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

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulls (33-32) at Wizards (31-35)

Date: March 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

After using a clip from a comedy classic to motivate his Chicago Bulls, it's uncertain what methods coach Fred Hoiberg will use to help them build on their latest victory.

Perhaps the chance to win back-to-back road games for the first time in well over a month will provide enough incentive Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards.

Amid a season filled with injuries and underachievement, Hoiberg is trying to keep Chicago's morale from completely fading. Leading up to Monday's visit to Toronto, Hoiberg showed his team John Belushi's inaccurately funny "Was it over when the Germans bombed Peal Harbor?" motivational scene from the movie "Animal House" to lighten the mood.

"If your spirit gets broken, you have no chance," Hoiberg told the Bulls' official website. "We got to find a way to deal with it and go out and give ourselves a chance."

It's uncertain if that scene pumped up the Bulls (33-32) enough to beat the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors 109-107. But minus Pau Gasol (knee), Derrick Rose (groin) and Mike Dunleavy (stomach virus), Chicago put forth a strong effort to snap a season-high eight-game road skid.

"It's just really good for our confidence, our motivation going forward," said forward Doug McDermott, who had 29 points on 9-of-11 shooting.

Leading Detroit by a percentage point for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls will again be without Gasol. It's uncertain if Rose will sit his third straight contest or if Dunleavy will be ready.

Jimmy Butler should be available after scoring 13 points in 33 minutes Monday in his return from a three-game absence due to knee soreness.

"My team needs me to get us into the playoffs," the All-Star Butler said. "Go out there and do whatever it takes to help us win."

Butler will try to help the Bulls win consecutive road games for the first time since Jan. 23 and 28 and improve a defense that's yielded an average of 109.8 points in the last 12 away from home.

Making their first trip to Washington this season, the Bulls gave up an average of 109.0 points while splitting the first two meetings.

Sitting 10th in the East and 2 1/2 games behind Chicago and Detroit, the Wizards (31-35) snapped a season-high five-game skid with Monday's 124-81 rout of the Pistons. Nene scored 20 off the bench and John Wall had 12 assists in Washington's most lopsided victory since beating Boston by 45 in 2002-03.

'As I told them, remember this, learn from it," coach Randy Wittman said. "They were locked in."

After shooting 43.0 percent and averaging 96.8 points during the losing streak, the Wizards set season highs for points and field-goal percentage (56.7). They also yielded their fewest points of 2015-16 after the previous five opponents averaged 110.8.

"It doesn't matter what the scheme ... defensively, if you don't play consistently it's not going to work," Wittman said.

With 33 points and 17 assists in the first two against the Bulls, Wall was held below his season averages of 20.0 and 9.9.

Butler, who missed a 109-104 win over the Wizards on Feb. 24, had 19 points in a 114-100 loss Jan. 11. He averaged 7.7 points and shot 32.0 percent in his first 13 matchups in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunder (45-22) at Celtics (39-28)

Date: March 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Oklahoma City Thunder appear to have regained their shooting touch, while the Boston Celtics are still trying to get theirs back.

Boston also won't have its best defender available as it attempts to avoid a third consecutive loss in its Wednesday night matchup with the visiting Thunder.

The Celtics played their first game without valuable forward Jae Crowder on Tuesday, though their suddenly sluggish offense was more of a factor in a 103-98 loss at Indiana. They shot 38.3 percent overall and finished 8 for 32 from 3-point range en route to their first two-game skid since Jan. 18-20.

Boston (39-28) posted nearly identical numbers in having its 14-game home win streak halted with Friday's 102-98 defeat to Houston, in which Crowder suffered a sprained right ankle that will sideline him at least two weeks. The Celtics averaged 110.7 points in winning seven of their previous nine.

Isaiah Thomas was held to 5-of-18 shooting by the Pacers and Avery Bradley is 1 of 10 on 3-pointers during the two-game slump. Marcus Smart is 4 of 23 from beyond the arc and shooting 30.6 percent overall over a five-game stretch.

"We missed a lot of open shots," Smart said. "It was just one of those games. Guys that normally knock down the shots we that were getting couldn't knock them down."

Crowder's ability to guard the opposition's best scorer also was missed with Paul George leading Indiana with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting. His injury comes at an inopportune time with matchups against Kevin Durant and Toronto's DeMar DeRozan on tap this week.

The Celtics will see Durant for the first time in over two years, as he's missed the teams' past four meetings with various injuries. He had a strained hamstring when Boston snapped a five-game series skid with a 100-85 win in Oklahoma City on Nov. 15, highlighted by the former Oklahoma State star Smart's career high-tying 26 points.

Oklahoma City (45-22) enters a three-game trip with some needed momentum by virtue of Monday's 128-94 rout at Portland, which moved the Thunder 10 1/2 games up on the second-place Blazers as they close in on a fifth Southwest Division title in six years.

After shooting a combined 17.8 percent on 3s in consecutive losses to Minnesota and San Antonio, the Thunder made 9 of 17 attempts and shot 59.0 percent overall in Monday's bounce-back.

'We know we might face these guys in the playoffs, so we wanted to send a message,' Durant said.

The game also saw a return to form from Russell Westbrook, who notched his league-leading 12th triple-double with 17 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds without a turnover. The All-Star Game MVP had nine giveaways and went 5 of 16 from the field against San Antonio.

Enes Kanter added 26 points and is averaging 17.2 points on 69.4 percent shooting over his last five.

Oklahoma City, which had seven players reach double figures and ranks second in the NBA at 109.8 points per game, should be back at full strength with Dion Waiters expected to rejoin the team in Boston. The sixth man has missed four games following the shooting death of his brother in Philadelphia last week.

Boston, tied with Miami for third in the East, ranks third in the league in defensive efficiency at 99.1 points per 100 possessions.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (38-29) at Pistons (34-33)

Date: March 16, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Detroit Pistons are entering the home stretch in more ways than one.

With a playoff spot now a realistic possibility, Detroit will play its next nine games at the Palace, the team's longest homestand in 35 years.

The Pistons, who open that stretch Wednesday night against the surging Atlanta Hawks, don't have another road game until April 2 against Chicago. By then, they hope to have taken a big step toward their first postseason berth since 2009.

Detroit (34-33) is one percentage point behind the Bulls in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are 19-11 at home, winning their last three there.

'We wanted to have a bigger cushion in this race,' rookie Stanley Johnson said. 'We put a tough bargain on ourselves.'

Following this matchup with the Hawks (38-29), the Pistons play four straight teams with losing records - Sacramento, Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Orlando. The stretch ends with four tougher opponents - Charlotte, Atlanta again and Oklahoma City and Dallas.

Four of Detroit's last six games of the season will be on the road, so the time to make a move in the standings is now. The Bulls play nine of their final 17 on the road, where they're 12-20.

One person who isn't taking the upcoming stretch for granted is coach Stan Van Gundy, who was still miffed Tuesday about his team's 43-point loss at Washington on Monday night.

'I've never had a team have a performance like that,' he said of the game, in which the Pistons turned the ball over 21 times.

Detroit practiced Tuesday, and the homestand will allow an easier schedule between games since the team doesn't have to worry about travel. But Van Gundy said that's the only real advantage to being back home.

'Practice is easier, a little bit,' Van Gundy said. 'But other than that, nothing. Like we just said at the end - having nine straight home games means nothing if you're not going to bring great energy and effort.'

The Pistons have played six of their last seven on the road, and appeared to be in good shape after a win at Dallas last Wednesday. Then, they lost by 15 to the Hornets, had to rally past woeful Philadelphia and were routed by the Wizards.

'Our starts of games were pretty consistent the last three games. We weren't ready to play at the beginning of any of them,' Van Gundy said. 'We're coming with no focus, just throwing the ball around. What we've done at the beginning of the last three games has been very unprofessional.'

But Detroit has an immediate chance to make up lost ground - as well as to make or break its playoff pursuit.

'It does take a toll on your body, traveling that much,' forward Anthony Tolliver said. 'Every team goes through that, so it's never an excuse to lose a game or anything like that, but it's definitely nice to be able to settle in and eat home-cooked food and get into your rhythm and the things that you want to do - be able to come shoot when you want to shoot, all those types of things.'

Atlanta completed a sweep of a two-game homestand with Sunday's 104-75 rout of Indiana. The Hawks have played solid defense during a 7-2 stretch, holding opponents to 88.1 points per game and 37.8 percent shooting to climb within one game of Miami for first place in the Southeast Division.

'We're a much better team than we were a month ago,' center Al Horford said.

These teams have split the first two meetings this season, both in Atlanta. The Pistons won 106-94 on Oct. 27 as all five starters scored in double figures. The Hawks returned the favor Dec. 23, when Jeff Teague led the way with 23 points and nine assists in a 107-100 victory.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (21-46) at Grizzlies (39-28)

Date: March 16, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Riddled with injuries, the Memphis Grizzlies are doing all they can to keep their heads above water before the playoffs.

The Grizzlies look to avoid losing three straight for the first time since early November in Wednesday night's season series finale against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.

Playing nine men and starting the likes of Ryan Hollins and Briante Weber, Memphis (39-28) was routed 130-81 at Houston on Monday. The Grizzlies yielded their most points of 2015-16 while shooting 29.7 percent, their second-lowest effort of the season, and letting Houston hit 54.1 percent of their shots.

Though Memphis has a firm grasp on the fifth seed in the Western Conference, it's dropped four of six and hardly resembles a playoff team.

'Half our team is D-League,' veteran Matt Barnes said. 'But nobody is going to feel bad for us. ... We play hard, and that's the one thing I tell these guys, no matter what the outcome of the game is or whether or not the shots are falling, you can always control your effort.'

That effort might not be good enough without their top players on the floor.

Leading scorer Marc Gasol is out for the season, while point guard Mike Conley has missed the last five games and likely won't return until early next month. Forwards Zach Randolph and Chris Andersen could both sit out a sixth consecutive contest while Lance Stephenson might miss his second straight and Vince Carter a third in a row.

The Grizzlies have been held to fewer than 85 points in two straight games, shot 37.8 percent in four contests and yielded an average of 111.2 and 47.3 shooting in the last six.

"Each game is going to have to be a big game for us," said forward Tony Allen, who had five points on 2-of-10 shooting Monday.

Memphis, which dropped a season-high four straight Nov. 5-11, has won five of six at home. That stretch began with a 109-104 victory over Minnesota (21-46) on Feb. 19.

Second-year forward JaMychal Green pulled down 11 rebounds to help the Grizzlies improve to 2-1 on the season series.

Andrew Wiggins has shot 58.8 percent against the Grizzlies this season and averaged 21.3 points in the last four in the series.

Averaging 23.2 points and shooting 55.3 percent in the last five games, Wiggins scored 22 on Monday but the Timberwolves fell for the sixth time in eight games, 107-104 at Phoenix. Minnesota led by 10 at the half but shot 34.1 percent and was outrebounded 31-19 in the final two quarters, losing on Mirza Teletovic's 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left.

'We gave this one away,' said guard Zach LaVine, who scored 28 points. 'We should have come out and had a better outing in the third quarter and been more aggressive and more efficient and little more smart with our play."

Minnesota's Ricky Rubio had 13 points and matched a career high with 17 assists. He's averaged 10.3 assists in his last three games against Memphis.

LaVine scored 22 at Memphis last month and is 9 of 14 from 3-point range against the Grizzlies this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Clippers (42-24) at Rockets (34-33)

Date: March 16, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

Barring an unforeseen late-season collapse, the Los Angeles Clippers should be back in the playoffs aiming to at least advance beyond the second round for the first time.

The Houston Rockets' postseason position is much more tenuous.

The Rockets look to build on their most lopsided victory of the season and beat the Clippers for a fifth straight home meeting Wednesday night.

Los Angeles (42-24) is fourth in the Western Conference, 10 1/2 games clear of the postseason cutoff with 17 to go in the regular season.

Houston (34-33) is in search of some breathing room in the playoff chase, sitting in a tie with Dallas for the last two spots with just a two-game edge on ninth-place Utah.

The Rockets pounded a depleted Memphis team 130-81 on Monday for their fourth win in five games. Houston shot 54.1 percent from the field and 16 for 33 from 3-point range, placing nine players in double-figure scoring.

"Every game for us is an opportunity to get better. Not to be 'coach-speak,' but that's our mindset right now where we are," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "The Clippers are obviously a very good team ... so it's an opportunity for us to go out and see where we stand, see where our work where it stands among one of the elite teams in the Western Conference.

"We gotta be prepared for them, but we gotta play to our strengths and do the things that we've done and do them well."

Houston has reached 100 points in eight straight games and is averaging 114.4 over the last five. While they rank fourth in the league in scoring (106.1), the Rockets' potent offense is offset by a defense that surrenders 106.6 per game, their highest mark since giving up 107.0 in 1988-89.

Defense is usually scarce when Houston meets the Clippers. The Rockets are averaging 117.3 points over the last six meetings, including last season's second-round playoff series which they won in seven games.

The Clippers have scored 108.7 points over that stretch, including a 140-132 overtime win Jan. 18.

"There a lot of similarity between our teams. Style of play, guards, bigs. I think we're very similar," Bickerstaff said. "Both of us can score the ball, so when you have the ability to score the ball you're never our of a game."

Los Angeles has hit a rough patch against strong competition, losing four of six with those defeats coming to Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Cleveland and San Antonio. The Clippers' reserves were outscored 51-20 and shot 27.3 percent (6 for 22) in Tuesday's 108-87 loss to the Spurs.

"It's disappointing because obviously everybody in the second unit feels like it's our fault. Whether that's true or not, that's the way we feel," guard Austin Rivers said.

Since scoring 46 points in a 109-105 win at Los Angeles on Nov. 7, James Harden has been limited to 38 total points in his last two meetings with the Clippers. Harden, the league's second-leading scorer (28.6), should be fresh for this matchup after only playing 25 minutes in Monday's blowout.

Harden finished with 15 points, eight assists and seven boards.

"It felt good," Harden said of getting a break. "I felt like I didn't even go out there and play."

Clippers forward Paul Pierce missed his third straight game Tuesday with a sore right big toe. Coach Doc Rivers is unsure if he'll be available to face Houston.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (24-42) at Kings (26-40)

Date: March 16, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins have something else in common along with being Kentucky products and two of the NBA's best post players.

With their teams continuing to drop in the standings, the two All-Stars face off for the final time this season when the Sacramento Kings host the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.

Frustrating seasons have turned even more sour for both teams of late. Injury-plagued New Orleans (24-42) has lost eight of nine and the first four of a five-game trip, while Sacramento (26-40) owns just two wins over its last 11 and is 6-17 since Jan. 25, the NBA's fourth-worst record over that stretch.

Cousins and Davis have continued to post big numbers through the turmoil, ranking fourth and seventh, respectively, in the league scoring race. Cousins is averaging 30.6 points per game over his last five - missing Saturday's loss to Orlando due to a team-issued suspension - and Davis 29.3 points and 11.7 rebounds in his past six.

Cousins has averaged 32.7 points and 12.7 rebounds in three season meetings with the Pelicans, though that production hasn't translated into any Sacramento wins. He had 40 in a 115-112 loss in New Orleans on March 7 and 32 in a 109-97 defeat at Sleep Train Arena on Jan. 13.

The Kings did halt a five-game skid with Tuesday's 106-98 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, ending a 22-game run in which they allowed at least 101 points. They'll now try to stop a six-game home losing streak and prevent the Pelicans from a sixth consecutive win in the series.

'Consistency has been one of our biggest problems,' Cousins said. 'It's frustrating. We're still trying to figure it out. But the one thing about this locker room is that we stick together. We believe in one another and we just keep pushing forward, trying to finish the season strong.'

They're catching New Orleans in the midst of a defensive decline, as it's allowed 117.8 points per game and a 50.6 field goal percentage on the trip. Golden State shot 58.0 percent overall and went 12 of 25 from 3-point range in pulling away for a 125-107 win on Monday.

The Pelicans trailed the defending NBA champions by just nine at halftime before going 5 of 27 while outscored 35-19 in the third quarter.

"I thought we had done a good job on them up until that, but it doesn't matter how good you are defensively, you can't go 5-for-27 against that team in any span of the game," said New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry, who received his championship ring prior to tip-off as the Warriors' associate head coach last season.

Poor outside shooting has hurt the Pelicans as well, as they've connected on only 27.2 percent on 3s over their last five. Ryan Anderson is 3 of 21 on the trip and Jrue Holiday 1 of 11 in two games after totaling 72 points over his previous two.

New Orleans has shot 39.3 from beyond the arc while averaging 112.7 points in the season series, and the Kings are allowing a league-high 10.3 3-pointers per game this season.

Sacramento did hold the lowly Lakers to a 5-of-26 effort, however, while scoring 30 points off 22 turnovers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (28-40) at Warriors (60-6)

Date: March 16, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

One way of describing the different levels Golden State and New York exist on is simply stating one is 33 games ahead of the other.

Another would be to point out that over the last three meetings, the Warriors have made more 3-pointers than the Knicks have free throws.

No matter how it's sliced, New York doesn't seem to be the opponent that will deny Golden State a 50th straight home win, but it'll give it a shot Wednesday night as the Warriors conclude a six-game homestand seeking a sixth straight victory.

The stretch of home games hasn't been without some mild scares against questionable opponents. It started with a 119-113 win over Orlando on March 7, and Phoenix ran out of gas and lost 123-116 five days later.

The Warriors, though, followed that up with a 125-107 win over New Orleans on Monday. Golden State has shot 51.9 percent and 42.9 from 3-point range with 14.0 makes per game on the homestand as it extended its NBA-record home run.

The latest victory gave the Warriors a second straight 60-win season, a foregone conclusion for some time.

"Sixty and 6 sounds good," said Stephen Curry, whose 27 points were more than three below his season average. "It's a big accomplishment."

Klay Thompson played just 26 minutes and scored 18 points but has been locked in since a horrible shooting effort in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers before the homestand. The guard has averaged 25.0 points and made 54.8 percent from 3-point range in the five games since.

He and his backcourt mate are the main reasons Steve Kerr has now been a part of consecutive 60-win seasons as a player and coach.

"It's so rare in the NBA, in your first coaching job, to inherit a great team. They had already won 50-plus before I even got here,' Kerr said. "I'm pretty lucky to coach these guys."

The Warriors have taken the last three meetings with the Knicks by an average of 22.0 points, hitting 53.4 percent from 3-point range with an average of 15.7 makes. The Knicks have made 15.3 free throws.

Curry, though, has been limited to 20.0 points in those meetings and was 5 of 17 for 13 points in a 116-95 road win Jan. 31. The Warriors had no shortage of options with Thompson scoring 34 on 14-of-18 shooting, while Draymond Green had 20 on 9 of 9 with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Knicks have shot 38.8 percent in the three straight defeats, and no team has beaten the Warriors with that low of a shooting percentage in 152 regular-season games since Denver on April 10, 2014.

New York (28-40) has split the first four of a six-game road trip, including Sunday's 90-87 win over the Lakers as Jose Calderon hit a 3-pointer in the final second. With Kristaps Porzingis out due to illness, Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 26 points and had quite the assessment of a matchup of teams with nearly as many combined wins as Toronto.

"I wanted this one," said Anthony, who's made at least half of his shots in five straight games while averaging 24.6 points and 53.4 percent shooting. "Going back and forth just made it that much better. I'm pretty sure we gave the fans what they paid to see out there tonight.

"The way this game played itself out, we didn't want it to come down to the wire, but it was one of those games that was for the ages."

Others might call it putting off clinching a fourth straight season without a winning record for one more game.

Anthony has been limited to 15.3 points and 28.6 percent in his last three road games against Golden State.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Wednesday, March 16 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Sometimes players need to invent motivation in the long NBA regular season. And for that reason, I believe that Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook could have a really big game Wednesday against Boston. In the teams' first meeting this season, a Boston upset win, Westbrook and Celtics guard Marcus Smart were jawing all night, and Smart actually got the better of the matchup with 26 points. He helped hold Westbrook to 5-for-20 shooting. Westbrook clearly was irritated with Smart when asked about him after the game: "He had a good game," he said. "Eighty-two games, I do this. Don't get it twisted. Don't get it twisted. He had a good game. ... We'll see him again."

Thunder at Celtics (+2, 221)

First of an ESPN game and will have live betting at sportsbooks. Boston was in Indiana on Tuesday. Oklahoma City ended a two-game losing streak by trashing Portland 128-94 on Monday. Westbrook had 17 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds in his 12th triple-double of the season. He didn't turn the ball over once and nearly had the triple-double in the first half alone. Oklahoma City shot a season-high 59 percent from the field. Boston won in OKC 100-85 on Nov. 15 with Kevin Durant out injured. It marked the Celtics' first win in the city since the 2010-11 season.

Key trends: The road team is 4-0 against the spread in the past four meetings. The "over/under" is 12-4 in Boston's past 16 vs. the West.

Early lean: Thunder and under.

Magic at Hornets (-8.5, 210.5)

Orlando hosted Denver on Tuesday. Charlotte's season-high seven-game winning streak ended in a 107-96 home loss to Dallas on Monday. The Hornets had just 33 first-half points. Kemba Walker, named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday, had 25 points and nine assists. Orlando has lost six of the past eight meetings at home in this series but has won four of the last six trips to Charlotte. They have split two meetings this season.

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

Early lean: Hornets and over.

Mavericks at Cavaliers (-10, 207)

Dallas ended a five-game losing streak by ending Charlotte's seven-game winning run with a 107-96 upset on Monday. Coach Rick Carlisle decided to play small-ball, starting point guard Raymond Felton in place of center Zaza Pachulia. Apparently it worked as Felton had nine points and 12 assists. Pachulia played only six minutes. Cleveland closed a four-game West Coast trip at 3-1 with a 94-85 loss in Utah on Monday. LeBron James had 23 points and 12 boards. The Cavs were pretty clearly gassed and were held under 100 points or the first time in seven games. Cleveland won in Dallas 110-107 in overtime on Jan. 12. The Mavs have won three straight in Ohio, however.

Key trends: The Mavs are 6-1 ATS in the past seven meetings. The over is 4-0 in the Cavs' past four on Wednesday.

Early lean: Cavaliers and over.

Bulls at Wizards (TBA)

Chicago for whatever reason owns the Raptors, and the Bulls won in Toronto 109-107 on Monday to end a two-game slide and a ninth straight win in the series. Doug McDermott dropped 29 points and Jimmy Butler returned after missing three games and had 13 points. Chicago played without starters Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Mike Dunleavy. I doubt you see Rose here and Gasol's not playing again. Dunleavy is likely to go. Washington ended a five-game losing streak with a 124-81 home blowout of Detroit on Monday. It was the Wizards' biggest margin of victory in 13 years. Bradley Beal had 12 points in his return after missing three games with a sprained pelvis. These teams have split two high-scoring meetings in Chicago. The Bulls are 8-6 in their past 14 in D.C.

Key trends: The Bulls are 6-13 ATS in the past 19 meetings. The over is 4-0 in the previous four.

Early lean: Wizards win.

Hawks at Pistons (pick'em, 200)

Atlanta won a second in a row Sunday, 104-75 over Indiana. Al Horford and Paul Millsap each scored 18 points for the Hawks, who allowed a season low in points. All Hawks starters got the fourth quarter off. Detroit closed a four-game trip in Washington on Monday and didn't bother showing up in a 43-point loss. It was the third straight game the Pistons allowed at least 110 points. This game starts a franchise-record nine-game homestand for Detroit. These teams have split two meetings. Atlanta has won eight of the past 12 overall.

Key trends: The Hawks are 5-1 ATS in their past six road games. The over is 4-1 in the past five meetings.

Early lean: Pistons and under.

Timberwolves at Grizzlies (TBA)

Minnesota lost 107-104 in Phoenix on Monday on a last-second shot. Zach LaVine led the Wolves with 28 points. Ricky Rubio tied a career high with 17 assists. The Wolves are basically in tank mode at this point. Memphis was crushed 130-81 in Houston on Monday as all those Grizzlies injuries are starting to take a toll. These guys were all out for the Grizz: Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol (for season), Lance Stephenson, Chris Andersen, Brandan Wright and Vince Carter. You won't see Conley for at least three weeks. Memphis leads the season series 2-1. Minnesota has dropped three straight at the Grizzlies.

Key trends: The home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 4-0 in the previous four.

Early lean: Wolves could steal this against the Memphis D-League team.

Clippers at Rockets (pick'em, 212)

Second ESPN game. Los Angeles was in San Antonio on Tuesday. Houston obliterated the short-handed Grizzlies on Monday, coming up three points shy of the biggest margin of victory in franchise history (52 points). James Harden had 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in just 25 minutes. There's an outside chance that Dwight Howard is suspended for this game after getting a flagrant foul against the Grizz. The Rockets lead the season series 2-1. The one in Houston was a 107-97 Rockets win on Dec. 19. They have won two straight in the series there.

Key trends: The Clippers are 1-5 ATS in the past six meetings. The over is 8-2 in the past 10.

Early lean: Rockets and over.

Pelicans at Kings (-2, 223)

Sacramento was at the LA Lakers on Tuesday. New Orleans lost its fourth in a row Monday, 125-107 at Golden State. Anthony Davis had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Pelicans. New Orleans is 6-17 on the road against the Western Conference. This is the final meeting of the season with New Orleans leading 3-0. The Pelicans have scored at least 109 points in each game. Overall they have won five straight in the series.

Key trends: The home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 12-5 in the past 17.

Early lean: Kings and over.

Knicks at Warriors (-16, 221.5)

New York won at the Lakers 90-87 on Sunday. Jose Calderon hit the winning 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left. Carmelo Anthony had 26 points and 12 rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis missed the game with a stomach bug. Golden State improved to 60-6 with an 18-point home win over New Orleans on Monday. Steph Curry had 27 points on his 28th birthday in the Warriors' 49th straight home win. Golden State won at Madison Square Garden 116-95 on Jan. 31. Draymond Green went 9-of-9 from the field in a triple-double of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He was the first player to be perfect from the field on at least nine attempts in a triple-double since Wilt Chamberlain on Feb. 24, 1967. Golden State has won three straight vs. the Knicks overall.

Key trends: The Knicks are 6-1 ATS in their past seven road games. The over is 12-3-1 in the Warriors' past 16 at home vs. teams with a losing road record.

Early lean: Warriors and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Wednesday's hot teams
-- Charlotte won seven of its last eight games (5-2-1 last 8HF).
-- Cleveland won three of its last four games (5-7 HF with Lue).
-- Hawks won five of their last six games (8-7AU). Detroit won its last three home games (13-3 last 16HF).
-- Houston won four of its last five games (1-4 last 5HF).
-- Golden State won its last five games (4-2 last 6HF).

Cold teams
-- Orlando lost four of its last six games (5-3 last 8AU).
-- Mavericks lost five of their last six games (11-10AU).
-- Washington lost five of its last six games (4-7 last 11HF). Bulls lost six of their last nine games (2-7 last 9AU).
-- Thunder lost four of last six road games. (3-1 last 4AF). Boston lost three of its last four games (9-5 last 14HF).
-- Minnesota lost six of its last eight games (5-3 last 8AU). Grizzlies lost four of their last six games (3-1 last 4HF).
-- Clippers lost four of their last six games (0-3 last 3AU).
-- New Orleans lost eight of its last nine games (0-3-1 last 4AU). Sacramento lost eight of its last ten (5-7 last 12HF).
-- Knicks lost five of their last eight games (7-3 last 10AU).

Series records
-- Hornets won three of last four games with Orlando.
-- Mavericks won five of last seven games with Cleveland.
-- Wizards won five of last eight games with Chicago.
-- Thunder won five of last six games with Boston.
-- Hawks won four of last six games with Detroit.
-- Grizzlies won three of last four games with Minnesota.
-- Clippers lost five of last six games with Houston.
-- Kings lost their last five games with New Orleans.
-- Knicks lost five of last six games with Golden State.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Orlando-Charlotte games went over.
-- Three of last four Dallas games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Washington-Chicago games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Thunder games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Atlanta-Detroit games went over.
-- Five of last six Minnesota-Memphis games went over.
-- Eight of last ten Clipper-Rocket games went over total.
-- Five of last six Pelican games went over the total.
-- Eight of last nine New York games stayed under.

Back/backs
-- Orlando is 3-5 vs spread in last eight games if it played night before.
-- Celtics covered five of last seven if they played the night before.
-- Clippers covered four of their last six if they played night before.
-- Sacramento is 8-7 vs spread if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

First Four betting preview: Southern vs Holy Cross, Tulsa vs Michigan

Games to be played at University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OH

Southern Jaguars vs Holy Cross Crusaders (+2, 129.5)

Despite going one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament eight times since earning its last victory at the Big Dance in 1953, Holy Cross has been a headache for the big-time programs it has faced in those contests. The Crusaders will attempt to end their 63-year postseason winning drought Wednesday when they meet fellow No. 16 seed Southern in a First Four game in Dayton, Ohio.

Holy Cross gave Kentucky all it wanted in 2001 in a 73-69 setback, led Kansas at halftime before falling 70-59 in 2002 and put a scare into an eventual Final Four team in 2003, losing 72-68 to a Dwyane Wade-led Marquette squad. After dropping five straight to end the regular season, the Crusaders caught fire as the No. 9 seed in the Patriot League tournament, upsetting Loyola Maryland, top-seeded Bucknell, Army and Lehigh in succession to become only the fifth team NCAA Tournament history to make the field after losing as many as 19 games. The Jaguars are in the Big Dance for the first time since 2013, when they stretched top-seeded Gonzaga to the limit before dropping a 64-58 decision. Southern collected the Southwestern Athletic Conference's automatic bid Saturday, getting a go-ahead tip-in from Adrian Rodgers with 17 seconds left to rally past Jackson State.

TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, truTV

LINE HISTORY: Southern opened as 2.5-point favorites in the early of the two First Four Wednesday matchups and have been bet down to -2. The total opened at 131 and was quickly dropped to 129.5 before being bet down another full point to 128.5. The total sat at 128.5 for half of the day Monday before being bumped back up to 129.5 where things seem to have settled.

ABOUT SOUTHERN (22-12, 3-3 ATS, 2-4 O/U): The Jaguars like to push the pace, relying on a guard-oriented, dribble-drive offense that leads the SWAC in shortest time of possession, and also possesses the conference's best turnover rate (16.3 percent). Trelun Banks (12.6 points), son of Jaguars coach Roman Banks, is the team's second-leading scorer and was named conference tournament MVP after averaging 17 points in Houston. All-SWAC first-team selection Rodgers (team-high 16.6 points, 5.4 rebounds), who made up for a seven-point effort on 2-of-7 shooting in the title game by hitting the game-winning shot and grabbing a career-high 11 boards, has only been held below 10 points three times all season.

ABOUT HOLY CROSS (14-19, 5-0 ATS, 2-3 O/U): The Crusaders run a Princeton-style offense led by 6-7 junior forward Malachi Alexander (12 points, 5.5 rebounds), who scored 26 points in the Patriot title game and a tournament-record 83 points during Holy Cross' four-game run. Reserve guard Eric Green (4.6 points) missed most of the first half of the season with a knee injury but saved two of his best offensive games of the season for the conference tournament, scoring 10 in a double-overtime victory at Bucknell and a season-high 13 in the title game. Junior 6-11 center Matt Husek (18.1 minutes) is the only regular that stands taller than Alexander, which has contributed to Crusaders' woeful rebounding margin (minus-5.5, 323rd in Division I).

TRENDS:

* Southern is 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
* Holy Cross is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 5-0 in Southern's last 5 non-conference games.
* Under is 10-3 in Holy Cross' last 13 non-conference games.


Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Michigan Wolverines (-4, 143)

Michigan likely locked up its at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament with a Big Ten tournament win over top-seed Indiana on Friday, but Tulsa has to be feeling pretty lucky it made the Big Dance after leaving a poor last impression on the committee its last time out. The Golden Hurricane look to prove their doubters wrong Wednesday in a First Four game against Michigan in a battle of No. 11 seeds in the East Region at Dayton, Ohio.

Tulsa was one of several teams on the bubble entering the weekend and own regular-season wins over fellow tournament teams such as Wichita State, Connecticut and Temple, but did its postseason hopes no favors with a 22-point loss to Memphis in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals Friday. Perhaps of more concern than the Golden Hurricane's second double-digit loss to Memphis in three games was the fact they trailed the Tigers by as many as 31 points. The Wolverines finished the regular season by losing four of five, but edged Northwestern by two in overtime on Thursday before upsetting the Hoosiers 72-69 a day later on a 3-pointer from little-used Kameron Chatman with 0.2 seconds remaining. Michigan, which lost both of its senior captains (leading scorer Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht) to season-ending injuries, is back in NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in the last six years after missing out in 2014-15.

TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, truTV

LINE HISTORY: Michigan opened as 3-point favorites and the public bet the line up to -4. The total began at 143.5 and was dropped slightly to settle in at 143.

ABOUT TULSA (20-11, 14-13-3 ATS, 17-13 O/U): The Golden Hurricane's three-guard lineup accounts for all of the team's double-digit scorers, as James Woodard is only the third player in school history to compile 1,800 points and 700 rebounds, and leads the team in scoring (15.6 points) while ranking second in rebounding (5.2) and assists (2.4). Fellow senior Shaquille Harrison is second in scoring (14.8) and first in rebounding (5.5) and assists (4.1), and became the first player in Tulsa history to post 1,300 points, 400 assists and 200 steals. Sharp-shooter Pat Birt (12.4 points) rounds out the trio and averaged 21.7 points in the first seven games of February before averaging just fewer than nine over the team's three most recent contests.

ABOUT MICHIGAN (22-12, 16-16 ATS, 19-12-1 O/U): Derrick Walton Jr. (11.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists) has been the team's most consistent all-around performer all season long and snapped a two-game offensive funk by scoring 14 in Saturday's 76-59 loss to Purdue. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (8.2 points) essentially filled the void left behind by LeVert (16.5) since the team's leading scorer played his final game on Feb. 13, as Abdur-Rahkman scored in double figures six times over his last seven outings and averaged 14.7 in three Big Ten tournament games. Zak Irvin (11.7 points, 4.6 rebounds) has seen his production dip slightly from his breakout sophomore campaign, although he averaged 20.3 points in the Wolverines' three upsets of ranked Big Ten foes.

TRENDS:

* Tulsa is 0-7-1 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games.
* Michigan is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 7-1 in Tulsa's last 8 overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Michigan's last 5 NCAA Tournament games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tulsa looks to silence pundits

TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE (20-11) at MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (22-12)

University of Dayton Arena – Dayton, OH
Tip-off: Wednesday, 9:10 p.m. ET
Line: Michigan -3, Total 143

No. 11 Tulsa and No. 11 Michigan battle in the “First Four.” The winner moves on to play No. 6 Notre Dame on Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament’s East Region in Brooklyn.

The Wolverines (16-16 ATS) and Golden Hurricane (16-13-1 ATS) will have to prove that they belong amidst scrutiny of both teams’ inclusion in the field of 68. Tulsa closed the season 1-2 SU and 1-4 ATS, losing handily in the first round of the American Conference Tournament to Memphis (89-67, Tulsa -5).

It was the Golden Hurricane’s second loss to Memphis (in which Tulsa was favored in both games) in as many weeks. Tulsa is 8-2 SU (5-3-2 ATS) after a loss this season. The Golden Hurricane are 2-3 SU (1-4 ATS) in neutral sites this season and 0-2 SU (0-2 ATS) against Power Six schools in neutral sites (losses to South Carolina, +3, and Oregon State, PK). They’re also 5-5 SU (6-4 ATS) against NCAA Tournament teams (and split with SMU), with two of those wins coming out of conference (Wichita State and Iona, both at home). Tulsa is 3-5 SU (4-2 ATS) as an underdog this season.

Michigan most likely stamped its berth in the field of 68 with their run in the Big Ten tournament, knocking off Northwestern and upsetting Indiana on a buzzer-beating three before eventually falling to Purdue in the semifinals. Besides covering at +7.5 in the 72-69 win over Indiana, Michigan hadn’t covered in their three games before that (and didn’t cover in the loss to Purdue). The Wolverines were just 9-12 ATS in conference play. Michigan is an impressive 16-3 SU as a favorite this season (11-8 ATS), and was 5-2 SU (3-4 ATS) in neutral sites this season. Michigan was 1-1 SU (1-1 ATS) against NCAA Tournament teams in neutral sites (beating Texas, losing to Connecticut).

Michigan does have a common opponent with Tulsa in that the Wolverines got blasted at SMU in December (82-58, Michigan +7). (Tulsa got arguably its most impressive win at SMU on February 10th, 82-77 - Tulsa +9). Michigan is 4-10 SU (5-9 ATS) against NCAA Tournament teams this season.

This is Michigan head man John Beilein’s 10th NCAA appearance (6th with Michigan) as he’s gone on to the Sweet 16 or better in four of his 10 trips. Beilein has only failed to win a game in the NCAA Tournament twice (’95-96 with Canisius; 2011-’12 with Michigan).

This will be Tulsa coach Frank Haith’s third trip to the NCAA Tournament (first with Tulsa). Haith is only 1-3 in his career, including a first-round loss as a No. 2 seed with Missouri in 2011-12. Michigan G Caris LeVert (16.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.9 APG) is officially out for the season (knee) and has only played in one partial game since December 30th.

Michigan is 12-3 overall with LeVert in the lineup and 10-9 without LeVert.

This isn’t a great matchup for Tulsa, and while they’ve got more athleticism and foot speed than Michigan, the Wolverines’ weaknesses don’t play to Tulsa’s strengths. Tulsa likes to make the game ugly with steals (6.8 SPG) and perimeter defensive pressure (14.3 TO). Unfortunately Michigan plays largely mistake-free basketball.

Tulsa defends inside the arc very well (41.6% FG, 44.6% two-point FG – both top 70 NCAA), however Michigan makes its home outside the arc often and Tulsa struggles mightily against the three (36.3% 3PT, 260th NCAA; 7.6 3PM, 251st NCAA).

Michigan is one of the worst Power Six rebounding teams in the country, but unfortunately Tulsa doesn’t profile as a team that can truly capitalize on the Wolverines’ deficiency on the glass (35.1 RPG, 212th NCAA). The Golden Hurricane live and die on the production of guards Shaquille Harrison (14.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.1 APG) and James Woodard (15.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.5 3PM). Harrison and Woodard are both seniors, and both (at 6’3”) are the team’s leading rebounders. Harrison is a slasher who goes to the line 6.3 times per game (63.8%) but could find his forays into the lane unforgiving against a Michigan team amongst the nation’s best at not fouling.

Woodard can heat up from long range and is as consistent as they come, but has lacked a truly breakout scoring game this season (season-high of 22 points). That breakout scoring game may come from another source, freshman G Pat Birt (12.4 PPG, 37% 3PT), who looks to be the future of Tulsa’s program.

Birt, at 6’5”, can shoot from deep and has four games of 24+ points in conference play to support his conference play scoring average (18 games) of 15.6 PPG, which led the team. G Marquel Curtis (6.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG) is a similarly strong guard in the mold of Harrison, and has played big, averaging 7 RPG over his last five games and logging an average of 30.4 minutes per game (as compared to his 25.4 MPG average).

Michigan will have to rediscover their shooting touch on Wednesday night if they want to move on to Brooklyn on Friday. The Wolverines, normally a great shooting team, have struggled to sub-40% FG outings in three of four March games, and sub-30% 3PT outings in three of four games this month as well.

Meanwhile, against the three NCAA Tournament teams the Wolverines have faced this month, Michigan has allowed all of them to shoot better than 45% FG (including 52.7% FG to Purdue in their Big Ten Tournament loss). Tulsa has a completely different makeup than Purdue, which bodes well for coach Beilein’s club, but he must be worried that his Wolverines have shot worse than 30% from three in six of their last nine games.

The three (38.4% 3PT, 29th NCAA; 9.7 3PM, 13th NCAA) is and has been Michigan’s meal ticket to success under Beilein for quite some time. The Wolverines don’t offer much resistance forcing turnovers or protecting the rim (5.4 SPG, 2.1 BPG) and don’t take the ball inside enough to shoot enough free throws that would offset a bad shooting day from the perimeter. Tulsa has a vulnerable defense and Michigan will have to hope that their coaching advantage will play strongly in their favor against a Tulsa team that boasts extremely good guard play.

In the absence of LeVert, F Zak Irvin (11.7 PPG), G Derrick Walton Jr. (11.7 PPG, 4.5 APG) and G Duncan Robinson (11.2 PPG, 44.8 3PT) are the team’s leading offensive weapons. Walton will be needed to shoot better than the 4-20 FG he put up in the Big Ten tournament, and his physical style will be fun to watch against Tulsa’s physical backcourt. Irvin is working on a streak of five straight double-figure outings, while Robinson is one of the best knock-down shooters in the country, but only managed two points against Purdue.

G Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (8.2 PPG) has stepped up his play immensely at the close of the regular season, leading Michigan with a 13 PPG average (45% FG) over his last seven games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday's First Four Tips
By Brian Edwards

**Southern vs. Holy Cross**

-- Southern and Holy Cross will square off in Dayton on Wednesday night with the winner advancing to face West Region No. 1 seed Oregon on Friday in Spokane, WA. Tip-off is slated for 6:40 p.m. Eastern on TruTV.

-- The Westgate SuperBook opened Southern (22-12 straight up, 3-3 against the spread) as a 2.5-point favorite Sunday night. On Monday, the Las Vegas betting shop sent the total out at 131. As of early Tuesday night, most books had the Jaguars favored by two with a total of 129.5 points. The Crusaders were +120 to win outright (risk $100 to win $120).

-- Southern won three in a row at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament to garner the league's automatic bid. The Jaguars beat Jackson State 54-53 thanks to a putback bucket from Adrian Rodgers with 13 seconds remaining in the finals at Toyota Center in Houston. Trelun Banks scored a game-high 19 points, while Rogers finished with seven points, 11 rebounds and two steals. The Jags failed to take the cash as two-point favorites.

-- Southern is No. 186 in the RPI Rankings, but it only faced one Top-100 team, losing 70-56 at Grand Canyon. The Jaguars did win 76-72 at Mississippi State and 68-58 at Wyoming. They also went on the road to face bigger schools and lost 86-68 at Arkansas, 72-67 at Memphis and 83-76 at La. Tech.

-- Southern is led by Rodgers, who averages a team-high 16.5 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per contest. Banks scores at a 12.6 PPG clip.

-- Holy Cross (14-19 SU, 5-0 ATS) is led by Malachi Alexander, who averages team-highs in scoring (12.0 PPG), rebounds (5.6 RPG), assists (2.7 APG) and field-goal percentage (47.7%).

-- Holy Cross was the No. 9 seed in the Patriot League Tournament. The Crusaders went winless in Patriot road games during the regular season, but they won four in a row on the road to earn the conference's automatic bid. Holy Cross's last three wins came as an underdog of nine points or more, including a 59-56 win at Lehigh in the finals as a 10-point 'dog. The Crusaders raced out to a 20-6 lead and held on at crunch time. Alexander paced the winners with 26 points, nine rebounds and three assists without a turnover. He made 7-of-10 from the field and 6-of-7 from downtown. Eric Green added 13 points.

-- Holy Cross is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. Although first-year head coach Bill Carmody spent 13 season as the head coach at Northwestern, the only school from a Power Five conference that's never been invited to the NCAA Tournament, this isn't Carmody's NCAA debut by a longshot. He was an assistant for Pete Carril from 1982-1996, so he was on the sidelines for the 1995 win over UCLA, the defending national champions. Carmody was also a part of the Tigers' team that nearly pulled the biggest upset in Tourney history when they led No. 1 seed and Alonzo Mourning nearly the entire game before losing by one. After taking over for Carril as head coach, he took Princeton to a pair of NCAA Tournaments, beating UNLV in the 1998 Tournament before his 27-2 squad lost a heartbreaker to Michigan State in the Round of 32.

-- Holy Cross is No. 249 in the RPI Rankings. The Crusaders faced just one team in the NCAA field, losing 92-59 at Kansas.

-- The 'under' is 4-2 overall for Southern.

-- The 'under' is 3-2 overall for Holy Cross.

**Tulsa vs. Michigan**

-- Michigan (22-12 SU, 16-16 ATS) earned one of the final at-large berths thanks to a pair of wins at the Big Ten Tournament. Most notably, John Beilein's squad beat Indiana, the league's regular-season champ, 72-69 in come-from-behind fashion as a 7.5-point underdog in the quarterfinals. Trailing by five with 2:26 remaining, Duncan Robinson scored six straight points to pull his team even. After a defensive stop, Michigan was able to hold the ball for the last shot and Kameron Chatman hit a 3-ball from the corner with 0.2 seconds remaining to lift the Wolverines to victory, allowing UM backers to cash lucrative +320 money-line tickets.

-- Michigan lost its best player Caris LeVert (16.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG and a 74/25 assists-to-turnovers ratio) in early January and veteran point guard Spike Albrecht to season-ending injuries. LeVert attempted to come back for one game in February, but Beilein decided to shut him down for the season, while Albrecht had to retire because of a lingering hip injury. Those losses speak to the character of this team in that it still found a way to get into the Tournament.

-- Michigan is led by the trio of Zak Irvin, Derrick Walton Jr. and Robinson. Irvin averages 11.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Walton is averaging 11.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Robinson (11.2 PPG) is a pure shooter who is draining 44.8 percent of his 3-pointers and 90.5 percent at the free-throw line.

-- Michigan has been a single-digit favorite nine times this season, producing a 5-4 spread record. The Wolverines played 14 games against teams in the NCAA field, going 4-10 SU and 5-9 ATS.

-- Michigan is No. 58 in the RPI, going 3-7 against the Top 25, 4-11 versus the Top 50 and 4-12 against the Top 100.

-- As of Tuesday night, most spots had Michigan favored by four with a total of 143. Gamblers can take the Golden Hurricane on the money line for a +165 return (risk $100 to win $165).

-- The winner will advance to Friday's Round of 64 to face sixth-seeded Notre Dame from the East Region at Barclays Arena in Brooklyn.

-- Tulsa (20-11 SU, ATS) was the last team included in the field. The Golden Hurricane is No. 61 in the RPI, posting a 1-1 record against the Top 25, a 4-5 mark versus the Top 50 and an 8-8 ledger against the Top 100. However, it lost to mediocre Memphis twice in its last three games by double-digit margins, including an 89-67 shellacking in the first game of the AAC Tournament. Frank Haith's team also lost at home to Oral Roberts, was smashed by 15 at Houston and lost to another bubble team (South Carolina) by eight on a neutral court. Tulsa had only two wins on the road or on a neutral floor against Top-100 teams, winning at SMU and knocking off Ohio on a neutral floor. The win over the Mustangs on the road was obviously the deciding factor in its inclusion in the field.

-- Tulsa has been an underdog eight times, compiling a 4-4 spread record with three outright wins.

-- Tulsa played nine games against teams in the field, going 5-4 SU and 6-3 ATS.

-- Tulsa is led by a pair of senior guards in James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison. Woodard averages 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Harrison (14.8 PPG) averages team-bests in rebounding (5.5 RPG), assists (4.1 APG), field-goal percentage (46.3%) and steals (1.9 SPG).

-- The 'over' is 17-13 overall for Tulsa, hitting in three straight and seven of its last eight.

-- The 'over' is 19-12-1 overall for Michigan, but the 'under' has cashed in back-to-back games and four of its last five contests.

-- This game will tip in Dayton about 30 minutes after the conclusion of Holy Cross-Southern on TruTV.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA tournament

Play-in games

Wednesday

Southern won at Miss State/Wyoming, lost by 5 at Memphis; Jaguars finshed 4th in SWAC, losing 4 of last 5 games before winning conference tourney. Since 2003, SWAC teams are 1-6 in play-in games, with win in 2010 by Ark-Pine Bluff. Holy Cross was 3-12 in last 15 games before it won four straight road games to win Patriot tourney; Crusaders run the Princeton offense, but they shoot only 32.7% on arc, not good enough if you run that offense. Southern is 15-6 vs teams outside the top 200.

Michigan finished 8th in Big 14, its best player is out for year; they are 5-7 in last 12 games- they lost to UConn by 14, SMU by 24 in couple games vs AAC. Tulsa is most experienced team in country; they're 4-2 in last six games, but losses were both to mediocre Memphis. Hurricane is 5-7 vs top 60 teams- they lost to Oral Roberts at home. AAC teams are 6-2 vs Big 14 teams this year; favorites were 5-2 vs spread in those games, with one pick 'em. Again, in five years of "varsity" (#11-seed) play-in games, underdogs are 7-3 vs spread.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'First Four'

Michigan vs Tulsa March 16, 9:10 EST

There are still four spots left for the round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament. Dayton, Ohio is the home of one First Four game and it features the Michigan Wolverines taking on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane with a No. 11 seed on the line.

The Wolverines (22-12 SU, 10-8 Big Ten) lost 59-76 to Purdue in the Big Ten semifinals, but an upset over Indiana in the previous round was probably enough to get them to this point. Guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored 15 points in the Purdue loss. Michigan will have to shoot much better on Wednesday as they shot 37.7% from the floor, 24% from three-point land and 58.3% from the foul line on Saturday, March 12.

The Golden Hurricane (20-11, 12-6 AAC) were drilled 67-89 by Memphis in the AAC quarterfinals, but they had won seven of their last 10 going into that game. Guard Shaquille Harrison netted 15 for the Golden Hurricane, who hit just four of their 15 three-pointers.

This is the first time that these schools have ever met in any type of game. The winner will move on to Brooklyn, New York, to take on Notre Dame, who is the No. 6 seed in the East region. Wolverines have been pegged -4.0 point favorites with the total at 143.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

At the Gate - Wednesday
By Mike Dempsey

Two more three-year-olds stamped their tickets to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby last Saturday, with Destin winning the $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) while Danzing Candy pulled off the upset in the $400,000 San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita.

Destin is trained by Todd Pletcher and the colt picked up 50 points and moved into second in the Road to the Kentucky Derby points standings. The colt has now dropped to 14-1 in early Derby betting, the co-fifth choice.

Danzing Candy was the surprise winner over Mor Spirit in the San Felipe to earn his way into the Run for the Roses. Mor Sprit went into the race as the third choice in early Derby betting but has now drifted up to 14-1.

Danzing Candy has moved all the way up to third choice in the betting at 8-1.

We will head out to Oaklawn Park this Saturday for the $900,000 Rebel (G2) with 50-20-10-5 Derby points up for grabs in the lone points race this weekend.

I knocked down the three biggest exactas I have hit at the Gulfstream Park meeting to date all within a 24-hour period this past weekend. On Saturday we had recommended exactas that paid $283.20 and $537.40. Then on Sunday one of our recommended exactas paid $326.80.

Let’s hope we can keep it going on Wednesday as there are several line longshots on the 11-race card.

Early Kentucky Derby betting odds:
Mohaymen 4-1
Nyquist 6-1
Danzing Candy 8-1
Suddenbreakingnews 10-1
Destin 14-1
Mor Spirit 14-1
Shagaf 18-1
Smokey Image 18-1
Gun Runner 20-1
Mo Tom 20-1
Zulu 20-1


Here is today’s opener from Gulfstream Park to get the day off to a good start:

GP Race 1 Clm $12,500 (12:35 ET)
#7 You Can't Stop Me 5-1
#6 Bold Summit 7-2
#4 Amberjack 6-1
#2 Keep Me Grounded 4-1

Analysis: You Can't Stop Me prompted the early pace and did not have enough punch left late in a third place finish, beaten 1 3/4 lengths for the top spot. The gelding looks headed in the right direction and has a couple of wins over the main track here talking back to back races last May. He gets a jock upgrade from the big to Gaffalione.

Bold Summit set the early fractions and drew away late to beat $10,000 foes last out by four lengths for the Navarro barn that has been hot. He was claimed out of the race and goes today for the Lopez barn that is 13% winners first off the claim. The gelding has landed in the exacta in half of his 16 career starts and fits in this spot stepping up to $12,500.

Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 7-2 or better.
EX: 6,7 / 2,4,6,7
TRI: 6,7 / 2,4,6,7 / 2,3,4,6,7

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Gulfstream Park:

GP Race 10 Alw $50,000s (5:05 ET)
#3 Vinny White Shoes 5-2
#6 Indian Guide 3-1
#9 Big Yum 10-1
#1 Felifran 4-1

Analysis: Vinny White Shoes just missed by a neck last out in his first trip on turf. The gelding was off a beat slow, was stuck behind a wall of horses turning for home, moved to the outside and finished strongly to just miss. He broke his maiden here two back in his debut going seven furlongs on the main track. He is out of a stakes placed Storm Cat mare that has dropped two other winners and they have both won on turf, top earner stakes winner Cat's Claw ($189,502).

Indian Guide went gate to wire to beat $30,000 non-winners of three or four-year-olds going seven furlongs in a race taken off the turf. He is perfect in two starts since Petro claimed him for $30,000 three back. He beat non-winners of two in his last outing on turf. He comes in here very sharp for a barn that is very strong with recent claims.

Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX: 3,6 / 1,3,6,9
TRI: 3,6 / 1,3,6,9 / 1,2,3,6,9

Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.

Gulfstream Park
R2: #3 Got Cha One 12-1
R3: #6 Birdtastic 8-1
R5: #4 Octacato 8-1
R6: #4 Cape Caroline 10-1
R7: #6 Divine Intrigue 10-1
R10: #9 Big Yum 10-1
R11: #4 Baduke 10-1
R11: #8 Venezuelan Success 12-1

Good luck today!

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Northfield: Wednesday 3/16 Analysis + Pick Four ticket
By Jeremey Day

DRF HARNESS

Race 8 - $10,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

Jeremey’s $1 Pick Four Play:

2 / 1,3,4 / 1,2,6 / 1 = $9

Best Bet: CHRISTINA VICTORY (5th)

Spot Play: SAM HAYES (3rd)


Race 1

(6) FOUL BALL made a break last week but will offer a big price and has been competitive at this level. (9) WALLSTREET BAILOUT is probably the horse to beat but gets sent out for a low percentage pilot. (4) ECHO'S PEARL mare doesn't have a good record hitting the top spot; use underneath.

Race 2

In a very tough race to gauge, (5) PANDAPOCKET has just been racing evenly but will offer a big price and can threaten with a good setup. (3) WOW POWER could be in line for a ground-saving trip up close. (1) MY BOOGIE SHOES has just been racing evenly; use caution.

Race 3

(7) SAM HAYES takes a significant drop in class and just needs to find a way into the race from a tough post. (6) HIS DREAM GIRL picks up a big driver change in a wide open race. (5) MISS RILEY mare owns a decent burst of speed when timed right; threat.

Race 4

(1) DUSTY DUNES has put in two decent efforts in a row. The pacer is the horse to beat with the best post. (7) KING RICHARD is pacing faster than most of the field but rarely wins; command a price. (5) INDOMITABLE SPIRIT has been competitive at this level.

Race 5

(5) CHRISTINA VICTORY is just now back in racing shape and should be primed for a better effort down in class. (3) HELLO CARLO looks terrible on paper but has a good history at this track. (4) NEELY SPRING is capable of trotting a good mile against a weak bunch; threat.

Race 6

(2) FLIRTATIOUSLY well bred filly probably needed her last effort. The 3-year-old will offer a nice price and is one of few contenders in the race. (5) GOOD ROBERTA might have some excuses with the off tracks and tough posts; threat. (1) DREAMER'S CAN FLY gets the best post, the top driver, and owns a recent win at this level.

Race 7

(1) PHAT STACKS nice-looking trotter makes his sophomore debut off a nice qualifier. (3) HARMONY LEGACY can hit the ticket with a good setup. (4) YAWANASEESUMMUSCLE impeccably bred filly gets sent out for proven connections off a game victory.

Race 8

(2) THISONEANDONEMORE takes a huge drop in class picking up the top driver. (4) MODERN WARFARE might be one of few threats to the top choice in a field full of question marks. (5) UNADORNED HANOVER does his best racing up close to the pace but does get sent out for a low percentage pilot.

Race 9

(4) BLUE SWAN showed nice improvement last start and will offer another big price. (3) MR FIX IT ELWOOD finds a soft spot to do some damage. (1) GREEN ACRELOLLYPOP mare has been knocking on the door and just needs to ration out her speed.

Race 10

(2) SOMEKINDAPARTY impeccably bred pacer just missed at this level last week. (1) AMBUSH THE BAGS gets sent out for a capable barn with the best post. (6) TAKE A WALK also just missed last week; threat.

Race 11

(1) ROUNTUIT BLUEGRASS owns a big burst of speed and will be tough to beat with a smooth trip. (4) D J SUPREME can pick up the pieces in the right scenario; threat. (5) COACH KEN paced a big mile last week against slightly tougher.

Race 12

(9) LIMA RITCH tough to keep endorsing the pacer on the top spot. However the pacer will offer a monster price in a weak field full of question marks. (5) STAMPED BY DESIGN has a history of burning cash but an easy early lead probably does the trick. (1) BAD DATE was the driver's choice with the best post; fires early.

Race 13

(4) BIG HARRY DEAL has not won a race in over two years. The pacer faces one of the weakest fields he's ever faced; threat. (1) ALLAMERICAN PEWTER makes his second start down in class with the best post. (2) DERINGER GUN has just been racing evenly and will look to shake loose late for a piece.

Race 14

(2) NO WAY BLUE CHIP impeccably bred pacer will look to make it two straight and is one of few in the race with upside. (1) BUPA BRUSIER looks to be in line for a nice pocket trip up close. (4) FRONTIER JACK comes off a big win but needs more; use underneath.

Race 15

(1) COMMUNICATOR couldn't score down in class last week getting picked off late. The pacer should offer a slightly better price and keeps the top driver. (5) SJ'S BLISSFUL GUY has been racing gamely and will offer a nice price. (4) JET SET STYLE paced a nice mile last week but is best used underneath.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Wednesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Charles Town (2nd) Bright Bullet, 9-2
(7th) Crafty Punch, 3-1

Gulfstream Park (3rd) Avalancha, 3-1
(5th) Megatoni, 5-1

Mahoning Valley (5th) Belief, 9-2
(6th) Game on Bro, 5-1


Penn National (5th) Sweetest Yet, 7-2
(8th) Xtra Special, 3-1


Tampa Bay Downs (3rd) Admiring Glance, 6-1
(8th) Go Doug Go, 9-2


Turf Paradise (2nd) Proud Lucky, 4-1
(4th) Reservoir Point, 5-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday's six-pack

Six of the minor league prospects for the Los Angeles Dodgers.......

1) Corey Seager, SS/3B-- One of frontrunners for NL Rookie of the Year.

2) Julio Urias, P-- Got called up to AAA last year, as an 18-year old.

3) Jose DeLeon, P-- Wasn't drafted out of HS; will start year in AAA.

5) Cody Bellinger, 1B/OF-- Hit 30 homers in California League LY.

9) Jharel Cotton, P--Was 5-2, 2.30 in hitter-friendly Texas League.

15) Zach Lee, P-- Chose baseball over being the QB at LSU.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sharp Bettor

Sharp Bettor's Free Pick for Wednesday, March 16, 2016, NBA. 7:35 PM EST

(609) ATLANTA HAWKS VS (610) DETROIT PISTONS

Take: UNDER

Reason: Atlanta is No. 2 in the NBA in field goal shooting defense and No. 5 in points allowed, a stellar defensive squad. Atlanta is on a 4-0 run under the total and 11-4 under the total following a straight up win. Detroit is the worst free throw shooting team in the NBA, but they do play defense for this coach. The Under is 7-3 in the Pistons last 10 vs. the Eastern Conference, plus 7-2 under the total after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. Play Atlanta/Detroit under the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Roz Wins

Roz's Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Free NHL Pick: 10:05 PM EST

(57) WINNIPEG JETS VS (58) CALGARY FLAMES

Take: (57) WINNIPEG JETS

Reason: The Winnipeg Jets have quietly won two in a row, despite playing the last game on the road. Marko Dano had two goals and an assist as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Monday night. Calgary is home but on a 4-12 run with the worst defense in the NHL. The Flames are 5-12 in their last 17 vs. Western Conference. Play the Winnipeg Jets.