Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

[TheGame]

NBA

Hot teams
-- Oklahoma City won 12 of its last 14 games.
-- Lakers won last two games by 11-14 points, after losing seven games in row before that.
-- Boston won/covered its last three games. Mavericks won last four games, covered last three.
-- Pelicans won six of their last eight games.
-- Grizzlies won seven of their last nine games.
-- Orlando won its last four home games, covered its last six. Pacers won last four games, three by 5 or less points.

Cold Teams
-- Knicks lost three of their last four games.
-- Bulls lost three of their last four games.
-- Nets lost four of their last six games.
-- Cavaliers won/covered once in their last seven games.
-- Washington lost last two games by 7ot/2 points. Kings lost eight of last ten games, but covered four of last five.
-- 76ers lost eight of their last nine games (2-7 vs spread). Clippers lost three of their last five games.

Series records
-- Thunder won seven of last nine games vs New York.
-- Lakers lost four of last five games with Chicago.
-- Mavericks won five of last six games with Boston.
-- Nets won three of last four games with New Orleans.
-- Memphis won its last four games with the Cavaliers.
-- Pacers won seven of their last eight games vs Orlando.
-- Kings won three in row vs Washington, last two by 1-2 points.
-- Clippers won/covered last four games with Philadelphia.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Thunder games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Chicago games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Dallas games went over the total; five of lasr seven Boston games stayed under.
-- Last eight New Orleans-Brooklyn games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Memphis games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Orlando home games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Sacramento games stayed under the total.
-- Last three Clipper games went over the total.

Back to backs
-- Memphis is 5-0 vs spread if it played on road the previous night.

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

Game of the Day: Michigan State at Wisconsin
By Covers.com

Michigan State Spartans at Wisconsin Badgers (-3.5)

Eighth-ranked Michigan State has been ravaged by injury, but constantly changing personnel has yet to affect its ability to challenge for another Big Ten title. The Spartans, who travel to No. 24 Wisconsin on Sunday, have been forced to use 12 different lineups over the last 18 games after Keith Appling (wrist) missed the first game of his career in Thursday’s win over Penn State. Appling’s absence left Denzel Valentine as the only Michigan State regular that has yet to miss a game this season.

The Spartans, who hold a half-game lead on Michigan atop the conference standings, got a much-needed boost off the bench from Adreian Payne (foot), who returned Thursday with 12 points in 18 minutes after a seven-game layoff. With coach Tom Izzo unsure of when Appling will play again, Payne’s presence may be even more critical against the Badgers, who will looking to end a rare three-game home losing streak. After setting a school record with a 16-0 start, Wisconsin is 2-5 since – its worst seven-game run since 2008-09.

LINE HISTORY: The Badgers opened as 3.5-point home favorites.

COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Michigan State (-14.1) - Wisconsin (-10.4) + home court (+3.0) = Michigan State -0.7

INJURY WATCH: Michigan State - Keith Appling (Wrist - Questionable)

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "Huge injury issue for Michigan State, as Keith Appling (15 ppg, 4.9 apg, 3.5 rpg) is questionable. If he plays, I see line being Wisconsin -1. If he cant suit up, I see the Badgers being -3. Badgers have both won and covered just two of their last seven, so I expect the book to need Wisconsin to cover." Mike Perry, Sportsbook.ag

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "What did I predict weeks ago? I told you that the Badgers were going to hit a wall because they are overplaying their starters. But what's most disconcerting is that they have lost three straight at home, an almost unthinkable streak for the Badgers in Madison." Covers Experts' Doc's Sports

WHY BET MICHIGAN STATE (20-3, 9-1 Big Ten): Payne’s box-score contribution may have been below his usual average, but the welcome he received from the Spartans’ crowd was captivating. "It was like Willis Reed coming off the bench (in reference to the New York Knicks captain's dramatic appearance in the 1970 NBA Finals),” Penn State coach Patrick Chambers told reporters after the game. "The crowd was going crazy - standing ovation." Payne is 22 points shy of becoming the 44th player in school history to score at least 1,000 points in his career.

WHY BET WISCONSIN (18-5, 5-5): The Badgers could use more offense from struggling 7-0 forward Frank Kaminsky, who set a school record with 43 points earlier in the season but has averaged six over his last three contests on 4-of-16 shooting. Freshman Nigel Hayes has picked up some of the slack, averaging 15.5 points over the last two games while converting 13 of his 14 field-goal attempts. Wisconsin connected on 43.5 percent of its 3-pointers in Tuesday’s win over Illinois – a stark contrast from the 27.9 percent the Badgers shot over their previous six contests.

TRENDS:

* Spartans are 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Home team is 14-5 ATS in the last 19 meetings.
* Spartans are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games.
* Badgers are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

Sunday's Top Action
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com

The top two teams in the nation will be back in action this Sunday after surviving a close call this past week. The No. 1 Syracuse Orange will host Clemson in an ACC matchup while in the Pac-12 the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats welcome Oregon State to the McKale Center.

Clemson Tigers at. No. 1 Syracuse Orange

Clemson has strung together a couple of wins to move to 6-3 straight-up in the ACC. The Tigers covered as 7½-point road underdogs in a 53-49 victory over Florida State but came up short against the spread in a 45-41 squeaker over Georgia Tech as 6½-point favorites at home. The common tread in most of Clemson’s games this season against the ACC has been an anemic offense that is averaging 54.9 points a game. Overall, it is averaging 63 PPG on the year which is ranked near the bottom of Division I.

The primary reason the Tigers have remained competitive this is a defensive effort that is ranked first in the nation in points allowed (55.0). When you combine this with a struggling offense it is easy to see why the total has stayed UNDER in 10 of 16 games even after the Oddsmakers’ continued downward adjustments on the line. Clemson is 5-4 ATS in conference play and the total has stayed UNDER in six of those contests.

You can expect a pretty low total line to be set for this game considering that Syracuse has made its living this season shutting down opposing teams. It is allowing an average of 59.1 points a game, which is the eighth-lowest total in the nation. The result has been a perfect 22-0 SU start that includes a 9-0 mark in its first season in the ACC. The Orange have failed to cover in their last two games after going 5-1-1 ATS in their first seven conference games. This past Monday, they held off Notre Dame 61-55 as 11½-point home favorites after ending up on the right side of a thrilling 91-89 overtime victory against Duke as 4 ½-point favorite at home last Saturday.

Syracuse is a profitable 11-6-1 ATS on the year, but these last two games dropped it to 4-5-1 ATS at home. The total has also been a profitable play after staying UNDER in nine of 17 games overall and in seven of nine contests in ACC play.

The Orange opened as 14-point home favorites over Clemson for Sunday’s game, which will be the only scheduled meeting this season.

These two last met in the 2007 NCAA Tournament with Clemson coming out on top 74-70 while covering by the thinnest of margins as a 3 ½-point favorite. More recently, the Orange have covered in 10 of their last 15 games against a team with a SU winning record.

Oregon State Beavers at No. 2 Arizona Wildcats

Oregon State fell to an even 5-5 SU in the Pac-12 with an 86-82 overtime loss to Arizona State this past Thursday night, but it covered as a seven-point road underdog. It is 6-4 ATS in conference play and the total has gone 5-4-1 in the 10 games. The Beavers are averaging 77.3 PPG, but they have now scored 80 points or more in five of their last eight outings. Pac-12 scoring leader Roberto Nelson put up 26 points in the loss to the Sun Devils and he has now hit or exceeded his 22-point scoring average in six of his last seven games.

Nelson is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from 3-point range and the team as a whole is ranked 17th in the nation with a field goal percentage of 48.7 percent. The Beavers’ issues have been on the other end of the court with a defense that is allowing an average of 74.3 PPG.

Arizona only dropped to No. 2 in the latest AP poll after last Saturday’s 60-58 loss to California as a six-point road favorite, but there has to be some level of concern after it had to sweat out a 67-65 victory over Oregon as a 12-point home favorite this past Thursday.

The impact from the loss of forward Brandon Ashley, who is done for the season with a foot injury, was apparent against the Ducks as the Wildcats’ defense had to tighten-up down the stretch to seal the win. Arizona may have trouble hitting its 73.3-point scoring average without one of its top scorers in the lineup, but its defense is still one of the best in the nation in points allowed (57.2).

The Wildcats are 22-1 SU this season with a 13-9 record ATS. They have now failed to cover in their last five outings and the total has stayed UNDER in all five games. Overall, they are 8-6 ATS at home with the total staying UNDER in 10 of 13 home games with a posted line.

Arizona has been installed as a 14½-point home favorite for the first of two meetings between these two conference foes in the regular season.

The Wildcats bring a five-game SU winning streak against Oregon State into this matchup, but the Beavers have a 7-2 edge ATS in the last nine meetings. The total has gone OVER in three of the last four games.

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

NBA


Sunday, February 9


Five NBA stories bettors should track before the break


New York Knicks – What a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into


Things just go from bad to worse for the Knicks and it doesn’t have the chance to get much better. Looks like coach Mike Woodson is on his way out, Carmelo Anthony could be dealt, and the fans - despite still selling out MSG - are turning their ire towards anyone and everyone. With a trip to Oklahoma City, which may be ugly, then a visit by the Sacramento Kings before the break, the World’s Greatest Arena might not be a welcome place if you’re wearing a Knicks jersey.




Houston Rockets – Bursting in Air


The Houston Rockets are quietly playing some of the best basketball in the NBA right now, having won seven out of 10, including wins over conference rivals San Antonio, Portland, and Phoenix. They’re currently tied with the Clippers for the fourth spot, only two games back of Portland for third. And with winnable games against Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Washington, they may just have a shot at third before the break.




Portland Trail Blazers – Diverting from the Path?


The Portland Trail Blazers are playing more towards where we’d thought they’d be. That’s not a slight but it’s just that they’ve played so well through the season’s first 40 games that they were destined to regress somewhat. Now, after a streak that has seen them go 5-5 SU and 3-7 ATS, they have a murderer’s row of games before the break, going to Indiana and Minnesota before welcoming OKC and going to the Clippers back-to-back.




Los Angeles Clippers – Return of the Leader


Speaking of the Clippers, they welcome All-Star point guard Chris Paul back into the mix Sunday. The Clips have done quite well without their floor leader, going 11-5 SU and 8-8 ATS. No one is worried about Paul disrupting any chemistry that has evolved but how will Doc Rivers use his minutes? How will oddsmakers treat his return? These are all questions that bettors will want to keep an eye on going into the break.




San Antonio Spurs – They’ll Tell You Everything is Fine But…


The Spurs have been in the news a lot lately and that’s probably not something head coach Gregg Popovich in entirely enthusiastic about. But there may be some kinks showing in the Spurs’ venerable armor after going 5-5 SU and 4-6 ATS in their last 10 contests. Tony Parker’s back is bothering him and they are already without Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard. Pop will tell you he’ll continue to stick to the script and do things the way San Antonio has always done, but with winnable games at Charlotte, Detroit, and Boston before the break are reasons to think he will be more focused than usual on getting the W.

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

STATSYSTEMS SPORTS STAT/SHEETS, 2/9/14
NCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY
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***** Sunday, 2/9/14 NCAACB Knowledge *****
(ALL RESULTS ATS) - Against The Spread - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2013-14 NCAA College Basketball season we will analyze all of your daily basketball action, featuring all our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups.
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Sunday's Notebook
•Michigan State won its last five games with Wisconsin, winning last two visits here by total of 5 points; Spartans are 9-1 in league despite being unable to get whole team healthy- Appling missed last game- they're 5-0 on road, winning last road game in OT at Iowa. Badgers lost three home games in row, first time that has happened under Ryan. Big Dozen home favorites of 4 or less points are 5-2 versus spread.


•Youngstown State (-6) beat Detroit 77-63 at home Jan 18, scoring 1.17 ppp, making 9-20 from arc, just its second win in last nine series games. Penguins lost three of last four visits here, are 1-3 in last four games, as favorites are 4-1 versus spread in their Horizon road games. Horizon home favorites of 5 or less points are 5-12 versus spread. Detroit won three of its last five games overall, but lost three of five Horizon home games.


•Indiana State (-2) won 77-73 at Drake Jan 8, game they trailed by 4 with 9:07 left; Drake lost four of last five visits to Terre Haute, losing by 12-10-12-7 points. Sycamores are 2-2 as home favorites, winning at home by 12-3-15-14 points, with loss to Wichita in last home game. Drake is 1-4 versus spread on Valley road, losing by 11-10-10-18, with lone win at So. Illinois. MVC double digit home favorites are 6-4 versus spread.


•UMass is 2-3 in last five games after starting season 16-1; they won six of last seven games with Rhode Island, winning three in row by 6-28-9 points; they're 4-2 in last six visits here. Minutemen lost last three road games, scoring 62.7 ppg. A-13 home underdogs are 10-8 against spread. Dogs are 3-0 versus spread in URI's A-13 home games; Rams lost by point to Saint Louis, beat George Mason/Dayton, are 2-0 as home dogs.


•Illinois lost its last eight games; its last win was 75-55 (-8.5) versus Penn St. Jan 4, holding Lions to 29.8% from floor. Illini lost last two visits here by hoop each- home teams won last five series games. Big Dozen home favorites of 4 or less points are 5-2 versus spread. Penn State won three of last four games, is 1-1 as favorite- three of its last four home games were decided by 4 or less points. Illini is 1-5 as a dog, 1-2 on foreign soil.


•Western Michigan won its last eight games versus Northern Illinois, winning last three visits here by 12-25-37 points; Broncos won four of last five games, are 0-4 as MAC favorites- dogs covered seven of their first nine MAC games. NIU won/covered last three games after a 1-5 start; they're 1-3 at home, beating Miami by 12 last game for first home win. MAC home underdogs of less than 5 points are 6-3 versus spread.


•Clemson is 6-3 in ACC; 5-0 in games decided by 8 or less points, with losses by 15-33-19 points. Favorites are 4-1 versus spread in their road tilts; Tigers are 2-1 as road dogs. ACC double digit home favorites are 5-7 versus spread. Syracuse is playing its first game since becoming #1 in poll that means very little; they're 1-4 as home favorites, winning in dome by 5-12-4-2-6 points. This is first series meeting as ACC rivals.


•Akron won its last nine games with Bowling Green; they've won nine in a row in Falcons' gym, with five of last seven by 9+ points. Zips are 4-1 on MAC road but struggled on offense last two games, scoring 57-52 points- they're 2-5 as MAC favorites, 1-2 on road. MAC home teams are 8-7 versus spread if spread was 3 or less points. Bowling Green is 1-3 in last four games, 2-3 at home, but they upset Buffalo in last home tilt.


•Connecticut (-11) hammered UCF 84-61 at home Jan 11, holding Knights to 31.3% from floor. Huskies are 2-3 on AAC road, 1-1 as road favorites, winning at Memphis/Rutgers, losing at Cincinnati and the Texas schools. UCF is 1-8 versus spread in league, 0-5 at home, 0-3 as home dogs, losing by 25-12-1-10 points at home, with only win versus Temple. AAC home dogs are 6-10 versus spread, 1-5 if getting 7 or less points.


•Creighton won four in row, 14 of last 15 games; they beat St John's by 3 at home (-12.5) Jan 28, after blowing 18-point lead with 10:46 left- that is Red Storm's only loss in their last five games. McDermott had 39 in that game but Gibbs didn't play- he played 21 minutes Friday. Bluejays are 3-1 on Big East road with all three wins by 13+. Big East home dogs are 5-9 against the spread. St John's covered last three games as a dog.


•Colorado (-4) lost 71-54 at Washington Jan 12 in game when Dinwiddie hurt his knee; home teams won all three series games- Huskies lost by 18 here in last visit two years ago. Pac-12 home favorites of 6 or less points are 6-7 versus spread. Buffaloes won last three home games by 21-4-5; they are 3-3 as home favorites. Washington lost its last five road games, by 9-26-12-5-9 points, but they're 3-2 versus spread as a road underdog.


•Iona (-6.5) lost 85-83 at home to Canisius Jan 17, despite a 40-16 run in second half that erased a 20-point deficit; Gaels won six of last nine versus Canisius, but lost three of last four visits here. Iona won six in row since that game (5-1 vs. spread); favorites are 5-1 versus spread in their MAAC away games. Canisius had 4-game win streak snapped by Manhattan on Friday. MAAC home favorites of 4 or less points are 8-6 versus spread.


•Niagara is 11-3 in last 14 games versus Manhattan, sweeping Jaspers LY by 4-4 points; Jaspers are 1-6 in last seven visits here, but Niagara is awful, losing five of last six games- they're 2-4 at home, with three losses by 11 or more points. Jaspers won at Canisius Friday; they're 3-3 in last six games after 6-1 start. 3-3 on MAAC road, winning by 11-12-11 points. Manhattan is MAAC home underdogs are 5-10 against spread.


•Situational Trends of The Day
-- ST PETERS is 4-24 ATS (-22.4 Units) in home games after failing to cover 3 of their last 4 against the spread since 1997.
The average score was ST PETERS 66.2, OPPONENT 71.5.


-- DETROIT is 14-1 OVER (+12.9 Units) in home games after a win by 6 points or less since 1997.
The average score was DETROIT 73.7, OPPONENT 65.9.


-- OREGON ST is 27-6 (+20.4 Units) against the 1rst half line in road games after 4 straight games forcing opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers since 1997.
The average score was OREGON ST 32.2, OPPONENT 32.8.


-- ST JOHNS is 10-0 UNDER (+10.0 Units) the 1rst half total after playing a game as a road underdog over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was ST JOHNS 27.7, OPPONENT 27.3.


-- STEVE LAVIN is 1-17 ATS (-17.7 Units) after a game committing 8 or less turnovers as the coach of ST JOHNS.
The average score was LAVIN 64.9, OPPONENT 67.4.


•Matchup Trends of The Day
-- N ILLINOIS is 1-12 ATS (-12.2 Units) in home games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was N ILLINOIS 53.9, OPPONENT 63.9.


-- ARIZONA is 14-2 UNDER (+11.8 Units) versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game this season.
The average score was ARIZONA 70.9, OPPONENT 55.6.


-- HOUSTON is 11-1 against the 1rst half line (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was HOUSTON 37.9, OPPONENT 28.3.


-- COLORADO is 14-1 UNDER (+12.9 Units) the 1rst half total versus bad pressure defensive teams - forcing <=12 turnovers/game over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was COLORADO 29.4, OPPONENT 24.1.


-- KEITH DAMBROT is 10-1 OVER (+8.9 Units) in road games versus poor 3 point shooting teams - making <=31% of their attempts after 15+ games as the coach of AKRON.
The average score was DAMBROT 81.9, OPPONENT 67.9.


•Situation Analysis of The Day
-- Play On - Home favorites of -165 to -500 versus the money line (COLORADO) - poor 3PT shooting team (<=32%) against an average 3PT shooting team (32-36.5%), revenging a straight up loss versus opponent as a road favorite against opponent off a loss against a conference rival.
(310-57 since 1997.) (84.5%, +135.1 units. Rating = 4*)


The average money line posted in these games was: Team favored with a money line of: -306.9
The average score in these games was: Team 72.2, Opponent 63.3 (Average point differential = +8.9)


The situation's record this season is: (4-0, +4 units).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (70-11, +37.2 units).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (119-23, +49.5 units).


-- Play Against - Home teams as a favorite or pick (HOUSTON) - average shooting team (42.5-45%) against an poor defensive team (45-47.5%) after 15+ games, average rebounding team (+/-3 Reb/G) against a poor rebounding team (-3 to -6 Reb/G) - 15+ games.
(38-11 over the last 5 seasons.) (77.6%, +25.9 units. Rating = 3*)


The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is: (16-33 over the last 5 seasons.)
The average line posted in these games was: Opponent favored by 8.4
The average score in these games was: Team 64.6, Opponent 70.1 (Average point differential = -5.6)
The number of games in which this system covered the spread by 7 or more points was 15 (32.6% of all games.)


The situation's record this season is: (3-2).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (18-6).
Since 1997 the situation's record is: (96-66).


-- Play On - All teams where the line is +3 to -3 (AKRON) - average offensive team (67-74 PPG) against a poor offensive team (63-67 PPG) after 15+ games, after allowing 60 points or less 3 straight games, in a game involving two good defensive teams (63-67 PPG).
(25-5 since 1997.) (83.3%, +19.5 units. Rating = 3*)


The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is: (25-6)
The average line posted in these games was: Team favored by 0.3
The average score in these games was: Team 66.4, Opponent 61 (Average point differential = +5.4)
The number of games in which this system covered the spread by 7 or more points was 12 (38.7% of all games.)


The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (4-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (12-2).


-- Play On - Underdogs of 2 to 3.5 points versus the first half line (UCF) - average shooting team (42.5-45%) against an excellent defensive team (<=40%) after 15+ games, after 2 straight games - allowing a shooting pct. of 50% or higher.
(31-9 since 1997.) (77.5%, +21.1 units. Rating = 3*)


The average first half line posted in these games was: Opponent favored by 3.6
The average first half score in these games was: Team 30.8, Opponent 31.2 (Average first half point differential = -0.5)


The situation's record this season is: (1-1).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (10-3).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (18-4).


-- Play On - Underdogs of 2 to 3.5 points versus the first half line (OAKLAND) - average shooting team (42.5-45%) against an excellent defensive team (<=40%) after 15+ games, after 2 straight games - allowing a shooting pct. of 50% or higher.
(31-9 since 1997.) (77.5%, +21.1 units. Rating = 3*)


The average first half line posted in these games was: Opponent favored by 3.6
The average first half score in these games was: Team 30.8, Opponent 31.2 (Average first half point differential = -0.5)


The situation's record this season is: (1-1).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (10-3).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (18-4).
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Sunday's Match-ups


#817 MICHIGAN ST @ #818 WISCONSIN
(TV: 1:00 PM EST, CBS - Line: Wisconsin -3.5, Total: N/A) - Eighth-ranked Michigan State has been ravaged by injuries, but constantly changing personnel has yet to affect its ability to challenge for another Big Ten title. The Spartans, who travel to No. 24 Wisconsin on Sunday, have been forced to use 12 different lineups over the last 18 games after Keith Appling (wrist) missed the first game of his career in Thursday’s win over Penn State. Appling’s absence left Denzel Valentine as the only Michigan State regular that has yet to miss a game this season.


The Spartans, who hold a half-game lead on Michigan atop the conference standings, got a much-needed boost off the bench from Adreian Payne (foot), who returned Thursday with 12 points in 18 minutes after a seven-game layoff. With coach Tom Izzo unsure of when Appling will play again, Payne’s presence may be even more critical against the Badgers, who will looking to end a rare three-game home losing streak. After setting a school record with a 16-0 start, Wisconsin is 2-5 since – its worst seven-game run since 2008-09.


•ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (20-3 SU, 12-8-2 ATS, 9-1 Big Ten): Payne’s box-score contribution may have been below his usual average, but the welcome he received from the Spartans’ crowd was captivating. "It was like Willis Reed coming off the bench (in reference to the New York Knicks captain's dramatic appearance in the 1970 NBA Finals),” Penn State coach Patrick Chambers told reporters after the game. "The crowd was going crazy - standing ovation." Payne is 22 points shy of becoming the 44th player in school history to score at least 1,000 points in his career.


•ABOUT WISCONSIN (18-5 SU, 13-10-0 ATS, 5-5 Big Ten): The Badgers could use more offense from struggling 7-0 forward Frank Kaminsky, who set a school record with 43 points earlier in the season but has averaged six over his last three contests on 4-of-16 shooting. Freshman Nigel Hayes has picked up some of the slack, averaging 15.5 points over the last two games while converting 13 of his 14 field-goal attempts. Wisconsin connected on 43.5 percent of its 3-pointers in Tuesday’s win over Illinois – a stark contrast from the 27.9 percent the Badgers shot over their previous six contests.


•PREGAME NOTES: Michigan State is 10-1 away from home, including 6-0 in true road contests.... Wisconsin ranks second in the country in fewest turnovers (8.3).... During the Spartans’ five-game winning streak in this series, they have outscored the Badgers in the paint 144-64.... Wisconsin is 32-13 versus the spread in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.... Michigan State is 6-0 against the spread versus bad pressure defensive teams - forcing less than 12 turnovers/game this season.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, MICHIGAN ST covered the spread 520 times, while WISCONSIN covered the spread 480 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, WISCONSIN won the game straight up 563 times, while MICHIGAN ST won 402 times. In 1000 simulated games, MICHIGAN ST covered the first half line 500 times, while WISCONSIN covered the first half line 460 times. *No EDGE.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--MICHIGAN ST is 18-16 against the spread versus WISCONSIN since 1997.
--MICHIGAN ST is 21-14 straight up against WISCONSIN since 1997.
--18 of 29 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1997.


--WISCONSIN is 19-15 versus the first half line when playing against MICHIGAN ST since 1997.
--17 of 27 games in this series have gone UNDER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1997.


--Spartans are 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
--Favorite is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
--Home team is 14-5 ATS in the last 19 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--MSU is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 Sunday games.
--MSU is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games overall.
--Under is 10-2 in MSU last 12 road games.


--Over is 7-3 in WIS last 10 overall.
--Over is 19-7 in WIS last 26 Sun. games.
--Over is 7-3 in WIS last 10 vs. Big Ten.
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#819 TEMPLE @ #820 HOUSTON
(TV: 2:00 PM EST, ESPNews - Line: Houston -2.5, Total: N/A) - Houston ends a brief two-game homestand that opened with a 77-62 loss to defending national champion Louisville when it hosts struggling Temple on Sunday afternoon in American Athletic Conference play. It's the first meeting between the two schools who will also play on March 1 in Philadelphia. Houston will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak while Temple has lost 10 of its last 11 games, including two in a row.


It's been a tough transition to the AAC from the Atlantic 10 for the rebuilding Owls, who lost four key players from a squad that went to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight year and lost to Indiana, 58-52, in the Round of 32. Temple's first AAC Texas road swing started with a clunker on Thursday night, a 75-52 loss at Southern Methodist that saw the Owls shoot just 30.3 percent from the floor and score 23 points less than their season average. "It was more SMU's defense than anything else," coach Fran Dunphy told Philly.com.


•ABOUT TEMPLE (6-15 SU, 8-10-1 ATS, 1-8 AAC): The Owls are the only team in Division I to have four players averaging 14 or more points per game. Guard Dalton Pepper (17.5) leads the team in scoring, which ranks fourth in the AAC, and is shooting 41.2 percent from 3-point range. Guards Will Cummings (16.6), Quenton DeCosey (15.3) and forward Anthony Lee (14.2) are also averaging in double figures.


•ABOUT HOUSTON (11-11 SU, 8-10-0 ATS, 3-6 AAC): The Cougars struggled offensively in their last outing against the Cardinals that was played in front of their largest home crowd (7,274) since 2008, many of whom were on hand to celebrate former head coach Guy V. Lewis' selection to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Houston went over six minutes without a field goal and fell behind by as many as 23 points in the second half before rallying to close to within nine points with seven minutes to go. "In the second half, we woke up," forward TaShawn Thomas, who leads the team in scoring (15.8) and rebounding (8.7), told the Houston Chronicle.


•PREGAME NOTES: Thomas has 34 career double-doubles, including nine this season.... Pepper, who had a career-high 33 points in a Jan. 26 loss against No. 7 Cincinnati, leads the AAC in 3-pointers made per game (2.9).... Houston freshman G Tyus Bowser has played in three games since joining the team after playing defensive end on the Cougars football team, where he compiled 26 tackles and had five sacks.... The Cougars are 6-0 versus the spread in home games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games over the last three seasons.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, TEMPLE covered the spread 523 times, while HOUSTON covered the spread 477 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, HOUSTON won the game straight up 536 times, while TEMPLE won 440 times. In 1000 simulated games, TEMPLE covered the first half line 537 times, while HOUSTON covered the first half line 463 times. *No EDGE.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
All games in this series since 1997: There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.


•RECENT TRENDS
--TEM is 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 road games.
--TEM is 20-6-1 ATS in their last 27 Sun. games.
--Under is 10-2 in TEM last 12 road games.


--HOU is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
--Under is 11-4 in HOU last 15 overall.
--Under is 9-2 in HOU last 11 home games.
_______________________________


#837 ILLINOIS @ #838 PENN ST
(TV: 4:15 PM EST, Big Ten Network - Line: Penn State -3, Total: N/A) - Things have changed quite a bit since the last time Illinois played Penn State. The Illini routed the Nittany Lions 75-55 on Jan. 4, but coach John Groce's team has lost eight straight games since to fall to the bottom of the Big Ten standings. Penn State hasn't been much better going 3-5, but it's been a more productive month for the Nittany Lions than Illinois, which will visit Penn State on Sunday.


Illinois' struggles have been largely because of an anemic offense that averages 62.9 points in conference play. Rayvonte Rice (16.9 points per game) and Tracy Abrams (11.9) rank in the league's top 20 in scoring, but the Illini aren't as explosive as they were in non-conference games. Penn State has its own scoring duo in D.J. Newbill (17.6) and Tim Frazier (16.4), which keeps the Nittany Lions in almost every game.


•ABOUT ILLINOIS (13-10 SU, 8-10-4 ATS, 2-8 Big Ten): The Illini need to get back on track, and Groce is hoping the sight of Penn State will get his team playing better. It needs to happen soon as Illinois is falling fast out of the postseason race. With two games against Nebraska as well as a home date with Ohio State in its next four contests, Illinois has a chance to gain some momentum, which it will need before it faces the top three of the Big Ten - No. 16 Michigan, No. 8 Michigan State and No. 13 Iowa - in its final three conference games.


•ABOUT PENN STATE (12-11 SU, 10-9-1 ATS, 3-7 Big Ten): As Nittany Lions coach Patrick Chambers sees his team maturing as a unit, he is working on the mental game that it takes to rise high in the conference standings. When the team is struggling on one end of the floor, some times it carries over to the other end, causing double the problems for the team. It's something Chambers hopes to correct soon. “We've got 18 to 23 year olds; I think we let the offensive end dictate the defensive end and I'm trying very hard to rid that mentality,” Chambers told reporters. “Keep playing through missed shots, keep playing through turnovers and things like that.”


•PREGAME NOTES: Rice is the only player in the Big Ten leading his team in scoring, rebounding (5.9 per game) and steals (1.3) on the season.... Newbill averaged 18.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the last five games.... Illinois' experiences in Happy Valley have been up and down, with four of its last five wins there coming by double figures but all six of its losses at the Bryce Jordan Center coming by three points or less.... Illinois is 0-6 against the spread versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing less than 14 turnovers/game after 15+ games this season.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, PENN ST covered the spread 523 times, while ILLINOIS covered the spread 435 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, PENN ST won the game straight up 620 times, while ILLINOIS won 354 times. In 1000 simulated games, PENN ST covered the first half line 523 times, while ILLINOIS covered the first half line 477 times. *No EDGE.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--PENN ST is 16-10 against the spread versus ILLINOIS since 1997.
--ILLINOIS is 19-9 straight up against PENN ST since 1997.
--11 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1997.


--ILLINOIS is 16-11 versus the first half line when playing against PENN ST since 1997.
--10 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1997.


--Fighting Illini are 3-10 ATS in the last 13 meetings.
--Fighting Illini are 1-5 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Penn St.
--Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.


--Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
--Underdog is 15-5-2 ATS in the last 22 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--ILL is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
--Under is 8-2 in ILL last 10 Sun. games.
--Under is 18-4 in ILL last 22 road games.


--PSU is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 vs. Big Ten.
--PSU is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
--Over is 9-4 in PSU last 13 home games.
_______________________________


#841 CLEMSON @ #842 SYRACUSE
(TV: 6:00 PM EST, ESPNU - Line: Syracuse -13.5, Total: N/A) - Syracuse is ranked No. 1 in the nation and needs one more win to match the school record for consecutive victories, but that doesn't mean Jim Boeheim is allowing his players to be affected by all their success. "Coach let us know that right now it means really nothing (to be No. 1)," freshman point guard Tyler Ennis told the media this week. "We have to play our best ball at the end of the season. Whether we're ranked or not, it really doesn't matter to us." The Orange seek their 23rd straight victory - which would match the 1916-17 and 1917-18 squads - when they host Clemson on Sunday.


The Tigers enter with the country's top scoring defense (55 points) and have allowed an average of 49 points in back-to-back wins over Florida State and Georgia Tech this month. Then again, Clemson ended January by getting crushed in consecutive games by Pittsburgh 76-43 and North Carolina 80-61. “We’re certainly going to have to make some 3s to win the game. We’re going to have to take some, because sometimes that’s all you can get,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell told reporters, referring to Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 zone.


•ABOUT CLEMSON (15-6 SU, 10-6-0 ATS, 6-3 ACC): The Tigers are likely on the path to the NCAA Tournament, but a win over the top-ranked Orange would go a long way. Clemson's dynamic defense is offset by a limited offense that has not produced more than 61 points in six straight games since a 72-59 upset of Duke on Jan. 11. K.J. McDaniels is by far the Tigers' top offensive player at 16.3 points and also leads the team with seven rebounds, 1.1 steals and 2.6 blocks.


•ABOUT SYRACUSE (22-0 SU, 11-6-1 ATS, 9-0 ACC): The Orange have made big plays down the stretch to win each of their last six games, including an overtime thriller against Duke on Feb. 1 and a six-point win over Notre Dame two days later. C.J. Fair (16.7 points) destroyed the Blue Devils with a career-best 28 points while playing all 45 minutes - his fourth straight game playing every minute. Trevor Cooney was the star against the Fighting Irish, scoring a career-high 33 points on 9-of-12 3-point shooting, raising the sophomore's average to 14.1 points per game, compared to 3.4 last season.


•PREGAME NOTES: Each team's best player is coming off a poor effort, as McDaniels shot 3-of-14 for eight points against Georgia Tech while Fair was 2-of-13 and only managed six points against Notre Dame.... The Tigers are not a great 3-point shooting team at 31.8 percent, although they average more than 12 offensive rebounds per contest.... Syracuse F Jerami Grant has shot 3-of-8 from the field in three of his last four games.... The Tigers are 14-4 against the spread in road games off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite since 1997.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, CLEMSON covered the spread 583 times, while SYRACUSE covered the spread 417 times. *EDGE against the spread =CLEMSON. In 1000 simulated games, SYRACUSE won the game straight up 804 times, while CLEMSON won 178 times. In 1000 simulated games, CLEMSON covered the first half line 623 times, while SYRACUSE covered the first half line 338 times. *EDGE against first half line =CLEMSON.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--CLEMSON is 1-0 against the spread versus SYRACUSE since 1997.
--CLEMSON is 1-0 straight up against SYRACUSE since 1997.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1997.


--CLEMSON is 1-0 versus the first half line when playing against SYRACUSE since 1997.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1997.


•RECENT TRENDS
--Under is 20-6 in CLEM last 26 Sun. games.
--Under is 5-1 in CLEM L6 games following a S.U. win.
--Over is 5-2 in CLEM L7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.


--SYR is 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
--Under is 8-2 in SYR last 10 overall.
--Under is 7-2 in SYR last 9 vs. Atlantic Coast.
_______________________________


#845 CONNECTICUT @ #846 C FLORIDA
(TV: 6:00 PM EST, ESPN2 - Line: Connecticut -6, Total: N/A) - After snapping its three-game win streak in a loss at No. 7 Cincinnati on Thursday, Connecticut hopes to avoid falling to .500 in American Athletic Conference play when it visits Central Florida on Sunday. The Huskies strung together three wins to offset a 2-3 start to their AAC schedule before the loss to the Bearcats that saw leading scorer Shabazz Napier shoot 5-of-19 from the floor. "I didn't play good basketball," Napier told the Hartford Courant, adding, "I had a bad shooting night."


UConn may find easy pickings in a reeling Knights team mired in a seven-game losing streak. Central Florida suffered a crushing overtime defeat at the hands of in-state rival South Florida on Wednesday and despite having to accept the harsh reality of losing a lead in the final minute of regulation, having a potential game-winning layup blocked, a controversial foul call leading to the game's decisive free throws and a last-second, full-court shot that clanged off the rim, Knights coach Donnie Jones came away optimistic. "We fought hard and something good is going to come out of this," Jones told reporters.


•ABOUT CONNECTICUT (17-5 SU, 11-9-0 ATS, 5-4 AAC): Huskies coach Kevin Ollie is preparing his team for a matchup that he sees as dangerous with Central Florida in dire need of a win. "They're going to be a desperate team and we've got to be ready to play," Ollie told the Courant. "We can't say, 'Oh, we ran over that team,'" referring to an 84-61 thrashing at Gampel Pavilion on Jan. 11. Freshman center Amida Brimah had his best game of the season in that decision, leading UConn with career highs of 20 points and eight rebounds, and Ollie may look to the 7-footer again against a Knights team that allowed 54 points in the paint last time out.


•ABOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA (9-11 SU, 3-11-0 ATS, 1-8 AAC): The Knights' current losing streak is their worst since an eight game slide in 2011. That skid was snapped with a run of five wins in the next six games and this year's Central Florida squad is looking for a similar turnaround with nine regular season games remaining. Senior guard Isaiah Sykes, Central Florida's leading scorer at 15.6 points per game, led the Knights with 17 points and four assists in the Jan. 11 meeting with the Huskies.


•PREGAME NOTES: UConn leads the AAC in free throw percentage, connecting on 77.3 percent, while Central Florida's 60 percent clip ranks ahead of only Morgan State (58.9) and Central Arkansas (59.1) nationally.... The Knights lead the conference in rebounding at 39.2 boards per game.... The Huskies are shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range - tops in the AAC and eighth in the nation.... UCF is 4-13 against the spread versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing less than 14 turnovers/game over the last 2 seasons.... The Huskies are 9-2 versus the spread off a loss against a conference rival over the last two seasons.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, CONNECTICUT covered the spread 545 times, while UCF covered the spread 424 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, CONNECTICUT won the game straight up 713 times, while UCF won 260 times. In 1000 simulated games, CONNECTICUT covered the first half line 511 times, while UCF covered the first half line 440 times. *No EDGE.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--UCF is 4-1 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT since 1997.
--CONNECTICUT is 4-1 straight up against UCF since 1997.
--3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1997.


--CONNECTICUT is 3-2 versus the first half line when playing against UCF since 1997.
--3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1997.


--Huskies are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
--Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--UCONN is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Sunday games.
--UCONN is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
--Over is 8-3 in UCONN last 11 overall.


--UCF is 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games overall.
--Over is 7-3 in UCF last 10 overall.
--Over is 7-3-1 in UCF last 11 home games.
_______________________________


#847 CREIGHTON @ #848 ST JOHN'S
(TV: 7:00 PM EST, Fox Sports 1 - Line: Creighton -3, Total: N/A) - Doug McDermott and Creighton are certainly leaving their mark during their inaugural season in the Big East. The nation's second-leading scorer and the 12th-ranked Bluejays look to push their winning streak to five games when they visit St. John's on Sunday evening. The teams just met on Jan. 28, when McDermott capped a spectacular 39-point performance with a 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left to lift Creighton to a 63-60 home victory.


"Big-time shot by a big-time player," St. John's coach Steve Lavin said after McDermott shot 15-of-26 from the floor and 5-of-9 from behind the arc to set a career high for points. The Bluejays followed up the tight win over the Red Storm with a 12-point triumph against DePaul, although senior forward Ethan Wragge (11.9 points) scored a total of 12 in the two victories. "Doug keeps getting 30-plus," said Creighton coach Greg McDermott. "You've got a choice to make. The last two teams have taken Ethan away and Doug scored 39 and 32. So that's what we do. Put them on the same side of the floor and wish them good luck."


•ABOUT CREIGHTON (19-3 SU, 13-7-0 ATS, 9-1 Big East): The Bluejays have won 14 of 15 to forge into a first-place tie with Villanova atop the conference standings. McDermott (25.3 points) and Wragge each shoot almost 50 percent from the field and better than 80 percent from the line, in addition to combining for 136 3-pointers. The Bluejays lead the nation in assists (18.4), thanks in large part to Grant Gibbs (4.4) and Austin Chatman (4.3), and of course the hot shooting of McDermott and Wragge.


•ABOUT ST. JOHN'S (14-9 SU, 9-12-0 ATS, 4-6 Big East): The Red Storm appear to be headed to the NIT, although they have resurfaced a bit with five wins in their last six games (only losing to Creighton). Junior guard D'Angelo Harrison is the team's leading scorer at 18.3 points and is coming off back-to-back 20-point efforts against Marquette (27 points) and Providence (22). The Bluejays are the only team that has held the Red Storm below 69 points since mid-January, and St. John's 86-point performance against Providence on Tuesday marked the team's highest total since Christmas.


•PREGAME NOTES: Entering Saturday's action, McDermott only trailed Antoine Mason of Niagara (26 points per game), although Mason's team is just 6-18 on the season.... Wragge, a 6-7 forward, has made exactly half of his 162 3-pointers this season, including 16-of-28 over his last four games.... Harrison is 9-of-17 from 3-point range over his last two contests.... Creighton is 15-6 versus the spread off a home win by 10 points or more over the last two seasons.... The Red Strom are 0-10 against the spread after a game committing 8 or less turnovers over the last two seasons.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, CREIGHTON covered the spread 603 times, while ST JOHNS covered the spread 369 times. *EDGE against the spread =CREIGHTON. In 1000 simulated games, CREIGHTON won the game straight up 684 times, while ST JOHNS won 282 times. In 1000 simulated games, CREIGHTON covered the first half line 593 times, while ST JOHNS covered the first half line 407 times. *EDGE against first half line =CREIGHTON.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--ST JOHNS is 1-0 against the spread versus CREIGHTON since 1997.
--CREIGHTON is 1-0 straight up against ST JOHNS since 1997.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1997.


--ST JOHNS is 1-0 versus the first half line when playing against CREIGHTON since 1997.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1997.


•RECENT TRENDS
--CRE is 30-9 ATS in their last 39 Sun. games.
--CRE is 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games overall.
--Under is 12-5 in CRE last 17 road games.


--SJU is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. Big East.
--Over is 6-2-1 in SJU last 9 vs. Big East.
--Under is 13-5-1 in SJU last 19 Sun. games.
_______________________________


#849 OREGON ST @ #850 ARIZONA
(TV: 7:00 PM EST, Pac-12 Network - Line: Arizona -15, Total: N/A) - Arizona is still adjusting to life without forward Brandon Ashley as the third-ranked Wildcats head into Sunday’s home game against Oregon State. The 6-8 sophomore suffered a season-ending foot injury last week, forcing coach Sean Miller to alter his rotation in Thursday's 67-65 win over Oregon. Freshman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson started at small forward in place of Ashley, while fellow freshman Aaron Gordon moved to power forward.


The Wildcats hold a two-game lead in the Pac-12, but they can’t afford to overlook a dangerous Oregon State squad that has won four of its last six. Guard Roberto Nelson averages a league-best 21.8 points for the Beavers, who are .500 through the first 10 games of Pac-12 play for the first time since 1999. Oregon State is coming off an 86-82 overtime loss at Arizona State on Thursday, when the Beavers fell to 5-26 in conference road games under coach Craig Robinson.


•ABOUT OREGON STATE (13-9 SU, 10-8-1 ATS, 5-5 Pac-12): The Beavers’ recent surge can be partly attributed to freshman point guard Hallice Cooke, who is shooting a Pac-12-best 53.8 percent from 3-point range and scored a season-high 20 points in last Sunday’s 71-67 win over UCLA. “Hallice is not your typical freshman,” Robinson told reporters. “He’s playing like he’s been here before.” The veteran frontline is led by the 6-10 duo of Eric Moreland and Angus Brandt, who is averaging 14.1 points over his last eight games.


•ABOUT ARIZONA (22-1 SU, 13-9-0 ATS, 9-1 Pac-12): Ashley’s injury has created more playing time for guard Elliott Pitts, who impressed Miller in 12 minutes off the bench against Oregon. “He has a beautiful-looking shot,” Miller told reporters. “The more he gets out there, the more comfortable he gets. I think he can give us maybe a punch on offense and that can be one of the positives as we utilize him more.” Center Kaleb Tarczewski had a career-high 18 points against the Ducks, and the 7-footer figures to take on a greater offensive role in Ashley’s absence.


•PREGAME NOTES: Arizona leads the all-time series 56-20, including five straight wins.... The Wildcats are 71-11 at McKale Center under Miller.... Moreland is averaging 12.4 points and 12.6 rebounds at home compared to 4.2 points and 7.2 boards on the road.... Arizona is 10-1 against the spread versus excellent 3-point shooting teams - making more than 41% of their attempts after 15+ games since 1997.... Oregon State is 12-3 versus the spread in road games when playing only their 2nd game in a week over the last two seasons.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, ARIZONA covered the spread 514 times, while OREGON ST covered the spread 447 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, ARIZONA won the game straight up 893 times, while OREGON ST won 93 times. In 1000 simulated games, OREGON ST covered the first half line 559 times, while ARIZONA covered the first half line 441 times. *No EDGE.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--OREGON ST is 19-14 against the spread versus ARIZONA since 1997.
--ARIZONA is 27-7 straight up against OREGON ST since 1997.
--10 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1997.


--ARIZONA is 16-16 versus the first half line when playing against OREGON ST since 1997.
--12 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1997.


--Beavers are 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
--Underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
--Home team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--Under is 9-4 in ORST last 13 Sun. games.
--Over is 9-2 in ORST last 11 games following a ATS win.
--Under is 6-2-1 in ORST last 9 games following a S.U. loss.


--Under is 38-16-1 in ARIZ last 55 overall.
--Under is 34-16-1 in ARIZ last 51 home games.
--Under is 21-10-1 in ARIZ last 32 Sun. games.
_______________________________


#851 WASHINGTON @ #852 COLORADO
(TV: 8:00 PM EST, ESPNU - Line: Colorado -6, Total: N/A) - Colorado has won two straight games for the first time since losing its best player to a season-ending knee injury and the Buffaloes will try to make it three in a row when they host Washington on Sunday evening in Pac-12 play. Spencer Dinwiddie went down with a torn ACL when these teams met Jan. 12 at Washington, a 71-54 win by the Huskies. Colorado’s only win over the next four games was against last-place USC, but the Buffaloes have regrouped with an overtime win against Utah and a five-point victory Wednesday against Washington State to move into a tie for third in the conference entering Saturday.


Colorado still has trouble finding its way at times. The Buffaloes scored a season-low 23 points in the first half against Washington State before Askia Booker took over and scored 12 of his 26 points in the first 5 1/2 minutes after halftime. Washington will be trying to avoid losing three in a row for the first time this season and the Huskies will undoubtedly lean on leading scorer C.J. Wilcox, a senior guard who set career highs with seven 3-pointers and 31 points when these teams last met.


•ABOUT WASHINGTON (13-10 SU, 10-12-0 ATS, 5-5 Pac-12): The Buffaloes likely will key on Wilcox, and it’s up to Andrew Andrews to keep the perimeter defense honest. Andrews must be itching to get back on the floor after shooting 1-for-12 in the loss to Utah, including 0-for-7 from 3-point range. If the outside shots aren’t falling, look for Washington to pound it inside to forward Desmond Simmons, who matched his career high with 14 points on 7-for-8 shooting against the Utes.


•ABOUT COLORADO (17-6 SU, 12-10-0 ATS, 6-4 Pac-12): The last meeting against Washington left a bitter taste for the Buffaloes. Dinwiddie was lost for the season, then-No. 15 Colorado lost to an unranked foe and Booker missed all nine of his field goal attempts. Expect the Buffaloes to look down low to 6-10 center Josh Scott for offensive support after he was limited to season lows of three shots and one point against Washington State.


•PREGAME NOTES: Colorado is 10-1 in games decided by single digits, including 8-0 at home.... The Buffaloes are on pace to keep their opponent’s scoring average under 70 points in three straight seasons for the first time since 1980-81.... Wilcox is averaging 25 points in three career games against Colorado.... The Huskies are 12-3 against the spread versus teams who are called for 3+ less fouls/game than their opponents over the last two seasons.... The Buffaloes are 38-21 versus the spread revenging a loss where team scored less than 60 points since 1997.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, COLORADO covered the spread 602 times, while WASHINGTON covered the spread 365 times. *EDGE against the spread =COLORADO. In 1000 simulated games, COLORADO won the game straight up 768 times, while WASHINGTON won 214 times. In 1000 simulated games, COLORADO covered the first half line 556 times, while WASHINGTON covered the first half line 408 times. *EDGE against first half line =COLORADO.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--WASHINGTON is 2-1 against the spread versus COLORADO since 1997.
--WASHINGTON is 2-1 straight up against COLORADO since 1997.
--1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1997.


--COLORADO is 2-1 versus the first half line when playing against WASHINGTON since 1997.
--1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1997.


•RECENT TRENDS
--WASH is 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games following a ATS win.
--Over is 4-1 in WASH last 5 vs. Pacific-12.
--Under is 12-5-1 in WASH last 18 road games.


--COLO is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Sunday games.
--Under is 35-17 in COLO last 52 vs. Pacific-12.
--Under is 22-8 in COLO last 30 games following a ATS loss.

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

NCAA Basketball Picks

Connecticut at Central Florida

The Huskies look to bounce back from their 63-58 loss at Cincinnati on Thursday and come into their contest with Central Florida tonight carrying a 10-2 ATS record in their last 12 games following a SU defeat. Connecticut is the pick (-6) according to Dunkel, which has the Huskies favored by 10 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (-6). Here are all of today's games.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 817-818: Michigan State at Wisconsin (1:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Michigan State 70.756; Wisconsin 76.207 Dunkel Line: Wisconsin by 5 1/2; 130 Vegas Line: Wisconsin by 2 1/2; 136 Dunkel Pick: Wisconsin (-2 1/2); Under

Game 819-820: Temple at Houston (2:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Temple 58.297; Houston 55.587 Dunkel Line: Temple by 2 1/2; 144 Vegas Line: Houston by 3; 150 Dunkel Pick: Temple (+3); Under

Game 821-822: Evansville at Bradley (4:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Evansville 52.485; Bradley 55.079 Dunkel Line: Bradley by 2 1/2 Vegas Line: Bradley by 5 Dunkel Pick: Evansville (+5)

Game 823-824: Marshall at Tulane (2:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Marshall 47.140; Tulane 53.712 Dunkel Line: Tulane by 6 1/2 Vegas Line: Tulane by 2 Dunkel Pick: Tulane (-2)

Game 825-826: Charlotte at Southern Mississippi (2:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 53.513; Southern Mississippi 69.609 Dunkel Line: Southern Mississippi by 16; 142 Vegas Line: Southern Mississippi by 12 1/2; 137 Dunkel Pick: Southern Mississippi (-12 1/2); Over

Game 827-828: Youngstown State at Detroit (2:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Youngstown State 54.547; Detroit 53.110 Dunkel Line: Youngstown State by 1 1/2 Vegas Line: Detroit by 2 Dunkel Pick: Youngstown State (+2)

Game 829-830: Oakland at Valparaiso (2:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oakland 49.429; Valparaiso 62.546 Dunkel Line: Valparaiso by 13 Vegas Line: Valparaiso by 8 Dunkel Pick: Valparaiso (-8)

Game 831-832: Drake at Indiana State (3:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Drake 54.345; Indiana State 60.216 Dunkel Line: Indiana State by 6 Vegas Line: Indiana State by 10 Dunkel Pick: Drake (+10)

Game 833-834: Illinois State at Loyola-Chicago (4:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Illinois State 52.623; Loyola-Chicago 58.718 Dunkel Line: Loyola-Chicago by 6 Vegas Line: Pick Dunkel Pick: Loyola-Chicago

Game 835-836: Massachusetts at Rhode Island (4:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Massachusetts 62.138; Rhode Island 63.161 Dunkel Line: Rhode Island by 1; 146 Vegas Line: Massachusetts by 4; 141 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Rhode Island (+4); Over

Game 837-838: Illinois at Penn State (4:15 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Illinois 60.486; Penn State 67.816 Dunkel Line: Penn State by 7 1/2; 127 Vegas Line: Penn State by 3; 134 Dunkel Pick: Penn State (-3); Under

Game 839-840: Western Michigan at Northern Illinois (4:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Western Michigan 55.991; Northern Illinois 50.027 Dunkel Line: Western Michigan by 6 Vegas Line: Western Michigan by 3 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Western Michigan (-3 1/2)

Game 841-842: Clemson at Syracuse (6:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Clemson 60.716; Syracuse 78.267 Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 17 1/2; 109 Vegas Line: Syracuse by 13 1/2; 112 Dunkel Pick: Syracuse (-13 1/2); Under

Game 843-844: Akron at Bowling Green (6:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Akron 57.867; Bowling Green 52.913 Dunkel Line: Akron by 5 Vegas Line: Akron by 2 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Akron (-2 1/2)

Game 845-846: Connecticut at Central Florida (6:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 71.865; Central Florida 61.134 Dunkel Line: Connecticut by 10 1/2; 147 Vegas Line: Connecticut by 6; 140 Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (-6); Over

Game 847-848: Creighton at St. John's (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Creighton 70.924; St. John's 72.021 Dunkel Line: St. John's by 1; 140 Vegas Line: Creighton by 3; 144 1/2 Dunkel Pick: St. John's (+3); Under

Game 849-850: Oregon State at Arizona (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oregon State 61.461; Arizona 80.024 Dunkel Line: Arizona by 18 1/2; 128 Vegas Line: Arizona by 14 1/2; 134 Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-14 1/2); Under

Game 851-852: Washington at Colorado (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington 63.541; Colorado 65.808 Dunkel Line: Colorado by 2 1/2; 149 Vegas Line: Colorado by 6 1/2; 145 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Washington (+6 1/2); Over

Game 853-854: Monmouth at St. Peter's (2:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Monmouth 48.691; St. Peter's 49.388 Dunkel Line: St. Peter's by 1 Vegas Line: St. Peter's by 4 Dunkel Pick: Monmouth (+4)

Game 855-856: Iona at Canisius (2:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Iona 59.758; Canisius 58.751 Dunkel Line: Iona by 1 Vegas Line: Canisius by 1 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Iona (+1 1/2)

Game 857-858: Manhattan at Niagara (2:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Manhattan 55.348; Niagara 51.345 Dunkel Line: Manhattan by 4 Vegas Line: Manhattan by 7 Dunkel Pick: Niagara (+7)

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

StatFox Super Situations

NEW ORLEANS at BROOKLYN
Play Against - Road underdogs (NEW ORLEANS) good shooting team (45.5-47.5%) against an poor defensive team (45.5-47.5%), good ball handling team (<=14.5 TO) vs. an average pressure defense (14.5-16.5 TO) after 42+ games 84-42 since 1997. ( 66.7% | 37.8 units ) 1-1 this year. ( 50.0% | -0.1 units )

NEW YORK at OKLAHOMA CITY
Play Against - Any team vs the money line (NEW YORK) off a home blowout win by 20 points or more, a bad team (25% to 40%) playing a team with a winning record 70-20 since 1997. ( 77.8% | 36.2 units ) 1-1 this year. ( 50.0% | -0.0 units )

NEW ORLEANS at BROOKLYN
Play On - Home favorites of 2 to 5.5 points vs. the first half line (BROOKLYN) in a game involving two poor defensive teams (98-102 PPG), after a loss by 10 points or more 96-50 since 1997. ( 65.8% | 41.0 units ) 6-2 this year. ( 75.0% | 3.8 units )

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

1:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 6 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
New York is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games when playing at home against New York
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against New York

3:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. LA LAKERS
Chicago is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Chicago is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
LA Lakers are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games at home
LA Lakers are 8-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing Chicago

6:00 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Sacramento's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Sacramento is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games at home
Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Sacramento

6:00 PM
DALLAS vs. BOSTON
Dallas is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Dallas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
Boston is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games at home

6:00 PM
INDIANA vs. ORLANDO
Indiana is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing Indiana
Orlando is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Indiana

6:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 5 games on the road
Memphis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Cleveland's last 13 games when playing Memphis
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Memphis

6:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. BROOKLYN
New Orleans is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
New Orleans is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games at home
Brooklyn is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home

9:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. LA CLIPPERS
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
LA Clippers are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games at home
LA Clippers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Philadelphia

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

College Basketball Information

Michigan State won its last five games with Wisconsin, winning last two visits here by total of 5 points; Spartans are 9-1 in league despite being unable to get whole team healthy- Appling missed last game- they're 5-0 on road, winning last road game in OT at Iowa. Badgers lost three home games in row, first time that has happened under Ryan. Big Dozen home favorites of 4 or less points are 5-2 vs spread.

Youngstown State (-6) beat Detroit 77-63 at home Jan 18, scoring 1.17 ppp, making 9-20 from arc, just its second win in last nine series games. Penguins lost three of last four visits here, are 1-3 in last four games, as favorites are 4-1 vs spread in their Horizon road games. Horizon home favorites of 5 or less points are 5-12 vs spread. Detroit woin three of its last five games overall, but lost three of five Horizon home games.

Indiana State (-2) won 77-73 at Drake Jan 8, game they trailed by 4 with 9:07 left; Drake lost four of last five visits to Terre Haute, losing by 12-10-12-7 points. Sycamores are 2-2 as home favorites, winning at home by 12-3-15-14 points, with loss to Wichita in last home game. Drake is 1-4 vs spread on Valley road, losing by 11-10-10-18, with lone win at So. Illinois. MVC double digit home favorites are 6-4 vs spread.

UMass is 2-3 in last five games after starting season 16-1; they won six of last seven games with Rhode Island, winning three in row by 6-28-9 points; they're 4-2 in last six visits here. Minutemen lost last three road games, scoring 62.7 ppg. A-13 home underdogs are 10-8 against spread. Dogs are 3-0 vs spread in URI's A-13 home games; Rams lost by point to Saint Louis, beat George Mason/Dayton, are 2-0 as home dogs.

Illinois lost its last eight games; its last win was 75-55 (-8.5) vs Penn St. Jan 4, holding Lions to 29.8% from floor. Illini lost last two visits here by hoop each- home teams won last five series games. Big Dozen home favorites of 4 or less points are 5-2 vs spread. Penn State won three of last four games, is 1-1 as favorite- three of its last four home games were decided by 4 or less points. Illini is 1-5 as a dog, 1-2 on foreign soil.

Western Michigan won its last eight games vs Northern Illinois, winning last three visits here by 12-25-37 points; Broncos won four of last five games, are 0-4 as MAC favorites- dogs covered seven of their first nine MAC games. NIU won/covered last three games after a 1-5 start; they're 1-3 at home, beating Miami by 12 last game for first home win. MAC home underdogs of less than 5 points are 6-3 vs spread.

Clemson is 6-3 in ACC; 5-0 in games decided by 8 or less points, with losses by 15-33-19 points. Favorites are 4-1 vs spread in their road tilts; Tigers are 2-1 as road dogs. ACC double digit home favorites are 5-7 vs spread. Syracuse is playing its first game since becoming #1 in poll that means very little; they're 1-4 as home favorites, winning in dome by 5-12-4-2-6 points. This is first series meeting as ACC rivals.

Akron won its last nine games with Bowling Green; they've won nine in a row in Falcons' gym, with five of last seven by 9+ points. Zips are 4-1 on MAC road but struggled on offense last two games, scoring 57-52 points- they're 2-5 as MAC favorites, 1-2 on road. MAC home teams are 8-7 vs spread if spread was 3 or less points. Bowling Green is 1-3 in last four games, 2-3 at home, but they upset Buffalo in last home tilt.

UConn (-11) hammered UCF 84-61 at home Jan 11, holding Knights to 31.3% from floor. Huskies are 2-3 on AAC road, 1-1 as road favorites, winning at Memphis/Rutgers, losing at Cincinnati and the Texas schools. UCF is 1-8 vs spread in league, 0-5 at home, 0-3 as home dogs, losing by 25-12-1-10 points at home, with only win vs Temple. AAC home dogs are 6-10 vs spread, 1-5 if getting 7 or less points.

Creighton won four in row, 14 of last 15 games; they beat St John's by 3 at home (-12.5) Jan 28, after blowing 18-point lead with 10:46 left- that is Red Storm's only loss in their last five games. McDermott had 39 in that game but Gibbs didn't play- he played 21 minutes Friday. Bluejays are 3-1 on Big East road with alll three wins by 13+. Big East home dogs are 5-9 against the spread. St John's covered last three games as a dog.

Colorado (-4) lost 71-54 at Washington Jan 12 in game when Dinwiddie hurt his knee; home teams won all three series games- Huskies lost by 18 here in last visit two years ago. Pac-12 home favorites of 6 or less points are 6-7 vs spread. Buffaloes won last three home games by 21-4-5; they are 3-3 as home favorites. Washington lost its last five road games, by 9-26-12-5-9 points, but they're 3-2 vs spread as a road underdog.

Iona (-6.5) lost 85-83 at home to Canisius Jan 17, despite a 40-16 run in second half that erased a 20-point deficit; Gaels won six of last nine vs Canisius, but lost three of last four visits here. Iona won six in row since that game (5-1 vs spread); favorites are 5-1 vs spread in their MAAC away games. Canisius had 4-game win streak snapped by Manhattan on Friday. MAAC home favorites of 4 or less points are 8-6 vs spread.

Niagara is 11-3 in last 14 games vs Manhattan, sweeping Jaspers LY by 4-4 points; Jaspers are 1-6 in last seven visits here, but Niagara is awful, losing five of last six games- they're 2-4 at home, with three losses by 11 or more points. Jaspers won at Canisius Friday; they're 3-3 in last six games after 6-1 start. 3-3 on MAAC road, winning by 11-12-11 points. Manhattan is MAAC home underdogs are 5-10 against spread.

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

StatFox Super Situations

AKRON at BOWLING GREEN
Play Against - Home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (BOWLING GREEN) in a game involving two good defensive teams (63-67 PPG), after a combined score of 155 points or more 67-31 since 1997. ( 68.4% | 32.9 units ) 1-0 this year. ( 100.0% | 1.0 units )

YOUNGSTOWN ST at DETROIT
Play Against - Road underdogs vs. the money line (YOUNGSTOWN ST) off a road loss, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a losing team 221-91 since 1997. ( 70.8% | 74.0 units ) 9-10 this year. ( 47.4% | -3.6 units )

CONNECTICUT at UCF
Play On - Underdogs of 2 to 3.5 points vs. the first half line (UCF) average shooting team (42.5-45%) against an excellent defensive team (<=40%), after 2 straight games - allowing a shooting pct. of 50% or higher 46-18 since 1997. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units ) 1-1 this year. ( 50.0% | -0.1 units )

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

1:00 PM
MICHIGAN STATE vs. WISCONSIN
Michigan State is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Wisconsin
Michigan State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Wisconsin is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Wisconsin is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games at home

2:00 PM
TEMPLE vs. HOUSTON
Temple is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Temple's last 6 games on the road
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games at home

2:00 PM
MONMOUTH vs. SAINT PETER'S
Monmouth is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Saint Peter's
Monmouth is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Saint Peter's is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Saint Peter's is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

2:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. SOUTHERN MISS
Charlotte is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Southern Miss
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Charlotte's last 9 games on the road
Southern Miss is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Southern Miss is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

2:00 PM
IONA vs. CANISIUS
Iona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Iona's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Canisius's last 5 games when playing Iona
Canisius is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Iona

2:00 PM
YOUNGSTOWN STATE vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Youngstown State's last 7 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Youngstown State is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Detroit's last 10 games
Detroit is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games

2:00 PM
MARSHALL vs. TULANE
Marshall is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Marshall's last 6 games on the road
Tulane is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tulane's last 7 games

2:00 PM
MANHATTAN vs. NIAGARA
Manhattan is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Niagara
Manhattan is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Niagara
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Niagara's last 5 games at home
Niagara is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

2:35 PM
OAKLAND vs. VALPARAISO
Oakland is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Valparaiso
Oakland is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Valparaiso is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Valparaiso's last 5 games

3:05 PM
DRAKE vs. INDIANA STATE
Drake is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana State
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Drake's last 9 games when playing on the road against Indiana State
Indiana State is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games
Indiana State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home

4:00 PM
ILLINOIS STATE vs. LOYOLA OF CHICAGO
Illinois State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Illinois State's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Loyola of Chicago's last 8 games
Loyola of Chicago is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

4:00 PM
MASSACHUSETTS vs. RHODE ISLAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Massachusetts's last 6 games when playing on the road against Rhode Island
Massachusetts is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Rhode Island
Rhode Island is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Rhode Island is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home

4:00 PM
EVANSVILLE vs. BRADLEY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Evansville's last 6 games on the road
Evansville is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Bradley is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Evansville
Bradley is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Evansville

4:15 PM
ILLINOIS vs. PENN STATE
Illinois is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Illinois is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Penn State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Illinois
Penn State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Illinois

4:30 PM
WESTERN MICHIGAN vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Western Michigan is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Northern Illinois
Western Michigan is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Northern Illinois is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games at home
Northern Illinois is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Western Michigan

6:00 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. CENTRAL FLORIDA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Connecticut's last 6 games on the road
Central Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Central Florida is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
6:00 PM
AKRON vs. BOWLING GREEN
Akron is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Bowling Green
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Akron's last 7 games when playing on the road against Bowling Green
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Bowling Green's last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Bowling Green's last 6 games

6:00 PM
CLEMSON vs. SYRACUSE
Clemson is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Syracuse's last 10 games
Syracuse is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

7:00 PM
OREGON STATE vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oregon State's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Oregon State is 1-20 SU in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games
Arizona is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
CREIGHTON vs. ST. JOHN'S
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Creighton's last 18 games on the road
Creighton is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
St. John's is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
St. John's is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. COLORADO
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Washington's last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games at home
Colorado is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games at home

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

Spartans, Badgers clash
By Sportsbook.ag

MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (20-3) at WISCONSIN BADGERS (18-5)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Wisconsin -2½

No. 9 Michigan State could finally be at full strength when it hits the road Sunday afternoon to take on Wisconsin.

The Spartans started the season 18-1, but have alternated wins and losses in each of the past five games and are coming off an 82-67 victory over Penn State on Thursday night. However, the biggest victory in that game was the return of C/F Adreian Payne, who had been out seven games with a foot injury. He scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds in 18 minutes of action, helping Michigan State improve to 13-9 ATS overall and 7-3 ATS (9-1 SU) in Big Ten play. Injuries have hurt the Spartans as of late, as starting SF Branden Dawson remains out for another three weeks with a hand injury, while starting PG Keith Appling (wrist) missed Thursday's game and is questionable for Sunday.

Like the Spartans, the Badgers got off to a terrific start this season, winning their first 16 games. However, things have not been so smooth as of late, as the Badgers have lost five of their past seven contests (SU and ATS) to fall to 11-10-2 ATS overall and 4-6 ATS (5-5 SU) in the conference. Under Bo Ryan, Wisconsin has been one of the most consistent teams in the country, and especially good at defending home court. In the previous three seasons, the Badgers lost just five conference home games, but have already lost three this season, going 10-3 SU and 5-7-1 ATS at Kohl Center. Michigan State has dominated this series with five consecutive victories (SU and ATS) including two straight in Madison. In last season's two wins, the Spartans defense suffocated the Badgers, allowing just 45.0 PPG in the two matchups.

Michigan State has been strong on both ends of the court this season, scoring 78.5 PPG (38th in nation) on 47.1% FG (52nd in Div. I) with a whopping 17.5 APG (5th in nation). The Spartans are also a strong rebounding club (38.7 RPG, 33rd in Div. I) and rank among the top-50 teams in the nation in scoring defense (65.0 PPG), steals (7.8 SPG) and blocks (5.2 BPG). Head coach Tom Izzo has one of the most experienced teams in all of the country, with stars all over the court.

SG Gary Harris (18.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.0 SPG) has taken his game to the next level. In his past five contests, Harris is averaging 18.8 PPG (43% threes) and 2.2 SPG. He is as complete of scorer as there is in the country, but he struggled last season versus Wisconsin, averaging only 8.5 PPG on 7-of-17 FG (41%).

But with the return of C/F Adrien Payne (15.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG) down low, things will only get easier on the offensive end for Harris. Payne had a terrible game in Madison last season with two points and two rebounds in 33 minutes of action, but played much stronger in the home win against the Badgers with nine points and 11 boards. While Payne returned on Thursday, another player went to the bench.

PG Keith Appling (15.0 PPG, 4.9 APG, 3.5 APG) missed the first game of his career on Thursday night against Penn State, and is questionable for Sunday. Appling is a terrific leader throughout his four-year career as a point guard for the Spartans, and he torched Wisconsin for 19.0 PPG and 5.5 RPG in last season's two games.

If Appling cannot play Sunday, PG Denzel Valentine showed that he is more than capable of filling in, finishing with 11 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four steals Thursday against the Nittany Lions.

Sharp-shooting SF Kenny Kaminski (6.1 PPG, 51% threes) is coming on in his freshman season, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-9 FG and 5-of-6 threes in the victory over Penn State. As this team continues to get healthier, they are going to become even more difficult to beat. Izzo has a streak where every player that has played through his senior year has made the Final Four, and that streak is on the line this season.

Wisconsin has been a more powerful offense than in years' past, scoring 73.6 PPG (124th in Div. I) on 45.8% FG (105th in nation), and has taken great care of the basketball with only 8.3 turnovers per game (2nd-fewest in Div. I). The Badgers have also been stingy on defense by allowing only 63.3 PPG (34th in nation) on 42.4% FG and 33.2% threes, but they have surrendered 68.3 PPG during their past seven games. Wisconsin has also struggled to clean the glass, ranking 252nd in the country in rebounding (33.7 RPG), which could be a huge factor Sunday against a relentless Spartans team. Although Bo Ryan’s team has not been playing their best basketball in the past three weeks, this is still a squad that has defeated three ranked opponents, including now-No. 3 Florida, and there is still a lot of talent on this roster.

SF Sam Dekker (13.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG) is a talented forward that has the ability to score off the dribble, as well as taking his defenders down on the block. He has scored in double-figures in 12 of his past 14 contests, but was very quiet in last season's series with MSU, tallying only 6.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG.

SG Ben Brust (13.3 PPG, 40% threes, 4.7 RPG, 40 % from three), C Frank Kaminsky (12.4 PPG, 41% threes, 6.0 RPG) and PG Traevon Jackson (11.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.9 APG) are all capable of having big games scoring. Brust has 16.7 PPG in his past three games and averaged 9.0 PPG (5-for-14 FG) in the two losses to Michigan State last season. Kaminsky has 14 double-figure scoring games this season, including 43 points versus North Dakota, but has been limited to 6.0 PPG on 4-of-16 FG over his past three contests. Jackson played very well in Tuesday's loss at Illinois (14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists), and could benefit greatly from the potential absence of Keith Appling. In last season's two defeats to the Spartans, Jackson averaged a paltry 3.5 PPG on 2-of-13 FG.

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

NBA Betting - Roadies
Sportspic.com

Life away from the friendly confines of home court for a basketball team can be a daunting task. Looking at the 2013-14 season road teams are winning SU at a 43.3% clip. However, add in the great equalizer (point spread) roadies are cashing 53.3% of tickets split between 130-105-3 ATS for favorites, 263-229-6 ATS for underdogs. Breaking the numbers down further the following are situations that should help in your search towards beating the betting line.

No-Rest/Overtime

Teams playing without rest have held their own posting a 118-115-3 mark ATS with road favorites performing the best at 34-24 ATS. A couple of spots roadies falter against-the-number is off an overtime game (24-29-1 ATS) and No Rest following an OT affair (6-9 ATS).

Revenge

Road teams looking to avenge a previous loss have done well at the cash window (78-61-2) with road underdog biting off the biggest chunk at 60-49-1 ATS. Have these road underdogs looking to avenge a home loss they`re a smart 52-36-2 ATS. But, the road team looking to avenge a division loss has come up short when favored (3-6 ATS) and barely squeezing out a profit when underdogs at 16-13 ATS.

Non-Conference

Western Conference road teams have a sparkling 83-52 ATS record running the hardwood in an Eastern Conference venue. Have the WC road team lay points on the road vs an Eastern Conference foe they're a profitable 47-26 ATS.

The Good/Bad/Ugly

There are always teams that are capable of playing solid hoops on the road, such as Pacers (15-8, 14-9 ATS), Heat (15-9, 13-11 ATS), Thunder (17-8, 15-10 ATS), Spurs (18-6, 14-10 ATS). But, teams like Magic (3-23, 9-17 ATS), Bucks (4-22, 11-15 ATS), Celtics (7-18 ATS), Jazz (6-18, 11-12-1 ATS) just can't handle being away from home.

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

Today's NBA Picks

Dallas at Boston

The Mavericks (30-21) head to Boston to face a Celtics team that is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games against a team with a winning SU record. Boston is the pick (+4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Mavericks favored by only 1. Dunkel Pick: Boston (+4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Time Posted: 10:30 a.m. EST

Game 801-802: New York at Oklahoma City (1:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: New York 114.673; Oklahoma City 132.276 Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 17 1/2; 195 Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 9 1/2; 200 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-9 1/2); Under

Game 803-804: Chicago at LA Lakers (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 118.195; LA Lakers 113.229 Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 5; 202 Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 1 1/2; 196 Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-1 1/2); Over

Game 805-806: New Orleans at Brooklyn (6:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 115.448; Brooklyn 124.152 Dunkel Line & Total: Brooklyn by 8 1/2; 200 Vegas Line & Total: Brooklyn by 5; 194 Dunkel Pick: Brooklyn (-5); Over

Game 807-808: Memphis at Cleveland (6:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 124.512; Cleveland 111.663 Dunkel Line & Total: Memphis by 13; 181 Vegas Line & Total: Memphis by 3; 186 Dunkel Pick: Memphis (-3); Under

Game 809-810: Dallas at Boston (6:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 117.874 Boston 117.130 Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1; 192 Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 4 1/2; 198 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Boston (+4 1/2); Under

Game 811-812: Sacramento at Washington (6:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento 120.296; Washington 122.354 Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 2; 211 Vegas Line & Total: Washington by 5; 204 Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (+5); Over

Game 813-814: Indiana at Orlando (6:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 121.702; Orlando 111.584 Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 10; 183 Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 7 1/2; 189 Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-7 1/2); Under

Game 815-816: Philadelphia at LA Clippers (9:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 107.459; LA Clippers 120.455 Dunkel Line & Total: LA Clippers by 13; 215 Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 15; 220 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+15); Under

[TheGame]

Re: Basketball Handicapping Info. 2/9/2014

STATSYSTEMS SPORTS STAT/SHEETS, 2/9/14
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY
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***** Sunday, 2/9/14 NBA Information *****
(ALL RESULTS ATS) - Against The Spread - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2013-14 National Basketball Association season we will analyze all of your daily basketball action, featuring all our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups.
__________________________________________________ __________


Betting Notes - Sunday
•Hot Teams
-- Oklahoma City won 12 of its last 14 games.
-- Lakers won last two games by 11-14 points, after losing seven games in row before that.
-- Boston won/covered its last three games. Mavericks won last four games, covered last three.
-- Pelicans won six of their last eight games.
-- Grizzlies won seven of their last nine games.
-- Orlando won its last four home games, covered its last six. Pacers won last four games, three by 5 or less points.


•Cold Teams
-- Knicks lost three of their last four games.
-- Bulls lost three of their last four games.
-- Nets lost four of their last six games.
-- Cavaliers won/covered once in their last seven games.
-- Washington lost last two games by 7ot/2 points. Kings lost eight of last ten games, but covered four of last five.
-- 76ers lost eight of their last nine games (2-7 vs. spread). Clippers lost three of their last five games.


•Totals
-- Five of last seven Thunder games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Chicago games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Dallas games went over the total; five of last seven Boston games stayed under.
-- Last eight New Orleans-Brooklyn games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Memphis games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Orlando home games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Sacramento games stayed under the total.
-- Last three Clipper games went over the total.


•Back-To-Backs
-- Memphis is 5-0 versus spread if it played on road the previous night.


•Series Records
-- Thunder won seven of last nine games versus New York.
-- Lakers lost four of last five games with Chicago.
-- Mavericks won five of last six games with Boston.
-- Nets won three of last four games with New Orleans.
-- Memphis won its last four games with the Cavaliers.
-- Pacers won seven of their last eight games versus Orlando.
-- Kings won three in row versus Washington, last two by 1-2 points.
-- Clippers won/covered last four games with Philadelphia.


•Situational Trends of The Day
-- SACRAMENTO is 15-2 ATS (+12.8 Units) after having lost 8 or more of their last 10 games over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was SACRAMENTO 106.1, OPPONENT 102.8.


-- BROOKLYN is 18-4 OVER (+13.6 Units) in home games after trailing in their previous game by 20 or more points at the half since 1996.
The average score was BROOKLYN 98.8, OPPONENT 103.4.


-- NEW YORK is 25-8 (+16.2 Units) against the 1rst half line revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was NEW YORK 50.4, OPPONENT 47.7.


-- LA CLIPPERS are 17-4 OVER (+12.6 Units) the 1rst half total when playing 8 or more games in 14 days this season.
The average score was LA CLIPPERS 56.1, OPPONENT 53.0.


-- SCOTT BROOKS is 15-3 UNDER (+11.7 Units) in home games after a close loss by 3 points or less as the coach of OKLAHOMA CITY.
The average score was BROOKS 104.6, OPPONENT 93.9.


•Matchup Trends of The Day
-- DALLAS is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) versus poor teams - outscored by their opponents by 3+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was DALLAS 107.5, OPPONENT 95.5.


-- LA CLIPPERS are 14-1 OVER (+12.9 Units) in home games versus teams who average 53 or more rebounds/game on the season over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was LA CLIPPERS 111.5, OPPONENT 100.3.


-- DALLAS is 32-16 (+14.4 Units) against the 1rst half line in road games versus good free throw shooting teams - making >=76% of their attempts over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was DALLAS 52.5, OPPONENT 49.7.


-- PHILADELPHIA is 23-7 OVER (+15.3 Units) the 1rst half total versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
The average score was PHILADELPHIA 53.6, OPPONENT 57.4.


-- MIKE BROWN is 27-8 UNDER (+18.2 Units) the 1rst half total versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 3+ per game - 2nd half of the season in all games he has coached since 1996.
The average score was BROWN 45.7, OPPONENT 45.8.


•Situation Analysis of The Day
-- Play Against - Home teams with a money line of +135 to -155 (LA LAKERS) - an good offensive team (98-102 PPG) against an average defensive team (92-98 PPG) after 42+ games, after a combined score of 205 points or more 2 straight games.
(38-11 since 1996.) (77.6%, +27.6 units. Rating = 4*)


The average money line posted in these games was: Team underdog with a money line of: +101.7
The average score in these games was: Team 102.6, Opponent 97.8 (Average point differential = +4.9)


The situation's record this season is: (0-0, +0 units).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (4-1, +3.2 units).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (12-4, +7.8 units).


-- Play Against - Home teams (WASHINGTON) - a good offensive team (98-102 PPG) against a horrible defensive team (>=102 PPG) after 42+ games, after scoring 55 points or more in the first half in 2 straight games.
(40-12 since 1996.) (76.9%, +26.8 units. Rating = 3*)


The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is: (24-29)
The average line posted in these games was: Opponent favored by 7.2
The average score in these games was: Team 104.8, Opponent 107 (Average point differential = -2.1)
The number of games in which this system covered the spread by 7 or more points was 23 (46% of all games.)


The situation's record this season is: (1-1).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (5-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (21-7).


-- Play Over - Road teams where the total is greater than or equal to 200 (NEW YORK) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 110 or more points, off a home blowout win by 20 points or more against opponent after a road game where both teams score 100 or more points.
(44-14 since 1996.) (75.9%, +28.6 units. Rating = 3*)


The average total posted in these games was: 210.6
The average score in these games was: Team 106.8, Opponent 112.5 (Total points scored = 219.3)
The number of games in which this system covered the total by 7 or more points was 33 (56.9% of all games.)


The situation's record this season is: (3-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (4-2).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (15-8).


-- Play On - Road teams versus the 1rst half line (DALLAS) - excellent free throw shooting team (>=79%) against a good free throw shooting team (76-79%), good ball handling team (<=14.5 TO's) against a poor pressure defense (<=14.5 TO's) after 42+ games.
(55-17 over the last 5 seasons.) (76.4%, +36.3 units. Rating = 4*)


The average first half line posted in these games was: Opponent favored by 1.1
The average first half score in these games was: Team 52.7, Opponent 50.9 (Average first half point differential = +1.8)


The situation's record this season is: (1-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (8-1).
Since 1996 the situation's record is: (118-97).


-- Play Under - Home teams where the first half total is greater than 100 (WASHINGTON) - good rebounding team - giving up <=11 offensive rebounds/game on the season, in a game involving two good offensive teams (98-102 PPG) after 42+ games, after allowing 60 points or more in the first half last game.
(36-11 since 1996.) (76.6%, +23.9 units. Rating = 3*)


The average first half total posted in these games was: 105.1
The average first half score in these games was: Team 50.5, Opponent 49 (Total first half points scored = 99.6)


The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (1-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (7-4).
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Sunday's Match-ups


#801 NEW YORK @ #802 OKLAHOMA CITY
(TV: 1:00 PM EST, ABC - Line: Thunder -9, Total: 200.5) - The top two scorers in the NBA will finally meet when Oklahoma City and Kevin Durant host New York and Carmelo Anthony in a nationally televised matinee on Sunday. Anthony was absent due to a sprained ankle when the Thunder crushed the Knicks 123-94 at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day, a result that still stands as the second-best offensive output for Durant's crew. Oklahoma City, which has won eight straight at home, is coming off a rather stunning 103-102 loss at Orlando on Friday in which it blew a 14-point halftime lead and gave up a last-second dunk.


Durant scored 29 points in the loss, which saw the Thunder's scoring production fall significantly in each quarter. Meanwhile, Anthony was busy producing 31 points in a 117-90 home win over Denver, helping the Knicks improve to 11-9 since their 9-21 start. New York tuned up for the visit to Oklahoma City with a 56.5 percent mark from the floor and built a big lead to allow Anthony and other regulars to rest down the stretch.


•ABOUT THE KNICKS (20-30 SU, 21-29-0 ATS): The rout of the Nuggets came amid a storm of speculation surrounding the job status of head coach Mike Woodson, who continued to express confidence in his team despite reports that he will be let go during the upcoming All-Star break. Friday's effort can only help Woodson's cause, as New York showed a balanced attack behind Anthony. Amar'e Stoudemire scored 17 points, J.R. Smith had 13 and three others in addition to Anthony reached double figures, including reserve forward Jeremy Tyler, who also hauled in a career high-tying 11 boards.


•ABOUT THE THUNDER (40-12 SU, 30-22-0 ATS): Oklahoma City received a triple-double from Russell Westbrook in the rout at New York on Christmas, but Westbrook remains sidelined until after the All-Star break with a knee injury. In addition to Durant, Serge Ibaka has continued to pick up more of the scoring load with Westbrook out, collecting 26 more points on 10-of-13 shooting in the loss at Orlando. Ibaka, who had 24 points versus the Knicks in December, is an eye-popping 45-for-66 from the floor in his last five games.


•PREGAME NOTES: Knicks C Tyson Chandler is 18-for-22 from the floor and 4-for-12 from the line over a five-game stretch.... The Thunder entered Saturday ranked fifth in the NBA with 19.5 made free throws per game, while the Knicks were last at 14.8.... Anthony's 36 points and 12 rebounds lifted New York to a 125-120 win in its previous visit to Oklahoma City last April.... The Knicks are 13-3 against the spread in road games versus good shooting teams - making more than 46% of their shots over the last two seasons.... Oklahoma City is 11-2 versus the spread versus horrible foul drawing teams - attempting less than 21 free throws/game this season.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, NEW YORK covered the spread 508 times, while OKLAHOMA CITY covered the spread 468 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, OKLAHOMA CITY won the game straight up 700 times, while NEW YORK won 277 times. In 1000 simulated games, 509 games went under the total, while 491 games went over the total. *No EDGE.


--In 1000 simulated games, NEW YORK covered the first half line 499 times, while OKLAHOMA CITY covered the first half line 460 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, 491 games went under first half total, while 464 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--NEW YORK is 18-14 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY since 1996.
--OKLAHOMA CITY is 18-14 straight up against NEW YORK since 1996.
--17 of 32 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1996.


--NEW YORK is 19-13 versus the first half line when playing against OKLAHOMA CITY since 1996.
--17 of 31 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1996.


--Knicks are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
--Home team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
--Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Oklahoma City.


•RECENT TRENDS
--Knicks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win.
--Knicks are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
--Knicks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.


--Under is 4-0 in Thunder last 4 games following a S.U. loss.
--Over is 5-1 in Thunder last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
--Over is 5-1 in Thunder last 6 when their opponent scores 100 points or more.
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#803 CHICAGO @ #804 LA LAKERS
(TV: 3:30 PM EST, ABC - Line: Bulls -1.5, Total: 196) - The Los Angeles Lakers are never quite sure how many players will be available on a given night but are finding ways to win with a shortened roster. The Lakers will look for a third straight triumph when they host the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Los Angeles finished off a win in Cleveland with four eligible players on Wednesday and knocked off Philadelphia on Friday with Nick Young, Pau Gasol, Jordan Farmar and Jodie Meeks joining Kobe Bryant on the sidelines.


The Bulls are no strangers to injury and were without Carlos Boozer in a 102-87 loss at Golden State on Thursday. Taj Gibson had a big game with a career high-tying 26 points and 13 rebounds in place of Boozer (calf), who remains day-to-day as Chicago attempts to close out a six-game road trip with an even record. The Bulls got off to a strong start with a win at San Antonio on Jan. 29 but have dropped three of four and are averaging 78.7 points in the three losses.


•ABOUT THE BULLS (24-25 SU, 22-27-0 ATS): Chicago does its best work on the defensive end and sits last in the NBA in scoring average at 92.1 points. Part of the problem is the absence of Derrick Rose (knee), who took part in some light pregame shooting on Thursday but is still conservatively considered out for the season. The Bulls had no answer for Golden State's Stephen Curry, who went for 34 points on 13-of-19 shooting on Thursday, as Mike Dunleavy struggled from the field and Jimmy Butler never got going to help make up the difference on the outside. Dunleavy is averaging 8.6 points on just 27 percent shooting during the road trip, including 3-of-19 from beyond the arc.


•ABOUT THE LAKERS (18-32 SU, 22-27-1 ATS): Los Angeles is shuffling its roster around as it gets a trio of point guards slowly back into the lineup while a group of wing players take their place on the sidelines. Steve Nash and Farmar are both coming off long layoffs and are being given ample time to rest, though Nash put up 19 points on his 40th birthday in a 112-98 win over the 76ers on Friday. “At this point I don’t take anything for granted,“ Nash told reporters. “It’s a mental and emotional ride for me to get ready to play every day, and hope my body obliges.” Steve Blake is coming off his own long layoff but played in all three games of the road trip and put up a triple-double at Cleveland before going 4-of-5 from beyond the arc on Friday.


•PREGAME NOTES: Lakers F Xavier Henry (knee) has been out since Dec. 29 but could rejoin the lineup on Sunday.... The Bulls have taken four of the last five in the series, including a 102-100 overtime triumph at home on Jan. 20.... Chicago C Joakim Noah has recorded double-digit rebounds in 20 of his last 21 games and posted a season-high 21 boards against Los Angeles on Jan. 20.... The Lakers are 21-38 against the spread versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting less than 24 free throws/game - 2nd half of the season over the last three seasons.... The Bulls are 9-22 versus the spread when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%) over the last two seasons.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, CHICAGO covered the spread 517 times, while LA LAKERS covered the spread 483 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, CHICAGO won the game straight up 545 times, while LA LAKERS won 425 times. In 1000 simulated games, 634 games went under the total, while 340 games went over the total. *EDGE against the total =UNDER.


--In 1000 simulated games, CHICAGO covered the first half line 479 times, while LA LAKERS covered the first half line 478 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, 611 games went under first half total, while 364 games went over first half total. *EDGE against first half total =UNDER.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--LA LAKERS is 16-16 against the spread versus CHICAGO since 1996.
--LA LAKERS is 20-12 straight up against CHICAGO since 1996.
--20 of 31 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1996.


--CHICAGO is 20-11 versus the first half line when playing against LA LAKERS since 1996.
--17 of 32 games in this series have gone UNDER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1996.


--Bulls are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Los Angeles.
--Under is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.
--Under is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings in Los Angeles.


--Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
--Underdog is 19-7 ATS in the last 26 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--Bulls are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Sunday games.
--Bulls are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 after allowing 100 points or more.
--Under is 5-0 in Bulls last 5 games playing on 2 days rest.


--Over is 8-1 in Lakers last 9 games following a ATS win.
--Under is 8-1 in Lakers last 9 vs. a team with a losing S.U. record.
--Over is 4-0 in Lakers last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
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#805 NEW ORLEANS @ #806 BROOKLYN
(TV: 6:00 PM EST, FSN New Orleans, YES (Brooklyn) - Line: Nets -6, Total: 194) - What a difference a day makes - at least to the Brooklyn Nets. They'll look to take advantage of their one-day break following a dreadful loss to Detroit as they entertain Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night. Brooklyn fell behind by as many as 29 points en route to a 111-95 defeat versus the Pistons while the Pelicans come in on a high following back-to-back victories over the Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves.


The Nets' aging roster has made things difficult for first-year head coach Jason Kidd, who yanked his starters after falling behind 84-55 just past the midway point of the third quarter Friday. The defeat dropped Brooklyn to 2-9 in the tail end of back-to-backs, while the Nets are a far more respectable 14-10 when playing on one day's rest. They'll need the energy to stop Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, who averages better than 20 points and 10 rebounds.


•ABOUT THE PELICANS (22-27 SU, 23-24-2 ATS): Davis, who was named to the Western Conference All-Star team this week as an injury replacement for the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, has earned every bit of his success this season. The 20-year-old has been a buzzsaw so far this month, averaging 23.5 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks while shooting 53.8 percent from the field in four February games. Veteran guard Eric Gordon has also been solid of late, averaging 19 points over his last three games while knocking down six 3-pointers.


•ABOUT THE NETS (22-26 SU, 23-25-0 ATS): Brooklyn has little hope of catching the Toronto Raptors atop the winnable Atlantic Division unless it figures out how to succeed in the nine back-to-back situations it has left. While eight of those back-end games will be played away from the Barclays Center, only one - against the Raptors on March 10 - comes against a team with a current record above .500. Brooklyn could use the help in those situations, with its only victories coming against a Memphis team without Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph and an Orlando team sitting second-last in the East.


•PREGAME NOTES: The Nets have taken four of the last six in the series.... Davis averaged just 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games against Brooklyn in his rookie season.... The Pelicans are 12-12 in games played on one day's rest. The Nets are 26-41 against the spread in home games versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting less than 24 free throws/game over the last three seasons.... New Orleans is 17-32 versus the spread versus good 3-point shooting teams - making more than 36% of their attempts over the last two seasons.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, NEW ORLEANS covered the spread 562 times, while BROOKLYN covered the spread 417 times. *EDGE against the spread =NEW ORLEANS. In 1000 simulated games, BROOKLYN won the game straight up 577 times, while NEW ORLEANS won 401 times. In 1000 simulated games, 573 games went over the total, while 406 games went under the total. *EDGE against the total =OVER.


--In 1000 simulated games, NEW ORLEANS covered the first half line 525 times, while BROOKLYN covered the first half line 438 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, 528 games went over first half total, while 433 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--BROOKLYN is 25-24 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS since 1996.
--NEW ORLEANS is 28-23 straight up against BROOKLYN since 1996.
--30 of 51 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1996.


--BROOKLYN is 27-23 versus the first half line when playing against NEW ORLEANS since 1996.
--24 of 48 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1996.


--Pelicans are 2-6 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
--Pelicans are 1-4-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Brooklyn.


--Over is 14-3 in the last 17 meetings.
--Over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Brooklyn.


--Underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
--Home team is 7-3-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--Pelicans are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
--Pelicans are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record.
--Over is 14-3 in Pelicans last 17 vs. a team with a losing S.U. record.


--Nets are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
--Over is 7-0 in Nets last 7 vs. a team with a losing S.U. record.
--Under is 3-0-1 in Nets last 4 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.
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#807 MEMPHIS @ #808 CLEVELAND
(TV: 6:00 PM EST, SportsSouth (Memphis), FSN Ohio (Cleveland) - Line: Memphis -3.5, Total: 186) - Visiting the free-throw line wasn’t part of Memphis’ winning formula on Saturday and the Grizzlies may need directions to the line when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Memphis shot one free throw in the victory over Atlanta, setting a mark for fewest free throws in an NBA game in the shot-clock era in the 79-76 victory. “Wow! Wow! Wow!” Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph said after viewing the postgame box score. “That whole game – wow!”


There hasn’t been much to wow about in Cleveland as the Cavaliers lost six in a row before ending the skid by beating the Washington Wizards on Friday. Cleveland fired general manager Chris Grant on Thursday due to the team’s poor performance and the victory over the Wizards leaves Cleveland 16 games under .500. Memphis has won 12 of its past 15 games and will be without point guard Mike Conley (ankle) for the fifth straight game while the Cavaliers hope to have forward Luol Deng back from an illness.


•ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (27-22 SU, 23-25-1 ATS): Guard Courtney Lee was the only Memphis player to attempt a free throw and the one he took and made came after a defensive three-second call. The Grizzlies were even stronger on defense than usual by holding Atlanta to 25 total points over the second and third quarters and forcing 21 turnovers, leading to 22 points. Memphis has held the opponent under 100 points in 12 of its last 13 contests, including four games in which it limited the opposing team to 81 or fewer points.


•ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (17-33 SU, 20-30-0 ATS): Cleveland received 58 bench points in the win over Washington with guard Dion Waiters performing well with 24 points. Waiters was one of the players who felt the firing of Grant sent a message through the roster. “The energy was different,” Waiters said afterward. “You guys knew what was at stake after going through a situation like what we went through. So we knew we had to come out there and play hard, and face adversity.” Waiters had just six total points on 3-of-15 shooting in the previous two games before hitting 11-of-18 shots against the Wizards.


•PREGAME NOTES: Memphis lost seven straight games in Cleveland before beating the Cavaliers there last March.... Cleveland has topped 50 bench points in back-to-back games and 10 times overall this season.... Grizzlies SG Tony Allen (wrist) will miss his 18th consecutive game.... Cleveland is 9-22 versus the spread in home games versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting less than 24 free throws/game - 2nd half of the season over the last three seasons.... Memphis is 17-5 against the spread versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing less than 14 turnovers/game - 2nd half of the season over the last two seasons.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, CLEVELAND covered the spread 542 times, while MEMPHIS covered the spread 458 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, MEMPHIS won the game straight up 540 times, while CLEVELAND won 437 times. In 1000 simulated games, 747 games went over the total, while 231 games went under the total. *EDGE against the total =OVER.


--In 1000 simulated games, CLEVELAND covered the first half line 536 times, while MEMPHIS covered the first half line 422 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, 695 games went over first half total, while 305 games went under first half total. *EDGE against first half total =OVER.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
---CLEVELAND is 17-14 against the spread versus MEMPHIS since 1996.
--CLEVELAND is 19-12 straight up against MEMPHIS since 1996.
--22 of 31 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1996.


--CLEVELAND is 20-9 versus the first half line when playing against MEMPHIS since 1996.
--18 of 31 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1996.


--Grizzlies are 2-10 ATS in the last 12 meetings.
--Grizzlies are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Cleveland.
--Over is 18-7 in the last 25 meetings.


--Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
--Road team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--Grizzlies are 7-1 ATS L8 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
--Under is 7-0 in Grizzlies last 7 road games.
--Under is 9-1 in Grizzlies last 10 games following a S.U. win.


--Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. win.
--Cavaliers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
--Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 games following a S.U. win.
_______________________________


#809 DALLAS @ #810 BOSTON
(TV: 6:00 PM EST, NBATV, FSN Southwest (Dallas), CSN New England (Boston) - Line: Mavericks -4.5, Total: 199.5) - Two teams looking to extend winning streaks to season-high lengths collide Sunday when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Boston Celtics. Dallas has won four straight and its last three by an average of nearly 18 points, establishing some distance in the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot over ninth-place Memphis. "At this point, we're shoring it up," coach Rick Carlisle told the Dallas Morning News. "We're doing better but we can't start feeling too good."


Boston hasn't exactly played the upper echelon of the league of late but wins over Orlando, Philadelphia and Sacramento have the Celtics on the verge of a season best four-game surge. Forward Jared Sullinger notched a career-high 31 points to go with 16 rebounds to lead Boston over the Kings last time out and coach Brad Stevens told the Boston Herald that this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what Sullinger, who has 11 double-doubles in his last 20 games, can do. "As he continues to improve," Stevens said, "I just think that the sky's the limit. I really believe that he can be a consistent double-double guy."


•ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (30-21 SU, 29-22-0 ATS): Dallas has placed a concerted emphasis on rebounding of late and the approach has yielded impressive results. The Mavericks have controlled the boards in three straight games and are plus-31 in rebounding in their last seven, leaving guard Vince Carter feeling as though the team is starting to put it all together for the first time this season. "We're clicking on all cylinders on both sides of the floor," Carter said."We have slippage sometimes but everybody's doing what needs to be done for the good of the team."


•ABOUT THE CELTICS (18-33 SU, 25-25-1 ATS): Point guard Rajon Rondo has played in eight games since returning from offseason knee surgery but rested in the win over Sacramento after a vintage performance against Philadelphia on Wednesday left him battling soreness. Rondo, who totaled eight points, 11 assists and nine rebounds as Boston knocked off the 76ers, is expected to play against Dallas, according to Stevens, who told reporters, "He's played nine games in 20 days and he hasn't done that in a year. It's a culmination of things - nothing structural." Jeff Green, who leads the Celtics with an average of 16.3 points, has notched a pair of 30-point games in an eight-game span in which the forward is averaging 19.5 points.


•PREGAME NOTES: Mavericks G Monta Ellis, who ranks second on the team in scoring (19.5), is day-to-day after straining his right hamstring in Friday's win over Utah.... Sullinger's effort against the Kings made him only the second Celtic to score 30 points or more this season, joining Green, who has accomplished the feat three times.... Dallas' scoring average of 104.6 points places it among the NBA's top 10, while Boston is in the league's bottom five, averaging 95.1.... The Celtics are 14-5 Under versus good free throw shooting teams - making more than 76% of their attempts this season.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, DALLAS covered the spread 514 times, while BOSTON covered the spread 486 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, DALLAS won the game straight up 618 times, while BOSTON won 364 times. In 1000 simulated games, 536 games went over the total, while 464 games went under the total. *No EDGE.


--In 1000 simulated games, DALLAS covered the first half line 502 times, while BOSTON covered the first half line 498 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, 516 games went under first half total, while 484 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--DALLAS is 18-13 against the spread versus BOSTON since 1996.
--DALLAS is 22-10 straight up against BOSTON since 1996.
--18 of 31 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1996.


--DALLAS is 15-14 versus the first half line when playing against BOSTON since 1996.
--18 of 32 games in this series have gone UNDER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1996.


--Mavericks are 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
--Mavericks are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings in Boston.


--Underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
--Road team is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--Over is 4-0 in Mavericks last 4 vs. a team with a losing S.U. record.
--Under is 5-1 in Mavericks last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.
--Over is 6-1 in Mavericks last 7 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.


--Under is 5-0 in Celtics last 5 home games.
--Under is 6-1 in Celtics last 7 Sunday games.
--Under is 4-0 in Celtics L4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
_______________________________


#811 SACRAMENTO @ #812 WASHINGTON
(TV: 6:00 PM EST, CSN California (Sacramento), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington) - Line: Wizards -5, Total: 203) - The Washington Wizards briefly pulled above .500 but had their defense abandon them in back-to-back losses to fall a game under the even point. The Wizards will attempt to get back to .500 when they close out a five-game homestand by hosting the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The Kings went into an offensive funk in the fourth quarter of a 99-89 loss at Boston to kick off a four-game road trip on Friday.


The loss to the Celtics marked the fifth straight road setback for Sacramento, which had picked up some momentum with back-to-back wins before heading out on the road. DeMarcus Cousins collected 31 points and 16 rebounds on Friday and is showing no ill effects from an ankle injury that kept him out six games by posting averages of 27 points and 14 boards in the last three contests. Cousins could be in for another big night against Washington, which was beaten on the boards 45-34 by the Cavaliers.


•ABOUT THE KINGS (17-33 SU, 23-25-2 ATS): Cousins was passed over for a reserve spot on the All-Star roster twice - first by the Western Conference coaches and then by commissioner Adam Silver - and may have had the snub on his mind in Boston. “Tough loss,” Cousins told the Sacramento Bee. “I don’t think I came in focused, either. There were some outside things distracting me.” Silver named New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis to the West squad as an injury replacement, passing over Cousins and his 22.9 points and 11.7 rebounds. It also did not help that Rudy Gay (illness) missed Friday’s contest and did not practice on Saturday.


•ABOUT THE WIZARDS (24-25 SU, 26-23-0 ATS): Washington got an All-Star bid for point guard John Wall, Cousins’ former college teammate, and Wall did his best to help avoid the two losses with 30.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. The Wizards jumped above .500 with wins over two of the best teams in the NBA in Oklahoma City and Portland but came up just short in an overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday before letting up against lowly Cleveland. “It’s easy to get up against the good teams,” forward Martell Webster told the Washington Post. “Where we fold is these teams below .500 come in and we play down to the level.”


•PREGAME NOTES: Sacramento has taken three straight in the series, including each of its last two trips to Washington.... Kings G Marcus Thornton (hip) sat out Friday’s game and is questionable for Sunday.... Webster is 8-of-14 from 3-point range over the last two games.... The Wizards are 8-21 versus the spread in home games when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%) over the last three seasons.... The Kings are 15-2 against the spread after having lost 8 or more of their last ten games over the last two seasons.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, SACRAMENTO covered the spread 509 times, while WASHINGTON covered the spread 465 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, WASHINGTON won the game straight up 577 times, while SACRAMENTO won 399 times. In 1000 simulated games, 581 games went over the total, while 390 games went under the total. *EDGE against the total =OVER.


--In 1000 simulated games, SACRAMENTO covered the first half line 511 times, while WASHINGTON covered the first half line 489 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, 510 games went over first half total, while 490 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--WASHINGTON is 16-16 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO since 1996.
--SACRAMENTO is 17-15 straight up against WASHINGTON since 1996.
--18 of 32 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1996.


--SACRAMENTO is 17-15 versus the first half line when playing against WASHINGTON since 1996.
--19 of 31 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1996.


--Kings are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
--Kings are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Washington.
--Over is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Washington.


--Road team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
--Underdog is 13-3 ATS in the last 16 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--Kings are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
--Under is 3-0-2 in Kings last 5 road games.
--Under is 4-0-1 in Kings last 5 games following a S.U. loss.


--Wizards are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record.
--Wizards are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
--Wizards are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.
_______________________________


#813 INDIANA @ #814 ORLANDO
(TV: 6:00 PM EST, FSN Indiana, FSN Florida (Orlando) - Line: Pacers -8, Total: 188.5) - The Orlando Magic look to follow up an inspiring victory over the Western Conference leaders by beating the top team in the East when they host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Tobias Harris’ dunk at the buzzer gave Orlando a 103-102 triumph over Oklahoma City on Friday to extend its home winning streak to four and take back-to-back games for the first time since late December. The Pacers have won four in a row, including a 98-79 victory over the Magic on Monday.


Indiana earned their fourth straight Friday with a 118-113 overtime win against Portland as George Hill poured in a career-high 37 points. The Pacers’ second-leading scorer, Lance Stephenson, missed that game with a sore back and is questionable for an Orlando team which has won three of five overall. The Magic’s improving offense, which boasts six players averaging at least 12.7, must find a way to unlock an Indiana defense which leads the league in points allowed (90.7).


•ABOUT THE PACERS (39-10 SU, 31-18-0 ATS): Hill averaged 5.7 points and made 6-of-20 from the field in the previous three games before his career night against Portland that included nine rebounds and eight assists. More offense from Hill takes pressure off leading scorer Paul George (22.6) and opens up the floor for David West (13.5) and Roy Hibbert (12), who leads the team in rebounding (7.7). The Pacers had a 52-38 edge on the boards against Orlando last week and stand second in the league with a plus-4.8 rebounding margin.


•ABOUT THE MAGIC (15-37 SU, 22-30-0 ATS): Rookie Victor Oladipo rebounded from a 2-of-11 shooting night against Indiana to average 17 points and make 13 of his 17 shots from the field to help the Magic win two straight for the first time since Dec. 27 and 29. Arron Afflalo leads the team in scoring (19.8) while Oladipo (13.8) and Harris (13.7) are next among a balanced group. Center Nikola Vucevic notched his 20th double-double of the season against Oklahoma City and averages 13.1 points to go with a team-best 10.7 rebounds.


•PREGAME NOTES: The Pacers have held 21 opponents under 40 percent shooting and 11 to fewer than 80 points.... Orlando PG Jameer Nelson did not play last week against Indiana due to a sore knee and has 16 assists in two games since.... Indiana has won eight of the last nine meetings with Orlando, including two home wins this season.... Orlando is 9-20 against the spread versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting less than 24 free throws/game this season.... The Pacers are 12-3 versus the spread when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%) this season.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, ORLANDO covered the spread 517 times, while INDIANA covered the spread 459 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, INDIANA won the game straight up 655 times, while ORLANDO won 314 times. In 1000 simulated games, 509 games went over the total, while 491 games went under the total. *No EDGE.


--In 1000 simulated games, ORLANDO covered the first half line 535 times, while INDIANA covered the first half line 465 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, 484 games went over first half total, while 478 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--INDIANA is 34-30 against the spread versus ORLANDO since 1996.
--INDIANA is 35-33 straight up against ORLANDO since 1996.
--37 of 63 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1996.


--INDIANA is 34-30 versus the first half line when playing against ORLANDO since 1996.
--34 of 63 games in this series have gone UNDER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1996.


--Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
--Home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--Pacers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.
--Pacers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
--Under is 8-1 in Pacers last 9 vs. a team with a losing S.U. record.


--Magic are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games.
--Under is 4-0 in Magic last 4 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
--Over is 4-0 in Magic last 4 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
_______________________________


#815 PHILADELPHIA @ #816 LA CLIPPERS
(TV: 9:30 PM EST, CSN Philadelphia, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles) - Line: Clippers -16, Total: 219.5) - Chris Paul expects to return on Sunday and it appears only a setback close to tip-off will prevent him from being out the court when the Los Angeles Clippers host the Philadelphia 76ers. Paul has missed 18 games with a shoulder injury and is pushing his return as he wants to play in next weekend’s All-Star Game. Philadelphia has a strong point guard in rookie Michael Carter-Williams but enters with a five-game skid.


The Clippers are 12-6 since Paul got injured and coach Doc Rivers expects it to take a couple weeks for Paul to regain his form. Rivers said he was still pondering Saturday whether or not to play Paul but all indications were that it would indeed happen. “I fully know that he wants to play, let’s put it that way,” Rivers told reporters. “I just don’t know if we’re going to allow him to play yet. I just want to see how he feels, how his body feels. I want to see him on the floor. I just want to make sure Chris is not pushing to play. Players do that.”


•ABOUT THE 76ERS (15-36 SU, 20-31-0 ATS): Philadelphia may lack assets but the point guard position is in pretty good shape with Carter-Williams excelling and backup Tony Wroten developing in his second NBA campaign. Carter-Williams is averaging 17 points and 6.6 assists and has been one of the league’s top rookies despite his outside shot – 29.6 percent from 3-point range – being a work in progress. Wroten is averaging 17.5 points over the last four games and his season average of 12.9 is a substantial improvement over his rookie output of 2.6 points for the Memphis Grizzlies.


•ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (35-18 SU, 30-23-0 ATS): Power forward Blake Griffin has scored 36 or more points in each of the past three games and has strung together 11 consecutive games of 20 or more points. Griffin is the first player to post three straight 35-point outings since the Clippers relocated to Los Angeles with Lloyd Free – who starred for the San Diego Clippers – being the last to achieve it in 1979. “Man, that guy is amazing,” guard Willie Green said after Griffin scored 36 in Friday’s victory over Toronto. “He makes his mind up that he’s just going to be dominant and there’s nothing anybody can do.”


•PREGAME NOTES: Los Angeles has won six of the past eight meetings, including a 94-83 victory in Philadelphia on Dec. 9.... Sixers C Spencer Hawes has put together back-to-back double-doubles but had just two points and four rebounds in the December loss to the Clippers.... Clippers G J.J. Redick (back) will likely miss his third straight game.... Philadelphia is 7-17 against the spread versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.... The Clippers are 11-2 versus the spread versus poor 3-point shooting teams - making less than 33% of their attempts - 2nd half of the season over the last three seasons.


StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Points/Per Possession, Turnovers, along with Free-Throw Shooting Percentages). The number of simulations in which each team covered the current spread, won the game straight up, and number of simulations which went over or under the current total are listed below. Edges are indicated where one side enjoyed a significant advantage against the line or total.


--In 1000 simulated games, LA CLIPPERS covered the spread 571 times, while PHILADELPHIA covered the spread 411 times. *EDGE against the spread =LA CLIPPERS. In 1000 simulated games, LA CLIPPERS won the game straight up 866 times, while PHILADELPHIA won 128 times. In 1000 simulated games, 775 games went under the total, while 225 games went over the total. *EDGE against the total =UNDER.


--In 1000 simulated games, LA CLIPPERS covered the first half line 486 times, while PHILADELPHIA covered the first half line 478 times. *No EDGE. In 1000 simulated games, 710 games went under first half total, while 290 games went over first half total. *EDGE against first half total =UNDER.


•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--PHILADELPHIA is 18-13 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS since 1996.
--PHILADELPHIA is 17-15 straight up against LA CLIPPERS since 1996.
--17 of 31 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1996.


--PHILADELPHIA is 17-14 versus the first half line when playing against LA CLIPPERS since 1996.
--18 of 30 games in this series have gone UNDER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1996.


--76ers are 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
--76ers are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Los Angeles.


--Favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
--Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.


•RECENT TRENDS
--76ers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
--Under is 3-0-1 in 76ers last 4 games following a ATS loss.
--Under is 3-0-1 in 76ers last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.


--Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a SU win of more than 10 points.
--Over is 4-0 in Clippers last 4 Sunday games.
--Over is 8-0 in Clippers last 8 games following a SU win of more than 10 points.