 games. Memphis has owned the series at home vs. the Thunder, lately, as OKC has covered just two of the last nine games played on Beale Street. Consider backing the Grizzlies Monday night.

Schedule Watch

The San Antonio Spurs are settling in as the second-best team in the NBA, behind Golden State. The Spurs have started 7-2 SU and 6-4 ATS, and have the league's best Defensive Rating (95.54), and second-best Margin of Victory (10.56). They should improve on those numbers as their upcoming schedule includes games against the Blazers, Nuggets, Pelicans and Grizzlies. And, in five of the Spurs' next six home games, their opponent will be playing without rest.

That's significant, as San Antonio is 65-37-1 ATS since February 24, 2010 when playing an unrested opponent, including 10-0 ATS if that opponent is also playing its fourth game in five nights. Circle Saturday, November 28 on your calendar, as the Spurs-Hawks game fits that 10-0 ATS angle.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Tuesday, November 17 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Last year's Golden State Warriors had one of the greatest statistical regular seasons in NBA history. And this year's club might be better as the Warriors are 11-0 and five wins shy of breaking the record for the best start in league history. They generally have been killing people. But I don't think this team would have much of a chance against the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls club that won an NBA-record 72 games in the regular season. And former Bull Ron Harper apparently agrees with me. He tweeted recently that those Bulls would sweep these Warriors in a playoff series. Not sure if I'd go that far, but doubt it would last more than six games. I would have liked to see Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen guard Steph Curry. For what it's worth, Warriors GM Bob Myers has said it's "impossible" to break that 72-win record. I believe the Warriors are going to get to at least 16-0, however.


Bucks at Wizards (-3.5, 201.5)

This is the first of an NBA TV doubleheader so should have live betting at the books. Monitor the status of Washington's Bradley Beal. He has missed the past two games with a shoulder injury and didn't practice Monday, so it doesn't look promising for this one. The Wiz are 1-1 without him. Milwaukee is off a 108-105 double-overtime win against Cleveland on Saturday. The Wizards won at the Bucks on Oct. 30, 118-113, rallying from a 13-point deficit. Beal had 26 points, 14 in the fourth quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 for the Bucks. Milwaukee didn't have big man John Henson then, but he's back now.

Key trends: The favorite is 5-0 against the spread in the past five meetings. The "over/under" is 7-2 in the past nine.

Early lean: Wait on Beal.

Hawks at Nets (+3.5, 198.5)

Brooklyn nearly pulled the upset of the season on Saturday, losing 107-99 in overtime at Golden State. Jarrett Jack had a season-high 28 points for the Nets. Brook Lopez missed a short jumper at the regulation buzzer. Atlanta comes in on a two-game losing streak, being held under 100 points in each. The Hawks were without point guard Jeff Teague on Sunday, and he's not playing here. Dennis Schroder will start for him. Also out is Kent Bazemore due to his own ankle problem. The Hawks beat the visiting Nets 101-87 on Nov. 4. Brooklyn had 19 turnovers, which led to 25 Atlanta points. Lopez had 27 points, but no one else did much for the Nets. Joe Johnson was just 1-for-10 from the field.

Key trends: The home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 5-2 in the past seven.

Early lean: Hawks and under.

Cavaliers at Pistons (+5, 192)

Cleveland's eight-game winning streak was snapped in Milwaukee on Saturday in double overtime despite 37 points from LeBron James. He also had seven turnovers and missed a potential winning 3-pointer at the end of the first OT. James is 10 points away from passing Jerry West (25,192) for 19th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Detroit returns home from a six-game road trip having lost four straight -- the Pistons were rather embarrassed in Sunday's 97-85 loss at the sorry Lakers. Pistons center Andre Drummond had 17 points and 17 rebounds for his 10th straight double-double. The Cavs were 3-1 vs. the Pistons last year and have won four straight at Auburn Hills. In those four road wins, the Cavs have held Detroit to under 100 points in each of them.

Key trends: The Cavs are 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. The under is 4-0 in the past four in Detroit.

Early lean: Cavaliers and under.

Timberwolves at Heat (-9, 194.5)

Minnesota lost a fourth straight Sunday, 114-106 against Memphis. Not coincidentally, point guard Ricky Rubio has missed all four with a strained left hamstring. He was able to practice on Monday but is still being called questionable -- the Wolves also play again Wednesday, so that could factor in whether Rubio plays Tuesday. Zach LaVine would start again if Rubio can't go. Miami has been off since a 92-91 home win over Utah last Thursday. The Heat didn't have either Dwyane Wade (family emergency) or Gerald Green (suspension) for that, but both will play Tuesday.

Key trends: The Wolves are 6-0 ATS in their past six road games. Miami is 5-1 ATS in its past six vs. teams with a losing record. The under is 8-0 in Miami's past eight.

Early lean: Wolves.

Hornets at Knicks (+1, 196)

New York ended a two-game slide with a 95-87 win over New Orleans on Sunday. Carmelo Anthony had 29 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. The Knicks got 44 points from their bench and forced 18 Pelicans turnovers. Charlotte beat Portland 106-94 on Sunday behind a season-high 33 points from Nicolas Batum. Charlotte shot better than 65 percent in first half in taking a 71-45 lead. The Hornets beat the visiting Knicks 95-93 on Nov. 11 despite being outrebounded by 19. Cody Zeller hit the winning layup with less than a second remaining. Batum led the Hornets with 24 points.

Key trends: The Hornets are 6-1 ATS in their past seven at New York. The over is 5-0 in the past five there.

Early lean: Hornets and over.

Nuggets at Pelicans (TBA)

It's really quite shocking how bad New Orleans is even accounting for all the team's injuries. The Pelicans dropped to 1-9 with Sunday's eight-point loss at the Knicks. Anthony Davis had 36 points and 11 rebounds for New Orleans after missing the previous two games with a bruised right hip. Kendrick Perkins (right pectoral), Quincy Pondexter (left knee), Tyreke Evans (right knee) and Norris Cole (sprained left ankle) all sat out with injuries. Denver lost 105-81 in Phoenix on Saturday. The Nuggets had just 28 points at halftime. Forward/center Joffrey Lauvergne missed that one with a lower back strain and won't play here. Kenneth Faried missed the second half due to back spasms. He's questionable as is fellow forward Darrell Arthur (illness).

Key trends: The Nuggets are 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The under has hit in 12 of the past 15 in New Orleans.

Early lean: New Orleans should win this regardless.

Raptors at Warriors (-9, 207)

Golden State nearly got caught looking past the lousy Nets on Saturday but was able to escape in overtime -- Andre Iguodala hit a key 3-pointer to tie late in regulation. The Warriors opened the OT with a 10-0 run. Steph Curry had 34 points. Curry's "Splash Brother" mate Klay Thompson missed the game with back tightness. He's likely to play here. Toronto lost 107-101 in Sacramento on Sunday to start a five-game road trip. Golden State swept Toronto last season and has won 10 straight in the series at home.

Key trends: The Raptors are 6-1 ATS in their past seven vs. the West. The under is 10-1 in Golden State's past 11 following an ATS loss.

Early lean: Raptors and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Hot teams
-- Bucks won/covered five of their last seven games (3-1AU).
-- Miami won last three games, by 20-1-13 points (4-2HF).
-- Cleveland won eight of its last nine games (0-3AF).
-- New York is 3-2 in last five games, covering last four (1-2HF). Hornets won five of their last seven games (3-2AU).
-- Nuggets won three of last four games (3-2AU).
-- 11-0 Warriors covered three of last four games (3-3HF).

Cold teams
-- Washington lost three of its last four games (1-1HF).
-- Hawks lost three of their last four games (2-1-1AF). Brooklyn lost nine of first ten games, but covered last three.
-- Minnesota lost its last four games (5-0AU).
-- Pistons lost their last four games (1-0HU).
-- Pelicans lost nine of their first ten games (2-8 vs spread).
-- Toronto lost four of its last six games (2-1AU).

Series records
-- Wizards won five of last six games with Milwaukee.
-- Nets lost eight of their last ten games with Atlanta.
-- Heat won eight of its last ten games with Minnesota.
-- Cavaliers won six of last seven games with Detroit.
-- Knicks lost last four games with Charlotte (3-1 vs spread).
-- Pelicans lost four of last five games with Denver.
-- Golden State won/covered eight of last ten with Toronto.

Totals
-- Six of eight Washington games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Brooklyn games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last eight Miami games stayed under.
-- Eight of ten Detroit games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last eight New York games stayed under.
-- Seven of ten New Orleans games stayed under total.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Toronto games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sooners (0-0) at Tigers (1-0)

Date: November 17, 2015 5:00 PM EDT

There hasn't been this much hype about Oklahoma hoops since Blake Griffin was on campus.

The eighth-ranked Sooners return four starters - three of them seniors - from last season's squad that went 24-11 and barely missed the Elite Eight.

Buddy Hield, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, leads the way. He averaged 17.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while leading the team in 3-point goals. He seriously considered jumping to the NBA before deciding to stay. Now, the Final Four is a legitimate possibility.

'He made a decision that will be very good for him in the long run, and certainly, very good for our program,' Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said.

Kruger knows last season's success makes his team a target.

'These guys have never really been in that position before, but they'll handle it well,' Kruger said. 'They understand how they have to work every day, focus every day, and work at getting better. They know how tough the league is, so they know what lies ahead.'

Oklahoma isn't ducking the competition. The Sooners open at Memphis on Tuesday, host Wisconsin on Nov. 29, face Villanova on Dec. 7 in Honolulu, Hawaii and host Creighton on Dec. 19.

Hield and the other returning starters - Jordan Woodard, Ryan Spangler and Isaiah Cousins - started every game last season. Woodard, the point guard, averaged 9.3 points and led the team in assists. Spangler, a forward, averaged 9.7 points and led the team with 8.2 rebounds per game. Cousins, a shooting guard, was the team's No. 2 scorer with 11.7 points per game, and he was second on the squad in 3-point goals.

'It's great to have them from them being familiar, them having the experience, a lot of Big 12 starts,' Kruger said. 'Leadership out of that group is outstanding, maybe as good as we've ever had with a returning group. The work ethic, their unselfishness, all those things that you'd certainly rather have than not.'

Highly regarded recruits Christian James and Rashard Odomes will play immediately.

Odomes, a 6-foot-6 forward, averaged 25.2 points last year as a senior at Copperas Cove (Texas) High School. James, a 6-4 guard, broke his leg in an AAU game in August before his senior year of high school, but he's healed up and ready to go.

'Rashard Odomes and Christian James are kind of similar in that they've got good size at the wing, very versatile,' Kruger said. 'They're very aggressive, physical on the boards. They rebound the ball well from the wing. They can score.'

Dante Buford, a 6-7 redshirt freshman forward, also should contribute.

Post player Khadeem Lattin should get more action after playing a limited reserve role last year. He scored 2.0 points per game as a freshman last season, but averaged 3.2 rebounds and just under one block. His leaping ability and long reach made him a game-changing defensive pest.

The Sooners are experienced, versatile, deep and well-coached, and they expect to make a deep run in March. They've won their last 12 season openers but this will be the first time they start with a true road game since 1982.

This will be the highest-ranked team to visit Memphis since the Tigers defeated No. 7 Louisville 72-66 on March 1, 2014.

The Tigers were ranked third in their last meeting with Oklahoma, a 63-53 victory at Madison Square Garden in November 2007 that improved them to 6-0 in the series.

Memphis opened with a 67-49 win over Southern Mississippi on Saturday. Senior forward Shaq Goodwin had team highs of 15 points and nine rebounds for the Tigers, who surged ahead 24-6 and led by as many as 29.

Ricky Tarrant had a rough debut, scoring four points and going 1 of 6 from the field in 26 minutes. The senior transfer averaged 13.1 points at Alabama last season.

Memphis found success offensively inside, going 20 of 40 on 2-pointers, but was 3 of 18 from 3-point range. The Tigers kept the Golden Eagles at arm's length with defense, however, forcing 19 turnovers and holding them to 29.0 percent shooting - the lowest by an opponent since Dec. 31, 2011.

All of those missed shots, though, led to plenty of second-chance opportunities for Southern Miss, and it managed to pull down 21 offensive rebounds. Coach Josh Pastner said some of that had to do with his players running out to get in transition rather than looking for a rebound.

"I did not like the offensive rebounds we gave up to them. They had 21 which is way too many," Pastner said. "Hopefully we have some improvement on Tuesday with the defensive glass."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (3-0) at Fighting Irish (1-0)

Date: November 17, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The two players Notre Dame is expected to rely shined in the season opener.


Demetrius Jackson and senior forward Zach Auguste will try to build on their performances when the 18th-ranked Fighting Irish host Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

Jackson scored a career-best 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting in an 87-56 rout of St. Francis (Pa.) on Friday. The junior point guard and first-team preseason all-ACC selection also had eight rebounds and made three of Notre Dame's 10 3-pointers.

"It is his team. He's calling stuff. You know I didn't call much. He was calling sets, entries, out of bounds situations," coach Mike Brey said. "He's got that ability to score and make plays and then he's defending. He's really explosive, he's really confident, and he's got a group around him that are easy to play with for him."

Auguste had 15 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, achieving his pregame objective. The Irish outrebounded the Red Flash 53-31, including 21-8 on the offensive glass, and held them to 32.7 percent shooting.

"(The double-double is) an individual goal I have," Auguste said. "My team believes in me just as much as I believe in them. It's something I wanted to go out and do."

Notre Dame is hoping Jackson and Auguste can step into the roles filled by Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton during its 32-win season in 2014-15, second-most in program history.

The Irish are getting a prime chance to build momentum for their pursuit of another 30-win campaign with none of their first four games against major conference teams.

Milwaukee, though, enters with a 3-0 record for its best start since winning its first four in 2011-12.

The Panthers earned all of their victories at the Cable Car Classic at Santa Clara over the weekend, beating the host school 71-65 on Sunday. Junior guard Akeem Springs had 17 points and 10 rebounds - his second double-double in 49 career games - while junior forward Austin Arians was named MVP after averaging a team-leading 15.3 points.

Milwaukee scored 71 points in all three games and held each of its three opponents to 65 or fewer despite allowing two to shoot better than 51.0 percent.

It has lost six in a row to ranked opponents, falling 93-54 to No. 5 Wisconsin on Dec. 10 in its only such matchup last season.

The Panthers are facing Notre Dame for the second time. They lost 70-69 to the No. 22 Irish in the opening round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Devils (2-0) at Wildcats (2-0)

Date: November 17, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Skal Labissiere has heeded Kentucky coach John Calipari's advice to be an offensive presence.

The 6-foot-11 freshman leads the second-ranked Wildcats with an average of 17.5 points through two games. He's coming off a 26-point performance against NJIT, a game in which he floated jumpers, slammed home fierce dunks and generally had his way against the smaller Highlanders.

But NJIT and Duke are very different opponents, and Labissiere and the Wildcats will see how they size up against the defending national champions and fifth-ranked Blue Devils on Tuesday night in Chicago as part of the Champions Classic.

To Calipari, the matchup is coming a few games too late. Wisconsin eliminated Kentucky in the Final Four last season before the Wildcats could get a shot at Duke.

"I wish we were playing a year ago at the end," Calipari said. "Mike (Krzyzewski) has done a heck of a job, because when you watch the tape, they're driving the ball. They're running good stuff to put them in positions to drive the ball. He is mixing up their defense like I've never seen."

Labissiere also looks good statistically; now the 225-pounder from Haiti must take his game to another level physically.

Kentucky (2-0) and Duke (2-0) are more guard-heavy after the departure of low-post talent to the NBA. Though the Blue Devils lost 6-11 Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow, they still feature big bodies, including 7-footers Marshall Plumlee and freshman Antonio Vrankovic.

Duke's frontcourt must try to contain the lanky Labissiere.

'This is going to be a challenge for Skal because Plumlee plays so physical,' Calipari said Monday. 'This is a grit game, a grind-it game. They do a great job of wedging on rebounds. If you're not ready to fight, they're going to get offensive rebounds.'

Calipari has often used words such as grit and fight as things he wants to see from his made-over roster and Labissiere in particular. Though the coach has downplayed initial comparisons of Labissiere to recent Kentucky stars such as Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns, he obviously wants his big man to show that same ferocity around the basket.

That will take time, but Labissiere's game has shown other things to feel good about.

Saturday's explosion followed a nine-point, five-rebound debut that was solid if unspectacular given the hype around him as one of the nation's top newcomers. Calipari told Labissiere before the NJIT game to expect the ball more, and the rest was easy as the big man relished shooting chances out to nine feet.

'I wouldn't say he was tentative,' point guard Tyler Ulis said of Labissiere's debut, 'but it was his first game and he hadn't learned how to fight yet. But now he's doing what he has to do fighting in the low post, and when he gets the ball, he's scoring.'

Labissiere's next step is learning the dirty work of guarding the rim and rebounding. His shot-blocking potential seems there with him and junior Marcus Lee sharing the team lead with six rejections each, and he's just six behind him on the boards.

Challenged by his coach to take charge more with the ball, Labissiere now looks forward to the opportunity to develop that same edge defending the basket. Especially against a Duke squad featuring players he can also look in the eye.

'I just have to be more aggressive,' Labissiere said. 'That's one of the things I'm still working on. I've gotten better and determined to get even better at it.'

Duke's starting five isn't exactly high on experience, though things came seamlessly on the offensive end in Saturday's 113-75 home win over Bryant. The Blue Devils took a 59-32 halftime lead and shot 53.4 percent for the game while hitting 13 of 26 from 3-point range.

Grayson Allen had a career-high 28 points, Matt Jones scored all of his career-best 19 in the first half and top freshman Brandon Ingram scored 21 on 7- of-11 shooting after going 5 of 16 in Friday's 92-74 win over Siena.

"Our freshmen, I thought, played with much better enthusiasm and more decisiveness than they did (against Siena)," said Krzyzewski, whose team has won the past three meetings with Kentucky, though they last played in 2012.

The Blue Devils are, however, seeking a little defensive improvement after allowing Bryant to also hit 13 of 26 from 3-point range. Their two opponents have shot 47.6 percent from beyond the arc, but Kentucky is connecting on 28.9.

"We're going to look at them and get after it defensively," Ingram said. "(We'll go through the) same preparation - our first road game and our first test game, so we're going to listen to coach and let the older guys lead us."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Shockers (1-0) at Golden Hurricane (1-0)

Date: November 17, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Wichita State opened its season in impressive fashion, though it suffered a scare with an injury to its top player.

The ninth-ranked Shockers hope to have Fred VanVleet on the floor Tuesday night when they visit Tulsa.

Wichita State began its bid for a fourth straight 30-win season with an 88-63 victory against Charles Southern on Friday, the team's 14th consecutive win in an opener. VanVleet, the preseason Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year after averaging 13.6 points, 5.2 assists and 1.9 steals in 2014-15, was limited to three minutes of action, leaving after he rolled his ankle. He had already been slowed by a strained hamstring.

Coach Gregg Marshall is hopeful VanVleet will be able to play after he participated in Sunday's practice.

VanVleet isn't the only senior standout in Wichita's backcourt, as he's joined by Ron Baker and Evan Wessel. Baker had 15 points to lead five players in double figures, while senior Cleveland State transfer Anton Grady scored 12. Sophomore Rashard Kelly, the team's only non-senior starter, had seven points and four rebounds.

Freshmen Eric Hamilton, Ty Taylor II and Landry Shamet all scored 10-plus.

"I thought the freshmen were the key to the game," Marshall said. "I didn't know they were going to play that much."

Wichita State took care of the basketball, committing eight turnovers, and held the Buccaneers to 37.5 percent shooting. The Shockers ranked second in the MVC last season limiting opponents to 40.2 percent.

They seemed to have a tough time adjusting to the officials' new rule changes and points of emphasis, getting whistled for 27 fouls. However, Wichita State also drew 39 fouls and was 31 of 41 from the free-throw line.

It was called for 16.8 fouls per game in 2014-15.

"It's going to be a free-throw contest every night. Games are longer," Shamet said. "It's just going to be different, something we'll have to adjust to."

While Friday marked a school-record 33rd consecutive home win, Wichita now prepares for one of its three true road games in nonconference play. This could be the Shockers' toughest test before conference play outside of the Advocare Invitational from Nov. 26-29, which also includes the likes of Notre Dame, Iowa and Xavier.

They won 75-55 at home against Tulsa last Nov. 29 with VanVleet recording 21 points and nine assists. Baker scored 19 and was 6 of 11 from 3-point range.

The Golden Hurricane won 98-81 against Central Arkansas on Saturday, shooting 58.5 percent - including 10 of 21 from 3-point range. The starting backcourt duo of James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison had 23 and 22 points. Woodard scored 19 on 8-of-13 shooting in last season's meeting with Wichita State.

"They are a very athletically gifted team," Marshall said. "It's impressive how they run around the court, rebound, jump around, and dunk it in the basket."

Tulsa has dropped 16 in a row against top-10 opponents since a 69-61 win over No. 7 Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament in 2000.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cornhuskers (1-0) at Wildcats (1-0)

Date: November 17, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

Jalen Brunson was part of a balanced scoring attack in Villanova's opener, but the highly touted freshman and his teammates will face a tougher opponent in their next game.

The 11th-ranked Wildcats welcome Nebraska to The Pavilion as part of the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff Games as they look for their 28th consecutive win in that building Tuesday night.

Brunson had 12 points and four assists while going 4 of 6 from the field in his collegiate debut Friday, a 91-54 win over Fairleigh Dickinson.

"It felt amazing. The best part about it was to go out there with my teammates and play Villanova basketball for 40 minutes. That was the biggest thrill I had for the night," he said.

Daniel Ochefu led Villanova with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Ryan Arcidiacono had 12 points in his first game since ceding his point guard spot to Brunson.

"(Brunson and I) just bonded off the court. Once he came here we became roommates during the summertime. The thing is we really haven't been playing a lot together because coaches wanted us to go head-to-head in practice," Arcidiacono said. "We know we can find each other, and our teammates for open shots."

Every Wildcats starter scored in double figures as Villanova outrebounded the Knights 53-37. They've won 31 in a row when reaching 70 points.

Villanova gets its first major conference opponent early in Nebraska, which picked up an easy win in its opener behind a pair of newcomers.

Andrew White III, a transfer from Kansas, had 18 points and shot 7 of 10 in a 97-51 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday. The point total is Nebraska's highest since a 107-57 win over North Carolina A&T on Dec. 19, 2005.

"For (White), it's a do-over, and he wants to do it right. We're going to give him an opportunity to make an impact," coach Tim Miles said.

Jack McVeigh, a freshman from Australia, had 16 points in 13 minutes off the bench and went 4 for 4 from 3-point range. Senior forward Shavon Shields contributed 15 points.

"It felt good just getting out there... I had easy shots. I got to take a little time and line up the shots. It was good," McVeigh said. "It was a nice way to start my college career."

Nebraska has dropped six straight to ranked opponents and 44 of 46 road games against Top 25 schools.

Nebraska will face Villanova in the contiguous United States for the first time. The Wildcats won matchups in Hawaii in 1987 and Alaska in 1998.

The Gavitt Tipoff Games are a series of eight games between Big East and Big Ten schools.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hoyas (0-1) at Terrapins (1-0)

Date: November 17, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - The last time Georgetown and Maryland played a basketball game in the Washington area, coaches John Thompson and Gary Williams stood in front of their respective benches at the USAir Arena.

After Maryland won that memorable 1993 duel 84-83 in overtime, Williams leaped across the floor in an impromptu victory celebration while Thompson walked off the court with his signature white towel draped over his shoulder.

Thompson retired in 1999, and his son - 49-year-old John Thompson III - has been the Hoyas' coach since 2004. Williams is also retired. And now there's a shopping mall where the arena used to stand.

Although Georgetown and Maryland are roughly 20 miles apart, a frosty relationship between the school's athletic departments limited this sometimes-contentious rivalry to neutral-site matchups over the past 22 years.

Until now.

No. 3 Maryland hosts the Hoyas on Tuesday night as part of the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff. The teams will meet again next year on Georgetown's home floor. Although the Hoyas and Terrapins squared off in the 2001 NCAA Tournament and the 2008 Old Spice Classic, two of the nation's most prominent teams are set to play in a home-and-home series for the first time since the 1970s.

'It's the talk of the town right now,' Georgetown senior guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera said. 'I'm looking forward to the matchup.'

The Hoyas are looking to bounce back after opening their season Saturday with a double-overtime loss to Radford, and this one is for bragging rights.

'That's a big rivalry,' said Georgetown sophomore Tre Campbell, who grew up in Washington. 'We haven't really played each other in a while. I know a lot of people in the area really wanted to see that.'

Georgetown will face what might be Maryland's best team since Williams led the Terrapins to the 2002 national championship. Under the guidance of Mark Turgeon, who took over for Williams in 2011, Maryland opened a season of high expectations Friday night with an 80-56 win over Mount Saint Mary's.

'It's Georgetown, and a lot of people are talking about it,' guard Melo Trimble said. 'I don't think we'll be nervous. I think we'll be super excited because, like I said, it's Georgetown.'

The atmosphere on the Maryland campus should be electric.

'I think Tuesday is going to be a lot of fun,' Terps forward Jake Layman said. 'We're excited to go out there and play.'

Maryland versus Georgetown. Finally.

'It's a good thing,' Thompson III said of the renewal of the rivalry. 'They have the best, or one of the best, teams in the country.'

Neither school has made a commitment to take the series beyond 2016, but no one's dismissed the possibility, either.

'We'll see,' Thompson III said. 'As we have quickly learned the last several years, the whole landscape of college athletics, three years from now, could be completely different than it is right now. So we're not going to etch anything in stone, but I think both Mark Turgeon and I are pretty excited about it.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spartans (1-0) at Jayhawks (1-0)

Date: November 17, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

Deyonta Davis spent some time defending prized Kansas recruit Cheick Diallo on the United Center floor during the McDonald's All-American Game in April as Diallo earned MVP honors and led his squad to victory.

Davis and his Michigan State teammates won't have to worry about Diallo on Tuesday night when the 13th-ranked Spartans take on the No. 4 Jayhawks in the Champions Classic in Chicago, but the freshman will see plenty of minutes against a Kansas frontcourt that still possesses plenty of talent.

November injuries have become common for Michigan State, and this year is no different. Gavin Schilling is out indefinitely with a toe injury and Marvin Clark is missing time while recovering from a stress reaction in his left foot.

That leaves Tom Izzo with fewer bodies to throw at Perry Ellis, Jamari Taylor and standout freshman Carlton Bragg, a teammate of Davis' in the McDonald's game. And while Izzo feels for counterpart Bill Self regarding Diallo's eligibility issues as the NCAA investigates, he's certainly not going to complain about the talented 6-foot-9 forward missing this one.

"Hell no I don't want to see him. I mean, do you want me to lie?" Izzo said. "He's a good player, but trust me, they've got enough good players in there without him. Some of those guys have started a lot of games.

"For Bill's sake, I hope he's eligible. For my sake, he can be eligible the next game."

With Schilling and Clark out, the onus mainly falls on Davis, Matt Costello and Javon Bess to bang with Kansas' talent down low. Ellis finished with 16 points, Taylor had eight and seven rebounds and Bragg scored seven off the bench in Friday's season-opening 109-72 rout of Northern Colorado.

Davis also came off the bench in his Spartans debut and finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds - eight offensive - and five blocks in Friday's 82-55 win over Florida Atlantic, becoming just the third player in Michigan State history to begin his career with a double-double.

The 6-foot-10 forward played 21 minutes, and there's a good chance he'll see more against the Jayhawks if he can stay out of foul trouble.

"I'm looking at it as we have a negative that we have two potential starters out," Izzo said. "(But) we have a positive that we have one of our best freshmen in a lot of years - one of our best freshmen big men in a long, long time - is going to get some valuable experience against some of the best at that position."

Michigan State will combat Kansas' talent in the paint with its depth on the perimeter. Denzel Valentine had 13 points, eight rebounds and nine assists against FAU while fellow senior Bryn Forbes scored 12.

West Virginia transfer Eron Harris, who sat out last season after averaging 17.2 points in 2013-14, will be counted on for scoring as well. However, Izzo said Lourawls Nairn is dealing with plantar fasciitis that could hinder him against Kansas' guards.

Wayne Selden scored 15 points and fellow junior Frank Mason hit all three of his 3-point attempts against Northern Colorado. Brannen Greene had one of the best games of his career, going 6 of 6 from the field - 5 of 5 from long range - and scoring 18 points off the bench.

'No disrespect, but it was Northern Colorado,' Greene said. 'We should be more athletic than them. We got Michigan State coming up and that'll be an honest, real good test for us.'

Izzo is 6-5 all-time against Self, including a victory in the 2012 Champions Classic. Self won the last meeting, though, as Ellis scored 17 points in Kansas' 61-56 victory in the championship game of the Orlando Classic on Nov. 30.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

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

Rhode Island lost its best player Matthews (knee) for season last week; Rams have three other starters back from LY's 23-10 team- it will be hard to replace Matthews' scoring. Valparaiso waxed ona by 25 over weekend; they've got all five starters back. A-14 teams are 2-6 vs spread so far this month; Horizon teams are 4-0 on road.

Former NBA coach Avery Johnson coaches his first college game here; Alabama is little short on talent in Johnson's first year, so it is a rebuilding year. Dayton's leading returning scorer Pierre is not in school this semester for off-court reasons; Flyers were a top 25 team before the suspension. A-14 home favorites are 1-5.

Auburn nipped in-state rival UAB 75-74 Friday, winning in the last minute being up 14 in first half; Tigers are in Year Two of Pearl era-- they got to line 31 times against experienced UAB. Colorado lost by 6 to Iowa State in its opener, turning ball over 18 times. Buffs have three starters back from LY, but lost two of best three guys.

Oklahoma hasn't played yet; they've got four starters back from a 24-11 team that made Sweet 16- they're top 10 preseason team. Big X teams are 4-3 vs spread so far this month; AAC teams are 5-3, 1-1 as dogs. Memphis won its opener by 18; Tigers have eight new guys, as seven guys left- their chemistry should be better this season.

DePaul won its opener by 6 over Western Michigan; Blue Demons made 25-36 from line, only 2-15 on line- they've got three starters back from LY-- been years since they were good. Penn State won its opener by 12 over VMI; they've got three starters back from a 18-16 team. Big 14 home favorites are 6-3 vs spread.

Harvard lost its PG for year this summer (knee), lost first D-I game by 12 to Providence Saturday; Crimson made 9-20 from arc, but it had 22 turnovers without its PG. UMass beat Howard 85-79 in its opener after being down 14 with 16:56 left; they were 28-44 on the line- they only used seven players more than 12:00.

Duke won by 3-7 points in only two games with Kentucky since 2002; Blue Devils scored 102.5 ppg in pair of wins over stiffs- they made 19-51 from arc. Kentucky won by 15-30 in its first two games; both teams have so many new players (5 of 10 starters in game are frosh/sophs), hard to know what to expect. Game is in Chicago, which is Krzyzewski's hometown.

Georgetown-Maryland is eagery awaited local matchup; Terps are top 3 pick in country, with Trimble one of best frosh in country. Hoyas lost 82-80 in double OT to Radford in opener, a red flag for their chances. Maryland has three starters back from 28-7 squad that won an NCAA game. Hoyas lost three starters from LY.

Kansas beat Michigan State 61-56 LY on neutral floor in Florida; State shot 31% inside arc in game, Jayhawks took 10 more FTs and was +8 on boards. Kansas has four starters back from 27-9 team that won an NCAA tourney game- they start two juniors, and two seniors. Spartans started two sophs, three seniors in their opener..

Stephen F Austin was 61-8 last two years, but lost by at Baylor by 42 in their opener; Bears are way more athletic than SFA. Northern Iowa won 79-77 in OT at SFA last year, shooting twice as many FTs (30-14) as Lumberjacks, in game SFA led by 8 with 12:50 left to go. Panthers lost their opener at home to Colorado St. Saturday.

Murray State won 68-49 at Middle Tennessee LY, Blue Raiders hit 1-22 from arc at home, but Racers lost four starters and head coach from LY- they beat a stiff by 50 first game. This is MTSU's opener; they've got lot of good players, but no great ones- they compete in practice to see who starts, not always great for chemistry.

Western Illinois was 10-21 LY but upset Wisconsin as underdogs of 26 points Friday; Leathernecks were 7-9 from arc in Madison, start two juniors, two seniors. Ill-Chicago's new coach is McClain, old Wyoming coach; his Flames lost to USF by 3 in opener- Dons shot 39 FTs, UIC 18 at home. Flames started two frosh in opener.

Oregon State has excellent freshman class that includes Stephen Thompson's son and coach Tinkle's son; Beavers hammered stiff in first game- they'll get tested here by Iona team that lost by 25 at very good Valparaiso in opener. Gaels start three seniors, are used to winning and like to play fast- this will be an interesting result. MAAC road underdogs are 3-6 vs spread this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'College Hoops'

College Basketball takes center stage Tuesday with the marquee matchup featuring 2nd-ranked Kentucky and 5th-ranked Duke meeting in the Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago. Both teams look different than last season, but each team has added promising new players. Coach K added top recruits Ingram, Thornton, Jeter who have averaged a combined 27.5 PPG towards Duke's 102.5 points/game in victories over cupcakes Siena, Bryant. Meanwhile, Wildcats have reloaded with Labissiere, Murray, Briscoe contributing half of Wildcats 82.5 PPG in victories over Albany and New Jersey Tech.

Duke has won each of the past three meetings (2-3 ATS) including a 75-68 victory/cover in the 2012 Champions Classic with 'Over' hitting in each of the three contests. When hadicapping this game a few trends to consider. Blue Devils 6-0 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games, Wilcats 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site venues. Blue Devils 8-1 ATS in non-conference games, Wildcats 5-15-1 ATS vs the ACC.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bowling Green at Toledo
By Brian Edwards

-- As of late Monday night, most books had Bowling Green (8-2 straight up, 8-2 against the spread) listed as a seven-point favorite with a total of 69. The Rockets are +230 on the money line (risk $100 to win $230).

-- Bowling Green is fifth in the nation in total offense, averaging 584.8 yards per game. The Falcons rank second in the nation in passing yards and are fourth in scoring offense with a 45.4 points-per-game average. This unit is led by junior quarterback Matt Johnson, who has enjoyed a spectacular season after tearing his ACL in Week 1 of last season. Johnson had a 25/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2013. He has completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 3,955 yards with a sensational 36/4 TD-INT ratio. For his career, Johnson has 63 TD passes compared to just 12 interceptions.

-- Roger Lewis garnered first-team All-MAC honors as true freshman WR last season. He’s avoided the sophomore slump in a huge way, hauling in 69 receptions for 1,310 yards and 14 TDs. Ronnie Moore has 55 catches for 722 yards and five TDs, while Gehrig Dieter has 58 grabs for 698 yards and five TDs. Ryan Burbrink has 48 receptions for 563 yards and four TDs.

-- Dino Babers’ team had a challenging September schedule, playing three road games and a home game vs. Memphis. Bowling Green lost its opener 59-30 at Tennessee in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated. In Week 2, the Falcons smashed Maryland 48-27 as seven-point road underdogs. Next, they lost a 44-41 decision to Memphis as 3.5-point home underdogs, only to bounce back the next week in a 35-28 win at Purdue as 4.5-point road ‘chalk.’ Since then, Bowling Green has won all six of its MAC games with five of those victories coming by margins of 14 points or more.

-- Bowling Green is off a 41-27 win at Western Michigan last Wednesday as a three-point road favorite. Travis Greene rushed 24 times for 170 yards and three TDs, while Fred Coppet produced 64 rushing yards on six carries. Johnson completed 23-of-41 passes for 269 yards and three TDs. Lewis had five receptions for 86 yards and a pair of TDs, while Dieter pulled down nine balls for 84 yards.

-- Greene has a team-best 866 rushing yards and 10 TDs with a 5.8 yards-per-carry average. Coppet has run for 590 yards and two TDs while averaging 5.7 YPC.

-- Toledo (9-1 SU, 7-1-1 ATS) owns the best ATS record in the country, while Bowling Green is tied for the second-best ATS mark with Washington St., Central Michigan, Oklahoma and Southern Miss. The Rockets are in a three-way tie for first place in the MAC West, but they don’t have the tiebreaker against No. Illinois. They face Western Michigan, the third team in the division with a 5-1 league record, at home next weekend. The Huskies close the season with back-top-back home games vs. Western Michigan and Ohio. Obviously, Toledo needs the Broncos to beat NIU while handling its own business in back-to-back weeks. If it plays out that way, this will be the first of two head-to-head meetings between Toledo and Bowling Green this year.

-- Toledo’s best wins have come at Arkansas (16-12), vs. Iowa St. (30-23), vs. Arkansas St. (37-7) and at Central Michigan (28-23). The Rockets won at CMU last Tuesday as three-point road favorites. They are playing on the proper amount of rest, whereas Bowling Green played last Wednesday. Matt Campbell’s team raced out to a 21-0 lead over the Chippewas, only to see its lead down to 21-17 midway through the third quarter. Toledo would go back in front 28-17 and denied CMU on a two-point conversion with 3:26 remaining to conserve the cover for its betting supporters.

-- Phillip Ely threw for 339 yards and two TDs without an interception at CMU. Kareem Hunt rushed for 113 yards and two TDs on 20 carries. For the season, Ely has completed 54.7 percent of his passes for 2,192 yards with an 18/9 TD-INT ratio. The Alabama transfer played interception-free football last week at CMU, but he was picked off times in the two previous outings. Ely has had four games with 308 passing yards or more.

-- Hunt, a junior RB who was a second-team Freshman All-American in 2013 and a first-team All-MAC selection last year, has rushed for 602 yards and seven TD while averaging 5.3 YPC. However, Hunt missed four of the first five games due to a suspension and an injury, and he had only nine carries in a 63-20 blowout win over Eastern Michigan. Hunt has at least 20 carries in three straight games, but sophomore RB Terry Swanson remains the Rockets’ leading rusher with 749 yards. Swanson has five rushing scores and a 7.0 YCP average.

-- Ely has three main targets. Cody Thompson has 27 receptions for 553 yards and four TDs, while Alonzo Russell has 28 catches for 482 yards and four TDs. Corey Jones has 45 receptions for 426 yards and four TDs.

-- Toledo has been a road underdog 12 times during Campbell’s four-year tenure, posting a 9-3 spread record.

-- Bowling Green owns a 4-0 spread record at home this year.

-- Toledo ranks 20th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 18.8 PPG.

-- The ‘under’ is 7-2 overall for the Rockets, 3-1 in their four road assignments. They have seen their games average combined scores of 53.7 points per game.

-- The ‘over’ is 6-4 overall for the Falcons, 4-0 in their home games. They have seen their games average combined scores of 73.3 points per game.

-- According to WeatherReport.com, the forecast calls for cloudy skies but just a 20 percent chance of rain. The low temperatures are expected to be in the low-to-mid 50s, while winds are going to range from 15-25 miles per hour.

-- Kickoff is going to be early on ESPN2 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- The nation’s worst ATS teams include Central Florida (2-8), Oregon St. (2-8), Kentucky (2-8), Texas St. (2-7), Old Dominion (2-7-1) and Hawaii (3-8).

-- Coach of the Year Candidates:

1-Jim McElwain (Florida)
2-Mike Gundy (Oklahoma St.)
3-Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
4-Dabo Swinney (Clemson)
5-Brian Kelly (Notre Dame)
6-Nick Saban (Alabama)
7-Larry Fedora (North Carolina)
8-Mike Leach (Washington St.)
9-Jim Harbaugh (Michigan)
10-Tom Herman (Houston)
11-Matt Rhule (Temple)
12-Justin Fuente (Memphis)
13-Ken Niumatalolo (Navy)
14-Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) 15-Matt Campbell (Toledo)

-- Best Coordinator Hires: Offensive: Lincoln Riley (Oklahoma), Defensive: Gene Chizik (North Carolina).

-- UNC gave up 39.0 PPG last season. With Chizik running the show, the Tar Heels rank 21st in the country in scoring defense (18.8 PPG).

-- Washington St. improved to 6-0 ATS when listed as an underdog this season with Saturday’s 31-27 win at UCLA as an 11-point puppy. Luke Falk found Gabe Marks for a 21-yard scoring strike with three seconds remaining to lift the Cougars into the win column.

-- Oregon is 5-0 ATS in five underdog situations since 2011. The Ducks have won outright in four of those games, including last week’s 38-36 win at Stanford as nine-point ‘dogs.

-- Vandy has been a home underdog three times this year, compiling a 2-0-1 spread record. The Commodores are seven-point home ‘dogs Saturday vs. Texas A&M. If Derek Mason’s team can pulled the moderate upset over the Aggies, it can go bowling with a win at Tennessee in the regular-season finale. As a road favorite on Kevin Sumlin’s watch since 2012, Texas A&M owns a 4-3 spread record.

-- Despite getting next-to-zero help from its offense all year long, Mason’s defense at Vandy ranks 11th in the nation in scoring ‘D’ (17.4 PPG).

-- The ‘under’ is 9-0-1 for Vandy this season. No word on a total for the A&M game yet.

-- Three forgotten teams nobody wants to play right now: Arkansas, Washington St. and Oregon.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF

Tuesday's games

Toledo won last five games with Bowling Green, winning 28-25/28-21 in last two visits here; Rockets ran for 567 yards in last two series games. Toledo is 8-1, losing at home to NIU two weeks ago- seven of their nine games stayed under total. Falcons won last seven games, scoring 54.5 in last five- once-beaten Memphis is only team to beat them at home TY.

Ball State lost six of last seven games, with only win 20-10 over UMass; Cardinals beat Ohio 52-27/23-20 in last two meetings, but teams' haven't met since 2012. Ohio lost three of last four games but blanked Kent last week; Bobcats are 3-1 at home with win over Marshall. Seven of last eight Ball State games stayed under; three of last four Ohio tilts: under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at The Meadows

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


Race 7 - Post: 2:55 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 79 - Purse:$13600 - CD 2-6YO F& M NW 5 EXT PM RACES OR $25,000 LIFE


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 4 FIE FY FO 6/1


# 7 HILLARY'S STYLE 4/1


# 5 TSM PICASSA 12/1


Really keen on the likelihood of FIE FY FO taking down the winner's share today. Cannot put a finger on it, but lean toward this filly for a wager. Good for a win wager just off the exemplary prior class figures. Have to like this contender. When the starter calls, contenders starting out of the 4 slot have more wins than the expected average. HILLARY'S STYLE - The handicapping team always likes a proven player. This horse's high winning rate is confirmation of that. Has the makings of a profitable play, averaging a rather good 82 speed rating. TSM PICASSA - The brain trust will always throw in a race horse from the 5 position here at The Meadows, definite exotic possibilities.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Monticello Raceway

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


Race 10 - Post: 3:43 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 77 - Purse:$2900 - F& M $4000 CLAIMING/ALLOWANCES


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 2 POWERFUL LOVE 5/2


# 4 LITTLE ANNA MAE 3/1


# 5 IM A NICE GIRL 7/2


We've got good feelings POWERFUL LOVE is going to get the top prize. She's doing work in fine form, recording very compelling speed figures. An excellent selection. A very good class horse can't be glossed over. With an avg class ranking of 77 all signs point to yes. Is a formidable win contender given the 78 TrackMaster Speed Rating from her most recent affair. LITTLE ANNA MAE - Fantastic driver Ryan should find the pace of today's race to this mare's liking - could be a good bet. Many handicappers will recognize the outstanding TrackMaster speed fig in the last gathering. Stacks up against any horse in this field of horses. IM A NICE GIRL - A nice play in here as she has one of the highest winning rates in the pack as well as tremendous credentials all around. This trainer, and the driver Stalbaum, go together like peaches and cream. Their results together are excellent.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Mahoning Valley Race Course

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


Race 5 - Claiming - 8.0f on the Dirt. Purse: $12000 Class Rating: 95

FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD. THREE YEAR OLDS, 122 LBS.; OLDER, 124 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF A RACE SINCE OCTOBER 17 ALLOWED 2 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $8,000


RECOMMENDED CHOICES

The Walker Group Picks

# 3 WORTH A PUNT 4/1


# 1 I AM THE KING 5/2


# 7 HAPPY TO BE HERE 15/1


WORTH A PUNT has a very strong shot to take this race. Overall the speed figures of this pony look competitive in this contest. Very good pick to take this race going in a dirt route. Should come out very solid - I have liked the way this gelding has moved swiftly to the front end recently. I AM THE KING - Is difficult not to examine based on speed figures which have been respectable - 88 avg - of late. This gelding with Houghton in the saddle makes him a contender. HAPPY TO BE HERE - With a nice class fig average of 99, has one of the top class advantages in this group. Will likely be one of the leaders of the pack going into the midpoint of the affair.