Roll em out!

Ben Burns

Ben Burns: Burns' **10** Tuesday O/U BEST BET (9-3-1 L3 Days)
Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers Mar 16 2010 10:05PM
Play on: under

Ben Burns: Burns' **10** MOTIVATIONAL MISMATCH! *75% CBB RUN!
Mississippi State at Jackson State Mar 16 2010 10:00PM
Play on: Jackson State

Burns: *9:30am PT* Burns 10* O/U BEST BET *5-0 L5, 8-1 L9
Villanova at Robert Morris Mar 18 2010 12:40PM
Play on: under

Ben Burns: **THIS IS IT** Burns' Tournament GAME OF THE YEAR!
Texas A&M at Utah St. Mar 19 2010 4:55PM
Play on: Utah St.

Ben Burns: Burns' 3-Game ULTIMATE! (9-3-1 L3 Days) **SWEEP**
New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens Mar 16 2010 7:35PM
Play on: New York Rangers

New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens Mar 16 2010 7:35PM
Play on: under

St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche Mar 16 2010 8:05PM
Play on: St. Louis Blues

Diceituponline - Hammer's NBA/NHL Picks (3/16)

March 16, 2010
NBA: San Antonio/Miami Over 189 = 15 Dimes
NBA: Atlanta -5.5 = 20 Dimes
NBA: Washington +14 = 10 Dimes
NHL: Phoenix -120 = 10 Dimes
NHL: Edmonton +240 = 10 Dimes
NHL: Philadelphia +100 = 10 Dimes

KyleBalesSports

3/16 Sharp Play - Northeastern +7.5

Insider Sports Report

4* South Dakota/Creighton OVER 148 Range: 146 to 150
3* West Carolina/Marshall UNDER 150 Range: 152 to 148
3* Charlotte Bobcats -1 Range: +1 to -3
3* L.A. Lakers/Sacramento OVER 205 Range: 203.5 to 207

ICE PICKS

Tuesday's Best NHL Bets

Montreal Canadiens at New York Rangers (-145, 5.5)

Sean Avery is the Ron Artest of the NHL.

The enigmatic and agitating forward was benched last Friday by his coach, who was looking to spark a reaction from Avery after only registering four points in his previous 11 games.

"I don't know if that worked," John Tortorella said of the benching. "You guys get a little crazy with all that stuff as far as the motivation. Sean concentrated. He deserves the credit in the things he does.

"The thing I liked about his game, he let his play do his talking. That is very important."

Avery did some talking with his stick by scoring a pair of goals on Sunday in a 3-1 win over Philadelphia. Apparently he still dished out some smack talk during the game as he also incurred three penalties.

Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak has been nails during the team’s current five-game winning streak, but holds a dismal 1-3-0 record at Madison Square Garden with a 4.11 goals-against average.

His counterpart under the net, Henrik Lundqvist, is 6-1-0 in his last seven home starts against the Canadiens with a 1.86 goals-against average. Look for the desperate Rangers to end the Habs’ streak.

Pick: Rangers

Colorado Avalanche at St. Louis Blues (-130, 5.5)

The Blues have been a welcomed opponent this year for the Avalanche. In three games Colorado has destroyed St. Louis, outscoring them 15-7 and covering the puckline in each win.

St. Louis’s goalie, Chris Mason, was pulled in the last two contests that ended in 7-3 and 5-2 victories for the Avs and posted a 7.23 goals-against average in all three outings.

Colorado has played to the over in three of their last four games, averaging 4.75 goals per, and have converted eight of 20 power play opportunities during its last six affairs.

"I think we're shooting and getting more shots through," Paul Stastny said. "You can't get too cute. Sometimes when you get shots off, that's when plays open up."

The over is 8-2 in the Blues’ last 10 games and puck should be flying around on Tuesday in this matchup.

Pick: Over

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

Charlotte Bobcats at Indiana Pacers (+1, 197.5)

Gerald Wallace was Charlotte’s lone All-Star this season but if you ask anyone who watches they’ll tell you the team’s real MVP is Stephen Jackson.

The shooting guard did everything for Charlotte but hand out the Gatorade during his club’s win over the Magic on Sunday. Jackson finished with 28 points, six rebounds and six assists, and didn’t turn the ball over once.

The Bobcats needed an offensive boost with Wallace missing due to injury.

"Stephen made huge plays throughout," Bobcats head coach Larry Brown told the Charlotte Observer, "and without Gerald, I don't know that we could have played any better."

The win was the club’s sixth straight and its fifth cover over the same stretch. The hot spell can be attributed to a recommitment to the defensive end. Charlotte is allowing just 87.5 points per game during the win streak and has played under the total in seven of its last nine games.

Pick: Under


Minnesota Timberwolves at Phoenix Suns

The Timberwolves are in full-out tank mode. Wanna know why? Forget that they’ve lost 15 of their last 16 games; Minnesota is 4-9-1 against the spread in its last 14 games and has lost by double digits in six of its last eight contests.

"Right now, our guys feel when things go bad, it's 'Here we go again,'” T-Wolves coach Kurt Rambis told the Minneapolis Star Tribune following his team’s latest loss. “We don't have the leadership out on the floor to get the guys rallied."

General manager David Kahn is hoping Rambis can squeeze in some time to scout the NCAA Tournament. That doesn’t exactly scream of a team focused on the Suns.

Phoenix backers haven’t cashed the last few times the Suns played on their home court, but getting Leandro Barbosa back should spark Alvin Gentry’s group.

Pick: Suns

SPORTS ADVISORS

TUESDAY, MARCH 16

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NCAA TOURNAMENT

(at Dayton, Ohio)

Winthrop (19-13, 2-2 ATS) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (17-15, 1-4 ATS)

Winthrop scored consecutive upsets in the Big South tournament, capped by a 64-53 win over Coastal Carolina as a nine-point underdog in the championship game on March 6, to clinch their fifth Big Dance berth in the last six years. The Eagles had lost three of four to end the regular season in third place in the Big South standings, but they swept three games in the conference tourney, also knocking off Liberty (80-72, falling short as an 8½-point favorite) and Radford (61-46 as a 2½-point ‘dog).
Arkansas Pine-Bluff topped Texas-Southern 50-38 as a two-point favorite on Saturday to capture the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship and secure its first ever NCAA Tournament bid. The Golden Lions have won four in a row and 11 of their last 12, and their only two losses since mid-January came against Jackson State, which won the SWAC regular-season title.
This is the first meeting between these schools.
While the Golden Lions are in the Tournament for the first time in school history, Winthrop is making its ninth appearance, all since 1999. The Eagles are 1-8 SU all-time, the lone victory being a 74-64 first-round upset of Notre Dame as a 3½-point underdog in 2007.
In addition to going 2-1 ATS in their conference tournament, the Eagles played one other lined game this season, and that was a Bracket Buster contest at Eastern Kentucky, and they got hammered 77-57 as a 7½-point road ‘dog. That dropped Winthrop to 0-4-1 ATS in its last five lined non-conference contests, but otherwise it is on spread-covering surges of 11-3 at neutral sites, 12-5 as an underdog, 8-3 as a ‘dog of less than seven points and 8-3 when catching points at neutral venues.
Arkansas Pine-Bluff’s easy win and cover in the SWAC championship ended a 0-5 ATS slump. However, the Golden Lions are just 1-5 ATS in their last six after a SU victory.
The favorite has won the last three “play-in” games, and after a 5-1 ATS run by the underdog in this event, the chalk has cashed in the last two.
Winthrop’s recent lined contests have been low-scoring affairs, as it is on “under” runs of 20-8 overall, 4-0 in NCAA Tournament games, 14-3 at neutral sites, 6-1 as an underdog and 7-1 as a neutral-site pup. Meanwhile, the Golden Lions stayed low in three of their last four lined games, including the last two in the SWAC tournament.
The winner of tonight’s game at Dayton Arena heads to Jacksonville, Fla., to face top-seeded Duke on Friday.

ATS ADVANTAGE: WINTHROP and UNDER


NIT

N.C. State (19-15, 17-13-1 ATS) at South Florida (20-12, 19-10-2 ATS)

The Wolfpack made a valiant run to the ACC tournament semifinals last weekend, eventually falling to Georgia Tech 57-54 on Saturday, but cashing as a four-point underdog. N.C. State rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit and actually had a three-point lead late but couldn’t hang on. Still, the Wolfpack have rebounded from an 0-5 slump (1-4 ATS) to win five of their last seven, going 6-1 ATS including 4-0 ATS in the last four.
South Florida ended the regular season with three straight victories over Providence, DePaul and UConn, then got past DePaul again a week ago in the opening round of the Big East tournament (58-49 as a seven-point favorite). However, the Bulls’ Big Dance dreams ended the following day in an ugly 69-49 loss to Georgetown as a 6½-point underdog. The SU winner is 8-0-1 ATS in South Florida’s last nine games.
The Wolfpack are back in the postseason for the first time since 2007, when they won their first two games of the NIT before losing to West Virginia, finishing 2-0-1 ATS. South Florida’s last qualified for postseason play in 2002, losing an opening-round NIT game at Ball State.
The Bulls are 11-4 at home (8-4-2 ATS), while N.C. State has lost seven of 11 on the road, but it is 7-4 ATS. This is the first meeting between these schools.
N.C. State’s 4-0 ATS run overall is buoyed by pointspread streaks of 18-7-1 on the road, 4-1 after a spread-cover and 4-0 against winning teams. The Bulls are on ATS upticks of 3-1-1 overall, 6-1-1 at home, 9-3 in non-conference play, 4-1 against the ACC, 3-0-1 on Tuesday and 9-4 versus winning teams.
The Wolfpack are on “under” streaks of 5-0 overall, 4-0 on the road, 5-0 after a SU defeat and 4-0 after a non-cover, while South Florida has stayed low in eight of 11 overall, four of five versus the ACC and four of five on Tuesday. However, the over is 4-1 in N.C. State’s last five against ACC competition and 6-2 in South Florida’s last eight at home.

ATS ADVANTAGE: SOUTH FLORIDA


Texas Tech (17-15, 15-11 ATS) vs. Seton Hall (19-12, 8-17 ATS)

Texas Tech ended a seven-game losing skid with an 82-67 rout of Colorado as a one-point underdog in Wednesday’s opening round of the Big 12 tournament. The Red Raiders then gave top-seeded and top-ranked Kansas a bit of a scare the next day, eventually coming up well in an 80-68 loss but easily covered as a 17½-point underdog. The back-to-back spread-covers came on the heels of a 2-5 ATS funk.
A 7-3 end-of-season hot streak wasn’t enough to get the Pirates invited to the big party. They ended regular-season play with a pair of double-digit road wins over Rutgers and Providence, then they matched up with Providence again a week ago today in the Big East tournament and nearly blew a 29-point second-half lead, holding on 109-106 as a 5½-point favorite. However, Seton Hall was no match for Notre Dame the following day, losing 68-56 as a 2½-point pup.
This is Texas Tech’s first postseason appearance since losing an opening-round NCAA Tournament game in 2007. Seton Hall hasn’t played this deep into March since losing a first-round Tournament game to Wichita State in 2006.
The Red Raiders, who have never faced Seton Hall, are 3-9 in true road games this year (5-6 ATS in lined action). The Pirates are 13-4 at the Prudential Center, but a woeful 3-9 ATS in lined contests.
Texas Tech has cashed in six of its last seven non-conference games, but it has failed to cover in 17 of 22 on Tuesday and is 0-4-1 ATS in the last five against Big East opponents. The Pirates are on pointspread slides of 6-16 overall, 0-6 at home, 1-4 versus winning teams and 2-5 after a non-cover.
The under is 4-1 in the Raiders’ last five against the Big East, 4-1-1 in Seton Hall’s last six non-conference tussles and 6-1 in Seton Hall’s last seven Tuesday outings. However, Tech is on “over” streaks of 22-8 on the highway, 12-3-1 in all non-league games, 23-11-2 after a SU defeat and 5-2 on Tuesday, while the Pirates have topped the total in four of five overall and four of five at home.

ATS ADVANTAGE: TEXAS TECH and OVER


William & Mary (22-10, 17-10-1 ATS) vs. North Carolina (16-16, 10-20 ATS)

William & Mary nearly punched its first-ever ticket to the NCAA Tournament, but came up short to Old Dominion in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament championship on March 8, losing 60-53 but cashing as a nine-point underdog. Although that defeat snapped a three-game losing skid for the Tribe, they still enter their first-ever postseason game having won seven of 10 both SU and ATS.
One year after winning their fifth NCAA title, the Tar Heels find themselves out of the Big Dance for the first time failing to qualify in both 2002 and 2003. North Carolina started the year strong, winning 10 of their first 13 games (with the three losses coming to Syracuse, Kentucky and Texas, three teams that spent time ranked No. 1 this season). Then injuries piled up, the Tar Heels suffered a stunning 82-79 overtime loss at Charleston, followed by an ugly ACC campaign that saw them go 5-12 SU and ATS.
After getting destroyed at Duke in the regular-season finale March 6 (82-50 as a 15-point road underdog), the Heels went one-and-one in the conference tournament for the first time ever, falling to Georgia Tech 62-56 as a 3½-point underdog Thursday. The last time UNC was in the NIT was 2003, when it went 2-1 SU and ATS, losing a third-round game to Georgetown at home.
These teams met in 2005 in Chapel Hill, N.C., and even though North Carolina rolled 105-66, the Tribe barely got inside the whopping 40½-point spread.
William & Mary was 12-7 (12-6 ATS) on the highway this year, including 10-6 in true road games (10-5 ATS).
The Tribe’s ATS hot streaks include 7-3 overall, 5-1 on the road, 6-1 in non-conference play, 4-1 against the ACC and 10-4 after a SU defeat. North Carolina had one of the worst pointspread records in the country this season, ranking 224th out of 329 lined teams. And while the Heels have cashed in 43 of 61 non-conference games and four of five on Tuesday, they’re sill in pointspread funks of 5-14 overall, 2-5 at home, 2-6 after either a SU or ATS loss and 4-11 against winning teams.
William & Mary is riding “under” streaks of 16- overall, 11-1 on the highway, 5-1 after a SU defeat and 6-1 after a non-cover. Likewise, the Tar Heels are on “under” runs of 19-7 overall, 7-1 at home, 4-0 on Tuesday, 13-3 after a SU loss and 10-2 following an ATS setbacks.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER


NBA

Denver (45-21, 31-30-5 ATS) at Houston (33-31, 29-35 ATS)
The Nuggets take aim at their seventh straight win as they make a stop inside the Toyota Center for a matchup with the Rockets.
Denver is looking to wrap up a four-game road trip with a spotless record and it enters this one on a six-game winning streak (4-1-1 ATS) after going to Memphis and blowing out the Grizzlies 125-108 on Saturday, easily cashing as 1½-point favorites. They broke the game open by outscoring the Grizzlies 40-23 in the fourth quarter as J.R. Smith led the way with 30 points. Denver has averaged 115.4 points a game in its last five contests and shot 51.6 percent from the field.
Houston has won two straight (1-1 ATS), including Saturday’s 116-108 home win over the Nets, coming up just short as a 9½-point favorite. Luis Scola had the best game of his career, shooting 20-for-25 from the field for 44 points and 12 rebounds. The Rockets are looking for a third straight win, something they haven’t done since Dec. 22.
The Nuggets have won both matchups with Houston this season (2-0 ATS), including a 97-92 victory inside the Toyota Center back on Jan. 27, cashing as a 2½-point pup and making them 5-2 ATS in the last seven head-to-head matchups overall.
Denver is on ATS slides of 1-5 on Mondays, 1-10 as a road chalk of less than five points and 3-11-4 after a spread-cover, but it is on positive ATS runs of 6-2-3 on the road, 3-0-1 overall and 39-19-3 against teams with a winning record. The Rockets are 7-2 ATS in their last nine as a home ‘dog and 6-2 ATS in their last eight Monday games, but they are on ATS skids of 9-22 overall, 5-11 against the Western Conference, 3-14 at home and 3-13 after a straight-up win.
For the Nuggets, the under is 4-1 in the last five overall and 7-3 in their last 10 against Southwest Division teams, but otherwise they’re on “over” runs of 7-2 as a favorite, 15-7 against winning teams and 4-1 as a chalk of less than five points. Houston has topped the total in 10 of 12 after a straight-up win, but it is on “under” streaks of 6-2 on Mondays, 4-1 as a home ‘dog, 7-3 after a non-cover and 5-0 at home against teams with a winning road mark.
In this series, the “over” has cashed in four of the last six overall.

ATS ADVANTAGE: DENVER


NBA

San Antonio (39-25, 33-30-1 ATS) at Miami (35-32, 34-33 ATS)

Two teams riding three-game winning streaks hook up at American Airlines Arena in South Beach, where the Heat continue their playoff push when they host the Spurs.
San Antonio has been idle since Saturday’s 118-88 beat-down of the Clippers, easily covering as an 11½-point home favorite. In addition to winning their last three in a row, the Spurs are on a 7-1 SU surge, and they’ve cashed in a season-best seven consecutive games. During this eight-game push, San Antonio is 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS on the road, the only setback being a 97-95 loss at Cleveland eight days ago. Still, the Spurs remain a .500 team on the highway (15-15, 14-16 ATS).
Miami has won three in a row SU and ATS, all in double-digit fashion and all at home. The Heat pummeled the Clippers 108-97 on Tuesday, the Bulls 108-95 on Thursday and the 76ers 104-91 on Sunday. They’ve started off the month 6-1 SU, with all six victories coming in American Airlines Arena. Miami also has followed up an 0-4 ATS drought by going 5-1 ATS in the last six. For the season, Dwyane Wade and Co. are 20-14 in South Beach (17-17 ATS).
San Antonio swept the season series from the Heat last year, winning 91-84 in Miami as a 3½-point favorite and cruising 108-78 as a 7½-point home chalk. The Spurs have won seven of the last nine meetings, and their two spread-covers last year ended Miami’s 4-0 ATS run in this rivalry.
In addition to cashing in seven straight games overall and four straight on the road, the Spurs are on ATS upticks of 9-1 against the Southeast Division and 5-1 versus winning teams. Meanwhile, Miami is on pointspread runs of 5-1 overall, 5-0 at home, 6-2 versus Western Conference woes, 4-0 against the Southwest Division, 4-0 after a day off, 5-1 following a double-digit win and 15-7-1 on Tuesday.
The under has cashed in six straight meetings between these squads and 17 of the last 19 overall. That includes an 8-1 “under” streak in Miami. On top of that, the Spurs are on “under” stretches of 5-1 overall, 14-6 on the road, 10-3-1 in Eastern Conference games, 36-16-2 versus the Southeast Division and 7-1 versus winning teams. Finally, Miami carries “under” trends of 14-2 against winning teams, 15-7 against the Southwest Division, 34-16-1 after a spread-cover and 5-1 on Tuesday.
Conversely, the Heat have topped the total in six straight home games and six of their last seven overall.

ATS ADVANTAGE: SAN ANTONIO and UNDER

USACappers


NBA

10 Unit Parlay- Hawks-5 1/2 to Bobcats-2

NCAAB

8 Unit- UConn-7 1/2

GOLD SHEET

NCAA Play-in game at UD Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio

Arkansas Pine-Bluff 55 - Winthrop 53--While popular opinion seems to dismiss Big Dance virgin and SWAC Tourney champ Pine Bluff because of its less-than-impressive 0-11 SU break from the gate this season, a quick glimpse at the Golden Lions' early schedule might cast a different light on things. Pine Bluff ran a gauntlet on the road, losing at Arizona State, Michigan, Akron, UTEP, Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, and Kansas State without getting embarrassed at any of those tough stops (maybe Seth Greenberg ought to consult APB HC George Ivory on future non-conference scheduling). Winthrop is a familiar NCAA participant, but don't compare this Eagle team to some of former HC Gregg Marshall's recent accomplished editions, as the current Winthrop lacks go-to scoring threats (soph G Reggie Middleton the only DD scorer at 10.3 ppg), hit on only 38% of its FGs, and was only the 3rd seed in the recent Big South Tourney that it won over Coastal Carolina in the finale. Pine Bluff starts an all-sr. lineup, and G Allen Smith dominated in the SWAC Tourney when the Golden Lions' aggressive "D" was on display in the finale, holding Texas Southern to only 38 points. APB's ballhandling and perimeter-shooting flaws are countered by its board-crashing strength which can help vs. this beatable Big South foe.

NIT

CONNECTICUT 70 - Northeastern 67--Bitterly disappointing campaign for NCAA tourney regular Connecticut and venerable mentor Jim Calhoun, who took Huskies all the way to Final Four just last year. UConn dropped its last four games and is just 6-12 straight up since early January. That tailspin largely due to sub-par backcourt play from scattershot sr. Jerome Dyson (just 29% from three-point arc) and careless soph Kemba Walker. Enter pesky Northeastern, where Calhoun cut his coaching teeth back in the '70s. Sure, smallish NU (also Huskies) might get pounded on glass by bigger host. But unless Dyson & Walker suddenly get their act together, UConn fortunate just to escape with victory over veteran dog that has plenty of bite.

SOUTH FLORIDA 69 - North Carolina State 60--Not sure how much N.C. State has left in the tank after its impressive showing in the recent ACC tourney, where the Wolfpack surprisingly made it the semifinals while covering all three of its games. South Florida a MAJOR bankroll buddy this season, going 20-10-1 vs. spread, including 11-4-1 over its last 15 games. Like the Bulls more as a dog than a favorite, but they own (by far) the top perimeter gun on the floor in NBA-caliber jr. G Dominique Jones (21.3 ppg). And USF also has enough size with 6-10 Augustus Gilchrist, who's back near 100% after missing nearly two months with a foot injury, and 6-11 jr. Jarrid Famous to battle State top dog Tracy Smith (16.9 ppg & 7.5 rpg) to a standstill in the paint.

UAB 68 - Coastal Carolina 63--Every year there are several squads that feel they deserved an at-large invitation to the "Big Dance," only to be passed over by the tournament committee and relegated to the NIT. UAB falls squarely into that category, and it's far from guaranteed the bummed-out Blazers will be motivated by the snub, as just as many jilted teams end up playing as if they're "just unhappy to be here." While Birmingham scouts assure the host would love to make a statement in this NIT opener, that might be easier said than done vs. Big South regular season champ Coastal Carolina. The veteran Chanticleers have 28 victories and more than enough firepower (75 ppg on 48% FGs) to stay close to low-octane UAB.

SETON HALL 87 - Texas Tech 85--Interested in taking generous points in this anticipated shootout. Seton Hall (81 ppg--No. 8 in the nation) can light the scoreboard like a pinball machine, but the Pirates usually give (75 ppg) nearly as much they get, and frequently more. Same for Texas Tech. The Hall has bombs-away 6-5 jr. G Jeremy Hazell (20.9 ppg), one of the top scorers in the Big East, and savvy sr. PG Eugene Harvey, a four-year starter. Red Raiders counter with slashing 6-6 jr. Mike Singletary (14.7 ppg & 6.8 rpg), accurate sr. G Nick Okorie (11 ppg, 41% from three-point arc), and jr. PG John Roberson (14.7 ppg, 41% treys, 5.6 apg), one of the top playmakers in the Big XII. Pirates just 8-16-1 vs. the spread on the season.

William & Mary 65 - NORTH CAROLINA 64--Connecticut and North Carolina!?!?! Sure, taking pleasure in the misfortune of others (schadenfruede) is not an admirable quality. But who can blame the NIT for being delighted at landing two of the nation's most storied programs in the same year? If veteran William & Mary is good enough to claim victories at Wake Forest & Maryland, two ACC teams that earned NCAA invitations, what's to stop the Tribe from taking down the discombobulated defending national champion Tar Heels, who, until late February, were in danger of finishing sub-.500 and not even making this tournament? Even if UNC is able to avoid an embarrassing upset, well-coached W&M (13-2 as a dog this year!) has an excellent chance to stay inside substantial impost.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 78 - Jackson State 60--We have little doubt that Mississippi State, if properly focused & motivated, can pretty much name the margin against Jackson State. After all, the Tigers absorbed some terrible beatings during pre-conference play, including a 92-39 (!!!) drubbing at Tulsa. Still, the Bulldogs can't help but be a little down in the dumps after a brutal Sunday that saw them lose the SEC title game to Kentucky by single point in overtime, then be passed over for an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney despite 23 victories. Little Jackson State will be jacked up for a chance to take on one of Mississippi's big boys. And the Tigers did dominate the SWAC during the regular season before they were taken out in the quarterfinals of the conference tourney by Grambling and some highly-suspect refereeing (58 fouls were whistled in that game!).

ARIZONA STATE 67 - Jacksonville 46--Even coaches familiar with Herb Sendek's ASU defense complain about how much time it takes to adjust their offenses to the Sun Devils' shifting matchup zone. So, don't like the Dolphins' chances when traveling west, then playing on an unfamiliar court. Jacksonville (42% FGs) is not a dynamic offense to begin with. So, if ASU shooters Ty Abbott and Latvian Ricard Kuksiks can get their chins off their chests after missing out on the NCAA tourney, Sun Devils should pull away.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

TUESDAY, MARCH 16

Virginia Commonwealth 81 - GEORGE WASHINGTON 73--Compelling regional matchup between nearby foes that remarkably haven't faced one another since 1979. We expect racehorse GWU will take the bait from VCU and engage the Rams in a fullcourt game, which the CAA rep will certainly welcome. And though Karl Hobbs' A-10 team is capable of playing uptempo all night with a bench that goes 11 deep, transition ball plays into the strength of VCU, whose "bigs" Larry Sanders and Jamie Skeen can effectively get up and down the court, while long-range bombers Joey Rodriguez and Bradford Burgess should get plenty of clear looks from the perimeter. GWU's firepower quotient reduced a bit in recent weeks as 6-5 Rip Hamilton-like frosh G Lasan Kromah (just 6.8 ppg last 4 after scoring at least 22 in previous three) began to slump.

SAINT LOUIS 58 - Indiana State 54--With eleven days off since its last game at "Arch Madness" at this St. Louis site, ISU at least better rested than it has been since November, before injury woes began to take their toll. And high-scorer G Harry Marshall (who led MVC scorers with 16.2 ppg in league action) is probably out again after re-aggravating a foot injury that caused him to miss most of February action. But the late-season absences of Marshall and fellow backcourt ace Dwayne Lathan (who has since returned to action) allowed HC Kevin McKenna to blood some frosh who stepped admirably into the breach when the Sycamores covered a lot of games in February. Relying as Sycamores do from perimeter is risky business vs. SLU's nation-best 3-point defense (Bills allow just 27.1% beyond arc). But Rick Majerus' teams played most of 'em close (8 of last 11 wins by 5 or fewer), and Bills will have trouble extending margin in expected half-court chess match.

COLLEGE INSIDER TOURNEY (CIT)

TUESDAY, MARCH 16

Fairfield 71 - GEORGE MASON 68--CAA observers remain a bit puzzled by Jim Larranaga's GMU squad that was still making "un-Larranaga-like" mistakes in backcourt as season progressed and ended up with subpar 2-7 chalk mark at its usual Patriot Center fortress. Such uncharacteristic lack of hoop smarts could come back to bite Patriots again vs. scrappy Fairfield bunch that earned some rave reviews down stretch from Metro-Atlantic observers and rallied from 15-point halftime deficit to force league power Siena into OT in conference tourney finale. Emergence of MAAC Rookie of Year frosh G Derek Needham (16.3 ppg) to team with post threat Anthony Johnson (15.7 ppg) gives Stags the sort of 1-2 punch they need to prevail at Fairfax.

MARSHALL 69 - Western Carolina 64--Potentially troubling fundamental matchup in this one for WCU against Marshall's 7-0 frosh C Hassan Whiteside, who along with fellow Herd frontline mate 6-9 Tyler Wilkerson could pose some problems for the smaller Catamounts. And 23-9 Marshall might be a bit angry at being passed over by the NIT as well as looking to unleash some frustrations after C-USA Tourney meltdown vs. Tulsa. But WCU capable of playing Herd within single digits, as Catamounts are well-balanced (top 6 score between (8.4-11.9 ppg), own a "ball thief deluxe" in SoCon steals leader Brandon Waginger, were good enough to win at Louisville in mid-December, and turned around February pointspread slide with competitive BracketBusters effort at Kent State.

CREIGHTON 78 - South Dakota 68--This is a "Gold Sheet debut" of sorts for South Dakota, which qualified for the CIT after Coyotes won last week's Great West Conference Tournament, a collection of otherwise wayward I-A Independents who convened at Utah Valley's campus in Orem, UT for a chance to compete in this event. South Dakota's 3-G offense is pretty well-balanced (three top scorers, led by F Tyler Cain, scoring between 13.1-14.7 ppg), and Coyotes have some size in 6-11 C Steve Smith. Note that Creighton will play this one at the old Omaha Civic Auditorium (new Qwest Center has been booked this week), and this has been a trying season for Dana Altman, with chemistry issues exacerbated by suspension of G P'Allen Stinnett, and uncharacteristic inconsistency beyond arc (only 32%). Class edge to Bluejays, but not sure we want to lay in the mid-teens with disappointed hosts.

Wayne Root

Vegas Legend St. Louis -8

Millionaires Club UCONN - 8

Stephen Nover

100-Dime JACKSON STATE Just two days ago Mississippi State was on the verge of upsetting Kentucky in the SEC Tournament championship game with millions watching on national television.

But DeMarcus Cousins scored on a putback with a tenth of a second left to force overtime. The Wildcats then nipped the Bulldogs, 75-74, aided by John Wall's off-balance 3-point shot.

The worst was yet to come for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs then found out they were not picked to the "Big Dance."

"Just crushed," was how Mississippi State guard Phil Turner put in when asked about the double body blow of just missing beating Kentucky and then not getting invited to the "Big Dance" having to accept an NIT bid instead. "Just almost like the life gets sucked out of you."

Said Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury, "...And I can promise you, there's not an ounce left in them."

Unfortunately for Mississippi State they have a game today against Jackson State, winners of the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season championship.

This will be the drained Bulldogs' fourth game in five days. Jackson State is fully rested having last played six days ago. The Tigers are just 125 miles from Starkville so travel isn't a factor.

Unlike Mississippi State, Jackson State is motivated and excited to be playing in the NIT, especially against a bigger in-state rival.

The Tigers went 17-1 in SWAC. Tigers senior guard Garrison Johnson was the SWAC Player of the Year, leading the league in scoring at 17.3 points per game.

Jackson State won't be intimidated having already faced Memphis, Alabama, Nebraska and Baylor during non-conference action. The Tigers have gone against more physically imposing teams than Mississippi State, which does have NCAA career shot block leader Jarvis Varnado, but is perimeter-oriented with three guards in the starting lineup.

Mississippi State played a weak non-conference schedule, losing four times to teams with plus-100 RPI's.


15-Dime BOBCATS I'll ride the Bobcats and their six-game winning streak laying a short number against a bad and disinterested Pacers club more interested in their lottery pick than where they finish.

Indiana has dropped 13 of its last 16 games. The Pacers are without point guard T.J. Ford and may be without swingman Mike Dunleavy, too, after he sustained an eye contusion during warmups of the Pacers' loss to the Bucks on Sunday. Dunleavy didn't play in that game because of the injury.

The Bobcats have the top defense in the NBA, holding foes to 93.8 points per game. They have gotten even better defensively since Tyson Chandler came back six games ago, holding foes to 87.5 points per contest during this span. The Bobcats are 5-1 ATS with Chandler back.

The spread is low because Charlotte hasn't been a good road team. The Bobcats also are in a letdown spot after upsetting the Magic on Sunday in Orlando.

But the Bobcats have been playing much better away from home lately, winning and covering three of their last four. Their win in Orlando may have been their finest victory of the season. It's definitely a confidence boost.

I don't believe the Bobcats will let down because they were idle on Monday. They've had a full day to remember two losses this season to the Nets.

Charlotte has covered in eight of its last 10 visits to Indiana. They are giving up an average of 11 fewer points per game than the Pacers.

Cal Sports

4.5* UAB -10.5
4* Jackson State +22
3* St Louis -8

Brandon Lang

5 DIME - VCU RAMS

They let it slip away.

In their conference tourney loss to Old Dominion the Rams held a double digit 2nd half lead and then end up losing in OT.

Bottom line folks is this is an NCAA tourney quality team led by the big fella down low Larry Sanders, who comes in averaging just under 15 points a game and close to 10 boards. Now they step a bit down to battle George Washington out of the A-10, and my feeling is VCU will outclass them and advance here.

GW lost but covered in their conference tourney, losing by 10 to Dayton as an 11 1/2 point dog which put them at 3-7 SU their last 10.

With this game being such a small number, the team that wins this game will probably be the one that covers and for my dollar that team is VCU.

VCU is 4-1 ATS last 5 as a favorite and 15-6 ATS last 21 games following a SU loss.

You throw that together with the fact GW is 2-6 ATS last 8 home games versus a team with a losing road record and an even more horrific 7-21-3 ATS last 31 non- conference games, and you have yourselves a winner with the Rams tonight.

VCU rolls on with a solid road win tonight.

Doc Sports

3-Unit Play #559 Take Chicago/Memphis OVER 204
3-Unit Play #554 Take Miami -1½ Over San Antonio
3-Unit Play #551 Take Charlotte/Indiana UNDER 197½
2 Unit Play Take Vancouver (-1.5 +110)

Jack Burnet

50,000 Dime Northeastern +7.5
50,000 Dime South Florida -3.5
50,000 Dime VCU -2.5

Billy Coleman

4* W.Carolina +11
4* UNC -8.5
3* Jackson St +22
3* Creighton -14

CHUCK O'BRIEN

40 DIME NIT 'DOG SHOCKER OF THE YEAR

40 DIME: JACKSON STATE

KELSO

10 units Grizzlies -11
10 units Suns -12.5
5 units Parlay

College
5 units Fairfield +1.5
5 units Ark Pine Bluff +3.5
5 units U South Flor -3.5

50 units Connecticut -7.5