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76ers vs. Cavaliers NBA Free Pick
One team is fighting for a division title and a playoff berth and the other is looking to the future. The Philadelphia 76ers host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center on March 27. The 76ers have held the lead in the Atlantic division for much of the regular season. However, they are just two games in front of the Boston Celtics.
Philly has an overall record of 27-22 and are just 5-5 SU in their last 10 games played. They are in fourth place in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers are 17-29 overall and have lost three straight and six of their last 10. They are in 10th place in the playoff race in the east a full six games behind the eighth place New York Knicks.
Both teams have players on the injury list. The Cavaliers are without the services of Daniel Gibson who is day to day and Anderson Varejao who is out indefinitely with a wrist injury. The 76ers have Andre Iguodala listed as day to day with a knee injury.
Cleveland is 6-4 SU and ATS in the last 10 games the two teams have played head to head. The total
76ers
has been evenly distribute 5/5 between the OVER/UNDER in those same 10 games. The teams are averaging 202 points in each game and are separated by less than a point in average scoring in the 10 games. In the only matchup between the two teams this season, Philly beat Cleveland on Cleveland�s home court 99-84.
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in their last five games and 0-3 SU in their last three. They lost Sunday night at home to Phoenix by 25 points. The 76ers are 2-2 SU in their last four games, but won an important game over Boston last Friday at home by 13 points.
The 76ers need this victory more than the Cavaliers do. Look for Philly to take the game SU and ATS, with the total UNDER. Bet this now at BetRevolution
Kansas vs. N.C. State Pick
Kansas No. 2 (28-6) vs. N.C. State No. 11 (24-12)
Wolfpack
The second matchup in the Midwest region pits the Kansas Jayhawks against the North Carolina Wolfpack. The Jayhawks arrived at this game after beating the Purdue Boilermakers 63-60. Kansas trailed for the majority of the contest and was behind by three points with less than a minute remaining.
The Wolfpack of North Carolina State arrives at the Sweet 16 on a big high. They eliminated the higher ranked Georgetown Hoyas last weekend to have the right to face Kansas.
A key matchup for the game will be between 6-8 forward Thomas Robinson of Kansas and 6-8 forward C.J. Leslie of NC State. Robinson, by some, is considered a good candidate for player of the year honors. If Leslie and his teammates can get the talented Robinson into foul trouble, then their team’s chances of an upset increase.
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The backcourt of NC State will also have to step up their game. Kansas possesses two talented guards on their backcourt and C.J. Williams and Lorenzo Brown for the Wolfpack will have all they can do to contain their opponents.
The current line has the Kansas Jayhawks as 8-point favorites against the Wolfpack. The total is sitting at 142.5. The Jayhawks are 17-16-1 ATS this season and the North Carolina State is 18-14. Kansas has experienced large spreads as the favorite this season and has at times not been able to hold onto to those leads late in games.
This game will be close throughout and the athletic Wolfpack will give the tough, physical Jayhawks all they can handle inside. If the Wolfpack can open a lead against the Jayhawks, then they might hold on down the stretch to pull off the upset. Smart money will be placed on North Carolina State to cover the 8-point underdog spread.
Pick: North Carolina State (8) Total: UNDER
Xavier vs. Baylor Free Picks Sweet 16
- Baylor -6
Another interesting matchup in the Sweet 16 will see the Baylor Bears take on the Xavier Musketeers. TheBears have had a terrific entire season. They have a strong frontcourt and but their backcourt is what has helped the most in their first two tournament wins.
Brady Heslip had one of his best games at the guard spot when the Bears knocked out No. 11 seed Colorado 80-63. Heslip made 9 of his 12 three point attempts to finish with 27 points, a career high. His three-point output for the night was only two short of a tournament record for the NCAA.
Quincy Acy, Baylor’s star forward and teammates Quincy Miller and Perry Jones were held in check by Colorado. However, because the team has more players, such Heslip, to lean on, they were able to overcome the Colorado defense.
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The key player for Xavier is New York’s Tu Holloway. He leads the team in scoring and is their all around best player. His job will be to keep Pierre Jackson in check. On offense, he will have to penetrate the tough zone of Baylor to try to set up open teammates. Heslip will have to do more than just score. He needs to keep the backcourt for Xavier in check. His job in the zone will be to stop three point shots by the Xavier backcourt.
Xavier’s Kenny Frease, their center, must also come up big in this game. He scored 25 and pulled down 12 boards. With Baylor having such a strong frontline, Frease and his fellow big men need to at keep them in check.
This is Xavier’s fourth visit to the Sweet 16 in five years. However, their season will stop here. Baylor is too tough across their frontline and they have experience at guard. The current line has Baylor as a 6-point favorite with the total at 140. The Bears will punch their ticket to the Elite 8 in this one.
Pick: Baylor (-6) Total: OVER
Super Bowl XLVI – Giants vs. Patriots Preview and Picks
- QB Tom Brady
Fans watching on T.V. or going to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to see Sunday’s Super Bowl will be in store for a great matchup. The New England Patriots and New York Giants meet February 5 for the Super Bowl title and the right to the Vince Lombardi trophy. Currently the Patriots are favored by 3 points over the Giants. The TOTAL is currently set at 55.
The Giants defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 to earn their right to play Sunday. Against the 49ers, they were 2.5-point underdogs and covered that with their SU win. New England edged the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 to have the right to meet New York on Sunday. The Patriots did not cover their 7-point spread.
Both teams are 9-7-1 ATS the spread this season. The Patriots have the advantage overall as they are 14-3 SU, while New York is just 10-7 SU. Those numbers should not be too relevant this time of year however. New York is 6-4 SU playing on turf this season, while New England is 9-1 SU on turf. Both clubs are 8-2 SU when the opposing team gains more yardage.
Both the Giants and Patriots are 5-0 SU over the last five games each has played. The total has been UNDER in 5 of the last 6 games New York has played, while the total has been OVER in 7 of the last 8 games New England has played. New England has won 4 of its last 6 games SU against the New York Giants.
Both teams have players that are questionable for the game due to injuries however, TE Rob Gronkowski for the Patriots is the only player on both lists that is a real impact player and his presence will be felt if he is able to play.
The Patriots offense is much better than what the Giants faced in the NFC Championship against the 49ers. Look for them to put a lot of points on the board. The Patriots defense should bend quite often during the game but will not break against the Giants. Look for the Patriots to win SU and avenge their loss in 2008 to the Giants and the total to be OVER. Bet this game now and get 100% bonus
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Belk Bowl: N.C. State (7-5) vs. Louisville (7-5)
- N.C. State Football
The N.C. State Wolfpack, representing the Atlantic Coast Conference, will face the Louisville Cardinals , co-champions of the Big East Conference, in the 2011 Belk Bowl on Tuesday night. Louisville will be making its first appearance in the game, while N.C. State returns for the second time, and first since 2005. This game is a pick’em on WagerWeb.com.
The Wolfpack will have the benefit of playing in front of a partisan crowd, but Louisville goes into the game on a bit of a hot streak, having closed the season with a 5-1 mark. The Cardinals have simply found their identity. Louisville’s quarterback is Teddy Bridgewater, the Big East’s rookie of the year. Bridgewater went 5-4 as a starter and is the Cardinals’ first true freshman quarterback in 35 years. The defense has been solid and will be one of the best the Wolfpack have faced this season. Louisville ranks No. 10 nationally in rushing defense (103.5 ypg), No. 14 in scoring defense (19.2 ppg) and No. 23 in total defense (327.8 ypg). The only team N.C. State has faced with a better defense is FSU, and the Wolfpack lost that game 34-0.
Cardinals starting receiver Michaelee Harris will miss this game with a knee injury. Harris leads the team with 37 receptions for 455 yards, and also has two touchdowns this season. Also, defensive end Greg Scruggs did not make the bowl trip. Scruggs was arrested recently week on drunken driving charges.
N.C. State sophomore David Amerson leads the nation with 11 interceptions, a school record for picks in a single season. N.C. State was one of the ACC’s most inconsistent teams this season, beating rival UNC for a fifth straight season, then losing to an unheralded Boston College team, and rebounding to shock then-ranked No. 7 Clemson, 37-13. The Pack was in a must-win situation against Maryland to reach bowl eligibility, and it didn’t look good when they trailed 41-14 with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. NC State put together the second-biggest comeback in school history, though, and beat the Terps 56-41 to get to the Belk Bowl.
The Cardinals and Wolfpack will be meeting for the fourth time in series history, with Louisville holding a 3-0 advantage. Louisville defeated the N.C. State, 27-10, in the last meeting, 2007, at Carter Finley Stadium. Louisville is making its 16th postseason trip and second straight under coach Charlie Strong, who is 13-11 in his first two seasons at the helm of the program. Louisville defeated Southern Miss, 31-28, in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl a year ago. All-time, the Cardinals are 7-7-1 in postseason play and have won their past two contests. State is making its 26th bowl appearance, and its 13-11-1 mark (.540) ranks 15th in winning percentage among all schools that have 15 or more bowl appearances.
SA Take: This is a tough pick to make but we have a slight lean toward N.C. State here based on the fact that they play a slightly tougher schedule and have the same record. Play the Wolfpack.
NFL Preview and Pick: Steelers at 49ers
QB Alex Smith 49ers
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers will both be trying to pick up a win on Monday whenthey battle at Candlestick Park.
Oddsmakers currently have the 49ers listed as 3-point favorites versus the Steelers, while the game’s total is sitting at 38.
Pittsburgh won its last outing, a 14-3 result against the Browns on December 8. The Steelers failed to cover in that game as a 14-point favorite, while the 17 combined points took the game UNDER the total.
San Francisco lost its last outing, a 21-19 result against the Cardinals on December 11. The 49ers failed to cover in that game as a 3.5-point favorite, while the 40 combined points took the game OVER the total.
Sportsbook Advisor Pick: This will be a good chance for the 49ers to come out and prove that they can hang with the big dogs. Even though the Steelers are surging and everyone knows it, this is a long distance trip for Pittsburgh and we are leaning toward taking the 49ers -3 at home on MNF.
Current streak:
Pittsburgh has won 4 straight games.
Team records:
Pittsburgh: 10-3 SU, 6-7 ATS
San Francisco: 10-3 SU, 10-2-1 ATS
Pittsburgh most recently:
When playing in December are 7-3
When playing on grass are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 8-2
When playing outside the division are 8-2
San Francisco most recently:
When playing in December are 4-6
When playing on grass are 8-2
After being outgained are 7-3
When playing outside the division are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
Pittsburgh is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 5 games when playing San Francisco
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh’s last 8 games on the road
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
San Francisco is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco’s last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Francisco’s last 8 games
Next up:
Pittsburgh home to St. Louis, Saturday, December 24
San Francisco at Seattle, Saturday, December 24
NFL Week 15: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
- Miami’s Reggie Bush
It’s two teams playing out the string on Sunday in Buffalo, and it’s the first game for the Dolphins since headcoach Tony Sparano was fired earlier this week. The Dolphins’ season disintegrated early and, despite a three-game win streak at midpoint, resulted in Sparano’s ouster. The Bills season, off to a fast start, has disintegrated lately, with six consecutive losses erasing a 5-2 start.
How will the Dolphins respond? Assistant head coach and secondary coach Todd Bowles will guide the team in the final three games on an interim basis. Miami should have a little bit of spark in this road division game, with a good chance to displace the Bills for third place in the AFC East. To win, Miami should keep handing off to Reggie Bush. With quarterback Matt Moore banged up, the guy under center could very well be backup J.P. Losman—a 2004 first-round pick of the Bills.
Miami starting QB Matt Moore is iffy after he left last Sunday’s loss with a head injury. Moore, who had thrown eight touchdowns and one interception in the previous five games before tossing one of each while being sacked four times against the Eagles, was replaced by Losman, who threw his first NFL completion since 2008 and was sacked five times. He started 33 games in five seasons with the Bills, throwing 33 touchdown passes and 34 interceptions.
The Bills’ defensive front has allowed 4.7 yards per attempt on the ground this season. That will hurt against a Miami offense that’s improved its rushing attack as the season has progressed (318 yards, 4.6 yards per attempt over the past two games). Look for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to challenge a struggling Buffalo defensive line with a good dose of Daniel Thomas on power plays between the tackles and Bush on the edges.
Miami’s defense beat up Buffalo’s front five in the Nov. 20 meeting, intercepting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick twice as the Bills spun their wheels without RB Fred Jackson.
SA Pick: We like Miami -1 in this matchup. Miami is a more talented team and should play better than Buffalo.
WAGERWEB.COM NFL FOOTBALL BETS — TBA
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Miami 7-6; Buffalo 6-6-1
SERIES RECORD — Dolphins lead 55-39-1
LAST MEETING — Dolphins beat Bills 35-8, Nov. 20
LAST WEEK — Dolphins lost to Eagles 26-10; Bills lost to Chargers, 37-10
DOLPHINS OFFENSE — OVERALL (24), RUSH (12), PASS (25)
DOLPHINS DEFENSE — OVERALL (12), RUSH (3), PASS (25)
BILLS OFFENSE — OVERALL (15), RUSH (11), PASS (18)
NFL Preview: Cowboys at Tampa
- QB Romo for Cowboys
It’s a must-win on Saturday night for Dallas, which finds itself currently out of the playoff chase but can still win the NFC East by winning out. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has lost seven straight and just wants the season over.
It’s that special time of year again, that period when the Cowboys start feeling charitable and begin giving away football games. Giving up two TDs in the final 3 minutes against the Giants will probably result in another giveaway — the division title. The Cowboys have been their own worst enemy. They’ve blown five fourth-quarter leads for losses and lost three games in which they led by more than 10 points. Jason Garrett’s decision-making and the team’s defense have come under scrutiny the past few weeks. Poor clock management and conservative play calling prompted Cowboys fans to ask Jerry Jones whether Garrett’s job was on the line. Jones said Garrett was safe.
The offensive line must keep the pocket clean for QB Josh Freeman, who isn’t 100%, to keep Tampa Bay within striking distance. Dallas’ secondary has holes that are easily exposed when blockers keep LB DeMarcus Ware out of the backfield. The Cowboys lost the focal point of their offense, rookie RB DeMarco Murray (broken ankle), last weekend. RB Felix Jones and newly signed Sammy Morris will step in. Murray, averaging 137.4 rushing yards over the Cowboys’ last five victories and on pace to become the franchise’s first 1,000-yard back since 2006, has been placed on injured reserve.
QB Tony Romo should continue to work inside-out, throwing underneath passes to WR Laurent Robinson and TE Jason Witten before winding up for shots to WRs Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.
Tampa Bay seemed to have a budding star on its hands in 2010 in Josh Freeman, who had 25 touchdown passes and just six interceptions. That ratio has dropped to 12 TDs and a league-high 18 interceptions this year. Freeman returned last Sunday after missing a game with an injured throwing shoulder, but the results were disastrous as the Buccaneers fell 41-14 at Jacksonville. Tampa Bay has allowed the most points in the NFC (370) and has lost four times at by least 19.
Sportsbook Advisor Take: As bad as the Bucs have been lately they will put together a valiant effort here. We like the Cowboys to win but it may be closer than 7. Take the Bucs.
WAGERWEB.COM NFL FOOTBALL BETS— Cowboys -7 (47)
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Dallas 4-8-1; Tampa Bay 4-9
SERIES RECORD — Cowboys leads 11-3
LAST MEETING — Cowboys beat Buccaneers 34-21, Sept. 13, 2009
LAST WEEK — Cowboys lost to Giants 37-34; Buccaneers lost to Jaguars 41-14
COWBOYS OFFENSE — OVERALL (6), RUSH (14), PASS (6)
COWBOYS DEFENSE — OVERALL (16), RUSH (8), PASS (24)
BUCCANEERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (18), RUSH (T24), PASS (13)
BUCCANEERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (29), RUSH (28), PASS (27)
NFL Thursday Bet: Jaguars at Falcons
- QB Ryan of Atlanta
The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Atlanta Falcons will both be trying to pick up a win on Thursday when they battle at Georgia Dome, home to the surging Falcons.
Oddsmakers currently have the Falcons listed as 13-point favorites versus the Jaguars, while the game’s total is sitting at 42�.
The Jaguars were a 41-14 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Buccaneers. They covered the 2.5 point spread as underdogs, while the total score (55) made winners of OVER bettors.
Atlanta was a 31-23 winner in its last match on the road against the Panthers. They covered the 3 point spread as favorites, while the total score of 54 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.
SA In house Take: I think most of us are feeling that Jacksonville had a lucky outing last week and that Atlanta is the real deal here. Statistically the numbers point to betting Atlanta and the Under. We will take Atlanta and Over here. Jax is showing they can put together some offense now and we think this may be higher scoring than some of the analysts believe.
Team records:
Jacksonville: 4-9 SU, 5-8 ATS
Atlanta: 8-5 SU, 5-6-2 ATS
Jacksonville most recently:
When playing in December are 4-6
When playing on turf are 4-6
After out gaining opponent are 2-8
When playing outside the division are 2-8
Atlanta most recently:
When playing in December are 6-4
When playing on turf are 7-3
After being out gained are 9-1
When playing outside the division are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Jacksonville’s last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Jacksonville’s last 13 games
Jacksonville is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games
Jacksonville is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Atlanta’s last 9 games
Atlanta is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home
Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Next up:
Jacksonville at Tennessee, Saturday, December 24
Atlanta at New Orleans, Monday, December 26
