The Bum's All You Need To Know FINAL 4 Best Bets + NBA + NHL Best Bets for the

[StarDust Bum]

Sacramento Kings Host San Antonio Spurs

The New York Knicks have an impressive home winning streak, both straight up and against the spread, but injuries could derail them Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic.

Tip-off from famed Madison Square Garden will come at 7:00 p.m. (ET). The only other nationally televised game of the 10 is San Antonio at Sacramento at 10:00 p.m. (ET) on NBA-TV.

The Knicks (25-25 SU and ATS) are 7-1 SU and ATS since coach Mike D’Antoni ‘resigned’ and was replaced by Mike Woodson on an interim basis. The only loss came last Friday at Toronto (96-79), with the team 5-0 SU and ATS the last five at home. That’s tied for the best current home ATS streak in the league (see table).

New York’s last game was Monday night versus Milwaukee, winning 89-80 as a 4½-point home favorite. Amare Stoudemire (back) and Jeremy Lin (knee) both sat out, and the former is gone indefinitely. Lin is questionable Wednesday, as is star forward Carmelo Anthony, who tweaked his groin while scoring 28 points against the Bucks.

Stoudemire’s loss is a big one with New York fighting for a playoff spot. Scoring has already been at a premium the last four games (87.8 PPG), with the ‘under’ 6-0 in New York’s last six (allowing 84.8 PPG).

Orlando (32-18 SU, 28-22 ATS) is 3-0 SU and ATS in it last three after the embarrassing 85-59 home loss to Chicago on March 19. The Magic have the third best record in the East, and feel great about Dwight Howard staying at least through next season, but they’re just 1-4 ATS in their last five road games against a team with a winning home record.

These teams have met just once this year with Orlando winning 102-93 in New York in January, That went just ‘over’ the 193-point total and the ‘over’ is 8-0 in the last eight meetings overall.





TEAM

ATS HOME STREAK



Boston


5-0



New York


5-0



San Antonio


5-0



Phoenix


8-1



Orlando


6-1



Utah


6-1



Utah Jazz at Boston Celtics
7:30 p.m. (ET) on Regional Broadcasts

The Jazz (27-23 SU and ATS) have won seven of eight games and are finishing up a 3-game road trip that started with a tough loss at Atlanta (139-133 OT) and a win at New Jersey (105-84).

The Nets game was a cover as 1½-point ‘dogs and they’re 3-1 SU and ATS in their last four away after starting 5-16 SU and 7-14 ATS.

Boston (27-22 SU, 23-26 ATS) is 4-1 SU and ATS in its last five and tied for first with Philadelphia in the weak Atlantic Division. The Celtics have played just one home game since March 9, but have won the last six there and covered 5-straight. The ‘over’ is 9-1-1 in the last 11 at home. Guard Ray Allen (ankle) is questionable to return after missing three games.

This is the first meeting this season. Boston won and covered the last two home games against the Jazz, with the ‘over’ 2-0. The ‘over’ is 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings overall in Beantown.

San Antonio Spurs at Sacramento Kings
10:00 p.m. (ET) on NBA-TV

San Antonio (33-14 SU, 28-18-1 ATS) has won four straight games pending Tuesday night in Phoenix. Big man Tim Duncan rested Sunday at home against Philly, so he should be all right to play consecutive games here. The Spurs are 0-3 ATS (1-2 SU) in their last three back-to-back-games played on the road.

Sacramento (17-32 SU, 24-25 ATS) has been extremely streaky lately and is currently on a downward swing (0-3 SU and ATS). The offense has really turned it up the last seven games at 111.7 PPG, with the ‘over’ 6-1. The problem continues to be defense at a league-worst 103.6 PPG and the ‘over’ 14-4 in the last 18 overall.

Sacramento shocked San Antonio in the only meeting this year, an 88-86 win as 10½-point road ‘dogs in January. The Spurs were 9-0 at home before that contest.

Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Clippers
10:30 p.m. (ET) on Regional Broadcasts

The Suns (25-24 SU, 26-23 ATS) have a tough home game against San Antonio on Tuesday before traveling to Los Angeles. They’re a respectable 9-6 ATS in the second-half of back-to-backs this year, despite geriatrics like Steve Nash and Grant Hill starting. Phoenix is 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS its last five away after starting 7-12 SU and 8-11 ATS.

The Clippers (28-21 SU, 24-25 ATS) have righted the ship their last two games, home wins and covers over Memphis (101-85) and New Orleans (97-85). That was without reserve guard Mo Williams (toe) who is out indefinitely. They had failed to cover in their previous six games (2-4 SU) amid rumors they were quitting on coach Vinny Del Negro.

Phoenix is 2-0 SU and ATS against the Clippers this year, winning 91-87 as 9-point ‘dogs in L.A. on March 15. Nash and Hill rested that game. The Suns are 4-0 SU and ATS in the last four meetings overall, with the ‘under’ 4-0.

[StarDust Bum]

New York Rangers On Road At Winnipeg Jets

With just 11 days left in the NHL’s regular season, the race for the Pacific Division crown and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference figures to go down to the wire. Three of the four teams battling for the Pacific title will be on the road Wednesday night while the Phoenix Coyotes (37-27-13) are idle following a 4-0 home loss to the West-leading St. Louis Blues (47-20-9) on Sunday.

The San Jose Sharks lead the division with 88 points, with the Coyotes and Dallas Stars (41-30-5) only one point behind and tied for second with 87. The Los Angeles Kings (37-27-12) are also just two points out of first place.

The Kings and Stars are each coming off losses and visit the Calgary Flames (35-27-15) and Edmonton Oilers (31-36-9), respectively, on Wednesday with both games starting at 9:30 p.m. (ET). The Anaheim Ducks (32-33-11) also host the Sharks later in the night at 10:00 p.m.

San Jose is the only team in the Pacific that has not lost its last game, winning three straight following a 5-1 victory against the Colorado Avalanche (40-32-6) on Monday. The Sharks have seen four of their past five games go ‘over’ the total, and their final six games of the regular season are all against divisional foes they have lost to in their previous meetings with the ‘over’ cashing each time.

Four of San Jose’s next five are away from home, and the team closes out the year with a pair of home-and-home series against Dallas and Los Angeles.

The Stars have dropped four of their last six, and will be playing the second contest of a four-game road trip in Edmonton before visiting the Vancouver Canucks (46-21-9) and Sharks to end the month. The Kings have lost two in a row following a season-high six-game winning streak and are also on a four-game road trip that has them facing the Oilers and Minnesota Wild (31-34-10) in the last two games before returning home to meet Edmonton again on April 2.

Two other teams in action on Wednesday have already clinched playoff spots and are trying to solidify their seeding in the postseason. The Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers (47-21-7) will be coming off a trip to Minnesota on Tuesday when they visit the Winnipeg Jets (35-33-8) at 7:00 p.m. The Rangers are looking to hold off the Pittsburgh Penguins (47-22-6) not only for the lead in the Atlantic Division but for the top seed in the East as well.

New York has won three of four after losing five of seven.

The Detroit Red Wings (46-25-5) also clinched a playoff berth for the 21st consecutive year on Monday, setting a team record with a 7-2 blowout victory at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets (24-45-7). The Red Wings will complete a home-and-home set with Columbus at 7:30 p.m. and go for their fifth win in six meetings.

Four of the previous five at Nationwide Arena have gone ‘under’ the total. The Blue Jackets have dropped seven of their past nine overall.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday Tips

March 27, 2012


Ten games take place on the busy Wednesday NBA card, as four of those contests involve both teams in playoff contention. The night wraps up with three games in California, including the Suns going for their third win over the Clippers in three tries. We'll start in Charlotte with the stumbling Bobcats attempting to knock off a hungry Wolves' squad.

Wolves at Bobcats - 7:05 PM EST

Charlotte continues to own the worst record in basketball at 7-40, as the Bobcats look to snap an 0-4 SU/ATS funk against the Wolves. Minnesota finishes up a quick two-game road trip following Tuesday's loss at Memphis, as the Wolves go for the season sweep of the Bobcats. In the last meeting at the Target Center on February 15, Rick Adelman's team held off Charlotte, 102-90 as 10 ½-point favorites. The Bobcats covered three straight games in the home underdog role in early March, but Charlotte owns a 1-4 SU/ATS record the last five opportunities when receiving points at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Pistons at Cavaliers - 7:05 PM EST

These two struggling Central Division rivals meet for the third time this season as Cleveland has claimed each of the first two matchups. The last time these clubs hooked up at Quicken Loans Arena on February 21, the Cavs rallied from a 17-point deficit to stun the Pistons, 101-100. Detroit snapped a five-game skid in Monday's ugly 79-77 victory at Washington, the third straight game the Pistons have scored less than 80 points. The Cavaliers have compiled a 2-9 ATS record the last 11 games at home, while two wins came by one point apiece.

Magic at Knicks - 7:05 PM EST

New York is a beat-up club right now as Amare Stoudemire is on the shelf with a bulging disc in his back. Jeremy Lin missed Monday's home victory over the Bucks along with Stoudemire, as the point guard is battling through a knee injury. The Knicks will try to win their eighth game in nine tries since Mike Woodson took over as head coach, hosting a Magic club that is riding a three-game hot streak. Orlando picked up a 102-93 victory at Madison Square Garden on January 16, as the Magic outscored the Knicks, 29-18 in the final quarter. The Magic owns a 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS record on the final stop of a multi-game road trip this season, even though Stan Van Gundy's club is just 1-4 ATS the previous five contests as an away favorite.

Nuggets at Raptors - 7:05 PM EST

Denver bounced back from a pair of double-digit losses by handling Chicago in Monday's 108-91 victory as eight-point road 'dogs. The Nuggets haven't been listed as an away favorite since January 31 as Denver travels to Toronto. The Raptors were the NBA's hottest ATS team in February and early March, but Toronto has fallen backwards in that department by posting a 4-7 ATS record since March 10. The last time the Raptors faced the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center in late January, Denver blew out Toronto as 13-point favorites, 96-81. George Karl's team is riding a five-game 'over' streak, even though the Nuggets have allowed more than 112 points four times in this stretch.

Pacers at Nets - 7:35 PM EST

Indiana and New Jersey hook up for the fourth and final time this season as the Pacers go for the sweep. Frank Vogel's club blew out the Nets, 108-94 as six-point road 'chalk' in early January, but Indiana failed to cash in two home victories over New Jersey in the last two months. The Pacers took care of the Heat as short home 'dogs on Monday, while the Nets were blasted by the tired Jazz two nights ago by 21 points. Indiana owns a 3-5 ATS record the last eight games as a road favorite, while New Jersey is 1-4 ATS the previous five contests at home.

Jazz at Celtics - 7:35 PM EST

Utah is the hottest ATS team in the league as of late, cashing in five of the last six games. Overall, the Jazz has won seven of eight with the lone loss coming in a four-overtime thriller at Atlanta on Sunday. The road trip continues in Beantown, as the Celtics look to extend their winning streak to three. Granted, the C's got through the last two victories without Ray Allen by beating the Wizards and Bobcats. Allen is expected to return after missing the last three games with an ankle injury, but Boston has put together a 6-1 ATS record without the former UConn star in the lineup. Utah is 4-1 SU/ATS the previous five contests in the underdog role, but the Jazz have lost in each of the last three trips to TD Garden.

Bulls at Hawks - 7:35 PM EST

Atlanta has given Chicago all it can handle this season by cashing in two of three meetings, including a 109-94 blowout of the Bulls as six-point home 'dogs in early January. The Hawks play their fifth game in six nights after Tuesday's defeat at Milwaukee, as Atlanta owns an 11-3-1 ATS record with no rest this season. The Bulls will likely be without point guard Derrick Rose for an eighth straight game with a groin injury. Chicago is 5-2 SU and 4-3 ATS without the reigning MVP during this stretch, including road wins at Orlando and Toronto.

Spurs at Kings - 10:05 PM EST

San Antonio's veteran legs are getting a nice workout by playing for the fifth time in six nights on Wednesday. The Spurs head to Sacramento looking to avenge an 88-86 home defeat to the Kings as 10-point favorites on January 20. The Kings return home attempting to snap a three-game losing streak, as Keith Smart's club failed to cover as six-point road underdogs in Monday's overtime setback at Houston. Sacramento is riding an 8-2 'over' run, including six of those 'overs' coming at Power Balance Pavilion. The Spurs go for their seventh straight road win in the series, as San Antonio dominated Sacramento in the previous matchup in California's capital city last April, 113-100.

Hornets at Warriors - 10:35 PM EST

Two teams that are staring at the lottery meet in the Bay Area, as New Orleans tries to snap a two-game skid. The Hornets were blitzed early in Monday's 12-point loss to the Clippers, but New Orleans has been solid as a single-digit road 'dog recently by posting a 6-1 ATS mark the last seven opportunities. The Warriors play with no rest following Tuesday's three-point loss to the Lakers, as Golden State looks to beat New Orleans for the second time this season. Mark Jackson's squad picked up a 101-92 victory on March 21 in the Big Easy, cashing outright as two-point 'dogs.

Suns at Clippers - 10:35 PM EST

Phoenix has seen its share of success against Los Angeles this season, knocking off the Clippers twice in two meetings. Each matchup went comfortably 'under' the total, including a huge Suns' rally at Staples Center on March 15, overcoming a 17-point deficit in a 91-87 upset as nine-point 'dogs. The Clippers bounced back from a 0-3 disastrous road trip last week by beating the Grizzlies and Hornets at home over the last three days. Phoenix has cashed in four of the last five road games, while compiling a 12-3 ATS record this month.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Wednesday

March 28, 2012



SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Pistons are 10-0 ATS (6.7 ppg) since March 22, 2006 when seeking revenge for a loss in which they led by double digits at the half.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Pistons are 0-14 OU (-10.8 ppg) since November 26, 2003 as a dog off a win as a favorite in which they trailed at the end of the third quarter.


PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Spurs are 0-15 ATS (-10.6 ppg) since April 15, 2009 as a favorite after losing the previous matchup in which Tim Duncan had a double-double.


CHOICE TREND:

The Jazz are 0-12 ATS (-9.1 ppg) since December 22, 2010 when they are playing in at least their third straight road game.


TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Jazz are 0-11-1 OU (-13.0 ppg) since April 08, 2008 as a dog with at least one day of rest after a game in which they allowed less than 40% from the field.

The Spurs are 0-11-1 OU (-13.5 ppg) since January 15, 2005 as a favorite when seeking revenge for a loss as a favorite in which they shot less than 40% from the field.

[StarDust Bum]

Banged-up Knicks host Magic Wednesday night

ORLANDO MAGIC (32-18)

at NEW YORK KNICKS (25-25)


Tip-off: Wednesday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: Orlando -2, Total: 189

Two of the Eastern Conference’s hottest teams go head-to-head when Orlando visits New York on Wednesday night.

The Magic have won seven of eight SU and ATS against the Knicks and come in having won three in a row SU and ATS. But their wins didn’t come against a murderer’s row of opponents: home against Phoenix and Cleveland, at Toronto. Prior to the Raptors win on Monday, Orlando was 1-5 ATS on the road since the All-Star break. The Knicks are ailing, with PF Amar’e Stoudemire out indefinitely because of back problems, and PG Jeremy Lin (knee) doubtful for Wednesday. But the Knicks are 7-1 SU and ATS since Mike Woodson took over as head coach because they’re playing elite defense for the first time since the 1990’s, holding opponents to 86.0 PPG and 40.3% FG. Who will prevail in this Eastern Conference matchup? For the answer, connect to the NBA Weekday Pass for ATS picks covering all the marquee NBA games each day.

Before getting back on track with three very winnable games, the Magic had a disastrous back-to-back on March 18-19, losing by 10 at Miami then getting pasted 85-59 against the shorthanded Bulls at home. Since then, PF Ryan Anderson (16.2 PPG, 41.6% from three) has finally found his shooting stroke, averaging 24.7 PPG while shooting 51.1% FG and 50.0% from three in three games. C Dwight Howard (21.1 PPG, 58.2% FG, 48.8% FT, 14.7 RPG) has been his typically dominant self inside, averaging 22.3 PPG on 68.4% FG and 13.0 RPG. PG Jameer Nelson (10.5 PPG) hit 5-of-10 threes and SG J.J. Redick (10.9 PPG) made 6-of-12 during that span.

Howard had one of his worst games of the year at the Garden back in January, scoring eight points on 3-for-6 shooting (2-for-9 from the line) with 10 rebounds and six turnovers. But Orlando won 102-93 thanks to a huge night from Anderson, who scored 30 points on 11-of-19 FG (7-for-13 from three).

This two-star FoxSheets trend backs the Magic:

Play On - Any team (ORLANDO) - a good defensive team (88-92 PPG) against an average defensive team (92-98 PPG), after leading their last 3 games by 5+ points at the half. (32-11 over the last 5 seasons.) (74.4%, +19.9 units. Rating = 2*).

The Knicks have some offensive firepower beyond Lin (14.6 PPG, 6.1 APG) and Stoudemire (17.6 PPG). On Monday SF Carmelo Anthony (20.2 PPG) had his biggest scoring night since returning from a groin injury in mid-Februrary, going for 28 and 12 rebounds against the Bucks. He’s expected to play despite tweaking the injury. J.R. Smith (10.1 PPG) is averaging 12.4 PPG in 26.0 MPG in eight games under Woodson, while C Tyson Chandler (11.3 PPG on 67.4% FG, 9.7 RPG) is averaging 10.5 PPG on 61.1% shooting. PF Steve Novak (8.5 PPG, 48.1% from three) has continued his hot shooting, averaging 9.5 PPG on 50.0% FG and 48.9% from three. PG Baron Davis (5.3 PPG, 5.1 APG) had 13 points and seven assists in place of Lin on Monday, but also shot just 3-for-12 and turned it over nine times against a Bucks team that’s very good defensively. SG Iman Shumpert (9.1 PPG) started the Milwaukee game and scored 11 points on 4-for-8 FG shooting and 3-for-6 from three. This strong FoxSheets trend expects the Knicks to prevail at home:

NEW YORK is 9-1 ATS (90.0%, +7.9 Units) after covering 3 of their last 4 against the spread this season. The average score was NEW YORK 96.6, OPPONENT 88.0 - (Rating = 1*).

[StarDust Bum]

Clippers look for rare win over Suns on Wednesday


PHOENIX SUNS (25-25)

at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (28-21)


Tip-off: Wednesday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Line: Los Angeles -5½, Total: 196

The Clippers try to win a fifth straight home game, when they host the last team to beat them at Staples Center, the Suns.

On March 15, Phoenix came into L.A. as a 9½-point underdog and won 91-87, marking its 13th SU win in the past 14 meetings with the Clippers. The Suns have been red-hot this month, going 12-4 ATS (11-5 SU) including 4-1 ATS in the past five road tilts. On the other hand, the Clippers continue to struggle in the second half of the season, losing six straight ATS before their modest two-game win streak of beating Memphis and New Orleans at home. And although the Suns are finishing a back-to-back on Wednesday, they have thrived on zero rest, going 9-5-1 ATS (9-6 SU) in these situations this season. The pick here is underdog PHOENIX to win outright.

This three-star FoxSheets trend supports the Suns as well:

Play Against - Home teams (L.A. CLIPPERS) - revenging a straight up loss vs. opponent as a favorite, extremely tired team - playing 9 or more games in 14 days. (36-11 since 1996.) (76.6%, +23.9 units. Rating = 3*).

Phoenix is coming off a 107-100 loss to San Antonio on Tuesday, as the team shot 47% FG and made 11-of-12 free throws. The Suns now have 105.2 PPG on 49% FG and 39% threes over their past 10 contests. SG Shannon Brown (9.7 PPG) replaced Grant Hill (knee inflammation) in the starting lineup and responded with a career-high 32-point explosion on 11-of-18 FG (5-of-10 threes). Hill’s return is questionable, but Brown has 24.0 PPG on 18-of-30 FG in his past two contests. He also led Phoenix in scoring in the March 15 win at the Clippers, tallying 21 points.

PG Steve Nash (13.1 PPG, 11.1 APG) added 16 points and eight assists versus the Spurs, but also committed five turnovers for the third time in the past five contests. He didn’t play in the last meeting with L.A., but he usually thrives against the Clips, with 14.9 PPG and 10.6 APG in 27 meetings since joining the Suns. C Martin Gortat (16.1 PPG, 10.0 RPG) muscled his way to 21 points and 14 boards on Tuesday, giving him 22.0 PPG (61% FG) and 10.0 RPG in his past three contests. He expects to put forth a better performance than his menial eight points and six rebounds in the March 15 meeting with Los Angeles.

After shooting below 44% FG for five straight games, the Clippers responded with two straight contests of making exactly 50% of their shots. They have also turned up the defensive pressure, forcing 19.8 turnovers per game in the past four contests, including 27 in Monday’s 97-85 win over New Orleans.

PG Chris Paul (19.5 PPG, 8.6 APG) posted game highs in points (25), assists (10) and steals (four). Since scoring a paltry 10 points in the home loss to Phoenix, Paul is averaging 18.7 PPG and 10.0 APG in his past seven contests. The second part of the dynamic duo, PF Blake Griffin (20.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG), scored 20 points for the fourth time in five games on Monday, and the Suns have had great difficulty trying to stop him. In six career meetings with Phoenix, Griffin has 21.2 PPG and 9.3 RPG.

[StarDust Bum]

Tired Spurs visit Sacramento on Wednesday


SAN ANTONIO SPURS (34-14)

at SACRAMENTO KINGS (17-32)


Tip-off: Wednesday, 10:05 p.m. ET
Line: San Antonio -4, Total: 213½

The Kings hope to catch the road-weary Spurs off-guard again when they host San Antonio on Wednesday night.

Back in January, the Kings played the Spurs in the middle of San Antonio’s five-games-in-five-cities-in-seven-nights trip and beat them in San Antonio, snapping a 12-game SU losing streak to the Spurs. Now San Antonio comes to Sacramento for the last of a four-games-in-four-cities-in-five-days swing. The Spurs won in Phoenix on Tuesday night to give them five SU wins in a row (4-1 ATS). Still, it’s a lot to ask a veteran team that’s been dealing with injuries to play back-to-back nights on the road at this point in the season, especially against a high-octane team like the Kings. And Sacto is 8-4 SU and ATS as a home underdog this season. SACRAMENTO is the pick to cover here.

Can the Spurs win comfortably on the road? For the answer, connect to the NBA Weekday Pass for ATS picks covering all the marquee NBA games each day.

The Spurs got a nice performance from PF Tim Duncan (15.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG) in Tuesday night’s win in Phoenix. Duncan had 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting and 11 rebounds two nights after taking a game off at home against the 76ers. Duncan is averaging 17.1 PPG and 9.9 RPG in March. Tony Parker (19.6 PPG, 8.0 APG) added 24 points and seven assists in the win and looks just fine since returning from a minor hamstring injury three games ago. Rookie SF Kawhi Leonard (8.1 PPG) also continues to play very well since moving into the starting lineup, averaging 11.6 PPG on 50.8% FG over seven games.

San Antonio continues to proceed with caution with SG Manu Ginobili (12.2 PPG). After sitting out Saturday’s win in New Orleans, he’s played 27 minutes off the bench in each of the past two games, scoring 11 against Philadelphia and 13 in Phoenix on Tuesday. This two-star FoxSheets trend backs the Spurs:

Play On - Road teams (SAN ANTONIO) - off a road win, extremely tired team - playing their 5th game in 7 days. (73-37 over the last 5 seasons.) (66.4%, +32.3 units. Rating = 2*).

The Kings built up some momentum earlier this month, winning three in a row (all at home) over Boston, Minnesota and Memphis. But they’ve lost three in a row since, home against Utah then at Golden State and Houston. The good news is that they haven’t slowed down offensively. They’ve scored 100-plus points in seven straight games, averaging 111.7 PPG. SG Marcus Thornton (19.0 PPG) is averaging 22.7 PPG during that span, and PG Tyreke Evans (17.1 PPG) has added an efficient 17.8 PPG, shooting 55.7% FG, in his past five games. C DeMarcus Cousins (17.4 PPG, 11.1 RPG) is at 22.0 PPG over the past seven contests, though on only 44.6% FG. He is coming off arguably the best game of his career, scoring 38 points (15-for-26 FG) and grabbing 14 rebounds in Monday’s overtime loss at Houston.

When the Kings pulled off the 88-86 upset in San Antonio on Jan. 20, Evans led the way with 23 points on 10-for-19 shooting and 11 rebounds, while Cousins added 17 points (7-for-12 FG) and 13 rebounds, and Thornton had 17 points. They held the Spurs to 37.8% FG in that game, and 5-for-25 shooting from three. Only Tony Parker (24 points) topped 10 points for San Antonio that night. This strong FoxSheets trend expects the Kings to hang tough:

SACRAMENTO is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games after having lost 3 of their last 4 games this season. The average score was SACRAMENTO 106.6, OPPONENT 95.1 - (Rating = 2*).

[StarDust Bum]

Wings, Jackets conclude season series Wednesday


DETROIT RED WINGS (46-25-5, 97 points)

at COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (24-45-7, 55 points)


Puck drops: Wednesday, 7:35 p.m. EDT
Line: Detroit -220, Columbus +180, Total: 5.5

The Red Wings and Blue Jackets will play the second leg of a home-and-home series on Wednesday in Columbus for the sixth and final game between these Central Division foes.

Detroit clinched a franchise-record 21st consecutive playoff appearance with its 7-2 rout of Columbus on Monday night. Goaltender Ty Conklin (5-5-1, 3.21 GAA, .885 SV Pct.) will try to grab his third straight win in what will likely be his last start before the return of Vezina Trophy-candidate Jimmy Howard (groin). The Blue Jackets have already clinched the league’s worst record by a wide margin, but have the opportunity to spoil Detroit’s quest for the fourth seed in the West with a win on Wednesday. Rookie goaltender Allen York (0-1-0, 3.04 GAA, .886) will get the start after stopping 10 of 11 shots in 31 minutes of relief duty in Monday’s loss. In York’s only official start in the NHL, he allowed four goals on 37 shots in a 5-2 loss at Chicago. With a crucial matchup with fifth-place Nashville looming on Friday, the Wings might get caught looking ahead in this one. For that reason, the OVER 5.5 (-115) is the play in a game featuring two backup goaltenders.

This four-star FoxSheets also favors the Over:

COLUMBUS is 8-0 OVER (+8.4 Units) against horrible power play killing teams-opp score on >19% of chances in the 2nd half of the year this season. The average score was COLUMBUS 2.4, OPPONENT 4.6 - (Rating = 4*).

The Red Wings have finally regained their offensive form, outscoring the opposition 12-6 in their past two games to snap a six-game losing streak—tied for their longest of the season. The streak has put a second straight Central Division title all but out of reach for Detroit, with first-place St. Louis needing just three points in its final five games to clinch the crown.

In Monday’s drubbing of the Jackets, the Red Wings scored four goals less than 10 minutes into the first period—the fastest four goals to start a game for Detroit since 1987, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In a season filled with record-breaking milestones for the Wings, this should come as no surprise.

The Blue Jackets cannot wait for this nightmare season to end, with both the offense (28th) and defense (29th) ranking in the bottom three of the league. With just six games left, Columbus needs just one more win to avoid posting the lowest season point total in the Post-Lockout era—set by the 2006-07 Philadelphia Flyers (56).

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, March 28

Washington State (+2) beat Pitt 67-66 in Pullman Monday night, despite leading scorer Motum missing game (ankle); he wasn't in uniform, so it is doubtful he plays here, especially since this is best-of-3 series- Pitt win forces a decisive game Friday. Coogs won last three true road games, at USC-USF-Oregon State, but this is first time this year they've been east of Rockies. Panthers' defense slipped this year; State shot 51% from the floor Monday; Pitt won its last three home games, by 20-18-21 points.

Utah State scored 83.3 ppg in winning four home games to get to finals in this tournament, but #142 LMU was best of the four team they beat, so #95 Mercer is step up; Aggies are 1-5 this season vs top 100 teams, with win in season opener over BYU the only win. Mercer went north and won last two games on road, at ODU/Fairfield; last three teams they beat are all rated higher than #124 Utah State. Bears are a defensive team; only one of last eight opponents scored more than 61 points.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, March 28

Hot Teams
-- Knicks won/covered seven of eight under Woodson. Orlando won its last three games, by 10-13-16 points.
-- Pacers won four of their last five games; they're 4-6-1 as road faves.
-- Jazz won seven of their last eight games (6-2 vs spread). Celtics won, covered four of last five.
-- Bulls won seven of their last nine games. Atlanta won six of eight.
-- Spurs won their last five games (4-1 vs spread).
-- Clippers won their last four home games (2-2 vs spread). Suns are 9-4 as road underdog if less than 8 points.

Cold Teams
-- Minnesota lost eight of its last eleven games. Bobcats lost six of last seven (0-4 vs spread last four).
-- Pistons lost five of their last six games; they're 5-1 vs spread on road when spread is less than 5 points. Cavs lost seven of last eight games.
-- Raptors lost five of their last six games. Denver is 0-6 vs spread in game following its last six wins.
-- Nets won/covered one of their last seven games.
-- Kings lost last three games by 1-3-7ot points; they're 8-2 vs spread as a home underdog of 6 or less points.
-- Hornets lost six of last eight games; they're 8-5 as single digit road dog. Warriors lost four of their last five home games.

Wear-and-Tear
-- T'wolves: 3rd game/4 nites. Bobcats: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Pistons: 4th game/6 nites. Cavaliers: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Magic: 2nd game/5 nites. Knicks: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Nuggets: 3rd game/4 nites. Raptors: 6th game/9 nites.
-- Pacers: 5th game/7 nites. Nets: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Jazz: 10th game/15 nites. Celtics: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Bulls: 3rd game/5 nites. Hawks: 8th game/11 nites.
-- Spurs: 5th game/6 nites. Kings: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Hornets: 3rd game/5 nites. Warriors: 13th game/19 nites.
-- Suns: 6th game/9 nites. Clippers: 12th game/16 nites.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Charlotte games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Last four New York games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in Denver's last eight road games.
-- Seven of last eight Indiana games went over the total. New Jersey's last four stayed under.
-- Eight of last ten Utah road games went over the total.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in Chicago's last six games.
-- Nine of Spurs' last ten road games went over the total.
-- Four of last five New Orleans road games went over total.
-- Seven of last eight Clipper home games stayed under. Five of last seven Phoenix road games went over total.

Back-to-Back
-- Minnesota is 7-3 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Cleveland are 3-1 vs spread at home if they lost night before.
-- Hawks are 7-1 vs spread at home if they played night before.
-- San Antonio is 2-6-1 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Phoenix is 9-5-1 vs spread if it played the night before.

[StarDust Bum]

Best Bets NBA-NCAAB-NHL !


03/28/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NBA

[501] MINNESOTA -5 1.91



03/28/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NBA

[504] CLEVELAND +1½ 1.91



03/28/2012 @ 04:35 PM

NBA

[514] ATLANTA +3½ 1.91



03/28/2012 @ 07:05 PM

NBA

[516] SACRAMENTO +3½ 1.91



03/28/2012 @ 07:35 PM

NBA

[519] PHOENIX +7 1.91



03/28/2012 @ 04:00 PM

CBB

[521] WASHINGTON ST +9½ 1.91



03/28/2012 @ 06:00 PM

CBB

[523] TOTAL o128½ 1.91
(MERCER vrs UTAH ST)



03/28/2012 @ 04:35 PM

NHL

[3] TOTAL o5½ 1.87
(DETROIT vrs COLUMBUS)



03/28/2012 @ 06:35 PM

NHL

[6] TOTAL u5 1.71
(LOS ANGELES vrs CALGARY)



03/28/2012 @ 07:05 PM

NHL

[10] VANCOUVER -1½ 2.95

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Best Bets:


NBA

Thursday, March 29



Game

Score

Status

Pick

Amount



Washington

-

7:00 PM ET

Washington +10

500



Indiana

-



Over 194.5

500



Dallas

-

8:00 PM ET

Miami -8

500



Miami

-



Under 189

500



New Orleans

-

10:00 PM ET

New Orleans +8.5

500



Portland

-



Over 184.5

500



Oklahoma City

-

10:30 PM ET

Oklahoma City +1

500



L.A. Lakers

-



Under 200.5

500



-----------------------------------------------------------
NHL

Thursday, March 29



Game

Score

Status

Pick

Amount



Washington

-

7:00 PM ET

Boston -183

500



Boston

-



Under 5.5

500



Philadelphia

0

0th

Toronto +137

500



Toronto

0



Under 5.5

500



Tampa Bay

0

0th

New Jersey -205

500



New Jersey

0



Over 5.5

500



Florida

-

8:00 PM ET

Florida -138

500



Minnesota

-



Over 5

500



St. Louis

-

8:30 PM ET

St. Louis -109

500



Chicago

-



Under 5

500



San Jose

-

10:00 PM ET

Phoenix -122

500



Phoenix

-



Under 5
500


NCAAB

Thursday, March 29



Game

Score

Status

Pick

Amount



Stanford

-

7:00 PM ET

Stanford +0

500



Minnesota

-



Over 131

500

[StarDust Bum]

Minnesota, Stanford clash Thursday for NIT title


STANFORD CARDINAL (25-11)

vs. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (23-14)


NIT Championship
Tip-off: Thursday, 7:00 p.m. EDT – New York, NY
Line: Minnesota -1, Total: 132½

After needing overtime to outlast Washington in the semifinals, sixth-seeded Minnesota looks to capture the NIT Championship when it faces third-seeded Stanford on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

Despite playing without its two best frontcourt players in this tournament (Trevor Mbawke and Ralph Sampson III), Tubby Smith’s Gophers have found a way to win all four of their NIT games, despite not playing any of them at home. Minnesota is now 7-0 ATS (6-1 SU) in March, outscoring these teams by 7.0 PPG (74.1 PPG to 67.1 PPG). Despite missing the 6-foot-11 Sampson III for the past six contests, the Gophers have hung tough on the glass, outrebounding these half-dozen opponents by a whopping 8.3 RPG. Stanford does not have great size down low and shoots much worse (44.5% FG for the season, 36.9% FG on Tuesday) than Minnesota (46.5% FG). The Gophers have connected on a stellar 50.5% FG in the NIT and are more battle-tested going up against great Big Ten schools, as opposed to Stanford, which finished 10-8 in a dreadful Pac-12 Conference this season. The pick here is MINNESOTA to prevail.

This strong FoxSheets trend also likes the Golden Gophers to win the NIT Championship.

MINNESOTA is 7-1 ATS (87.5%, +5.9 Units) in road games versus good teams - outscoring their opponents by 4+ points/game after 15+ games this season. The average score was MINNESOTA 67.1, OPPONENT 65.9 - (Rating = 1*).

The Cardinal are led down low by 6-foot-8 senior C/F Josh Owens (11.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG) who is coming off his best game of the tournament with 15 points and 12 rebounds in the 74-64 semifinal win over UMass. Owens has averaged 13.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 2.5 SPG in the NIT. The team’s top scorer, freshman G Chasson Randle (13.8 PPG), is dangerous from beyond the arc, making 43.4% of his shots from deep. He’s averaging 13.8 PPG in the NIT, drilling 8-of-18 three-point tries. Randle also had six boards and three steals in Tuesday’s win. The team’s other double-digit scorer is sophomore PG Aaron Bright (11.6 PPG, 3.6 APG) who also shoots well from deep (43.4% 3-pt FG). Bright has averaged a hefty 17.3 PPG on a sizzling 66% FG in the NIT, scoring in double-figures in all four games. This includes a 29-point showing on 11-of-13 FG against Illinois State in the Second Round. He’ll need to take better care of the basketball though, as he has nearly as many turnovers (12) as assists (15) in the NIT, and his team committed 17 turnovers against the Minutemen. Sophomore swingman Anthony Brown (8.0 PPG) also had a big night at MSG on Tuesday, scoring 18 points on 7-of-12 FG.

Since losing Trevor Mbakwe earlier in the year to a knee injury, the entire Minnesota squad has done a great job adjusting to its offensive attack without its star player. Much of the team’s offensive surge is due to junior F Rodney Williams (12.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG), who is having an unbelievable tournament with 21.0 PPG on 62% FG. He scored 18 points and pulled down nine boards in Tuesday’s win over Washington. But Williams has had help, especially from the all-Hollins backcourt. The two brothers (Andre and Austin) combined for 32 points on 11-of-22 FG against the Huskies. Freshman Andre had 20 points (7-of-7 FT) and five assists, increasing his NIT averages to 17.8 PPG and 3.5 APG. Sophomore Austin scored a dozen points (5-of-8 FG) to give him 11.5 PPG in the four tournament games.

[StarDust Bum]

Pacers favored heavily over Wizards Thursday


WASHINGTON WIZARDS (11-38)

at INDIANA PACERS (29-20)


Tip-off: Thursday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: Indiana -10½, Total: 192 ½

Indiana hopes its legs hold up when it plays for the sixth time in eight nights Thursday versus the Wizards.

Washington has been in a scoring slump during its four-game SU losing skid (82.0 PPG), mainly due to cold shooting from three (23.9%). But the Pacers have done a terrible job at defending the three-pointer in the past three games, allowing 44% (25-of-57) from downtown. Can the Pacers cover this hefty spread? For the answer, connect to the NBA Weekday Pass for ATS picks covering all the marquee NBA games each day.

The Wizards haven’t been scoring much, but they also haven’t been giving up much either, limiting opponents to 87.2 PPG on 42.4% FG in the past five games. Each of their past eight games have finished Under the total. Washington has not had much success on the road though, going 5-19 SU (10-14 ATS) and allowing 101.4 PPG.

Washington has had two days of rest since losing a squeaker at home to Detroit, 79-77, on a shot with 0.2 seconds left. The Wizards entered the fourth quarter with a nine-point lead, but were outscored 26-15 in the final period. PG John Wall (17.1 PPG, 7.9 APG) shot poorly again (6-of-17 FG), but filled the stat sheet with 14 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals. In his past five games, Wall has just 12.4 PPG on 30.9% FG, but has distributed the rock nicely with 38 assists and just 14 turnovers (2.7 ratio) in this span. C Nene (13.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG) has been up-and-down in his four games since being traded to the Wizards, scoring 22, 6, 21 and 8 points on Monday. He will need to have a strong game to keep his team in this contest. SG Jordan Crawford (14.0 PPG) led them with 20 points on Monday, marking his sixth straight 20-point effort. He’s averaging 21.0 PPG on 49% FG during this six-game surge. This three-star FoxSheets trend expects the Wizards to stay competitive in this one:

Play Against - Home favorites (INDIANA) - extremely tired team - playing 9 or more games in 14 days, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a losing team. (38-13 since 1996.) (74.5%, +23.7 units. Rating = 3*).

Indiana has been a quality home team (15-7 SU), but is just 10-12 ATS. However, the Pacers limit these visitors to just 92.2 PPG on 42.7% FG at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. But they are coming off a terrible loss at New Jersey, by a 100-84 score on Wednesday. Indiana simply ran out of gas in that game, trailing by just two points entering the final quarter. The Pacers committed 17 turnovers and were outrebounded 43-39.

The lone offensive bright spot in Wednesday’s loss was SG Paul George (12.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG) who led his team with 22 points on 8-of-13 FG. He also chipped in four rebounds and four assists, but finished the game with a minus-22 rating. Team leading scorer SF Danny Granger (17.8 PPG) was horrible, making just 2-of-8 shots with four turnovers, and finishing with more fouls (six) than points (five). But in his previous five games, Granger averaged 21.8 PPG on 46.4% FG, and he has scored 22.9 PPG in the past 15 meetings with the Wizards. This two-star FoxSheets trend expects the Pacers to win big:

Play On - Favorites (INDIANA) - a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a terrible team (<=25%), second half of the season. (65-35 over the last 5 seasons.) (65%, +26.5 units. Rating = 2*).

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Best Bets in a Parlay....NBA + College Hoops


03/30/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NBA

[502] TORONTO +7 1.91



03/30/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NBA

[503] TOTAL o185½ 1.91
(PHILADELPHIA vrs WASHINGTON)



03/30/2012 @ 04:05 PM

NBA

[505] DENVER -8½ 1.91



03/30/2012 @ 04:35 PM

NBA

[507] TOTAL o205½ 1.91
(MILWAUKEE vrs CLEVELAND)



03/30/2012 @ 04:35 PM

NBA

[510] TOTAL u185½ 1.91
(NEW YORK vrs ATLANTA)



03/30/2012 @ 05:05 PM

NBA

[517] MEMPHIS +1½ 1.91



03/30/2012 @ 07:35 PM

NBA

[524] LA CLIPPERS -8 1.91



03/30/2012 @ 04:00 PM

CBB

[526] TOTAL u127 1.91
(WASHINGTON ST vrs PITTSBURGH)



03/31/2012 @ 03:05 PM

CBB

[817] LOUISVILLE +8½ 1.91



03/31/2012 @ 03:05 PM

CBB

[817] TOTAL o136½ 1.91
(LOUISVILLE vrs KENTUCKY)



03/31/2012 @ 05:45 PM

CBB

[819] OHIO ST -2½ 1.91