NCAA Basketball Betting 3-Point Play: Three Interesting Opening Lines Tuesday
by Alan Matthews
And then there was one. With former No. 2 Virginia’s loss at home to Duke on Saturday, that leaves only Kentucky without a defeat. Probably no surprise there and the Cats were back to a unanimous choice for the top spot in both polls this week as they should be. I would argue that Tuesday’s home matchup with Georgia has the potential to be a trap game for the Cats because arguably their two toughest regular-season games left are after that: Saturday at Florida and next Tuesday at LSU. Here’s a look at the UK matchup and two other games that caught my eye.
Georgia at No. 1 Kentucky (-19)
It’s a 7 p.m. tip on ESPNU, and should Georgia pull the upset that would just about punch the Dawgs’ ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Georgia (14-6, 5-3 SEC) is definitely a bubble team right now, although ESPN’s Bracketology has UGa in as a No. 8 seed in the East. The Dawgs had a five-game winning streak snapped on Saturday in a 67-50 loss at South Carolina. The 50 points were a season low for Georgia as was the awful 22 percent shooting. It played without leading scorer and rebounder Marcus Thornton, who suffered a concussion in Georgia’s previous game. Thornton, who averages 13.5 points and 7.3 boards, is not expected to play in this one, either. Freshman Yante Maten started in place of Thornton against South Carolina and had three points and six rebounds in 18 minutes before fouling out.
Kentucky (21-0, 8-0) also will be missing a rotation guy as freshman forward Trey Lyles will miss his second straight game with an undisclosed illness. He averages 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per game. The Cats didn’t miss the former McDonald’s All-American too much in Saturday’s 70-55 win over visiting Alabama. Sophomore guard Dominique Hawkins likely stands to gain the most playing time during Lyles’ absence as he started against Alabama but only played nine minutes and didn’t score. UK shot a season-high 58.5 percent vs. the Tide. It was Kentucky’s 54th straight win under John Calipari when holding an opponent under 55 points (16-0 this year).
This is the 15th time Georgia has played the nation’s No. 1 team. The Dawgs have yet to win one. The last was Nov. 19, 2012, when the Bulldogs fell 66-53 to Indiana in Brooklyn. UK was 2-0 vs. Georgia last year, winning each by at least 12.
Key trends: Georgia has covered five of its past seven in the SEC. It has covered nine of its past 12 vs. teams with a winning record. The home team has covered four straight in this series.
Why take the underdog: The Dawgs should hang within 15 or so even without Thornton.
No. 9 Louisville at Miami Fla. (+2.5)
It’s an 8 p.m. start on ESPN 3 for this ACC game. The Hurricanes (14-7, 4-4) fell out of the Top 25 this week because they lost twice last week, 70-50 at home to Georgia Tech and then 55-54 on Sunday at Florida State in which the Seminoles rallied from a 16-point deficit. Miami’s Sheldon McClellan missed a floater in the lane as time expired. It was UM’s seventh game this season decided by five points or fewer. The Cans are 5-2 in them. I would call Miami a definite bubble team right now as well. ESPN has the Canes as a No. 10 seed in the East. Miami is 3-2 vs. ranked teams this season, beating No. 8 Florida (which clearly shouldn’t have been ranked), No. 24 Illinois and No. 4 Duke.
Louisville (18-3, 6-2) comes off a 78-68 home overtime win over then-No. 13 North Carolina, rallying from an 18-point second-half deficit. Star Montrezl Harrell led the way with 22 points (and 15 rebounds), 14 coming after halftime when UNC led 36-25. Terry Rozier also had 22 points and is averaging 20.3 points in ACC games, tied for the league lead. Believe it or not that was Rick Pitino’s first-ever win against North Carolina. It was the biggest come-from-behind win for Louisville since also rallying from 18 down in January 2011 against Marquette in a Big East game. It was Louisville’s first overtime win in three years.
It’s the first meeting between Louisville and Miami since 2006.
Key trends: Louisville has covered only two of its past 10 after a win. It has covered four of its past 15 vs. teams with a winning record. Miami hasn’t covered its past four at home.
Why take the underdog: It will be a rare sellout for the Canes, so they should rise to the occasion.
Virginia Tech at Syracuse (-12.5)
ESPNU shows this ACC game at 9 p.m. What would an NCAA Tournament be without Syracuse? We might find that out for the first time since 2008 as the Orange (14-7, 5-3) are another bubble team and in fact not in the current ESPN field of 68. They enter this one on a two-game skid but have been off since a 93-83 defeat at North Carolina on Jan. 26. You can’t be losing to bad teams like Virginia Tech and hope for an at-large bid with a middling record, even if you are Syracuse. The Orange have been riddled with major injuries this season. Senior big man Rakeem Christmas currently leads the ACC in scoring (including non-league games), averaging 18.4 points per game.
Virginia Tech (9-12, 1-7) was beaten 73-70 at Wake Forest on Saturday. The Hokies rallied from a 10-point deficit to briefly lead 65-64 with 1:50 left, but Wake’s Mitchell Wilbekin hit a 3-pointer on the next possession and the Deacons wouldn’t trail again. Tech freshman star Justin Bibbs missed a potential tying 3-pointer with five seconds left. Bibbs, who averages a team-leading 13.6 points, returned after missing four games with a concussion. He came off the bench and had 10 points in 20 minutes. I’m sure he will play more minutes here. That loss dropped Tech to 2-6 in games this season decided by three points or fewer.
These teams played Jan. 3 in Blacksburg in the ACC opener for both and Syracuse won 68-66. The Orange nearly blew a 19-point lead. Christmas had 17 points and nine rebounds, while Bibbs had 22 points and 11 boards. The Orange have won the past three meetings.
Key trends: Virginia Tech is 5-1 ATS in its past six games. It is 5-2 ATS in its past seven on the road. Syracuse hasn’t covered its past five.
Why take the favorite: Hokies are winless on the road.
NCAA Basketball Picks
West Virginia at Oklahoma
The Mountaineers head to Oklahoma tonight to face a Sooners team that is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 home games. Oklahoma is the pick (-6) according to Dunkel, which has the Sooners favored by 8 1/2.
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma (-6)
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3
Game 511-512: St. John’s at Butler (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. John’s 63.385; Butler 72.115
Dunkel Line: Butler by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Butler by 6
Dunkel Pick: Butler (-6)
Game 513-514: Indiana at Wisconsin (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 62.513; Wisconsin 79.929
Dunkel Line: Wisconsin by 17 1/2
Vegas Line: Wisconsin by 15
Dunkel Pick: Wisconsin (-15)
Game 515-516: Northern Iowa at Indiana State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Iowa 62.721; Indiana State 59.102
Dunkel Line: Northern Iowa by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: Northern Iowa by 6
Dunkel Pick: Indiana State (+6)
Game 517-518: Georgia at Kentucky (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia 68.252; Kentucky 84.353
Dunkel Line: Kentucky by 16
Vegas Line: Kentucky by 18
Dunkel Pick: Georgia (+18)
Game 519-520: Mississippi State at Tennessee (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Mississippi State 55.593; Tennessee 68.035
Dunkel Line: Tennessee by 12 1/2
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee (-8 1/2)
Game 521-522: Northwestern at Nebraska (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northwestern 58.630; Nebraska 67.539
Dunkel Line: Nebraska by 9
Vegas Line: Nebraska by 5
Dunkel Pick: Nebraska (-5)
Game 523-524: St. Joseph’s at St. Louis (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Joseph’s 56.253; St. Louis 54.187
Dunkel Line: St. Joseph’s by 2
Vegas Line: Pick
Dunkel Pick: St. Joseph’s
Game 525-526: Florida Atlantic at Florida International (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida Atlantic 50.482; Florida International 48.227
Dunkel Line: Florida Atlantic by 2
Vegas Line: Florida International by 4
Dunkel Pick: Florida Atlantic (+4)
Game 527-528: NC State at Wake Forest (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NC State 63.232; Wake Forest 64.657
Dunkel Line: Wake Forest by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: NC State by 1
Dunkel Pick: Wake Forest (+1)
Game 529-530: Evansville at Illinois State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Evansville 58.311; Illinois State 62.418
Dunkel Line: Illinois State by 4
Vegas Line: Illinois State by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Evansville (+6 1/2)
Game 531-532: West Virginia at Oklahoma (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: West Virginia 68.431; Oklahoma 77.036
Dunkel Line: Oklahoma by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Oklahoma by 6
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma (-6)
Game 533-534: Louisville at Miami (FL) (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Louisville 71.242; Miami (FL) 64.923
Dunkel Line: Louisville by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Louisville by 4
Dunkel Pick: Louisville (-4)
Game 535-536: South Carolina at Arkansas (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Carolina 63.582; Arkansas 71.965
Dunkel Line: Arkansas by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Arkansas by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas (-6 1/2)
Game 537-538: Florida at Vanderbilt (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 65.584; Vanderbilt 61.407
Dunkel Line: Florida by 4
Vegas Line: Florida by 2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-2)
Game 539-540: Seton Hall at DePaul (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seton Hall 62.015; DePaul 65.823
Dunkel Line: DePaul by 4
Vegas Line: Seton Hall by 4
Dunkel Pick: DePaul (+4)
Game 541-542: Virginia Tech at Syracuse (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Virginia Tech 55.925; Syracuse 64.511
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 11
Dunkel Pick: Virginia Tech (+11)
Game 543-544: Rutgers at Illinois (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rutgers 57.944; Illinois 67.310
Dunkel Line: Illinois by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Illinois by 11
Dunkel Pick: Rutgers (+11)
Game 545-546: Boise State at Utah State (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boise State 61.704; Utah State 62.688
Dunkel Line: Utah State by 1
Vegas Line: Boise State by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Utah State (+2 1/2)
Game 547-548: NC-Greensboro at VMI (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NC-Greensboro 40.606; VMI 50.172
Dunkel Line: VMI by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: VMI by 7
Dunkel Pick: VMI (-7)
College Basketball
Butler (+3.5) made 7-12 from arc, upset St John’s 73-69 in NYC Jan 3rd, after Red Storm swept Butler LY by 17-25 points. Bulldogs won five of last six games, with four of those five decided by 3 or less points or in OT. St John’s lost six of last nine games, is 1-3 on Big East road, losing by 11-4-3 points; favorites covered all four games. Red Storm bench has 4th-least minutes played in country. Big East home favorites of 6 or less points are 7-11 against the spread.
Wisconsin won its last four games, three by 11+ points, despite losing its PG Jackson with an injury; Badgers are 1-2-1 as home favorites, winning by 17-7-15-32 points- they won 13 of last 14 games vs Indiana, winning last nine here, last three all by 11 or less. Hoosiers lost three of last four road games, are 2-3 as road underdogs, losing away games by 12-20-16 points, with wins at Nebraska/Illinois. This is Badgers’ first home game in two weeks. Big 14 home favorites are 3-9 against spread.
Northern Iowa played its A game in whipping Wichita State Saturday, is on 9-game win streak, with four of those on road. Panthers won last two games with Indiana State by combined total of 8 points; they beat State 66-60 at home Jan 21, outscored Sycamores 21-12 on foul line, making 9-18 on arc. State is 5-0 at home in Valley, with three wins by six points or less. MVC single digit home underdogs are 4-7 vs spread. Trap game for Northern Iowa after beating Wichita State Saturday.
Nebraska lost its last two games, scoring 44-42 points, but they’ve won four in row at home since losing home opener to Indiana- they’re 2-1-1 as home favorites, and won last three games with Northwestern by 15-4-7 points, winning last two here by 15-7. Wildcats lost last seven games, are 4-0 as Big 14 road underdogs, losing last three away games by total of 10 points after winning road opener at Rutgers by 4. Big 14 home favorites of 5 or less points are 14-11 vs spread.
Wake Forest lost four of last five games, with two OT losses, another by 2 points; Deacons lost seven of last nine games with NC State, but won last two visits here by total of three points- they lost 78-65 in Raleigh Dec 6– Wolfpack shot 65% inside arc. State won last game on 3-pointer at buzzer at Ga Tech; they’re 2-2 on ACC road. Deacons are 2-3 in ACC home games, but losses were Duke-UNC-Louisville. ACC home teams are 5-6 in games with spread of less than 4 points.
Home side won last seven Evansville-Illinois State games; Aces lost last four visits to Normal by 6-8-17-6 points. Aces won three of last four but had bad loss at Drake Saturday; they’re 1-3 as MVC road favorites, with road wins by 10-2-9 points, losses at Indiana State/Drake. MVC double digit home favorites are 4-11 vs spread. Illinois State won four of its last five games, is 1-3 as home favorite, winning by 36-10-10 points, losing to Indiana State/Northern Iowa by total of three points.
West Virginia is forcing turnovers on 31.1% of possessions in conference games, winning six of eight, three of four on road, with only loss at Texas by 27. Moiuntaineers were +13 in turnovers (22-9), hammered Oklahoma 86-65 in Morgantown Jan 13; home side won four of five series games– WVU lost both visits here, by 13-10 points. Sooners are 3-1 as favorites at home, winning by 10-17-45 with loss to K-State. Big X home favorites of 6 or less points are 12-7 vs spread.
Miami won by 16 at Duke, then lost by 20 at home to Ga Tech and blew 16-point lead at Florida State Sunday- they’re very erratic. Hurricanes are 2-2 on ACC road, losing at by 1 at FSU and by 5 at Notre Dame. Cards won last three games by 12-9-10 points; they rallied back from 18 down to win in OT over UNC Saturday. Louisville is 3-1 on ACC road, with wins by 9-12-9 points. ACC home underdogs of 5 or less points are 5-3 vs spread. Underdog covered six of last seven Miami games.
Home won last six regular season South Carolina-Arkansas games, with Gamecocks losing last three visits here by 13-11-7 points. Carolina lost four of last five games but beat Georgia 67-50 Saturday- they’re now 1-7 vs spread in league games, 0-3 on road, , losing by 16-3-6 points. Hogs won three of last four games, with all four decided by five or less points. Arkansas is 1-3 as SEC home favorite, winning by 12-2-5, with loss to Ole Miss. SEC home favorites of 6+ points are 6-15-1 vs spread.
Florida won six of last seven games with Vanderbilt, winning two of last three visits here, winning by 10-3 points. Gators won last two games by total of three points- their last three were decided by total of five points. Florida split its four SEC road games, with wins by 4-2. Vanderbilt lost its last seven games, covering once; they lost last two home games by a total of 7 points. SEC home underdogs of 5 or less points are 5-4 against the spread. Florida is forcing turnovers 22.2% of time in SEC games.
DePaul came back from 8 down with 4:52 left to upset Seton Hall 64-60 11 days ago, in a foul-ridden brickfest (teams were 4-33 from arc). Blue Demons are 3-2 in last five series games, winning two of last three in this gym, but they’ve lost five of last seven games overall after 3-0 start in Big East. Pirates split four Big East road games, with three of four decided by 11+ points. DePaul is 3-2 SU at home, 4-1 as an underdog, with losses by 6-13 points. Big East home underdogs are 9-4 vs spread.
Virginia Tech is 1-7 in ACC but covered four of last five games; they are 3-1 as ACC road underdogs, losing its road games by 11-15-15-3 points. Syracuse won its last two games with Virginia Tech, beating Hokies by hoop in Blacksburg Jan 3 after being up 19 at half; Tech made 10-25 on arc. Orangemen lost three of last four games, have been off for eight days since loss at UNC- they’re 1-3 as home favorites, winning by 13-3-8 with a loss to Miami. ACC double digit home favorites are 5-6 vs spread.
Utah State won eight of last nine games with Boise State, winning 62-61 in Boise Jan 3; Aggies made 8-15 from arc in game they led by 8 at half- they’re 3-1 at home in league, losing by 6 to New Mexico, winning by 28-12-12 points over San Jose-Air Force-Wyoming. Boise won/covered its last five games, with wins at New Mexico/Air Force- they lost road tilts by 6 in Fort Collins, 11 at Wyoming. Mountain West home underdogs are 5-8-1 against the spread.
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
CBB | VIRGINIA TECH at SYRACUSE
Play Against – Home favorites of 10 or more points (SYRACUSE) after going over the total by more than 24 points in their previous game, a good team (60% to 80%) playing a team with a losing record
118-64 since 1997. ( 64.8% | 47.6 units )
2-1 this year. ( 66.7% | 0.9 units )
CBB | BOISE ST at UTAH ST
Play Against – Home underdogs vs. the money line (UTAH ST) after allowing 25 points or less in the first half last game against opponent after scoring 30 points or less in the first half in 2 straight games
100-31 over the last 5 seasons. ( 76.3% | 44.7 units )
12-8 this year. ( 60.0% | -1.3 units )
CBB | GEORGIA at KENTUCKY
Play On – Home favorites of 6 or more points vs. the first half line (KENTUCKY) after leading their last 3 games by 5+ points at the half against opponent after scoring 60 points or less
110-60 over the last 5 seasons. ( 64.7% | 44.0 units )
12-5 this year. ( 70.6% | 6.5 units )
Game of the Day: Indiana at Wisconsin
Indiana Hoosiers at Wisconsin Badgers (OFF, OFF)
Fourth-ranked Wisconsin goes after its 14th victory in the last 15 meetings with Indiana when it hosts the No. 25 Hoosiers on Tuesday. The Badgers are atop the Big Ten standings and the current crop of Wisconsin players hasn’t won a conference crown. “If you look further ahead, you’re going to slip up,” guard Josh Gasser told reporters. “We understand how competitive this league is; every night is going to be a battle and there’s a lot of season left. We haven’t done anything yet.”
The Hoosiers slipped off the pace in the Big Ten race with consecutive losses before bouncing back with a victory over Rutgers on Saturday. “We’re happy to be in the mix, but we’re not satisfied at all,” guard James Blackmon Jr. told reporters. “We know we had a couple games that we could have got under our belt, so at Wisconsin we know that it’s going to be a great environment and a huge game, so I think we’re going to come prepared for it.” The Badgers have won four straight games after defeating Iowa on Saturday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
WHAT CAPPERS SAY: “Long gone are the days of Bobby Knight back when Indiana dominated this series. Since his departure in 2000 the Hoosiers are just 6-20 SU and 10-16 ATS in this series, including 1-14 SU and 3-12 ATS since 2008. On the flip side the Badgers have been like money in the bank since the start of last year’s NCAA tournament, entering tonight game on a 22-3 SU and 15-8-2 ATS run. With no Knight sighting in the offing, can only look one way here tonight.” Marc Lawrence
WHAT BOOKS SAY: “Bo Ryan’s kids always play a very clean game, from fouls to turnovers. You have to be equally as disciplined to beat them. The Hoosiers are not a good rebounding team and if they want to stay competitive Tuesday they have to be better because Wisky is really crashing the boards right now. We’re going to put up a big spread to try and entice some Indy action. Both teams have been cashing Overs regularly so I expect we will see some action on
that side of the total.” John Lester, senior lines manager for Bookmaker.eu.
ABOUT INDIANA (16-6, 6-3 Big Ten): Forward Troy Williams averages 13 points and a team-leading 6.3 rebounds and is coming off a strong performance against Rutgers with 14 points and tying a career best with 12 boards. “That’s the Troy Williams that we need to have,” Hoosiers coach Tom Crean told reporters. “The points to me are a byproduct of his efficiency, his activity, his desire to get to the basket, his desire to deflect and defend, his desire to rebound, the energy that he played with and usually when he plays like that, he gets the points.” Blackmon averages a team-best 16.5 points with Ferrell close behind at 16.1 and both players have made 51 3-point baskets.
ABOUT WISCONSIN (19-2, 7-1): Center Frank Kaminsky is on a tear with four 20-point outings in five games and had 24 points and nine rebounds against Iowa. The 7-footer leads the Badgers in scoring (17.6), rebounding (8.3), blocked shots (33) and steals (19) and is tied for second with 23 3-point baskets. Forwards Sam Dekker (12.6) and Nigel Hayes (12.4) also average in double digits but Wisconsin continues to ride a defense that allows just 55.5 points per game.
TRENDS:
*The Over is 5-1 in Indiana’s last six overall
*The Over is 4-1 in Wisconsin’s last five overall
*Wisconsin is 1-3-1 ATS in their last five home games
*The underdog is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings
NBA Odds and Predictions: Tuesday, February 3 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews
The Portland Trail Blazers have to be thrilled to be home. They just finished a four-game road trip winless, although not 0-4. That’s because one game was snowed out. The Blazers are one of the toughest teams to beat at home with a 20-5 mark. The only clubs with fewer home losses are Atlanta and Golden State, the two conference leaders. Here’s a look at Portland’s game vs. Utah and the rest of Tuesday’s schedule. Heat-Pistons and Jazz-Blazers are both nationally televised on NBA TV.
Nuggets at 76ers (+6.5, 193)
Denver begins a three-game road trip on a two-game losing streak. The Nuggets fell 104-86 at home to Charlotte on Saturday in their last game. The team played without big men Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur as both were dealing with an illness. Both should return here. It was JaVale McGee’s second game back from a long injury absence. He had eight points in just under 16 minutes. He reportedly was part of a Denver recent trade offer to Brooklyn for center Brook Lopez. The Nets said no. Philly comes in off the second of a back-to-back, playing at red-hot Cleveland on Monday. It’s the first meeting of the season between the Nuggets and Sixers. Denver has won two straight in Philly.
Key trends: The Nuggets are 0-9 ATS in their past nine playing on two days of rest. The Sixers have covered four of their past five at home vs. teams with a losing road record. The “over/under” has gone under in Denver’s past five road games. The Nuggets are 2-6 ATS in the past eight meetings.
Early lean: Sixers and under.
Heat at Pistons (-4.5, 188.5)
Miami ended a two-game skid with Sunday’s 83-75 win in Boston. The other 29 teams in the league must be kicking themselves for not signing Hassan Whiteside when they had the chance. He had another big game Sunday with 20 points and nine rebounds. The Heat played without starters Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng. Wade missed his second game in a row with a strained right hamstring, while Deng sat out his third straight with a strained calf. Deng has a good shot at playing here but Wade doesn’t. Detroit ended a four-game skid and won its first game since Brandon Jennings’ season-ending injury with a 114-101 victory over visiting Houston on Saturday. D.J. Augustin, now starting in place of Jennings, had 28 points and 12 assists. It’s the first meeting of the season between the Heat and Pistons.
Key trends: Miami is 10-1 ATS in its past 11 road games vs. teams with a losing home record. The Pistons have covered four straight at home. The road team is 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings.
Early lean: Pistons and under.
Celtics at Knicks (-1.5, 190.5)
New York is starting to play well enough to not get the most ping-pong balls in the draft lottery, so the Knicks better shut down Carmelo Anthony soon. They beat the visiting Lakers 92-80 on Sunday behind 31 from Melo. Langston Galloway added 13 points for the Knicks, who have won five of seven. Boston has lost three straight, falling at home to Miami by eight on Sunday. Avery Bradley and Tyler Zeller led the Celtics with 17 points apiece. Tayshaun Prince sat out with a hip injury but should return here. Jared Sullinger should be back in the starting lineup after being benched Sunday as he was late to a walk-through. New York won in Boston 101-95 on Dec. 12 to end a 10-game road losing streak at the time. Anthony had 22 points.
Key trends: The road team has covered five of the past seven meetings. The under is 5-1 in the past six in New York.
Early lean: Knicks and under.
Jazz at Trail Blazers (-8, 194.5)
Utah ended a two-game losing streak with a pretty shocking 110-100 home win over Golden State on Friday. Gordon Heyward dominated with 26 points and 15 rebounds. As noted above, the Blazers have dropped three in a row and they didn’t reach triple digits in any of those games. The last was a 95-88 loss in Milwaukee on Tuesday. After ranking sixth in the league with 103.8 points per game through their first 38, the Blazers have averaged 97.2 in the last 10 (losing eight). LaMarcus Aldridge continues to play through his thumb injury and finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds vs. the Bucks. Portland shot a season-worst 37.1 percent. This is the first meeting of the season between the teams. Portland was 4-0 vs. Utah last year.
Key trends: The over is 7-1 in the past eight meetings in Portland. The Jazz are 1-4 ATS in the past five in the series.
Early lean: Blazers and over.
Warriors at Kings (+9, 216)
Sacramento ended an eight-game skid with Saturday’s 99-94 win in Indiana. Rudy Gay led the way with 31 points, while DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points and 19 rebounds. Thankfully the NBA announced that Cousins would replace Kobe Bryant on the Western Conference All-Star team because Cousins most certainly deserves to be an All-Star. Barring injury he will be the first Kings player to play in an All-Star Game in 11 years. Golden State bounced back from a loss in Utah on Friday — told you that was a trap game — with a 106-87 home win over Phoenix on Saturday to avoid its first three-game losing streak of the season. Steph Curry had 25 points, playing through a black eye suffered vs. the Jazz. The Warriors are 3-0 vs. the Kings this year, all blowouts.
Key trends: The Warriors have covered the past five meetings. The over is 7-3 in the Kings’ past 10 vs. the West.
Early lean: Kings won’t want to be embarrassed again. Take the points. Love the over.
Today’s NBA Picks
Denver at Philadelphia
The Nuggets head to Philadelphia tonight and come into the contest with a 1-7 ATS record in their last 8 games versus Atlantic Division opponents. Philadelphia is the pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has the Sixers favored by 3 1/2.
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+6).
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3
Game 501-502: Denver at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 112.522; Philadelphia 115.868
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 3 1/2; 197
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 6; 192
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+6); Over
Game 503-504: Boston at New York (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 113.933; New York 116.396
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 2 1/2; 185
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 1; 189
Dunkel Pick: New York (-1); Under
Game 505-506: Miami at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 115.016; Detroit 121.852
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 7; 182
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 4; 185 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-4); Under
Game 507-508: Utah at Portland (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 119.883; Portland 122.958
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 3; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 8 1/2; 194 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Utah (+8 1/2); Over
Game 509-510: Golden State at Sacramento (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 130.568; Sacramento 115.572
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 15; 221
Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 9; 217 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (-9); Over
NBA
Hot Teams
— Miami covered six of its last seven road games (5-0 last five AU).
— Knicks won five of their last seven games (2-5 HF).
— Warriors won 14 of their last 17 games (1-4 last five AF).
Cold Teams
— Philly lost seven of last ten games but covered last four (10-4 last 14 HU). Nuggets lost nine of their last ten games (2-2 AF).
— Detroit lost four of its last five games (3-9 HF).
— Boston lost last three games by 12-6-8 points (8-1 last nine AU).
— Jazz lost four of its last five road games (11-3 last 14 AU). Portland lost five of its last six games (1-6 last seven HF).
— Sacramento lost eight of its last nine games (3-0 last three HU).
Series Records
— 76ers won five of last eight games with Denver.
— Miami won 12 of its last 14 games with Detroit.
— Knicks won their last three games with Boston.
— Portland won its last four games with Utah, all by 8+ points.
— Warriors won their last seven games with Sacramento.
Totals
— Eight of last nine 76er home games stayed under.
— Eight of last eleven Detroit home games went over.
— Five of last seven Boston road games stayed under.
— Eight of last ten Utah road games stayed under.
— Seven of last eight Golden State road games went over.
Back-to-Backs
— 76ers are 7-5 vs spread if they played night before.
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
NBA | DENVER at PHILADELPHIA
Play On – Favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (DENVER) after being beaten by the spread by 48 or more points total in their last ten games against opponent after going under the total by 48 or more points total in their last seven games
65-30 since 1997. ( 68.4% | 32.0 units )
6-2 this year. ( 75.0% | 3.8 units )
NBA | BOSTON at NEW YORK
Play Against – Any team vs the money line (NEW YORK) after having covered 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread, a terrible team (<=25%) playing a team with a losing record
236-107 since 1997. ( 68.8% | 79.0 units )
8-4 this year. ( 66.7% | -3.7 units )
NBA | UTAH at PORTLAND
Play Over – All teams where the first half total is between 95.5 and 100.5 points playing with 3 or more days rest, on Tuesday nights
34-11 over the last 5 seasons. ( 75.6% | 21.9 units )
1-0 this year. ( 100.0% | 1.0 units )
Hockey Crusher
Dallas Stars -140 over Colorado Avs
(System Record: 61-2, won last game)
Overall Record: 61-43-1
Basketball Crusher
Rutgers +11 over Illinois
(System Record: 45-0, lost last game)
Overall Record: 45-46-2
Soccer Crusher
Club Brugge + Cercle Brugge UNDER 3.5
This match is happening in Belgium
(System Record: 700-24, lost last 2 games)
Overall Record: 700-584-106
Here are the rest of his hockey and basketball plays for today…
Hockey
Washington Capitals -132 over LA Kings
Ottawa Senators +110 over NJ Devils
Winnipeg Jets +140 over Vancouver
Basketball
Utah State +2 over Boise St
Wake Forest PK over North Carolina State
Indiana State +6 over Northern Iowa
EZWINNERS
NCAAB
2* (516) Indiana St +6
2* (533) Miami +4
(I will also be adding 1* first half plays on both of these)
Added Plays for Tuesday
NCAAB
1* (516) Indiana St +3
(1st half)
1* (533) Miami +2
(1st half)
BetInvest99
FRANCE: Coupe de la Ligue – Semi-finals
Lille – PSG
Bet: Over 2 (asian handicap)
Odd: 1.90
Carson K (CBB)
Oklahoma -6
Northwestern +5
Wake Forest +1.5
H&H Sports
CBB Triple Dimes
Indiana State +6
Miami Florida +4.5
Double Dime – Arkansas -6 (-115)
Dime – Florida -130 (ML), Utah State +3 (-115)
NHL
Double Dimes
Blackhawks -145
Predators -1.5 goals +185
Bookieshunter
3* Dallas Stars ML
2* Under 218 – GSW/SAC
2* Syracuse -10.5
PAUL LEINER
100* NBA – Over 194 – Jazz/Blazers
100* CBB – Over 114 – Nebraska/Northwestern
100* CBB – Rutgers +11
Today’s NHL Picks
Los Angeles at Washington
The Kings head to Washington tonight and come into the contest with a 5-15 record in their last 20 road games when the total is set at 5 or less. Washington is the pick (-140) according to Dunkel, which has the Capitals favored by 1 1/2.
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-140).
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3
Game 1-2: Ottawa at New Jersey (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 11.363; New Jersey 12.768
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-120); Over
Game 3-4: Arizona at Columbus (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 11.408; Columbus 10.115
Dunkel Line & Total: Arizona by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Columbus (-185); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+165); Under
Game 5-6: Los Angeles at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 10.523; Washington 12.106
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-140); 5
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-140); Over
Game 7-8: Florida at NY Islanders (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 10/409; NY Islanders 11.887
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 9-10: Buffalo at Montreal (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 8.847; Montreal 11.252
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 2 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-380); 5
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-380); Over
Game 11-12: Tampa Bay at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 11.603; St. Louis 12.609
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 13-14: Toronto at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 9.376; Nashville 11.700
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 2 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (-200); Under
Game 15-16: Chicago at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 10.504; Minnesota 11.611
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+115); Under
Game 17-18: Colorado at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 12.031; Dallas 11.098
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+150); Under
Game 19-20: Winnipeg at Vancouver (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Winnipeg 10.277; Vancouver 11.855
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-165); 5
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (-165); Over
Game 21-22: Carolina at Anaheim (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 10.535; Anaheim 12.011
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-230); 5
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (-230); Over
2014-15 NHL
Hot teams
— New Jersey won three of its last four games.
— Canadiens won five of their last six games.
— St Louis won five in row, 10 of last 11 games. Lightning won five of last six games.
— Chicago is 12-1 in game following its last 13 losses. Wild won five of last seven games.
— Dallas Stars won four of their last six games.
Cold teams
— Senators lost four of last five road games.
— Florida lost seven of its last eight games. Islanders lost last two games 5-2/4-1.
— Kings lost eight of their last ten games. Washington lost six of its last seven.
— Coyotes lost eight of their last ten games. Columbus lost three of last four.
— Sabres lost their last fourteen games.
— Toronto lost its last nine games, scoring seven goals. Predators lost four of last six games.
— Colorado is 3-5 in its last eight games.
— Winnipeg is 0-4 since All-Star break, outscored 20-9. Canucks lost three of last four games.
— Carolina lost its last two games, scoring three goals. Anaheim lost its last two, 6-3/4-1.
Series records
— Devils lost six of last eight games with Ottawa.
— Islanders won six of last eight games with Florida.
— Kings won last four games with Washington, last two in SOs.
— Blue Jackets won three of last four games with Arizona.
— Canadiens won six of last eight games with Buffalo, but lost last two.
— Blues won three of last four games with Tampa Bay.
— Predators won three of last four games with Toronto.
— Blackhawks won their last five games with Minnesota.
— Avalanche won five of last six games with Dallas.
— Canucks won four of last five games with Winnipeg.
— Ducks won three of last four games with Carolina.
Totals
— Under is 4-0-1 in last five New Jersey home games.
— Four of last five Islander home games went over.
— Six of last eight Washington home games stayed under.
— Nine of last eleven Arizona road games went over.
— Eight of last ten Montreal home games stayed under.
— Last seven Tampa Bay road games went over.
— Six of last seven Toronto road games stayed under.
— Under is 11-4-2 in last 17 Chicago road games.
— Seven of last nine Colorado road games stayed under.
— Six of last seven Vancouver home games went under.
— Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Carolina road games.
Back-to-back
— Florida is 2-3 if it played the night before.
— Winnipeg is 3-3 if it played the night before.