Roll em out...

Pick 'n' Roll: Today's best NBA bets

Indiana Pacers at Denver Nuggets (-11, 218)

You know the old saying - if you have two quarterbacks, you really don’t have one at all?

Well, that wisdom applies to the Pacers.

Indiana coach Jim O’Brien can’t decide whether to start T.J. Ford or Earl Watson. Both point guards are inconsistent and neither player does a good job of making plays for anyone not named Danny Granger.

The Pacers star forward had 30 points against the Blazers but got little help from his mates.

"You don't see many times when one guy on your team has double figures and nobody else cracks double figures," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien told the Indianapolis Star following his club’s 102-79 loss to the Blazers. "Danny had a good game and we turned the ball over too many times."

The Pacers have a number of players that can shoot but Granger is really the only guy who can create his own shot. If Ford and Watson aren’t penetrating and creating easy shots for their teammates, it usually means a long night for Indiana fans.

Denver is notorious for losing to bad teams but the Pacers shouldn’t be much of a problem for George Karl’s club.

Pick: Nuggets


Milwaukee Bucks at Washington Wizards (+4.5, 190.5)

This might be the year that we finally see the Bucks in the playoffs again. Milwaukee is 8-2 straight up and 9-1 against the spread over its last 10 games and is tied with Chicago for the sixth best record in the Eastern Conference.

"I think we believe in ourselves as a team," Bucks guard Luke Ridnour told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We believe we can play with anybody. We've got to take that mind frame and try to make the most of this next month and a half."

While the playoff prospects look promising for Milwaukee, not all of its players are confident in their own play. Rookie point guard Brandon Jennings is shooting just 27 percent from the field over his last six games.

"My offense is just terrible right now," Jennings said after his team’s latest win over the Wizards on Wednesday. "I just went to the defensive end, and I was just trying to put pressure on the guys and make a turnover. I got an 8-second call (violation) tonight, and you really don't see that much in the NBA."

Jennings' shooting should improve with a second go-around against the Wizards.

Pick: Milwaukee

Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets

Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks (-170, 5.5)

The Canucks continue their insane road schedule in the Windy City, taking the ice for their 11th straight game away from home.

Vancouver’s 14-game road swing was broken up by the two-week Olympic hiatus, however, the Canucks remained hot following that break with back-to-back wins over Columbus and Detroit this past week. That improved the team to 6-4 in those 10 away games and gave Vancouver its fourth win in five games.

This success is coming despite the fact that the Canucks have allowed the first goal in 10 of their past 12 games and have given up three or more goals in eight of the past 10 outings - helping total bettors cash in on the over in four straight games.

"We do, but we have a 14-game road trip, too," backup goalie Andrew Raycroft told reporters heading into Wednesday’s win over Detroit. "It's not like we are on a homestand and we're pressing our luck. It is tough to win on the road, especially when you're on it this much like we are right now. It's a good sign we're finding ways to win, but at the same time we have to find ways to address it."

The Blackhawks know a thing or two about topping the total. Chicago has played over the number in five straight contests. These two teams meet back in January, with the Blackhawks taking a 5-1 win that played over the 5.5-goal total.

Pick: Over


Minnesota Wild at Edmonton Oilers (+160, 5.5)

The struggling Oilers were one of the most active teams during the NHL’s trade deadline Wednesday.

Edmonton added new faces like Ryan Whitney and Aaron Johnson but those additions won’t be enough to halt the team’s three-game slide heading into Friday. The Oilers have won just three games in their past 10 outings , most recently giving up three third-period goals to fall 5-2 to Chicago Wednesday night.

Edmonton’s roster shakeup will leave the lines out of sync and chemistry will be hard to come by against the Wild. And according to comment from Whitney following Wednesday’s deal, motivation will be hard to come by after leaving a contender like Anaheim.

“They won’t be playing in the playoffs this year, which is frustrating, those are the games you want to be a part of,” Whitney told the Edmonton Sun. “But I’m excited at the same time. I want to be looked at as a leader there, someone who can help the Oilers become a really good team again. It’s a great hockey town. It’s tough when you get traded to a team that’s rebuilding, but at the same time they’re looking at me as a guy they want to be a part of it and that’s a compliment. I look forward to it.”

Minnesota started the second half of the season on the right path, knocking off the Calgary Flames Wednesday night for their second straight win. The Wild have won their last two meetings with the Oilers, defeating them 4-2 in February and 3-1 back in December.

Pick: Minnesota

SPORTS ADVISORS

FRIDAY, MARCH 5

NBA

L.A. Lakers (46-16, 26-33-3 ATS) at Charlotte (28-31, 31-28 ATS)

The Lakers, looking to get back on the winning track a night after losing in Miami, continue their brief three-game road trip with a stop in Charlotte to take on the Bobcats.
Los Angeles fell 114-111 in overtime to the Heat on Thursday, getting upset as a five-point road chalk. Kobe Bryant had 39 points to pace the Lakers, but they allowed Dwyane Wade to go for 27 points and 14 assists as the Heat shot 53 percent from he field and 47 percent from beyond the three-point line. Los Angeles is 17-11 on the highway but just 11-16-1 ATS.
Charlotte has dropped five of six (both SU and ATS), including a 104-80 loss in Boston on Wednesday, never threatening to cover as a 4½-point underdog. The Bobcats have lost two of three at home, including Monday’s 89-84 setback to the Mavericks as a three-point favorite. Charlotte have struggled offensively lately, managing just 88.7 points per game on 41.8 percent shooting over their last six, while giving up 95.8 ppg (48.5 percent).
On Feb. 3, Los Angeles nipped the Bobcats 99-97, falling well short as a 10½-point home chalk. In last year’s meeting in Charlotte, the Bobcats pulled off a 94-84 upset as 5½-point underdogs. Charlotte has dominated this series lately, winning six of the last eight meetings SU and grabbing the cash in nine of the last 10. The Bobcats are 4-0 ATS in the last four battles, but the road team has cashed in five of the last six overall.
Los Angeles is on ATS slides of 1-6-1 overall, 3-8 on Friday, 1-5-1 as a favorite and 3-10-1 on the road against teams with a winning home record. Charlotte is riding positive pointspread streaks of 16-5-1 against Pacific Division teams and 4-1 on Friday, but it is just 3-10 ATS in its last 13 after a day off and 1-5 ATS in its last six against Western Conference teams.
The Lakers have topped the total in five of six against Southeast Division teams, but they remain on “under” streaks of 6-2 on the road, 7-2 as a favorite, 5-1 as a road chalk and 4-2 against teams with a losing record. The Bobcats have stayed below the posted number in four of six overall and three of five against Western Conference teams, but they are on “over” runs of 8-3 on Friday, 34-16-1 against Pacific Division teams and 4-1 as a home ‘dog.
In this series, the “under” has been the play in four of the last six overall.

ATS ADVANTAGE: CHARLOTTE


New Orleans (31-31, 30-31-1 ATS) at San Antonio (34-24, 27-30-1 ATS)

The Hornets head to the AT&T Center in San Antonio looking to snap a three-game losing streak while the Spurs are seeking their third straight victory as these Southwest Division rivals hook up for the second time in four days.
New Orleans has dropped five of six (2-3-1 ATS) overall, including a 104-100 home loss to Memphis on Wednesday, failing as a 2½-point favorite. Both teams shot the ball well but the Hornets were outrebounded 39-34. They are just 11-20 on the highway this season, but they’ve cashed in 16 of the 21 road games.
San Antonio has won two straight (1-1 ATS), most recently scoring a 106-92 road win against these Hornets in New Orleans on Monday, cashing as a three-point road chalk. The Spurs had six players score in double digits with George Hill leading the way with 23 points and Tim Duncan adding 22 points and nine rebounds. Gregg Popovich’s troops are 21-10 in front of the home fans (16-14-1 ATS).
With Monday’s win and cover, the Spurs have taken the last four in this series (3-1 ATS) and seven of the last 10. San Antonio has won all three this season, including a 113-96 home win back on Oct. 28, easily cashing as a 9½-point favorite. The home team is 12-4 ATS in the last 16 series clashes, with the Spurs taking cashing in six of the last seven inside the AT&T Center.
New Orleans is on ATS slides of 3-13 on Friday and 1-5-1 against Western Conference teams, but it is on positive pointspread streaks of 7-1-1 on the road, 6-1-1 after a day off, 13-5-1 as a ‘dog and 9-1-1 on the road against teams with winning home records. San Antonio is on several ATS skids, including 2-5 overall, 3-8 as a favorite, 1-5 on Friday, 0-4 after three or more days off and 1-6 after a straight-up win.
For the Hornets, the over is on runs of 4-1 overall, 8-1 on the road, 8-3 against Western Conference teams, 9-4 as an underdog, 10-2 after a straight-up loss and 7-1 on the road against teams with winning home records. The Spurs are also on several “over” streaks, including 5-1 overall (3-0 last three), 4-0 against Southwest Division rivals and 5-1 as a chalk.
Finally, the over has been the play in this rivalry in three of the last four meetings overall and five of the seven clashes in San Antonio.

ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER


COLLEGE BASKETBALL


MISSOURI VALLEY TOURNAMENT

(at St. Louis, Mo.)

Missouri State (20-11, 15-16 ATS) vs. Wichita State (23-8, 11-12-1 ATS)

Wichita State shoots for its fifth straight victory over the Bears – including the third this season – when these teams clash in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament at the Scottrade Center.
Missouri State advanced with last night’s 52-46 victory over Evansville, falling short as a 9½-point favorite. The Bears have won three of their last four games following a 5-9 SU tumble, all in conference. However, they’ve been a disaster at the betting window lately, going 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games.
The Shockers closed out regular-season play with Saturday’s 76-55 destruction of Southern Illinois, easily cashing as a 7½-point home favorite to finish second in the league standings and earn a first-round bye. With the win over Southern Illinois, Wichita State snapped a two-game SU and six-game ATS losing skid. The Shockers started the season 19-4 but split their final eight games. Also, they’ve lost four straight (1-3 ATS) and six of seven (1-5-1 ATS) on the highway.
Wichita State swept the season series from the Bears by a total of five points, winning 65-62 as a 2½-point road underdog on Jan. 6 and 66-64 as a seven-point home chalk on Valentine’s Day. The Shockers are 4-0 (2-2 ATS) going back to last February, including a 59-46 rout as a four-point favorite in the quarterfinals of last year’s MVC tourney.
Missouri State has cashed in four of its last five games after a non-cover, but is otherwise in ATS funks of 16-34-2 in conference play and 0-5 at neutral sites. The underdog is 6-1 ATS in the Bears’ last seven games and 11-4 ATS in their last 15. Meanwhile, the Shockers have failed to cover in eight of their last 11 games, going 1-6 ATS in their last seven as a favorite.
The under is 5-0 in the Bears’ last four neutral-site contests and 5-0 in their last five after a non-cover. The under is also 6-3 in Wichita’s last nine games, including 4-1 away from home. Finally, the last three meetings in this rivalry going back to last season’s MVC tourney contest have stayed under the total.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER


Indiana State (17-13, 16-11 ATS) at Illinois State (21-9, 13-13 ATS)

Indiana State battles the Redbirds for the second time in eight days, this time in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley tournament.
The Sycamores got dumped 75-58 at Illinois State as a 10-point underdog last Thursday, but rebounded with Saturday’s 75-72 overtime victory over Missouri State as a one-point road underdog. Indiana State is 6-4 SU and 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games, but it has lost four straight away from home (2-2 ATS). Indiana State finished in a tie for fifth in the Missouri Valley with a .500 league record in 18 games (11-7 ATS).
Illinois State ran its winning streak to six in a row with last week’s rout of Indiana State, but the run ended Saturday with a 61-55 loss at first-place Northern Iowa. However, the Redbirds covered as a 7½-point road pup, so they’ve rebounded from a 4-8 ATS funk to cash in each of their last three games. Illinois State finished third in the league standings at 11-7 (10-8 ATS), one game ahead of Creighton and one game behind Wichita State.
These teams split their two battles this season, with Indiana State prevailing 72-65 as a two-point home underdog on Feb. 3. With last Thursday’s victory at home, the Redbirds snapped a four-game SU and six-game ATS streak to the Sycamores in this rivalry. Also, the ‘dog had been on an 8-0 ATS roll prior to last week’s clash.
Indiana State is on pointspread upticks of 8-2 overall, 19-7 within the Missouri Valley, 4-1 at neutral sites, 5-0 after a SU victory and 6-1 against winning teams. The Redbirds are on ATS runs of 4-1 overall (all versus winning teams), but the underdog has covered in six of their last seven games, the only exception being last week’s contest against the Sycamores.
Indiana State is on “over” surges of 4-1 overall, 4-0 in conference and 5-0 versus winning teams, while Illinois State has topped the total in five of six after a spread-cover and four of five following a SU victory. However, the under is 10-3 in the Redbirds’ last 13 neutral-site outings and 4-1 in their last five on Friday.
Finally, these teams have topped the total in each of their last seven series meetings.

ATS ADVANTAGE: INDIANA STATE

Insider Sports Report

4* Harvard-8½
3* Wisconsin-Milwaukee Pk
3* Denver Nuggets-11½

CAPPERS ACCESS

Pistons
Hornets

Craig Davis
Friday's Lineup

20 Dime – THUNDER

10 Dime – PACERS

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER --- Okay, so they got their doors blown off a few nights ago in Denver. It was bound to happen. Think about it... a young team that struggled to get to double-digit wins last year is now a playoff contender in the Western Conference the following year?? And they've been playing incredible basketball since the All-Star Break, beating the Mavericks right out of the gates and winning six of their last nine to start their post-All Star break season. I think the beating they took in Denver only makes them hungrier tonight. I'll admit, I follow this team as much as I follow the Mavericks, and I've noticed they are really starting to play as a team, even though Kevin Durant is clearly their star. The great thing about Durant, though, is that he doesn't act like it. He's the ultimate players' player, trying to get everyone involved on every possession, he's not afraid to play defense, and he loves to rebound.

And playing in Oklahoma City... it's not like there's a bunch these players can do to get in trouble. They hang out a lot together and I think that makes them play more like a team than just about any franchise in the NBA. This team is usually about as focused as you could expect them to be on game day, but for some reason either the thin air got to them or they simply lost focus... because this wasn't the same group we've seen much of the season. Denver had their way with OKC and took a 9-point halftime lead and turned it into a 30-point win. The great part about getting blown out is that the starters got to sit on the bench and watch the fourth quarter. Nothing more refreshing than getting some rest up in the mountains... which leads me to believe they will be fresh and ready to get that focus back tonight.

Oklahoma City has won the last two times it visited the Clippers, including once by 40 points last year. The Thunder also feel they owe the Clippers for an early season loss in Oklahoma City, 101-93, in which the Thunder shot just 38% from the field and converted just 3 of 20 from three-point land. The Clips shot 48% from the field and Baron Davis scored 24 points... when's the last time that happened?? The bottom line is, as well as the Clippers have played at home recently, they are running into the wrong team at the wrong time. Thunder by 10.

INDIANA PACERS --- I'll admit, this play is more against Denver than it is for Indiana. But here's the way I see it... Denver just slaughtered playoff-bound Oklahoma City by 30. Indiana has been routed by the Lakers and Trail Blazers in back-to-back games. The Nuggets have Portland coming in in two days... the same Blazers team that whipped the Nuggets the last time they played. The simple analysis here is: I know Indiana sucks. I know Denver is likely to be the 2 or 3 seed in the Western Conference. But how often do we see the better team NOT cover the number?? It happens all the time and I feel this is a spot for it to happen again. Indiana has nothing to lose, especially after taking back-to-back beatings, and I feel they'll play looser and more comfortable without pressure. Denver, on the other hand, will look at this as a sandwich game and I just don't see how they'll take the Pacers seriously. It might look ugly early, but in the end the Pacers will get this thing to single digits and get inside the double-digit Vegas line.

sportsbetsnow

NBA

3 units Lakers -3.5
3 units Pacers/Nuggets over 218

NCAAB

3 units NC Greensboro +2.5

Bobby Maxwell

400 Units Loyola-Maryland -2

100 Units Orlando Magic -10

Karl Garrett

20 Units Indiana State +6

10 Units Golden State +13

Michael Cannon

20 Units Wisconsin Green Bay +1

10 Units Loyola Marymount -9.5

Stephen Nover

20 Units Towson +2

15 Units Oklahoma City -5

Larry Ness

8*: DUQUESNE -20
8*: VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH -16
8*: CREIGHTON -3 1/2

BEN BURNS

6*: BURNS NHL PERSONAL FAVORITE MAJOR MISMATCH
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS-ML

8*: BURNS EARLY BLUE CHIP TOTAL BLOWOUT
UNDER-140 Delaware vs VCU,

9*: BURNS TOP NON-CONFERENCE BEST BET
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS +3 1/2

10*: BURNS HUGE PLAY ALERT, SHOCKER GAME OF THE MONTH
NEW JERSEY NETS +10 vs Orlando Magic

Jack Burnet

100,000 Dime Cleveland Cavs -12

MREAST NCAAB MVC MAULER

I have been impatiently waiting for the conference championship rounds to begin. I have put tons of hours into research, and have fine tuned systems with every single game played in this round by conference, by pointspread, by total, and more. What I have discovered is utilizing this method, in what I call "cluster wagering", there is a great opportunity to cash a myriad of games over the two week period. All systems are based on 6 years of research, and there are many. Some will no perform, but many will, which is the beauty of cluster wagering. I have been highly successful at doing this in bracketbuster for the last 4 years, and the conference championship rounds the last 2, but have dramatically improved upon this. I will rate the plays from #1 to #last, for clients that just want the cream of the crop, but I suggest to play them all. UNDER gets the call.

#849 BRADLEY BRAVES @ #850 CREIGHTON BLUE JAYS 3:35PM EST

PLAY ON #849 BRADLEY BRAVES @ #850 CREIGHTON BLUE JAYS UNDER 138.5 -110 FOR 3 UNITS

Chris Jordan

600* 874 Canisius -11.5

KB Hoops

5* Loyola Maryland -2 **POD**
4* Wisc Milw +1.5
3* Wisc GB +1.5
3* Akron -3
3* Creighton -3.5

Billy Coleman

5* Detroit NCAA
3* Akron -3
3* Bradley ov137.5
3* Santa Clara +3.5

4* Detriot un199
3* Denver ov218