Wednesday 3/30/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (30-45) at Mavericks (36-38)

Date: March 30, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

A lineup change delivered the spark the Dallas Mavericks have desperately needed. A matchup with the struggling New York Knicks could help them sustain it.

While the Mavericks return home seeking to build on a crucial win, the Knicks enter Wednesday night's meeting attempting to put behind another puzzling loss.

Displeased with his team's effort in Sunday's embarrassing 133-111 loss at Sacramento, Dallas coach Rick Carlisle shook up the rotation by inserting Dwight Powell as the starting center and rookie Justin Anderson in place of J.J. Barea for Monday's visit to Denver. The Mavericks got the message, halting a three-game skid with a much-improved all-around performance in a 97-88 victory, just their third win in 13 contests.

Powell had a season-high 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting and Barea added 18 and 11 assists off the bench to help Dallas offset a 4-of-17 night from Dirk Nowitzki.

'I felt, right now, we've got to make the point that anything other than your best effort and your best energy is unacceptable,' Carlisle said. 'These two guys (Powell and Anderson) you know are going to go hard, unconditionally. They delivered (Monday). We still need everybody, each game is critical."

Perhaps more encouraging was the Mavericks' work on the defensive end. After allowing the Kings to shoot 62.2 percent in Sunday's rout, Dallas forced 21 turnovers that led to 29 points while committing just four giveaways.

'We played some amazing basketball defensively,' guard Raymond Felton said. 'The way we took care of the ball and the way we defended, we gave ourselves a good chance to fight for this (playoff) spot.'

Dallas (36-38) still sits a half-game behind rival Houston for eighth in the Western Conference. It hosts the Rockets next Wednesday after following this matchup with stops in Detroit and Minnesota.

The Mavericks stand a good chance of earning a second straight season sweep of New York (30-45) if they can duplicate Monday's defensive effort. The Knicks are 28-18 when shooting above 42 percent and 2-27 when falling below that mark.

New York shot a combined 51.5 percent and made 27 3-pointers in consecutive wins over Chicago last week, but it's gone 41.1 percent from the field in losing its last two. The Knicks missed 18 of 21 attempts during a 10-point third quarter that led to Monday's 99-91 defeat to injury-depleted New Orleans.

'We should have won this game. There's no if, ands or buts about that,' forward Carmelo Anthony said. 'Most of the (healthy) guys on their team - no disrespect to them - they play a limited role. They play limited minutes.'

The Knicks continue to search for consistent options to complement Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis during a stretch in which they've dropped five of seven. Anthony is averaging 25.0 points and gone 16 of 35 on 3s over his last four, while Porzingis is averaging 20.8 over that span.

Porzingis had 28 points in the rookie's first encounter with Dallas on Dec. 7, but Anthony was held to 6-of-18 shooting as the Mavericks won their fourth straight over New York with a 104-97 victory at Madison Square Garden.

Deron Williams had 20 points and seven assists for Dallas but will miss a fourth straight game with an abdominal strain.

The Knicks have lost 13 of 15 visits to Dallas since 2000.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (67-7) at Jazz (37-37)

Date: March 30, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Coming off their best offensive performance of the season, the Utah Jazz feel they're ready to take on the NBA's highest-scoring team.

The Golden State Warriors still have much at stake as well in Wednesday night's matchup with a Jazz team that's gaining confidence during its push for a playoff spot.

Utah has put itself into the postseason mix largely by shutting down opponents, but it couldn't be stopped in Monday's record-setting 123-75 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Jazz made a franchise-best 17 3-pointers in 32 attempts to record a season-high point total.

Rodney Hood led the perimeter binge by going 8 of 9 from beyond the arc while scoring all of his 30 points in the first half, tying Jeff Hornacek and Randy Foye's team record for most 3s in a single game.

"I got a couple of clean looks and from there I just kept on shooting,' Hood said. "The hoop looked really big."

Though such prolific displays have hardly been the norm for Utah (37-37), 28th in the NBA in scoring at 97.9 points per game, it's averaging 10.7 3-pointers and shooting 40.4 percent from distance over an 8-2 stretch that's vaulted it into seventh in the Western Conference.

The Jazz still can't match the marksmanship of Golden State, the league's leader with 963 triples and a 41.6 percent accuracy from long range. They haven't in three prior losses this season, in which the Warriors have gone a combined 36 of 82 on 3s, compared to 21 of 59 for the Jazz

While Utah, one game ahead of ninth-place Dallas, attempts to keep its tenuous hold on a playoff spot, Golden State (67-7) continues to chase history. The reigning NBA champions moved within six games of breaking the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' single-season mark of 72 victories with Tuesday's 102-94 win over Washington.

'As you go through the season and kind of get lost in the journey, we should be able to accomplish both: be a better team and better our record, which we're on our way to doing," Stephen Curry said. "For us to be playing at such a high level for two straight years and have our eyes set on the ultimate goal, it's fun.'

The Warriors weren't at their best offensively, finishing 43.7 percent from the field, but came through with a 13-1 run to take an 87-73 lead with 9:32 remaining en route to their 54th straight regular-season home win.

Golden State, which lost at San Antonio on March 19 in the second half of its last back-to-back, plays five of its final eight at home.

Curry had 26 points and ended 6 of 8 from 3-point range. The 2015 league MVP has been mostly held in check by the Jazz this season, with his 18.0 scoring average and 39.1 field goal percentage for the series his lowest marks against any West team.

Klay Thompson has given Utah more trouble, hitting 12 of 22 3-pointers and averaging 21.0 points in the three wins. The All-Star guard was coming off consecutive 40-point outings in wins over Dallas and Philadelphia before being held to 16 on 7-of-19 shooting by the Wizards.

The Jazz counter with a defense that's yielding 88.2 points over their 10-game surge and limited Los Angeles to 30.6 percent in a loss that matched the worst in Lakers' history.

"As much as anything, you find emotion and energy when you play defense," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "As much as we were making shots, we were getting stops, too."

Golden State has won four straight and 10 of 11 in the series, including a 106-103 victory in Salt Lake City on Nov. 30, behind a tiebreaking 3-pointer from Curry with 52 seconds left.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (36-38) at Kings (29-45)

Date: March 30, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Time is running out on the Washington Wizards' playoff hopes, but facing a couple teams out of the race could help them begin closing the gap.

John Wall attempts to bounce back from one of his worst performances of the season as the Wizards try to capitalize on a meeting with the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

Washington (36-38) is trying to reach the postseason for a third straight time, but it trails eighth-place Indiana by three games with eight remaining. Four of those games pit the Wizards against teams out of playoff contention, including Friday's visit to Phoenix following this matchup with the Kings (29-45).

They struggled with the league's best team Tuesday, shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and 5 for 23 from 3-point range in a 102-94 loss at Golden State. Washington squandered a nine-point lead in the final 2:24 of the first half en route to a third loss in four tries following a season-best five-game win streak.

"Against a team like this that's fighting for history, 12-0 at the end of a half when you're up nine hurts," coach Randy Wittman said.

Wall was limited to eight points on 4-of-14 shooting with 11 assists Tuesday, ending ended his run of nine straight double-doubles - the longest such run by a guard this season.

Wall had 12 points and a career-high 19 assists in a 113-99 win over Sacramento on Dec. 21, while Marcin Gortat contributed a season-best 27 points and 16 rebounds.

With eight games left in another disappointing season, the Kings are 7 1/2 behind Houston for eighth place. That was far enough from contention to lead coach George Karl to rest DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo on Monday, when Sacramento lost 105-93 at Portland.

While the trio should be back in the lineup, Karl is planning more days off for his stars.

"I think it will happen some more," Karl said. "I don't think there's an exact schedule yet but I think you'll see us do it a little bit more, especially in back-to-back situations."

A layoff could be in Karl's future, too. Reports have surfaced that he's been asked to resign multiple times this season as the Kings attempt to save the $10 million remaining on his contract.

For now, Sacramento is aiming for its first 30-win season since finishing with 38 in 2007-08.

Cousins is fourth in the NBA with 27.0 points per game and fifth with 11.6 rebounds.

It's unknown if the Kings will have Marco Belinelli available after he sat out two games with a sore right foot. The guard had 15 points against the Wizards in December.

Sacramento has won five straight at home against Washington since a 110-107 loss on Jan. 21, 2009.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Heat (43-30) at Lakers (15-59)

Date: March 30, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat are closing in on a playoff spot, while Kobe Bryant's final season is entering the Los Angeles Lakers' record books for all the wrong reasons.

Wade and Bryant will face off for the last time Wednesday night when the Heat continue their pursuit of first place in the Southeast Division.

Miami (43-30) is fourth in the Eastern Conference, 6 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Chicago with nine left in the regular season. The Heat are also one-game back of Atlanta for the Southeast lead with Charlotte lurking one-half behind Miami.

Wade played through a wrist injury to score 30 points on 14-of-19 shooting and handed out nine assists in Monday's 110-99 win over Brooklyn.

It was the 11th win in 15 games for the Heat, who overcame the absence of point guard Goran Dragic (illness), who was ruled out just prior to the game.

Rookie Josh Richardson started in place of Dragic, scoring 16 points and connecting on 3 of 4 3-pointers.

"We all had to breathe collectively, without our point guard, without somebody who puts pressure around the rim and attacks," said Wade, who jammed his wrist early. "I took it upon myself to be that one to attack."

That's usually a recipe for success for the Heat, who are 12-4 when Wade has at least 25 points.

He only needed to score 12 as Miami cruised to its seventh straight win over the Lakers, 101-88 on Nov. 10.

The conference-worst Lakers (15-59) look incapable of ending that skid, losing eight of their last nine after being hammered 123-75 at Utah on Monday to match the worst loss in team history and the most lopsided defeat of Bryant's career.

"I didn't say anything," coach Byron Scott told the team's official website when asked how he addressed the team. "I'd hope they would do a little soul searching and just think about what happened and think about how we just didn't come to play and how we didn't compete.

"Sometimes it just comes down to having some pride."

Los Angeles is in serious danger of finishing with the fewest wins in a single season in franchise history. It needs to win five of its final eight games to surpass the 19 victories from 1957-58 when the Lakers were based in Minneapolis.

Bryant is trying to bounce back from one of his worst performances of the season. He had five points while missing 10 of 11 shots Monday after averaging 20.5 while hitting 41.4 percent from 3-point range over the four previous games.

He's averaging 25.8 points over his last nine meetings with Miami, but he's missed four of the last five with injuries, including the November matchup with back pain.

Now, Bryant faces the Heat for the last time and should find himself matched up with Wade. The two were teammates on the gold medal team at the 2008 Olympics.

Bryant and the Lakers will also have to worry about Hassan Whiteside, who had 19 points and 15 rebounds in this season's first meeting. The center has totaled 53 points on 22-of-31 shooting, 20 boards and six blocks over the last two games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game of the Day: Hawks at Raptors

Atlanta Hawks at Toronto Raptors (-2, 200)

The Atlanta Hawks are trying to separate themselves from the pack in the race for the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference and have done their best with wins in four straight games. The Hawks will try to make it five in a row when they visit the team directly in front of them in the standings, the Toronto Raptors, on Wednesday.


Toronto does not have to worry much about Atlanta with a five-game cushion on the No. 3 spot but would like to be playing better as it preps for the playoffs. The Raptors were trounced 119-100 at home by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday and have dropped three of their last four with All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry ailing. The Hawks are one game ahead of the fourth-place Miami Heat and 1 1/2 up on the fifth-place Boston Celtics after knocking off the Chicago Bulls 102-100 on Monday to pick up their 14th win in the last 17 games. Atlanta will have to earn the No. 3 spot with a tough closing schedule that includes two games against the Raptors, two against the East-leading Cavaliers and one against the Celtics.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), TSN (Toronto)

LINE HISTORY: The Toronto Raptors opened as 1.5-point favorites over the visiting Atlanta Hawks. The public hit the Raptors early on and the books were forced to raise the line slightly to -2. The total debuted at an even 200 and hasn't moved.

INJURY REPORT:

Hawks - SF T. Sefolosha (Probable Wednesday, ankle).

Raptors - SF T. Ross (Questionable Wednesday, thumb), PG K. Lowry (Probable Wednesday, elbow).

POWER RANKINGS: Hawks (-7.2) - Raptors (-7.7) + home court (-3) = Raptors -3.5

ABOUT THE HAWKS (45-30, 40-34-1 ATS, 35-40 O/U): Atlanta has gone over the century mark in each of its last nine games and credited the pace with helping them edge the Bulls on Monday. “We played with a lot of pace tonight,” point guard Jeff Teague told reporters after the win. “It played into our hands, playing a little faster. Those guys have so many big guys and we were able to get in the paint and make plays.” Teague and backup Dennis Schroder combined for 40 points in the win, with all of those points coming from inside the 3-point arc.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (49-24, 39-34 ATS, 38-34-1 O/U): Lowry had his inflamed right elbow drained after Monday’s loss and is shooting 26.2 percent from the field in his last four games. “We just drained it,” Lowry told reporters. “We thought it would calm down over the next few days … hopefully we get a good reaction to it. I’m not going to make no excuses, but it’s definitely something I don’t want to play with. I don’t like playing with (it). But it is what it is. This time of year, you just play through it.” Lowry is even struggling at the free-throw line, connecting on 60.4 percent of his tries in his last five games.

TRENDS:

* Hawks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games.
* Raptors are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 4-0 in Hawks last 4 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Raptors are 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.

CONSENSUS: The public is crushing the Raptors -2 at a lofty 75 percent clip and the over 200 is getting almost as much love, getting hit by 72 percent.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Wednesday, March 30 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

If you happen to live in Los Angeles or another NBA city in which the Lakers will visit the rest of the season -- so New Orleans, Houston or Oklahoma City -- then good news if you are planning to see Kobe Bryant play in person before he retires. Bryant has said he plans on playing every game the rest of the way "unless something drastic happens." And that's how it should be. There's no reason at this point for Lakers fans to even attend their home games other than to see Kobe. Ditto the fans in those cities listed above unless they like blowouts. I know it was big deal to me to get to be able to see Michael Jordan in one of his last games. Even the refs appear to be enjoying Kobe's final ride as Bryant hasn't gotten a single technical foul yet. He used to get quite a few with his penchant for arguing calls.

Hawks at Raptors (-3.5, 202.5)

Atlanta won a fourth straight Monday, 102-100 in Chicago. Jeff Teague scored 26 points, including four free throws in the final 22.2 seconds. Al Horford and Paul Millsap had double-doubles. The Hawks swept the Bulls for the first time in seven years. Toronto lost 119-100 on Monday to Oklahoma City in perhaps its worst home game of the season. DeMar DeRozan had 19 points for the Raptors, who are one victory shy of their first 50-win season in team history. Forward Terrence Ross missed a third straight game. Toronto is 2-0 against the Hawks this season, winning the most recent game 104-96 at home. Overall, the Raptors have won three straight in the series.

Key trends: The Hawks are 1-6 against the spread in the past seven meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in the past four.

Early lean: Raptors and under.

Nuggets at Grizzlies (TBA)

Denver lost 97-88 at home to Dallas on Monday. Will Barton had 23 points for the Nuggets, who finished with 21 turnovers. Kenneth Faried returned from a four-game injury absence but center Jusuf Nurkic was out with an illness. Memphis dropped a third in a row Monday, 101-87 at home to San Antonio. Zach Randolph missed his second straight game with a right ankle sprain. Memphis is 3-0 vs. Denver this season, has won five straight overall vs. the Nuggets and six in a row at home.

Key trends: The home team is 9-4 ATS in the past 13 meetings. The under is 7-1 in the previous eight.

Early lean: Wait on Randolph.

Suns at Bucks (-7, 212.5)

Phoenix dropped a third in a row Monday, 121-116 at Minnesota. The Suns turned it over 21 times, leading to 26 Wolves points. Devin Booker and Brandon Knight each had 30 points in the loss. Tyson Chandler played after being questionable with back spasms but only 19 minutes. Milwaukee lost its fifth straight Saturday, 115-91 against Charlotte. Giannis Antetokounmpo was held to eight points. Milwaukee won in Phoenix 101-95 on Dec. 20. The Bucks scored the final six points of the game.

Key trends: The road team is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings. The under is 10-4 in Phoenix's past four road games.

Early lean: Bucks and under.

Clippers at Timberwolves (+6.5, 212.5)

L.A. won its third consecutive game Monday, 114-90 over Boston. Chris Paul had 13 points and 14 assists and DeAndre Jordan 15 points and 13 rebounds. Paul Pierce injured his ankle in the game and likely will miss a few. Minnesota beat Phoenix on Monday, 121-116 behind 32 points from Andrew Wiggins and 27 points and 10 boards from Karl-Anthony Towns. The Clippers lead the season series 2-1 but lost the last meeting, 108-102 at home. It was Minnesota's first win there in four years. The Wolves have dropped seven straight at home vs. the Clippers.

Key trends: The Clippers have covered eight of their past 10 at Minnesota. The over is 7-1 in the past eight meetings.

Early lean: Clippers and over.

Knicks at Mavericks (-6, 203.5)

New York lost 99-91 in New Orleans on Monday. Carmelo Anthony scored 22 for New York. He was spooked briefly when a little kid ran onto the court late in the game to meet Melo. But all was well. Dallas ended a three-game losing streak with a 97-88 win in Denver on Monday. J.J. Barea scored 18 points and had 11 assists off the bench. Dirk Nowitzki had just 10 on 4-for-17 shooting. The Mavs played without point guard Deron Williams due to an abdominal strain. He's questionable at best here. Dallas won 104-97 in New York on Dec. 7. The Mavs have won four straight against the Knicks overall.

Key trends: The Mavericks are 4-1 ATS in their past five after a win. The under is 7-0 in New York's past seven playing on one day of rest.

Early lean: Mavericks and over.

Pelicans at Spurs (TBA)

Poor New Orleans. The injury-ravaged Pelicans welcomed Jrue Holiday back from injury in Monday's 99-91 win over New York but then saw him get blasted accidentally in the eye near the end of the game, so who knows if he plays here. Alonzo Gee also left in the third quarter with a quad injury. Ryan Anderson missed his fifth straight game with a left groin injury, and Norris Cole was out for his 11th in a row with a lower-back injury. The Pelicans have used 36 starting lineups this season, the most in the NBA. San Antonio won 101-87 in Memphis on Monday playing without Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The original plan was for those latter three to play here as the Spurs want to stay unbeaten at home and they were simply resting for a second straight game. Leonard is dealing with a minor injury, so he's questionable. San Antonio leads the season series 2-1. The most recent was a 94-86 win in the Big Easy on March 3.

Key trends: The Pelicans have covered only six of their past 19 in San Antonio. The under is 4-1-1 in the past six meetings.

Early lean: Wait on all those Spurs.

Warriors at Jazz (+6.5, 206)

Golden State hosted Washington on Tuesday. I could actually see this as a potential loss for the Warriors if pushed hard by the Wizards and in the second of a back-to-back. Utah beat the visiting Lakers by 48 points on Monday. Rodney Hood scored all 30 of his points in the first half. Utah shot 51.7 percent in scoring a season high. Golden State has won 10 of the past 11 meetings vs. the Jazz but barely escaped at Utah on Nov. 30.

Key trends: The home team is 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 7-2 in Utah's past nine overall.

Early lean: Jazz and under.

Wizards at Kings (TBA)

Washington was in Golden State on Tuesday. Good luck with that. Sacramento lost 105-93 in Portland on Monday as Coach George Karl rested DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo. He says he will continue to rest those guys down the stretch, but I would imagine mostly in road games. Marco Belinelli missed a second straight game due to a sore right foot. Washington took the first meeting 113-99. The Kings have won five straight at home vs. the Wiz.

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

Early lean: Wait on all the Kings and to see what the Wizards do Tuesday.

Heat at Lakers (+9, 208)

Miami won a second straight Monday, 110-99 over visiting Brooklyn. Dwyane Wade played one of his best games of the year with 30 points on 14-for-19 shooting. In his last seven games against Brooklyn, Wade is averaging 27.1 points. The Heat were without starting point guard Goran Dragic, who was ill. The Lakers officially hit rock bottom in the worst season in franchise history with a 123-75 defeat at Utah on Monday. It tied the worst loss in franchise history and was the worst for Kobe Bryant, as he missed the other 48-point defeat on March 7, 2014, against the Clippers. Kobe was just 1-for-11 from the field vs. the Jazz in his final game in Salt Lake City. L.A. was outscored by a whopping 43 points with him on the court. That was his worst plus/minus rating ever. This will be the final matchup between future Hall of Famers Kobe and Wade. The Lakers lost 101-88 in Miami on Nov. 10. Kobe missed that one. The Heat have won seven in a row against Los Angeles.

Key trends: The Lakers are 1-6 ATS in their past seven at home. The over is 6-0 in Miami's past six on the road.

Early lean: Lakers and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Wednesday's hot teams
-- Hawks won nine of their last ten games (5-1 last 6AU).
-- Clippers won their last three games (8-3 last 11AF). Minnesota won three of its last four games (1-3 last 4HU).
-- Spurs won eight of their last ten games (12-6-1 last 19HF).
-- Warriors won their last five games (3-5 last 8AF). Utah won eight of its last ten games (6-3HU).
-- Miami won four of its last five games (4-5 last 9HF).

Cold teams
-- Toronto lost three of its last four games (4-7 last 11HF).
-- Denver lost six of its last nine games (2-6 last 8AU). Memphis lost seven of its last nine games (4-3 last 7HF).
-- Suns lost four of their last five games (5-3 last 8AU). Milwaukee lost its last five games (6-2 last 8HF).
-- Pelicans lost seven of their last ten games (3-1 last 4AU).
-- Knicks lost five of their last seven games (2-4 last 6AU). Dallas also lost five of its last seven games (2-5 last 7HF).
-- Kings lost five of their last eight games. Washington lost four of its last five games.
-- Lakers lost eight of their last ten games (1-5 last 6HU).

Series records
-- Raptors won five of last six games with Atlanta.
-- Memphis won seven of its last eight games with Denver.
-- Clippers won nine of last ten games with Minnesota.
-- Suns won four of their last five games to Milwaukee.
-- Pelicans are 4-3 (6-1 vs spread) in last seven games vs San Antonio.
-- Knicks lost five of their last six games with Dallas.
-- Warriors won nine of last ten games with Utah.
-- Kings won five of their last eight games with Washington.
-- Lakers lost their last seven games with Miami.

Totals
-- Last four Atlanta-Toronto games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last eight Denver-Memphis games stayed under.
-- Last four Clipper games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Phoenix games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight New Orleans games went over the total.
-- Eight of last nine New York games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Warrior games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Sacramento games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Laker games went over the total.

Back/backs
-- Golden State is 1-5 vs spread last six time they played nite before.
-- Washington is 2-8 vs spread last 10 times they played night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Northfield: Wednesday 3/30 Analysis + Pick Four ticket
By Jeremey Day

DRF HARNESS

Race 8 - $10,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

Jeremey’s $1 Pick Four Play:

1,4,5 / 1 / 1,4 / 4 = $6


Best Bet: FRISKIEAFFAIR (10th)

Spot Play: TRAFICANT (5th)


Race 1

(5) BIG BAD PUDDYCAT filly makes her third career start off a nice winning effort last week. (1) PRINCE BEACON also won impressively last out at this level. (3) FLIRTATIOUSLY well bred filly might be ready for a better effort but is best used underneath.

Race 2

In an extremely tough race to handicap, (5) STRONSKI has at least been knocking on the door at this level. (4) EXCITABLE BOY has been off for almost two full years. The pacer gets sent out for a top driver and does have multiple qualifiers under his belt. (3) AT DAYBREAK pacer has been competitive against better but has just been racing evenly.

Race 3

(3) HANGIN JUDGE if the trotter minds his manners he will be tough to beat. (4) NORTHMEDO DELILAH doesn't look the best on paper but is capable of trotting a good mile. (6) MIDWAY BUSS has yet to win at the track; use underneath.

Race 4

(3) BUPA BRUSIER gets a big post edge on his main rival; fires early. (5) JL JOHN'S LADY filly makes her second career start and has room to improve. (6) FRONTIER JACK should be closer turning for home; threat.

Race 5

(5) TRAFICANT three-year-old colt makes his career debut with the top driver. (9) WE LOVE CAVIAR gelding comes from a proven pedigree and will look to kick off his sophomore season with a bang. (6) ABC CAPTAIN MAN makes his third start back off a long layoff and showed good closing ability last start.

Race 6

In another tough race to gauge, (1) AMBER JOHN gets the best post in a weak field full of question marks. (4) DREAMER'S CAN FLY scored a nice victory last out but probably needs more and looks to offer low value. (3) OAKS WARRIOR pacer makes his second start off a long layoff and has room to improve.

Race 7

(3) BOB'S IDEAL well bred stallion adds first time lasix for new connections. (2) DIAMONDS REVENGE doesn't win often but is capable at this level. (6) GET JAZZED veteran pacer has room to improve second start back off a layoff.

Race 8

(5) TAKE THE EDGE OFF might have some of the kinks worked out after pacing a decent mile against much better last week. (4) KEYSTONE ROYCE has been facing much tougher and gets sent out for proven connections. (1) CAMART HANOVER is having a tough time getting it going this year but does own a win at this level.

Race 9

(1) CHIP'S HALLOFFAME well bred trotter will look to make it three wins in four starts on the year. (3) MR FIX IT ELWOOD is 0 for the year but has been close against similar. (4) HOOSIER CAT is just now back in racing shape and is a threat should the top choice falter.

Race 10

(1) FRISKIEAFFAIR just missed against a much better bunch last start. The pacer takes a significant drop in class with the best post. (4) D GS SUAVEMENTE is one of few threats to the top choice. The 5-year-old showed good improvement last week and keeps the top driver. (3) ALLAMERICAN PEWTER looks to offer low value but did show a big burst of speed two back.

Race 11

(4) SCREAMIN DREAMIN mare drops down to the bottom level and will be tough to beat if he minds his manners. (2) HELLO CARLO trotter is having a very poor year but is capable down at this level. (1) ECHO'S PEARL looks to be in line for a nice trip up close with the best post.

Race 12

(2) SANTA'S SPECIAL takes a big dropdown and picks up a positive driver change. (1) BURSTING BLAZE is just now back in racing shape and gets the best post. (5) TSM STARQUEST has been facing tougher and will offer a big price in a weak field.

Race 13

(5) BAD BUG paced a huge mile last week against a better field; short price. (1) UNADORNED HANOVER picks up a huge driver change with the best post. (6) IMPRESSIVE JET has been much improved in his last three.

Race 14

(3) ZORGWIJK MERCEDES trotting mare could be ready for a better effort with a top driver. (2) MR APOLLO had no excuse last week after setting fast fractions with no pressure; command a price. (1) MASTER'S SWEETIE should be in line for a ground saving trip up close.

Race 15

(7) DJ LANCE takes a huge dropdown and will likely be used aggressively. (9) CAMCUN has room to improve in a new barn for the top driver. (5) SOMEKINDAPARTY will look to make it two straight bumping up in class.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Wednesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Charles Town (1st) Painted Ocean, 4-1
(3rd) Fortyshadesofgreen, 4-1

Gulfstream Park (2nd) Pathos, 7-2
(10th) Chia Ghost, 7-2

Mahoning Valley (4th) Intacto, 5-1
(7th) Mount Diablo, 6-1


Penn National (5th) Gimmeaclue, 6-1
(7th) Distinctivelyfouru, 4-1


Tampa Bay Downs (5th) Angel Haze, 9-2
(10th) Lil Miss Tioga, 4-1


Turf Paradise (3rd) Yes Mary, 9-2
(8th) Goliath, 3-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday's six-pack

-- Old Dominion 64, UCSB 49-- Monarchs advance to Vegas 16 final; they'll play....

-- Oakland 104, East Tennessee State 81-- Oakland's opponent tonight will defend.

-- Valparaiso 72, BYU 70-- Crusaders advance to NIT final against........

-- George Washington 65, San Diego State 46-- Surprisingly easy win for GW.

-- Columbia 73, Cal-Irvine 67-- Lions win CBI championship.

-- ESPN said Saint Louis hired Travis Ford as its new basketball coach, then school put out a press release saying "....the process is still ongoing". Alrighty then.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sharp Bettor

Sharp Bettor's Free Pick for Wednesday, March 30, 2016, NBA.

03/30 08:05 PM EST NBA (505) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS (506) MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES.
Take: The L.A. Clippers have a deadly offensive attack, No. 6 in the NBA in scoring. The over is 6-1 in the Clippers last 7 vs. a team with a losing straight up record. They face a bad Minnesota defense, No. 24 in points allowed. The young Timberwolves like to run, on a 22-9-1 run over the total and 14-3 over playing on one day of rest. And when these teams clash the over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.

Play the L.A. Clippers/Minnesota Over the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Roz Wins

Roz's Wednesday, March 30, 2016, Free NBA Pick:


03/30 10:35 PM EST NBA (517) MIAMI HEAT VS (518) LOS ANGELES LAKERS.
Take: UNDER THE TOTAL.
Reason: The Lakers' offense is heading downward, 105, 88 and 75 the last three games. They hit rock bottom the last game, a 48 point defense and now rank second to last in the NBA in points scored. The Lakers are 9-3 under the total at home and 37-17 under against the NBA Southeast division. The best defensive team from that division is in town, with Miami ranked No. 2 in the East in points allowed. The Under is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings, including 5-0 under at the Staples Center.

Play Miami/LA Lakers under the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Wednesday

519 MOREHEAD STATE at 520 NEVADA 9:00 PM

Take: 520 NEVADA -4

The opening game of this best two of three series went to the wire with Morehead State prevailing by three on its home court. The scene shifts to Reno tonight and if there’s a third and final game, that will also be played at Lawlor.

The Wolf Pack fans are really enjoying this ride. This is the best it’s been for Nevada in quite a few years and there’s some real excitement in the northern part of the Silver State with what Eric Musselman has already accomplished.

The fact Nevada lost the first game by only three points has me believing they have a very good chance to win and cover tonight as moderate chalk. Marqueze Coleman had a pretty bad game for the Wolf Pack. Cameron Oliver was able to log only 22 minutes in the loss. Lyonell Gaines had the game of his life for Morehead State. The Eagles had a spectacular 17:5 assist to turnover ratio. All that, and the game just missed going to overtime on a missed Nevada three at the horn.

I have to think there’s some progression/regression to the norm from some of the things I just mentioned. I also see the home court edge being significant with a good crowd anticipated, and I expect them to be pretty raucous.

Let’s also throw the Reno altitude into the mix. People sometime forget that we’re talking right around 4500 feet here, and for those not used to it, that can be a bit taxing considering the energy that’s going to spent.

I don’t anticipate this being a blowout, but I see Nevada doing enough to get this one in the win column and forcing the rubber match on Friday. At -4, I’ll go ahead and make my play on the Wolf Pack.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Comp NBA Pick, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 3/30 08:35 PM EST

(511) NEW YORK KNICKS VS (512) DALLAS MAVERICKS.

Take: (512) DALLAS MAVERICKS

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Wednesday, March 30, 2016 is in the NBA scheduled contest between the NY Knicks and the Mavericks in Dallas. New York is on the road for the 10th time in 13 contests. The offense has mustered 93 and 91 the last two games, both losses, and the Knicks are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games playing on 1 days rest. Dallas has plenty of offensive punch, No. 11 in the NBA in scoring. The Mavericks are home from a road trip ending with a 97-88 victory at the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Reserve J.J. Barea scored 18 points and had 11 assists as Dallas moved into a virtual tie with Houston for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Mavericks are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. the NBA Atlantic and hold all the cards. Play Dallas.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play: WED: Clippers -4

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Scott Spreitzer

Knicks vs Mavs

Bonus Play New York Knicks

I'm recommending a play on the NY Knicks plus the points on Wednesday night. We had the Mavericks in their most recent game and cashed the ticket when they won and covered in Denver, but we're going against them tonight. The Mavs are in a tough spot, having done a lot of traveling of late, and they remain a banged-up squad with Deron Williams and Chandler Parsons still sidelined. The two combine for roughly 28 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and over 8 apg. Dallas is just three games over .500 at home and I expect this one to go right to the wire. The Knicks are still playing hard, holding their last six opponents to 99 ppg. Spread that out over the course of the season and they'd be ranked 7th in ppg allowed. I expect NY to keep this one close, holding the Mavs in check. Dallas has covered just one of their last six home games and we'll go against them tonight. I'm recommending a play on the Knicks plus the points on Wednesday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Marc Lawrence

Heat vs Lakers

Play - L.A. Lakers

Edges - Lakers: 10-1 ATS non-conference dog off BB SUATS losses this season; and non-conference home teams off a loss of 40 or more points are 12-7-1 ATS, including 4-1 ATS from Game 60 out. Heat: 0-3 ATS off win versus non-conference foe off BB losses this season. With Los Angeles reeling off a 48-point loss in tis last game, and Miami off an 11-point home win,we recommend a 1* play on the Lakers.

 

[jcygts6]

Black Cat

[FONT=open_sansregular]Take #514 Utah +4.5 over Golden State (9:05pm est): The point spreads on Golden State games have been inflated in the 2nd half of the NBA season due to all of the hype that's surrounding this team. You'd be doing well if you were betting against the Warriors as fading Golden State has been a profitable 13- 9 since the post All-Star break. It's the Warriors opponents who when they are playing at home that are the most motivated to defeat the defending champs as this group has covered the spread against them in 8 of the last 11 Golden State road contests. These squads and their crowds have been playing this game like a game 7 playoff contest. We've seen numerous examples of playoff bound teams sitting key guys out in the 2nd game of a back to back of late and that's the exact same spot that the Warriors are in here also. I don't expect that same thing from Golden State here but it wouldn't surprise me to see a few of their ailing guys (list is 3-4 deep) sit this out along with maybe one unexpected starter as well. Utah comes into this one fighting to grab one of the last playoff spots. They've played much better of late having straight-up won and also having covered 8 of their last 10 games. Take Utah plus the points here.[/FONT]

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

WIZARD'S PICK OF THE DAYGULFSTREAM PARKRACE COURSEWednesday 03/30/2016 Available 7 Days a WeekPage 1 of 2Forecast High80 FLow73 FThunderstormsPrecip: 61%Making a consistent profit at the races requires the discipline to choose the right betting opportunities and the skill to wager in themost logical manner. The Pick of the Day is the one horse that I believe has a very strong chance of winning, or a good chance ofwinning at overlaid odds. I search all major tracks daily for this horse. In the wagering strategies section of this sheet I give specificsuggestions on how to wager on the Pick of the Day, and these suggestions may include win and place bets, exactas, trifectas,or even superfectas.The Pick of The Day has hit at approximately 40% since its inception several years ago. Often times the real payoffs come from theexacta and trifecta combinations that I suggest. Each Pick of the Day sheet includes the conditions of the race, a complete programlisting of the entire field with morning line odds, and other valuable information. In my analysis I include a description of how I seethe pace scenario unfolding, a detailed analysis of the selected horse, and then my simple but specific wagering strategies. Once aweek, either on a Saturday or Sunday, I will provide, FREE OF CHARGE, a bonus play, giving you two plays for the price of one.EVERY EFFORT WAS MADE TO ENSURE ACCURACY OF PROGRAM NUMBERS. PLEASE VERIFY BEFORE WAGERINGRACE 6 Post Time 3:05 1 1/16 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up |Claiming($25,000) | Purse: $26,000$1 Daily Double / $1 Exacta / $.50 Trifecta / $.10 Superfecta / $1 Super Hi 5 $1 Bet 3 (Races 6-7-8) / $.50 Pick 5 (Races6-10)Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML1 1 Blue Harbor Lezcano J Casse M 122 $30,000 L 2-12 2 Mr Moneypants Zayas E Antonucci J 122 $30,000 L 8-13 3 Rock Eagle Lanerie C Vitali M 122 $30,000 L 5-24 4 Royal Moment Gomez D Machado A 116 $30,000 L 12-15 5 Super Bird Jaramillo E Pointer N 116 $30,000 L 15-16 6 Tapkee Velazquez J Pletcher T 122 $30,000 Blk-Off L 7-27 7 El Canguro Dominguez E Negrete J 122 $30,000 L 15-18 8 Mind Magic Saez L Attard T 122 $30,000 L 12-1Pace ScenarioTapkee could get a fairly easy lead through moderate fractions in a field without much other early speed. Blue Harbor can sitclosest, getting first run, and Mind Magic may also be in close attendance. The closers in the field may be left with too much to do.PICK OF THE DAY # 1 Blue HarborTURF ONLY. Sometimes racehorses do quite a bit of growing and maturing from age 3 to age 4, and Blue Harbor appears as ifhe might be one of them. He won just 1 of his first 8 career starts at ages 2 and 3, and failed to hit the board in the 7 losses. Whenhe returned from a 7-month layoff here on March 3 he was dropping a bit in class to race for the lowest tag of his career. Given hisinconsistent past, he went to post at 8-1, but nearly pulled off an upset over 6-5 favorite Natural Order. Blue Harbor showed moreearly speed than he had in most of his prior races and sat close to the pace. When asked for his best run in the stretch, he put ina prolonged bid that fell just a neck short. He finished nearly 5 lengths clear of 3rd while earning the best figure of his career, andhas come back with two very sharp works for trainer Mark Casse, who has 21 wins at this meet. Excellent turf rider Jose Lezcanorode Blue Harbor for the first time in that race and remains aboard, having won 9 races for Casse at this meet. From their rail postthey can sit just behind expected pacesetter Tapkee and get first run, benefitting from what projects to be a modest pace.Page 2 of 2Wagering Strategy* A win bet on (1) BLUE HARBOR ** Exacta (1) BLUE HARBOR over (6) TAPKEE, reverse for 1/2 as much ** Trifecta 1 over 3-6over ALL = $12 for a $1 wager ** Trifecta 1 over ALL over 3-6 = $6 for a $0.50 wager ** Trifecta 3-6 over 1 over ALL = $6 for a$0.50 wager ** Trifecta 1 over 2-3-6-8 over 2-3-6-8 = $6 for a $0.50 wager ** Trifecta 1 over 2-3 over 2-3-6-8 = $6 for a $1 wager