Tuesday 3/8/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (18-45) at Raptors (41-20)

Date: March 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

For the first time in two months, the Toronto Raptors are coming off a loss at home.

The last time they were in that situation, they responded with a victory over the Brooklyn Nets that started the longest home winning streak in franchise history.

At the midpoint of a seven-game homestand, the Raptors again look to bounce back with a victory over the Nets when they meet Tuesday night.

It appeared Toronto (41-20) would have little trouble extending its home winning streak to 13 on Sunday, leading a Houston team playing the second of a back-to-back by 18 midway through the second quarter. The Raptors, though, had no answer for James Harden after halftime, as he scored 30 of his 40 points in the final 24 minutes to lead the Rockets to a 113-107 win.

Toronto coach Dwane Casey wasn't surprised by the inability to protect a big lead after watching his team blow almost all of a 14-point fourth-quarter advantage in Friday's 117-115 victory over Portland.

"That's been our weakness all year," Casey said. "I've said that millions of times. We've luckily won some of those games, but I've always said it's going to come back and bite us. We have to keep the same intensity when we get leads, the same quality of possessions offensively."

Defense was the biggest problem Sunday, however, as the Rockets shot 58.3 percent and made nine of 16 3-pointers in the second half. Houston had 62 second-half points - the third time in four games an opponent reached that number.

Toronto is routinely getting burned from beyond the arc, allowing each of its last five opponents to make at least 10 3-pointers while shooting 44.6 percent.

"It's the kind of thing that has been occurring too much for us," point guard Kyle Lowry said. "We have to get better defensively. We are giving up 100 points like it's nothing."

The Nets (18-45) had almost given up 100 points through three quarters Saturday at Minnesota, allowing the Timberwolves to shoot a franchise-record 68.4 percent in a 132-118 loss.

In fairness, interim coach Tony Brown opted to rest top interior defensive player Brook Lopez and 6-foot-8 power forward Thaddeus Young with Brooklyn playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Thomas Robinson had 18 points and 17 rebounds but Brooklyn's starters were outscored 95-56.

'I think our other guys who got a chance to play, they have to show more energy, play with a little bit more effort and play together on both ends of the floor,' Brown said.

Lopez had 29 points in Brooklyn's last game against Toronto on Jan. 18, but was outdone by the Raptors' high-scoring backcourt as Lowry had 31 and DeMar DeRozan added 30. Toronto won 112-100 for the first of 12 straight home victories.

DeRozan recorded back-to-back 30-point games before scoring 19 with five turnovers - his most since Dec. 22 - versus Houston.

Lowry had 17 points against the Rockets after averaging 34.3 and 65.5 percent shooting in his previous three.

Jonas Valanciunas had one of his best games of the season in a 91-74 win at Brooklyn on Jan. 6, scoring 22, but he was held to six on 3-of-11 shooting in the rematch 12 days later.

The Nets, losers of three of four regular-season games in Toronto, are 3-4 on a season-high nine-game trip to match the number of wins from their previous 18 road contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spurs (53-10) at Timberwolves (20-44)

Date: March 08, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

San Antonio insisted it wouldn't let coach Gregg Popovich's absence affect its play after learning the news prior to a brief road trip. Then the Spurs suffered through their worst shooting performance of the season and had their eight-game winning streak snapped.

Popovich won't be on the bench for Tuesday night's visit to Minnesota either as San Antonio looks to bounce back by beating the Timberwolves for the seventh consecutive meeting.

The Spurs (53-10) announced at Monday morning's shootaround that assistant Ettore Messina would act as head coach during their two-game trip while Popovich attends to a family medical situation. Messina said the players knew before departing San Antonio that Popovich wouldn't accompany them.

The club didn't release details, but Popovich is expected to return Thursday against Chicago at home. Reserve forward David West told reporters before the game he didn't expect anything to change against Indiana, but the Spurs shot 35.4 percent from the field - including a season worst-tying 14.3 percent from 3-point range - in a 99-91 loss to his former team.

San Antonio's 96 shots set a season high and its 28 3-point attempts tied its most of the season, with Kawhi Leonard going 1 for 7 from deep. Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge (12 rebounds) scored 23 points apiece for San Antonio, which entered the game shooting a league-best 49.1 percent from the floor.

The Spurs' 13 points in the first marked their fewest of any quarter this season. They also had a six-game road winning streak snapped as Tony Parker had only six points and left early with a bruised left toe.

'We were getting some good looks, it just happens sometimes,' Messina said. 'We were just not as sharp as we could have been.'

The Spurs have shot 52.6 percent while winning both meetings with the Timberwolves (20-44) this season - 108-83 on Dec. 23 and 101-95 on Dec. 28. They haven't lost in the series since falling at Minnesota on April 8, 2014.

Rookie Karl-Anthony Towns has posted a double-double in each matchup and ranks among the league leaders with 36. He finished with 28 points and 14 rebounds in a 108-103 loss at Charlotte and is averaging 25.7 points and shooting 70 percent from the floor over his last three.

Minnesota has dropped three of its last four, though, and has allowed an average of 112.4 points while giving up triple digits in 15 straight. The Wolves' last 28 opponents have shot at least 42.1 percent from the field and they rank among the worst in the league with a field-goal percentage defense of 46.1 on the season.

Andrew Wiggins has done his best to make up for the defensive issues over the last two, scoring 26 points in Saturday's win over Brooklyn before netting 25 on Monday. He shot 67.7 percent while making each of his three 3-point attempts, but he's hit 35.1 percent from the floor in six career games against the Spurs.

"The thing that got us was we had times we weren't scoring and we weren't playing defense,' Wiggins said. 'We played hard. The whole team, we gave it our all.'

Minnesota waived veteran guard Kevin Martin on Wednesday, and Martin has agreed to join San Antonio. The Spurs, though, haven't waived anyone to open a roster spot, leaving Martin's team debut uncertain.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (35-28) at Jazz (29-33)

Date: March 08, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Atlanta Hawks appear to have put their recent struggles behind. The Utah Jazz hope they've finally gotten past theirs.

As the Hawks aim to maintain their quality play on their road trip, the Jazz attempt to build on a much-needed win in Tuesday night's return home.

The Hawks' playoff prospects looked to be on shaky ground following three consecutive home defeats out of the All-Star break, but they're on more solid footing after recording four wins in their last five. The surge has moved Atlanta (35-28) to fifth in the Eastern Conference and two games back of first-place Miami in the Southeast Division.

While they've statistically been the NBA's best defensive team since mid-January, the Hawks have shown increased efficiency on the offensive end of late. They've shot 48.4 percent overall and 41.0 percent from 3-point range over their last four, highlighted by a 13-of-28 effort from beyond the arc in Friday's 106-77 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Atlanta displayed some resiliency as well the next night, outscoring the Los Angeles Clippers 25-9 over the final eight minutes to rally for a 107-97 win.

"To beat a team that is playing as well as they have been, I think this was good for our group," coach Mike Budenholzer said. "We needed a good, quality win, especially on the road. To finish it on a run and execute down the stretch and get stops down the stretch, it's a huge key in our league."

The game also saw bounce-back performances from Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap, both of whom had been slumping. Millsap grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds along with 20 points and Teague added 22 points while helping limit Chris Paul to two in the second half.

'I thought Jeff was great at both ends,' Budenholzer said. 'He set the tone with his aggressiveness on Chris Paul on the pick-and-rolls.'

The Hawks have yielded league lows of 96.7 points per game and a 41.6 percent field goal rate since Jan. 16. They've eclipsed those numbers during their 4-1 stretch, holding opponents to 89.4 points and a 37.4 percent shooting.

That presents a challenge for Utah (29-33), which averaged a mere 90.2 points during a season-high five-game skid from Feb. 25-March 4 that dropped it to ninth in the West. The Jazz were much better in Saturday's finale of a four-game trip, shooting 47.4 percent while dominating the glass in a crucial 106-94 victory over depleted New Orleans.

'It was a game we definitely needed,' said forward Derrick Favors, who compiled 28 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks to complement Gordon Hayward's 24 points.

Rudy Gobert added 18 rebounds to help Utah, 1 1/2 games behind eighth-place Houston, finish with a 53-32 advantage on the boards. The 7-foot-1 center is averaging 15.0 over his last five.

Favors also was a factor in the Jazz's 97-96 win at Atlanta on Nov. 15, totaling 23 points and nine rebounds to counter Millsap's 28 points and enable Utah to halt an eight-game series losing streak. The Jazz last swept Atlanta in 2006-07.

Teague missed that game with a sore left ankle. The point guard was instrumental to the Hawks' two 2014-15 wins over Utah, averaging 23.0 points, 8.0 assists and 3.0 steals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (26-38) at Nuggets (25-38)

Date: March 08, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The last time New York won in Denver, Carmelo Anthony did all he could to stop it.

The forward has been on the other side of the matchup for the last three of the Knicks' seven-game road skid against the Nuggets, something he'll try to help end Tuesday night.

The Knicks' 109-107 win in Denver on Nov. 8, 2006, featured 37 points and eight assists from Anthony, and he then led the Nuggets to four straight home wins over New York before being traded to the Knicks in a 13-player, three-team deal on Feb. 22, 2011.

His presence hasn't been nearly as impactful on his current side with 18.0 points on 32.4 percent shooting while playing in two of the three road meetings since the trade. In the four before that with Denver, he'd averaged 32.3 points on 56.3 percent.

Should he get that first road win against the Nuggets (25-38), he'll have helped the Knicks (26-38) to their first consecutive wins since Jan. 18 and 20 - which have been followed by a 4-16 record after Saturday's 102-89 home win over Detroit.

There's very little hope of a run at a playoff spot, but interim coach Kurt Rambis isn't yet looking at this season as the 2016-17 preseason. The Knicks are 3-7 since he took over.

"Someone asked me a while ago, is there going to be a point in the season where you just go, 'OK, we're going to play the young guys?' I'm not there yet,' said Rambis, whose team has won once in its last 10 road games. "And if management tells me at some point in time we're there, and they want to make that change, that's something I'll defer to them. But as a coach, I'm not there yet so I'm going to go with the guys I trust and have the experience right now."

He's a little limited by the injury to Kristaps Porzingis, who missed the win with a leg injury and is considered day to day.

But the Knicks were sharp without their standout rookie and co-No. 2 scorer, shooting 60 percent in the first half and pulling away when the Pistons got within four points early in the fourth quarter. Anthony led all scorers with 24, while Robin Lopez had 21 on 9-of-12 shooting. Arron Afflalo, Anthony's former Denver teammate, added 20 and is averaging 16.7 on 68.8 percent in March to match Porzingis with 14.0 points per game.

"I think we did a great job as a team of staying consistent with our focus, whereas yesterday, Boston made a couple of runs, especially near the end, and we reacted the wrong way," said Lopez, who's averaging 14.4 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 62.7 percent in his last 14 games. "Today, whenever Detroit made a run, we usually had a pretty good response."

Denver has won the last two overall matchups, including a 101-96 final in New York on Feb. 7, though that came with Danilo Gallinari scoring 19 points. The Nuggets' top scorer has since been sidelined with two torn ligaments in his ankle suffered on Feb. 26, and the team is 2-2 without him on a seven-game homestand after Sunday's 116-114 overtime win over Dallas.

It was their third overtime game in their last five and featured 25 points and 20 rebounds from Kenneth Faried. The forward has five double-doubles in his last six games while averaging 18.2 points and 11.2 rebounds.

"Coming into this game we were like 1-4 in overtime, so getting this win was definitely huge, especially against a good team like Dallas," said Emmanuel Mudiay, who's averaged 21.0 points and 7.3 assists in his last three games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (30-32) at Trail Blazers (33-31)

Date: March 08, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Portland Trail Blazers couldn't overcome a porous defense in the back half of their season-high road trip but hasn't had trouble winning despite similar defensive issues at home.

They may have enough to outlast Washington on Tuesday night with one of the Wizards' leading scorers sitting out.

Portland (33-31) allowed an average of 94.0 points in a 3-0 start to a six-game trek but gave up 118.7 in three ensuing defeats.

"We knew it was going to be a tough trip," said coach Terry Stotts, whose team had also won 14 of 16 before its current skid. "It was good to get the three wins and certainly after winning the first three you hope to get another win or two on the road, but we're going to be tested from here on out."

The Blazers let Detroit shoot 52.4 percent and a season-best 12 of 22 from 3-point range in a 123-103 loss Sunday.

"We didn't come out with the right type of focus I guess and the right amount of intensity on the defensive end," said point guard Damian Lillard, who had 26 points after scoring 50 against Toronto on Friday. "We could have done a much better job helping each other out as a group. We just didn't do enough things well enough."

Portland has allowed 108.7 points per game in its last six at home but has averaged 114.7 at the other end to win four times. The Blazers are averaging 110.5 points in their last 12 overall games, 8.5 more than in their first 52.

The Wizards (30-32) will be forced to try to keep up with Portland while Bradley Beal sits because of a sprained hip. The guard, averaging a career-high 17.8 points, was hurt in the third quarter of a 100-99 loss to Indiana on Saturday and is reportedly out for the three-game Western trip.

Washington matched a season high with 64 points in the opening half against the Pacers but were limited to 35 in the final 24 minutes.

"This was an important one, no question. Now we've got to go out and make it up somewhere," coach Randy Wittman said. "Obviously, (Beal) going out hurt us. That's still not an excuse."

With Beal on the court, the Wizards lost 108-98 to Portland on Jan. 18. C.J. McCollum scored 25 points in the Blazers' third victory in the past four matchups.

They will seek a third consecutive home win in the series while attempting to bolster their three-game lead on a Western Conference playoff spot. The Wizards are in 10th place in the East.

Washington point guard John Wall is averaging 24.5 points on 51.4 percent shooting and 11.5 assists in his last two games in Portland, matching his highest scoring mark in any opposing arena since the beginning of 2013-14.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (27-35) at Lakers (13-51)

Date: March 08, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

D'Angelo Russell still doesn't know how the Los Angeles Lakers blew out the best team in basketball. The same elite team didn't have that comfortable of a time turning it around on the Orlando Magic to establish an NBA-record home winning streak.

It's back to a similar weight class for both Tuesday night in Los Angeles with some added confidence as the Lakers try for a third win in five games.

Sunday's 112-95 home win over Golden State came with Kobe Bryant spending the fourth quarter on the bench nursing an aching right shoulder. The Lakers (13-51) already led by 11 entering the fourth as Russell and Jordan Clarkson outplayed Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Clarkson finished with a game-high 25 points and Russell had 21.

"I really don't know how we came together for yesterday's game," Russell told the team's official website. "But we did it and shocked a lot of people - we shocked ourselves. We knew what we were capable of, but we did it."

Clarkson was 4 of 6 from 3-point range and has averaged 18.6 points while shooting 46.6 percent from deep in his last nine games.

"We got to put another one together tomorrow," Clarkson said. "It doesn't mean anything if we come and get blown out tomorrow. If we get blown out, that's taking steps back for us."

Russell has started the last eight and scored 19.9 points per game while connecting on 49.0 percent from beyond the arc, and in those eight games with the rookie at point guard, Los Angeles has limited itself to 10.9 turnovers per game after being at 14.1 through 56 contests. Russell has a 2.50 assist-to-turnover ratio in that time with 2.00 turnovers per game, while he added four steals as the Warriors turned it over 20 times.

What might have been most impressive was the defensive effort with the Warriors going 4 of 30 from 3-point range, including 1 of 18 from Curry and Thompson. That, however, has hardly been a trend with the Lakers' last 10 opponents shooting 50.5 percent and 41.1 from beyond the arc for 113.2 points per game without going to overtime.

"I was thinking after the game: 'Maybe we have turned that corner and our guys are showing some maturity and some growth,'" said coach Byron Scott, whose team is playing the third of an eight-game homestand. "We'll really see what we have tomorrow."

The Magic have won the last two meetings, including a 101-99 home victory Nov. 11, but the Lakers have won the last two in Los Angeles.

Orlando (27-35) was in it until the end in Monday's 119-113 loss at Golden State despite allowing the Warriors to shoot 50 percent and hit 16 of 35 from 3-point range. The Magic stayed in the game because Golden State turned the ball over 24 times.

Aaron Gordon had 20 points and 16 rebounds as Nikola Vucevic sat out because of a strained groin, and Evan Fournier and Brandon Jennings each scored 20 as well. It was Jennings' top scoring effort in 10 games with his new team.

As for Vucevic, he made it sound like the nagging injury will keep him out longer than a game as Orlando enters the second of a four-game road trip.

"It's just a bad time because we're trying to make the playoffs and this is a really big trip for us," Vucevic told the team's official website. "It felt better during the All-Star break, but after that I just reaggravated it, so it's frustrating now."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Tuesday, March 8 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

I'd be wary of backing the Brooklyn Nets the rest of this season -- not that you probably would, but just in case. I bring this up because the Nets are in a weird spot. Normally a club in Brooklyn's position would essentially tank the rest of the way to improve its chances at winning the lottery and the chance to take LSU freshman Ben Simmons. But the Nets don't have their own draft pick. It belongs to the Boston Celtics. Thus, really what's the point of even putting your best players out there and risk injury? That's what happened on Saturday when the team was in Minnesota. Interim coach Tony Brown up and decided to rest the Nets' two best players, Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young. "Obviously, we're out of the playoff race," Brown said after. "We want to stay in the games, but we also want to be conscious about their physical well-being." Just be aware this could happen again at any time for Brooklyn, especially in a road back-to-back.

Nets at Raptors (-12, 207)

Brooklyn's players probably are dragging at this point as this is game No. 8 of the team's nine-game road trip. The Nets lost by 14 at the Timberwolves on Saturday. With Lopez and Young out, Thomas Robinson got some actual playing time and had 18 points and 17 rebounds. I always thought that guy was going to be a lot better coming out of Kansas as the No. 5 overall pick in 2012 than he turned out to be. Toronto's team-record 12-game home winning streak ended Sunday in a 113-107 defeat to Houston. The Raptors are 2-0 this season against the Nets. A win here would clinch the season series for the first time since 2009-10.

Key trends: The Nets are 6-0 against the spread in their past six after an ATS loss. Toronto is 3-8 ATS in its past 11 Tuesday games. The "over/under" is 9-1 in Brooklyn's past 10 after a loss.

Early lean: Raptors and over.

Spurs at Timberwolves (+11, 207)

San Antonio was in Indiana on Monday trying to extend its winning streak to nine in a row. So you have a potential sit down alert here for guys like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and/or Manu Ginobili. The latter scored a season-high 22 points Saturday in a 104-94 victory against Sacramento after missing 12 games following testicular surgery. Coach Gregg Popovich was to miss Monday's game and this one due to a family medical situation. Minnesota was in Charlotte on Monday. There's talk that the season, and probably the career, of Kevin Garnett could be over because of knee problems. He hasn't played since Jan. 23. San Antonio is 2-0 against Minnesota this season and has won six straight overall in the series.

Key trends: The Spurs are 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The over is 5-1 in those six.

Early lean: Wolves and over.

Knicks at Nuggets (TBA)

New York ended a three-game losing streak with a 102-89 win over Detroit on Saturday. Carmelo Anthony had 24 points and 10 rebounds. The Knicks played without rookie star Kristaps Porzingis. He's dealing with a lower left leg injury and is day-to-day, but the Knicks obviously will be overly cautious with their future franchise player. Denver beat Dallas 116-114 in overtime on Sunday, the Nuggets' second straight OT game. D.J. Augustin's two free throws with 0.9 seconds left were the difference. Kenneth Faried had 25 points and a season-high 20 rebounds for the Nuggets. Denver has won seven straight at home vs. New York.

Key trends: The home team is 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. The under is 5-0 in the previous five.

Early lean: TBA for Porzingis. Nuggets win regardless.

Hawks at Jazz (-1.5, 191)

Atlanta finished off a sweep of the L.A. teams at Staples Center on Saturday with a 107-97 victory over the Clippers. The Hawks trailed by as many as 17 points. Paul Millsap had 20 points and a season-high 18 rebounds. Atlanta has now won six games this season in which it trailed by double digits. Utah ended a five-game slid with a 106-94 victory at New Orleans on Saturday. Derrick Favors had 28 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks. Atlanta lost at home to Utah 97-96 on Nov. 15. Millsap missed a 12-footer at the buzzer. Jeff Teague missed the game for the Hawks, who had won eight straight over Utah.

Key trends: The Hawks are 4-1 ATS in the past five in Utah. The under is 8-3 in the previous 11 meetings there.

Early lean: Jazz and under.

Wizards at Trail Blazers (TBA)

Washington lost a second straight Saturday, 100-99 at home to Indiana. It does appear the team avoided disaster on Bradley Beal. He took a scary-looking fall but only sprained his pelvis. Sure looked like it might have been worse. Beal may miss a game or two, but it doesn't appear to be a long-term thing. Portland lost a third straight Sunday, 123-103 in Detroit to finish a six-game road trip. A game after putting up 50, Damian Lillard was just 8-for-22 from the field. Funny moment from that game was when Blazers center Chris Kaman sank the first 3-pointer of his 13-year career. The Blazers won in D.C. 108-98 on Jan. 18. Portland hasn't won consecutive games against Washington since winning three straight contests from March 2008-January 2009.

Key trends: The home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 6-0 in Portland's past six at home.

Early lean: Wait on Beal.

Magic at Lakers (+4.5, 211)

Orlando was at Golden State on Monday. The Lakers pulled the biggest regular-season upset in NBA history on Sunday in a 112-95 victory over those Warriors. A team with a winning percentage as bad as that of the Lakers (was .190) had never before defeated a team with winning percentage as high as that of Golden State (.917). The game was the first in NBA history in which a team with a winning percentage of .900 or better played a team below .200 after 60 games. Seven Lakers scored in double figures led by Jordan Clarkson's 25. Kobe Bryant had 12. His shoulder is still bothering him and Kobe admits he's not sure how many games he will be able to play the rest of the way. Orlando beat the visiting Lakers 101-99 on Nov. 11. Nik Vucevic had the winning 18-footer at the buzzer.

Key trends: The favorite is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The under is 4-1 in the Lakers' past five.

Early lean: Lakers and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Tuesday's hot teams
-- Toronto won six of its last eight games (8-3 last 11HF).
-- Spurs won eight of last nine games; Popovich (personal) didn't coach last night, won't coach tonite (2-5 last 7AF).
-- Hawks won four of their last five games (7-6AU).

Cold teams
-- Nets lost three of last four games, covered five of last seven.
-- Minnesota lost four of last five games (4-1 last 5HU).
-- Utah lost seven of its last eight games (1-3 last 4HF).
-- Knicks lost 12 of their last 15 games (6-2 last 8AU). Denver lost six of its last nine games (2-6HF).
-- Washington lost its last two games (7-3 last 10AU). Portland lost its last three games, but won five in row at home (9-2 last 11HF).
-- Orlando lost five of its last seven games (4-0AF). Lakers lost nine of last eleven games (6-4 last 10HU).

Series records
-- Raptors won four of last six games with Brooklyn.
-- Spurs won last six (5-1 vs spread) games with Minnesota.
-- Hawks won eight of last nine games with Utah.
-- Knicks lost four of last six games with Denver.
-- Trailblazers won three of last four games with Washington.
-- Magic lost three of last four games at the Lakers.

Totals
-- Over is 14-6 in last 20 Brooklyn games.
-- Ten of last thirteen Minnesota games went over.
-- Under is 4-2 in last six games for both Atlanta, Utah.
-- Seven of last nine Denver games went over total.
-- Eight of last eleven Portland games went over total.
-- Last three Laker home games stayed under the total.

Back/backs
-- Spurs are 13-0 SU (8-5 vs spread, 1-5 in last six) if they played the night before. Minnesota is 3-6 in its last nine if it played night before.
-- Orlando is 7-5 vs spread if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

ACC Trends and Angles

Venue: Verizon Center - Washington, DC

Overall Betting Results
Favorites/Underdogs:
Over/Under:

Tuesday, Mar. 8
First Round

Matchup Records Skinny Projection


No. 12 North Carolina State
Overall: 15-16 SU, 13-15 ATS
Totals: 17-11 O/U

No. 13 Wake Forest
Overall: 11-9 SU, 12-15-1 ATS
Totals: 12-16 O/U

No. 12 N.C. State vs. No. 13 Wake Forest (ESPN2, 12:00 p.m. ET)
These two rivals from the Triangle combined for only seven conference wins in 36 tries, while splitting their season series. North Carolina State (5-13 ACC) lost eight of nine road games in conference play, including a 77-74 defeat at Wake Forest as 2 ½-point underdogs on January 10. The Wolfpack picked up revenge with a 99-88 home victory over the Demon Deacons on February 13 to cash as eight-point favorites. It was a season to forget for Wake Forest (2-16 ACC), who lost 14 of its final 15 contests with the lone victory coming against winless in conference Boston College. The Deacons finished the season by covering three of four away contests, including as 16-point underdogs in a 79-71 defeat at Duke.

N.C. State 71
Wake Forest 65


No. 11 Florida State
Overall: 18-12 SU, 11-14-1 ATS
Totals: 14-12 O/U

No. 14 Boston College
Overall: 7-24 SU, 9-16-1 ATS
Totals: 8-18 O/U

No. 11 FSU vs. No. 14 Boston College (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m. ET)
Boston College (0-18 ACC) failed to win a single conference game this season, while covering only on six occasions. Out of 18 losses, just three were decided by single-digits, including a buzzer-beating loss at North Carolina State on March 2. The Eagles lost in their only matchup with Florida State this season, falling as 10-point home underdogs, 72-62. The Seminoles (8-10 ACC) had a very uneven conference season, starting 2-5, but won four straight games to forge above the .500 mark. However, FSU lost five in a row prior to home victories over Pittsburgh and Syracuse. FSU posted a 3-6-1 ATS record as a favorite in ACC action, but has won four straight ACC tournament openers since 2012.

Florida State 76
Boston College 67

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

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

Princeton needed OT to win 73-71 at Penn Jan 9; Tigers were down nine with 3:02 left- they're 12-2 in last 14 games with Penn, winning last six in Jadwin Gym by 12-3-10-12-5-4 points. Princeton won nine of its last ten games but Yale won Ivy; Tigers are 6-0 at home in Ivy, with five Ws by 11+ points- they don't have any seniors in their nucleus. Quakers lost their last three games, by 28-8-18 points.

ACC tournament (Washington DC)
NC State is 7-4 in ACC tourney last four years; they struggled to a 5-13 ACC mark this year, splitting pair with Wake Forest, losing 77-74 Jan 10 (outscored 19-6 on foul line), winning rematch at hme 99 88 Feb 13 (outscored Wake 33-18 on line). Deacons are 1-8 in ACC tourney last eight years; they're 1-14 in last 15 games, beating lowly BC. Wake is 4-3 in last seven games with State- they last met in this tourney in 2006.

Boston College went 0-18 in ACC; their last win was over UNH in OT Dec 30. Eagles are 9-4 in first ACC tourney game last 13 years; they lost 72-62 at home to Florida State Jan 26; FSU outscored them 21-2 on foul line, in Boston. Seminoles are 7-2 in first tourney game last nine years; they lost last three road games, with last win away from home Feb 6th. FSU won its last four games with BC, winning by 3-4-9-10 points

Horizon tournament (Joe Louis Arena, Detroit)
Green Bay/Wright State both played last three days. Phoenix won seven of its last eight games; Wright State won its last six games; Raiders lost in tourney finals in three of last six years; they split couple games with Green Bay, losing 76-68 on road (were up 10 at half, got outscored 23-6 on foul line), winning 69-50 at home (shot 62% inside arc). Green Bay is 5-1 in last six series games; they haven't won this tournament in last 12 years-- Wright State last won it in 2007.

Conference USA (Birmingham)
Florida Atlantic lost its last six games, went 5-13 in C-USA, but swept Tex-San Antonio, winning 86-71 on road (made 13-27 on arc), 79-73 at home Feb 11 (were up 26 with 8:23 left)- that is last game Owls won. FAU is 0-6 on conference tourneys last seven years; they didn't qualify for this LY. Roadrunners are 0-2 in this tourney, losing both games by 3 points; they've lost last three games overall and 12 of last 13.

Summit tournament (Sioux Falls)
South Dakota State is 11-2 in its last 13 games- they had Monday off. while North Dakota State is playing third nite in a row. Jackrabbits are 12-2 in tourney last five years, but haven't won it since '13. Bison won Summit tourney last two years, but split last eight games overall. Teams split this year; Bison won 68-57 at home (SDS was 6-32 on arc), lost the rematch 71-59. Miller didn't play for Bison last night; status is a big ?

Big Sky tournament (Reno)
This is first time I can remember the Big Sky having its tournament at a totally neutral site. Good idea.

Portland State won four of last five games after an 8-16 start; Vikings are 3-4 in this event since winning it in '09/'10. PSU won 89-86 at Northern Colorado 10 days ago- they were +9 in turnovers (18-9), made 62.5% of 2-pointers. Bears are 2-3 in Big Sky tourney since winning it in '11; they lost seven of last nine games, but upset Montana in Missoula Saturday. Vikings won four of last five games overall against Northern Colorado.

Southern Utah lost 12 of its last 13 games, wth only win against NAU; Thunderbirds are 4-23 vs D-I teams, who shot 42.2% against them this season. This is SUU's first Big Sky tourney since 2013, when they lost 69-52 to North Dakota in first round. UND lost its last five games away form home- its last road win was 88-72 at Southern Utah Jan 23, UND shot 59% inside arc, led 43-21 at the half. .

Sacramento State is 1-2 in Big Sky tourney last two years after missing it seven years in row before that; Hornets got swept by Montana State, losing 71-64 on road (Bobcats were 11-24 on arc), 79-76 at home . MSU is 11-5 in last 16 series games; they're 0-4 in Big Sky tourney in last six years, missing it last two. Bobcats' win in Sacramento is their only road win since Jan 2. Hornets won three of their last five games overall.

Eastern Washington lost its last four games, last three by four points or less; Eagles swept Northern Arizona this year, winning 96-73 at home (scored 1.39 ppp), 84-73 on road (were 13-34 on arc, 11-19 inside arc). EWU won this event LY. Lumberjacks are 2-7 in last nine games against EWU; they're 3-24 vs D-I teams, losing last eight games on road. NAU is 2-5 in Big Sky tournament the last seven years.

WCC tournament (Las Vegas)
St Mary's won its last eight games overall; they swept Gonzaga, with a 70-67 home win (were down 15 with 13:47 left), 63-58 road win (Zags were 5-26 on arc). Since '04, Gonzaga is 25-3 in WCC tourney, 6-2 vs St Mary's in WCC tourney; they won last four games, beating BYU twice, by 3-4 points. Gonzaga's starters all played 32:00+ last nite; they used two subs, for 15-4 minutes. St Mary's two wins this week are by 12-15. I'm thinking both teams are in NCAAs, but neither one knows for sure.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Tuesday 3/8 Analysis
By Brewster Smith

DRF HARNESS

MEET STATS: 61 - 241 / $447.00

BEST BETS: 6 - 19 / $24.70

Best Bet: TRUE BLUE HALL (7th)

Spot Play: APP HEAVEN (3rd)


Race 1

(1) SOME POWER Sharp at his Dover base last out going down the road for all the glory; moves his trade to Yonkers and draws the pole position; the pick. (3) VIPPITY HANOVER Jersey invader does have a fondness for the half-mile oval. (5) AM MAGIC MAN could have a say with a favorable trip.

Race 2

(3) FOX VALLEY STEFFEN Trotting gelding should appreciate the drop in class; could show more speed against these and get the job done at his best. (4) BLUEBIRD KIDSQUEEN Mare appears to be knocking at the door based on her last two tries. (5) AMALFI COAST makes his 2016 debut with a proven record at Yonkers, but he needs to pick it up based on his dull qualifier last out.

Race 3

(5) APP HEAVEN showed some signs of life in his latest; good to see Buter with the return call and with a fine-timed drive, the rest will have to settle for second money. (1) DONTCALLMEFRANCIS has put in a nice qualifier at the Meadowlands last out and the rail slot can make this guy a contender. (2) TONIS AFFECTION was late on the scene to nail down the place spot at the Meadows last time around.

Race 4

(1) FOLLOW MY DREAMS circled wide on the final turn last time out but could not get to Cousin Eddie; with some luck and a better trip, this trotting mare can turn the tables on that rival. (4) COUSIN EDDIE was all alone at the wire and met the cameraman for pictures last out; appears to be the main danger to repeat. (3) TRADING PLACES gets some serious post relief and that might help her cause.

Race 5

(7) MIDNIGHT LIGHTNING Sharp at the Hilltop in his last three outings; gets a tough post to work with but he seems to be heading the right direction. (1) PANTHEON HANOVER 4-year-old has done quite well upstate and now moves to the fence. (3) BANK SHOT HANOVER Sophomore gelding makes his 2016 debut and could make some noise at first asking.

Race 6

Pocket-rocket score for (3) OPENING NIGHT GEM last out with a well timed drive from Brennan; now gelding will try to make it two straight with another fine performance; very capable. (1) POWDER KEG got the job done at Dover Downs last out; has done quite well at Yonkers and the rail should make him a factor in here. (7) TEAM CAPTAIN here's another scoring a victory via the pocket route last time around; post hurts but could contend with this select group.

Race 7

(2) TRUE BLUE HALL did not fire in his Delaware finale last time around but the good news is he's back at Yonkers where he is unbeaten this year and has the services of Brennan; gets the call. (6) WAR N MUNN has scored three straight victories in the Count B series at Woodbine. (4) MY MIND IS MADEUP beat quite lesser down the road in his latest.

Race 8

(4) INUKCHUK CHUCK flashed some early trot in his last start; there is a good possibility this sophomore could grab a perfect spot early and with a covered up trip, he can take these to task for all the cash. (2) STAYIN STRONG gets some class relief and that might help his cause. (5) BJANTHONY was up on the rim at the 3/4 pole but turning for home, this guy could not get to the winner Stitch in Time recently.

Race 9

Speedy (2) JT gets the best of the draw for team Brennan/Bruke; poised to be the boss wire to window. (3) SPORTS BETTOR has hit the board in his last six starts and should fare well from the 3-hole. (1) WESTERN PIONEER leaves his Meadowlands base and has done quite well at Yonkers; watch out.

Race 10

(2) POACHER N showed little in his last trip to the post but clearly this gelding is better; good to see Dube back in action with this pacer and with the right trip, this guy will greet the cameraman for pictures. (1) CAVIART KEY drops a notch and gets a cozy post to work with; threat. (3) BET DEAL YET N showed signs of life with a third place finish last time out.

Race 11

(1) NORTHERN OBSESSION Trotting miss was very sharp with a 2 3/4 length victory last week; retains the rail slot and she stays with friends (NW6); repeat is well within the realm. (2) COVERT OPERATIVE did make up some ground to finish fourth last out so the 2-hole can help his cause. (8) TAPIT She gets a tough post but is capable based on her last three outings.

Race 12

(2) STONEBRIDGE TONIC This seems to be a perfect spot for this pacing 9-year-old to make his return to the winner's circle; was second best on January 29th & February 9th respectably; the choice. (1) DULL ROAR was sent by MacDonald down the road last time out for all the glory. (5) MATT MAJOR was a non factor from the 8-hole last time around; maybe post 5 can get him involved.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Tuesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Mahoning Valley (1st) Players Lil Girl, 3-1
(6th) Cody Peak, 8-1


Parx Racing (2nd) Arrogant Officer, 7-2
(5th) Tizdejaslew, 9-2


Sam Houston (2nd) Riptide Ricci, 9-2
(3rd) Monster House, 6-1


Sunland Park (5th) Unbridled Critic, 3-1
(9th) Bro Derek, 10-1


Turf Paradise (7th) Tailgator, 9-2
(8th) Easy Hit, 9-2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday's six-pack

Six of the better minor league prospects for the San Francisco Giants.......

1) Christian Arroyo, SS-- 20-year old may not stay at shortstop.

2) Tyler Beede, P-- From long line of pro pitchers from Vanderbilt.

3) Phil Bickford, P-- Spent one year at Fullerton, one year at Southern Nevada.

4) Lucius Fox, SS-- 18-year old played HS ball in Florida; yet to make pro debut.

5) Chris Shaw, 1B-- Was HR champ at the Cape Cod summer league in 2014.

6) Sam Coonrod, P-- Former Saluki led Sally League in strikeouts LY.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

A lot of people thought last season's Tampa Bay Lightning resembled the 2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks. By that I mean, a young team with a few rising superstars -- Steve Stamkos, Victor Hedman particularly -- ready to be a perennial Stanley Cup contender. Of course, the Bolts lost last year's Finals in six games to those Hawks, but everyone assumed the Lightning would be back.

Now it's starting to look like that's could be the case. After a slow start to the season, the Bolts have shot to the top of the Atlantic Division and brought a franchise-record nine-game winning streak into Monday's matchup at Philadelphia. Since Jan. 1, the Lightning are 21-6-0. What makes this current winning streak even more impressive is that the Lightning are just 3-for-31 on the power play during it (they are 25-for-28 on the penalty kill). But they've managed to score 3.67 goals per game in their past nine; they were scoring 2.6 goals per game through their first 56 games. Tampa Bay now ranks ninth in the NHL for goals per game at 2.77 for the season. Last year they led the league at 3.16 per game. The Bolts are 29-2-3 overall this season when scoring three or more goals.

"The Triplets" line of Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov has really taken off. Stamkos has seven goals in the win streak. He started producing after general manager Steve Yzerman publicly stated that Stamkos, a free agent-to-be this summer, would not be traded. Goalies Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy have combined for a 1.75 goals-against average and .944 save percentage in the streak. Vasilevskiy was to start Monday's game in Philadelphia, meaning Bishop should be back in there Tuesday in Boston.

Tampa is now the second-favorite for the Eastern Conference title at +500, with the Washington Capitals still +175 favorites. They are the first team to 100 points; no one else even has 90 yet.

This Week's Games To Watch

NY Rangers at Buffalo, Tuesday: The Blueshirts remain without goalie Henrik Lundqvist and winger Rick Nash. Lundqvist is making progress after sustaining neck spasms last Thursday vs. Pittsburgh. He was hurt on a collision with teammate Ryan McDonagh. After that happened, a visibly upset Lundqvist threw his own net off its moorings into the end boards to get a stoppage in play as Pittsburgh re-entered the zone seconds later. He was whistled for a delay of game two-minute minor; Lundqvist was angry the referee didn't give him an injury timeout. Marc-Andre Fleury of the Penguins called it ''baby stuff.'' Nash hasn't played since Jan. 22 with a leg injury but is improving and could be back this weekend.

Washington at Los Angeles: Wednesday: A potential Stanley Cup Finals preview. The Caps are +375 to win it and the Kings are +1100. Washington owns the league's best power play at 23.2 percent as well as its top road record at 22-7-2. There's an outside chance that Alex Ovechkin could be suspended for this game. Ovechkin took a major penalty for a boarding penalty on Kevan Miller of the Bruins on Saturday, a hit that sent Millar to the hospital. Ovechkin said the hit was a "hockey play" and he doesn't expect there to be additional discipline from the league. He has three suspensions in his career for bad hits. The Kings have now fallen behind the red-hot Ducks in the Pacific Division. The Ducks trailed the Kings by as many as 16 points on Jan. 20. Since then, Anaheim has gone 18-1-1 and Los Angeles 9-9-1

New Jersey at San Jose, Thursday: I'd bet against the Devils for the next two weeks at least as they will be without All-Star goaltender Cory Schneider at least that long with an MCL sprain. He injured it Friday against Dallas. Schneider almost single-handedly kept the team in the playoff hunt with a 2.17 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. Keith Kinkaid takes over as the No. 1 guy. Remember, too, that the Devils traded one of their few good offensive players, Lee Stempniak, to Boston at the trade deadline. The Devils are six points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. New Jersey's not getting that spot.

Anaheim at St. Louis, Friday: As usual, everyone is overlooking the Blues, but they are now within two points of the Central Division lead held by Chicago and Dallas. The Blues have won seven of their past 10 games to make up ground on the Stars (3-5-2 in their past 10) and the Blackhawks (5-4-1 in their past 10). St. Louis has to prove it can finally make noise in the postseason, however. Another one-and-done likely costs Coach Ken Hitchcock his job. The Ducks entered this week on an NHL-best 11-game winning streak. Believe it or not, Bruce Boudreau on Saturday became the fastest coach in league history with 400 wins. He did so in 663 games. Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman had held the mark at 690 games. Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen, is 10-0-1 with a .933 save percentage since the All-Star break.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sharp Bettor

Sharp Bettor's Free Pick for Tuesday, March 8, 2016, CBB.

Northern Arizona vs. Eastern Washington.

Play Northern Arizona.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Roz Wins

Roz's Tuesday, March 8, 2016, Free CBB Pick:

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alabama A&M.

Play Alabama A&M

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Tuesday

711 MAGIC @ 712 LAKERS 10:35 PM

Take: 711 Orlando Magic -3

I’m not going particularly in depth with any extraneous analysis on this game. This is a Lakers fade and it’s virtually solely on the scheduling dynamics.

The Lakers are off the upset of the year in the NBA. They blew out the Warriors on Sunday in a result that goes way past being a shocker. For a bad team like the Lakers that has suffered through an historically awful season, this is akin to winning the Super Bowl.

On Thursday evening, LeBron James and the Cavaliers will pay a visit to Staples Center. That’s likely a game the Lakers should be excited about. The prospect of knocking out Golden State and Cleveland in the span of just a few days is heady stuff for this team.

Stuck right in the middle of this three-game set is this matchup with the Magic. Orlando did work hard on Monday evening at Golden State, so I suppose there’s always the chance they could be a bit weary. But that’s simply not enough to offset the sandwich spot that exists here.

If I get beat, I get beat. But I look at this as a spot where I simply have to back the Magic, and since the line is certainly reasonable, I’ll be happy to try Orlando minus the points this evening.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Comp NBA Pick, Tuesday, March 8, 2016 9:05 PM ET

(707) NEW YORK KNICKS VS (708) DENVER NUGGETS

Take: (708) DENVER NUGGETS

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Tuesday, March 8, 2016 is in the NBA scheduled contest between the NY Knicks and Denver Nuggets. Knicks playing much better of late, covering four of their last six games. That includes narrow losses at Boston and Indiana. Denver has been inconsistent, not covering two in a row since Feb 5/7. In fact, the Nuggets are just 3-6-1 ATS in their last 10 games. The Knicks could be without forward Kistaps Porzingis tonight. Porzingis is questionable with a leg injury and is averaging 14.0 ppg over 62 games this season. Denver is 13-5 ATS their last 18 games when having one days rest. The home team has also covered seven of the last nine in this series. The Knicks are playing better, but if Porzingis is out, combined with the altitude, I'll take the home club. Play Denver.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Red Dog Sports

Bradford City vs Burton Albion

Bonus Play Draw +205

Look for the draw when these two play on Tuesday afternoon in England.The total is set at 2 so they are expecting a low score. I think it ends 1-1.

Burton 1

Bradford 1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jack Jones

Magic vs Lakers

Jack's Free Pick Tuesday: Orlando Magic -3

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 112-95 victory over the Golden State Warriors as 18-point underdogs. It's safe to say that this is the ultimate letdown spot for the Lakers now, who won't be able to get up for the Orlando Magic.

The Magic gave the Warriors all they wanted last night in a 113-119 loss as 14-point dogs. They are still fighting to make the playoffs in the East, and they really can't afford to lose to the Lakers if they want to make a serious run at it. Look for the Magic to come out focused to put the Lakers away as a result.

I know that the Magic will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back here, but they had two days off prior to that game against the Warriors, so that will lessen the effect of it. Plus, this is one of the deeper teams in the NBA, so they can handle it better than most.

Orlando is 20-6 ATS in non-conference road games over the last two seasons. The Magic are 22-11 ATS in road games after having lost four or five of their last six games over the last two seasons. Orlando is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games following a loss. The Magic are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400. The Lakers are 8-22-1 ATS in their last 31 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. Los Angeles is 11-24 ATS in its last 35 games following an ATS win. Bet the Magic Tuesday.