Wednesday 1/4/17 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trail Blazers (15-21) at Warriors (30-5)

Date: January 04, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The calendar has flipped, and so, too, have the fortunes of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Or so they hope.

The Trail Blazers, struggling as the calendar year 2016 came to a close, will look for a second straight victory in 2017 when they visit the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

Considered an up-and-comer after upsetting the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs last season before battling the Warriors through five tough games in the Western semifinals, the Trail Blazers ranked among the league's biggest disappointments through December. Portland has lost 11 of 13 to drop to 14-21.

If 14-21 sounds familiar, that's because it's exactly where the Trail Blazers stood a year earlier. Portland righted the ship with an 8-5 January en route to a 44-38 final record and a No. 5 playoff seeding.

Portland, now 15-21, hopes a 95-89 win at Minnesota on New Year's Day propels it in the same direction this season.

The 89 points allowed to the Timberwolves marked the fourth time in the last six games that the Trail Blazers have held an opponent under 100. That happened only 25 times in the first 30 games.

The club has embraced a more aggressive defensive game plan, versatile forward Al-Farouq Aminu insisted in the wake of the Minnesota win.

"The more you win with something, the more comfort level you have with it," he noted. "If you're not getting a win, you're not going to want to do it again, even if it was effective. Now that we're getting wins when we are doing it just makes you more eager to do it."

The Trail Blazers surely need to try something new against the Warriors. Golden State has burned Portland for two of its five highest outputs this season in 127-104 and 135-90 thumpings.

The Warriors have attacked the Portland defense from every angle, with Kevin Durant averaging 27.0 points, Stephen Curry burying 10 3-pointers and Draymond Green contributing 10.0 rebounds and 11.0 assists per win.

Golden State (30-5) enters the game with a full head of steam, having won 10 of 11 by averaging 115.7 points per game.

The Warriors' depth of talent was on full display Monday in their 127-119 home win over Denver. Six players scored in double figures, including Green, who recorded a 15-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound triple-double.

"That's kind of who we are," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the balanced attack. "A lot of people sharing the ball and sharing the shots. KD (Durant) and Klay (Thompson) with 19 (points), and Steph with 18. They have really figured out how to play together. When to attack and when to defer. It's great so see."

The Warriors have opened a five-game homestand with wins over Toronto, Dallas and Denver.

Portland, meanwhile, has been off since Sunday's win at Minnesota. The Trail Blazers return to Oregon on Thursday night to begin a stretch of four of five at home, starting with the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Heat (10-26) at Kings (15-19)

Date: January 04, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- After a decade of missing out, the Sacramento Kings don't mind trotting out the "P" word in January. The next two weeks should give them a decent indication whether they are any closer to playing basketball in late April or whether the playoffs remain a mirage for the 11th straight season.

The Kings (15-19) play the first of seven straight contests at the Golden 1 Center on Wednesday when they host the Miami Heat.

Sacramento's longest homestand of the season will last 14 days, four of them against teams above .500 and two of them against defending conference champions.

But Sacramento (15-19) also plays three teams struggling near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, one of them the Heat. Miami (10-26) lost 99-90 at the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday and has dropped six in a row for the second time this season.

For the Kings it's a chance to assert themselves and get a sixth win in eight games, a run that began when DeMarcus Cousins scored 55 points Dec. 20 against Portland in a 126-121 win. The Kings won three more before double-digit losses to Portland and Memphis but rebounded with a 120-113 road win over the Denver Nuggets Tuesday.

Cousins scored 31 points and Darren Collison added 26. But Sacramento won primarily by holding Denver to 20 points over the first 11:20 of the fourth quarter, returning to a pattern that carried them during their hot spell.

In their past five victories, the Kings have allowed an average of 22.0 points in the final 12 minutes. They gave up 57 fourth-quarter points in the two losses.

"This win was crucial," Collison said. "We had to get that taste out of our mouth. We felt like the last couple of games, we got away from who we are as a team, especially down the stretch."

Sacramento also recorded four of its past five victories without forward Rudy Gay (right hip flexor strain), who has missed nine of the past 10. Forward Arron Afflalo returned to the lineup against the Nuggets after missing three games with an elbow injury and scored 19 points in 30 minutes, but guard Ty Lawson sat out with blurred vision after taking an elbow to the head in Saturday's loss to Memphis.

The Heat, in the middle of rebuilding process after seven playoff appearances in their past eight seasons, will play the second of six consecutive road games on the road. The jaunt is their longest of the season.

Guard Goran Dragic returned from a two-game absence caused by back pain and scored 24 points against Phoenix on Tuesday, but guard Dion Waiters' return from a 20-game absence caused by a groin injury was pushed back at least another night.

Waters and Dragic both are questionable for Wednesday's game, while forwards Josh McRoberts (left foot stress fracture), Justice Winslow (stinger) and center Hassan Whiteside (bruised right eye) remained in Miami. Whiteside and Winslow could join the team later on the trip, the Miami Herald reported.

Whiteside, the Kings' third pick in the 2010 draft and waived after playing 19 games for them, was averaging a career-best 17.3 points and 14.3 rebounds in 34 minutes per game before suffering a bruised right eye. He will visit a doctor Wednesday.

With the ranks thin, Miami lost to the Suns for the first time in since Nov. 3, 2009, ending a 12-game run against them. The Heat have lost nine of 10 overall and 14 of 17.

"We understand that we have that Miami Heat jersey on, so every time we put it on, we know we're are getting an opportunity," center Willie Reed said. "So you want to go out there and show this organization that you will do whatever it takes to win. Sometimes it doesn't work out in this league, but you have to keep continuously building those habits."

Miami has won five straight from Sacramento and 15 of the last 16 meetings. Sacramento's lone win in that span occurred Dec. 27, 2013 at home when Cousins scored 27 points in a 108-103 overtime win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Free NBA Picks: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

I don't think the Rajon Rondo experiment in Chicago is going to end well for anyone involved. The Bulls were supposed to get younger and rebuild this year around Jimmy Butler. Yet they signed Rondo and then Dwayne Wade. The latter you can understand because Wade is a star who helps sell tickets and is from Chicago. But Rondo made no sense whatsoever considering he's a ball hog and that doesn't fly with the offense Coach Fred Hoiberg wants to run. Rondo got a DNP-CD on Saturday night with Michael Carter-Williams starting and then Rondo got another on Monday. Rondo recently met with Bulls GM Gar Forman to discuss his future with the team. Hint: there isn't one. The Bulls would be thrilled if they could find a trade partner, but they won't. If Rondo would take less than his full contract value in a buyout, the Bulls would likely jump at that. Just another mistake by that Chicago front office, which really hasn't done anything much right since lucking into Butler.

Thunder at Hornets (-3, 209.5)

Oklahoma City lost 98-94 at Milwaukee on Monday. Russell Westbrook committed a late turnover that sealed it for the Bucks. Westbrook had 30 points but was just 9-for-28 shooting. Charlotte lost at Chicago 118-111 on Monday despite 34 points and a season-high 11 rebounds from Kemba Walker. Charlotte big man Cody Zeller missed the game as he's in the concussion protocol. Roy Hibbert started for him. Guard Marco Belinelli (ankle) missed a fifth in a row. First meeting of the season between Charlotte and Oklahoma City. The Thunder have won the past 11 in the series.

Key trends: The favorite is 10-1 against the spread in the past 11 meetings. The "over/under" is 14-3 in Charlotte's past 17 on Wednesday.

Early lean: Hornets and over.

Hawks at Magic (TBA)

Atlanta won a third straight Sunday, 114-112 in OT against San Antonio. Tim Hardaway tied his career high with 29 points and hit a clutch 3-pointer with less than four seconds to go in regulation. Paul Millsap had a season-high 32 points to go with 13 rebounds. It was Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer's first career win over his former boss/mentor Gregg Popovich. The Hawks had lost 11 straight in the series. Orlando ended a two-game losing streak with a 115-103 win at the Knicks on Monday. Jodie Meeks scored a season-high 23 points, and Serge Ibaka and Aaron Gordon each had 22. Leading scorer Evan Fournier missed his fifth straight game with a bruised right heel. Orlando won the first meeting with Atlanta 131-120 on the road Dec. 13. Elfrid Payton had career highs of 26 points and 14 assists.

Key trends: The Hawks are 3-9 ATS in the past 12 meetings. The over is 4-0 in the Magic's past four overall.

Early lean: TBA presumably for Fournier.

Bucks at Knicks (TBA)

Milwaukee won a second in a row Monday, 98-94 over the visiting Thunder. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and 10 rebounds and rookie Malcolm Brogdon hit two free throws with eight seconds left. Brogdon started with Matthew Dellavedova missing a third game in a row with a hamstring injury. New York lost its fifth consecutive Monday, 115-103 vs. the Magic. Kristaps Porzingis missed a second straight game with a sore left Achilles. Courtney Lee returned from a three-game absence. First meeting of season between Milwaukee and New York. They split four in 2015-16.

Key trends: The home team is 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings. The under is 8-2 in the previous 10 in New York.

Early lean: Wait on Porzingis.

Bulls at Cavaliers (TBA)

First of an ESPN doubleheader. Chicago ended a two-game losing streak with a 118-111 win over Charlotte on Monday behind a season-high 52 points from Butler. He scored 17 of those in the game's final four minutes and added 12 rebounds and six assists overall. Wade sat out with left knee swelling, but it's not thought to be serious. Cleveland won its third in a row Monday, 90-82 over New Orleans. LeBron James played through the flu and had 26 points. Kevin Love was dealing with food poisoning and had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Kyrie Irving sat a second straight game with a tight hamstring. Chicago won the first meeting vs. Cleveland 111-105 at home on Dec. 2. Rondo had a triple-double of 15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Key trends: The Bulls are 5-1 ATS in their past six in Cleveland. The under is 6-2 in the previous eight there.

Early lean: Wait on Irving -- and even LeBron might sit if he's not feeling better.

Grizzlies at Clippers (TBA)

Memphis was at the Lakers on Tuesday night with Marc Gasol questionable. I'm not confident that Chandler Parsons will play in both ends of the back-to-back, either. Los Angeles ended a six-game losing streak with a 109-98 home win over Phoenix on Monday. Chris Paul sat out again but J.J. Redick had 22 points and Jamal Crawford 18. Doubtful you see Paul here. Memphis and L.A. have split two meetings this season, each winning on the road.

Key trends: The Grizzlies are 7-1 ATS in their past eight at the Clippers. The under is 6-2-1 in the past nine meetings.

Early lean: Wait on Gasol and Paul.

Trail Blazers at Warriors (TBA)

Portland won at Minnesota 95-89 on Sunday as C.J. McCollum put up a career-high 43 points with Damian Lillard sidelined a fourth straight game due to an ankle injury. Doesn't seem likely that Lillard will return here, although he's from Oakland and certainly will want to play. Golden State won its third in a row Monday, 127-119 over Denver. Draymond Green had his second triple-double of the season with 15 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 25 points. The Warriors are the first team in NBA history to win 30 of their first 35 games in three consecutive seasons. Golden State has won the past four meetings vs. Portland. The Warriors' 45-point win over Portland on Dec. 17 matches the largest margin of victory in 220 games between these two teams.

Key trends: The home team is 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings. The over is 8-3 in the previous 11 at Golden State.

Early lean: Wait on Lillard.

Heat at Kings (TBA)

Miami was in Phoenix on Tuesday. Hassan Whiteside (right retinal contusion) and Justise Winslow (shoulder) did not accompany the team to Phoenix so I can't imagine them playing here. This starts a seven-game homestand for the Kings, who were in Denver on Tuesday with Rudy Gay questionable. This is the eighth back-to-back situation of the season for the Kings and they are 5-9 in all back-to-back games and are 2-5 on the back end of them. Miami won the first meeting 108-96 in overtime on Nov. 1. Sacramento has lost five straight in the series overall.

Key trends: The home team is 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. The over is 10-1 in the previous 11.

Early lean: Wait on all those Heat guys and to a lesser extent Gay.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Hawks try to snap 1-7 ATS slide vs division'

Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic January 4, 7:00 EST

Atlanta Hawks behind a season-high 32 points from Paul Millsap and career-high 29 points from Tim Hardaway Jr. won their third straight Sunday beating San Antonio 114-112 in OT ending a frustrating eleven game series losing streak. Hawks now head into Orlando looking to reverse a 1-7 ATS slide vs the division while snapping a 3-0 SU/ATS skid vs division rival Magic.

Magic are off a lopside 115-103 win over Knicks at Madison Square Garden Monday getting a season-high 23 points from Jodie Meeks with Serge Ibaka, Aaron Gordon chipping in 22 points each. Like Hawks, the Magic have a few ugly betting trends to overcome. Magic are on a money-burning 0-7-1 ATS slump on home hardwood vs the Eastern Conference, 0-4 ATS slide hosting a division opponent.

When handicapping this contest a few nuggets to ponder. Hawks haven't been good bets on the road vs a losing team with poor defensive Metrics (=>105) posting a 1-3 ATS record last four, 2-5 ATS mark last seven. Magic have a habit of cashing on court following a game against Knicks going 8-1 ATS the past nine situations. Magic are also a profitable 6-3 ATS last nine at home running the hardwood against a winning team which allows =<105 points per 100 possesions.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA knowledge

Wednesday’s games

Atlanta is 7-5 in its last 12 games, 5-1 vs spread in its last six road games; they’re 1-4 as road favorites. Over is 6-1-1 in their last eight road games. Orlando is 6-5 in its last 11 games, 4-2 vs spread in its last six home games; their last four games went over total. Magic won last three games with Atlanta; road team won four of last six series games. Hawks are 3-2 in last five visits here. Last two series games went over total.

Oklahoma City won five of last seven games but lost last two on road; they’re 3-6 as road dogs. Last four Thunder games stayed under the total. Hornets lost last two games but won five of last six at home; they’re 5-1 in last six games as a home favorite. Four of their last five games went over total. Thunder won their last ten games with Charlotte (9-1 vs spread); they won last four visits here (3-1 vs spread). Three of last four series games stayed under.

Bucks won three of their last four games; they’re 6-9 vs spread on road, 4-7 as road underdogs. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games. New York lost its last five games; they’re 9-2 vs spread as home favorites. Four of their last five home games went over the total. Knicks lost six of last eight games with Milwaukee; Bucks won three of last four visits to MSG, with three of the four staying under the total.

Chicago lost its last six road games (0-6 vs spread); they’re 5-8 as road underdogs. Bulls’ last three games went over the total. Cleveland won its last nine home games; they’re 8-3-1 in last 12 games as a home favorite. Three of their last four home games stayed under. Bulls won four of last five games with Cleveland; they lost three of last four visits to Lake Erie but covered last three. Under is 4-2 in last six series games.

Memphis lost to the Lakers in Staples last nite; they’re back tonite. Grizzlies lost four of last six road games, are 5-6 as road underdogs. Five of their last six games went over total. LA lost six of its last seven games, is 3-6-1 in last ten games as a home favorite. Under is 6-1 in their last seven games. Clippers won five of last seven games with Memphis; under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Grizzlies lost three of last four visits here but covered four of last five.

Portland lost seven of last nine games, is 4-10 as a road underdog. Five of their last six games stayed under total. Golden State won its last eight home games, is 6-3 in its last nine games as a home favorite. Under is 10-4 in their last fourteen games. Warriors won eight of last nine games with Portland (7-2 vs spread); Trailblazers lost last six visits to Oakland (1-5 vs spread). Over is 8-2 in last ten series games.

Miami lost its last six games (2-4 vs spread); they’re 8-4 in last 12 games as a road underdog. Under is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Sacramento won five of last seven games; they’re 4-4 as home favorites. Four of their last five games went over the total. Heat won nine of last ten games with Sacramento (5-5 vs spread); they won three of last four visits here. Nine of last ten series games went over total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Villanova Wildcats (14-0) at Butler Bulldogs (12-2)

Date: January 04, 2017 6:30 PM EDT

After capturing the national title last season, Villanova has shown no evidence of a letup.

The No. 1 Wildcats are unbeaten (14-0, 2-0 Big East) heading into Wednesday's game at No. 18 Butler (12-2, 1-1 Big East) at 6:30 p.m. at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

"They're so good and so tough," Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. "They're tough physically. Their mindset and their approach is really second to none. I don't think there is a team in the country that possesses that game in and game out."

Villanova is 7-0 all-time against Butler. The Wildcats beat the Bulldogs in 1996 in a tournament in Puerto Rico and then have swept all six games in Big East Conference play the past three seasons.

"We have the utmost respect for how they play and the way they play," Holtmann said. "They have terrific players and (coach) Jay (Wright) obviously does a great job."

Butler is 8-0 at home this season, including a 10-point win over Cincinnati, which is ranked No. 22 this week.

Bulldogs senior Avery Woodson, a graduate transfer from Memphis, said the Bulldogs will be ready for Villanova.

"This conference is tough whether it's Villanova next or Georgetown, it's a test," Woodson said. "They just so happen to be the No. 1 team and the next on our schedule so we'll prepare like we always do."

Holtmann said his team had better preparation in Sunday's 78-61 victory over visiting Providence than it did in its 76-73 loss on Dec. 29 at St. John's.

"If we didn't learn from that loss, shame on us," Holtmann said.

Holtmann said his players took an immature approach to the conference opener. Butler is now 19-3 following a loss under Holtmann.

This is Butler's seventh meeting with a team ranked No. 1. The Bulldogs are 1-5, beating No. 1 Indiana in the 2012 Crossroads Classic.

The Bulldogs have won 11 straight games at home, including all eight this season.

Villanova was tied at 66-all at No. 10 Creighton Saturday before closing with 14-4 spurt to win 80-70.

Sophomore guard Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 27 points against Creighton and was named Big East Player of the Week.

"We know against the best teams, it's about being solid and playing Villanova basketball," senior Josh Hart said. "We knew when they tied it we had to come closer together. We stuck to playing Villanova basketball."

Hart owns a team-high scoring average of 20.3 points, pacing four Wildcats in double figures. Brunson averages 13.9 points, followed by forward Kris Jenkins at 13.4 points and sophomore guard/forward Mikal Bridges at 10.0. Hart, Jenkins and Brunson started last season.

"We feel pretty good about where we are right now," Wright said. "Not as much because of the No. 1 ranking, but we feel like we're progressing. The young guys are developing."

Wright likes the development of key reserves -- freshman Donte DiVincenzo and sophomore Eric Paschall.

"Mikal Bridges, a starter, is really playing well," Wright said. "Jalen in his sophomore year has given us a great lift. All of those guys have made substantial strides."

The Wildcats, who are shooting 50.4 percent as a team, have shot 50 percent or better from the field in seven of their last eight games.

Butler is shooting 49.9 percent as a team. Junior forward Kelan Martin leads the Bulldogs with an 18.1 scoring average.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-4) at Duke Blue Devils (12-2)

Date: January 04, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke knows that coach Mike Krzyzewski will be taking time away from the team for another surgery, but it's unclear when guard Grayson Allen and Krzyzewski will be back in active roles with the No. 8 Blue Devils.

Krzyzewski will coach his final game Wednesday night against visiting Georgia Tech before undergoing surgery on his lower back Friday.

This just adds to what has been a saga-filled season for Duke, with injuries and Allen's indefinite suspension for a tripping incident last month perhaps trumped by the next sabbatical for Krzyzewski.

Eighth-ranked Duke (12-2) was the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason favorite and held the No. 1 preseason national ranking.

Krzyzewski said the past three games have been disjointed for his team, but some of that might have been masked by outcomes against Tennessee State and Elon. Then the Blue Devils were exposed in an 89-75 loss at Virginia Tech on Saturday.

"It's not that we're selfish," Krzyzewski said. "We're not playing as one."

The Blue Devils are hoping freshman center Harry Giles can make more progress. Some of that was evident against Virginia Tech, but there are issues as he comes off preseason knee surgery.

"He just has to be out there," Krzyzewski said of Giles, who has played in three games. "He gets tired. He gets winded. He's just not in shape yet. ... He's learning in real time."

With all this clamor about Duke, Georgia Tech's surprising victory against North Carolina to open ACC play is overshadowed.

First-year Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner will face a Hall of Fame coach for the second game in a row, going from Roy Williams to Krzyzewski. The Yellow Jackets didn't look good for much of the pre-ACC schedule.

"We had, as I call it, a truth telling," Pastner said. "(The players) were told some things they needed to hear."

The Yellow Jackets (9-4) go for another significant conquest despite projections that they'll finish near the bottom in the ACC.

"No one can say we can't win any games in the ACC, now," Pastner said. "I want us to have a mentality that we belong here. I want that winning mentality."

Against elite teams, Pastner said the Yellow Jackets don't need to be home run hitters but simply keep to the basics.

"If we just hit singles, stay simple and sound," he said. "We're going to leave it all on the floor. These young men have bought in."

Following the Georgia Tech game, Krzyzewski is stepping away for an extended period for the first time since his absence for a large part of the 1994-95 season.

Associate head coach Jeff Capel will serve as the interim coach, beginning with Saturday afternoon's home game against Boston College.

After Friday's surgery to remove a fragment of a herniated disc, the anticipated recovery time for Krzyzewski is up to four weeks. The school announced in a release that after many conservative treatment options during the last month, it was determined that a surgical procedure was necessary to resolve the problem.

Krzyzewski, who turns 70 next month, is the all-time winningest Division I men's basketball coach (1,055-323) and last summer completed his time as the U.S. national coach by directing a third gold medal-winning performance. This is his 42nd season overall, and his 37th at Duke, where he has won five national championships.

Capel, a former Duke guard, was a head coach for nine seasons combined between Virginia Commonwealth and Oklahoma. He has been on Duke's staff since May 2011, filling in for Krzyzewski for a victory at Georgia Tech last season when the Hall of Fame coach was dealing with an illness.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Iowa State Cyclones (9-3) at Baylor Bears (13-0)

Date: January 04, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

WACO, Texas -- Last week, the Iowa State Cyclones used the momentum created in part by a sold-out Hilton Coliseum crowd to make a second-half comeback and avoid a home loss to Texas Tech to start Big 12 play.

If it comes down to it, No. 2 Baylor hopes it can do the same thing on Wednesday.

"It's a big goal for us to be successful at home and we can't do it without the fans," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "The more they can show up, the more they can be loud and boisterous and support us, the more they can affect the game."

Baylor enters the first full week of Big 12 action with a 13-0 record - the only unblemished season so far in the conference - and the highest ranking in program history.

While Iowa State came back from 14 down in the second half to defeat Texas Tech in Ames, Iowa, on Friday, the Bears went on the road to crush Oklahoma.

Baylor's 76-50 win over the Sooners in Norman, Okla., was the latest in its litany of impressive victories so far. But it certainly wasn't the most eye-opening.

Baylor posted four victories over top-25 foes in nonconference play, including No. 4 Oregon, No. 24 Michigan State, No. 10 Louisville and No. 7 Xavier. With that, the Bears entered conference play as the newly minted frontrunner to win the league despite Kansas's 12-year regular-season title streak and West Virginia's impressive nonconference performance.

The Bears also have a four-game winning streak in their series versus Iowa State. And on paper, the Cyclones (9-3) will be facing an uphill battle when they tip off against Baylor.

Iowa State thrived with a four-guard lineup late in the game against Texas Tech. But can the Cyclones do the same versus a Baylor team that features 6-foot-10 Johnathan Motley and 7-footer Jo Lual-Acuil in its frontcourt?

"If you're going to play four guards, you've got to have great toughness, speed, you've got to have a resolve about you," Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said. "Obviously, if you're just going to play straight man-to-man defense with those guys, you're going to have to do some things differently. Offensively, we can do some good things attacking them. Defensively, we're going to have to have great team defense."

Motley has increased his scoring role this season for Baylor. He's averaging 16.3 points with a season-high of 26 against Michigan State. He was a problem for the Cyclones last season as he scored a career-high 27 in each of the Bears' two matchups versus Iowa State.

If the Cyclones stick with their four-guard look, it will likely fall to 6-8 forward Darrell Bowie and 6-5 guard Deonte Burton to slow down Motley.

"For us to be great, we need Deonte to be terrific for us," Prohm said. "We need Darrel Bowie, we need all those guys to play well. If we have to play four guards, we're working on it more."

And, of course, it will help the Cyclones' chances to have a hot Naz Long sinking buckets. Long scored 19 versus the Red Raiders in the conference-opening win. He posted that total despite going just 1-of-7 from 3-point range.

But Prohm said it's a matter of group flow rather than just having Long heat up.

"I've got to do a better job of demanding offensive execution, because when we do that. we get good looks," Prohm said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Creighton Bluejays (13-1) at St. John's Red Storm (8-7)

Date: January 04, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The last time the St. John's men's basketball team played at Carnesecca Arena, it beat then-No. 13 Butler to earn the program's first on-campus win over a ranked opponent since 1998. The Red Storm will look to author an even more impressive encore Wednesday night, when it hosts 10th-ranked Creighton.

The 76-73 win over Butler on Dec. 29 was St. John's first win over a top-15 opponent at home since a victory over No. 13 Syracuse on Feb. 23, 1983. It was also the second of three straight wins for the Red Storm, who routed Syracuse 93-60 on Dec. 21 and edged DePaul 79-73 on Sunday to improve to 2-0 in the Big East for the first time since 2010-11.

The recent surge has generated a buzz about the Red Storm (8-7), who went just 8-24 last season and have made the NCAA Tournament just three times since 2000. A win over Creighton would certainly garner more attention for St. John's, which last beat a top-10 team on campus on Dec. 9, 1975, when it beat No. 7 Tennessee at what was then known as Alumni Hall.

Second-year head coach Chris Mullin is hoping the Red Storm is less focused on what could happen Wednesday and more on simply building off the momentum generated over the last three games.

"You kind of just deal with the moment," Mullin said Tuesday. "Naturally, we all want to win and feel good every day, but that's not reality. We make a concerted effort to stay in the moment. When you lose and feel terrible, you go through that day. When we win, it feels better and we sleep better, but we deal with it, file it away and prepare for the next day."

Creighton (13-1 overall, 1-1 Big East) is preparing off a loss for the first time after falling to top-ranked Villanova, 80-70, on Saturday afternoon. The 13-0 start marked only the third time in program history the Blue Jays have opened 13-0 or better.

On Saturday, host Creighton led the defending national champions by 10 points twice in the first half but saw its upset hopes disappear by hitting just two of its final 10 shots in the game.

The defeat doubly stung Creighton, which is one of the most high-scoring teams in the nation. The Blue Jays entered the week ranked 10th in the nation in points per game (88.4) and second in both field goal percentage (53.7 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage (43 percent).

"We just didn't make the shots," freshman center Justin Patton said. "But we'll make those shots, later in the season."

St. John's defense will provide another test for the Blue Jays. Red Storm opponents are shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from 3-point land.

The Red Storm might also be able to keep pace in a shootout. St. John's is averaging 78.6 points per game and leads the Big East with 149 3-pointers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oregon Ducks (13-2) at Washington Huskies (7-6)

Date: January 04, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- Oregon should take plenty of positive thoughts to Washington on Wednesday.

The Ducks have won 11 straight games to move up six spots to No. 15 in the AP Top 25 Poll. Oregon is coming off wins over No. 4 UCLA and No. 25 USC to open Pac-12 Conference play at 2-0.

The Ducks are also as healthy as they have been all season after senior center Chris Boucher returned to play against the Bruins and Trojans after missing two games due to a sprained ankle.

All-conference junior forward Dillon Brooks, who missed the first three games of the season and was on a minute-restriction when he returned, has been fully cleared and was named Pac-12 player of the week after averaging 25.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in the wins over USC and UCLA.

Now Oregon hits the road for the first time in six weeks to visit Washington (7-6), which lost 79-74 at home to Washington State in its conference opener on Sunday.

Everything seems to favor Oregon except for the fact that none of the Ducks have ever won a game in Seattle or Pullman where they face Washington State on Saturday. Oregon was swept two years ago at UW and WSU did not visit the Washington schools last season.

"Now we have to go on the road to the Washington schools where we had two poor performances the year before last," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "We've got to go and play. We don't have a guy on the team who won at those schools, so we will have our work cut out for us."

One advantage for the Ducks is that they last played on Friday while the Huskies have only two days to prepare for Oregon after playing on Sunday.

"We have a couple times where the schedule gets us like that, so you just have to go play," Altman said. "They had a little more time at Christmas than we did. I would have liked to let the guys stay home on Christmas Day, but there was no way."

Brooks has taken over the team lead with 14.8 points per game while Boucher is averaging 13.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game. Junior forward Jordan Bell leads Oregon with 8.1 rebounds to go with 10.4 points and 2.3 blocks per game.

"We have so much room to grow into," Altman said. "Our blockouts can get better, our transition defense can get better. The exciting thing is if our guys will focus and really trust each other they can get so much better in so many areas. Our ball movement and execution on offense can get better and that is an exciting thing. All the areas we can work through in January and February to get better."

Washington had won three straight games against Western Michigan, Cal Poly, and Seattle before dropping its conference opener to the Cougars.

"Our next game is playing a team that was picked to win the league and a preseason Top 10 team," Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. "Right now they are playing as good as anyone in the league. We certainly didn't set ourselves up to come into the game with any momentum."

Freshman guard Markelle Fultz had 26 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds in the loss to the Cougars. The 6-foot-4 point guard leads Washington with 22.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Six-foot guard David Crisp is averaging 14.1 points while 6-8 forward Noah Dickerson is averaging 12.5 points and 8.7 rebounds.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Louisville Cardinals (12-2) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-2)

Date: January 04, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The holiday break and college hoops have often been a bad mix around Northern Indiana for No. 23 Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish (12-2, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) often play in front of thousands of empty seats from mid-December to mid-January in an arena that holds only 9,149. There are no students, no band and no juice. Despite advancing to consecutive NCAA tournament Elite Eights, their next sellout this season will be the first.

Heading into Wednesday's ACC opener against No. 9 Louisville (12-2, 0-1), with the students still on winter break and the game ticketed for a late start, Irish coach Mike Brey doesn't want to hear any excuses about a less-than-capacity crowd.

"We need our fans," Brey said as the Irish look to start 2-0 in league play for the second time in three seasons. "Like, a 9 o'clock late game and the students not here is not an excuse. That's not an excuse."

Especially since Notre Dame found a way to battle back from five points down in regulation, then again down five in overtime, for its first league win Saturday at Pittsburgh. On New Year's Eve with the Pittsburgh student body mostly absent.

"We played Pitt the other day on break and it was rocking in that place," Brey said. "We've had success here against Louisville when the place has been rocking. We don't have our students, so we need our sixth man to help us.

"If they help us, we've got a great chance of winning."

Louisville sophomore guard Donovan Mitchell leads the ACC in steals at 2.1 and is coming off a career-high 25 points in Saturday's win over then-No. 16 Indiana. Fellow sophomore Deng Adel added 17.

The Cardinals face their fourth ranked opponent in a row. Louisville is 2-1 with wins over Indiana and Kentucky and a loss to Virginia to start league play.

"We've played a very, very tough schedule," said coach Rick Pitino.

Picked in preseason to finish fourth, No. 9 Louisville was one of three ranked ACC teams -- along with Duke and North Carolina -- to open league play 0-1.

"This is just an amazing league with great strength and teams that people did not expect to be great," Pitino said. "I could not tell you right now who has the best chance of winning this league. I couldn't even give you a top three."

Louisville inserted Anas Mahmoud into the starting lineup Saturday at the center spot, a move that Pitino believes helped the Cardinals better move the ball.

Pitino also praised Notre Dame's offensive efficiency Tuesday, but the Irish defense has been better this season.

Notre Dame finished 158th last season in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted defensive efficiency, which tracks points allowed per 100 possessions. The Irish were at 102.9. Fourteen games in, Notre Dame ranks 93rd in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency. The Irish are at 99.0.

A year after the Irish finished 144th nationally in scoring defense (70.6 points per game) and 156th in field-goal percentage defense (43.2), those numbers have improved to 72nd (66.2) and 40th (39.1).

Power forward Bonzie Colson covers a lot of space with his 7-foot-plus wingspan around the low block. Power forward Martinas Geben knows how to use his 6-10, 255-pound frame to defend in the post. Guards V.J. Beachem (6-8) and Steve Vasturia (6-6) are long on the perimeter while point guard Matt Farrell plays with a bulldog/challenge-you mentality.

The Irish also have two reserves in sophomore Rex Pflueger and freshman T.J. Gibbs who check in at key times often thinking first and second and sometimes third about guarding.

"It comes down to energy and the will to want to play defense," said Pflueger, who often tag-teams with Vasturia in getting after the other team's most talented perimeter player while Gibbs' concentration centers on point guards. "It comes down to, do you really want to exert as much energy on defense as you do on offense?

"We're doing a great job balancing it out."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Virginia Tech Hokies (12-1) at N.C. State Wolfpack (11-3)

Date: January 04, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Now there's no sneaking up on any team for Virginia Tech.

The Hokies have moved into the national rankings at No. 21 after defeating Duke to open Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Virginia Tech tries to enhance its blossoming profile Wednesday night against host North Carolina State at PNC Arena.

The best way to do that is to play at a high level all the time, guard Seth Allen said.

"It shows what we can do," Allen said of defeating then-No. 5 Duke. "If we can play a top-five team like this, we should never play down to an opponent."

So just how the Hokies (12-1) handle this new-found respect might define the course of the season. The Hokies are ranked for the first time since early in the 2010-11 season.

"I don't think we're to the point that we played 40 minutes (perfectly), but I don't know that any coach would say that in Game 13," Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams said. "I think that we have a long way to go."

This will be Virginia Tech's second true road game of the season. The Hokies haven't won in Raleigh since 2011.

Having lost at Miami on Saturday, N.C. State will be opening the ACC schedule with three consecutive games against nationally ranked teams.

So there are various ways to judge the Wolfpack's progress.

"The way I look at it is, the most important thing I see is, 'Are we getting better? Are we getting better defensively? Are we getting better executing our offense? Are we getting better rebounding the ball?' " N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said. "And I do think we are. Now we're going to get challenged."

N.C. State is still trying to figure out its best lineup combinations, something that might not have been totally sorted out in the 81-63 loss to Miami.

Forward Omer Yurtseven is less than a month into his freshman season after sitting out the first nine games as mandated by the NCAA, and so a degree of patient might be required.

"We knew it'd be a learning curve, and I think we're making that adjustment now and it's going to be good for us in conference play," freshman point guard Dennis Smith Jr. said.

The Wolfpack's defense has progressed, something that Gottfried said will be tested in other ways against ACC competition.

"I think they have a little confidence defensively in how they're playing, they feel good about that part of the game for us," Gottfried said.

In six non-league December games, the most points allowed were the 71 in a victory against Rider.

"We got better defensively. That's pretty obvious," freshman forward Ted Kapita said. "Because before, we didn't know ... what to do on defense sometimes. Now we got better, everybody wants to play harder, everybody wants to win. I think we're all on the same page right now."

N.C. State will have to deal with a diverse Virginia Tech offense, which put six players in double figures in the Duke game. That included sophomore forward Chris Clarke, whose 13 points marked his most in ACC play in two seasons. Clarke was 5 of 5 from the field, marking the 12th time in 13 games he has shot 50 percent or better.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Virginia Cavaliers (11-2) at Pittsburgh Panthers (11-3)

Date: January 04, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

Home losses have been somewhat of a rarity for No. 11 Virginia and Pittsburgh the past few seasons.

After already suffering a home loss each prior to the start of Atlantic Coast Conference play, both the Cavaliers and Panthers dropped their conference home openers on Saturday in advance of their matchup Wednesday night.

Despite their loss, Virginia moved up a spot in the latest AP Top 25 Poll and travels to what will be a hostile environment at the famed Oakland Zoo. The Cavaliers knocked off Louisville on the road last week before falling to a very good Florida State team on Saturday after a game-winning 3-pointer by Dwayne Bacon collapsed the Cavaliers.

"The first thing I said to our team when we walked into the locker room was 'Welcome to the ACC,' Virginia head coach Tony Bennett said. "I said, 'If you are not right, and you are not executing all of the way through, you will not be successful.' That is why in those games, if you can get them, you take them. Obviously, Louisville, we went in there and got a win. Florida State, they came in here, and that is a talented offensive group. You are just going to have to be ready to play at home or away."

Pittsburgh is 0-4 against Virginia since joining the ACC back in 2014, but has played the Cavaliers close in a majority of those games. A key for the Panthers and first-year head coach Kevin Stallings is productivity from their bench, which they haven't gotten much of lately.

"We need some more offense from more people," Stallings said after Pittsburgh's loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. "Our bench didn't do enough for us today."

Senior Michael Young continues to get it done for Stallings and the Panthers as he averages just under 23 points per game, while forward Jamel Artis pours the points in at a 21 points per game clip.

Once you get beyond that duo however, Pittsburgh's point distribution takes a bit of a dive as Cameron Johnson is the only other Panther to average in double figures. The Panthers are 38th in the country in scoring as they average just under 82 points per game, but their defense is allowing 75 points per game which has been a problem despite their 11-3 record.

Virginia continues to use their balanced approach which was evident in their loss to the Seminoles when they put four players in double figures, led by freshman Kyle Guy who continues to impress for Bennett and the Cavaliers.

Guy is shooting 58 percent from the three-point line this season and is on pace to break the Virginia single-season 3-point percentage records.

As expected in the ACC this season, every game will be competitive and this one will be no different as Pittsburgh looks for a quality win against a top 15 opponent.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet
By David Schwab

College basketball conference play heats things in the New Year with Wednesday’s Big East and ACC double-header of betting action. The top team in the nation is back in action when the Villanova Wildcats go on the road to face the Butler Bears in a 6:30 p.m. tip at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Later that night in a 9 p.m. start at Purcell Pavilion, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish play host to the Louisville Cardinals.

No. 1 Villanova at No. 18 Butler (FOX Sports 1, 6:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Villanova -1 ½

Betting Matchup

Villanova ran its record to 14-0 straight-up with this past Saturday’s 80-70 victory against Creighton as a 1 ½-point road favorite. This was on the heels of a tight 68-65 win at home against DePaul in which the Wildcats failed to cover as heavy 24 ½-point favorites in their Big East opener. They are now 9-5 against the spread this season and the total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five contests. Senior guard Josh Hart continues to pace an offensive effort that is averaging 79.9 points per game with a team-high scoring average of 20.3 points. He has posted a combined total of 43 points in his first two conference games.

The Bulldogs come into this showdown at 12-2 SU with an identical 9-5 record ATS as their rivals. Butler opened play in the Big East with a tough 76-73 loss to St. John’s on Dec. 29 as an 8 ½-point road favorite. However, it quickly responded with a 78-61 victory at home against Providence as a 10 ½-point favorite on New Year’s Day. They total stayed UNDER 140 ½ points in that win after going OVER in its previous four games with a posted total line. The hot hand in this starting five has been junior forward Kelan Martin with 18.1 PPG. Senior forward Andrew Chrabascz is the only other player scoring in double figures (11.9 PPG) on an offense that is averaging 78 points a game.

Betting Trends

-- The Wildcats are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 Big East games, but they have gone 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 games on the road. The total has gone OVER in seven of their last 10 conference games.

-- The Bulldogs are 7-2 ATS in their last nine home games and they have covered in nine of their last 12 Big East games. The total has gone OVER or ended as a PUSH in seven of their last eight games against a conference opponent.

-- Head-to-head in this matchup, Villanova holds a 4-1 edge ATS in the last five meetings and the total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in four of the five games.

No. 9 Louisville at No. 23 Notre Dame (ACC Network, 9 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Louisville -1

Betting Matchup

Louisville opened play in the ACC with a 61-53 loss to Virginia at home as a three-point favorite. It was its second SU loss of the season after falling to No. 2 Baylor 66-63 back on Nov. 25 as a three-point favorite. The Cardinals are 12-2 SU and they have gone a healthy 9-3 ATS this season. The total has stayed UNDER in 10 of 12 games with a posted betting line. This offense is well down the list when it comes to scoring with 76.1 PPG, but the Cardinals have done a good job at the other end of the court with a points-allowed average of just 60.4. They rank 11th in the country in rebounds with 42.1 a game.

The Fighting Irish have fought their way to a SU 12-2 start with back-to-back road losses in mid-December to Villanova and Purdue as underdogs as the only two blemishes on their record. Notre Dame got past Pittsburgh 78-77 in overtime as a one-point road favorite in its ACC opener as part of a 0-3-1 record ATS in its last four games with a betting line. The total has gone OVER in five of the eight games it has played with a posted line. This offense boast four players scoring in double figures led by junior forward Bonzie Colson (16.6 PPG). He posted a team-high 21 points in the win against Pitt while going 10-for-20 from the field.

Betting Trends

-- The Cardinals are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against a team with a SU winning record, but they have failed to cover in seven of their last 10 games on the road. The total has stayed UNDER in 10 of their last 12 ACC games.

-- The Irish are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 home games, but they fall to 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games played on a Wednesday. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five conference games.

-- The home team in this ACC tilt has a 4-1 edge ATS in the last five meetings and the total has gone OVER in 10 of the last 13 games between the two. Notre Dame is 5-2 ATS in its last seven home games against Louisville.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Expert Predictions: Three Interesting Jan. 4 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews

Duke's chances of winning the ACC's regular-season title aren't looking great, although who really cares about regular-season championships. There's the whole Grayson Allen situation as he remains indefinitely suspended for his ridiculous tripping issue. And when Allen comes back is really up in the air now because Coach Mike Krzyzewski is going to coach Wednesday's game vs. Georgia Tech but then have back surgery Friday and miss about a month. Associate head coach Jeff Capel, a former Blue Devils point guard, will coach the team while Krzyzewski recovers. Capel's first game will be Saturday against Boston College. You may not think coaching matters all that much but Krzyzewski had back issues in 1994, following surgery in October, and he stepped away in January 1995 for the remainder of the season. Duke was 9-3 overall at the time. Under Pete Gaudet, the Blue Devils went 4-15 the rest of the way and missed the NCAA Tournament. Capel played on that team.

Rutgers at Michigan State (-14)

Big Ten matchup at 6:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network. Sometimes I just laugh when I see some teams' nonconference records. Rutgers entered Big Ten play at 11-2, so maybe the Scarlet Knights aren't wretched for once? But then you look at who they played and naturally Rutgers has opened Big Ten play with a 20-point loss at Wisconsin and by 13 on Sunday at home to Penn State. The Lions were ravaged by the flu as well in that one. Mike Williams had his third career double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for the Knights, who made a season-low 28.6 percent (18-for-63) of their field goal attempts, including 3-for-20 (15.0 percent) from behind the arc. Rutgers has just three wins in the Big Ten since joining in 2014. It hasn't won on the road.

Michigan State has won three straight and six of seven after a bit of a shaky start thanks to a ridiculously hard nonconference schedule . Coach Tom Izzo's club last took the court Friday and beat Northwestern 61-52. Sparty jumped out to a 28-9 lead and would see that lead shrunk to four but no lower. It was the seventh straight game missed for MSU star freshman and leading scorer Miles Bridges due to a high-ankle sprain. He is expected to play here but will come off the bench. Bridges is averaging 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds in his eight games. The Spartans are 4-0 all-time vs. Rutgers. The wins last year were by 34 and 31 points.

Key trends: Rutgers has covered six of its past 30 in the Big Ten. MSU is 16-5 against in its past 21 in the conference.

I'm leaning: Sparty.

South Carolina at Georgia (-4)

SEC game at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU. It's the conference opener for the Gamecocks , who were ranked but have dropped three of five following a 70-54 loss at Memphis on Friday. USC shot just 31.6 percent overall and 28.1 percent after halftime. Gamecocks senior guard Sindarius Thornwell didn't play for a sixth straight game due to suspension for a violation of athletic department policy. Thornwell, the team's best player and the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, has been reinstated and will go here. He was averaging 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in leading South Carolina to a 7-0 start. He has been able to practice with the team. Thornwell was arrested in May and charged with marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license.

Georgia opened SEC play with a 96-84 win at Auburn last Thursday. Yante Maten scored 31 points and J.J. Frazier scored 27. The Dawgs were down with under eight minutes left. Maten was named SEC Co-Player of the Week on Monday. He ranks second in the SEC in both scoring at 20.6 points per game and rebounding at 8.2 per game. The Bulldogs were 3-0 vs. South Carolina last year but the final two, one in the SEC Tournament, were decided by a total of three points.

Key trends: USC is 5-21 ATS in the past 26 meetings. Georgia is 6-2 ATS in its past eight at home.

I'm leaning: South Carolina.

No. 15 Oregon at Washington (+7.5)

Pac-12 matchup at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. This screams potential letdown game for the Ducks even though the Huskies are their second-biggest rivals after Oregon State. Oregon had one of the best regular-season weeks in school history last week in beating unbeaten and No. 2 UCLA 89-87 on a 3-pointer in the final seconds from All-American Dillon Brooks and then stomping unbeaten and No. 22 USC 84-61 on Friday behind 28 points from Brooks (9-for-10 from the field). But those were both in Eugene, where Oregon is almost unbeatable and on a 35-game winning streak. The Ducks' two losses this year were by 17 at an excellent Baylor team and by four at a neutral site to Georgetown.

Washington has been a mammoth disappointment at 7-6 considering what a stellar recruiting class Coach Lorenzo Romar landed. That's led by guard Markelle Fultz, a potential No. 1 overall pick in this year's NBA draft. He has been fantastic in averaging 22.3 points, 6.7 assists and 6.4 rebounds, but the Huskies have losses to the likes of Yale, Nevada and Washington State all at home (plus two losses to TCU). Fultz was one rebound shy of the first triple-double in school history in the loss last time out to the Cougars.

Key trends: The Ducks are 1-6 ATS in the past seven meetings. UW is 1-6 ATS in its past seven overall.

I'm leaning: Washington.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Wednesday’s games

Villanova won its last six games with Butler, covering four of last five; they won last three visits here by 3-3-5 points. Wildcats are 14-0 vs schedule #59; they’re 2-0 in true road games, with wins at Purdue/Creighton. Villanova is shooting 60.1% inside arc, has #3 eFG%, holds foes to 27.8% on arc. Butler makes 39.4% on arc, has #8 eFG%; they’re only two losses were on road to Indiana State/St John’s. Bulldogs are 12-2 vs schedule #40; they’re 8-1 vs top 100 teams, with four top 50 wins.

Syracuse is 4-6 in its last ten games; in last two losses, to St John’s/BC, Orange allowed 94.5 pts/game and 1.26/1.32 ppp. Syracuse was actually playing man/man at end of Boston College game; they’re 0-3 vs top 60 teams, losing by 14-7-17 points. Miami won its last two games with Syracuse by 13-4 points; they split last two series games played in Carrier Dome. Hurricanes won last seven games, beating NC State by 18 in ACC opener; Miami has #9 eFG% defense, but their only true road game was 94-56 at North Florida on Nov 16.

Providence won its last four games with Georgetown, all by 4 or less points; Hoyas lost 60-57/75-72 in last two visits to Dunkin Donuts Center. Friars lost last three games, all on road, by 12-26-17 points after a 10-2 start; they’re 3-4 vs top 100 teams, with best win by 3 over #34 URI. Georgetown allowed 78.5 pts/game in losing its first two Big East games by 5-10 points. Hoyas won their only true road game by 7 at Syracuse; they’re shooting 39.8% on arc but turning ball over 20.7% of time.

Georgia is 9-4 vs schedule #31; they won SEC opener by 12 at Auburn. Dawgs are 0-4 vs top 90 teams- their best wins are over Auburn/UL-Lafayette. Georgia is 12-3 in its last 15 games with South Carolina, winning last four, last two by total of three points. Gamecocks lost six of last seven visits to Athens. South Carolina is 2-3 in its last five games after an 8-0 start; they they won at South Florida, lost by 16 at Memphis in only two true road games. Gamecocks are forcing turnovers 23.7% of time, #8 in country.

Vanderbilt won its last 12 games with Auburn, last three by 12+ points. Tigers lost last eight games in Nashville, last four all by 12+ points. Commodores are 7-6 vs schedule #35; they won by 7 at LSU in SEC opener, but are just 1-5 vs top 100 teams, with win by hoop at LSU. Vandy is shooting 40.2% on arc (#15). Auburn won its two true road games by total of 7 points, at UAB/UConn, but they lost SEC opener at home to Georgia. Tigers are #323 experience team that forces turnovers 21.8% of time- they’re playing at pace #8.

Oklahoma State is 10-3 vs schedule #81; they’re 2-1 in true road games, winning at Tulsa/Wichita State, losing by point at Maryland. OSU forces turnovers 25.4% of time (#3).- they lost Big X opener by 17 to West Virginia. Texas is 3-2 in last five games with Oklahoma State, beating OSU by 5-12 points LY. Teams split last four series games in Austin. Seven of last nine series games were decided by 10+ points. Longhorns lost seven of last ten games, scoring 60 pts/game in last two games, losses to Kent State/Kansas State.

St John’s won its last three games, upsetting Butler, winning by 33 at Syracuse after starting season 5-7; Red Storm is #348 experience team that makes 40.2% of its 3’s- they play pace #49. Home side won five of six Creighton-St John’s games; Bluejays won here LY, beat Red Storm 100-59 in last meeting in Omaha- they’ve lost two of three visits here. Creighton lost its first game Saturday after a 13-0 start; they’ve got road wins by 15 at Nebraska, 11 at Arizona State. Bluejays are shooting 43% on arc, best in country.

Washington is #346 experience team that is 7-6 vs schedule #269; they’re 0-4 vs top 100 teams with three losses by 13+ points- their best win was over #187 Long Beach State. Huskies are shooting 42.4% in arc, #2 in country. Home side won last five Oregon-Washington games, with Oregon winning last three, by 4-13-6 points- they beat Huskies 83-77 in Pac-12 tourney LY. Ducks lost by 4-8 points in last two visits to Seattle. Oregon won its last 11 games; they lost by 18 at Baylor in their only true road game, way back on November 15.

Louisville lost its last five visits to Notre Dame, losing a 5-OT game here in 2013; Cardinals are 5-6 overall in last 11 games with Irish, losing last two, by 12-5 points. Louisville is 12-2 vs #22 schedule; this is their 4th strait game vs a top 30 team. Cardinals won by 7 at Grand Canyon in only true road game- their win over Indiana Saturday was in Indy, not Bloomington. Notre Dame is 4-2 vs top 100 teams; they won ACC opener by point in OT at Pittsburgh. Irish are #2 in USA at protecting ball, #1 in country on foul line (84.1%).

Virginia Tech hammered Allen-less Duke Saturday, now goes on road with a 12-1 record against schedule #326. Hokies won by 3 at Michigan in their only true road game- their only loss was by 3 to Texas A&M on a neutral floor. NC State won five of last six games with Virginia Tech, losing in OT at Blacksburg LY; Hokies lost last two visits to Raleigh by 4-16 points. Wolfpack lost ACC opener by 18 at Miami; they’re 4-2 since big man Yurtseven became eligible. State is 0-3 vs top 100 teams; their best win was over #119 St Joe’s.

Virginia won its last four games with Pittsburgh, winning 48-45/64-50 in last two visits to Steel City. Cavaliers are 11-2 vs schedule #5 with wins at Cal/Louisville, but they go to foul line only five times in home loss to Florida State Saturday, snapping 4-game win streak. Virginia is 5-2 vs top 100 teams; their other loss was to West Virginia. Panthers are 2nd-worst team in country at forcing turnovers; they lost ACC opener in OT to Notre Dame after beating Marshall 112-106 in game before that. Pitt is #23 experience team with a thin bench (#323 in subs’ minutes).

Baylor won its last four games with Iowa State, with three of four by 5 or less points or in OT; Cyclones lost last three visits to Waco by 13-1-9 points. Baylor is 13-0 vs schedule #65 with six top 100 wins, three top 50 wins- they play at slowish pace and block 17% of opponents’ shots. Iowa State went on 20-0 run in second half to come from behind and beat Iowa State by 7 in its Big X opener. Cyclones are #4 experience team that lost by 14 at Iowa in their only true road game this season- they’re 2-3 vs top 100 teams, with wins over Texas Tech/Miami.

Fort Wayne won seven of its last nine games with Omaha, winning last two by 5-4 points; Mastodons are 3-2 in last five visits here, with all three wins in overtime. Fort Wayne won four of last five games; in the loss, Western Illinois made 18-37 on arc in 93-91 game- that is FW’s only loss in eight games vs teams ranked outside top 100- they’re 3-3 in true road games, but wins are all at teams outside top 300. Omaha lost its first two Summit games by 17-12 points, allowing 84 pts/game in two road tilts- they do have a win at Iowa on their resume.

 

[Scott602]

Nover 1st Half GOY.. TIA

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Northfield: Wednesday 1/4 Analysis + Pick Four Ticket
By Jeremey Day

DRF

Race 8 - $10,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

Jeremey’s $1 Pick Four Play:

9 / 2,3,6 / 1 / 1,3 = $6


Best Bet: DEFTONES (8th)

Spot Play: AVANZA (3rd)


Race 1

(8) WICKED WINDY trotting mare has the most talent if she can mind her manners. (4) CRAZYJOANN four-year-old mare has lots of room to improve second time out. (2) MORELAND FLASHBACK looks to offer a big price in a field full of question marks.

Race 2

(1) L R FLYING AMMO gets the best post and picks up a huge driver change. (3) FEELIN BEACHY raced well at this level last start. (4) FLYIN ORION comes into the race off a judges scratch but has been very competitive at this level.

Race 3

(6) AVANZA gets a big morning line coming off a nice victory. (2) CHAMPIONS CLUB has just been racing evenly but should be much closer turning for home. (1) SO BE IT gets the best post in a weak and inconsistent field.

Race 4

(2) ROMPAWAY ELVIS finds a very soft spot to get it going in 2017. (3) MUCKMUCK WOODCHUCK was close at a monster price last start. The 10-year-old should offer another big price with a better starting post. (1) QUIET CHARMER should be in line for a decent trip up close.

Race 5

(2) ENEE WEENIE AND ME hasn't sealed the deal in quite some time, however the 10-year-old is dangerous with an easy early lead. (4) NOBLE TRICK takes a huge drop in class against weaker. The 8-year-old stallion picks up the top driver but will offer low value. (1) SANTA'S SPECIAL also drops down a notch with the best post.

Race 6

(8) LIGHTENING WAR appears to be starting to figure some things out in his last few; threat. (2) TYMAL BLING doesn't win often but finds a weak field; fires early. (3) BOUNTY is a major player with a good setup.

Race 7

(4) SOUTHWIND ILLUSION will offer one of the better prices of the contenders. (1) KEENE ALLURE mare gets a good driver change with the best post. (3) GRACIE GRACIE fourteen-year-old mare needed her last start and should have room to improve second start back off a month layoff.

Race 8

(9) DEFTONES just missed at this level two back. (1) PRINCEOFROCKNROLL has also been close at this level and gets the best starting post. (4) BEANS AND WEENIES will offer a monster price in against a suspect bunch besides the top choice.

Race 9

(3) SOULFUL DELIGHT veteran trotter owns tons of back class when right. (6) DETAILER has hit the board twice at this level in the last two starts. (2) CALLING A VICTORY is inconsistent from week to week but a good effort puts him in the mix.

Race 10

(1) WESTERN FELLA picks up the best post with a huge driver change down in class. (3) LOCK THREE would need more to tangle with the top choice; use underneath. (5) ST LADS ZOOM ZOOM has been off almost 6 weeks and looks to need a start.

Race 11

(1) HICKORY BIG BLACK gets sent out for capable connections against a suspect bunch. (3) GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS was dreadful last start off a perfect trip; command a price. (2) ADDYS SECRET could be in a good spot to save some ground before shaking loose late.

Race 12

(3) PATIENT I D made the most money in the field last year and will offer value. (5) DRINSONTHEHOUSE well bred mare has beaten better on the year. (2) HARD ROCK TRIXIE was tenacious on the lead last start.

Race 13

(4) MEAN FEVER is just now back in racing shape and has room to improve. (3) COMMON CREED hasn't won in a really long time but has been knocking on the door. (1) FRISKIE TOWN has question marks coming off a scratch but shows a good effort at this level a few back.

Race 14

(5) HIDDEN HALL gelding makes his second start in a new barn. (4) BREAKIN THE LAW well bred pacer owns some back class and faces much weaker. (1) CRANK IT UP gets the best post; fires early.

Race 15

(6) TOMMY TWO SHOES drops down and will be used aggressively. (9) GLASS PACK picks up a huge driver change down in class. (1) STAMPED BY DESIGN has room to improve second start back off a layoff.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Spot Plays

For Wednesday

TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE

Delta Downs (8th) Watch My Steam, 6-1
(9th) Rolex Bound, 4-1


Gulfstream Park (3rd) Majestic Kindness, 7-2
(5th) Golden Point, 4-1


Mahoning Valley (2nd) Zydeco Mambo, 3-1
(6th) Blondecat, 9-2


Penn National (6th) Reyem Lessord, 3-1
(8th) Ifirmlyinimdyin, 9-2


Tampa Bay Downs (3rd) North Mountain, 4-1
(9th) Natchez Pass, 4-1


Turf Paradise (3rd) Grass and Cactus, 3-1
(5th) Apache Red, 7-2


Turfway Park (3rd) Rous, 5-1
(4th) Sunset Sands, 5-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

— North Carolina 89, Clemson 86 OT— Tigers missed FT to win it with 0:00.5 left in regulation.

— TCU 60, Oklahoma 57— Big win for Jamie Dixon’s rebuilding Horned Frogs.

— Kansas 90, Kansas State 88— Jayhawks won it at buzzer, but K-State is better than anyone thought.

— Texas Tech 77, West Virginia 76 OT— Wild game; Red Raiders hit a 3-pointer with 0:04.6 left for the win.

— Wisconsin 75, Indiana 68— Hoosiers are 0-2 in Big 14, with two home losses.

— Home favorites were 4-1 vs spread in MAC games last nite, 2-8 everywhere else.