Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2010, 06:38 PM

Four Bids at Stake

We now have five entrants into the NCAA Tournament field – Northern Iowa, Cornell, Winthrop, East Tennessee State and Murray St. We’ll add four more tonight with conference-title games for the Colonial, WCC, MAAC and So-Con Tournaments. Let’s get you ready for bets on tonight’s college basketball card.

**William & Mary vs. Old Dominion**

--Old Dominion (25-8 straight up, 13-16 against the spread) advanced to the finals of the Colonial Tournament by beating Virginia Commonwealth 73-69 in overtime yesterday as a two-point favorite. Gerald Lee exploded to score 26 points for the Monarchs.

--William & Mary (22-9 SU, 16-10-1 ATS) has won three in a row and eight of its last nine, including yesterday’s 47-45 win over Northeastern as a five-point underdog. The Tribe led 31-17 at intermission, only to allow the Huskies to rally back in this nail-biter at the Richmond Coliseum. The 92 combined points fell ‘under’ the 114 ½-point total.

--William & Mary owns an incredible 12-3 spread record in 15 games as an underdog this year.

--The ‘under’ is 12-2 in the Tribe’s last 14 games, 15-9 overall. On the flip side, the ‘over’ has hit in seven straight ODU games.

--ODU won both regular-season meetings against the Tribe, capturing a 61-42 win as a 12-point home favorite on Feb. 3. Frank Hassell paced the winners with 15 points and nine rebounds. When these schools squared off at William & Mary, the Monarch won a 58-55 decision although the Tribe took the money as a 5 ½-point home underdog. Gerald Lee had 15 points, six boards and three blocked shots in the Jan. 23 game at Kaplan Arena.

--Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Gonzaga vs. St. Mary’s**

--Gonzaga (26-5 SU, 15-10-2 ATS) advanced to the WCC Tourney finals by virtue of last night’s 77-62 win over Loyola-Marymount as a 12 ½-point favorite. The 139 combined points fell ‘under’ the 150-point total. Steven Gray sparked the ‘Zags to victory with 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

--Saint Mary’s (25-5 SU, 18-10 ATS) took out Portland in convincing fashion in last night’s WCC Tourney semifinals. The Gaels stroked the Pilots 69-55 as four-point favorites thanks to 16 points and 13 rebounds from center Omar Samhan. Mickey McConnell had 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

--Gonzaga has won six in a row against St. Mary’s, including an 80-61 win as a 5 ½-point home favorite on Feb. 11. Elias Harris had a team-high 19 points for the Bulldogs, while Matt Bouldin added 18 points. Mark Few’s team played outstanding defense, keeping McConnell scoreless in 33 minutes of play. Samhan had 21 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort.

--From Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, ESPN will provide television coverage at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Terry Gannon, the sixth man for North Carolina State’s 1983 national championship team, will work the play-by-play call, while the underrated Stephen Bardo, who played on Illinois’s 1989 Final Four squad that lost to eventual-champion Michigan, will be the color analyst.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--The SEC Tournament in Nashville will start on Thursday with four games: South Carolina-Alabama, LSU-Tennessee, Florida-Auburn and Georgia Arkansas. I made my own numbers that look like this: Gamecocks -2, Vols -14, Dawgs -2.5 and Gators -6.

--Siena will take on Fairfield in tonight’s MAAC Tournament finals in Albany, NY. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

--After losing 72-57 Sunday to Wisconsin as a three-point home underdog, Illinois is looking like an NIT team. The Illini will face the Badgers again in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Bettors should check the status of Wisconsin guard Trevon Hughes, who sprained his ankle in the victory.

--Although Austin Rivers is definitely looking at Duke also, he recently told the Gainesville Sun that he’s still committed to Florida.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2010, 06:39 PM

Monday's NBA Tips

Gamblers have five NBA games on Monday’s card. Let’s take an in-depth look at the meetings between the Cavs-Spurs and Hawks-Knicks before touching on the three other contests in Bonus Nuggets.

**Spurs at Cavaliers**

--There was no overnight line for this game due to the uncertain status of LeBron James and Daniel Gibson for the Cavs. James (ankle) missed his first game of the season Saturday at Milwaukee. The injury isn’t considered too serious and there’s no doubt James would’ve been in uniform if it were the postseason. James averages 30.0 points, 8.5 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game. Gibson, who averages 6.9 PPG, has missed three straight games due to the birth of his son.

--Without The King, Cleveland (49-15 straight up, 32-31-2 against the spread) went down Saturday against the Bucks by a 93-86 count. Milwaukee took the cash as a 3 ½-point favorite. Antawn Jamison enjoyed his best game with the Cavs since coming over from Washington before the trading deadline. The UNC product finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and five steals.

--San Antonio (36-24 SU, 29-30-1 ATS) suffered a crushing blow Friday when veteran point guard Tony Parker broke a bone in his hand that’s expected to keep him out of the lineup for about six weeks.

--Gregg Popovich’s club has won four in a row, including Saturday’s 102-92 win at Memphis as a one-point road underdog. Richard Jefferson led six Spurs in double figures with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Manu Ginobli added 17 points and six assists, while Matt Bonner went for 13 points and five boards while posting a plus-minus rating of +28.

--San Antonio is 14-14 SU and 12-16 ATS on the road. Cleveland has a 27-4 SU record but is only 13-18 versus the number at home.

--Mike Brown’s team has a five-game advantage over Orlando for the top postseason seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs are three games ahead of the Lakers for homecourt throughout the playoffs.

--The ‘over’ is 31-30-3 overall for the Cavs, 16-14-1 in their home games. As for the Spurs, they have watched the ‘under’ go 32-27-1 overall, 17-11 in their road assignments.

--NBA-TV will have the telecast at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

**Hawks at Knicks**

--Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Atlanta (40-22 SU, 36-26 ATS) as a seven-point favorite with a total of 210. As of early this morning, most betting shops had the Hawks favored by six with a 210 ½-point tally. The Knicks are plus-220 on the money line (risk $100 to win $220).

--Mike Woodson’s team is looking to avenge back-to-back losses to the Knicks as a double-digit home favorite. Twice New York went into Philips Arena and won outright while catching a double-digit number. Mike D’Antoni’s squad won a 112-108 decision in overtime on New Year’s Day. Nate Robinson erupted for 41 points, eight assists and six rebounds to lead his former team past the Hawks. Back on Dec. 4, the Knicks won 114-107 at Atlanta as 10 ½-point road underdogs. Chris Duhon had 25 points and 10 assists in that meeting.

--New York (21-41 SU, 28-34 ATS) is 13-21 SU and 15-19 ATS at home this year. Meanwhile, the Hawks are 15-15 SU and 17-13 ATS on the road.

--Atlanta saw its four-game winning streak snapped Saturday night in Miami, where the Heat rallied for a 100-94 comeback win as a two-point home favorite. Dwyane Wade torched the Hawks for 38 points, 10 assists and just one turnover. In the losing effort, Jamal Crawford had 24 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

--The Knicks are going to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season. Call it the Isiah Jinx if you like. They are coming off the worst 3-point shooting night in NBA history in Friday’s horrifying 113-93 home loss to the woeful Nets. D’Antoni’s bunch missed all 18 of its attempts from beyond the arc against New Jersey. David Lee had a team-high 23 points in defeat.

--Atlanta is currently in fourth place in the East, three games back of Orlando for the second seed and one-half game behind Boston for the third slot.

--When these teams met at Madison Square Garden back on Nov. 11, Atlanta captured a 114-101 win as a five-point road favorite. Al Horford was the catalyst for the winners, scoring 25 points and pulling down nine rebounds. Josh Smith added 22 points and 12 boards.

--New York has seen the ‘under’ go 32-30 overall, 17-17 in its home games at MSG. However, the ‘over’ is on an 11-3 run in the Knicks’ last 14 outings (regardless of venue).

--The ‘over’ is 36-25-1 overall for the Hawks, 15-14-1 in their road games.

--The ‘over’ is 8-1 in the last nine head-to-head meetings between the Knicks and Hawks. Going back even further, the ‘over’ is on a 20-6 run the last 26 encounters.

--Tip-off is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--Nice work on Kobe Bryant by Orlando’s Matt Barnes in the Magic’s 96-94 win Sunday. I hate when players kiss Kobe’s ass and like Raja Bell and James Posey, Barnes never does that. The UCLA product, a would-be member of my All Neck-Ink Squad (if I had one), knocked down a clutch three at crunch time and defended Bryant extremely well on a potential tying bucket at the buzzer. The Magic were well ahead of the number late in the fourth quarter, only to allow the Lakers to garner a push with their late rally.

--With 40 wins going into tonight’s tilt at MSG, Atlanta is on the verge of hooking up ‘over’ backers (like me) on its season win total. That number was 44 ½ at most books.

--As of early this morning, most books were listing the Hornets as seven-point home favorites vs. Golden St. New Orleans might be without rookie shooting guard Marcus Thornton, who has been instant offense off the bench all year. The LSU product, who is averaging 12.6 PPG, is "questionable" with a back injury. The Warriors are at the end of five-game road trip in this spot. They have lost the four previous games while compiling a respectable 2-2 spread mark.

--Dallas plays at Minnesota tonight as a seven-point road ‘chalk.’ The Mavs might be without recently acquired center Brendan Haywood, who is listed as “questionable” with a back injury.

--As of early this morning, most spots had Memphis as a nine-point favorite for tonight's home game vs. New Jersey. The Grizzlies are mired in a 1-7 ATS slide in their eight home games.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2010, 06:40 PM

Trend Report - Monday

Spurs at Cavaliers – The Spurs are 0-6 ATS (-6.6 ppg) since January 15, 2007 on the road with at least one day of rest off a win as a favorite in which their leading scorer for that game had fewer than 20 points. The Spurs are 0-6 ATS (-7.6 ppg) since February 12, 2006 on the road with at least one day of rest after a double digit road win in which they scored less than 15% of their points from the free throw line. The Cavaliers are 7-0 ATS (5.2 ppg) since March 08, 2008 at home off a road loss that broke at least a three-game winning streak. The Cavaliers are 0-7 ATS (-10.1 ppg) since February 22, 1996 at home with at most one day of rest off a loss that broke at least a five-game winning streak.

Nets at Grizzlies – The Nets are 8-0 ATS (9.1 ppg) since January 04, 2001 on the road with at most one day of rest after a road win in which they shot at least 50% from the field. The Nets are 7-0-1 ATS (6.8 ppg) since February 21, 1996 on the road after a double digit road win in which their DPA was minus 15 points or less. The Nets are 6-0 ATS (9.2 ppg) since January 28, 2005 on the road with at most one day of rest after a double digit win in which they shot at least ten three-pointers and made at least half of them.

Warriors at Hornets – The Warriors are 9-0 ATS (9.5 ppg) since February 07, 2005 on the road with at least one day of rest after a double digit road loss in which they shot less than 40% from the field. The Hornets are 0-7 ATS (-12.8 ppg) since December 06, 2005 with two or more days of rest after a game on the road in which less than 40% of their baskets were assisted. The Hornets are 0-7-1 ATS (-4.9 ppg) since January 05, 2005 at home with at least one day of rest after a double digit road loss in which their opponent shot at least ten three-pointers and made at least half of them.

Hawks at Knicks – The Hawks are 0-6 ATS (-11.4 ppg) since January 02, 2009 when seeking revenge for a loss as a favorite in which they allowed at least 50% shooting from the field. The Knicks are 6-0 ATS (3.9 ppg) since January 19, 2009 at home on Monday after playing on Friday and Saturday.

Mavericks at Timberwolves – The Mavericks are 7-0 ATS (11.1 ppg) since February 27, 2007 on the road versus the Timberwolves. The Mavericks are 0-7-1 ATS (-10.8 ppg) since December 12, 2009 after a road win in which they had an assist to turnover ratio of at least two.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2010, 06:42 PM

Monday's Ice Plays

It’s a light night of action on the ice with just two games on Monday’s NHL card. We’ll get to see a pair of the better teams in the league hosting outright disappointments. Will the heavy home favorites come through or will it be a night for the underdogs?

Stars at Capitals – 7:05 p.m. EST, Versus

Before the Olympic Break, the Stars had the look of a team poised to make a run for a playoff spot. They won six of their nine games leading into the two-week hiatus, cashing in as pups on two occasions.

Dallas has done an about face since coming back from the time off, losing three straight contests. It isn’t like the offense hasn’t tried to make a move for the Stars as they’ve outshot their opponents 92-83 in their last three games. What’s worse is they are not getting any help from the goaltenders as Marty Turco and Kari Lehtonen have shown they can’t catch a cold after giving up a combined 17 goals during this losing skid.

The Capitals are gliding right along towards what they hope is a deep playoff run after making some shrewd moves at the trade deadline. Washington had been a little lax on the blue line, but the pickups of Joe Corvo and Milan Jurcina help plug those holes. Now they just need Simeon Varlamov and Jose Theodore to figure out who wants to be the No. 1 goaltender.

Outside of the goalie issue, Washington is making bettors wonder if there is any time to wager on them. The Caps have won all three games they’ve played after the break as favorites. They’ve covered the puck line in two of those meetings. Yet what is problematic for the gambling public is they’ve had to lay almost $300 on the Capitals’ last two games.

We’re going to see more of the same on Monday night for the “chalk eaters.” Most betting shops have installed Washington as a $3.00 home (risk $300 to win $100) with a total of 6 ½. The Stars can be had for a plus-270 return (risk $100 to win $270).

There aren’t many teams that can say they’ve won 14 straight games at home, but the Capitals can. Washington hasn’t lost at the Verizon Center since a Dec. 28 meeting with the Hurricanes. Bruce Boudreau’s club has been a reasonable puck line play at home as well, winning by at least two goals in nine of the 14 victories. The betting shops have gotten smart to this as you’ll have to lay $1.10 in order to cash that ticket.

While Dallas has won seven of the last 10 head-to-head meetings, only one of those triumphs came after the lockout. Washington has won two straight contests, with the ‘over’ cashing in on both occasions.

Blue Jackets at Kings – 10:35 p.m. EST

If last year was the best in the history of the Blue Jackets, then this season is no doubt the worst they have ever had. Columbus has been plagued by injuries and a disappointing season by Steve Mason. Instead of making a return trip to the playoff, the Jackets are relegated to playing out the string.

Mason has definitely been the main culprit to the woes in Columbus. The reigning Calder Trophy winner is just 16-20-7 with a 3.08 goals against average this season. To give you an idea of how bad things are for the sophomore backstop, he had 20 losses in 61 starts last year.

What’s been hurting the Jackets since the break is what has hurt them for most of the year: the lack of killer instinct. In their last two games, they have taken a lead into the third period. Yet the Blue Jackets found a way to lose. It should come as no surprise that Columbus is the worst team in the NHL with a .655 win percentage when leading after two periods of play.

Los Angeles has been a doormat for many a seasons. Biding its time as they acquired numerous high draft picks. Now the Kings are sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference. However, Terry Murray’s squad has suffered consecutive 4-2 losses to Nashville and Montreal has raised some concern. That apprehension should be short lived as LA has the Stars coming up in a recent two-game road trip. And they’ll have a four-game homestand against teams either playing on no rest or in the final game of their road trek.

The betting outlets are expecting things to change for the Kings, who are listed as heavy $1.80 home faves (risk$180 to win $100) with a total of 5 ½. Columbus can be taken to win outright for a return of plus-165 (risk $100 to win $165).

You’re taking your betting life into your own hands by backing the Blue Jackets in this spot. C-Bus has gone 10-23 this season as a road pup. Plus they’ve have four of its last five games as a road pup against Pacific Division foes. The ‘under’ is cashing in at a 3-1 clip right now in this situation.

Los Angeles is 7-3 in its last 10 games as a home favorite this season, with the ‘over’ going 6-4. When you look at the Kings as a home faves against the Central Division, you’ll they are just 2-4 for the year. The ‘over’ still proves to be a good play, evidenced by a 4-2 mark in those fixtures.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-08-2010, 07:31 PM

UPGRADED:

Western Kentucky - 7:00 PM ET Troy +4.5 500 ( POD )
Troy - Over 141.5 500 ( POD )

**StarDust Bum** · 03-09-2010, 12:42 AM

NBA Pod's 1 - 1

College Pods 2 - 4

Not a very good night.....those college totals continue to get me.......

**StarDust Bum** · 03-09-2010, 12:45 AM

The Bum's Tuesday's Best Bets + Pod's !

A few early college hoops games.....Will post that now......along with the preseason baseball games.

Tuesday, March 9Game Score Status Pick Amount

DePaul - 12:00 PM ET DePaul +6.5 300
South Florida - Over 123.5 300

St. John's - 2:00 PM ET St. John's +4 300
Connecticut - Over 132.5 300

Florida A&M - 6:30 PM ET Bethune-Cookman -5 300
Bethune-Cookman - Under 121.5 300

Montana - 6:35 PM ET Northern Colorado +1.5 500
Northern Colorado - Under 132 500

---------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, March 9Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 1:05 PM ET Florida -102 500
Florida -

Detroit - 1:05 PM ET Detroit +101 500
Washington -

Pittsburgh - 1:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +147 500
NY Yankees -

St. Louis - 1:05 PM ET Minnesota -117 500
Minnesota -

Tampa Bay - 1:05 PM ET Tampa Bay +101 500
Baltimore -

Houston - 1:10 PM ET NY Mets -113 500
NY Mets -

Arizona - 3:05 PM ET Cincinnati -106 500
Cincinnati -

Chi. White Sox - 3:05 PM ET San Francisco -111 500
San Francisco -

Cleveland - 3:05 PM ET Cleveland +112 500
Seattle -

Colorado - 3:05 PM ET Colorado +107 500
LA Dodgers -

Milwaukee - 3:05 PM ET Chi. Cubs -110 500
Chi. Cubs -

San Diego - 3:05 PM ET San Diego +102 500
LA Angels -

Philadelphia - 7:05 PM ET Atlanta -115 500
Atlanta -

NBA-NHL- and rest of College games posted later.....good luck with those early games..............

Announcement

The Bum's Monday's Best Bets + Pod's !

The Bum's Monday's Best Bets + Pod's !

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