Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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02-20-22 | Marquette +1.5 v. Creighton | Top | 82-83 | Win | 100 | 7 h 49 m | Show |
My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on Marquette at 3:00 ET. Marquette (17-9, 9-6) earned a 77-66 win over Georgetown on Wednesday night to snap a two-game losing streak and will take its 17-9 overall record (9-6 in Big East play) to CHI Health Center in Omaha to face Creighton, which is 17-8 overall (9-5 in the Big East) and riding a four-game winning streak after beating DePaul 71-59 on Thursday night. The Golden Eagles and Bluejays met back on Jan 1 in Milwaukee, when Creighton came away with a 75-69 win in double overtime.
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02-20-22 | St. Peter's -1 v. Siena | Top | 70-84 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 45 m | Show |
My 10* Conf Game of the Year (MAAC) is on St Peter's at 2:00 ET. Rick Pitino's Iona Gaels are the class of the MAAC, as they are 21-6 overall, including 13-2 in league play. However, while the Saint Peter’s Peacocks and the Siena Saints are each a modest 12-10 overall, they are battling for second place in the MAAC. St Peter's is 10-5 and Siena 9-5, as the two schools meet Sunday afternoon from the MVP Arena in Loudonville, NY (Siena's homecourt). The Peacocks will look to build on a 70-59 win over Fairfield their last time out, while the Saints will try to bounce back from a 62-53 loss to Marist. St Peter's is coached by Shaheen Holloway, who is in his fourth season (just 42-45 in his first three). The Saints are led by guard Banks (10.9) and the 6-7 Ndefo (10.0 & 6.2), who is a two-time Defensive POY in the MAAC. The 6-7 Drame brothers have also been crucial in setting the defensive tone Holoway is looking for. Fousseymi is averaging 7.4 & 7.1 and Hassam 6.0 & 5.3. Joining Banks in the backcourt are Edert (8.9) and Lee (7.1). Siena lost FOUR starters from last season and is led this season by Cal Poly transfer Rogers, who leads the team in scoring at 14.2 PPG. He's joined in the backcourt by Northwestern transfer Gaines (11.2 & 7.0) plus 6-9 returning PF Stormo adds 10.7 & 7.0. Hopkins (7.9) returns in the backcourt but Platek's (9.0 & 3.6) season ended back in early Dec and freshman guard Billups (5.7 & 4.8) is currently dealing with a knee injury (left last game and is questionable here). These schools met way back on Dec 5, with Siena winning 60-58. In that game, the Saints made 8 of 15 threes, to the Peacocks 2 of 9. St Peter's is the better team, is playing with revenge and sports a 7-1 ATS run in road games! Meanwhile, Siena is just 6-5 SU & ATS at home this season. I'm "all over" St Peter's in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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02-19-22 | Colorado v. Stanford -2.5 | Top | 70-53 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 48 m | Show |
My 9* West Coast Crusher is on Stanford at 10:00 ET. The Colorado Buffaloes have won four in a row to bolster their postseason hopes, reaching 17-9 overall, including 9-7 in Pac 12 play. The Buffs will travel to the Bay Area to face the Stanford Cardinal, who have lost four of their last six games, with ALL losses coming by single digits (Stanford is just 15-11, including 8-8 in Pac 12 play). Colorado is looking for a sweep of its three-game road trip and has righted the ship after losing three straight and five of six in late January and early February. As for Stanford, it has a chance to finish strong, with only one of its last four games coming against a ranked team (March 3 at Arizona). Tad Boyle took over at Boulder in the 2009-10 season and has led the Buffaloes to 20-plus wins EIGHT times and into the NCAA Tournament FIVE times (would have been six but the 2020 tourney was shut down because of COVID. The Buffaloes have ridden the play of the 6-9 Walker (14.7 & 9.4), who has recorded a double-double in FIVE consecutive games. He had 19 points and tied a career high with 15 rebounds in a 70-62 win at Cal on Thursday night. The 6-8 Battey (11.5 & 4.5) and the 6-10 da Silva (9.3 & 3.7) start up front with Walker, while the starting guards were Barthelemy (11.0) and Parquet (6.9). However, Parquet is now lost for the season, meaning more "PT'' for guards Simpson (7.2) and Clifford (6.6 & 4.7). Jerod Haase had a nice four-year run at UAB (80-53) and got the Stanford job when it fired Johnny Dawkins. He won two NIT titles while at Palo Alto but the school and fans wanted NCAA tourney wins. Haase may be on the 'hot seat' after going 82-74 in his first five years, with just one postseason invite in 2018, to the NIT (Cardinal lost their first game). FIVE of Stanford's top-six scorers are frontcourt players. PG O'Connell (7.1 & 3.7 APG) runs the show but the team's main production comes from the 6-8 Ingram (11.3 & 6.6), the 6-9 Delaire (10.8 & 4.3), the 6-7 Jones (10.6 & 4.3), the 6-8 Angel (7.8 & 3.0) and the 6-9 O'Keefe (4.5 & 4.8). The Buffs are in MUCH better shape than the Cardinal but are playing a THIRD straight road game plus Stanford is playing its final home game of the regular season. A "W" here and with winnable games ahead at Cal and ASU, could get Stanford to 18 wins, prior to the Pac 12 tourney. A couple of wins there and Hasse may get that NCAA bid. It's a long shot but the 'dream' is all but over with a loss at home tonight! Good luck...Larry |
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02-19-22 | Long Beach State v. UC-Santa Barbara -4.5 | Top | 71-84 | Win | 100 | 12 h 28 m | Show |
The third play of my STP is a 9* on Cal-Santa Barbara at 10:00 ET. It's Big West conference play tonight from the Thunderdome in Santa Barbara, as the Long Beach State Beach 49ers will play the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. Long Beach State Beach has won 11 straight games, to reach 15-9, including 10-1 in Big West play. Meanwhile, a modest three wins in their last four have the Gauchos are 11-10, 3-5 in league play.
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02-19-22 | Virginia v. Miami-FL -1.5 | Top | 74-71 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 39 m | Show |
The first play of my STP is an 8* on Miami at 5:00 ET. It's an Atlantic Coast Conference contest from 'South Beach' tonight, as the Virginia Cavaliers (16-10 / 10-6 ACC) visit the Miami Hurricanes (19-7 / 11-4). The Cavs have won four of their last five games, including victories over two of the ACC's top-three teams in Duke and Miami. Virginia defeated Miami 71-58 at home back on Feb 5. It was Miami's most lopsided ACC loss this season. Duke and Notre Dame lead the ACC at 12-3, while Miami is just ONE game back (UVA is 2 1/2-games out of first place).
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02-19-22 | Tennessee +3.5 v. Arkansas | Top | 48-58 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
My 9* Marquee Classic is on Tennessee at 4:00 ET. Two of the hottest teams in the SEC will meet tonight from Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, as the Tennessee Vols (19-6 /10-3 SEC) will take a five-game winning streak into their matchup with the Arkansas Razorbacks (20-6 / 9-4), who have won 10 of their last 11. The SEC has five top-25 teams, with Auburn atop the league standings at 12-1, Tenn and Kentucky are tied at 10-3, while Arkansas lurks at 9-4. The Vols just won 76-63 at home over Kentucky on Tuesday, while Arkansas followed its 80-76 (OT) Feb 8th home win over Auburn (snapped the Tigers' 21-game winning streak), by losing at Alabama but winning at Missouri. This is the first of two meetings between the SEC contenders, as the teams will meet March 5 in Knoxville (regular season finale). Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has been a winner at every stop, with three NCAA berths at Providence, three in four years at Clemson and 16 in 17 years at Texas. This is his seventh season at Tennessee, and he's led the Vols to three NCAA berths the last four years (exception was when COVID shut down the postseason). Junior guard Vescovi (13.8-4.4-3.2) and freshman PG Kennedy Chandler (13.3 & 4.9APG) lead the way for Tennessee. Some bad news is that the 6-8 Nkamhoua (9.6 & 5.6) has been lost for the season, but the Vols have a solid player in the 6-9 Fulkerson (7.8 & 4.9) plus the 7-0 Plavsic (4.1 & 3.4) and the 6-10 Hartley-Hatfield (3.3 & 2.4) will see more time. Perimeter players Jordan-james (8.8 & 5.6) and Zeigler (8.7) add excellent depth. Defense has always been a Rick Barnes specialty and his team is allowing just 63.1 PPG (35th). Eric Musselman is in his third season at Fayetteville, after four OUTSTANDING seasons at Nevada. He won the CBI title in his first season, then went to three straight NCAAA tourneys (4-year record of 110-34!). He was 20-12 in his first season at Arkansas, then went 25-7 last season (Elite 8 appearance). As noted, this year's team is 20-6, led by a trio of guards in double digits. The group includes Notae (18.8-4.5-3.5), Umude (11.4 & 4.6) and Toney (10.3 & 5.3). The 6-10 Williams adds 10.2 & 9.3 and is really the lone frontcourt player of note. Guards Lykes and Davis both average 8.7 PPG, as Musselman has basically stuck with a six-man rotation. Tennessee had four players in double figures against Kentucky with Vescovi leading with 18 points and Kennedy Chandler adding 17. Also key was the contribution of 6-11 freshman Jonas Aidoo, who was limited by illness early in the season. Aidoo stepped in for injured Olivier Nkamhoua and played a season-high 18 minutes with five points and seven rebounds against the Wildcats. He also blocked three shots, including two against Kentucky player-of-the-year candidate Oscar Tshiebwe. His tip-in with 11:10 remaining started a 10-0 scoring run that gave the Vols a 65-45 lead with 6:27 remaining on the clock. This is a HUGE game for both sides and I'm taking the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-19-22 | Towson v. College of Charleston +4 | Top | 80-77 | Win | 100 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
My 10* Conf Game of the Year (CAA) is on Coll of Charleston at 4:00 ET. The Towson Tigers travel to Charleston, SC to take on the College of Charleston at the SECU Arena. Towson has rebounded from an 'ugly' 4-14 season (3-9 in CAA) play) to enter this game 20-7, including 11-3 in CAA play. The COC has a new head coach this season in Pat Kelsey, who came from a nine-year stint at Winthrop in which he was 185-95 overall, including going 24-10 and 23-2 the last two seasons. The Cougars were just 9-10 last season (COVID-shortened) but are 14-11 this season, although an unimpressive 6-7 in ACC play. The Tigers have four double digit scorers in guards Holden (13.9 & 7.7), Timberlake (13.8 & 4.6) and Gibson (10.3) plus the 6-7 Thompson (10.4 & 6.4). The fifth starter is guard Rizzuto (8.3) plus Guar Nolan (9.6 & 4.1 APG) and the 6-8 Gray (7.1 & 4.4) are the top reserves. The Cougars can match those four double digit scorers in 6-6 forward Meeks (14.5 & 8.8) plus guards Smith (12.0), Tucker (11.3) and Underwood (7.6 & 3.4 APG). Starting alongside of Meeks, Smith and Underwood are the 6-7 Burnham (7.4 & 4.3) and the 6-8 Smart (3.6 & 4.3). Here's the rub. Towson began its three-game road swing to end the regular season Thursday night, as the Tigers rolled past UNC Wilmington 79-55. Thompson led the way with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Gibson chipped in 14, Holden scored 13 and Antonio Rizzuto had 10. More importantly, it moved Towson to 11-3 in CAA play, just a half-game back of 12-3 UNC-Wilmington. Now, just two nights later, the Tigers play at Charleston, which 'hung' with the Tigers back on Jan 20, losing 74-67 at Towson. Of more importance, this is Charleston's FINAL home game of the season. "Upset Alert!" Take the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-19-22 | Texas Tech v. Texas -3 | Top | 61-55 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 10 m | Show |
My 9* Texas Two-Step is on Texas at 12;00 ET. Chris Beard left Lubbock and its beloved fan base last April to take over the Texas program (after Shaka Smart was fired) and created plenty of hurt feelings that haven't been soothed over the past 10 months. Mark Adams worked under Beard since his first season as a Division I head coach (started at Arkansas-LR) and instead of following Beard to Austin, decided to stay in Lubbock as Tech's head coach. These two bitter rivals played on Feb 1 in Lubbock, with the Red Raiders exacting a bit of revenge (on Beard) in a 77-64 win over the Longhorns. The two go at it again at high noon ET on Saturday, this time in Austin. The Red Raiders (20-6 / 9-4 Big 12) head to Austin after a come-from-behind 83-73 win at home over No. 7 Baylor on Wednesday that produced Texas Tech's first season sweep of the Bears since 2005. The 6-8 Obanor (10.3 & 5.2) had 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, both season-highs, and recorded his first double-double of the season. The 6-8 Williams (13.5 & 4.5) added 17 points, while guard Arms (8.2 & 4.0) had 15 and fellow guard Shannon (11.7) added 14. The Red Raiders played without big guard McCullar (10.8 & 5.3), who was out with an ankle sprain. Texas (19-7 / 8-5 Big 12) heads home after a two-game road trip that ended with an 80-78 win at Oklahoma in overtime on Tuesday Texas lost the first game at Baylor). The 6-6 Allen scored 20 points, including a key tip-in with 11 seconds remaining in overtime, as the Longhorns made the needed plays in the final minute of the extra period and held on. Andrew Jones (10.4) added 20 points for Texas, with PG Carr (11.1 & 3.5 APG) and the 6-7 Bishop each adding 16 points. Texas played without 6-9 center Mitchell (8.7 & 4.0) who did not make the trip with the team due to personal reasons. Kansas leads the Big 12 at 10-2, with Texas Tech and Baylor tied at 9-4 (Texas sits at 8-5). Expect maximum intensity and physical play in this one. "We were in desperation mode, so at halftime we knew we had to get after it from the very beginning of the second half," Texas Tech coach Mark Adams said. Tech rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit and outscored Baylor 51-34. "Emphasis was (to) just play hard and be aggressive. We're bigger and longer than they are, get some deflections and show our size more. And I thought we did that." Coming off that big win, I believe the motivational edge shifts to the Longhorns (and particularly to Beard), after losing on Feb 1 in Lubbock (see above). Revenge works here. Hook'em Horns! Good luck...Larry |
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02-17-22 | San Francisco +3 v. St. Mary's | Top | 64-69 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 2 m | Show |
The third play of my STP is a 9* on San Francisco at 10:00 ET. Full, detailed analysis Thursday morning by 11:00 ET. |
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02-17-22 | Oregon -4 v. Arizona State | Top | 57-81 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 46 m | Show |
The 1st play of my STP is a 10* on Oregon at 9:00 ET. Dana Altman has been a HUGE winner in his coaching career and Oregon was ranked 13th in the AP's preseason poll. The Ducks did little right to open the season, splitting their first 12 games, before embarking on a season-saving run of 11 wins in their last 13 games. Oregon is now 17- 8 (10-4 in the Pac 12) and should have an NCAA Tournament bid on its mind. However, first things first. 12-1 Arizona will likely be the Pac 12 tourney's No. 1 seed but Oregon and USC (each 10-4) plus 9-4 UCLA, are all fighting to get one of the Pac 12's top-four seeds. Bobby Hurley (a member of the "Coaching Hurleys") came to Arizona St for the 2015-16 season. His six-year record (entering this season) was 104-83. After leading the Sun Devils to three straight 20-win seasons, last year's team flopped to 11-14 (7-10 Pac 12). The Sun Devils are just 8-15 overall this season and at 4-9 in Pac-12 play, are not thinking top-four seed like the Ducks. Oregon is coming off a 62-59 win over Washington State on Monday at Eugene, as the Ducks have won five of their past six games. However, that one loss is a concern because it occurred last week at home against California, 78-64. With four losses in conference play, and on the bubble when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, Oregon coach Dana Altman said, "There is no big picture. The big picture is Thursday night, and trying to win a game," he said. "We lost a game to Arizona State in Eugene, so we should be ready to roll." Will Richardson is Oregon's leading scorer at 15.1 PPG but scored only eight points in the previous meeting with the Sun Devils. He made just 2 of 14 shots from the floor, including 1 of 9 from three-point range. He scored in double figures in each of the next 15 games, before managing just seven while in foul trouble against Washington St on Monday. Fellow guards Young (11.3) and Harmon (11.2) join Richardson in double figures. 6-11 center Dante (8.2 & 5.6) plus the 6-7 Guerrier (9.0 & 5.3) typically start, while the 6-6 Williams (7.5 & 5.0) and the 6-11 Kepnang (4.7 & 2.8) come off the bench. Arizona State took an early season hit when returning guard Bagley (10.8 PPG) was lost to a knee injury after just THREE games (was averaging 10.4). Horne (12.5), Heath (9.9) and Jackson (9.5 & 3.9 APG) have taken up the slack in the backcourt. 6-6 SF Lawrence (10.5 & 6.9) and the 6-9 Graham (9.1 & 4.5) are the lone frontcourt players of note. Arizona is averaging a woeful 63.9 PPG (322nd) on 39.2% shooting (352nd). Arizona State is hoping that its bounce-back performance at Washington State last weekend is a sign of things to come, as the Sun Devils start a stretch of five games in 10 days. Tonight's contest launches its busy stretch with home games Thursday against Oregon and Saturday against Oregon State. After that come three games on the road next week at UCLA, Colorado and Utah. Oregon is seeking to nail down a top-four seed for the Pac-12 plus is also trying to burnish it's at-large resume. That's motivation enough but NO WAY that Oregon forgets its 69-67 OT loss at home to ASU back on Dec 5, a time BEFORE the Ducks have 'hit their stride!' Lay the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-17-22 | Wizards v. Nets -3.5 | Top | 117-103 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 40 m | Show |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on the Brk Nets at 7:40 ET. The Washington Wizards were 34-38 last season and qualified for the playoffs via the 'play-in' round. However, they were quickly bounced 4-1 by the 76ers. The Brooklyn Nets were 48-24 last season (East's No. 2 seed) and after taking out the Celtics in five games, played a thrilling seven-game series against the Bucks, losing Game 7 at home 115-111 in OT. Expectations this season were for Washington to again be contending for one of the East's lower seeds, but the Nets were favorites to win the East behind the trio of KD, James and Kyrie. The two teams meet Thursday (final game for all NBA teams before a six-day All Star break), with Washington at 26-31 and the Nets at 31-27. The Wizards are currently 1 1/2-games behind the No. 10 seed (last of the play-in spots) but also just two games back of the No. 9 seed. As for the Nets, the team imploded by losing 11 straight games from Jan 23 thru Feb 12, to fall from being at or near the top of the East standings to currently owning just the No. 8 seed, leaving them among the 'play-in' seeds. The good news is, the Nets enter this game on a two-game winning streak and are just two games back of the No. 6 seed. Washington eked out a 113-112 home win over the Nets a week ago but is 3-10 in its past 13 contests. Three of the team's five double digit scorers on the season ware currently not available. Leading scorer Beal (23.2-4.7-6.6) is out for the season with an injury plus PF Harrell (14.1 & 6.7) and guard Dinwiddie (12.6 & 4.7 APG) have both been traded. More bad news comes in the fact that undersized center Gafford (8.9 & 6.0), is also out with an illness. Kristaps Porzingis has yet to make his debut due to a bruised right knee after being obtained from Dallas. Porzingis has missed NINE straight games since his last appearance on Jan. 29 and will sit out again Thursday. Taht leaves SF Kuzma (16.5 & 8.8) and guard Caldwell-Pope (11.7) as the only regulars from the Washington team that went 13-7 in its first 20 games. The Brooklyn story is well-known. It began with Kyrie's non-vaccinated status, making him ineligible to play home games and then KD went down with an injury (last played on Jan 15 and is not expected to be back until sometime after the All-Star break). The final 'kicker' was Harden's trade deadline deal that sent him to Philly. However, the Nets may be regaining their footing following a pair of drastically different wins. After matching the largest comeback in franchise history, the Nets attempt to reach the All-Star break with three straight wins Thursday night when they host the Washington Wizards. The Nets halted their 11-game skid with Monday's 109-85 wire-to-wire rout of the Sacramento Kings. Two days later, the Nets erased a 28-point deficit and pulled off an impressive 111-106 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden last night, putting them in position for three straight wins for the first time since getting four straight wins Dec 10-16. Simmons has yet to play for Brooklyn but both Curry (20 points last night) and center Drummond (11 & 19 vs the NYK) have made immediate impacts. Patty Mills is also new and he's averaging 13.2 PPG on the season. Rookie Cam Thomas (9.6) scored 16 of his 21 points in Brooklyn's 38-point fourth quarter, while LaMarcus Aldridge (13.7 & 8.8) added 18 points and James Johnson (5.9) finished with 14. Here's the bottom line. Washington 'limps' into its final game before the All-Star break having gone 3-16-1 ATS its last 20 contests. "W-I-P-E-O-U-T Alert! Good luck...Larry |
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02-16-22 | Nuggets v. Warriors -5.5 | Top | 117-116 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 24 m | Show |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on the GS Warriors at 10:10 ET. The Phoenix Suns have pulled away in the West and at 47-10, own a 5 1/2-game lead over the 42-16 Warriors. Golden St will host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday in San Francisco The Nuggets enter at 32-25, which places them 6th in the Western Conference, the last guaranteed spot in the playoffs Denver has played all season without Murray (21.2 PPG last season) and Porter played just NINE games (9.9 & 6.6) before going down. Last year's MVP Jokic (25.8-13.7-7.9) has basically 'mirrored' his stats from last season and is still surrounded by some solid talent. Swingman Barton (15.4-5.0-4.0), PF Gordon (14.6 & 5.7), PG Morris (12.6 & 4.3 APG) and SF Green (10.5) have been consistent. Unfortunately Morris is dealing with a concussion and will miss this game. That means Denver's reserves will need to step up. Hyland (8.8) has moved ahead of Campazzo (6.0 & 3.7 APG) as the team's second-string PG but both will get more minutes with Morris out. Swingman Forbes has been an excellent pickup, averaging 9.8 PPG in his 14 games with the team. Curry (25.8-5.3-6.3), Wiggins (17.9 & 4.2) and Poole (16.4) have been Golden St's "Big 3" this season but now Thompson (17.1 PPG in 15 games) is back. When Thompson starts, Poole comes off the bench. Golden St has gotten used to playing without Green (7.9-7.6-7.4) with Porter (8.3 & 8.2) stepping up. Forward Kuminga (7.9) plus guards Lee (8.1) and Payton (6.7) have been valuable contributors. Then there is center Looney, who has started all 58 games, averaging 6.2 & 7.5). Golden St lost 119-104 Monday night.at the LA Clippers, the team's THIRD loss in its previous four games. In that stretch, the Warriors have been outrebounded by an average of 48.5 to 40.3. That has to change and of course, Denver is led by Jokic, the NBA leader in double-doubles (45) and triple-doubles (15), having 15 of the former and eight of the latter in his past 16 games. Golden State has allowed at least 111 points in each of its past four games but still ranks 4th in points allowed (103.5 per), plus 2nd in both opponents FG percentage (43.%) and three-point percentage (33.3%). I believe this is Golden St's "game to win," remembering an 89-86 home loss to Denver way back on Dec 28th. Lay the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-16-22 | Winthrop v. Gardner-Webb -3.5 | Top | 81-70 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 31 m | Show |
My 10* Conf (Big South) "Best of the Best" is on Gardner-Webb at 7:00 ET. The Winthrop Eagles and the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs meet Wednesday from Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs, NC. Winthrop was 23-2 last season but this season began with a new head coach in Mark Prosper. Gardner-Webb, unlike Winthrop, has not been much of a threat in the Big South during Mark Crat's tenure (now in his 9th season). The Big South has two divisions (North and South). Longwood (19-6 / 11-1) has run away with the North but Winthrop (17-8 / 10-2) is being challenged in the South by Gardner-Webb (15-10 / 9-3).
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02-16-22 | Illinois -3 v. Rutgers | Top | 59-70 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 8 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on Illinois at 7:00 ET. Illinois routed Rutgers by 35 points when the teams met on Dec 3 but much has changed (especially for Rutgers), since that meeting. Illinois is one of five top-25 teams in the Big Ten and sits atop the conference at 11-3. Rutgers is unranked but at 9-5 in league play, is still very much alive to get one of the conference's top-four seeds (double-bye).
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02-15-22 | Wisconsin v. Indiana -3 | Top | 74-69 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
My 9* Late Breaker is on Indiana at 9:00 ET. The Big Ten has FIVE schools in the AP's top-20. Purdue is the highest ranked at No. 5 but at 11-4, trails No. 12 Illinois (11-3). No. 15 Wisconsin is 19-5 overall and 10-4 in the Big Ten (third-place), as it visits Bloomington, In on Tuesday to take on 16-8 Indiana, which is just 7-7 in Big Ten play. The Badgers find themselves in a four-way fight at the top of the conference standings (Mich St is 9-4) and Saturday's 73-65 home loss to Rutgers sure didn't help. Greg Gard is now in his seventh season at Madison, taking over when Bo Ryan retired. Wisconsin featured four, 5th-year seniors and three regular seniors last season but of the 14 scholarship players this season, 10 are classified as freshmen for eligibility purposes. Guard Davison began the season with 124 career starts and is averaging 14.4 & 4.1 and is joined by freshman guard Hepburn (7.5). The "big story" has been guard Davis (7.0 & 4.1 LY), who is averaging 20.3 & 8.2 this season. Rounding out the starting-five, after limited playing time last season, are the 6-9 Wahl (11.6 & 5.7) and the 7-0 Crowl (9.1 & 4.4). Indiana lost its final six games of last season and the Hoosiers fired head coach Archie Miller. They then hired Mike Woodson (former Indiana player under Bob Knight) to lead the team in the 2021-22 season, Indiana opened 6-0 but is a modest 10-8 since, including 7-7 in Big Ten play). The 6-9 Jackson-Davis (17.5 & 8.3) is the team's best player, joined up front by the 6-8 Thompson (10.7 & 7.8) and the 6-7 Kopp (6.0 & 2.5). Guards Johnson (10.4-3.6-4.5), Stewart (6.7 and Galloway (6.0) are getting the backcourt minutes (Phinisee was averaging 5.1 PPG but has been sidelined with an ankle injury since late Jan). Wisconsin is known for its defense and is allowing 66.4 PPG but it may surprise that Indiana is allowing 63.8 PPG. What's more, Wisconsin is allowing opponents to shoot 43.7% (221st), while Indiana is holding opponents to 37.6% shooting (5th-best in the nation). The Hoosiers are coming off a 76-61 loss at Michigan State on Saturday (team's third straight loss), dropping to 2-6 on the road this season. However, the Hoosiers are 13-2 at home. This contest is a rematch of the Big Ten opener for both teams back on Dec 8, a game Wisconsin won 64-59. However, the Badgers needed to rally from a 22-point deficit to edge Indiana at home. The 'shoe' is on the other foot in this one and I look for the Hoosiers to earn the win, dealing the Badgers a 'hurtful' loss in their quest for a Big Ten regular season title. Revenge is a dish best served cold and I expect it to be very 'cold' tonight in Assembly Hall for the Badgers. Good luck...Larry |
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02-15-22 | Villanova -4 v. Providence | Top | 89-84 | Win | 100 | 13 h 46 m | Show |
My 9* Marquee Classic is on Villanova at 8:00 ET. Big East supremacy will be at stake Tuesday when No. 10 Villanova visits No. 8 Providence. Villanova (19-6, 12-3) is the model program of the conference, while Providence (21-2, 11-1 Big East) is in first-place coming off a 13-13 season (9-10 in the Big East). Villanova head coach Jay Wright owns two national titles (2016 and 2018) and is coming off a Sweet 16 appearance last season with four starters coming back, 'Nova opened the year as the AP's 4th-ranked team but the Wildcats were just 7-4 through mid-December. That said, THREE of those losses came to then-No. 2 UCLA, then-No. 6 Purdue and then-No. 2 Baylor. Villanova is 12 and 2 since then, as Wright is going with a basic six-man rotation so far this season. Collin Gillespie has fully recovered from an MCL injury that ended his 2020-21 campaign early. He leads the Wildcats in scoring with 16.2 PPG. Fellow guards Justin Moore adds 15.2 & 5.0 and Daniels chips in 9.27PPG in the role of 6th-man. Up front, it's the 6-7 Samuels (10.2 & 6.1) the 6-8 Dixon (10.0 & 6.7).and the 6-7 Slater (9.0 & 3.7). Ed Cooley arrived in Providence for the 2011-12 season and led the Friars to FIVE straight NCAA tournaments from 2014-2018. Providence is coming off a mediocre 13-13 season last year but that's all changed this season. The Friars have three double digit scorers 6-10 center Watson (13.6 & 5.7), plus guards Durhman (13.4) and Bynum (11.6 & 4.2 APG). Reeves (8.9) adds depth in the backcourt, while the 6-8 Horchler (9.9 & 8.5) and the 6-7 Minaya (6.6 & 5.8) contribute up front. Villanova always plays excellent defense and this season is no different (62.2 PPG ranks 26th) but Providence has held opponents to a modest 64.6 PPG (61st). This is the first of two meetings between the two schools, with the second coming Mar 1 (regular season finale for both) and Villanova is well aware that a loss here and the Friars will move to 12-1, leaving the Wildcats at 12-4 (steep hill to climb). Villanova has won SIX of its last eight road games against Providence and I'll back "the model program of the conference" in this Marquee Classic. Lay the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-15-22 | Celtics v. 76ers +2 | Top | 135-87 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 9 m | Show |
My 10* Division (Atlantic) Game of the Year is on the Phi 76ers at 7:40 ET. The Philadelphia 76ers acquired James Harden along with Paul Millsap on Thursday from the Brooklyn Nets for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks. However, Harden's strained hamstring is expected to be sidelined through at least the All-Star break. 34-22 Philadelphia defeated Oklahoma City and Cleveland in consecutive games this past weekend without Harden and tonight welcome rival Boston to Philly on Tuesday. The red-hot Celtics will be looking for their NINTH consecutive victory in Tuesday's game. The Celtics were a season-worst three games under .500 when they were 18-21 thru Jan 6 but have since gone 15-4 to reach 33-25. EIGHT straight wins (10 of 11) have moved Boston into the East's No. 6 seed (last guaranteed playoff spot) and just 4 1/2-games back of top-seeded Miami (37-20). The Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks 105-95 on Sunday thanks in large part to Jayson Tatum's 38 points and 10 rebounds. Jaylen Brown added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who looked completely in sync offensively. Tatum (25.7 & 8.4) and Brown (23.5 & 6.6) lead the way but there have been times when Tatum and Brown have been criticized for "not playing well with others" but Celtics first-year head coach Ime Udoka recently said, "We know we're much harder to beat when both are firing on all cylinders. They've been shooting better, attacking better, and making plays, and we expect that from those two." However, Boston needs to keep others involved. Boston was active at Thursday's trade deadline. First, they acquired point guard Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford and a 2022 first-round pick. Then, they acquired forward Daniel Theis from the Houston Rockets for guard Dennis Schroder and big men Enes Freedom and Bruno Fernando. Theis, a former Celtic, is averaging 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 26 games (21 starts) this season. White has averaged 14.5-5.0-3.5 in his two games and along with Smart (11.8-4.0-5.4) form an excellent backcourt. Big men Horford (10.0 & 7.5) and Robert Williams (10.0 & 9.7) give Boston the look of a "real contender!" Philadelphia is 34-22 (No. 4 seed) but as I've mentioned often, the top-5 East teams are separated by just 2 1/2-games. The Sixers have been resilient while waiting for Harden to make his team debut. Joel Embiid produced his fourth career triple-double with 40 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in a 103-93 win over the Cavaliers on Saturday. Embiid (29.5-11.2-4.5) joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only other Sixers player in history to accumulate a 40-point triple-double. Philly guards Thybulle (5.9) and Milton (10.1) are back and join Maxey (17.0-3.6-4.7), who is developing as a star at PG. Harris (18.9 & 7.4) forms an excellent center/PF duo with Embiid. SF Niang (9.3) continues to play well plus Korkmaz (8.9) and Green (6.6) add depth. Yes, Boston has won EIGHT straight but look closer. FOUR of those wins have been on the road to. Boston's 'victims' have been 23-34 New Orleans, 12-45 Detroit, 13-46 Orlando and the free-falling Brooklyn (has lost 11 of 12). Philadelphia has taken TWO of three from Boston this season and in this final regular season meeting, will make it THREE wins in a row over the team's hated-rival. Good luck...Larry |
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02-15-22 | Memphis v. Cincinnati +3 | Top | 81-74 | Loss | -103 | 11 h 44 m | Show |
My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on Cincinnati at 7:00 ET. The Memphis Tigers got hot at the end of last season and head coach Penny Hardaway led his alma mater to the NIT championship. Memphis opened the current CBB season ranked 12th in the AP poll but it's far from 'smooth sailing' for the Tigers, who are currently a modest 14-8 and have long ago fallen from the rankings. However, the Tigers have won FIVE straight (all in league play) and are 8-4 in the AAC, 1 1/2-games behind conference leaders Houston and SMU (both 9-2). The Tigers travel to Cincinnati to take on the 16-8 Bearcats (just 6-5 in AAC play) tonight. The Bearcats have a new coach in Wes Miller (NCAA bids with UNC-Greensboro in 2018 and 2021), who was hired after John Brannen was let go amid controversy.
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02-14-22 | Dayton v. Rhode Island +2.5 | Top | 63-57 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 39 m | Show |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on Rhode Island at 9:00 ET. The 17-8 Dayton Flyers and the 13-10 Rhode Island Rams meet Monday from Ryan Center in Kingston, RI in A-10 action. Dayton is 9-3 in conference play (tied with VCU), as both chase 10-2 Davidson. Rhode Island is only 3-4 in conference play but comes off a confidence-building 72-65 win over Davidson in its last game. The two schools met back on Jan 28 in Dayton, with the Flyers barely edging the Rams, 53-51.
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02-14-22 | Spurs v. Bulls -5 | Top | 109-120 | Win | 100 | 11 h 55 m | Show |
My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on the Chi Bulls at 8:10 ET. The SA Spurs had their playoff streak of 22 in a row snapped in the 2019 season when they went 32-39. The Spurs went 33-39 last season, qualifying for the play-in' round but failed to advance, making it TWO straight non-playoff years for "Pop." The Spurs are currently 22-35 and one behind the No. 10 seed, the final spot for the 7-10 'play-in' round. The Chicago Bulls were 31-41 last season, missing the postseason for the FOURTH consecutive year but have reinvented themselves as a threat in the Eastern Conference behind Zach LaVine and the free agent signing of DeMar DeRozan. They also picked up center Nikola Vucevic from Orlando last season (where his talents were wasted) plus added Lonzo Ball as a free agent prior to this season. Chicago is currently 36-21, one game behind the top-seeded Miami Heat in the East (note: top-5 seeds separated by just 2 1/2-games). The Spurs head to Chicago after a 124-114 win in New Orleans on Saturday (team's third straight win), as Dejounte Murray (20.0 & 9.3) scored 31 points and distributed 12 assists in the victory, giving him the 30-10 achievement in back-to-back games. The Spurs also have five more players averaging in double digits. The group includes Johnson (15.6 & 6.0), Poeltl (13.0 & 9.0), McDermott (11.7), Vassell (11.6 & 4.3) and Walker (10.9). The Bulls came from behind to beat Oklahoma City 106-101 at home on Saturday (also the team's third straight win) behind DeRozan's 38 points. DeRozan (27.7-5.2-5.1) has now scored 30 or more points in six consecutive games (a career-high), and the last Bull to score 30-plus in seven straight games was Michael Jordan in 1996-97. Zach LaVine (24.6-4.9-Center 4.5) missed Saturday's game with a sore left knee and left the team on Sunday to see a specialist. He is considered questionable for the contest with the Spurs and could miss the rest of the week leading up to the All-Star Break. Center Vucevic missed some time due to COVID and is currently dealing with a knee issue but he's playing these days and is averaging a double-double (18.0 & 11.7) on the season. Ball is sidelined but rookie guard Dosunmu (8.0) has made the most of his extra "PT." He is averaging just over 10 PPG since Jan 1 and in his last two games, he has scored 26 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out 19 assists. The Spurs beat the Bulls 131-122 in San Antonio back on Jan 28, but expect the Bulls to 'return the favor tonight,' in a BIG way! Good luck...Larry |
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02-14-22 | West Virginia +3.5 v. Kansas State | Top | 73-78 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 44 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on West Va at 7:00 ET. The Big 12 Conference has FOUR schools in the AP's top-20, with Kansas (9-2) leading the way over 9-3 Baylor and 8-4 Texas Tech. Tonight's game between West Va (14-10 / 3-8 Big 12) and Kansas St (13-11 / 5-7 Big 12) is not what one would call a marquee matchup. However, both have quality head coaches in West Va's Bob Huggins and Bruce Weber of Kansas St. The Mountaineers just got pounded 81-58 Saturday at Oklahoma State, suffering their EIGHT loss in nine games. The Wildcats come into this game with momentum after rallying Saturday for a 75-69 overtime win at Iowa State. They allowed just 29 points after halftime, limiting the Cyclones to 31.4 percent shooting from the floor. The guard duo of Sherman (18.4) and McNeil (13.4) lead the way for West Va, while the 6-7 Bridges (9.2 & 5.0) is the team's top frontcourt player. Guard Curry (8.5) is the only other West Va player averaging as much as 5 PPG. Kansas St has a trio of guards averaging in double digits, led by Pack (17.7). He's joined by Smith (12.0 & 8.4) and PG Newell (11.5 & 5.1 APG). The 6-9 Massoud (6.3 & 2.8) and the 6-10 Ezeagu (4.3 & 3.0) add little in the way of much help in the frontcourt. West Virginia edged Kansas State 71-68 back on Jan 9 in Morgantown. At that point, WVU was 12-2 on the season but is just 2-8 since then. It's "revenge" for Kansas St but I want NO part of laying points with the Wildcats. Interestingly, Monday night's game offers an opportunity for the winner to possibly make a late run into the 68-team NCAA field next month. Each has some high-profile games left on the schedule and with four Big 12 teams in the top-15 of the NCAA's NET rankings through Saturday night's games, a late season run and a "W" (or two) in the Big 12 tourney may just 'do the trick!' I'm with Huggins and the Mountaineers. Good luck...Larry |
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02-13-22 | Colorado State +3 v. Boise State | Top | 77-74 | Win | 100 | 9 h 19 m | Show |
My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on Colorado St at 4:00 ET. The 19-3 Colorado State Rams (9-3 in MWC) and the 19-5 Boise State Broncos (10-1 in MWC) meet Sunday afternoon from the ExtraMile Arena in Boise in a major showdown in the MWC. Boise St is tied with Wyoming at the top of the conference standings, while CSU sits 1 1/2-games behind the two leaders. This is the first of two meetings between the two schools, who will meet again March 5 in Fort Collins (season finale for both teams). CSU's head coach Niko Medved is in his fourth season at Fort Collins, coming off a 20-8 record last season in which the Rams finished fourth in the NIT. Colorado State lost just ONE of its first 17 games but then lost B2B games to UNLV and Wyoming, before winning three in a row. David Roddy leads the Rams in scoring (19.3) and rebounding (7.7), while PG Isaiah Stevens averages 15.5 PPG and a team-high 4.9 APG this season. John Tonje (10.3) comes off the bench to give the Rams a third double-digit scorer. Guards Jacobs (5.2 & 4.2) and Moore (5.8) join the 6-9 Thomas (6.2 & 3.5) to complete the starting-five. Lake, Rivera and Moors combine to contribute 12.9 PPG. Boise St's Leon Rice is in his 12th season, having produced EIGHT 20-win seasons in his first 11, including two NCAA teams (the most recent coming back in 2015). Last year's team went 19-9, before losing in the NIT quarterfinals, just missing a ninth, 20-win campaign. The Broncos opened just 3-4 but have won 16 of 17 since, losing only Feb 3 at Wyoming (72-65). Boise St has depth issues but has a very solid starting-five. The backcourt is missing Doutrive (9.4 & 4.6), who last played on Nov 30 but Shaver (12.7 & 3.7) and 6-8 guard Akot (11.0 & 3.2) form a quality duo. Up front, it's the 6-7 Kijab (14.1 & 6.4), the 6-7 Degenhart (10.3 & 3.7) and the 6-10 Armus (6.9 & 8.3). The 6-7 Smith (5.3 & 3.2) comes off the bench. Defense is Boise's 'bread-and-butter,' allowing 59.2 PPG (9th). This is a HUGE game for Colorado St, as loss likely leaves the regular season title to either Wyoming or Boise. However, a "W'' keeps them right in the mix. Let me note that Boise St comes in on an 0-4 ATS run in its last four home games. Take the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-13-22 | Connecticut -3.5 v. St. John's | Top | 63-60 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 50 m | Show |
My 9* Big East Showdown is on UConn at 12:00 ET. St. John's (13-10, 5-7 Big East) will host No. 24 UConn (16-7, 7-5) in Madison Square Garden at high noon on Super Bowl Sunday. The Red Storm haven't played since Tuesday, when they trailed by 20 points with four minutes left before mounting a furious rally in a 75-69 loss to No. 15 Villanova. UConn also ran out of time in its 74-68 loss Friday night at No. 25 Xavier. The Huskies allowed Xavier to shoot almost 50 percent from the floor (26-of-53) and never led in the second half. They trailed 47-37 with 13:39 left before getting within three points three times, including twice in the final two minutes. Mike Anderson (no connection at all to St John's or the Big East) was a surprise choice as the Red Storm's head coach after Chris Mullen left and the 'jury is still out' in his third season. The 6-8 Champagnie is listed as a guard and leads St John's in scoring (18.5) and rebounding (6.6). The 6-9 Wheeler (9.6 & 4.1) and the 6-11 Soriano (6.1 & 5.7) are the Red Storm's lone big men of note. Guards Alexander (14.9-4.6-5.2), Addae-Wusu (9.3 & 4.3), Mathis (8.3 & 4.0) and Smith (6.3) give St John's a deep perimeter group. Dan Hurley had a nice run at Rhode Island (won 25 & 26 games his last two seasons with NCAA bids) which got him the UConn job. He's in his fourth season and last year got UConn into the NCAAs. Guards Gole (16.3-3.7-4.4), Martin (13.7 & 6.6) Jackson (7.0 & 7.3) start in the backcourt, along with the 6-9 Sanogo (15.2 & 8.3) and Whaley (7.4 & 4.90. The 6-9 Polley (7.6) is the top reserve. Here's the rub. St John's has BOTH Champagnie (exited the last game with a hip injury, and it is unclear if he will suit up against UConn) and Alexander (missed the previous game due to a right ankle injury, and it is uncertain if he will play vs UConn) listed as questionable. I'm NOT sure I'd want St John's if that duo was 100 percent healthy and I sure won't take St John's with the current status report. Remember, the Huskies own a 115-109 double overtime win over Auburn (Nov 24) and even though they limp in having lost three of four, that lone win was an 80-72 victory over No. 18 Marquette on Tuesday. This is a great matchup for UConn. Lay the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-13-22 | CS-Fullerton +1.5 v. Hawaii | Top | 55-72 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 7 m | Show |
My Late Breaker is on CS-Fullerton at 11:59 ET. The 14-7 CS-Fullerton Titans will travel to the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu to take on the 11-8 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors this Saturday night in Big West play. A close look at the Big West standings reveals that while 10-1 Long Beach St (10-1) is the 'class' of the conference, the 8-2 Titans and 7-3 Rainbow Warriors are still within striking distance. Fullerton lost 71-61 this past Tuesday at Long Beach St, while Hawaii lost its 3rd straight game two nights ago, 73-66 at home to Long Beach State Beach. Fullerton is led by the 6-7 Anosike (16.5 & 8.1) and only guard Milstead (10.9) joins him in double digits. However, five more players chip in between 7.0 & 9.8 PPG, led by guard Maddox (9.8) and the 6-8 Lee, who is the team's top rebounder (6.9) outside of Anosike. Hawaii features a solid starting-five. Guards Coleman (14.9) and Madut (10.4) are joined by a frontcourt of the 6-7 Desrosiers (11.6 & 7.4), the 6-9 da Silva (11.1 & 6.8) and the 6-10 Hepa (9.6 & 4.9). Both teams are coming off losses to conference 'bully' LB St, so a "W" here is priority No. 1 for both Fullerton and Hawaii. I view Fullerton as the better team and the Titans are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a ATS loss. Meanwhile, Hawaii is only 1-6 ATS in its last seven games vs a team with a winning percentage above .600 (Fullerton is 14-7, .667). Fullerton doesn't play again until Feb 17, so why not enjoy their one-game stop in 'paradise!' The Titans are the play. Good luck...Larry |
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02-12-22 | UCLA -1.5 v. USC | Top | 64-67 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 46 m | Show |
My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on UCLA at 10:00 ET. All remember UCLA's great run to the Final 4 last season and with a 'TON' of talent back, the Bruins began the season ranked No. 2 in the AP's preseason poll. USC was 25-8 last season (made the Elite 8) but head coach Andy Enfield (who will ever forget Florida Gulf Coast!) has retooled the Trojans, after losing Evan Mobley to the NBA draft (3rd overall pick). USC opened the current season 13-0 and in the Jan 10 AP poll, was ranked No. 5. It was the school's highest ranking since also being No. 5 way back in December of 1974! Now, on Super Bowl Eve, less than 10 miles from where the big game will be played, cross-town rivals No. 12 UCLA and No. 21 USC meet at Galen Center in a game with Pac-12 Conference title implications.
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02-12-22 | Drake v. Bradley -1.5 | Top | 59-68 | Win | 100 | 9 h 11 m | Show |
My 9* play is on Bradley at 8:00 ET (3rd of my STP). Drake's Darian DeVries is in his fourth season in Des Moines (70-29 his first three) and you may remember Drake opening 18-0 last season. However, the Bulldogs lost in the MVC tourney (Arch Madness) but the Bulldogs still went 'dancing,' earning the first at-large bid in program history (Drake also finished at 26-5). What's more, Drake returned all FIVE starters from that team. Bradley's Brian Wardle is in his 7th season at Bradley, having gone just 93-102 in his first six (12-16 last season). Drake come is 17-8 (8-4 in MVC) and Bradley 14-11 (8-5 in MVC). The teams meet tonight from the Carver Arena in Peoria. |
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02-12-22 | New Mexico State v. Utah Valley +3 | Top | 68-72 | Win | 100 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
My 10* Conf Game of the Year (WAC) is on Utah Valley St at 4:00 ET. New Mexico St has pretty much dominated the WAC since joining in the 2005-06 season, winning nine WAC conference tourneys (2020 tourney was canceled in a year in which the Aggies were 25-6 / 16-0 in the WAC. Chris Jans is in his fifth season In Las Cruces and is his first four, produced a 95-25 record, despite last season's 12-8 mark. However, despite losing four starters, the Aggies are back atop the WAC at 20-3 overall, including 10-1 in league play. Utah Valley St has nowhere near that kind of pedigree and Mark Madsen is in just his third season as a head coach. The Wolverines were just 11-19 and 11-11 in his first two seasons but Madesen (who will EVER forget him 'dancing' while celebrating a Lakers' title) has this year's team at 15-8 overall but just 6-5 in WAC play. The Aggies have an excellent guard duo in Allen (top scorer and top rebounder at 19.6 & 7.0) plus Rice (12.8 & 5.7). That duo gets little help, as no other guard averages as much as 5 PPG. The frontcourt does have depth (but no major producers) in the 6-7 MCants (8.5-5.0), the 6-7 Tillman (6.6 & 3.1), the 6-10 McNair (6.5 & 5.0) and the 6-11 Alok (5.9 & 2.4). As for Utah Valley, the 6-11 Aimaq (18.9 & 13.2) is the best big man in this game and gets some support from the 6-9 Fuller (7.3 & 4.6). Four guards chip in between 7.5 and 11.3 PPG, led in scoring by Harding (11.3 & 4.2) and in assists by PG Nield (4.5). New Mexico will likely win the WAC tourney title again but this Utah Valley St team is 'sneaky good' and is 8-2 at home this season. I'm issuing an "Upset Alert!" Take the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-12-22 | VCU v. George Mason -2 | Top | 85-70 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 39 m | Show |
My 9* play is on George Mason at 4:00 ET (1st of my STP). The VCU Rams and George Mason Patriots meet Saturday in A-10 action from the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Va. The VCU Rams come in having won FIVE of six and are now 15-7 overall, including 8-3 in league play. George Mason beat Richmond on Wednesday but enters just 3-3 in its last six games (12-10 overall and 5-4 in league play). Davidson leads the A-10 at 10-1, while VCU is tied with StL and Dayton at 9-3.
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02-12-22 | Murray State v. Morehead State +3.5 | Top | 57-53 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 6 m | Show |
My 9* play is on Morehead Dt at 4:00 ET (2nd play of STP). The Murray State Racers just entered the AP poll on Monday (at No.23), for the first time since a one-week stay in March of 2015. Having won 13 straight games since a Dec 22 loss at Auburn, tends to build one's resume. Murray St (23-2 / 13-0 in OVC) will travel to Ellis T. Johnson Arena to take on the Morehead State Eagles late Saturday afternoon. Morehead St is 19-7 overall and 11-2 in OVC play (tied with Belmont).
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02-11-22 | Fresno State +6 v. Colorado State | Top | 50-65 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 15 m | Show |
My 9* West Coast Crusher is on Fresno St at 9:30 ET. The 16-7 Fresno State Bulldogs and the 18-3 Colorado State Rams meet Friday in MWC play from Moby Arena in Fort Collins. Fresno State is just 6-4 in MWC play, while Colorado St is 8-3, trying to run down MWC leaders Wyoming and Boise St (both are 9-1).
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02-11-22 | Nuggets +5.5 v. Celtics | Top | 102-108 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 23 m | Show |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on the Den Nuggets at 7:40 ET. The Den Nuggets were just 18-18 thru Jan 5 but have won 12 of 18 (SEVEN of their last 10) to move to 30-24. Denver is now the West's No. 6 seed, the final guaranteed playoff spot. The Nuggets will have a tough job moving up in the 'loaded' West, so keeping teams like Minnesota and both LA teams 'at bay,' is priority No. 1. Denver is in Boston tonight to take on the Celtics, who enter on a SIX game winning streak (eight of 10 since sitting 23-24 on Jan 21). 31-25 Boston is currently the East's No. 7 but is just ONE game back of the No. 6 seed plus more notably, only FIVE games behind the East's No. 1 seed. Denver has played all season without Murray (21.2 PPG last season) and Porter played just NINE games (9.9 & 6.6) before going down. Last year's MVP Jokic (25.8-13.6-7.9) has basically 'mirrored' his starts from last season and is still surrounded by some solid talent. Swingman Barton (15.6-4.0-4.1), PF Gordon (14.7 & 5.7), PG Morris (12.6 & 4.3 APG) and SF Green (10.3) have been consistent. Unfortunately Morris is dealing with a concussion and will miss this game. That means Denver's reserves will need to step up (more in a bit). Tatum (25.5 & 8.4) and Brown (23.9 & 6.5) lead the way. There have been times when Tatum and Brown have been criticized for "not playing well with others" but Celtics first-year head coach Ime Udoka recently said, "We know we're much harder to beat when both are firing on all cylinders. They've been shooting better, attacking better, and making plays, and we expect that from those two." However, Boston needs to keep others involved. Boston was active at Thursday's trade deadline. First, they acquired point guard Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford and a 2022 first-round pick. Then, they acquired forward Daniel Theis from the Houston Rockets for guard Dennis Schroder and big men Enes Freedom and Bruno Fernando. Theis, a former Celtic, is averaging 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 26 games (21 starts) this season. Denver's offense still revolves around Jokic, who has posted four straight games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. However, the team's bench has played a key role over the past week. The Nuggets' bench outscored the Knicks' reserves 61-34 in Tuesday's 132-115 win over the Knicks. Hyland (8.6) scored 22 points vs the Knicks and has moved ahead of Campazzo (5.8 & 3.7 APG) as the team's second-string PG. Both will get more minutes with Morris out plus swingman Forbes has been an excellent pickup, averaging 9.9 PPG in his 11 games with the team. Boston lost Schroder (14.4) and Richardson (9.7) in Thursday's trades, which will put more pressure on Smart (11.5-54.0-5.4). Up Front, Horford (10.0 & 7.5) and Robert Williams (9.8 & 9.5) have been reliable all season. These teams are pretty evenly matched, so taking the points makes sense. In fact, with Boston shaking its roster up Thursday, I'm calling for Denver to win this game OUTRIGHT! Good luck...Larry |
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02-11-22 | Kent State v. Akron -3.5 | Top | 66-64 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
My 10* Oddsmaker's Error is on Akron at 7:00 ET. The Kent State Golden Flashes and Akron Zips meet Friday in MAC play action from the James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron. Kent State is 14-9 and comes in on a FIVE-game winning streak while Akron has won three in a row to reach 16-6. Toledo and Ohio lead the MAC (both are 11-2), with Akron (9-3) and Kent (9-4) hoping to catch up. Kent returned four starters from last year's 15-8 team and owns a deep backcourt. Carry (17.6-4.7-4.8) leads the way with fellow guards Jacobs (11.6 PPG and a team-high 7.6 RPG), Santiago (8.9) and Garcia (8.5). The 6-11 Hamilton (8.6 & 6.7) and the 6-7 Beck (6.6) are the team's top frontcourt players. Akron pretty much relies on its starting-five. The 6-8 Ali leads in scoring at 13.7 PPG, while the 6-7 Freeman is the leading rebounder (11.0), while adding 12.9 PPG. Guards Castaneda (13.2) and Trimble (10.7) add double digit scoring in the backcourt, while fellow guards Walton (7.3) and Tribble (7.1) are solid contributors. These rivals met back on Jan 14 in Kent, with the Golden Flashes winning 67-55. That game was the first of what's now been a 7-1 run by Kent St. However, let me add that since that loss, Akron has gone 7-1, as well. The Zips are 10-1 at home and that follows them going 28-5 at home the previous two seasons. Both teams play solid D but the Zips have allowed just 59.3 PPG during their three-game winning streak. Revenge, plus their dominating home record (see above) makes Akron the play at this 'undervalued' price. The Zips win by double digits. Good luck...Larry |
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02-10-22 | Bucks +4 v. Suns | Top | 107-131 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 57 m | Show |
My 10* NBA Finals Rematch is on the Mil Bucks at 10:00 ET. The Milwaukee Bucks are the defending champions but it's been far from 'smooth sailing' this season. However, the Bucks wrap up a four-game Western road trip tonight in Phoenix, having won EIGHT of 10. It has been a much-needed surge, after the Bucks lost SIX of eight from Jan 3-17. Milwaukee is now 35-21, just a half-game behind the 35-20 Heat, for the East's top record (note: The East's top-5 teams are separated by just 2 1/2-games). I'm sure Milwaukee has not forgotten the thrill of winning the NBA title but I'm equally sure that the Phoenix Suns haven't shed themselves of "the agony of defeat." Tonight is the first rematch of the teams that battled in last season's NBA Finals, Milwaukee visits 44-10 Phoenix. Milwaukee has been dominant while winning the first three contests of this four-game game road trip, as the Bucks have averaged 135 points with a winning margin of 22.7 points. Antetokounmpo scored 44 points on 17-of-20 shooting during Tuesday's demolition of the Lakers. Milwaukee led by 30 in the third quarter before cruising to a 131-116 win. Antetokounmpo (29.2-11.3-6.0) leads the way for Milwaukee, joined by SF Middleton (19.5-5.6-5.3), PG Holiday (17.9-4.7-6.7) and PF/C Portis (15.6 & 9.1). Guards Allen (11.7) and Connaughton (10.2 & 4,4) have been regular contributors plus Cousins has been a valuable signing, averaging 9.1 & 5.8 in just 17 minutes over 17 games (five starts). Phoenix ended a 10-season playoff drought last year by going 51-21 (one win shy of Utah's NBA-leading 52 wins) and made it all the way to the Finals. The Suns took the first two games at home but then saw the Bucks win FOUR in a row, to win the team's second-ever NBA title. The first came way back in the 1970-71 season, led by Lew Alcindor (now Kareem) and the Big O. The Suns opened the current season just 1-3 but then ripped off 18 consecutive wins! Another 1-3 'drought' followed, but the Suns are currently on a 17-2 run, giving them a 44-10 (.815) record. The balanced Suns can place six or seven players in double figures on any given night. Booker (25.7-5.3-4.3) and Paul (15.0-4.5-10.4) are a terrific guard duo. Center Ayton (16.1 & 10.4) is surrounded by SF Bridges (13.1 & 4.3) and PF Crowder (8.9 & 5.2). The Suns also have SF Johnson (11.9 & 4.2), guard Payne (10.5) and center McGee (10.0 & 7.1). Throw in the 6-8 Biyombo, who was signed in January and over 15 games has averaged 8.9 & 6.9 in 22 minutes. Talk about an embarrassment of riches! Both teams come in healthy, although the Suns' Payne will sit with a wrist injury. The revenge motive is clearly with the Suns plus Phoenix has won five of the last six regular-season meetings against the Bucks. Neither team has a weakness and both enter on a roll. "It is kind of like a rematch, right?" Bucks PG Jrue Holiday told TNT after Tuesday's 131-116 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers. "We know what's at stake. We know what happened last year. We know they're going to be focused and we're going to be focused as well." Forget revenge, Take the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-10-22 | Purdue v. Michigan +3.5 | Top | 58-82 | Win | 100 | 9 h 54 m | Show |
My 9* Late Breaker is on Michigan at 9:00 ET. The Big Ten features five teams in the AP's top-25. 19-3 Purdue is ranked 3rd (no other Big Ten is higher than 13th) but since all THREE of the Boilermakers' losses are in league play, they find themselves in a three-way tie with Illinois (#13) and Wisconsin (#14) atop the conference standings at 10-3. Michigan opened the season ranked 6th in the AP's preseason poll but as we approach Valentine's Day the Wolverines are just 12-9 overall and 'buried' in the Big Ten at 6-5. Purdue beat Michigan 76-72 Feb 5 at home and now visits Crisler Arena looking for a series sweep. Matt Painter is in his 17th season at Purdue and after the Boilermakers matched their best start through 17 games under Painter (Purdue also started 15-2 during the 2010-11 and 2017-18 seasons), Purdue is 19-3. 7-4 sophomore Edey (14.8 & 7.5) teams with 6-10 senior Williams (12.3 & 8.1), the 6-6 Gillis (7.1 & 3.3) and 6-10 freshman Furst (4.7 & 4.0 ) up front. The perimeter is led by Ivey (17.7-5.1-3.3) and Stefanovic (11.9), while Thompson (5.5), Hunter (5.3) and Newman (5.3) add depth. Purdue is quite an offensive juggernaut, averaging 84.5 PPG (4th) on 50.8% shooting (3rd). Juwan Howard's season has NOT gone as planned (Wolverines were 23-5 last year). Michigan's starting-five includes 7-1 center Dickinson (18.1 & 8,3) and the 6-11 Diabate (8.4 & 6.1) up front, plus a trio of guards. Brooks (11.0) and Houstan (10.3 & 4.3) score in double digits, while PG Jones (9.2-4.4-3.9) runs the offense. The two most reliable reserves are forwards Williams and Johns, but they combine for the modest totals of 9.2 PPG and 4.9 RPG. Michigan can't match Purdue's firepower, averaging 72.4 PPG, 12 points less than the Boilermakers. However, Michigan 'hung' with Purdue last Saturday in West Lafayette, never losing contact and falling by just six points. In this quick turnaround revenge spot, I'm 'barking' with the home dog. Take the points but expect a Michigan win. Good luck...Larry |
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02-10-22 | Georgia State v. Coastal Carolina | Top | 61-50 | Win | 100 | 9 h 56 m | Show |
My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on Ga St at 7:00 ET. The 9-10 Georgia State Panthers will travel to The HTC Center (Conway, SC) to take on the 12-10 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers for a Thursday night game in Sun Belt action. Neither team has been competitive in league play, as Ga St is just 3-5 and Coastal Carolina is 4-6 (SBC leader App St is 9-3 and NOT looking over its shoulder). The Panthers have depth, as EIGHT players chip in between 5.9 and 14.6 PPG. Guards Allen (14.6-3.7-3.0), Williams (12.0-4.0-3.8) and Roberts (12.0) all score in double digits The front court is led by the 6-8 Nsoseme (9.8 & 10.3), the 6-10 Thomas (6.6 & 5.9) and the 6-7 Hudson (5.9 & 5.2). Nsoseme began the season sidelined with an injury but returned in January and has made HUGE contributions The 6-9 Mostafa (14.9 & 9.9) gets some help from up front from the 6-9 Likayi (6.2 & 5.4) for Coastal Carolina, which also features guards Cole (14.9) and Williams (13.1) plus PG Dibba (7.8-4.6-6.1). George State comes into this game with a losing record but the Panthers have won three of their last four games. No doubt that Nsoseme's presence is starting to make an impact (he'll match up well vs Mostafa), as the Panthers have held their last six opponents to an average of just 64.7 PPG. I believe that the oddsmakers are slow in recognizing the marked improvement from the Panthers. Ga St lost at home 72-68 (OT) to Coastal Carolina on Jan 22 but note that Nsoseme had 19 & 15 in that one. Revenge "wins the day" in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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02-10-22 | Louisiana Tech -3.5 v. Charlotte | Top | 82-77 | Win | 100 | 9 h 55 m | Show |
My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on La Tech at 7:00 ET. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs will travel to play the Charlotte 49ers in a Conference USA game on Thursday night at Halton Arena. The Bulldogs have lost three of their last five but own a 17-6 record. La Tech plays in C-USA's West (by far the toughest division) and is 8-3, trailing 10-1 North Texas and 8-2 UAB. Charlotte enters off back-to-back wins but is a more modest 13-9 on the season. The 49ers play in the East, where four of the seven teams own sub-.500 records. Charlotte is 6-4, placing them third behind 8-3 FAU and 6-3 MTSU. La Tech head coach Eric Kunkol led Bulldogs to a 12-4 conference record but after losing in the C-USA tourney, accepted an NIT bid and made its Final 4 (finished 3rd), ending with a 24-8 record. The 6-6 Crawford (11.8 & 5.1) returned but was lost for the season after just three games. The 6-7 Lofton (17.3 & 11.0) is having an outstanding season, getting some support up front by the 6-7 Green (7.0 & 3.0) and 6-10 freshman Hunter (4.0 & 3.0). The backcourt is led by three double digit scorers, Archibald (13.8), Willis (11.5) and Williams (10.3 & 3.6 APG). Ron Sanchez is in his fourth season at Charlotte and entered the current season with a three-year record of just 33-50 (9-16 last season). The 49ers have a six-man rotation featuring guards Young (18.9-5.5-3.7), Butler (11.8 & 6.0), Trapp (9.2 & 5.6) and Threadkill (6.2). Up front, it's the 6-7 Braswell (9.5 & 1.7) and the 6-11 (Khalifa (7.1 & 4.1). This is the only meeting between these teams and the bottom line is, the Bulldogs are CLEARLY the better team. Home court will NOT help the 49ers in this one. Lay the points with the small road favorite. Good luck...Larry |
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02-09-22 | Warriors +3.5 v. Jazz | Top | 85-111 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 4 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the GS Warriors at 10:10 ET. The Golden St Warriors battled the Phoenix Suns for the top spot in the West since Opening Day but have recently fallen three games behind the Suns (Phoenix is 44-10 and Golden St 41-3). The Utah Jazz won an NBA-best 52 games last season and 'hung' right with Phoenix and Golden St early on, but after opening the season 28-10, the Jazz are now 33-21 (well off the place of the West's top-two teams) plus Utah has also fallen behind the red-hot 38-18 Grizzlies.
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02-09-22 | Richmond v. George Mason +1.5 | Top | 84-87 | Win | 100 | 11 h 47 m | Show |
My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on George Mason at 7:00 ET. The Richmond Spiders and the George Mason Patriots in A-10 action from EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Va on Wednesday night. The Spiders are on a three-game winning streak and are 16-8 on the season (7-4 in A-10), including a 62-59 win at home over George Mason just two nights ago. Meanwhile, the 11-10 Patriots (4-4 A-10) will try to snap a three-game losing streak after their loss at Richmond in their last game. Chris Mooney is in his 17th year coaching the Spiders (1st season was 2005-06) but after leading Richmond to back-to-back NCAA appearances in 2010 (26 wins) and 2011 (29 wins), the Spiders haven't been back in any of the last 10 seasons. Richmond finds itself 7-4 in A-10 play, trailing 9-1 Davidson, 8-2 St Louis and 8-3 VCU. A pair of forwards, the 6-7 Burton (16.9 & 7.3) and the 6-10 Golden (14.6 & 6.4) plus PG Gilyard (12.7 & 6.0 APG) lead the way. At GMU, the Patriots have a first-time head coach in Kim English. He inherited a 13-9 team that lost FOUR starters from last season. The Patriots are "not going anywhere" in the A-10 but English has a VERY good starting-five. All five average 30-plus minutes, led by the 6-9 Oduro (17.7 & 6.4). The four other starters are guards. Schwartz (15.5 & 4.8) is the top producer, joined by Cooper (12.8), Gaines (11.4 & 8.7) and Johnson (4.4 & 4.6). Richmond narrowly beat George Mason 62-59 at home on Monday night (Gilyard led with 23 points) and I believe will have its hands full at George Mason, which is 8-2 at home this season. George Mason is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 home games and 6-1 ATS in its last six games against a team with a winning record. The catch? Big man Oturo has missed the last two games in the concussion protocol. Will he play here? The answer is we are just guessing. That said, the Patriots almost won Monday at Richmond without him, so I'm on GMU here, regardless. Good luck...Larry |
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02-09-22 | Yale v. Harvard -1 | Top | 62-59 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 56 m | Show |
My 10* Conference Game of the Year (Ivy League) is on Harvard at 7:00 ET. The Yale Bulldogs and Harvard Crimson meet Wednesday in Ivy League action at the Lavietes Pavilion in Cambridge, Ma. The 12-9 Yale Bulldogs and the 11-8 Harvard Crimson have similar overall records but in Ivy games, Yale is 6-1 and leading the "Ancient 8," while Harvard is way back at 3-4. These two teams just met Saturday in New Haven, with Yale eking out a 58-55 win. The Bulldogs depend on a trio of guards and three more frontcourt players. Swain (19.7 & 4.5) leads a backcourt that also includes Gabbidon (11.3) and Cotton (8.9 & 4.0). Up front, it's the 6-7 Kelly (6.4 & 4.2), the 6-5 Knowing (6.2 & 4.9) and Jarvis (5.7 & 4.0). Swain registered 19 points as Yale held on to beat on Saturday night. Harvard began the season with two excellent 6-7 players in forward Ledlum (16.7 & 9.3) and big guard Kirkwood (17.8 & 5.9). That duo had started along with guards Sakota (11.5) and Tretout (8.5) plus the 6-6 Catchings (8.8 & 3.8). However, Ledlum has not played since Jan 7 and lately, Lesmond (8.2) has seen more action than Tretout. In football, Yale-Harvard is referred to as "The Game," and ranks with the greatest of all CFB rivalries. That's NOT the case in basketball but in this quick turnaround spot, I REALLY like Harvard the Crimson has gotten used to playing without Ledlum. Plus, Yale has a very 'weak' frontcourt, anyway. Yale loses on the road by an average of eight points while shooting only 39.5 percent from the floor, while Harvard wins at home by an average of 9.1 points. Go Harvard! Beat Yale! Good luck...Larry |
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02-09-22 | Xavier +3.5 v. Seton Hall | Top | 71-73 | Win | 100 | 7 h 22 m | Show |
My 9* Big East Showdown is on Xavier at 7:00 ET. Xavier head coach Travis Steele was badly in need of a 20-win season when the 2021-22 CBB season tipped off back on Nov 9. He took over from Chris Mack (23.9 wins per season with NINE straight Big Dance bids), who took over from Sean Miller (24 wins per season and NCAA bids in his last four seasons of his five-year stint). The Musketeers entered the season having won just 51 games (17 per) in Steele's first three seasons, without an NCAA bid. Kevin Willard took over at Seton Hall for the 2010-11 season and had led the Pirates to four straight NCAA tournaments before the 2020 tournament was canceled because of COVID (Seton Hall was 21-9). However, the Pirates were just 14-13 last year and lost to the 6-10 Mamukelashvili (17.5 & 7.6), who was co-player-of-the-year in the Big East. Tonight, No. 25 Xavier (16-6, 6-5 Big East) will travel to Newark, NJ to take on 14-7 Seton Hall (5-6 Big East). Xavier is coming off a stunning upset, as the Musketeers were the victims of DePaul's first conference road win this season this past Saturday. DePaul led by seven at halftime and won 69-65 despite Xavier shooting 14 for 27 (51.9 percent) in the second half. The Musketeers have trailed at halftime in seven of their last eight games, and Steele hinted afterward that he might change his lineup to avoid a repeat of those slow starts. Xavier's starting-five looks like this. The 7-0 Nunge (12.5 & 7.2) and the 6-9 Freemantle (8.5 & 5.0) start up front, with guards Scruggs (11.4-4.6-4.2), Jones (11.2 & 8.2) and Johnson (10.7) comprising a strong backcourt. Guards Kunkel (8.9) and Odom (5.8) add backcourt depth, while the 6-8 Hunter adds 6.1 & 3.9 off the bench in the frontcourt. The Pirates opened the season 9-1 but a two-week break without a game (COVID issues) in mid-to-late December, broke the team's momentum. When Seton Hall got back on the court, the Pirates would lose SIX of their first nine Big East games, before rebounding with back0-to-back wins prior to tonight's contest. (all in the Big East). 'The Hall' will welcome Creighton to Newark (NJ), looking to break a four-game losing streak in the series. Pirates have EIGHT players scoring between 7.2 and 15.3 PPG. 6-6 swingman Rhoden leads in scoring (15.3), while adding 7.0 RPG. Senior guard Aiken (14.5) is the only other player in double digits and he's missed the last FIVE games. Cale (9.9 & 4.1), Richmond (8.7-3.6-4.0) and Harris (7.2) are all guards. The 6-8 Yetna just misses double digits at 9.1 PPG but is the team's leading rebounder at 7.6 per game. Two 6-10 players, Jackson (7.7 & 4.1) and Samuel (7.9 & 5.8) join Yetna up front. Seton Hall: is trying to make up ground in the Big East standings after tough losses to Providence and Villanova over the holidays, when the Pirates were short-handed due to COVID-19. Equally important, is the Pirates trying to add quality wins to its at-large resume. This contest marks the first of THREE straight games for Seton Hall vs ranked opponents plus the Pirates will also have to visit Cincinnati on Feb 26 for a rematch with the Musketeers. These team are pretty even but I trust Xavier more plus I'm getting some points. Take them! Good luck...Larry |
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02-08-22 | Suns +1.5 v. 76ers | Top | 114-109 | Win | 100 | 10 h 4 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Pho Suns at 7:10 ET. Phoenix ended a 10-season playoff drought last year by going 51-21 (one win shy of Utah's NBA-leading 52 wins) and made it all the way to the Finals. The Suns took the first two games at home but then saw the Bucks win FOUR in a row, to win the team's second-ever NBA title. The first came way back in the 1970-71 season, led by Lew Alcindor (now Kareem) and the Big O. As for the Suns, it was the team's third appearance in the Finals, losing previously back in 1976 to the Celtics (if you don't remember Gar Heard, you are too young!) and in 1993, when MVP Sir Charles and Co. lost to MJ and the Bulls. The Suns opened the current season just 1-3 but then ripped off 18 consecutive wins! Another 1-3 'drought' followed, but the Suns are currently on a 16-2 run, giving them a 43-10 (.811) record. The Suns traveled to Chicago and defeated the Bulls 127-124 last night and continue on to Philly on Tuesday. |
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02-08-22 | LSU -1.5 v. Texas A&M | Top | 76-68 | Win | 100 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on LSU at 7:00 ET. LSU lost guard Thomas (22.8), forward Watford (17.0 & 7.4) and guard Smart (16.8-5.2-4.2) to the NBA and others to the transfer portal, leaving just FOUR returning players. However, the Tigers opened the season 15-1. That has all changed quickly, as LSU visits College Station, having lost SIX of its last seven games (now 16-7 / 4-6 SEC). As for the 15-8 (4-6 SEC) Texas A&M Aggies, they will be trying to end a six-game losing streak when they host the Tigers. These teams met back on Jan 26 in Baton Rouge, with the Tigers winning 70-64. |
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02-08-22 | Ohio +3.5 v. Toledo | Top | 62-77 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
My 10* Conference Game of the Month (MAC) is on Ohio U at 7:00 ET. The Ohio Bobcats will travel to Savage Arena to take on the Toledo Rockets Tuesday night in a MAC Showdown between the league's two-best teams. The Ohio Bobcats won their 5th straight game and improved to 19-3 on the season (10-1 MAC) with a 77-64 win over Western Michigan Broncos this past Saturday. In contrast, the Toledo Rockets had their 9-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 18-5 on the season (10-2 MAC) after losing 93-83 to the Ball State Cardinals 93-83, this past Friday. The Ohio Bobcats finished a modest 9-5 in MAC play last season but surprised most by winning the MAC tourney and then upset 4th-seed Virginia 62-58 in the first round of the "Big Dance." Ohio would lose its next game 72-58 to Creighton but no one was complaining in Athens. Ohio guard Preston (15.7-7.3-7.3) left for the NBA (1st Ohio player picked in the draft since Brandon Hunter is 2003) but PG Sears (19.95.1-4.0) has stepped up big time. He's joined by four guards combining to add 22 PPG. The Ohio U frontcourt features the 6-8 Carter (15.3 & 7.2), the 6-8 Vander Plas (13.2 & 6.8) and SF Roderick (7.4 & 3.2). Tod Kowalczyk is in his 12th season at Toledo and lost his best player from last year in PG Jackson (18.1-6.1-5.9), who transferred to Arizona St. Three-point shooter Littleson (47.2% on threes last season) also left to play in Belgium. However, three double-digit scorers returned in guard Ryan Rollins plus frontcourt players like the 6-6 Millner and the 6-7 Shumate. Rollins (20.0-5.8-3.5) leads the way plus Shumate (15.3 & 6.2) and Millner (14.0 & 6.1) have also fulfilled expectations. Kowalczyk was counting on Boise St transfer Dennis (12.0-5.9-3.7) Guard Moss (8.6 & 5.2) rounds out an excellent starting-five. Toledo is 9-0 at home and coming off a loss, should be ready to bring its "A game," as a win moves the Rockets ahead of Ohio U. However, the Bobcats' lone MAC loss this season came at home to these Rockets (Jan 21 in Athens), when Ohio played its worst game of the season. Ohio allowed Toledo to shoot 59% as a team, while the Bobcats force up threes, making just 8 of 29 (27.6%). Revenge works here, as Ohio makes its case as the MAC's best team. Take the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-07-22 | Kansas v. Texas +1.5 | Top | 76-79 | Win | 100 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week is on Texas at 9:00 ET. Bill Self's Jayhawks finished 21-9 last season, including a loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That was not what was expected of a team ranked No. 6 in the AP's preseason poll. Kansas began the current season ranked No. 3 and opened with an 87-74 win in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on the opening night of college basketball (Nov 9) over Michigan St. The 19-3 (8-1 in the Big 12) Jayhawks are currently ranked No. 10 but will undoubtedly move up in the rankings this afternoon, when a new poll is released. Why? Because this past week, the Jayhawks won 70-61 at then-No. 20 Iowa St and then handed then-No.8 Baylor an 83-59 beatdown Saturday in Lawrence. When Texas fired Shaka Smart after six unfulfilling seasons, Chris Beard 'jumped ship' and left Lubbock and its beloved fan base last April to take over the Texas program. It hasn't been smooth sailing for the Longhorns (who opened 5th in the AP's preseason poll), as Texas is down to No. 23 in the latest poll with a 17-6 record (just 6-4 in the Big 12). Texas welcomes Kansas to Austin in the midst of a five-game stretch against AP top-25 opponents. Texas has beaten Tennessee and Iowa St but lost at Texas Tech. Tonight it's Kansas and this coming Saturday, Baylor. Kansas manhandled the shorthanded and struggling Baylor Bears 83-59 to win its second straight game after getting routed by Kentucky back on Jan 29. Agbaji (20.8 & 5.0) was listed as questionable vs Baylor but played an scored 18 points, as did fellow guard Braun (15.2 & 5.9). Those two big guards make a potent duo but Remy Martin (19.1 PPG last season), an Arizona State transfer, was named the preseason player of the year in the Big 12, but has been a HUGE disappointment, averaging just 8.2 PPG. He's never gained Self's complete trust on running the attack and is currently sidelined. Starting in his place is Harris (5.5 & 4.0 APG). The 6-7 Wilson (9.4 & 6.8) and the 6-10 McCormack (9.0 & 6.9) round out the starting lineup. The 6-8 Lightfoot (5.2 & 3.3) and guard Coleman-Lands (4.7) get time off the bench. Kansas is an excellent offensive team, averaging 80.2 PPG (19th) on 49.2 % shooting (7th), while allowing 67.8 PPG. Beard brought in seven transfers with NCAA Division I experience. 6-6 Timmy Allen was named All-Pac 12 at Utah last season (17.2 & 6.4) and leads Texas in scoring (11.2) and rebounding (6.5) but his scoring is down 5 PPG. The same goes for PG Carr (19.6 & 4.9 APG last year with Minnesota), who is averaging a more modest 11.0 PPG and 3.3 APG. Guards Jones (10.0) and Ramey (9.8) join Carr in the backcourt, while 6-9 center Mitchell (8.6 & 4.0) and 6-7 forward Bishop (6.3 & 4.9) join Allen up front. The 6-9 Disu (4.9 & 4.1) is the only other player of note. Defense is the team's 'calling card,' as Beard's team ranks 1st in the nation, allowing 54.9 PPG. That defense just held Iowa St to 28.6% shooting last Saturday (in a 63-41 win), including 2 of 15 on threes. Monday's game is the first of the season between the two teams, with the follow-up on March 5 in Lawrence, to close out the regular season. If Texas can't win here at home, that March 5 meeting will hardly mean much to the Longhorns. In this case, "must win" DOES translate into "will win!" Good luck...Larry |
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02-07-22 | Southern Utah v. Montana -2 | Top | 67-78 | Win | 100 | 10 h 27 m | Show |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on Montana at 9:00 ET. The Southern Utah Thunderbirds and the Montana Grizzlies meet in Big Sky action from the Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mt on Monday night. Southern Utah is 15-6 overall, including 9-2 in Big Sky play, leaving them tied with Montana St behind 11-2 Weber St. Montana checks in at 15-8 overall, including 8-4 in Big Sky play (4th).
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02-07-22 | Raptors v. Hornets +3 | Top | 116-101 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 37 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week is on the Cha Hornets at 7:10 ET. The Toronto Raptors fell all the way to 27-45 last season but woke up Monday morning at 28-23, having just moved into the East's No. 6, as the Nets have lost EIGHT in a row. The Charlotte Hornets were 33-39 last season (lost their first game in the 'play in' round) and begin the new week at 28-26 but still among the 'play-in' teams, owning the No.9 seed. However, the Hornets are just 1 1/2-games back of the 6th-seeded Raptors. The Raptors and Hornets meet Monday night in Charlotte, with Toronto arriving on a five-game winning streak, while Charlotte 'limps' in on a four-game losing streak (three of those defeats have come at home). Toronto has FIVE players averaging 14.7 PPG or more. PG VanVleet (21.6-4.7-7.2) and PF Siakam (21.4-8.6.5.6) lead the way, joined by SF Anunoby (18.4 & 5.6), who is having a career-year, and Gary Trent (18.1). Florida rookie Barnes (14.7 & 7.4) rounds out the 'Group of 5.' Big men Boucher (9.1 & 5.9) and Achiuwa (7.8 & 7.2) are regular contributors. SF Bridges (19.7 & 7.2) is having a 'career season,' while PG LaMelo Ball (19.6-7.1-7.5) has missed some games earlier with COVID issues but it's pretty obvious that last season's rookie-of-the-year is the 'real deal!' Three more players are scoring 16-plus PPG. Guar Rozier (18.4-4.2-3.9) lead that group, followed by swingman Oubre (16.6 & 4.1) and SF Hayward (16.4-4.7-3.4). Plumlee (6.8 & 7.7) is an underappreciated starting center plus Washington (9.9 & 5.3) and Martin (8.0 7 4.2) contribute to make the Hornets the NBA's second-highest scoring team at 113.6 PPG. The Hornets have wavered on defense most of the season and the Hornets have held second-half leads in each of their last two games (both losses). Charlotte's four-game losing streak is its his second-longest losing skid, as the Hornets dropped five in a row in November. However, the team responded from that by winning FIVE straight. The Raptors beat the Hornets 125-113 on Jan 25 at home in the first meeting of the season (note: the Hornets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 in trying to revenge a road loss against an opponent of 10 or more points). That adds some extra motivation for the Hornets, as if winning and moving up in the standings to avoid the 'play-in' round is not enough. I'm "all over" the small home dog! Good luck...Larry |
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02-06-22 | Hawks v. Mavs -2 | Top | 94-103 | Win | 100 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
My 10* East/West Game of the Month is on the Dal Mavs at 6:10 ET. It's Atlanta at Dallas on Sunday, Trae Young vs Luka Doncic. The two young stars will forever be compared after essentially being traded for one another on the night of the 2018 NBA Draft. Doncic was originally taken No. 3 overall by the Hawks but was immediately traded to Dallas for a pick that turned out to be Young and another No. 1 pick that wound up being Cam Reddish (recently traded to the NYK). Doncic has the statistical edge this season, averaging 26.2-8.9-9.1 assists, with Young averaging 27.9-4.0-9.3. However, more importantly, BOTH teams come in after turning their respective season around. The Hawks were just 17-25 through Jan 15 but have won EIGHT of 10 to move up to the East's No. 10 seed (last of the 'play-in' spots). The Mavs' climb began earlier, as they were just 16-18 the morning of Dec 31 but have won 14 of 19 to reach 30-23 (No. 5 seed in the West, just two games behind 4th-seeded Utah). Yes, the Hawks have won eight of their last 10 but could not overcome Toronto's 17-for-27 with threes in Friday's 125-114. Young had 22 points and 13 assists, joining John Collins (23) and De'Andre Hunter (23) atop the stat sheet. Fatigue was obvious in the second half for the Hawks, who were playing the second leg of a back-to-back and for the fifth time in eight days. "We definitely had heavy legs," Atlanta coach Nate McMillan said. "They had heavy legs as well. I thought it affected our shooting." Young leads the way (see above), while PF Collins (16.9 & 7.9) continues to put up All Star-like numbers. Center Clint Capela (11.1 & 12.2) is back from an injury, but his absence gave former No. 1 draft choice Onyeka Okongwu an opportunity to show what he can do. Okongwu didn't play until Dec 17 because of offseason shoulder surgery, but after some early tenuous performances he has become increasingly productive. He's up to 9.0 & 6.1 on the season. I mentioned earlier that Reddish was traded to the Knicks, but the Hawks have plenty of depth. Hunter (13.2), Bogdanovich (12.7), Huerter (11.6) and Gallinari (10.2 & 4.4) all contribute double digit scoring. Doncic had his 44th career triple-double on Friday when the Mavericks ended a two-game losing streak with a 107-98 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He finished with 33 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists to help Dallas overcome a 16-point second-quarter deficit. It was his eighth triple-double this season, breaking a tie with Fat Lever and leaving him alone in 10th place on the all-time list with 44 (at his age!). Some perspective, Larry Bird is No. 9 with 59. Doncic is joined in the starting backcourt by Brunson (15.9 & 5.5 APG), who is having a very nice season. Center Porzingis (19.2 & 7.7) and 6th-man Hardaway (14.2) are both currently out, but Powell has averaged 10.2 PPG in place of Porzingis and Bullock has taken over for Haraway by averaging 18.2 PPG in his last five games. Forwards Finney-Smith (10.1 & 4.8) and Kleber (7.6 & 5.9) have both recently been healthy. Some injury news reveals that Collins is questionable with a heel injury, although that was the case Friday, when he scored 23 points. However, Gallanari is likely to miss with a hamstring injury. On the Dallas side, PF Kleber did not play Friday and is questionable for Sunday. Series history notes that Atlanta has won 12 of the last 16 games in the series and captured the season opener 113-87 in Atlanta. However, the home team has taken SEVEN of the last eight meetings, and Dallas has won the last three contests on its home court. I have to like Dallas in this spot, playing with revenge from that season-opener in Atlanta plus riding some excellent 'mojo' since New Year's Eve (see above). 'Short' price. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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02-06-22 | Houston v. Cincinnati +6.5 | Top | 80-58 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 52 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on Cincinnati at 6:00 ET. Kelvin Sampson arrived in Houston for the 2014-15 season with a great resume but more than a little 'baggage' from his two-year stint at Indiana. The Cougars won 22 games in his second season, the first of SIX consecutive seasons of 20-plus wins. Huston won 33 games in 2019 (Sweet 16) and 28 games last season (Final 4). No. 6 Houston is 19-2 this season (8-0 in the AAC) and will look to extend its winning streak to 12 games and remain atop the American Athletic Conference standings when it visits Cincinnati on Sunday. The Bearcats have a new coach in Wes Miller (CCAA bids with UNC-Greensboro in 2018 and 2021), who has his team at 15-6, 5-3 in the AAC). The Cougars have kept winning despite the loss of Sasser (17.7) in late Dec and then Mark (10.1) in early Feb (both are out for the season). The Cougars beat visiting Tulane 73-62 on Wednesday, as the 6-8 Fabian White Jr. (11.5 & 5/6) scored a career high-tying 21 points to surpass 1,000 career points. He became the 49th player in program history to reach the milestone. The 6-11 Josh Carlton (12.0 & 6.5) had 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. The remainder of Houston's current contributors are all guards. Edwards leads with 14.2 & 6.0, Shead (8.6 & 5.0 APG) and Moore (8.1 & 4.8), who added 12 points, five rebounds and six assists vs Tulane. Cincinnati remained in the hunt for the regular-season AAC title when David DeJulius followed his miss and made a short jumper with 3.7 seconds left to give the Bearcats a 60-59 win at East Carolina (11-10, 2-7) on Sunday. DeJulius' first shot hit the rim, but he grabbed the rebound and scored the winning basket. East Carolina missed a three-pointer as time expired. The win was the Bearcats' fourth in their past five games, with their lone blemish during that span coming in a 61-58 loss at Temple. Cincy's top-four scorers are guards, led by DeJulius (13.4). Daven also adds 13.4 PPG plus 5.0RPG. Adams-Woods (9.1 & 3.4 APG) and Saunders (7.3 & 3.1 APG). Up front, it's 6-5 SF Newman (6.9 & 4.4), the 6-11 Lahkin (5.2 & 4.6) and the 6-9 Oguama (4.5 & 4.5). This game features two outstanding defensive teams, as Houston allows 56.5 PPG (4t) on 36.1% shooting (1st), while Cincy allows 62.5 PPG (29th) on 37.3% shooting (6th). Low-scoring game expected and remember, Cincy is 11-2 SU at home and Houston's 11-game winning streak just may come to an end. Definitely, take the points! Good luck...Larry |
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02-06-22 | Washington v. Stanford -4.5 | Top | 69-87 | Win | 100 | 6 h 23 m | Show |
My 10* Pac-12 Game of the Month is on Stanford at 4:00 ET. Washington routed Cal 84-63 on Thursday night to move to 12-8, including 7-3 in the Pac 12. Meanwhile, Stanford suffered just its second home loss this season, a 66-60 decision on Thursday vs Washington State. The Cardinal check in 13-8 overall, but just 6-5 in Pac-12 Play. No. 7 Arizona leads the Pac-12 at 9-1 and is 19-2 overall. The Huskies won the first matchup in Seattle back on Jan 15, 67-64, behind 25 points from Brown and 17 from Bey. Washinton head coach Mike Hopkins (longtime Jim Boeheim assistant) brought that famous 2-3 zone West to Seattle. The Huskies have won three in a row and a fourth straight win would move the Huskies to 8-3 in the Pac 12, and into a three-way tie for 2nd with Oregon and UCLA. Red-hot guard Terrell Brown is averaging 21.6 PPG, which leads the conference by nearly four points per game more than No. 2 scorer Johnny Juzang of UCLA. Brown has scored in double figures in every outing this season. The 6-7 Matthews (11.6 & 5.2) joins him in double digits, while a trio of guards round out the team's main contributors. That group includes Bey (9.2 & 3.9), Davis (8.2-3.0-3.0) and Fuller (7.6). Jerod Haase had a nice four-year run at UAB (80-53) and got the Stanford job when it fired Johnny Dawkins. He won two NIT titles while at Palo Alto but the school and fans wanted NCAA tourney wins. Haase may be on the 'hot seat' after going 82-74 in his first five years, with just one postseason invite in 2018, to the NIT (Cardinal lost their first game). FIVE of Stanford's top-six scorers are frontcourt players. PG O'Connell (7.0 & 3.8 APG) runs the show but the team's main production comes from the 6-8 Ingram (11.0 & 6.5), the 6-9 Delaire (10.9 & 4.3), the 6-7 Jones (10.2 & 4.5) the 6-8 Angel (7.9 & 2.6) and the 6-9 O'Keefe (4.7 & 4.6). It's a matchup of contrasting styles, with Brown leading Washington's perimeter game, while Stanford brings its frontcourt advantage to the fray. The Cardinal are 9-2 SU at home and before a surprising loss to Washington St on Thursday, had only lost at home to Arizona (have beaten Oregon and USC at Maples Pavilion). The home court and the revenge motive produce a Stanford "W' and cover! Good luck...Larry |
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02-05-22 | Knicks v. Lakers -1.5 | Top | 115-122 | Win | 100 | 12 h 57 m | Show |
My 10* Las Vegas Insider Game of the Year is on the LA Lakers at 8:40 ET. The Knicks ended a seven-year postseason drought last year by going 41-31 but lost in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks, who made it all the way to the East Conference Finals. Expectations were high in Madison Square Garden to open the season but so far, the Knicks have been a disappointment. The Knicks enter the opener of a five-game Western Conference road swing following a 120-108 home loss to the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies. New York has lost FOUR of its last five games, including its last three on the road. The Knicks have also lost SEVEN of nine, killing off any momentum built from a run of five victories in six games last month. New York is 24-28 and it will likely be in the play-in' round, at best (currently one game back of the No. 10 seed.
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02-05-22 | Oregon -3.5 v. Utah | Top | 80-77 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 14 m | Show |
My 9* Late Breaker is on Oregon at 8:30ET. Dana Altman has been a HUGE winner in his coaching career and Oregon was ranked 13th in the AP's preseason poll. The Ducks did little right to open the season, splitting their first 12 games, before embarking on a season-saving run of EIGHT wins in their last nine games. Oregon is now 14-7 (7-3 in the Pac 12) and should have an NCAA Tournament bid on its mind. Craig Smith is in his first season as Utah's head coach (had a great three-year run at Utah St in going 74-24) and led the Utes to a 5-0 start but at 8-4 entering a Dec 30th contest, Utah's season unraveled. The Utes would lose 10 straight Pac 12 games, before winning this past Thursday 84-59 over Oregon St.
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02-05-22 | Kentucky v. Alabama +1.5 | Top | 66-55 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 46 m | Show |
My 10* Signature LEGEND Play is on Alabama at 8:00 ET. The Kentucky men's basketball team went just 9-16 last season, but all knew that was an aberration, as the Wildcats were ranked No. 10 in the AP's preseason poll. After a loss to Duke in the Champions Classic on the opening night of the season, the 18-4 Wildcats have won 18 of 21, losing only 66-62 at Notre Dame back on Dec 11, 65-62 at LSU on Jan 4 and 80-71 at No. 1 Auburn on Jan 22. No. 5 Kentucky (7-2 in the SEC) visits Alabama in a SEC game on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. While the Wildcats trail only league-leading and No. 1 Auburn in the SEC, the 14-8 Crimson are in the middle of the pack following a 100-81 loss at Auburn on Tuesday (Alabama is just 4-5 in SEC games). The 6-9 Tshiebwe (16.1 & 15.2) and the 6-7 Brooks (10.5 & 4.5) are the two main frontcourt players for Coach Cal's team. SG Washington (12.8-3.8-4.2) and PG Wheeler (10.5 & 7.2 APG) lead a backcourt that also features Grady (12.0) and Mintz (8.8). The Kentucky offense ranks 8th in scoring (81.9 PPG) and 5th in FG percentage (49.3). Also note that the Wildcats are holding opponents to 64.4 PPG, for an average winning margin of 17.5 PPG. Kentucky is coming off a 77-70 win over visiting Vanderbilt on Wednesday. Davion Mintz tied a career high with 21 points off the bench, SEC Player of the Week Keion Brooks Jr. had 20 points and Kellan Grady had 12 points. Oscar Tshiebwe posted 11 points and 17 boards for his 16th double-double in the Wildcats' 12th straight win over the Commodores. Nate Oats spent four years at Buffalo and went 59-13 in his last two, making the Big Dance each time. That allowed him the opportunity to come to Alabama and after a 16-15 first season (COVID) he led the Tide to a 26-7 record and a Sweet 16 appearance last year. Gone from that team are the 6-7 Jones (11.2 & 6.6), who was not only the SEC player-of-the-year but also the league's Defensive POY. Also gone is veteran guard Petty (12.6 & 5.2). However, the Tide have plenty of talent left. That said, after opening 7-1 SU (6-2 ATS), Alabama has gone 7-7 SU and a money-burning 2-11-1 ATS. Alabama did return its top-two scorers from last season and guards Shackelford and Quinerly are again leading the way. Shackelford checks in at 16.1 & 5.2 and Quinerly at 14.8 & 4.3 APG. Swingman Ellis adds 12.0 & 6.2 and the 6-6 Gary 8.3 & 4.3 plus freshman center Bediako adds 6.1 & 4.2.6.8 & 4.3). Guard Davison (8.2-4.2-4.1), the 6-6 Miles (6.7 & 3.5) and the 6-8 Gurley (7.4 & 3.7) are all contributors. Kentucky won impressively last Saturday 80-62 at Kansas but note that the Wildcats are just 4-4 in games away from Rupp (14-0 at home). As for Alabama, it owns some of the nation's best non-conference wins, including victories over then-No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Houston, No. 14 Tennessee and No. 4 Baylor. However, Alabama has also lost to Georgia (6-16) and Missouri (8-13). When Auburn won 81-77 in Tuscaloosa back on Jan 11, it snapped a 17-game home winning streak for the Tide. Since then, Alabama has won its last three home games, including last Saturday's 87-78 win over then-No. 4 Baylor. The Tide are OVERDUE to take down an elite SEC team and I say that time is NOW! Good luck...Larry |
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02-05-22 | Duke v. North Carolina +3.5 | Top | 87-67 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
My 9* Ultimate Rivalry is on No. Carolina at 6:00 ET. Duke-North Carolina is "As Good As It Gets" when it comes to college basketball rivalries. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski will pay rival North Carolina a visit for the final time when the two programs meet Saturday night in Chapel Hill. Coach K is retiring at season's end and next month's rematch with the Tar Heels will mark his last home game. North Carolina leads the series 141-114 but under Krzyzewski, Duke holds a 49-46 edge. It may be hard to believe but the 'mighty' ACC's only ranked team is No. 9 Duke, which comes in 18-3 (8-2 in the ACC). Roy Wiliams retired after last season, ending his career with a first-round NCAA tournament loss and an 18-11 record with his beloved Tar Heels. So, while Coach K completes his 47th season as a head coach (42 years at Duke), this marks former North Carolina player Hubert Davis' first season as a head coach. Tra Heels are 16-6, including 8-3 in the ACC (Miami and ND are also 8-3, just a half-game back of Duke).
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02-05-22 | Baylor +2.5 v. Kansas | Top | 59-83 | Loss | -104 | 5 h 10 m | Show |
My 9* Marquee Classic is on Baylor at 4:00 ET. The No. 10 Kansas Jayhawks (18-3) welcome the No. 8 Baylor Bears (19-3) to legendary Allen Fieldhouse for a Big 12 contest in which the winner will take over first place in the league. The Jayhawks are sitting at 7-1 and in first place in the Big 12 but are still juggling different combinations. Kansas is coming off a 70-61 victory at Iowa State on Tuesday in which it played without the Big 12's top scorer, Ochai Agbaji (20.9 PPG) due to COVID-19 protocols and the league's preseason player of the year, Remy Martin due to a knee injury. Baylor is coming off an 81-77 Monday win over West Va, in which the Bears overcame a 16-1 run that provided West Virginia a 39-31 lead at halftime. The Bears played short-handed without LJ Cryer (foot) and Adam Flagler (knee). "It's frustrating because you're 15-0 when you have everybody," Baylor coach Scott Drew said of a hot start that led to the Bears sitting No. 1 in the polls for five consecutive weeks. Much like last season, Baylor's strength is its perimeter game and defense. LJ Cryer leads the Bears in scoring with 13.9 PPG. Arizona transfer Akinjo (13.6 & 5.6 APG) joins Cryer in the backcourt, as does Flager (12.7 & 3.5 APG). 6-8 freshman Kendall Brown is a swingman averaging 10.0 & 4.7 plus 6-9 swingman Mayer chips in 9.8 & 4.5. However, let's NOT forget the 6-8 Tchatchoua (8.2 & 7.2), 6-9 freshman Sochan (8.6 & 56.0) or the 6-10 Thamba (4.9 & 4.6). Baylor is holding opponents to 61.4 PPG (24th). Kansas is led by a pair of big guards in the 6-5 Agbaji (20.9 & 4.9) and the 6-6 Braun (15.1 & 5.7). Guard Remy Martin (19.1 PPG last season), an Arizona State transfer, was named the preseason player of the year in the Big 12 but has been a HUGE disappointment, averaging just 8.2 PPG. Martin still is trying to gain Self's complete trust on running the attack (it doesn't seem to be working). Harris (5.6 & 3.9 APG) has recently been starting at PG for Martin. The 6-7 Wilson (9.1 & 6.8) and the 6-10 McCormack (9.0 & 6.8) round out the starting lineup. The 6-8 Lightfoot (5.0 & 3.2) and guard Coleman-Lands (4.5) get time off the bench. Kansas is an excellent offensive team, averaging 80.0 PPG (20th) on 49.1 % shooting (8th), while allowing 68.2 PPG. Agbaji may return against Baylor but Martin will likely remain out while attempting to heal his nagging injury. For Baylor, Cryer and Flagler are both questionable. Here's the rub. Baylor is 8-1 SU in road and neutral games this season, after going 17-2 in road and neutral games last season. I'm taking the points, against a Kansas team that's allowed 76.8 PPG over its last four games! Good luck...Larry |
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02-05-22 | Wake Forest v. Florida State -2 | Top | 68-60 | Loss | -106 | 2 h 22 m | Show |
My 9* High Noon Crusher is on Florida St at 12:00 ET. |
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02-04-22 | 76ers v. Mavs -1.5 | Top | 98-107 | Win | 100 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the Dal Mavs at 10:10 ET. The Philadelphia 76ers are currently 30-21, placing them in a virtual tie with the 33-21 Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams are just ONE game back of the 32-19 Bulls and 33-20 Heat, who are in a virtual tie for the East's top record. The Sixers will head to Dallas with an impressive 14-7 record against the Western Conference, with the Mavs sporting a 29-23 record. Dallas is a whopping 12 1/2-games back of the West's No. 1 seed (Phoenix) but it is just two games back of the 4th-seed Jazz (top-four seeds earn the home court edge in the opening round of the playoffs). |
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02-04-22 | San Diego State v. Colorado State -2.5 | Top | 57-58 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 42 m | Show |
My 10* CBB Game of the Week is on Colorado St at 9:00 ET. The 12-5 San Diego State Aztecs and the 16-3 Colorado State Rams meet Friday in MWC action from Moby Arena in Fort Collins. Brian Dutcher was a longtime assistant under Steve Fisher (beginning in Michigan) and lasting through all of Fisher's great teams at SD St. Fisher stepped away and Dutcher took over in the 2017-18 season, going 22-11, 21-13, 30-2 and 23-5 the previous four years. San Diego State started the season 10-3, losing to only BYU, USC and Michigan. However, the Aztecs are just 2-2 since January 22, losing to Boise State and Utah State alongside wins over UNLV and New Mexico. CSU's head coach Niko Medved is in his fourth season at Fort Collins, coming off a 20-8 record last season in which the Rams finished fourth in the NIT.
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02-04-22 | Hawks +2.5 v. Raptors | Top | 114-125 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 26 m | Show |
My 10* Eastern Conference Game of the Month is on the Atl Hawks at 7:40 ET. The Atlanta Hawks will visit the Toronto Raptors Friday night, with both teams coming off Thursday wins. The Hawks beat the Suns 124-115 in Atlanta, upping their record to 25-26. Atlanta is now the No. 10 seed in the East, the last of the 'ply-in' seeds. Meanwhile, the Raptors beat the Bulls 127-10 at home, upping their record to 27-23. That gives them the No. 7, but they are just 1 1/2-games back of the 6th-seeded Nets (last guaranteed seed). The two teams just met this past Monday in Atlanta, with the Raptors winning 106-100, snapping the hawks' seven-game winning streak! The Toronto Raptors won the NBA title (led by Kawhi) back in 2019 and even after he "went Hollywood" on them, followed with records of 58-24 and 53-19 the next two seasons. However, the Raptors fell to just 27-45 last season. However, Toronto has moved to the right side of .500 with FOUR straight wins to reach 26-23. Toronto has FIVE players averaging 14.7 PPG or more and all five tallied 16 points or more in beating the Bulls. PF Siakim (21.1-8.5-5.2) led with 25 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, Three more Raptors scored exactly 21 points, PG VanVleet (21.5-4.7-7.1), SF Anunoby (18.7 & 5.4) and rookie Barnes (14.7 & 7.8). Trent (18.1) had his streak of five games with 30 or more points end when he scored 16 points. The streak matched the team record set in 2016 by DeMar DeRozan. The 6-9 Boucher (9.0 & 5.9) came off bench to add 16 points. Atlanta PG Trae Young (28.1 & 9.2 APG) returned from a shoulder injury to lead the Hawks with 43 points against the Suns. PF Collins (16.7 & 8.0) had 19 points and 10 rebounds but went to the locker room with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. He returned to the bench and said his shoulder has hurt all week, and it was aggravated when he tangled with Chris Paul on Thursday. Collins expects to play Friday. Center Clint Capela (11.1 & 12.7) is back from an injury, but his absence gave former No. 1 draft choice Onyeka Okongwu an opportunity to show what he can do. Okongwu didn't play until Dec 17 because of offseason shoulder surgery, but after some early tenuous performances he has become increasingly productive. He's up to 9.2 & 6.1 on the season. PG Young (27.9 & 9.5 APG) is now a bonafide All Star plus Collins just continues to put up All Star-like numbers. Then there is Atlanta's depth, with Hunter chipping in 12.8 PPG, Bogdanovich 12.5 PPG, Huerter 11.7 PPG and Gallinari 10.2 PPG. Atlanta's loss on Monday to Toronto is its ONLY "L" in its last NINE games. While the Hawks were handling the Suns last night, the Raptors needed a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into OT, where they would go on to get the win AND the cover. I'm 'all over" the red-hot Hawks in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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02-04-22 | Harvard +4.5 v. Brown | Top | 65-50 | Win | 100 | 12 h 27 m | Show |
My 9* Ivy League Master Class is on Harvard at 7:00 ET. The 10-7 Harvard Crimson and the 10-12 Brown Bears meet Friday in Ivy League action from the Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence. The Ivy League did not play basketball last season due to COVID, so Brown's Mike Martin is in his 10th season with the Bears and Tommy Amaker in his 15th with the Crimson. Amaker has by far the better resume with seven, 20-win seasons (four NCAA berths), compared to Martin's one, 20-win season. Harvard comes in 2-3 in Ivy play and Brown just 2-5, while 5-1 Princeton, 4-1 Yale and 5-2 Penn are atop the 'Ancient 8' standings.
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02-03-22 | Washington v. California -2 | Top | 84-63 | Loss | -105 | 15 h 53 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on Cal at 11:00 ET. Kyle Smith won the CIT in his last year at Columbia (2015-16), going 25-10. He then left for San Francisco and had a nice three-year run of 63-40. He's now in his third season at Washington and after going 30-29 in his first two years, is 11-8 (6-3 in the Pac 12) this season. Mark Fox had a great five-year run at Nevada, going 123-43, including three straight NCAA appearances. He then left for Georgia and in nine seasons, went just 163-133 (just two NCAA appearances). He's been at Cal for three years, going 14-18, 8-20 and 9-13 this season, including 2-9 in Pac 12 play.
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02-03-22 | Lakers +3 v. Clippers | Top | 110-111 | Win | 100 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week ('Battle 4 LA') is on the LA Lakers at 10:10 ET. The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are co-tenants at Staples Center but have met just ONCE so far this season. However, the two intra-city rivals will meet tonight for the first of THREE games in the span of a month. The Lakers are expected to be without LeBron James (29.1-7.7-6.3) for a fifth consecutive game as the star deals with swelling in his left knee. Meanwhile, the Clippers will be without a pair of stars, Kawhi Leonard, who hasn't played all season after knee surgery, and Paul George (24.7-7.1-5.5), who is out due to a torn ligament in his right elbow. The injury woes of both teams have them struggling in the playoff race. Both are currently headed for the 'play-in' round, as the 26-27 Clippers are the West's No. 8 seed and the 25-27 Lakers the No. 9 seed. The Lakers have played just one game with James and Anthony Davis since Dec 17. Davis missed 17 consecutive games with a knee injury, while James hasn't played since Jan 25. There is no timetable for James' return, which will happen once the knee swelling subsides, according to coach Frank Vogel. The Lakers won last night (99-94 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers), as Davis (23.4 & 9.7) scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Despite playing in just four games since he has returned, Davis is expected to be back on the court Thursday on consecutive days. He has scored at least 27 points in each of the past three games. Westbrook (18.7-7.9-7.8) was supposed to give LA a 'Big 3' but there remains talk that he could be moved by the trade deadline. Carmelo (13.6) remains ageless and scored 24 points last night. Monk (12.4) has been a steady presence as of late and scored a season-high 33 points and matched his career high of 10 rebounds in LA's 129-121 loss in Atlanta on Sunday. The Clippers are back home after a 4-4 road trip and were dragging at the end of the road swing, looking sluggish on defense in a 122-116 defeat against the Indiana Pacers on Monday. George hasn't played since Christmas, with the Clippers going 9-12 over that time. Two-way player Amir Coffey (8.5 & 3.1) has emerged, averaging 13.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game since Dec 26 and 15.3 points with 4.2 rebounds since Jan 9. Withe George sidelined, the team's leading scorer is PG Jackson (16.5 & 4.0 APG), with PF Morris (15.3 & 5.1) right behind him. Swingman Kennard (12.1) and guard Mann (10.1 & 5.1) also score in double digits. The 7-0 Zubac (9.6 & 8.0) is questionable with a calf injury and that's NOT good news for the Clipps. The Clippers won the first meeting with the Lakers, 119-115 back on Dec 3 but I expect the Lakers to win Part 2 of this 'Battle 4 LA.' The Clippers return home after that eight-game road trip but have no home court edge here vs the Lakers, who also call Staples Center home. Take the points. Just a thought. One of these days LBJ will get back in the lineup, "Wouldn't it be Nice" (as the Beach Boys sang) if he joined the fray tonight? Good luck...Larry |
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02-03-22 | Boise State v. Wyoming | Top | 65-72 | Win | 100 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
My 10* Conf Game of the Year (MWC) is on Wyoming at 9:00 ET. The Boise State Broncos and the Wyoming Cowboys meet Thursday in college basketball action from Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. The two MWC rivals just met Jan 25 in Boise, where the Broncos eked out a 65-62 win (Wyoming covered as a 5 1/2-point underdog). Boise St's Leon Rice is in his 12th season, having produced EIGHT 20-win seasons in his first 11, including two NCAA teams (the most recent coming back in 2015). Last year's team went 19-9, before losing in the NIT quarterfinals, just missing a ninth, 20-win campaign. However, after a spotty 3-4 record through seven games, the Broncos have won 14 straight contests. At 17-4, a 20-win season 'is in the bag!' Jeff Linder came from No. Colorado where he won 26 (CIT champion), 21 and 22 games in his final three years, earning him the Wyoming gig. His first team went 14-11 but this year's team is an impressive 15-2. Boise St's Leon Rice is in his 12th season, having produced EIGHT 20-win seasons in his first 11, including two NCAA teams (the most recent coming back in 2015). Last year's team went 19-9, before losing in the NIT quarterfinals, just missing a ninth, 20-win campaign. However, the Cowboys went 9-2 over their first 11 games and have now gone 8-1 thei last nine, to reach 17-3 (lone loss was to Boise!). Boise St has depth issues but has a very solid starting-five. The backcourt is missing Doutrive (9.4 & 4.6), who last played on Nov 30 but Shaver (12.9 & 4.0) and 6-8 guard Akot (11.4) form a quality duo. Up front, it's the 6-7 Kijab (13.3 & 6.3), the 6-7 Degenhart (9.3 & 3.2) and the 6-10 Armus (6.9 & 8.7). The 6-7 Smith (5.6 & 3.2) comes off the bench. Defense is Boise's 'bread-and-butter,' allowing 58.3 PPG (8th). The 6-9 Ike (19.7 & 8.9) and PG Maldanado (19.4-5.5-6.4) make for quite an inside-outside duo for Wyoming. They are joined in the starting lineup by guards Jeffries (11.4 & 4.8) and DuSell (9.9) plus the 6-9 Oden (8.5 & 5.0. DuSell's hamstring injury kept him out for a couple of games, with Wenzel (5.2) starting in his place. Team defense is solid, allowing 66.0 PPG. Boise St is 8-1 in MWC play, with Wyoming lurking at 6-1. A Wyoming "W" sets up a real 'horse race' for the league's regular season title and that's EXACTLY what I expect. Wyoming just barely lost at Boise on Jan 25 (see above) and is a perfect 9-0 SU at home. Wyoming may not win "going away," but at this bargain of a price, the Cowboys won't need to. Good luck...Larry |
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02-03-22 | Bulls v. Raptors -3 | Top | 120-127 | Win | 100 | 11 h 20 m | Show |
My 9* Las Vegas Insider is on the Tor Raptors at 7:40 ET. The Chicago Bulls were 31-41 last season, missing the postseason for the FOURTH consecutive year but have reinvented themselves as a threat in the Eastern Conference behind Zach LaVine and the free agent signing of DeMar DeRozan. They also picked up center Nikola Vucevic from Orlando last season (where his talents were wasted) plus added Lonzo Ball as a free agent. Chicago surged to the top of the Eastern Conference on the strength of a nine-game winning streak from Dec 19 thru Jan 7, averaging 120.2 points per game over their winning streak and never scoring fewer than 108 points in any of those outings. However, the Bulls have 'cooled, going 6-8 over their last 14, although they come into this game on a 4-1 run. The Toronto Raptors won the NBA title (led by Kawhi) back in 2019 and even after he "went Hollywood" on them, followed with records of 58-24 and 53-19 the next two seasons. However, the Raptors fell to just 27-45 last season. Toronto has moved to the right side of .500 with three straight wins to reach 26-23.
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02-02-22 | Blazers +4 v. Lakers | Top | 94-99 | Loss | -113 | 12 h 34 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Por Blazers at 10:40 ET. The Portland Trail Blazers are 21-30 (current No. 10 seed in the West) as they end a four-game road trip tonight in LA against the 24-27 Lakers, who are 24-27 (current No. 9 seed). The Lakers are back home after a six-game road trip in which they went just 2-4. LA got Anthony Davis (23.2 & 9.5) back from a knee injury but in the process, lost LeBron James (29.1-7.7-6.3) to his own knee issue at the same time. The Trail Blazers know injury issues well. Star guard Damian Lillard (24.0 & 7.3) has been out since the start of the new year and had abdominal surgery. He won't be evaluated again until later this month. Center Cody Zeller and forward Larry Nance Jr. are out with knee injuries and forward Nassir Little had season-ending shoulder surgery Tuesday. However, a look at the team's starting lineup in its last game, shows a team capable of competing. McCollum (20.8-4.2-4.5) was joined in the backcourt by Simons (15.6), while center Nurkic (14.6 & 10.7) was surrounded by SF Powell (18.4) and PF Covington (7.8 & 5.6), who is an excellent defender. Davis and James have played together just ONCE since Dec 19, a 106-96 road victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Jan 25. At 16-14 before Davis went down for 17 consecutive games, the Lakers are 24-27 now and as noted, headed for the 'play-in' round. "I still believe that we got a good team, we just haven't been all the way healthy for our team," Davis said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "LeBron is now out, I just came back. I think the most frustrating part is that we can't finish games. We've had a lot of games that we had won and teams come back and beat us." Westbrook (18.9-7.8-7.7) was supposed to give LA a 'Big 3' but there remains talk that he could be moved by the trade deadline. Carmelo (13.4) remains ageless and Monk (12.6) just scored a season-high 33 points and matched his career high of 10 rebounds in LA's last game (a 129-121 loss on Sunday). However, the Lakers continue to lack any real sort of 'chemistry' and after routing the Blazers 139-106 New Year's Eve in Portland, may just get caught 'flat' here, even though they've lost THREE in a row coming in. Take the points. Good luck...Larry |
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02-02-22 | Villanova -4.5 v. Marquette | Top | 73-83 | Loss | -108 | 9 h 6 m | Show |
My 10* Big East Game of the Month is on Villanova at 10:00 ET. No. 24 Marquette (15-7, 7-4 Big East) saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end Sunday in a 65-63 road loss to then-No. 17 Providence. The Golden Eagles will be severely tested again tonight, when they host No. 12 Villanova (16-5. 9-2 Big East). Villanova head coach Jay Wright owns two national titles (2016 and 2018) and coming off a Sweet 16 appearance last season with four starters coming back, opened the year as the AP's 4th-ranked team. However, the Wildcats were just 7-4 through mid-December. That said, THREE of those losses came to then-No. 2 UCLA, then-No. 6 Purdue and then-No. 2 Baylor. Villanova visits Milwaukee having won NINE of its last 10, with that lone loss coming at home to Marquette 57-54 back on Jan 19. Wright is going with a basic six-man rotation so far this season. Collin Gillespie has fully recovered from an MCL injury that ended his 2020-21 campaign early. He leads the Wildcats in scoring with 17.1 PPG. Fellow guards Justin Moore adds 15.5 & 4.9 and Daniels chips in 9.2 PPG in the role of 6th-man. Up front, it's the 6-7 Slater (11.2 & 3.7), the 6-7 Samuels (11.0 & 6.4) and the 6-8 Dixon (7.9 & 5.9). Shaka Smart was booted out of Austin after a disappointing six-year run at Texas but has done quite a job at Marquette, which did not return a SINGLE starter from last season's disappointing 13-14 team. However, Marquette has a deep eight-man rotation, led by 6-7 freshman Lewis (16.5 & 7.9) and Maryland transfer, Morsell (13.4). Joining that duo in the starting lineup are freshman guard Kolek (6.7 & 4.1) plus frontcourt players like the 6-8 Prosper (6.0 & 3.4) and the 6-10 Kuath (5.5 & 4.2), Adding depth are guard Elliott (7.2), freshman guard Jones (7.7) and 6-9 freshman Ighodaro (5.9 & 3.5). Marquette suffered a four-game losing streak from Dec 11 thru Jan 1 but then won SEVEN in a row (beat FOUR ranked teams), before losing 65-63 at Providence this past Sunday. A "W" here and it will be Villanova (9-2) and Providence (currently 9-1) in a two-team race for the Big East's No. 1 seed. Since the loss to Marquette, the Wildcats have regained their form on both ends of the court. Expect the revenge-minded visiting side to avenge that earlier loss, reminding all Big East teams just why they were ranked No. 4 in the preseason AP poll. Good luck...Larry |
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02-02-22 | Wisconsin +7.5 v. Illinois | Top | 67-80 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 41 m | Show |
My 9* Marquee Classic is on Wisconsin at 9:00 ET. There is a three-way tie atop the Big Ten between Michigan St, Illinois and Wisconsin (all three are 8-2). Purdue (No. 4) is the highest-ranked team in the league and lurks at 7-3. No. 11 Wisconsin (17-3) will be in Champaign tonight to take on No. 18 Illinois in the only regular-season matchup between the two. Wisconsin is coming off a 66-60 home victory over Minnesota on Sunday and will be playing its third game in seven days. As for Illinois, it rallied for a 59-56 victory at Northwestern on Saturday, overcoming a 51-46 deficit over the final 5:36 of the game. Greg Gard is now in his seventh season at Madison, taking over when Bo Ryan retired. Wisconsin featured four, 5th-year seniors and three regular seniors last season but of the 14 scholarship players this season, 10 are classified as freshmen for eligibility purposes. Guard Davison began the season with 124 career starts and is averaging 15.7 & 4.2 and is joined by freshman guard Hepburn (7.8), who has just 25 turnovers while playing 31 minutes per game! The "big story" has guard Davis (7.0 & 4.1 LY), who is averaging 21.4 & 7.9 this season Rounding out the starting-five, after limited playing time last season, are the 6-9 Wahl (10.8 & 5.8) and the 7-0 Crowl (9.1 & 4.6). Brad Underwood became a star at SF Austin, going 89-14 with three straight NCAA appearances. He was hired at Oklahoma St and went 20-13, leading the Cowboys to the 'Big Dance," He was then lured to Illinois but his first two seasons resulted in 14-18 and 12-21 records. Those days are now in the rearview mirror, as the Fighting Illini have gone 21-10, 24-7 and now 15-5 so far this season. Much like Wisconsin, Illinois has an excellent starting-five but little depth. 7-foot junior center Kofi Cockburn (21.1 & 11.6) had missed the two previous games due to concussion protocols but returned with 22 points and nine rebounds against Northwestern. Guard Curbelo (10.2-4.5-4.3) has cleared COVID protocols but hasn't played since Jan 21 (questionable here). With Curbelo sidelined, Saturday's starting-five consisted of four guards, Plummer (15.8), Frazier (13.1), Grandison (10.7 & 3.9) and Williams (3.9 & 5.6) joining Cockburn. The 6-10 Hawkins (6.2 & 4.6) came off the bench. Here's the rub. Illinois won both meetings last season (Cockburn had 42 points and 21 rebounds in the Ilini's two-game sweep of Wisconsin) and has won its past three meetings against Wisconsin. However, the Badgers had won 15 straight in the series prior to that. Wisconsin comes in having won NINE of 10, losing only to Michigan St. TOO many points to give the Badgers in this one. Take them! Good luck...Larry |
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02-02-22 | Syracuse v. NC State -1.5 | Top | 89-82 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 15 m | Show |
My 9* Oddsmaker's Error is on NC St at 9:00 ET. The once-mighty ACC has only ONE team in the latest AP poll and that's No. 9 Duke. Neither Syracuse (10-11, 4-6) nor NC State (10-12, 3-8), who meet tonight in Raleigh, have any dreams of being ranked this season. Forget the polls, the two schools are just trying to avoid the ACC 'basement!'
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02-01-22 | Texas +5.5 v. Texas Tech | Top | 64-77 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 34 m | Show |
My 9* Rivalry Rout is on Texas at 9:00 ET. Chris Beard left Lubbock and its beloved fan base last April to take over the Texas program and created plenty of hurt feelings that haven't been soothed over the past 10 months. The best revenge the Red Raiders can take on Beard for switching allegiances would be to beat his Longhorns tonight at United Supermarkets Arena. No. 23 Texas (16-5, 5-3 in the Big 12) visits Lubbock to take on No. 14 Texas Tech (also 16-5, 5-3 in the Big 12) expecting an intense atmosphere, knowing that Red Raiders officials have brought in wrestling legend and wild man Ric Flair to rile up the sold-out crowd and keep it at a fever pitch. When Texas fired Shaka Smart after six unfulfilling seasons, Chris Beard 'jumped ship,' at Tech and took the at Texas. Beard brought in seven transfers with NCAA Division I experience. 6-6 Timmy Allen was named All-Pac 12 at Utah last season (17.2 & 6.4) and leads Texas in scoring (11.8) and rebounding (6.5) but his scoring is down 5 PPG. The same goes for PG Carr (19.6 & 4.9 APG last year with Minnesota), who is averaging a more modest 10.6 PPG and 3.3 APG. Guards Jones (10.1) and Ramey (9.8) join Carr in the backcourt, while 6-9 center Mitchell (8.9 & 4.2) and 6-7 forward Bishop (5.9 & 4.6) join Allen up front. The 6-9 Disu (5.5 & 4.5) is the only other player of note. Defense is the team's 'calling card,' as Beard's team ranks 1st in the nation, allowing 54.5 PPG. Mark Adams worked under Beard since his first season as a Division I head coach (started at Arkansas-LR) and instead of following Beard to Austin, decided to stay in Lubbock as Tech's head coach. Tech began turning heads early in Big 12 play, while leading scorer Terrence Shannon was dealing with an injury and did not play. Shannon (12.0 PPG) returned but is again dealing with a bad back and is listed as questionable for this one (he sat out the Jan 29 game) healthy. SIX players are averaging 23-plus minutes per game (including Shannon), with five guards (all 6-5 or taller), joined by the 6-8 Williams (13.5 & 4.6). McCullar (10.5 & 5.6) Obanor (10.4 & 5.1) and Warren (10.3) average 10-plus points, while Arms (8.4 & 3.8 just misses. Three others combine to add 13.1 PPG.. Texas squandered a 17-point lead last Saturday at home vs Tennessee, allowing the Volunteers to tie the game at 51-all as it scored just one point in the last 5:32. However, that ONE point, Timmy Allen's free throw with 6.2 seconds to play, was the game-winner! As for Texas Tech, it rolled tp a 76-50 victory at home over Mississippi State on Saturday in another SEC/Big 12 Challenge contest. That "W" leaves Tech 13-0 at home but besting Beard's team will NOT come easily and I sure would NOT even consider laying points. Tech will want this one badly but I'm calling for the Texas D to be the difference and will call for a Texas OUTRIGHT win. Good luck...Larry |
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02-01-22 | Davidson v. St Bonaventure -3 | Top | 81-76 | Loss | -114 | 11 h 26 m | Show |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout is on St Bonny's at 7:00 ET. Full, detailed analysis Tuesday morning by 10:00 ET. |
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02-01-22 | Kansas -4.5 v. Iowa State | Top | 70-61 | Win | 100 | 8 h 18 m | Show |
My 10* Big 12 Game of the Month is on Kansas at 7:00 ET. The Kansas Jayhawks are reeling from an 80-62 thrashing at home this past Saturday against Kentucky in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The 17-3 Jayhawks (6-1 Big 12) dropped from No. 5 to No. 10 in Monday's AP poll and now travel to Ames, Iowa to take on No. 20 Iowa State, which is 16-5 (but just 3-5 in the Big 12). These two conference rivals met back on Jan 11, when Iowa State battled Kansas to the wire at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. Bill Self's Jayhawks finished 21-9 last season, including a loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That was not what was expected of a team ranked No. 6 in the AP's preseason poll. Kansas began the current season ranked No. 3 and opened with an 87-74 win in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on the opening night of college basketball (Nov 9) over Michigan St. Kansas is led by a pair of big guards in the 6-5 Agbaji (20.9 & 4.9) and the 6-6 Braun (15.2 & 5.9). Guard Remy Martin (19.1 PPG last season), an Arizona State transfer, was named the preseason player of the year in the Big 12 but has been a HUGE disappointment, averaging just 8.4 PPG. Martin still is trying to gain Self's complete trust on running the attack (it doesn't seem to be working). Harris (5.3 & 3.7 APG) has recently been starting at PG for Martin. The 6-7 Wilson (8.9 & 6.9) and the 6-10 McCormack (8.7 & 6.5) round out the starting lineup. The 6-8 Lightfoot (5.2 & 3.4) and guard Coleman-Lands (4.5) get time off the bench. Kansas is an excellent offensive team, averaging 80.6 PPG (15th) on 48.9% shooting (9th), while allowing 68.6 PPG. T.J. Otzelberger came from UNLV to take over an Iowa St team that went 2-22 last season (0-18 in the Big 12). The Hawkeyes opened 12-0 and were ranked No. 8 thru Dec 21 but did not play again until Jan 1, at then-No. Baylor. The Hawkeyes played the Bears close, losing 77-72 but that loss was the start of a 4-5 Iowa St run. A trio of guards lead the way for Iowa St, starting with standout Izaiah Brockington, who leads the team in scoring (16.8) and rebounding (7.8). He's joined on the perimeter by Hunter (10.6 & 4.7 APG) and Kalscheur (10.0). The team's best frontcourt players are the 6-8 Kunc (6.1 & 3.8), the 6-8 Enaruna (6.3 & 3.9) and the 6-9 Conditt (5.2 & 4.0). Guard Grill (7.3) is a solid contributor off the bench. Kansas remains first in the Big 12 race, but the Kentucky loss leaves them in a nasty mood. "It's not the end of the world or anything like that," the Jayhawks' Christian Braun said. "We have a lot of games ahead of us, so this is just something we have to forget about and move forward and get some wins." Kansas dug an early hole and never recovered from a 51-31 halftime deficit. "I'm not going to dwell on it at all. We weren't tough; we didn't take away what you must do to win," Self said after Kentucky shot 50.8 percent in snapping the Jayhawks' five-game winning streak and handing them their first home loss this season. Iowa State remained unbeaten in nonconference play with a 67-50 win over Missouri on Saturday in another game of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Cyclones held the Tigers to 42.9-percent shooting while forcing 18 turnovers. "We can be really good, and we will be really good when we do that," Otzelberger said of the defensive surge. "It's my job to demand that every day. It's the cornerstone of how we'll move our team forward." However, the Cyclones have dropped FOUR of their last six league games, including their last conference home game, a 59-44 loss to TCU. Une has to 'look hard' to find Kansas losing at home by double digits but the fact is, the Jayhawks are 4-0 ATs in their last four games f |
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01-31-22 | Heat v. Celtics -2.5 | Top | 92-122 | Win | 100 | 11 h 40 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Bos Celtics at 7:40 ET. As the final day of January dawns, the 32-18 Miami Heat own the East's best record but just barely. Bottom line is, the top-six teams in the East are separated by just 2 1/2-games. It's my opinion that Miami's Erik Spoelstra doesn't get his due when the discussion of the NBA's best coaches comes up. He led the 'South Beach 3' to four NBA Finals (2-2) and in 2020, shocked the NBA with his team's run to the Finals, before losing 4-2 to the Lakers. The Heat have dealt with numerous injuries and COVID absences, but despite all that, they are 32-18 (.640) up from last season's 40-32 (.556) record. As for the Celtics, they are 26-25 on the season and the franchise which is tied with the LA Lakers for the most all-time NBA titles (each own 17), is currently the East's No. 9 seed, Boston may quite possibly need to the reach the postseason by making it through the 'play-in' round (how the mighty have fallen). Miami is coming off a 124-120 loss in overtime at home on Saturday to the Raptors. Miami played without former Raptors All-Star guard Kyle Lowry (13.4-4.5-8.3) because of personal reasons and it's unclear if he will play here. The good news for Miami fans is that the team's top-three players are all healthy and/or COVID-free. Swingman Butler (22.0-6.3-6.3), guard Herro (20.3-4.9-4.0) and center Adebayo (17.8 & 10.1) make for quite a trio. Miami's depth is also impressive and one of the main reasons it sits atop the East. Five more players chip in between 8.6 and 12.0 PPG. Boston is coming off a 107-97 win over the Pelicans on Saturday. Tatum (26.2 & 8.4) and Brown (24.3 & 6.6) again led the way. Tatum scored 38 points, while adding eight rebounds and seven assists. Brown chipped in 31 points for Boston, whose only other double-digit scorer was Josh Richardson with 10 off the bench. "We know we're much harder to beat when both are firing on all cylinders," Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said. "They've been shooting better, attacking better, and making plays, and we expect that from those two." However, Boston needs to keep others involved. It's not as if Boston lacks talent. Schroder (14.8-3.4-4.5), Smart (11.3-4.0-5.4) and Richardson (9.7) form a solid backcourt, while big men Horford (10.1 & 7.2) and Roberts Williams (9.9 & 9.6) are quality NBA players. Miami has a rematch with the Raptors in Toronto tomorrow night and I'm looking for Tatum and Brown to continue their hot play and lead Boston to the "W" and cover! Good luck...Larry |
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01-31-22 | Duke v. Notre Dame +5.5 | Top | 57-43 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 54 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on Notre Dame at 7:00 ET. Duke's visit to Notre Dame was scheduled to be played on January 1 (was postponed) but the Blue Devils and Fighting Irish will instead take the court tonight, January 31st in South Bend. As all know, this is Coach K's final season and will lead his Blue Devils into South Bend 17-3 and ranked 9th in the latest AP poll (new poll comes out this afternoon). Mike Brey is not exactly a 'newbie, as this his 27th season at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish come into this contest at 14-6, overcoming a slow 3-4 start. Coach K brought in a trio of highly-regarded freshmen for his final season, none more impactful than 6-10 Banchero, who leads in scoring (17.6) and rebounding (8.3). The 7-0 Williams is also having a strong freshman season, adding 10.1 & 7.1. Freshman guard Keels (11.8 & 3.6) rounds out that incoming trio but hasn't played since a Jan 18th OT loss at FSU. With Keels out, guards Moore (15.4 & APG) and Roach (8.1 & 3.8 APG) plus the 6-6 Griffin (8.9 & 3.2) joined Banchero and Williams in the starting lineup. Mike Brey's team goes seven-deep. Guards Goodwin (14.9 & 5.6) and Wesley (15.0) are the top-two scorers, joined by Hubb (8.2 & 3.6 APG), Ryan (7.5) and Wertz (4.3) in the backcourt. The 6-9 Atkinson (11.6 & 6.3) and the 6-10 Laszewski (9.3 & 7.5) are the best (only?) frontcourt players. It's the only scheduled meeting of the season between Duke and Notre Dame, so that means there might not be another coaching matchup between Krzyzewski and Brey. As touched on earlier, ND opened only 3-4 (just 1-6 ATS) but the Irish turned their season around with a 66-62 home win over Kentucky back on Dec 11. That "W" has morphed into an 11-2 run the last 13 games, with the Irish going 9-4 ATS. This will be only the fourth ACC road game for Duke and one can't ignore Notre Dame's 9-0 record this season at Purcell Pavilion. Miami leads the ACC at 8-2, with Duke and Notre Dame both 7-2. Safe to say, this is a BIG game. The Jan 1 matchup was postponed, as Duke's team was in COVID protocol but with the new date, it means students are back on campus at Notre Dame. Is that just "A luck of the Irish" omen? I'll 'bite' and will take the home underdog. Good luck...Larry |
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01-30-22 | Loyola-Chicago v. Drake +2.5 | Top | 68-77 | Win | 100 | 4 h 25 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on Drake at 2:00 ET. The 16-3 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers and the 15-6 Drake Bulldogs meet Sunday in MVC action at The Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The Ramblers lead the MVC with a 7-1 record, while the Bulldogs are in second place at 6-2 (Mo St and No Iowa lurk at 7-3). Loyola went 26-5 last season and made an appearance in the NCAA's Sweet 16. However, Porter Moser left for Oklahoma and Cameron Kurtwig, who led the Ramblers into last year's Sweet 16 and helped them to a Final 4 appearance as a freshman, decided not to return for a "Super Senior" season. Drew Valentine, an assistant under Porter the last four seasons, took over as head coach. He's done an excellent job, as Loyola has won 12 of its last 13. Drake's Darian DeVries is in in his fourth season in Des Moines (70-29 his first three) and you may remember Drake opening 18-0 last season. However, the Bulldogs lost in the MVC tourney (Arch Madness) but the Bulldogs still went 'dancing,' earning the first at-large bid in program history (Drake also finished at 26-5). What's more, Drake returned all FIVE starters from that team. Willaimson (12.4 & 4.9) and Norris (10.0 & 4.2 APG) start in the backcourt, while the frontcourt consists of the 6-7 Schwieger (10.2), the 6-7 Uguak (9.1 & 3.8) and the 6-10 Hutson (6.9 & 2.3) start up front. Guards Kennedey (7.9) and Hall (5.1 & 4.4) add backcourt depth, while the 6-7 Knight (7.8 & 3.6) helps out up front. Loyola is a strong defensive team, allowing just 61.1 PPG (24th). Drake's DeVries had the inside track on recruiting his son Tucker (Gatorade POY in Iowa) and he's delivered, by leading the team in scoring at 13.5 PPG. Three more guards join him in the starting lineup, the 6-3 Sturtz (10.9 PPG and a team-high 7.4 RPG), Penn (10.9 & 3.6 APG) and Wilkins (10.1). The 6-6 Murphy (9.9 & 5.4) is the fifth starter, while the 6-6 Hemphill (9.8 & 4.90 and the 6-10 Brodie (6.8 & 4.8) are important role players. Drake is also a solid defensive team, holding opponents to 66.8 PPG. "Arch Madness" is still a month away, but Drake could sure use a win here vs Loyola, which would get them to 7-2 and in a tie with the Ramblers atop the MVC (again, Mo St and No. Iowa lurk at 7-3). Seeding will matter when the teams get to St Louis and all MVC members are well-aware that the likelihood of an at-large bid (like Drake's last season) is pretty much a 'pipe dream.' The home dog 'barks' LOUDLY in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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01-29-22 | Tennessee +4 v. Texas | Top | 51-52 | Win | 100 | 13 h 34 m | Show |
My 9* Situational Stunner is on Tennessee at 8:00 ET. Saturday's Big 12/SEC Challenge game between No. 18 Tennessee (14-5) and 15-5 Texas, which just fell out of the rankings this past Monday, is much more than two of the nation's top teams getting together tonight in Austin. The game will mark the first time Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has coached against the Longhorns since he was fired by Texas after the 2014-15 season. Rick Barnes has been a winner at every stop, with three NCAA berths at Providence, three in four years at Clemson and 16 in 17 years at Texas. This is his seventh season at Tennessee, and he's led the Vols to three NCAA berths the last four years (exception was when COVID shut down the postseason). Saturday's contest is more than just a homecoming for Barnes, it's an important game for both teams and not much of a respite from either's gauntlet of battles in the SEC and Big 12, respectively. When Texas fired Shaka Smart after six unfulfilling seasons, Chris Beard 'jumped ship,' leaving Lubbock (Texas Tech) to take the job at Texas (Austin), leaving some hard feelings behind. It hasn't been smooth sailing for Beard and his Longhorns, who opened No. 5 in the AP's preseason poll and remained in the AP rankings all season until Monday. Junior guard Vescovi (14.6 & 4.6) and freshman PG Chandler (13.5 & 4.9 APG) lead the way for Tennessee. The 6-8 Nkamhoua (8.3 & 6.0) and the 7-0 Plavsic (4.4 & 3.2) start up front, although the 6-8 Fulkerson may be the team's top frontcourt player (he's been coming off the bench, as of late). 6-6 guard Jordan-James missed a few games earlier but is back in the starting lineup, averaging 6.6 & 5.8. Guards Zeigler (7.0) and Powell (5.6) add depth in the backcourt. Defense has always been a Rick Barnes trademark and his team is allowing just 63.1 PPG (41st). Chris Beard brought in seven transfers with NCAA Division I experience. 6-6 Timmy Allen was named All-Pac 12 at Utah last season (17.2 & 6.4) and leads Texas in scoring (11.9) and rebounding (6.6) but his scoring is down 5 PPG. The same goes for PG Carr (19.6 & 4.9 APG last year with Minnesota), who is averaging a more modest 11.0 PPG and 3.4 APG. Guards Jones (10.1) and Ramey (9.4) join Carr in the backcourt, while 6-9 center Mitchell (9.3 & 4.3) and 6-7 forward Bishop (6.0 & 4.8) join Allen up front. The 6-9 Disu (5.8 & 4.6) is the only other player of note. Speaking of defense, Beard's team ranks 1st in the nation, allowing 54.7 PPG. VERY little, if anything, separates these two teams and while Texas is at home, I want ANY points I can get. Allen and Carr have both underachieved for Texas (see above) and while Beard is a terrific young coach, I'm going with 'old-timer' Rick Barnes to win the day and the game in his 'Homecoming!' Good luck...Larry |
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01-29-22 | Kentucky v. Kansas -4.5 | Top | 80-62 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
My 10* Marquee Classic is on Kansas at 6:00 ET. The Kentucky men's basketball team went just 9-16 last season, but all knew that was an aberration, as the Wildcats were ranked No. 10 in the AP's preseason poll. After a loss to Duke in the Champions Classic on the opening night of the season, the 16-4 Wildcats have won 16 of 19, losing only 66-62 at Notre Dame back on Dec 11, 65-62 at LSU on Jan 4 and 80-71 at No. 1 Auburn on Jan 22. John Calipari just claimed the 800th victory of his coaching career with an 82-74 OT win at home over Miss St on Jan 25. Bill Self's Jayhawks finished 21-9 last season, including a loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That was not what was expected of a team ranked No. 6 in the AP's preseason poll. Kansas began the current season ranked No. 3 and opened with an 87-74 win in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on the opening night of college basketball (Nov 9) over Michigan St. The 17-2 Jayhawks welcome the 12th-ranked Wildcats to legendary Allen Fieldhouse ranked 5th in the latest AP poll. Self's crowning achievement came in 2008 against Calipari when Kansas rallied to defeat Memphis in overtime for the national championship. Now, Self has Kansas in position to potentially overtake Kentucky as the winningest program in Division I history. The Wildcats stand 2,343-732 all-time, while the Jayhawks are 2,340-873. Talk about at Marquee Classic! The 6-9 Tshiebwe (16.3 & 15.2) and the 6-7 Brooks (10.2 & 4.3) are the two main frontcourt players for Coach Cal's team. SG Washington (13.6-4.2-4.6) and PG Wheeler (10.1 & 6.9 APG) lead a backcourt that also features Grady (12.1) and Mintz (98.6). The Kentucky offense ranks 9th in scoring (82.3 PPG) and 5th in FG percentage (49.7). Also note that the Wildcats are holding opponents to 64.8 PPG, for an average winning margin of 17.5 PPG. At issue might be Washington's ankle, which kept him out of the Miss St game and has him listed as questionable for this one. Kansas is led by a pair of big guards in the 6-5 Agbaji (21.3 & 5.0) and the 6-6 Braun (15.3 & 598). Guard Remy Martin (19.1 PPG last season), an Arizona State transfer, was named the preseason player of the year in the Big 12 but has been a HUGE disappointment, averaging just 8.4 PPG. Harris (5.2 & 3.7 APG) has recently been starting at PG for Martin. The 6-10 McCormack (9.0 & 6.7) and the 6-8 Wilson (8.9 & 6.8) round out the starting lineup. The 6-8 Lightfoot (5.2 & 3.2) and guard Coleman-Lands (4.6) get time off the bench. Much like Kentucky, Kansas is averaging 81.5 PPG (12th) on 49.3% shooting (10th), while allowing 67.9 PPG (average margin of13.6 PPG). Here's the rub. Forget the names on the jerseys. Kentucky's four losses have come to Duke in the Champions Classic on the opening night of the season plus at ND, at LSU and at Auburn (see above). Should we expect Kentucky's away from home woes to change here, in of the most difficult away venues in the nation (Kansas is 10-0 at home, with an average margin of victory of 19.2 PPG). Lay the points! Good luck...Larry |
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01-29-22 | Xavier -1.5 v. Creighton | Top | 74-64 | Win | 100 | 3 h 28 m | Show |
My 9* Afternoon Delight is on Xavier at 2:00 ET. Xavier head coach Travis Steele was badly in need of a 20-win season when the 2021-22 CBB season tipped off back on Nov 9. He took over from Chris Mack (23.9 wins per season with NINE straight Big Dance bids), who took over from Sean Miller (24 wins per season and NCAA bids in his last four seasons of his five-year stint). The Musketeers entered the season having won just 51 games (17 per) in Steele's first three seasons, without an NCAA bid. However, as Xavier gets set to visit Creighton on Saturday afternoon, the Musketeers are 14-5 (4-4 in Big East) and ranked 21st in the latest AP poll. Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is in his 12th season with the Bluejays and has won 20-plus games in 10 of his first 11. However, Creighton lost all FIVE starters from last year's 22-9 team that made a Sweet 16 appearance. It was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Coach McDermott but the Bluejays are a respectable 12-6 (4-3 in the Big East). The two schools met back on Jan 15 in Cincinnati and Xavier fought back from a five-point halftime deficit to defeat Creighton 80-73. Xavier's starting-five looks like this. The 7-0 Nunge (12.5 & 7.2) and the 6-9 Freemantle (8.5 & 5.0) start up front, with guards Scruggs (11.4-4.6-4.2), Jones (11.2 & 8.2) and Johnson (10.7) comprising a strong backcourt. Guards Kunkel (8.9) and Odom (5.8) add backcourt depth, while the 6-8 Hunter adds 6.1 & 3.9 off the bench in the frontcourt. Xavier comes in off back-to-back losses, 75-64 at Marquette and 65-62 at home against Providence. Xavier overcame a 14-point deficit to take the lead against No. 17 Providence before a late three-pointer by the Friars decided the game. Despite the defeat, the Musketeers' effort was not wasted on their coach and players. "I think people get caught up on wins and losses. I'm more focused on the quality of play on both ends," Xavier head coach Travis Steele said. "Our group has played really, really hard, we've competed every single night, but our execution level has got to be better." Following the loss to Providence, Xavier big man Jack Nunge said of Steele, "He told us we gotta have amnesia. Every night in this league is going to be a fight for 40 minutes. We gotta be ready to play Saturday against Creighton. They're playing as good as anybody in the league." McDermott has rebuilt Creighton quickly. The starting guards are freshman Nembhard (11.2 & 4.3 APG) and O'Connell (3.4 PPG last year), who is averaging 12.9 & 5.4 this season. 7-1 center Kalkbrenner returned (5.9 & 3.5 LY) and is a 'new man,' averaging 12.1 & 7.1. The 6-7 Hawkins is a Div II transfer and chips in 12.9 & 7.5 plus 6-7 freshman Kaluma adds 9.1 & 4.6. Alexander (5.2) is the only other player averaging as much as 5.0 PPG. Since the teams' last meeting, Creighton racked up home wins over St John's, 87-64, and DePaul, 60-47, before getting bounced at Butler 72-55 on Wednesday. Butler went on a 14-0 second-half run and held Creighton well under its 70.9-point scoring average. The Bluejays made only 2 of 22 on three-point attempts and shot 35.6 percent overall from the floor. The good news for Creighton is that McDermott will return to the bench following a week-long absence resulting from COVID-19 protocols and that the last time the Musketeers won at Omaha was in February of 2018. However, I'm on Xavier in this one, coming off that 'ugly' 72-55 loss at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Xaviers is the better team and despite its No. 21 ranking in the AP poll, the Musketeers are just 4-4 in Big East play, behind FIVE other schools (including 4-3 Creighton). No revenge here. Take the visitor to sweep the season series. Good luck...Larry |
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01-28-22 | Cleveland State v. Wright State -1.5 | Top | 71-67 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 4 m | Show |
My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on Wright St at 9:00 ET. The 13-4 Cleveland State Vikings (9-1 in Horizon play) and the 11-9 Wright State Raiders (8-3 in Horizon play) meet Friday at the Nutter Center in Dayton. The two teams tied for first-place (16-4) in the Horizon League last season, although it was the Vikings who won the conference tourney to advance to the 'Big Dance'.
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01-28-22 | Bulls v. Spurs +2.5 | Top | 122-131 | Win | 100 | 12 h 57 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week is on the SA Spurs at 8:40 ET. The Chicago Bulls were 31-41 last season, missing the postseason for the FOURTH consecutive year but have reinvented themselves as a threat in the Eastern Conference behind Zach LaVine and the free agent signing of DeMar DeRozan. They also picked up center Nikola Vucevic from Orlando last season (where his talents were wasted) plus added Lonzo Ball as a free agent prior to this season. Chicago surged to the top of the Eastern Conference on the strength of a nine-game winning streak from Dec 19 thru Jan 7, averaging 120.2 points per game over their winning streak and never scoring fewer than 108 points in any of those outings. However, in its 11 contests since, Chicago has averaged 106.5 points and failed to score more than 96 in three of them, going 4-7. The Bulls are currently 30-17, just a half-game back of the top seeded Heat (31-17). Note that the East's No. 1 thru No. 6 seeds are separated by just TWO games.
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01-27-22 | St. Mary's v. San Francisco -2.5 | Top | 72-70 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 15 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on San Francisco at 10:00 ET. No. 2 Gonzaga (15-2 / 4-0) has dominated the WCC for two decades but there are THREE more schools from the conference having terrific years this season. BYU is 17-4, St Mary's is 15-4 and San Francisco is 16-4. The Saint Mary’s Gaels (3-1) and San Francisco Dons (3-2) meet Thursday at the War Memorial at the Sobrato, both chasing 4-0 Gonzaga and 5-1 BYU.
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01-27-22 | Texas State v. Texas-Arlington +2.5 | Top | 58-70 | Win | 100 | 12 h 13 m | Show |
My 9* Texas "2-Step" (Part 2) is on UT-Arlington at 8:00 ET. The 12-5 Texas State Bobcats and the 8-11 UT Arlington Mavericks meet Thursday in SBC play at the College Park Center. The Bobcats come into the contest 3-3 in their last six games, while the Mavericks are looking to snap a three-game losing streak. Texas St is 3-2 in SBC games and UT Arlington sits 4-4. Texas St head coach is in his second season with the Bobcats, after going 18-7 last season, when the Bobcats won the regular season SBC title (12-3) but lost in the conference tourney. Greg Young had been an assistant at UT Arlington from 2009-21 but this is his first head coaching gig. Guards Asberry (14.2 & 4.8), Harrell (10.3) and Adams (8.9 7 3.1) start for Texas St, while the 6-8 Small (11.5 & 7.0) and the 6-8 Martin (5.5 & 7.9) start up front. The 6-8 Caesar adds 9.0 & 5.2 off the bench. UT Arlington will own the best player on the floor in SG Azore (18.5 & 4.3), who is joined in the backcourt by Elame (7.7 & 3.0) and PG Levi (6.0-4.8-4.9). The 6-7 Mwamba (10.3 & 4.8) and the 6-9 Ehiogu (5.3 & 5.1) start up front, while 6-9 JC transfer Wilson adds 6.4 & 4.1 off the bench. Texas St IS the better team but its play on the road this year has been shaky. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have consistently played their best at home, winning by an average of 11 points and allowing opponents to hit just 34.6 percent from the floor. The home dog 'barks' LODLY in this one! Good luck...Larry |
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01-27-22 | Lakers v. 76ers -2.5 | Top | 87-105 | Win | 100 | 9 h 53 m | Show |
My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on the Phi 76ers at 7:40 ET. |
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01-26-22 | Raptors +4.5 v. Bulls | Top | 105-111 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Tor Raptors at 8:10 ET. The Toronto Raptors won the NBA title (led by Kawhi) back in 2019 and even after he "went Hollywood" on them, followed with records of 58-24 and 53-19 the next two seasons. However, the Raptors fell to just 27-45 last season. Toronto moved to the right side of .500 on Tuesday with a 125-113 defeat of Charlotte, with the win ending a stretch in which the Raptors had lost FIVE of seven. At 23-22, Toronto currently owns the No. 8 seed but the Raptors are closer to the No. 11 seed (last team out of the play-in round), than they are to the No. 6 seed (last guaranteed playoff spot). Toronto leads the No. 11 seed by just 1 1/2 games, while it sits FOUR games back of the No. 6 seed. The Chicago Bulls were 31-41 last season, missing the postseason for the FOURTH consecutive year but have reinvented themselves as a threat in the Eastern Conference behind Zach LaVine and the free agent signing of DeMar DeRozan. They also picked up center Nikola Vucevic from Orlando last season (where his talents were wasted) plus added Lonzo Ball as a free agent. Chicago surged to the top of the Eastern Conference on the strength of a nine-game winning streak from Dec 19 thru Jan 7, averaging 120.2 points per game over their winning streak and never scoring fewer than 108 points in any of those outings. However, in its 10 contests since, Chicago has averaged 106.1 points and failed to score more than 96 in three of them. The Bulls are currently 29-17, just a half-game back of the top seeded Heat (30-17). Note that the East's No. 1 thru No. 6 seeds are separated by just TWO games. Toronto's win over Charlotte came without Fred VanVleet (21.7-4.7-7.0), who was sidelined with swelling in his right knee, and rookie Scottie Barnes (14.6 & 7.8), who had a right wrist injury. However, head coach Nick Nurse said both will travel to Chicago. Gary Trent Jr. (16.6) led the Raptors with a season-high 32 points and Pascal Siakam (21.3-8.3-5.1) just missed a triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. SF Anunoby (18.8 & 5.4) is having a career-year and big men Boucher (9.3 & 6.0) and Achiuwa (7.8 & 7.5) started with VanVleet and Barnes sidelined. Also note that guards Flynn and Banton combined for 21 points off the bench. There were 'whispers' that the 32-year-old DeMar DeRozan was on the downside of his career, but he's been one of the best players in the NBA so far this season, averaging 26.3-5.0-4.8. He was arrested in Chicago's last game but will play here. However, PG Ball (13.-5.4-5.1) is out until mid-March (knee) and center Vucevic (16.5 & 11.3) is listed as day-to-day with a knee issue. Zach LaVine (24.9-4.8-4.2) is back after missing a few games plus backup PG White (12.7) is around to fill in for Ball. Rookie guard Dosunmu (7.5) scored a career-high 24 points on personal bests of 10 made field goals and four made three-pointers, starting in the backcourt with DeMar DeRozan resting. Bottom line is, I like the Raptors plus the points. As noted above, the Bulls have underperformed for the last 10 games and I see Toronto building off last night's win, as the Raptors try to make a move up and OUT of the play-in round. Toronto may also be more than a little motivated against former teammate De Rozan plus are playing with revenge from a 111-108 home loss to the Bulls in late October. No surprise at all if Toronto wins it outright. Take the points. Good luck...Larry |
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01-26-22 | Iowa State +3.5 v. Oklahoma State | Top | 84-81 | Win | 100 | 7 h 2 m | Show |
My 9* Late Breaker is on Iowa St at 8:00 ET. T.J. Otzelberger came from UNLV to take over an Iowa St team that went 2-22 last season (0-18 in the Big 12). The Hawkeyes opened 12-0 and were ranked No. 8 thru Dec 21 but did not play again until Jan 1, at then-No. Baylor. The Hawkeyes played the Bears close, losing 77-72 but that loss was the start of a 2-5 Iowa St run that has dropped them to No. 23 in the latest AP poll at 14-5, (2-5 Big 12). The Cyclones will look to begin reversing their 2-5 start in the Big 12 when they take on Oklahoma State Wednesday night in Stillwater. |
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01-25-22 | Mavs v. Warriors -3 | Top | 92-130 | Win | 100 | 14 h 44 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the GS Warriors at 10:10 ET. The 34-13 Golden St Warriors have been battling the 37-9 Phoenix Suns for the top spot in the West since Opening Day but have recently fallen 3-1/2 game behind the Suns. The Dallas Mavericks were just 16-18 through Dec 29 but have won 11 of 13 and now, at 27-20, hold the West's No. 5 seed. The Mavs play the opener of a two-day, two-game Western swing tonight at San Francisco's Chase Center and follow with a game Wednesday in Portland. The Warriors welcome the Mavs to San Francisco having failed to reach 100 points in SEVEN of their last 14 outings, a stretch during which they've gone just 7-7 despite having won their last two.
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01-25-22 | Texas -2.5 v. TCU | Top | 73-50 | Win | 100 | 12 h 46 m | Show |
My 9* Texas 'Two-Step' is on Texas at 9:00 ET. Chris Beard 'jumped ship,' leaving Lubbock (Texas Tech) to take the job at Texas (Austin) and left some hard feelings behind. It hasn't been smooth sailing for Beard and his Longhorns, who opened No. 5 in the AP's preseason poll and remained in the AP rankings all season until Monday. Texas is 14-5 (4-3 in Big 12 play) but just 2-3 in its last five games. Jamie Dixon (of Pitt fame) returned to his alma mater back for the 2016-17 season. He led TCU to the NIT title that season, then won 21 and 23 games the following two seasons, However, he came into this season off 16-16 and 12-14 seasons. However, his team heads into this contest having won 10 of 12 to reach 13-3 (3-2 in Big 12 play).
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01-25-22 | Wyoming +5.5 v. Boise State | Top | 62-65 | Win | 100 | 9 h 4 m | Show |
My 10* Late Breaker is on Wyoming at 9:00 ET. The 15-2 Wyoming Cowboys (4-0 MWC) and the 15-2 Boise St Broncos (6-0 MWC) get together tonight from ExtraMile Arena in Boise, with the winner ending the night in first place. Jeff Linder came from No. Colorado where he won 26 (CIT champion), 21 and 22 games in his final three years, earning him the Wyoming gig. His first team went 14-11 but this year's team is an impressive 15-2. Boise St's Leon Rice is in his 12th season, having produced EIGHT 20-win seasons in his first 11, including two NCAA teams (the most recent coming back in 2015). Last year's team went 19-9, before losing in the NIT quarterfinals, just missing a ninth, 20-win campaign. However, the Broncos are all but assured of a 20-win season this year. Wyoming won its first eight games this year, then hit a 1-2 stretch that featured losses to Arizona and Stanford. However, it's been SIX straight victories since, over Northern Iowa, USF, Utah State, Nevada, San Jose State and New Mexico. The 6-9 Ike (20.6 & 8.9) and PG Maldanado (17.8-5.8-6.7) make for quite a duo. They are joined in the starting lineup by guards Jeffries (11.4 & 4.8) and DuSell (10.8) plus the 6-9 Oden (8.6 & 4.9). DuSell is questionable with a hamstring injury, with Wenzel (5.4) starting in his place. Defense is a team strength (65.6 PPG) but depth is an issue. Boise St has depth issues as well but has a very solid starting-five. The backcourt is missing Doutrive (9.4 & 4.6), who last played on Nov 30 but Shaver (13.6 & 4.1) and 6-8 guard Akot (11.5) form a quality duo. Up front, it's the 6-7 Kijab (13.1 & 6.6), the 6-10 Armus (7.2 & 9.2) and the 6-7 Degenhart (9.2). Defense is Boise's 'bread-and-butter,' allowing 57.9 PPG (8th). While Boise is a terrific defensive team, note that Wyoming is no slouch in that department, either (see above). Meanwhile, Wyoming averages 78.4 PPG, compared to Boise's 67.8. When getting almost a full 'TD' worth of points, I'll say, "How 'bout dem Cowboys?". Take the points. Good luck...Larry |
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01-24-22 | Weber State v. Southern Utah -2 | Top | 92-84 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 12 m | Show |
My 10* Conference Game of the Year (Big Sky) is on Southern Utah at 9:00 ET. The Weber State Wildcats and the Southern Utah Thunderbirds square off in a Big Sky matchup from the America First Events Center in Cedar City, Ut on Monday night. Webber St head coach Randy Rahe arrived in Ogden for the 2006-07 season and led the Wildcats to an NCAA berth. He's still around, although Weber St's only NCAA appearance since Rahe's first season came in 2013-14. Todd Simon took over the Southern Utah program for the 2016-17 season, with the Thunderbirds going just 53-78 (.405) through his first four years. However, last season's team went 20-4 (won the Big Sky at 12-2) but lost in the conference semifinals in OT, therefore no NCAA bid. Weber St is 13-5 overall and leads the Big Sky at 6-1. Marquette transfer McEwen (17.2 & 4.4) leads the Wildcats in scoring, joined by fellow transfer (Utah Valley) Overton (12.6 & 4.0) and returning guard Jawara (11.8) to form a strong backcourt. 6-6 SF hJoes (Big Sky Freshman of the year last season) is averaging 12.8 PPG and leads in rebounding (10.1). The 6-9 Bassett is what's called a "super senior," and checks in adding 6.3 & 3.0. Southern Utah is 11-5 overall and at 5-1, is tied with No. Colorado, a half-game back of Weber St. The returning backcourt of Knight (15.1-4.2-4.3) and Marin (11.1 & 4.6) are a steady influence The starting frontcourt consists of forwards Jones (14.0 & 4.4) and Fausett (13.1 PG and a team-high 8.9 RPG) plus the 6-11 Spurgin (5.1 & 3.9). SF Butler (7.5 & 3.9) and guard Moody (6.7) are the key reserves. This is a HUGE game for Southern Utah, which along with No. Colorado, trails Weber St by a half-game at the top of the Big Sky standings. Southern Utah's only home loss (7-1) this season came to No. Colorado on Jan 1 (by 10 points), so winning here is almost a 'must!' FYI...the Thunderbirds' home loss to No. Colorado on Jan 1 is the team's ONLY home loss in the last 1-1/2 seasons (team was 14-0 last season and is now 7-1 this season). I'm on the T-birds! Good luck...Larry |
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01-23-22 | Jazz +4.5 v. Warriors | Top | 92-94 | Win | 100 | 12 h 46 m | Show |
My 9* Weekend Wipeout is on the Ut Jazz at 8:40 ET. The Jazz and Warriors have been battling the Phoenix Suns for the West's (and the NBA's) best record all season. As of Sunday morning, the Suns sit at 36-9, 3-1/2 games ahead of the 33-13 Warriors and 6-1/2 games ahead of the 30-16 Jazz, who have seen the Grizzlies slip past them into the No. 3 seed at 32-16. The Warriors have gone just 4-6 over their last 10 games (more later), after a 29-7 start, and now face a week in which they must deal with a tough four-game sequence book-ended by Utah and the Brooklyn Nets. Meanwhile, Jazz have won just TWICE in their last eight games, with injuries playing a role in Utah's recent regression. |
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01-23-22 | Nets v. Wolves -2 | Top | 125-136 | Win | 100 | 13 h 25 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Min T-wolves at 8:10 ET. If it's not ONE thing, it's ANOTHER!" The Brooklyn Nets had anticipated that a stretch of road games would give them significant minutes with their star trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving on the floor. So, what happens? Durant sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee a week ago Saturday and will be sidelined for at least a month. The Nets complete a four-game road trip tonight in Minnesota, having won two of the first three, led by their part-time backcourt duo of James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Brooklyn dropped a seven-point decision in Cleveland on Monday when Harden and Irving combined for 49 points but then eked out a one-point win in Washington when the duo combined for 48 points. On Friday, the duo scored a collective 61 points of a 117-102 win in San Antonio. The duo combined for 26 points in the final 12 minutes when the Nets shot 60 percent and outscored the Spurs 38-28. Through all of this season's turmoil, the Nets currently sit atop the East with a 29-16 record. However, Chicago and Miami are just a half-game back and the top-six East seeds are separated by just THREE games.
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01-23-22 | Michigan +4.5 v. Indiana | Top | 80-62 | Win | 100 | 6 h 31 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on Michigan at 3:30 ET. Michigan opened the season ranked 6th in the AP's preseason poll but didn't stay ranked for very long. A lengthy layoff due to the holiday break and COVID-19 issues didn't help and the Wolverines 'limp into Bloomington having played just FOUR games in a month but is off an 83-64 win over Maryland on Tuesday. To say the least It's been an up-and-down year for the defending Big Ten champions, as the Wolverines had a pair of conference games postponed the second week in January due to COVID-19 issues within the program. Michigan is just 8-7 overall, including 2-3 in the Big Ten. Indiana lost its final six games of last season and the Hoosiers fired head coach Archie Miller. They then hired Mike Woodson (former Indiana player under Bob Knight) to lead the team in the 2021-22 season, Indiana opened 6-0, before losing 112-110 (2 OTs) at Syracuse. The Hoosiers have also lost at Wisconsin, at Penn St and at Iowa but here at Assembly Hall, have gone a perfect 12-0, after they snapped a nine-game losing streak against Purdue, winning 68-65 on Thursday behind a career-high 20 points from Rob Phinisee. Indiana welcomes Michigan to Assembly Hall 14-4 overall, including 5-3 in the Big Ten. After center Hunter Dickinson (16.4 & 8.6) sat out a 68-53 loss at Illinois on Jan 14, the Wolverines were back at full strength against Maryland. Dickinson (21 points) led FOUR starters in double figures. Michigan's starting-five includes the 7-1 Dickinson and the 6-11 Diabate (9.1 & 6.1) up front, plus a trio of guards in Brooks (12.1) and Houstan (9.7 & 4.5) plus PG Jones (8.5-4.5-3.7), who runs the offense. The 6-9 Jackson-Davis (18.7 & 8.6) was limited against Purdue, playing just 11 minutes with four points and one rebound. The 6-8 Thompson (10.8 & 7.6) and the 6-7 Kupp (6.7 & 2.7) join Davis up front, while guards Johnson (10.0-3.6-4.1) and Stewart (7.3) start in the backcourt. Adding depth on the perimeter are Phinisee (5.7) and Bates (4.3). Indiana will look to avoid a letdown after an emotional Purdue win and how much Davis can contribute is really unknown. Obviously, Michigan was overrated at the start of the season, but the Wolverines are NOT a .500 team, either. Both teams are solid defensively and Michigan is OVERDUE for a "quality" win. Methinks, as Rod Stewart opined, "Tonight's the Night!" Take the points. Good luck...Larry |
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01-22-22 | North Carolina +2 v. Wake Forest | Top | 76-98 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 53 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on North Carolina at 8:00 ET. North Carolina (12-5 / 4-2) and Wake Forest (15-4 / 4-3) have similar conference records as they head into Saturday night's meeting in Winston-Salem. Roy Wiliams retired after last season, ending his career with a first-round NCAA tournament loss and an 18-11 record with his beloved Tar Heels. Former North Carolina player Hubert Davis took over as head coach and the Tar Heels were ranked 19th in the AP's preseason poll. However, just when it appeared North Carolina might be picking up momentum, the Tar Heels 'crashed and burned' in Tuesday night's 85-57 loss at Miami. Steve Forbes took over at Wake Forest last season and suffered through a 6-16 (3-15 in the ACC) his first year. However, whether it has been in the JC ranks or his four-year stint at East Tenn St, Forbes has been known as 'quick-change artist.' Case in point. He took over at East Tenn St in 2015-16 and his four-year record was 130-43! His final team went 30-4 but "what might have been" in the Big Dance remains an unanswered question, as COVID shut the tournament down. Now, after a 'nightmare' first season, Forbes' Demon Deacon are off to an impressive start (see above). "Very disappointed in our fight, our competitiveness, our effort," UNC head coach Hubert Davis said. "In order to be a good team, you have to have leadership and there has to be somebody outside of myself, outside of the coaching staff, a voice in the locker room that's amongst the players that binds us together." The Tar Heels are looking for adjustments, perhaps mostly in mindset. North Carolina has an excellent frontcourt led by the returning 6-10 Bacot (17.2 & 11.2), 6-9 Oklahoma transfer Manek (12.4 & 5.6) and 6-11 Marquette transfer Garcia (9.1 & 5.5). Sophomore guard Love (14.1-3.5-3.4) teams with freshman Davis (13.7-3.8-3.5) in the backcourt, with Walton (3.9) and Black (3.5 & 4.4) adding support. Forbes has turned things around quickly at Wake, adding Oklahoma transfer Williams and an ETSU transfer in Williamson to be his starting guards. Williams (20.3-6.8-5.2) has been spectacular and Williamson, who came with Forbes last season from ETSU, is averaging 12.4 PPG. The 6-8 Mucius (10.5 & 3.8) returned up front but the 6-8 LaRavia (14.7 & 5.9) came from Indiana St, the 7-0 Walton (8.1 & 5.2) from Colorado and the 6-10 Sy (6.5 & 4.4) from Ole Miss. In Wednesday night's 80-64 victory at Georgia Tech, the Demon Deacons were without coach Forbes, who was ill, but it seems like he'll be back for the North Carolina game. "He'll be there," said Wake assistant coach Brooks Savage, who filled in. "It was in everybody's best interest that he take some time and not travel and get ready to go for Saturday." Kudos to Forbes and Wake but consider this, the Demon Deacons have reached the 15-win mark for only the THIRD time in a 12-season span. This season is 'rarefied air' for Wake Forest and catching the Tar Heels off an embarrassing 85-57 loss at Miami, is NOT a "good thing!" UNC is a two-point dog, so one could hardly call this an upset. However, take any available points but expect a North Carolina win "with room to spare," as North Carolina has won EIGHT of the last nine meetings with Wake Forest. Good luck...Larry |
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01-22-22 | Virginia v. NC State -1.5 | Top | 63-77 | Win | 100 | 7 h 2 m | Show |
My 9* Weekend Wipeout is on NC St at 4:00 ET. The Atlantic Coast Conference schools has typically been known as arguably the nation's top BKB conference, but a quick check of the latest AP poll will find only Duke (at No. 6) among the top-25. One sure won't find Virginia (11-7, 5-3) or NC State (9-10, 2-6) in any top-25 polls! Tony Bennett's UVA team won a national championship in 2019 and from the 2013-14 season through the championship season of 2018-19, the Cavs avenged 29.7 wins per season. The Cavs ended last season 18-7, after a first-round NCAA loss to 13th-seed Ohio U. However, as noted, this season has NOT gone smoothly. However, UVA's season is going MUCH better than NC St's Kevin Keatts season is. He replaced Mark Gottfried in Raleigh five years ago. His three-year stint at UNC-Wilmington (his team won 28 and 29 games in his final two seasons, both ending with NCAA tourney berths), surely caught NC St's attention. Keatts' first three seasons in Raleigh went fine (21, 24 and 20 wins) but the Wolfpack's season pretty much ended on Feb 9 of last year, when Devon Daniels (16.5 & 5.2) was lost to an ACL tear (NC St would finish 14-11). The only returning starter for UVA is PG Clark, who chips in 9.1 PPG and 4.0 APG. Guard Beekman (8.1-3.6-4.8) is back, as is the 6-11 Shedrick (6.2 & 5.1), but UVA's two-most important players are transfers. The 6-6 Gardner comes from East Carolina and leads in scoring (14.0) and rebounding (7.0) plus guard Franklin comes via Indiana and chips in 12.2. With Daniels gone and the 6-11 Funderburk (12.6 & 5.6) declaring for the NBA but going undrafted, Keatts' had his work cut out for him entering the current season. The 6-7 Seaborn has blossomed into a 'do-everything" player for NC St, leading the team in scoring (19.3) and rebounding (9.4). Joining him in the starting lineup are freshman guard Smith (14.6 & 3.7), the 6-7 Hellems (14.2 & 4.7) and the 6-11 Dowuona (4.0 & 4.7). Guards Hayes (8.3) and UVA transfer Morsell (7.3 & 3.5) have been steady off the bench. Here's the rub. Do you believe in 'miracles?' Well, I may be exaggerating a little but consider this. Two Saturdays ago, North Carolina ended its SEVEN-game losing streak against Virginia. Last Saturday, Wake Forest snapped its NINE-game skid against the Cavaliers. Now it's NC State with a chance to "get off the schneid," as the Wolfpack will try to beat Bennett for the first time in Raleigh. All SEVEN times the Cavaliers coach has come to PNC Arena, he's walked out a winner. The late-1970s and early-1980s TV opined "Eight is Enough" but my bet here says, "SEVEN is enough!" NC St wins and wins impressively. Good luck...Larry |
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01-22-22 | Kentucky +4 v. Auburn | Top | 71-80 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 56 m | Show |
My 9* Marquee Classic is on Kentucky at 1:00 ET. No. 2 Auburn (17-0 / 6-0) will put its 14-game winning streak on the line Saturday when it hosts No. 12 Kentucky in a matchup of SEC teams. Withe Baylor losing twice last week, Gonzaga took over the No. 1 spot in the AP poll, while Auburn moved to No. 2. Interestingly, Auburn (36) had more first-place Votes than Gonzaga (25), but the Bulldogs edged the Tigers in overall points, 1,486 to 14,82. In the history of the AP poll, Auburn has reached No. 2 three times. The 1958-59 team reached second and finished eighth in the AP poll with a 20-2 record. The 1998-1999 team reached No. 2 but lost in the Sweet Sixteen. That team finished 29-4. The following season, Auburn started the season ranked fourth and reached No. 2, before faltering down the stretch and losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That team finished 24-10 and ranked 24th.
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01-21-22 | Grizzlies v. Nuggets -3.5 | Top | 122-118 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 11 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Den Nuggets at 9:10 ET. The Memphis Grizzlies lost 132-110 to the Hawks on Nov 26, giving them a 9-10 record. However, the Grizzlies have gone 22-6 since. They are now 31-16 (No. 3 seed in the West), two games back of the Warriors and 5-1/2 games back of the Suns. Memphis was considered a team on the rise before the season began but it is now obvious its ascension has arrived sooner than expected. The Nuggets have had their issues, mostly with injuries and illnesses, and welcome the Grizzlies to Denver just 23-20, good enough for teh No. 6 in the West. The Nuggets are FIVE back of the No. 4 seed but well clear of the No. 11 seed (last team to miss the play-in round).
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01-21-22 | Michigan State +4 v. Wisconsin | Top | 86-74 | Win | 100 | 14 h 25 m | Show |
My 10* Marquee Classic is on Michigan St at 9:00 ET. Tom Izzo and his Spartans started at No. 13 at the opening of the 2020-21 season and struggled in the regular season. Mich St made the NCAA tourney at 15-12 but was eliminated in a First Four game by UCLA. Michigan State began the current season unranked but enters this game at Wisconsin arnked No. 14 at 14-3 (5-1 in the Big Ten). Wisconsin was also unranked in the preseason but is now No. 8, with a 15-2 overall record, including 6-1 in the Big Ten. The Badgers are tied atop the conference with Ilinois, while the Spartans are just a half-game back. The Spartans do not have a 'big gun,' as the team's leading scorer is SF Brown (14.2 & 4.8). 7-0 center Bingham adds 9.7 PPG and a team-high 7.1 RPG. Joining those two in the starting lineup are guards Christie (10.4) and Walker (6.8 & 5.2 APG) plus the 6-9 Hauser, who has disappointed averaging only 6.8 & 6.1. Bench strength comes from the 6-9 Hall (9.7 & 4.8) and the 6-9 Marble (6.4 & 3.1) plus guard Hoggard (6.5 & 4.5 APG). Izzo-coached teams always play excellent defense and the Spartans are allowing 65.6 PPG, holding opponnest to just 39.1% shooting (24th). Wisconsin featured four, 5th-year seniors and three regular seniors last season but of the 14 scholarship players this season, 10 are classified as freshmen for eligibility purposes. Guard Davison began the season with 124 career starts and is averaging 15.1 & 4.1. The great news for Wisconsin fans is, fellow guard Davis (7.0 & 4.1 LY) is averaging 22.1 & 7.5 this season. Also back, after limited playing time last season, are the 6-9 Wahl (11.0 & 5.7) and the 7-0 Crowl (8.8 & 4.8). Freshman guard Hepburn (7.2) rounds out the starting-five. No other player averages as much as 4 PPG and that's not good news considering that Wahl is listed as questionable. Wisconsin extended its winning streak to seven with an 82-76 victory at Northwestern on Tuesday to move into a first-place tie with Illinois in the conference, while the Spartans were upset at home by Northwestern 64-62 in their last outing on Saturday, snapping a NINE-game winning streak. Wisconsin has won the last two matchups with Michigan State, including a 64-63 victory in the last meeting at home at the Kohl Center. However, prior to that, the Spartans had won EIGHT straight against the Badgers. Winning at the Kohl Center is NEVER easy but I really like taking a Tom Izzo team off and embarassing loss like at home to Northwestern. I sent out an "Upset Alert" Thursday on Indiana over Purdue and it's "deja vu all over agin" tonight with the Spartsna beating the Badgers. Good luck...Larry |
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01-21-22 | Heat v. Hawks -1 | Top | 108-110 | Win | 100 | 11 h 34 m | Show |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is on the Atl Hawks at 7:40 ET. The Atlanta Hawks ended a 10-game homecourt losing streak Monday with a second-half surge against the Milwaukee Bucks, and then did it again Wednesday, when an impressive second half carried them to a 134-122 win over Minnesota. However, the Hawks are just 19-25, leaving them THREE games back of the East's No. 10 seed (last team into the 'play-in' round). Visiting Atlanta tonight will be the 29-16 Miami Heat, who are in a virtual tie with the 28-15 Bulls for the East's No. 1 seed. At the moment, just 2-1/2 games separate the No. 1 seed and the No. 6 seed in the East. Miami beat the Portland Trail Blazers 104-92 on Wednesday for their second straight win and SIXTH in the last seven games. The Heat played without Tyler Herro (20.7-4.9-4.0), who entered the health and safety protocol, and Kyle Lowry (13.4 & 8.3 APG), who missed the last two games for personal reasons. Herro will miss the Atlanta game and Lowry's status is uncertain. There is good news though and that the Heat have Bam Adebayo (18.6 & 10.2) back in the lineup. He has played two games since thumb surgery had sidelined him since Nov 29, averaging 17.0 & 10.0. Adebayo had 20 points and 11 rebounds against Portland and helped offset the loss of Jimmy Butler, who was ejected after playing only 15 minutes. Swingman Butler (21.7-5.8-5.8) is Miami best player plus guards Strus (11.6) and Robinson (11.4) plus PF Tucker (8.2 & 5.6) are steady and consiotent contributors. Atlanta understands being shorthanded, as the Hawks have been without starting center Clint Capela (11.8 & 13.1) for the last six games (ankle) but have seen former No. 1 draft choice Onyeka Okongwu make big strides since he's been healthy. Okongwu didn't play until Dec 17 because of offseason shoulder surgery, but after some early tenuous performances he has become increasingly productive. He's up to 9.8 & 6.3 on the season, after averaging 13.7 PPG and 6.7 RPG in his last three games. PG Young (27.9 & 9.5 APG) is now a bonafide All Star plus PF Collins (17.2 & 8.0) just continues to put up All Star-like numbers. SG Bogdanovich (12.0 & 3.8) is out but Hunter (12.8) and Huerter (11.3) are both back in the lineup and playing well. Let's NOT forget that this Atlanta team made it all the way to the Eastern Conerence finals last season, where the Bucks ended the team's championship hopes. The Hawks have been one of the league's biggest undercahievers so far but may be starting to see a 'light at the end of the tunnel.' The Hawks make it THREE straight home wins tonight! Good luck...Larry |
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01-20-22 | USC -1.5 v. Colorado | Top | 61-58 | Win | 100 | 13 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* Conference Game of the Year (Pac 12) is on USC at 7:30 ET. USC was 25-8 last season (made the Elite 8) but head coach Andy Enfield (who will ever forget Florida Gulf Coast!) has retooled the Trojans, after losing Evan Mobley to the NBA draft (3rd overall pick). USC opened the current season 13-0 and in the Jan 10 AP poll, was ranked No. 5. It was the school's highest ranking since also being No. 5 way back in December of 1974! However, the Trojans lost 75-69 at Stanford on Jan 11, beat Oregon St (3-13) 81-71 at home and then lost 79-69 at home against suddenly surging Oregon last Saturday. USC (14-2 / 4-2) will try to get its season back on track Thursday night in Boulder against a Colorado Buffaloes team that is quietly gone 12-4 (4-2 in the Pac 12). Tad Boyle took over at Boulder in the 2009-10 season and has led the Buffaloes to 20-plus wins EIGHT times and into the NCAA Tournament FIVE times (would have been six but the 2020 tourney was shut down because of COVID. As noted above, Enfield has retooled the Trojans this season, with GREAT success. Mobley's 6-10 older brother Isaiah leads in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (9.2) and is joined by the 6-9 Goodwin (13.0 & 7.1) and the 6-9 Agbonkpolo (7.8 & 3.5) in the frontcourt. Ellis (12.6), and Peterson (11.1 & 5.8) make for an excellent backcourt duo, plus guard Anderson (5.8) and the 6-11 Morgan (4.3 & 3.2) contribute off the bench. The Buffs have a strong starting-five, led by a huge frontline. The 6-9 Walker (13.1 & 8.5), the 6-8 Battey (12.3 & 4.5) and the 6-10 da Silva (8.8 & 3.6). The starting guards are Barthelemy (11.1) and Parquet (7.1). Guards Simpson (6.9) and Clifford (6.2 & 5.1) add depth. Boyle's success at Colorado includes an unlikely domination of USC. The Buffs have beaten the Trojans SEVEN straight times! That said, the Buffaloes have lost ALL of their first three opportunities to beat a ranked opponent and had a fourth, against Kansas on Dec 21, canceled. This game could define which direction USC's season will go. In its 13-0 start, just THREE teams topped 70 points (a high of 73) but in losing TWO of three, the Trojans have allowed 75.0 PPG. I view this contest as almost a "must-win" situation for USC. Seven straight loses to Colorado surely brings USC's 'motivation factor' on a 1-10 scale to 10! Colorado has lost 73-61 to then-No. 5 UCLA, 69-54 to then-No. 13 Tennessee and 76-55 to then No. 6 Arizona. Why will the Buffs win here vs No. 16 USC? My bet says they WON'T! Good luck...Larry |
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01-20-22 | St. Louis v. Massachusetts +3.5 | Top | 85-91 | Win | 100 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
My 9* PERFECT STORM is a on UMass at 7:00 ET. Full, detailed analysis thursday morning by 10:00 ET. |
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01-20-22 | Purdue v. Indiana +3.5 | Top | 65-68 | Win | 100 | 10 h 37 m | Show |
My 9* Rivalry Rout is on Indiana at 7:00 ET. No. 4 Purdue is the highest-ranked Big Ten team but at 4-2 in league play, there are FIVE schools with better conference records than the Boilermakers' mark. Purdue heads to Bloomington tonight to take on bitter rival Indiana, which is 13-4 overall, including 4-3 in Big Ten play.
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01-19-22 | Iowa v. Rutgers +3.5 | Top | 46-48 | Win | 100 | 14 h 32 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week is on Rutgers at 8:30 ET. Fran McCaffrey is in his 12th season at Iowa City and he's delivered seven, 20-win seasons in his first 11. Gone are consensus National Player-of-the-Year Garza (24.1 & 8.7) and Wieskamp (14.8 & 6.6) but the Hawkeyes opened 7-0, before dropping back-to-back Big Ten games to Purdue and Illinois, plus losing a third straight at Iowa St. However, the Hawkeyes have won SIX of their last seven (lone loss to now-No.8 Wisconsin). Iowa is 13-4 (3-3 in the Big Ten) and was the first team in the "others receiving votes" column of the latest AP top-25 poll. The Hawkeyes travel to Rutgers Wednesday night for a Big Ten game with the Scarlet Knights. Steve Pikiell came to Rutgers (from Stony Brook) for the 2016-17 season and his 2019-20 team won 20 games (NCAA tourney was canceled) and then got the Scarlet Knights into the "Big Dance" last season, winning a game before losing in the round of 32. The current season has been a disappointment, with Rutgers checking in at 10-6 (4-2 Big Ten). Iowa survived last Sunday at Minnesota, winning 81-71. However, after taking a 16-point lead at halftime, the Golden Gophers charged back and cut the deficit to 74-71 with 90 seconds left. Iowa survived, as Keegan Murray, the nation's leading scorer at 23.9 PPG, drained a three-pointer with 59 seconds left to help Iowa rattle off the game's final seven points. The 6-8 Murray twins (Keegan and Kris) were freshmen last season at Iowa. Keegan gained playing time as the year wound down but Kris was lost in the shuffle. This season, Keegan leads the team in scoring (23.9) and rebounding (8.1) while his brother Kris chips in 10.3 & 4.8. Returning players like the 6-9 Patrick McCaffrey (10.8 & 3.8) and returning guard Bohannon adds 10.9 PPG. Guard Perkins (7.6), the 6-9 Rebraca (6.1 & 6.1), guard Toussaint (5.4 & 3.9 APG) and 6-7 freshman Sandfort (5,2) round out a deep group. Iowa is averaging 86.2 PPG, fifth-best in the nation. Rutgers has a starting lineup consisting of four guards and the 6-11 Omoruyi (11.3 & 7.7). PG Baker (11.2 & 4.3 APG) entered the season with 101 starts on his resume and 6-6 guard Harper (16.6 & 6.8) can be a 'nightmare' matchup issue for many teams. Mulcahy (7.3 & 4.1) and Mcconnell (6.9 & 5.1) are the final two starters, while the 6-6 Hyatt (5.9 & 3.3) is the 6th-man. Rutgers is a slow-paced team, averaging 69.0 PPG (17 points less than Iowa) but also allows just 65.1 PPG. Rutgers earned its badly-needed first road win of the season Saturday at Maryland. The Terrapins jumped out to a 38-27 halftime lead but the Scarlet Knights cut their turnovers and clamped down on defense for a major swing in the second half, leading to a 70-59 win. The key here is that Pikiell has made "The RAC" (Rutgers Athletic Center) a brutal venue for visiting teams. Rutgers is 9-1 at home this season (beat Michigan and Purdue already) and enters 37-7 (.841) at home the last two-plus seasons. The Scarlet Knights 'rac up' another home win here! Good luck...Larry |