PICK 'N' ROLL

Today's best NBA bets

Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers (6.5, 203)

There’s something comforting about betting the Utah Jazz. Ever since Jerry Sloan took over bench duties in 1988, the Jazz run the pick ‘n’ roll almost every offensive set and they’re a much tougher team to beat at home than on the road.

The Jazz own one of the league’s best records this season but that’s largely due to their 24-8 mark on their home floor.

This weekend was another example of their home/road dichotomy; they lost at Sacramento on Friday and creamed the Rockets at EnergySolutions Arena the following night.

The Clippers are equally effective in friendly confines. Los Angeles’ other pro basketball team is 17-12 at Staples Center and won three out of four on a recent home stand.

It may go against your instincts to back the Clippers, but Monday night looks like a good opportunity.

Pick: Clippers


Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies (-1, 195)

The Blazers are probably sick of talking about their front court problems. Still, matching up against a team like Memphis would be a lot easier if either (or even both) Greg Oden or Joel Przybilla was healthy.

Portland lost to the Bulls in overtime on Friday largely because of Chicago won the rebounding battle 43-29. How do the Blazers keep the Grizzlies' front line from cleaning the glass on Monday?

Memphis center Marc Gasol and power forward Zach Randolph have a combined average of 42.5 points and 24 rebounds in two games – both covers and outright wins – against Blazers this season.

Maybe if Brandon Roy wasn’t playing on one healthy leg the Blazers might have a chance. But whatever energy Roy does have, he’ll be spending it chasing around O.J. Mayo on the defensive end.

Pick: Memphis

ICE PICKS

Today's best NHL bets

Detroit Red Wings at Colorado Avalanche (-130, 5.5)

The lone game on schedule after the 10-day Olympic break has the Avalanche hosting the Red Wings.

Detroit has the bigger adjustment to make. The club surrendered a good portion of its roster, including head coach Mike Babcock, to the international tournament.

"We need to make sure we are ready to come out on Monday and start winning some games, and those guys are a big part of that," assistant Wings coach Paul MacLean told The Detroit News. "I am sure it won't take long for them to come to that understanding."

The coaching staff better hope it doesn’t take too long. Detroit is in a battle just to qualify for the playoffs, and the defending Western Conference champs play 15 games in 30 days beginning on Monday.

"Over the last three years we've played a lot of hockey and, unfortunately, the guys who could have used this break the most went to the Olympics," Wings veteran Kris Draper told reporters.

While the Wings have to worry about reincorporating almost half its lineup, the Avs only have a handful of players to welcome back.

Colorado is healthy and in much better position to restart its engine quickly.

Pick: Avalanche

Insider Sports Report
4* New Orleans Hornets Pk
3* Utah St-15½

CAPPERS ACCESS

Georgetown
Texas

DCI

Season
Straight Up: 3499-1132 (.756)
ATS: 1480-1484 (.499)
ATS Vary Units: 4073-4177 (.494)
Over/Under: 1320-1325 (.499)
Over/Under Vary Units: 1948-1943 (.501)

Big 12 Conference
TEXAS 85, Oklahoma 71
Big East Conference
WEST VIRGINIA 76, Georgetown 70
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
MORGAN STATE 81, North Carolina A&T 64
Norfolk State 71, COPPIN STATE 67
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 74, Florida A&M 63
Southern Conference
UNC GREENSBORO 77, Georgia Southern 74
Southwestern Athletic Conference
JACKSON STATE 64, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 57
Mississippi Valley State 69, GRAMBLING STATE 66
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 63, Alabama State 61
TEXAS SOUTHERN 69, Alabama A&M 62
Western Athletic Conference
UTAH STATE 75, Fresno State 55
Non-Conference
HAMPTON 74, Longwood 68
WINSTON-SALEM STATE 57, Bethune-Cookman 55

DCI

Season
Straight Up: 580-258 (.692)
ATS: 461-406 (.532)
ATS Vary Units: 1108-966 (.534)
Over/Under: 429-443 (.492)
Over/Under Vary Units: 578-599 (.491)

CHARLOTTE 97, Dallas 95
CLEVELAND 112, New York 94
Orlando 98, PHILADELPHIA 95
CHICAGO 99, Atlanta 97
Portland vs. MEMPHIS: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
NEW ORLEANS 99, San Antonio 96
HOUSTON 106, Toronto 103
PHOENIX 114, Denver 111
Utah 103, L.A. CLIPPERS 96

SPORTS ADVISORS

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

(11) Georgetown (19-8, 12-11 ATS) at (8) West Virginia (22-6, 11-16 ATS)

The struggling Hoyas make the trek to WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W.Va. for a Big East showdown with West Virginia.

Georgetown has dropped three of its last four (SU and ATS), including Saturday’s 78-64 home loss to Notre Dame as a 10½-point chalk. The Hoyas allowed the Irish to shoot 57.1 percent from the floor and got outrebounded 26-15. Georgetown’s lone win in the last two weeks was a 70-60 victory at Louisville, cashing as a four-point pup.

The Mountaineers have won three of four overall (2-2 ATS) and are coming off Saturday’s hard-fought 74-68 home win over Cincinnati, falling well short as a 13-point favorite. West Virginia lost a week ago tonight at UConn, 73-62 as a 2½-point road chalk, and it has struggled to stop teams lately, allowing 75.2 points per game over the last five.

The Mountaineers halted a three-game SU and ATS losing skid to the Hoyas last season, winning 75-58 and cashing as five-point road ‘dogs to end a 3-0 ATS run by Georgetown in this series. Prior to that, West Virginia had gotten the cash in five of the previous six clashes.

Georgetown has struggled to cash in Big East play, currently 10-24 ATS in its last 34 conference games and 2-6 ATS in its last eight Monday contests, however the Hoyas are 5-1 ATS in their last six after a non-cover. The Mountaineers are on ATS slides of 1-4 on Monday and 0-4 at home against teams with winning road records.

For the Hoyas, the under is on several surges, including 4-0 on the road, 7-1 on Monday, 4-1 in Big East action and 35-17 on the road against teams with winning home records. West Virginia has topped the total in five of seven overall and five of six after a non-cover, but it is on “under” runs of 5-2 on Monday and 5-2 at home against teams with winning road records.

In this series, the under has been the play in three of the last four meetings in Morgantown.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER


Oklahoma (13-15, 9-16 ATS) at (21) Texas (22-7, 10-15 ATS)

Oklahoma will try to end its freefall when it visits the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas for a Big 12 game against the rival Longhorns.

The Sooners have dropped six straight (1-5 ATS) since a Feb. 6 victory over Texas in Norman, Okla. On Saturday, Oklahoma fell 70-63 to Baylor, coming up short as a 4½-point home pup. The Sooners have struggled offensively of late, scoring just 68.4 ppg and shooting just 40.9 percent from the floor over the last five contests while allowing 81.6 ppg and 52.1 percent shooting.

Texas had its brief two-game winning streak (1-1 ATS) halted on Saturday when Texas A&M delivered a 74-58 drubbing to the Longhorns as a one-point home favorite. In its most recent home game Wednesday, Texas prevailed 69-59 over Oklahoma State, cashing as a nine-point favorite. The ‘Horns are much more comfortable at home, where they’re 14-2 SU, averaging 84.6 ppg and limiting the opposition to 63.1 points and 36 percent shooting. Despite those strong numbers, though, Rick Barnes’ squad is just 4-9 ATS in lined games at the Erwin Center.

Oklahoma upset the Longhorns back on Feb. 6, winning 80-71 at home as a 6½-point underdog. The host has won each of the last four regular-season clashes, but Texas has gotten the cash in six of the last eight. The Longhorns are 5-0 ATS in the last five series clashes in Austin and the favorite has covered in four of the last five overall.

It’s been all bad news for the Sooners at the betting window, as they’re on ATS slides of 1-5 overall, 16-36-3 on the road, 4-10 after a non-cover and 24-51-3 on the road against teams with a winning home record. Texas has cashed in 27 of 38 Monday games, but is currently on ATS skids of 3-13 overall, 6-21-1 in Big 12 action, 2-5 at home and 3-9 coming off a non-cover.

Oklahoma has topped the total in five of six Monday contests but stayed under the posted number in 19 of 29 roadies against teams with winning home marks. The Longhorns have stayed below the number in 18 of 26 on Monday and four of five after a non-cover. Finally, the under has been the play in five of the last six series meetings between these rivals in the Lone Star State.

ATS ADVANTAGE: TEXAS and UNDER


NBA

Atlanta (37-21, 34-24 ATS) at Chicago (31-28, 30-27-2 ATS)

The Hawks, who have taken six of seven from the Bulls, looking to continue their dominance of Chicago when they visit the United Center.

Atlanta needed overtime to beat the Bucks at home on Sunday, winning 106-102 but failing to cover as an 8½-point favorite. Josh Smith led the charge with 22 points, 15 rebounds and six assists. The Hawks are just 14-14 on the road this season, but have cashed in 16 of those 28 contests.

Chicago comes in off Saturday’s 100-90 road loss at Indiana, failing as a three-point pup. The Bulls had won two in a row (SU and ATS) and six of seven (SU and ATS) before the loss to the Pacers. Derrick Rose had 27 points on Saturday and Luol Deng had 13 points and 18 rebounds but Chicago turned the ball over 21 times and gave up 30 points and eight boards to the Pacers’ Danny Granger.

The Hawks are 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS – including 2-1 SU and ATS this year – against Chicago dating back to 2008. However, the last time these two met in Chicago on Dec. 19, the Bulls scored a 101-98 win as a four-point ‘dog. Back on Feb. 5, the Hawks got a 91-81 home win as eight-point favorites. In this rivalry, the chalk has cashed in 17 of 25 overall and the Bulls are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 in the Windy City.

Atlanta is on ATS slides of 1-5 overall and 1-4 on the second night of a back-to-back, but it is on positive ATS streaks of 17-9-1 against Central Division teams, 7-2-2 on Mondays and 5-3 against Eastern Conference squads. Chicago is riding ATS runs of 4-0 at home, 6-2 overall, 7-2 after a day off and 13-6 against Eastern Conference teams.

The Hawks have stayed below the total in 10 of 14 Monday games while the Bulls are on “under” streaks of 4-1 on Monday and 4-0 against Southeast Division teams. Chicago has topped the total in four straight at home and five of six against winning teams. In this series, the over has been the play in six of the last seven meetings overall.

ATS ADVANTAGE: ATLANTA


Denver (39-20, 27-28-4 ATS) at Phoenix (37-24, 35-26 ATS)

Two teams coming off Sunday road losses look to get back in the win column when the Nuggets visit US Airways Center for a showdown with the Suns.

Denver was outscored 52-37 in the second half in Los Angeles yesterday and fell to the Lakers 95-89, pushing as a six-point pup. The Nuggets, who shot just 36 percent in defeat, held Kobe Bryant to just 14 points, but Lamar Odom came off the bench to score 20 points and grab 10 rebounds for the Lakers. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak (2-1 ATS) for the Nuggets, who are now 14-15 (12-14-3 ATS) on the highway.

Phoenix had its five-game winning streak halted in San Antonio on Sunday, losing 113-110, but cashing as a four-point underdog. The Suns got a season-high 41 points and 12 rebounds from Amare Stoudemire, but the Spurs had three players score 20 points or more, led by Tim Duncan’s 21 points and 10 rebounds. Phoenix is 4-1 SU and ATS in its last five at home, and 17-12 ATS in front of the home fans this season.

The home team has dominated this rivalry, winning nine of the last 10 meetings and cashing in 10 of the last 13, but it was the Suns who broke the streak back on Feb. 3 when they scored a 109-97 win in Denver, cashing as 5½-point underdogs. Phoenix is 5-1 ATS in the last six series clashes in the desert, and the favorite has cashed in seven of the last 10.

Denver is just 1-4 ATS in its last five Monday games and 0-3-1 in its last four games on the second night of a back to back, but it is on ATS runs of 4-1-2 on the road and 3-0-2 on the road against a team with a winning home record. The Suns are on ATS streaks of 10-2 against the Western Conference, 6-0 overall and 4-0 at home.

The Nuggets have topped the total in four of six overall and four of six on the road, but they’ve stayed below the total in 24 of 35 on the road against teams with a winning home record. Phoenix is on several “under” runs, including 9-3 overall, 4-1 at home, 7-3 against Western Conference teams and 4-1 on the second night of a back-to-back.

In this rivalry, the under has been the play in four of the last five clashes.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

MREAST NCAAB MONDAY MADNESS

The Utah St. Aggies are among the hottest teams in the country, and have won 13 straight games. Their last may have been one of their best as they commited just 5 turnovers on the road at Hawaii. That sets up a huge situation playing on the over, as teams that commit 5 turnovers or less, play to a 50-22 mark in their next game to the over, with a total set in the 120s. This will also be a low water mark for the Aggies in terms of playing to their lowest total of the season. The low number is bolstered by the fact that Fresno St. has played 8 straight unders in league play. Utah St. has now played to a 9-1 mark to the over after an ATS loss, and these teams have played 8 of their last 10 games to the over. I'll go with the over in this one.

#723 FRESNO ST. BULLDOGS @ #724 UTAH ST. AGGIES 9PM EST

PLAY ON #723 FRESNO ST. BULLDOGS @ #724 UTAH ST.OVER 128 -110 FOR 3 UNITS

ALLEN EASTMAN

4* OKL +14.5
1* UTAH ST OVER 128
2* UTAH-6.5
1* PORTLAND +1

DOC SPORTS

3-Unit Play #717 Take Utah -6 Over LA Clippers
3-Unit Play #708 Take New Orleans +3 Over San Antonio
4-Unit Play #705 Take New York/Cleveland UNDER 212½

Jack Burnet

75,000 Dime Spurs -2.5
25,000 Dime GA Southern +5.5
25,000 Dime Nuggets +2.5

BILLY COLEMAN

3* Orlando -4
3* Dallas under 191.5
3* Denver +2.5

Matt Fargo

10* Bobcats -1
9* Grizzlies -1

Jimmy Boyd

5* NBA *BEST BET* Blowout on Bobcats -2

This is a tough spot for the Mavs, who just played last night, and will be playing their 9th game in 14 days. The Bobcats find themselves in a much better spot, playing at home where they are an impressive 20-7 this season, and playing with 2 full days of rest. Charlotte will also be looking for a little bit of revenge here after falling at Dallas by 1 point in December. Right away, you have to like the fact that plays against underdogs playing on back-to-back days, good team, winning 60-75% or more of their games on the season, are 164-109 the last 5 seasons (60.1%). You also have to like the fact that Charlotte is 13-4 ATS in home games when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days over the last 2 seasons, winning in these spots by an average score of 97.8 to 90.6. The Bobcats are also a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite of 4.5 or fewer points. The Mavericks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games playing without any days rest. We'll take the Bobcats at home tonight.


3* ESPN Big Monday SMASH on Texas -13

This may seem like quite a big number at first glance, but the Sooners have lost by at least 13 points in 3 of their last 4 road games. Plus, Texas will be extremely motivated in this spot for several reasons. First off, it's senior night. Secondly, the Longhorns are coming off a poor performance against Texas A&M. Lastly, the Horns will be looking to avenge a loss at Oklahoma last month. This situation is very similar to one Texas was in back on Feb. 13. The Horns had just played poorly against Kansas and they went out and destroyed Nebraska by 40 points. The Sooners are just 14-36-1 ATS in their last 51 games as a road underdog. The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings and the Sooners are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 meetings at Texas. OU is 1-8 ATS in road games when playing their 2nd game in a week this season, losing in these spot by an average of 14.8 points. Texas is on a 17-6 ATS run in home games when playing its 3rd game in a week, winning in these spots by 16.3 points on average. It is also a tremendous 11-1 ATS in home games where the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 3 seasons, winning these games by 19.3 points on average. We'll lay the points

SPORTS WAGERS aka Randall the Handle

Philadelphia +4/+1.51 over ORLANDO

Interesting night indeed starting with this one. The Orlando Magic are regarded as one of the elite teams in the NBA. They’re 20-40 and they’re coming off a 16-point win over the Heat, not to mention a very recent nationally televised win over the Cav’s. They’ve now won three of four and they’ll play a team regarded as one of the NBA’s bottom feeders. Furthermore, the 76ers return home tonight after a four-game trip with the latter three games being on the west coast. It’s not easy to make a case for the 76ers here but recognizing a “trap” is one way of doing so and that’s the basis for this choice. The Magic look too easy and you can bet the mortgage that Orlando is going to take a ton of action in this matchup. This line was designed to attract Magic money and that’s precisely what it’s going to do. Being on the same side as the books will usually work out well and with that in mind the right side here is the 76ers. Wait until later in the day to make this wager. This line will only move one way and thus, we’ll update it later in the day to the line we’re playing it at. Play: Philadelphia +4 (Risking 1.06 units to win 1) Play Philadelphia +1.51 (Risking 1 unit).

CHARLOTTE –3 over Dallas

This is the second game tonight that smells like a rat. Here we have the red-hot Mav’s that have won seven in a row and have beaten the likes of Orlando, Atlanta and the Lakers among others. The Mav’s are an upper echelon club from the West and they’ll face an under .500 team from the East. The Cats have dropped three of four and five of its last seven and they also return home from a four-game trip tonight. Since the trades that Dallas made and its subsequent seven game winning streak, its stock has soared through the roof and now they’re a pooch to this under .500 club? Surely, the books could have made this one a pick-em or even made the Mav’s a slight favorite, perhaps a point or two, and not swayed a single wager. You have to be nuts to lay points with the Cats over the Mav’s, no? Again, playing the side that the books need to make money on is seldom a bad idea. Play: Charlotte –3 (Risking 2.10 units to win 2).

NEW ORLEANS +1.35 over San Antonio

This is a great spot for the Hornets, a team that remains undervalued because of its non-popular status and because of the loss of Chris Paul. However, this team is playing well indeed and has adjusted to life without Paul in a very positive manner. The Hornets have lost three of four but they’ve also split its last six games. The losses came to Cleveland, Dallas and Milwaukee and Milwaukee and Dallas are on fire at the moment while the Cav’s are one of the top three teams in the league. The Hornets also have recent wins over Orlando and Boston and they’re much better than advertised. Meanwhile, the Spurs are considered a top team and that perception makes them overvalued almost daily. They’re not nearly as good as advertised and the facts back that statement up. They have just 10 wins all year against teams over .500 and that includes a narrow home win yesterday over the Suns. The Spurs will now play its third game in four days and more importantly, this aging squad has not played consecutive home games since the end of January. In fact, this will be the 12 th straight game in which they’ve had to board a plane and travel to its next destination and that takes its toll more than playing. After that big win yesterday and travelling yet again today, the Spurs are in a very unfavorable spot here. Play: New Orleans +1.35 (Risking 2 units).


Toronto +6 /+2.27 over HOUSTON

The Raps will play its third game in four nights and they’re in a bit of a funk with three straight losses but anytime we can get a take-back like this on a quality club against the Rockets it’s worth a close look. Yeah, Bosh is out but the Raps are perhaps the deepest team in the business and they played like garbage last night. You can rest assured that coach Jay Triano went berserk on them after that sup-par effort last night and there’s no way they don’t show up tonight. The Rockets really offer up very little as the chalk, as this teams’ downward spiral is showing no signs of ending soon. Houston has dropped four of five and seven of its last nine. Some of its recent losses include a 33-point loss to the Heat, an 18-point loss to the Grizzlies, a 28-point loss at Milwaukee, an 18-point loss to the Magic, a 10-point home loss to the Pacers and a 23-point loss on Saturday at Utah. The Raptors are the superior team in every way here and they’re in need of a win. The tag here on the Raps is simply insane, as its chances of winning are greater than the Rockets chances. Play: Toronto +2.27 (Risking 1 unit). Play Toronto +6 (Risking 1.03 units to win 1).

KING CREOLE

NBA Sides Mon, 03/01/10 - 10:35 PM ƒŠ

double-dime bet 717 UTA -6.0 (-110) BetUS vs 718 LAC
Analysis: 10:30pm ET / #717 / Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Clippers

2** Play on: UTAH Jazz minus the points

We're not usually in the habit of lay~ing sizable points on the ROAD in the NBA. But a look at the series history tendencies... the rest situation... and applicable ATS Systems have us squarely on the road favorite. It also certainly doesn't hurt that we'll be riding the #1 POINTSPREAD team in the NBA for the entire season. The Jazz come in with the best ATS record in the league at 37-20-2 ATS for the year.

Check out the series history.... These numbers alone are worthy of a play!
UTAH comes in having won and covering EACH of the last 6 games in this series (8-1 ATS last 9 / 11-2 ATS last 13). The Jazz have won those last 6 games by 10 points... 13 points... 21 points... 16 points... 22 points... and 20 points. That's an average WINNING margin of +17.0 points-per-game. So laying -6 points on the road doesn't look as daunting as usual!

The CLIPPERS played last night up the coast in Sacramento... and lost to the Kings 97-92 (as dogs of +4.5). Meanwhile, the Jazz come in off a big Saturday night win against the Houston Rockets (133 to 110 as favs of -9.5 points). So Utah plays this one in a '1/0' REST situation (1 day rest versus 0 days of rest).

26-10 ATS this season: All FAVORITES in a '1/0' REST situation (JAZZ).... playing off a SU win. For 'tighteners', take your pick:
8-0 ATS vs any opponent off BB SU losses (like the Clippers)...
or
6-0 ATS in the month of February for favorites of < 8 points (JAZZ).

10-2 ATS since November: All NBA teams after scoring 130 or more points in their previous game (JAZZ). Favorites of 10 < points have gone 7-1 ATS in this situation.

6-1 ATS last 6 weeks: All NBA road teams playing off a SU and ATS win as a BIG home favorite of -9 > points (Jazz).

1-7 ATS this season: All NBA teams in the FIRST of a 3-game home stand... playing off BB SU losses (Clips)... versus any opponent off a SU win (JAZZ).

3-16 ATS this season: All NBA underdogs playing off BB SU and ATS road DOG losses... when the OU Line is > 197 points (Clips). In the last 6 weeks, these disheartened underdogs have gone a PERFECT 0-6 ATS.

LT PROFITS

NBA
Mavericks/Bobcats UNDER 190.5 -110 (Bookmaker)
Mavericks/Bobcats UNDER 99 -110 (First Half)

NCAAB
Fresno State +14.5 -110

10 star on the sixers

Paul Leiner:

100* NBA Over 195 Port/Mem

25* CBB Georgetown +6