The Bum's Saturday's Best Bets NBA-NCAA !

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday, January 29Game Score Status Pick Amount

Temple - 11:00 AM ET Temple -12 500
St. Joseph's - Under 132.5 500

Florida St. - 12:00 PM ET Florida St. +2.5 500
Clemson - Under 127 500

Louisville - 12:00 PM ET Connecticut -4 500
Connecticut - Under 142.5 500

Georgetown - 12:00 PM ET Villanova -4.5 500
Villanova - Over 145 500

Xavier - 12:00 PM ET Richmond -4.5 500
Richmond - Under 136.5 500

George Mason - 12:00 PM ET William & Mary +10 500
William & Mary - Over 129 500

Northern Illinois - 12:00 PM ET Buffalo -14 500
Buffalo - Under 148.5 500

Minnesota - 1:00 PM ET Minnesota +9 500
Purdue - Over 136 500

Georgia St - 1:00 PM ET Northeastern -4.5 500
Northeastern - Over 125.5 500

St. Bonaventure - 1:00 PM ET St. Bonaventure -4.5 500
Fordham - Under 136.5 500

Florida - 1:00 PM ET Florida -5 500
Mississippi St. - Over 137 500

Auburn - 1:30 PM ET Auburn +14 500
South Carolina - Under 130 500

Colorado - 1:45 PM ET Colorado +7.5 500 ( BIG 12 POD )
Baylor - Over 146.5 500

Rider - 2:00 PM ET Rider -1.5 500
St. Peter's - Over 128 500

Ohio - 2:00 PM ET Ball St. -4.5 500
Ball St. - Over 134.5 500

N.C. State - 2:00 PM ET North Carolina -10.5 500
North Carolina - Over 146 500

Texas A&M - 2:00 PM ET Texas A&M +1.5 500
Nebraska - Under 124.5 500

Butler - 2:00 PM ET Valparaiso +2 500
Valparaiso - Under 137.5 500

Saint Louis - 2:00 PM ET George Washington -2.5 500
George Washington - Under 122 500

Charleston - 2:00 PM ET Charleston -3 500
Davidson - Over 147.5 500

Bradley - 2:05 PM ET Wichita St. -16.5 500
Wichita St. - Under 139.5 500

Southern Methodist - 3:00 PM ET Rice -5 500
Rice - Over 127 500

Eastern Michigan - 3:00 PM ET Eastern Michigan +7 500
Bowling Green - Over 121 500

Syracuse - 3:00 PM ET Syracuse +2.5 500
Marquette - Over 147.5 500

Indiana St. - 3:05 PM ET Creighton -5 500 ( MVC POD )
Creighton - Over 126 500

UCLA - 3:30 PM ET UCLA -2 500
Arizona St. - Under 132.5 500

James Madison - 4:00 PM ET James Madison -4 500
Delaware - Over 133 500

Wisconsin - 4:00 PM ET Penn St. +4.5 500
Penn St. - Under 121 500

Oklahoma St. - 4:00 PM ET Texas Tech +2 500
Texas Tech - Over 146 500

Drexel - 4:00 PM ET Hofstra -2.5 500
Hofstra - Under 127.5 500

Tennessee - 4:00 PM ET Tennessee +2 500
Mississippi - Over 144 500

Appalachian St. - 4:00 PM ET Furman -9.5 500
Furman - Under 144.5 500

Youngstown St. - 4:00 PM ET Illinois-Chicago -4.5 500
Illinois-Chicago - Under 132 500

Cleveland St. - 4:00 PM ET Cleveland St. -3.5 500
Loyola-Chicago - Over 131 500

Brigham Young - 4:00 PM ET Brigham Young -3 500
New Mexico - Under 152 500

Virginia - 4:00 PM ET Virginia -4 500
Wake Forest - Under 132.5 500

Georgia - 4:00 PM ET Georgia +11 500
Kentucky - Over 140.5 500

Western Michigan - 4:30 PM ET Western Michigan +5 500
Miami (OH) - Over 132 500

Tulane - 5:00 PM ET Southern Mississippi -9.5 500
Southern Mississippi - Under 142.5 500

NC-Greensboro - 5:00 PM ET Samford -5 500
Samford - Under 137 500

Towson - 5:00 PM ET Towson +18 500
Old Dominion - Over 131 500

Colorado St. - 6:00 PM ET Colorado St. -1 500
Utah - Over 149.5 500

Air Force - 6:00 PM ET Texas Christian -2 500
Texas Christian - Over 129 500

Ohio St. - 6:00 PM ET Northwestern +10.5 500
Northwestern - Over 142.5 500

North Texas - 6:00 PM ET North Texas +2.5 500
Denver - Over 134 500

Houston - 6:00 PM ET East Carolina -6.5 500
East Carolina - Under 138 500

Elon University - 6:00 PM ET Elon University +1 500
Chattanooga - Over 151 500

Arkansas - 6:00 PM ET Vanderbilt -13 500
Vanderbilt - Under 139.5 500

Oregon - 6:00 PM ET Oregon +8 500
California - Over 136 500


Be Back with evening and NBA games....Good Luck !

[StarDust Bum]

Top 20 teams meet in key Big Ten matchup


MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (16-4, 5-3 in Big Ten)

at PURDUE BOILERMAKERS (17-4, 6-2 in Big Ten)


Tip-off: Saturday, 1:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Purdue -9, Total: 137

No. 12 Purdue looks to extend its home winning streak to 13 games when it hosts No. 16 Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.

The Boilermakers are in the midst of a four-game stretch against ranked opponents. Purdue defeated then-No. 25 Michigan State last Saturday, 86-76, before falling to top-ranked Ohio State on Tuesday, 87-64. The Buckeyes held the Boilers to just 38.1% shooting for the game. JaJuan Johnson (20.6 PPG) had 22 points and seven rebounds in the loss, while E'Twaun Moore (18.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 39.8% three-pointers) added 16 points. Johnson and Moore are the nation's second-highest scoring duo with 38.6 PPG and have accounted for more than 50% of Purdue's season scoring average (74.5 PPG). Johnson is averaging 24.4 PPG versus Minnesota in his past five outings and has posted three career double-doubles in six games against the Golden Gophers. He's also reached double figures in 30 straight games and had 29 points and 11 boards in the first meeting at Minnesota, a 70-67 Gophers' triumph on Jan. 13. Johnson and Moore have combined to score 29.0 PPG against Minnesota in six career contests.

Minnesota is looking for its fifth straight Big Ten victory on Saturday. It began the streak against Purdue, as Blake Hoffarber (14.1 PPG, 4.4 APG, 39.8% three-pointers) led the Gophers with 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting in that matchup. Al Nolen (8.4 PPG) added 13 points, eight assists and three steals, but he is out for the season with a broken foot. Hoffarber finished with 20 points, four assists and four turnovers in an 81-70 win over Northwestern on Wednesday. Trevor Mbakwe (13.4 PPG, 10.5 RPG) had 18 points and 14 rebounds in his return to the lineup for the first time in four games following a disciplinary demotion. It marked his 12th double-double of the season. He had seven points and 10 boards coming off the bench in the first meeting versus Purdue. The Gophers lead the conference in FG Pct. defense (39.2%), and that strength was evident in their matchup with Purdue two weeks ago. The Boilers were held without a field goal for the final 9:21 of the contest, and shot just 38.3% for the entire game.

Purdue leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 86-75. The Boilermakers have won the past four meetings between the teams in West Lafayette, and are 9-2 SU (7-4 ATS) when hosting Minnesota since 1997. But the Gophers have been victorious in the past two games overall. Expect the Boilers, 6-1 ATS at home this season, to end that winning streak on Saturday. These two FoxSheets trends like Purdue to win and cover.

Tubby Smith is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points as the coach of MINNESOTA. The average score was MINNESOTA 58.2, OPPONENT 71.8 - (Rating = 3*).

Play Against - Road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (MINNESOTA) - good foul drawing team - attempting >=25 free throws/game, good defensive team - shooting pct defense of <=42% on the season. (405-279 since 1997.) (59.2%, +98.1 units. Rating = 2*).

Twelve of the past 16 games in this series have gone Under the total and this highly-rated FoxSheets trend thinks the Under will occur again.

Tubby Smith is 30-11 UNDER (73.2%, +17.9 Units) versus excellent teams - shooting >=45% with a defense of <=42% as the coach of MINNESOTA. The average score was MINNESOTA 63.1, OPPONENT 64.6 - (Rating = 3*).

[StarDust Bum]

No. 5 UConn goes for 7th straight win hosting Louisville


LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (16-4, 5-2 in Big East)

at CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (17-2, 5-2 in Big East)


Tip-off: Saturday, 12:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Connecticut -3, Total: 144.5

Back in October, a poll of Big East coaches concluded that the Connecticut Huskies would finish 10th in the conference. That same poll predicted that Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals would finish in a tie for eighth place. Many fans of the Cardinals were led to believe that the team, with its impressive 2011 recruiting class, were a year away. Saturday in Storrs, CT, two programs that were thought to be at least a year away, or worse, will meet locked up in a three-way tie for second place, and instead of being a year away, both teams will begin play a game and a half away from first place. Let this be a message to the young people out there: Do not prognosticate at home, and coaches, please, leave the predicting to the experts!

After a three-point loss at Notre Dame on January 4, the Huskies have ripped off six straight victories. They’ve won those games in a variety of different ways. Against Texas, Connecticut won on the road in overtime behind the heroics of the nation’s third leading scorer, Kemba Walker (24.4 PPG). Walker also saved the squad in its January 17 squeaker over Villanova, when his floater with 2.5 seconds to play was the difference in a 61-59 victory. As the season has progressed for No. 5 Connecticut, the search for offensive balance, who will be the Robin to Walker’s Batman, has been the biggest question mark for Jim Calhoun. That question seems to have been answered with the recent play of freshman Jeremy Lamb. After totaling just two points in 15 minutes of play in the two games versus Texas and Rutgers, Lamb (8.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG) has flourished since entering the starting lineup January 15 against DePaul, stringing together four straight double-digit scoring performances. During this four-game stretch, he is averaging 16.8 PPG and 5.5 RPG. In Connecticut’s most recent game, a 76-68 victory Tuesday over Marquette, Lamb scored a career-high 24 points. Center Alex Oriakhi (10.9 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.1 BPG) continues to do a steady job on the boards and in the paint defensively as the leading shot blocker and rebounder on the nation’s sixth best rebounding team (41.3 RPG).

No. 23 Louisville enters the game on the heels of a Houdini special, escaping with a last-second, one-point victory at home Wednesday over a West Virginia squad that only used seven of its eight eligible players. Peyton Siva’s driving, scooping prayer off the glass with 4.5 seconds left clinched a 55-54 victory. The win capped off a furious second-half rally in a game that Louisville trailed by 11 with just over 15 minutes to play. Junior guard Chris Smith led the team with 15 points, helping to pick up the slack for top scorer Preston Knowles (15.1 PPG) who could only total 10 points against the Mountaineers on 3-of-16 shooting. Of late, Knowles has been colder than an Eskimo pie, shooting just 12-for-41 in his last three games (29.2%). Pitino will need his senior to snap out of his slump if the Cardinals are to have a prayer of dealing the Huskies its first home-court loss this season. Louisville has been without its top man on the glass, Rakeem Buckles (8.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG) who has missed the past eight games with a broken finger. Second leading rebounder Terrence Jennings matched his season high against West Virginia with nine rebounds, but will have his work cut out for him against Oriakhi and company.

Connecticut has been a great bet all season (10-3 ATS), especially on the heels of a SU win (9-2 ATS), and is my pick to win and cover Saturday’s game. These four-star FoxSheets trends also expect the Huskies to win and cover.

CONNECTICUT is 15-2 ATS (88.2%, +12.8 Units) after 3 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers over the last 3 seasons. The average score was CONNECTICUT 76.4, OPPONENT 61.8 - (Rating = 4*).

LOUISVILLE is 2-14 ATS (12.5%, -13.4 Units) versus good ball handling teams - committing <=14 turnovers/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was LOUISVILLE 70.2, OPPONENT 73.4 - (Rating = 4*).

[StarDust Bum]

Kentucky looks for payback hosting Georgia


GEORGIA BULLDOGS (14-5, 3-3 in SEC)

at KENTUCKY WILDCATS (15-4, 3-2 in SEC)


Tip-off: Saturday, 4:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Kentucky -11.5, Total: 139

We’re hitting that time of year where teams that have improved drastically from last season to this season find themselves matching and exceeding their respective win totals of a year ago. Thursday night Arizona defeated UCLA to earn its 17th win of the year, besting last year’s 16-win total, as they broke a second-place tie in the Pac-10. In the SEC, the Georgia Bulldogs are on the verge of surpassing a threshold. At 14-5, the ‘Dawgs are just one win away from topping their win total of last season, when they finished the year a less-than-stellar 14-17. If they are to get win number 15 this weekend, they will have to do it in one of the most intimidating buildings in college basketball, Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY, homecourt of John Calipari’s “kiddie cats.” Calipari’s squad is so young, you‘ll find more seniors on MTV than in the team‘s locker room. As for Georgia, not only would a victory give them a sweep of Kentucky, it would also move them past the ’Cats in the sardine bunched grouping that is the SEC East.

No. 14 Kentucky seems to have put the controversy of Calipari’s nationally televised profanity laced tirade of top scorer Terrence Jones behind them. It goes into the rearview mirror of the ’Cats season along with the loss to Alabama. "I just don't think that even needed to be that big a deal." Jones said. "My coach isn't the first coach to cuss. That didn't even bother me… Coach Cal talks to us just to get our attention to get us to do what he wants to do ... however he says it doesn't mean anything," Jones said. "It's just what he's saying in the message" that matters.

The ‘Cats defused the drama in the most effective way, by winning the next game. Kentucky defeated South Carolina 67-58 last Saturday as Brandon Knight had 23 points and seven boards, with Jones adding 14 points and seven rebounds. With the win, the Wildcats snapped a two-game road skid in SEC play, thus placating their coach for the moment. Figuring out matters on the road will be crucial, because after the Georgia game, Kentucky travels to Mississippi and Florida, before returning home on February 8 to host the Tennessee Volunteers, and the return of Bruce Pearl to SEC competition. The ‘Cats are looking to avenge its January 8 defeat to Georgia 77-70. The Wildcats shot a dismal 38% that day, far below its season average, which is just under 46%.

In that upset win, Georgia forward Trey Tompkins (17.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG) led the Bulldogs in scoring with 25 points, just as he has led the team in scoring and rebounding all year. Junior guard Travis Leslie (15.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG) is second on the team in scoring and rebounding, and a third junior, Gerald Robinson (13.7 PPG, 4.2 APG) leads the team in assists. After losing two out of its past three home games in wacky fashion, one on a last-second hoop by Tennessee’s Brian Williams, the other in double overtime to Florida, after the Gators forced a second overtime on Erving Walker’s 30-foot prayer at the buzzer of OT #1, the ’Dawgs are probably looking forward to playing a road game, even if it’s at Kentucky. Will Georgia be able to take advantage of a Kentucky team that has been off for a week since its last game, an unusually long break for this point of the season? Saturday night by 6 p.m. EDT, we should have our answer.

Although this game will be tight for a while, expect Kentucky (6-3 ATS in past nine games, 3-1 ATS at home this season) to ultimately pull away with a win and cover. This FoxSheets trend also support the Wildcats to get a big payback win over Georgia.

Play On - Home teams as a favorite or pick (KENTUCKY) - avenging a same-season loss vs. opponent against opponent after a home game where both teams scored 75 points or more. (63-31 over the last 5 seasons.) (67%, +28.9 units. Rating = 2*).

This five-star FoxSheets trend expects the game to finish Over the total.

GEORGIA is 11-0 OVER (+11.0 Units) vs. top caliber teams - outscoring their opponents by 12+ points/game over the last 2 seasons. The average score was GEORGIA 71.6, OPPONENT 73.3 - (Rating = 5*).

[StarDust Bum]

Villanova favored by 4.5 over Georgetown


GEORGETOWN HOYAS (15-5, 4-4 in Big East)

at VILLANOVA WILDCATS (17-3, 5-2 in Big East)


Tip-off: Saturday, 12:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Villanova -4.5, Total: 145

When the Georgetown Hoyas stumbled to a 1-4 record in league play following its blistering 11-1 start to the season, Hoya paranoia was rampant with a group unfamiliar to the concept: Hoya fans! Between poor shooting, sloppy defense, and a stagnant offense that struggled to get its best player involved, John Thompson III’s team was suddenly looking like a misplaced Top 25 team. But like all tough conferences, the bottom of the Big East is picking up the pace, while the top of the conference has discovered the speed bumps. The pack of quality teams has tightened in the Big East derby, and that’s how No. 8 Villanova (17-3) and No. 21 Georgetown (15-5) will meet one another Saturday afternoon at the Pavilion, resembling two quality racehorses eager to prove they have the kick and the look of a triple crown contender.

Jay Wright’s Villanova team is coming off of a three-game road trip that proved even more treacherous than it looked on paper. It began with a gut wrenching MLK Day loss to Connecticut on Kemba Walker’s game-winning shot with 2.5 seconds remaining. That game was followed with maybe the team’s best performance of the season, an 83-72 win in the Carrier Dome over Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange. A game in which ‘Nova shot 50% from the floor, and scored 33 points on the strength of its three-point shooting (11-for-24). Just when they thought they were about to end the trip on a high note, Marshon Brooks led a Providence attack that featured five Friar players scoring in double figures as Providence shocked Villanova 83-68. Now ‘Nova must regroup, while at the same time hope that they did not leave its shooting touch in Western New York. After a near flawless game against Syracuse, the ‘Cats shot a laughable 32.5% (25-of-77) against the Friars, which included a 4-of-22 effort from beyond the arc. "We got shots but we took the first shot every time," Wright said. "It wasn't selfishness. It was the way they played us." Wright praised the Friars tight man-to-man defense, "It was a smart way to play us."

He can probably expect to see much more of the same from the Hoyas. The two Coreys, Fisher and Stokes, combined for 14 points Wednesday on 4-of-26 shooting. Stark contrast to last Saturday, when they totaled 32 points on 9-of-20 shooting.

How did the Hoyas turn the beat around? To be fair, back-to-back games versus Rutgers and Seton Hall didn’t hurt, but getting leading scorer Austin Freeman more engaged in the offense was key. Since a January 8 loss to West Virginia in which Freeman (18.3 PPG) only took eight shots in 33 minutes of play, the senior guard is averaging nearly 13 shots per game. During this current three-game win streak, he is averaging 22.3 PPG. In Wednesday’s 77-52 pasting of St. John’s, the Hoyas shot 51% from the floor, receiving another big game from Jason Clark, who led all scorers with 16 points. Georgetown also held the Red Storm to 33.9% shooting for the game, a major improvement over its previous two wins, when Rutgers and Seton Hall shot 43.1% and 45.6% respectively.

Some history. Last February 6, as a monster storm dumped nearly two feet of snow on the nation’s capital, Georgetown defeated Villanova 103-90 in the last meeting between the two teams. This past Wednesday, during another snowstorm in DC which paralyzed traffic for even the President's motorcade, Georgetown defeated St. John’s by 25. Saturday in Philadelphia (where about 16 inches of snow is already on the ground), the forecast is calling for a 70% chance of ... snow. Georgetown, snow, winning? I’m just saying.

I like underdog Georgetown, who is 8-3 ATS in non-home games, to cover the spread here. The FoxSheets show two trends backing the Hoyas.

Play On - Any team (GEORGETOWN) - a good offensive team (74-78 PPG) against a good defensive team (63-67 PPG) after 15+ games, after allowing 55 points or less.(73-36 over the last 5 seasons.) (67%, +33.4 units. Rating = 2*).

Play On - Underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (GEORGETOWN) - after having covered 3 of their last 4 against the spread against opponent after having covered 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread. (213-137 over the last 5 seasons.) (60.9%, +62.3 units. Rating = 2*).

The FoxSheets also think the game will finish Over the total for the third straight meeting.

VILLANOVA is 10-1 OVER (+8.9 Units) after covering 3 of their last 4 against the spread over the last 2 seasons. The average score was VILLANOVA 83.4, OPPONENT 74.8 - (Rating = 3*).

[detroitdavid]

gl sdb. i gotta ask you something. is there a reason you use the stardust as your name? i used too work there.

[StarDust Bum]

HELLO DD...........That's where i placed my wagers and hung out.......so sad to see that place gone............

[StarDust Bum]

Evening Best Bets + PODS !

Kansas St. - 7:00 PM ET Kansas -10.5 500
Kansas - Over 143.5 500

UAB - 7:00 PM ET Central Florida -2.5 500
Central Florida - Over 131.5 500

Memphis - 7:00 PM ET Memphis +2.5 500
Marshall - Under 147.5 500

Tennessee Tech - 7:00 PM ET Tennessee Tech -3.5 500
SE Missouri St. - Over 149 500

La Salle - 7:00 PM ET Charlotte -2 500
Charlotte - Over 151 500

Middle Tennessee St. - 7:00 PM ET Middle Tennessee St. -2 500
Florida International - Under 147.5 500

Western Carolina - 7:00 PM ET Western Carolina +12 500
Wofford - Under 137 500

Jacksonville St. - 7:00 PM ET Eastern Illinois -5.5 500
Eastern Illinois - Over 117 500

St. Mary's - 7:00 PM ET St. Mary's -6 500 ( WCC POD )
Portland - Over 141 500

Troy - 7:00 PM ET Louisiana-Monroe -1.5 500
Louisiana-Monroe - Under 142 500

Western Kentucky - 7:00 PM ET Florida Atlantic -7 500
Florida Atlantic - Under 135.5 500

Tennessee St. - 7:00 PM ET Eastern Kentucky -4 500
Eastern Kentucky - Under 130 500

Austin Peay - 7:15 PM ET Morehead St. -3.5 500
Morehead St. - Over 130.5 500

NC-Wilmington - 7:30 PM ET VCU -13 500
VCU - Over 128 500

Southern California - 7:30 PM ET Arizona -7 500
Arizona - Under 134.5 500

Arkansas St. - 8:00 PM ET Arkansas-Little Rock -4.5 500
Arkansas-Little Rock - Over 131 500

Santa Clara - 8:00 PM ET Loyola Marymount -1.5 500
Loyola Marymount - Over 142 500

San Diego - 8:00 PM ET San Diego +24 500 ( WCC DOG )
Gonzaga - Over 137.5 500

Louisiana State - 8:00 PM ET Alabama -14.5 500 ( SEC POD )
Alabama - Under 119.5 500

Pittsburgh - 8:00 PM ET Rutgers +8.5 500
Rutgers - Over 131 500

West Virginia - 8:00 PM ET West Virginia +3.5 500
Cincinnati - Over 127.5 500

Boise St. - 8:00 PM ET Louisiana Tech +6 500 ( WAC DOG )
Louisiana Tech - Over 139 500

Southern Illinois - 8:05 PM ET Southern Illinois +3.5 500
Evansville - Under 124.5 500

Texas-El Paso - 8:05 PM ET Texas-El Paso -1 500
Tulsa - Under 129.5 500

Tenn-Martin - 8:30 PM ET Murray St. -18 500
Murray St. - Over 137 500

Missouri - 9:00 PM ET Texas -6.5 500 ( BIG 12 POD )
Texas - Over 146.5 500

Oklahoma - 9:00 PM ET Iowa St. -10 500
Iowa St. - Under 138 500

Northern Colorado - 9:00 PM ET Weber St. +1 500
Weber St. - Under 137 500

Montana - 9:05 PM ET Montana -2.5 500
Montana St. - Over 129.5 500

Idaho - 9:30 PM ET Idaho +8 500
New Mexico St. - Over 137.5 500

Oregon St. - 10:00 PM ET Oregon St. +8 500
Stanford - Under 132 500

CSU Northridge - 10:00 PM ET CSU Northridge +11.5 500
UC Santa Barbara - Under 138.5 500

San Francisco - 10:00 PM ET San Francisco -1 500
Pepperdine - Over 135.5 500

UC Irvine - 10:00 PM ET UC Davis -3 500
UC Davis - Over 141.5 500

Fresno St. - 10:00 PM ET San Jose St. -2 500 (WAC POD )
San Jose St. - Under 139.5 500

UC Riverside - 10:00 PM ET Pacific -14.5 500
Pacific - Under 128 500

Wyoming - 10:00 PM ET Wyoming +21.5 500
San Diego St. - Over 126.5 500

Idaho State - 10:05 PM ET Eastern Washington -5 500
Eastern Washington - Under 129.5 500

Sacramento State - 10:05 PM ET Portland St. -9 500
Portland St. - Under 136 500

Cal St. Fullerton - 10:30 PM ET Cal St. Fullerton +11 500
Long Beach St. - Over 151 500

Utah St. - 11:59 PM ET Hawaii +9 500
Hawaii - Under 125.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Saturday, January 29Game Score Status Pick Amount

Toronto - 8:00 PM ET Minnesota -5 500
Minnesota - Over 219.5 500

Indiana - 8:00 PM ET Chicago -8 500
Chicago - Over 194 500

Washington - 8:00 PM ET Washington +9 500
Memphis - Over 196 500

New Jersey - 8:30 PM ET Milwaukee -6.5 500
Milwaukee - Over 182.5 500

Atlanta - 8:30 PM ET Dallas -5.5 500 ( NBA POD )
Dallas - Over 190 500

Houston - 8:30 PM ET San Antonio -8.5 500
San Antonio - Over 212.5 500

New Orleans - 10:00 PM ET Sacramento +4.5 500
Sacramento - Over 187.5 500 ( NBA TOTAL POD )

Charlotte - 10:30 PM ET Charlotte +5.5 500
L.A. Clippers - Under 194 500

[StarDust Bum]

No. 1 OSU tries to remain unbeaten visiting Northwestern


OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (21-0, 8-0 in Big Ten)

at NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS (13-7, 3-6 in Big Ten)


Tip-off: Saturday, 6:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Ohio State -10.5, Total: 143

No. 1 Ohio State looks for its 22nd straight win to start the season when it travels to Evanston, IL to take on Northwestern. The Wildcats might be without leading scorer John Shurna (19.0 PPG) who will be a game-time decision after suffering a head injury in Wednesday’s game.

The Buckeyes, the lone unbeaten team in Division I, also look to extend their streak to 21 games of holding opponents under 70 points. OSU has only allowed 70 once all season, giving up 75 at Florida on Nov. 16, in a 93-75 rout of the Gators. In Big Ten play, the Buckeyes defense has been fierce, allowing just 63.6 PPG on 44.9% FG. The OSU offense has also been efficient, putting up 74.0 PPG on 49.4% FG against Big Ten foes, including 55.2% FG in Tuesday’s 87-64 blowout win over No. 12 Purdue. Six players scored in double figures against the Boilermakers and William Buford led the team with 19, while freshman sensation Jared Sullinger had 17 points and seven rebounds. Sullinger has at least 12 points and six rebounds in 10 straight games, averaging 18.0 PPG and 9.8 RPG over this span.

Northwestern has lost two straight games, each by double figures. The Wildcats were pummeled at home last Sunday by Wisconsin, 78-46 and then lost 81-70 Wednesday at Minnesota. Despite the home drubbing, Northwestern is still 9-2 SU at home (4-2 ATS) this season. It is only allowing 61.9 PPG on 42.2% FG in these home contests. The biggest weakness for the Wildcats could be their board work, as they have been out-rebounded by an average of 7.7 RPG in Big Ten play. Luka Mirkovic (6.0 RPG) is the only Northwestern player with more than five boards a game. For the Wildcats to keep it close, Michael Thompson will have to keep his recent assist-to-turnover ratio at a high number. He has 36 assists to just 11 turnovers in the past seven games.

Although Ohio State is 19-2 SU in this series since 1997, Northwestern holds an 11-10 ATS advantage in these matchups. The Wildcats won their last home game over OSU on Feb. 18, 2009 by a 72-69 score when Shurna drained a three-pointer with 3.3 seconds left on the clock. But considering the way OSU has played all season plus the uncertainty of Shurna, look for the Buckeyes to roll to win #22. The FoxSheets provide two more reasons to back Ohio State to win and cover.

Play On - A road team (OHIO ST) - excellent shooting team (>=47.5%) against a poor defensive team (45-47.5%), good rebounding team (+3 to +6 Reb/G) vs. an average rebounding team (+/-3 Reb/G) after 15+ games. (26-6 over the last 5 seasons.) (81.2%, +19.4 units. Rating = 3*).

Play Against - Home teams as an underdog or pick (NORTHWESTERN) - after allowing 80 points or more against opponent after leading in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. (76-34 over the last 5 seasons.) (69.1%, +38.6 units. Rating = 3*).

The FoxSheets also expect the game to finish Over the total.

NORTHWESTERN is 21-5 OVER (80.8%, +15.5 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons. The average score was NORTHWESTERN 67.8, OPPONENT 67.8 - (Rating = 3*).

[StarDust Bum]

Mavericks go for 4th straight win Saturday


ATLANTA HAWKS (30-17)

at DALLAS MAVERICKS (30-15)


Tip-off: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
Line: Dallas -5.5, Total: 189

Dallas looks for its fourth straight win when it hosts Atlanta on Saturday night.

It’s difficult to determine which Hawks team will show up. Two weeks ago, they lost to Houston at home, then barely beat dismal Sacramento at home by two points. But then Atlanta won at Miami, followed by a 100-59 debacle home loss to New Orleans and a 16-point win at Charlotte. This past week was more of the same, as Atlanta shot 41.8% FG in a 98-90 defeat at Milwaukee on Wednesday, then improved to 51.2% FG against New York in a 111-102 victory Friday night. Joe Johnson, who leads the Hawks with 19.9 PPG, is the biggest reason this team has been so erratic. Johnson has 30+ points in four of the past seven games, but scored less than 20 in the other three. He pumped in 34 in Friday’s win over the Knicks. Al Horford’s ankle injury that caused him to miss two games last week appears to be a thing of the past, as Horford has 36 points, 24 rebounds and 11 assists in two games since returning to the court.

Dallas struggled to a 2-7 record without Dirk Nowitzki when he missed nine games earlier this month with a sore right knee, but it seems the star is slowly getting healthy. Although he is only averaging 19.0 PPG since his return, as compared to a season average of 23.1 PPG, Nowitzki usually plays well against Atlanta. He scored 69 points with 18 rebounds in two meetings with the Hawks last season, and has averaged 26.9 PPG in the past 10 versus Atlanta. Jose Juan Barea has been on fire lately, making 17-of-22 shots in the past two games. Tyson Chandler is pumping in 20.3 PPG during the three-game streak, which includes a 21-point, 15-rebound effort in Thursday’s 111-106 win over Houston.

The Hawks are 6-11 ATS (35%) against Western Conference teams this season, while the Mavericks are 17-10-2 ATS (63%) after a SU win. This FoxSheets trend also sides with Dallas to win and cover on Saturday.

Play On - Home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (DALLAS) - after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread, in a game involving two good teams (60% to 75%). (60-26 over the last 5 seasons.) (69.8%, +31.4 units. Rating = 3*).

Nine of the past 14 meetings in Dallas have finished Under the total and this FoxSheets trend thinks the Under will occur again.

Play Under - All teams where the total is between 180 and 189.5 points (ATLANTA, DALLAS) - in a game involving two average defensive teams (92-98 PPG), after scoring 60 points or more in the first half last game. (40-15 over the last 5 seasons.) (72.7%, +23.5 units. Rating = 2*).

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockets (22-26) at Spurs (39-7)

Date: January 29, 2011 8:30 PM EDT

The San Antonio Spurs haven't lost at home since November, reeling off 17 straight victories to give themselves a healthy cushion atop the Western Conference standings.

They better get a good look at the AT&T Center on Saturday night.

San Antonio tries to extend its impressive home streak against the last-place Houston Rockets before heading out on a nine-game road trip leading up to the All-Star break.

This marks the Spurs' lone home game in a stretch of more than a month, with the team's annual rodeo trip kicking off Tuesday in Portland and spanning nine cities in 17 days leading up to the break.

San Antonio (39-7) has spent the last three games on the road as well, and bounced back from a 96-72 loss to New Orleans last Saturday with two solid victories. Manu Ginobili had a team-high 20 points in a 113-102 win at Golden State on Monday, then led the way again by scoring 26 in a 112-105 victory over Utah on Wednesday.

The Spurs' 10th win in 11 games didn't come without some concerns, though. San Antonio entered the game with a middle-of-the-pack defensive field-goal percentage of 44.9, and the Jazz hit 54.7 percent of their shots.

"We are better offensively this season than we were in our championship seasons. But we need to raise the defensive level to what we had then, and we will be very, very good,' Ginobili said.

At home during the streak, the Spurs have been excellent defensively. They've allowed 91.6 points per game and held opponents to 41.9 percent shooting in those 17 victories, their longest at the AT&T Center since a 21-game run from March 3-Dec. 3, 2004.

Both San Antonio home losses have come against Southwest opponents - New Orleans and Dallas - and Houston (22-26) nearly won there Nov. 6. But after rallying from a 13-point, late third-quarter deficit, the Rockets faded in overtime and lost 124-121.

San Antonio was just happy to avoid an embarrassing loss.

"We would be talking about it in three months, tomorrow, next week and in a month," Ginobili said after finishing with 28 points.

The Rockets nearly engineered an even bigger comeback Thursday night in Dallas, but again, couldn't finish. Houston recovered from a 25-point first-half deficit and got within one with under a minute to play, but the Mavericks held on to win 111-106.

Despite his team's second-half resolve, Rockets coach Rick Adelman was not pleased with an opening 24 minutes that Shane Battier called "our worst half of the season."

"There is no time for us not to be mentally engaged," Adelman said. "I don't know what the reason was. It was everybody. I put the second group in and it didn't get any better. I don't know why it took a while for us to wake up."

While Ginobili is concerned the Spurs' defense isn't at a championship level, Houston's is nowhere near it. Dallas shot 50.0 percent Thursday, dropping the Rockets to 9-22 when they allow opponents to shoot at least 45.0 percent.

Guard Kyle Lowry wasn't around for the first meeting, and Houston will likely need he and Battier to contain Ginobili and Tony Parker to have a chance. Parker has averaged 22.4 points and 10.1 assists in his last five games against the Rockets.

Houston, meanwhile, could use a boost from Aaron Brooks, shooting 26.8 percent in his last seven games. Last season's Most Improved Player has averaged 23.3 points - shooting 51.4 percent - in his last four games versus San Antonio.