Archive for March, 2011

March 5th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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It’s another big time Sunday for NBA betting battles, and our expert NBA handicappers offer up their free basketball picks for the biggest game on a huge slate of clashes!

NBA Matchup: Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat
Date: Sunday, March 6th, 1:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
NBA Odds: Miami -5
Over/Under (Total): 188


The Heat are in bad shape right now, as they have been outscored by a whopping 51 points in their last three halves of basketball. Needless to say, regardless of who you’re playing, that’s not going to get the job done. Miami has been wildly inconsistent this season at home, going just 11-18 ATS over the course of its 29 games played here in South Beach. However, this is the back end of a brutal road trip for the Bulls after beating the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center on Friday night. Sure, Chicago has an incredibly deep team, but Miami just matches up particularly well against this team for whatever reason. Go with LeBron, D-Wade, and company to take care of the NBA odds in this one, as the good run of play for the Bulls will go by the boards. NBA Free Pick: Miami Heat

NBA Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers @ San Antonio Spurs
Date: Sunday, March 6th, 3:30 ET
Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
NBA Odds: San Antonio -2.5
Over/Under (Total): 191


If the Spurs were out to make a big time statement on Friday night, that’s exactly what they did when they obliterated the Miami Heat by a whopping 30 points at home. The defense was just locked in, and the lack of depth on the Heat just wasn’t able to keep up with the run and gun style of offense that Head Coach Gregg Popovich is now bringing to the table. Will it keep up against the Lakers? Kobe Bryant and company had better hope not, especially if Derek Fisher is going to be held out of the fold with an elbow injury. There is just so little respect for the Spurs this season, and this is really no exception. Sure, Los Angeles is good, but the time is really going to have to come that the oddsmakers realize that the Spurs really are the best team in the Western Conference, and potentially in the whole NBA. Tony Parker will be back at full strength in this one after getting his feet wet against Miami, and he should help lead this team to a ‘W’ on Sunday. Free NBA Pick: San Antonio Spurs

NBA Matchup: New York Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks
Date: Sunday, March 6th, 6:30 ET
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA
NBA Odds: OTB
Over/Under (Total): OTB


Neither the Hawks nor the Knicks really thrill us right now, but health could really be a key factor in this one. We know that Chauncey Billups has been out of the lineup for these last two games with a thigh injury, but he is likely to be back to join the team in the Peach State for this NBA betting affair. However, the Hawks are likely going to be without Josh Smith. It is clear which team made the right moves at the trade deadline and which one probably didn’t, though Kirk Hinrich finally had his first big game with the Hawks in the loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. The truth of the matter though, is that the combination of Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Billups could easily combine for 75, or even more points in this one, and if that’s what happens, there isn’t a heck of a lot that the rest of this team is going to have to do to make for great NBA picks in this one. Expert NBA Pick: New York Knicks

NBA Matchup: Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Date: Sunday, March 6th, 7:00 ET
Location: Ford Center, Oklahoma City, OK
NBA Odds: Oklahoma City -5.5
Over/Under (Total): 212


This game could be significantly closer than the expert NBA handicappers really think. The Suns have been playing great ball of late, and they really probably found a diamond in the rough when they brought in Aaron Brooks to help out as a scorer. It’d be great if Vince Carter would play in this one, and the possibility is still there, but even if he doesn’t, we still tend to believe that Phoenix is the right play. It really just feels like the Thunder are merely trying to hang on until Kendrick Perkins gets into this lineup for the first time, as the truth of the matter is that the only differences between this team now and the one from a few weeks ago is that Nazr Mohammed is in, and both Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green are out. Not exactly a great deal quite yet, and it won’t look all that great on Sunday either. Free Basketball Pick: Phoenix Suns

NBA Matchup: Boston Celtics @ Milwaukee Bucks
Date: Sunday, March 6th, 9:00 ET
Location: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
NBA Odds: Boston -7.5
Over/Under (Total): 182.5


We’ve been talking a lot about injuries in this piece, but we know that there isn’t a team that we feel worse for this season than this one. The Bucks are just all over the board right now, as there aren’t any players that have been in the fold for even 59 of the 60 games this season. Still, grabbing that last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference isn’t totally out of the question, making this one a potential playoff preview. However, Jeff Green has really arrived at this point, and his 21 point effort off of the bench on Friday proved that. The C’s are a dangerous club, and even though they really haven’t turned up the defensive intensity in a few games, they are scoring a ton of late. The Bucks don’t have that inside banger to make up for the lack of bigs that Boston has, and as a result, the visitors should triumph in a big time way in the Bradley Center on Sunday. Free NBA Pick: Boston Celtics

 
March 4th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Missouri Tigers @ Kansas Jayhawks
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 12:00 ET
Location: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, MO
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

If the Jayhawks think that they are going to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they badly need to collect this win on the road. That would take a lot of pressure off for winning the Big XII Tournament, as there are a ton of teams that are going to be gunning for that crown that need wins in big time ways over teams like these. Mizzou really hasn’t played spectacular ball of late, and it really could use a boost just to get some momentum going and to avoid falling into that seemingly inevitably dreaded 8/9 matchup in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Kansas is a far superior team in terms of talent, and it really showed the first time around when these two met at Allen Fieldhouse. Sure, the intensity really kicks up a notch when you’re playing on the road, especially in a game that is this big, but the Jayhawks should be able to handle themselves. The oddsmakers will give too much respect to the Tigers, and KU will get the job done and lock up the regular season conference crown and the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament.

Free College Basketball Picks: Kansas Jayhawks

Matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Connecticut Huskies
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 2:00 ET
Location: XL Center, Storrs, CT
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

The Fighting Irish have to feel like they have a legitimate chance of being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they are going to need to win the Big East and probably beat the Pitt Panthers to do it. There’s a chance to draw level for the Big East regular season crown as well, and that’s a coveted thing for any team to have on its resume for a top seed in the dance. Connecticut really just needs to feel like it has to ability to win it all in what will be the last home game for Kemba Walker before he heads to the NBA. Walker can take this game over like none other, and though the Irish will inevitably throw everything they can at him including the kitchen sink, it isn’t going to be enough. Notre Dame will get rocked on the that day is designed for Walker to shine.

Free NCAA Basketball Picks: Connecticut Huskies

Matchup: Villanova Wildcats @ Pittsburgh Panthers
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 4:00 ET
Location: Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

Villanova is in a world of hurt right now, as it is really playing poor ball at a poor time of year to be doing so. The Cats have dropped three in a row going into this, the final, and arguably most difficult game of the entire season. They’ve also lost seven out of 11 and don’t look anything like a team that even belongs in March Madness, let alone belongs there as a respectable seed. Pittsburgh’s defense is just downright nasty, as it hasn’t allowed more than 66 points in a game in almost two full months, including a 57-54 win over Nova in the City of Brotherly Love four weeks ago. Ashton Gibbs, Brad Wanamaker, Gilbert Brown… it’s all just too much for the Wildcats to handle right now. They just don’t stand a chance of going into the Steel City and doing any damage, and it’ll show in another lopsided defeat.

College Basketball Free Picks: Pittsburgh Panthers

Matchup: Florida Gators @ Vanderbilt Commodores
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 6:00 ET
Location: Memorial Gym, Nashville, TN
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

This is a tough one, because both the Gators and the Dores are fantastic at what they do. Believe it or not, Florida already has eight wins on the road this season, which is a ton for a team that really didn’t do much in the way of scheduling out of conference on the road this year (though there are wins against Xavier and Florida State to speak of). Vandy has those 14 wins at home though, and they’re going to be hard to overlook. Chandler Parsons and the crew are very thin, yet they are very talented as well. UF is really hoping to get up onto the No. 3 line or so for the NCAA Tournament, and a win like this would go a long way to ensuring that. We just don’t buy into Vandy though, as there are a lot of fluff wins that just don’t look all that great when push comes to shove. The 21 wins for the regular season is nice, but knowing that the oddsmakers are going to treat this home court advantage worth a whole slew of points, we have to back the blue and orange.

NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Florida Gators

Matchup: Duke Blue Devils @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 8:00 ET
Location: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB


First place in the ACC and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament are on the line in Chapel Hill on Saturday, and the oddsmakers are really going to have to take a close look at just how good they think that UNC really is. The Tar Heels are certainly flying through everyone in the ACC right now, and they were able to do something this past week that Duke wasn’t able to do: Beat Florida State on the road. Granted, the Noles didn’t have Chris Singleton, but it was UNC’s second win against the garnet and gold this year, and the first time around, Singleton was playing, and the game was a blowout from the get go. This challenge against the Dookies the first time around was a solid one, as North Carolina challenged the whole way and blew a huge lead. This time, it will make amends and make things right. The Carolina Blue clad nation will be out and in full force in a game that is going to feel like the Super Bowl on Tobacco Road. Coach K knows that there are bigger and more important battles to fight than this one, and though the Blue Devils will end up losing this battle, their goal is to win the war and to defend their NCAA Championship.

College Basketball Expert Picks: Duke Blue Devils

Matchup: Texas Longhorns @ Baylor Bears
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 9:00 ET
Location: Ferrell Center, Waco, TX
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

We know that this isn’t a Top 25 battle, but this is arguably the most meaningful game of the entire day. For the Longhorns, they’re hoping to snap out of this two game funk and to get back on track for a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Winning this one and winning the Big XII would still inevitably get the job done. However, a loss and an early exit from the Big XII Tourney could result in a disastrous No. 4 seed, which could make the first round of the dance very, very interesting. Jordan Hamilton, Tristan Thompson and company have the talent to beat anyone in America, but thanks to how inexperienced this club really is, nothing is a guarantee. For Baylor, it really needs this signature win to pad its resume for the NCAA Tournament. A loss will likely leave it with a lot of work to do to get into March Madness. A win will almost certainly get the job done with just one win in the Big XII Tournament (and even that might not be necessary). There’s too much on the line here for Baylor to get beaten, and we tend to believe that it will get the job done once and for all and make its case to go dancing.

NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Baylor Bears

 
March 2nd, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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If it’s a Thursday night, that means that it’s time for NBA betting action once again! This week, in the final two duels before the NBA Trade Deadline, we make our free basketball picks on the clashes between the Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz.

NBA Matchup: Orlando Magic @ Miami Heat
Date: Thursday, March 3rd, 8:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
NBA Odds: Miami -5
Over/Under (Total): 198


The “heat” will definitely be on in South Beach on Thursday night between these two Sunshine State rivals. The Magic have clawed back to within 4.5 games of the lead in the Southeast Division, but when push comes to shove, this is the game that absolutely has to be won to keep the pressure on Miami. Dwight Howard is coming off of yet another fantastic game against the New York Knicks in which he scored 30 points and had 16 boards with five blocks. The key though, is the play of Jameer Nelson. Nelson might only be averaging 12.6 points per game this season, but he did go off for 26 against New York in a crucial role. Miami is coming off of a loss to said Knicks, but it is fairly clear that this is a team that isn’t going to be getting beaten all that often, especially on its home court. The Heat should be debuting Mike Bibby in this one, as he has been signed after he was bought out by the Washington Wizards earlier this week. Orlando really got crushed earlier this season in South Beach, getting knocked off 96-70 right at the start of the year. The Magic did end up scoring a big time win at the Amway Center in November, but the most recent meeting back at Mickey Mouse’s house resulted in a win for LeBron James and company. LBJ and Dwyane Wade really cannot be stopped in games like this, while Chris Bosh has always had a great career against Howard and company. Orlando might be 13-6-1 ATS in the last 20 meetings in this series, but the Heat are definitely the key to beating the NBA odds on Thursday. NBA Free Pick: Miami Heat -5

NBA Matchup: Denver Nuggets @ Utah Jazz
Date: Thursday, March 3rd, 10:30 ET
Location: Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
NBA Odds: Utah -3.5
Over/Under (Total): 210


Both the Jazz and Nuggets made big time deals at the trade deadline, but neither one of these teams have their former superstars. Utah no longer has Deron Williams, while Denver is still trying to figure out how to live life without Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. The thing about the Nuggs though, is that they really do have a deep team still with a ton of talent. In a 100-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks was really a great example of this. Wilson Chandler, Nene, Kenyon Martin, Raymond Felton, and JR Smith all put up at least 13 points, while three others had at least six points. Not bad for a team that didn’t really use Al Harrington all that much and still has yet to debut Timofey Mozgov. The Jazz really haven’t figured out how to get back in the saddle without Williams, most likely because the guard situation is really in bad shape without Williams. The team’s defense has totally gone down the drain over the course of these last two games, allowing 107 to the Boston Celtics and a whopping 120 to the Detroit Pistons. If this is going to be the situation in this one on Thursday night, the Jazz are going to be singing the blues. We’re really not all that sure that it’s justified, especially since there is still some payback for the Nuggets to pick up after losing 113-106 at home just a month ago. Free NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets +3.5