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**crswir** · 03-22-2003, 12:10 PM

VegasAdvantage Consensus Free Plays
Free Plays for 03/22/03

- Coll. of Charleston (+) over Providence -

NBA

Saturday, March 22, 2003 8:30 p.m. est.

New Orleans Hornets (40-30) at Milwaukee Bucks (33-36)

Milwaukee has lost five of its last seven home games and is 18-16 at home this season, while New Orleans has won six of their last eight games on the road, but is just 15-20 on the road this season. The Hornets have won five of the last six contests and eight of their last 10 at Milwaukee. Take the points. The Hornets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games at the Bradley Center against the Bucks.

New Orleans Hornets + 4

College Basketball

Saturday, March 22, 2003 1:10 PM EST.
Notre Dame (23-9) vs. Illinois (25-6)
Illinois Fighting Illini - 5

Saturday, March 22, 2003 5:50 PM EST.
Tulsa (23-9) vs. Wisconsin (23-7)
Tulsa Golden Hurricane + 3

Saturday, March 22, 2003 8:00 PM EST.
Arizona State (20-11) vs. Kansas (26-7)
Arizona State Sun Devils + 7½

NBA for Saturday 03-22-03

Sacramento at Portland
This is the 4th meeting of the year for these 2 teams. The last meeting on December 28th in Sacramento resulted in a 119-113 Portland win and cover. Sacramento won and covered the first 2 this season. Portland has covered 3 of the last 5 in this series. This is a sandwiched road game between home games for the Kings. They are off a big home win over the Lakers on Thursday and looking at a game with the Rockets on Sunday. This is the 2nd of a 3 game home stand for the Blazers. They are also off a nice home win and cover on Wednesday against Houston. The Blazers are 44-24-0 straight up and 33-32-3 against the spread. The Kings come in with a 48-21-0 straight up record and a 33-34-1 against the spread record. The Kings are averaging 101.78 points on offense while Portland is averaging 94.94. On defense the Kings are allowing 95.13 points per game while the Blazers are allowing 92.09 on average. Sacramento is 33-34-2 over/under for the season while Portland is 30-35-3 over/under for the season. Portland still has a shot at catching the Kings and this game presents an opportunity to pick up a game on them as well as even the season series. The Blazers got a big confidence building win in Sacramento in their last meeting and with the Kings off as big win over the Lakers we like the Blazers to get the win and the cover.

Valley Sports recommends a play on Portland over Sacramento

**crswir** · 03-22-2003, 12:44 PM

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2003 ===========

Click for Bonus Picks from:
> Ecapper
> Vegas Experts

1) Bryan Leonard - Homepage (won 14 of 17)
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* TODAYS PICK: BULLS (NBA)

**crswir** · 03-22-2003, 01:24 PM

Bookie Killer
Today's Pick: Flyers - Money Line !!!

The New York Rangers are definitely not America's hockey team. Frequently they aren't even New York City's hockey team. General manager Glen Sather has assembled a strange assortment of misfits, spare parts, and rejects, then allowed various coaches, Bryan Trottier being the last, to mold them into nothing much at all. On this team, the whole has always been less than the sum of the parts. Sather finally took matters into his own hands and has slowly pulled this team together.

They still aren't great, but improved play which includes a run of 5-2-2- 1 has the Rangers six points out of the final play-off berth in the Eastern Conference. They are unlikely to make the cut but at least showing signs of life has come as a welcome change for their impatient fans. Trades bringing in Alexei Kovalev from Pittsburgh, Mike Dunham from Nashville, and Anson Carter late of Edmonton has helped to spark this group. That Mark Messier's minutes have been falling indicates improvement from the likes of Bobby Holik. The Rangers' road record is seventh in the east at 13-17-5-2, good for 33 points. Their last five road games have produced a 1-2-1-1 record. Against the top echelon teams in the East they've managed a 3-5-2 record since the beginning of February. Rangers have scored 99 goals on the road (2.68 goals/game) which is fourth best in a conference which views goal scoring with suspicion. They have 115 goals against (3.11) and that is twelfth. Where they run into big trouble is penalty killing. They take too many penalties (185 on the road) and have too many scored against them (32) which works out to a penalty killing success rate of 82.7% (9th).

Seen another way, they've given up 32 power play goals in 37 road games. They're lot isn't improved by having an even strength goal scoring record of 73-76. They will probably be without moody winger Bure for this one, as he's having trouble with a knee. However Carter has added some jump to the team and goaltender Dunham has a .923 save percentage. When he plays the team's goals against average dips to 2.29 as opposed to their over-all average of 2.59.

On Thursday night the Philadelphia Flyers beat the bedraggled Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. That was goaltender Esche's first win in seven games, an important point because first choice 'keeper Cechmanek is injured. The Flyers have now only two regulation losses in their past 12 games. They have power forward Leclair back and he's begun scoring. Winger Amonte, arriving in a trade deadline deal, has been a revelation, producing 3-4-7 in four games. Philadelphia was a fractured team heading into this season and every time they wobble others expect them to unravel. But they've managed to keep toeing the line Coach Hitchcock wants them to take and they've managed to keep squeezing out the wins with minimum goal scoring production.

Their home record is only 7th in the conference (18-9-7-2, 45 pts) but they are 4-0-0-1 during this run of success. They've scored a miserable 83 goals at home (13th, 2.37) and are first in the conference for goals against (68, 1.94 ) Philly fans don't go to see goal scoring, they have to satisfy themselves with ugly wins. Flyers don't take a lot of penalties (155) and aren't overly successful when they are on the power play (14.4%, 23 goals, 8th). Their penalty killing is poor at (83.6%, 7th) which is surprising for a grimly defensive team like this.

However the deficiency is masked because they are seldom penalized (122). Besides, the Flyers are a solid 59-45 at even strength, which is where they win their games. The Flyers take over 32 shots per game on home ice yet can only produce those 83 goals, which makes the gamble on Amonte make sense. Philadelphia has the edge on the Rangers this year, having won three of four, although the Rangers won the last meeting at Madison Square, 5-1.

New York likely will have a small edge in goal for this game, since Cechmanek is out. New York can be expected to get a small lift being the desperate team, but the same can also be said of the Flyers. By winning their division, they are currently tied for the lead with New Jersey, they can avoid a dreaded rematch with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Flyers will stay out of the penalty box and grind the Rangers into the ice. It won't be pretty but it will be effective. Philadelphia will bank the two points and put a severe dent in the Rangers' play-off aspirations. Play on the FLYERS MONEYLINE !!!

About the Author:
BookieKiller is currently ranked number #1 in NHL net units at BigGuy.com

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