Quality Road leads field of 10 in Saturday’s Donn Handicap at Gulfstream

February 5, 2010 by Reload

Quality Road leads field of 10 in Saturday’s Donn Handicap at Gulfstream

There's more to this weekend than the Super Bowl.  Take the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, for example, where Quality Road is the four-year-old favorite.

The Super Bowl may be happening in Miami on Sunday, but just a short trip up I-95 is Gulfstream Park.  Saturday’s Donn Handicap will feature four-year olds and up battling it out for a share of $500,000.

Horse RacingQuality Road (#4) is the morning-line favorite at 7-5 with John Velazquez looking for a ride into the winner’s circle.

Velazquez most recently hit the dirt with Quality Road last month, going nearly wire-to-wire for an easy victory at Gulfstream.  It was the colt’s third victory out of four starts at the east coast’s winter haven for thoroughbreds.

Quality Road last went Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile distance by winning the Florida Derby at Gulfstream last March.  Since then, trainer Todd Pletcher had shipped around the four-year old among big races in the NYRA circuit up north.  He saddled the contender to finish in the money at the Travers Stakes in Saratoga, as well as a solid second place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont.

Both defeats in those high stakes encounters had Summer Bird come out on top, but with that champ on hiatus until this summer, it could be anyone’s game in older-horse action for a while.

Pletcher and Velzquez have had solid meets on top of the trainer and jockey standings, respectively.  Nearly 50 percent of Pletcher’s stable has come in the money at Gulfstream with over 20 percent getting their picture taken.

Velazquez has tasted victory 24 times on the Dade-Brower County border heading into Friday, and the betting public will look to back the hot trainer-jockey combination here.

Quality Road could go off at less than 7-5, but I am in favor of buying a win ticket on him at even money or above.

A few higher priced contenders should also be worth some small investments should the chalk fail to come through.

Duke of Mischief (#3) is the second choice in the morning line at 5-1 odds.  Eibar Coa took victory by a neck in his fifth straight mount aboard this contender last month in the Fort Lauderdale Stakes.

The one-mile win for the ‘Duke’ was his first trip on Gulfstream’s dirt and the Florida-bred could be ready for another homecoming today.  Trainer David Fawkes had no fear entering him for big money in the Haskell and Pennsylvania Derby last year, but the step up in class failed to cash betting tickets.

It may be the right place and time for a more competitive effort from Duke of Mischief.  He will be carrying five pounds less than last month’s victory which always helps when going a longer distance, and will look to close strong.

Past the Point (#6) and Dubai Gold (#9) are among the biggest longshots in the field at 10-1 and 30-1 morning lines, respectively.  Both will go off at high odds for some obvious reasons, but each have AP Indy in their blood and some other factors going for them.

Past the Point will have to stretch out in distance with not having raced 1 1/8 miles since September.  However, having Edgar Prado aboard and showing some improved speed in a second place finish last month makes the six-year old worth a small ticket here.

Dubai Gold will be taking a huge step up in class, but would be a sizeable overlay at 30-1.  Jose Lezcano was aboard for a second place finish at the Meadowlands in November from this seven-year old warrior.  He stayed in the saddle last month at Gulfstream and won a claimer by a head at 1 1/8 miles.

Trainer Jason Servis has picked his spots carefully with this Kentucky-bred since claiming him in the fall.  His stable has also performed well at Gulfstream with three top-two finishes among four starts.

Big East powers Villanova and Syracuse heavy home favorites

February 2, 2010 by Reload

Big East powers Villanova and Syracuse heavy home favorites

Ranked No. 2 and No. 3 respectively in the latest AP poll, Villanova and Syracuse will be heavy home favorites Tuesday night when they take on rivals from the Big East.

Two of the top three teams in the country are featured in a couple of early Big East tips on Tuesday.  Villanova and Syracuse have made it to No. 2 and No. 3 in the AP Top 25, respectively.  The Wildcats have reeled off 10 straight wins while the Orangemen have won eight in a row.

VillanovaFacing the heavy favorites will be the Providence Friars and Seton Hall Pirates, who could be up for the challenge as double-digit dogs.

Seton Hall Pirates at Villanova Wildcats (-10 ½, 166)
7 p.m. (ET) - The Pavilion, ESPNU
The Wildcats have been money-makers lately at 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games. Five of these pointspread covers were as double-digit favorites.

‘Nova has not taken the court since a 90-72 thrashing of Notre Dame last Wednesday as an 11-point favorite.   Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds each had 17 points as the scoring leaders for the Wildcats.

The spot could be a challenging one for the hot Wildcats with a six-day layoff.  They were recently idle for five days before a close 82-77 win against Georgetown, and got the ATS cover by only a hook as 4 ½-point favorites.

Seton Hall dropped all four of its games away from home in January, but makes the short trip to Philly with nothing to lose.  The Pirates have been 1-4 ATS in opposing gyms, but have not been this large of an underdog all season.

Herb Pope continues to lead the Big East in rebounds for the Hall, averaging 11.4 per game.  He had 17 boards when the Pirates were upset, 76-74, as two-point road chalk against South Florida last Thursday.

Overtime was needed to lift the 150 combined points ‘over’ the 146 ½-point ‘total.’

Villanova is on a 7-0 SU winning streak against Seton Hall, but is only 4-3 ATS among that stretch.  The ‘over’ has cashed at  4-1 in the last five meetings between these rivals.

Providence Friars at Syracuse Orange (-16, 169)
7 p.m. (ET) - Carrier Dome, ESPN Full Court
The Orange escaped Chicago on Saturday with a 59-57 victory at DePaul, but did not come close to covering ATS as a 14 ½-point favorite.  Wesley Johnson played the entire 40 minutes for ‘Cuse, notching a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

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Tight defense on both ends of the floor plunged the matchup well ‘under’ the ‘total’ of 136.

Five of the last six matchups for Syracuse have ducked ‘under.’  The only exception was a 76-71 victory against Marquette which inched ‘over’ its 143-point ‘total’ by only a couple of buckets.

Syracuse is 6-4 ATS at home, but has yet to be this large of a favorite in Big East play.

The Friars covered ATS on Saturday, getting edged out at Cincinnati, 92-88, as an 8 ½-point underdog.  Sharaud Curry’s 27 points for Providence helped make the contest fly well ‘over’ its ‘total’ of 152 ½.

Providence is 6-3 ATS on the road, and has yet to be a double-digit dog this season.

Curry and Company have been the Big East’s top rebounding team averaging nearly 42 per game, and second to only Villanova in scoring averaging 83.2 PPG.

Syracuse is on a 2-0 streak, SU and ATS, at home between these two squads, as well as a 4-1 streak, SU and ATS, overall.

Memphis Grizzlies growl at home as Lakers road trip ends

February 1, 2010 by Reload

Memphis Grizzlies growl at home as Lakers road trip ends

Game Time: Monday, February 1, 2010 08:00 PM ET

Exiled from LA due to the Grammy Awards, the Lakers end their eight-game road trip tonight in Memphis against the Grizzlies who look to start a new home winning streak.

The Los Angeles Lakers finish their eight game road trip in Memphis on Monday, and have momentum with four straight wins.  Hosting them will be a Grizzlies squad that had an 11-game home winning streak end on Saturday.

Andrew BynumKobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum had 19 points each in Sunday’s tight 90-89 win for the Lakers in Boston against the Celtics.  Bettors pushed right on the number with Los Angeles closing as a one-point favorite.

The combined 179 points ducked well ‘under’ the ‘total’ of 194 ½.

Pau Gasol had his fourth straight double-double with 11 points and rebounds, playing nearly 41 minutes for his most action of the entire road trip.

Los Angeles has been favored for six straight games, going 4-1-1 ATS with the only loss being a 106-105 shootout in Toronto.  The ‘over’ has gotten the money at 4-2 during this stretch.

The Grizzlies will be out for revenge when hosting the Lakers as a 114-98 early-season defeat at Staples Center has to still be on their minds.  Memphis was a 9 ½-point underdog then with Gasol out of the Lakers’ lineup.

Allowing Los Angeles to drain 52.9 percent of its three-point attempts helped stretch 212 combined points ‘over’ the 210 ½-point ‘total.

Memphis has been a different team since then with a 17-6 record at FedEx Forum, and profiting there as 14-8-1 ATS.

Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph combined for 50 points on Saturday when the New Orleans Hornets came to town.  However, the Grizzlies were upset, 109-102, as 7 ½-point favorites despite outrebounding New Orleans, 54-43.

Memphis allowed a 55-36 second-half run by the visitors forcing overtime.  Both squads combined for 17 points in the extra period, and these soared the matchup ‘over’ the ‘total’ of 203 ½.

Randolph is the West’s second-leading rebounder averaging 11.6 boards per game.

His squad gets a scheduling break tonight with the Lakers typically softer on defense in the second game of back-to-back situations.  Los Angeles has given up an average of 100.2 PPG in those spots compared to 96.6 PPG, overall.

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The Lakers have gone 9-3 SU in games with no days of rest, but have split 6-6 ATS.  Backers of the ‘over’ have profited slightly at 6-5-1 in these contests.

Phil Jackson’s club has had four straight victories in Memphis, but has been unprofitable at 2-2 ATS.  ‘Totals’ have also split during this set of meetings.

Sports books opened the pointspread for this clash favoring the Lakers by 2 ½ points.  Early betting action on Memphis bumped the pointspread downward to as low as 1 ½.

The ‘total’ was initially set at 206 ½ points.  Some mild betting on the ‘over’ raised this north a half-point to 207.

Suns, Rockets blast off in battle of cold teams on NBA TV

January 31, 2010 by Reload

Suns, Rockets blast off in battle of cold teams on NBA TV

Joe Freda

The Rockets are on current ATS runs of 1-8 overall and 0-7 at home, while the Suns snapped an 0-4 ATS run last game. Both teams look to end January on a positive note.

The Houston Rockets host the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night with both teams looking to end the month of January differently than the rest of it went.

Phoenix had a run of four straight losses ATS snapped with a 112-106 victory against the Mavericks on Thursday as a two-point favorite. Dallas had as much as a 12-point lead early, but was outscored 28-16 by the Suns in the fourth quarter.

Five late free throws were all that lunged the 218 combined points ‘over’ the 215½-point Total.

Steve NashThe Suns found the rims from three-point land, shooting 60 percent from there. Steve Nash drained a perfect three of three from beyond the arc, and finished with 19 points.

Phoenix will be facing a Rockets squad that has recently been overvalued by the sports books.  Houston has gone 1-8 ATS among their last nine contests, and is on a bankroll-busting 0-7 ATS streak at home.

Aaron Brooks helped end a three-game losing slide for the Rockets with 33 points on Friday in a 104-100 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.  The matchup sailed Over the Total of 194, but the Rockets just missed covering ATS as five-point home chalk.

Rick Adelman’s crew has seen some high-scoring matchups at home with the Over cashing at 13-9 in Toyota Center.  The Rockets have put up 102.4 PPG as a host compared to 100.7 PPG overall.

Nash and Company have scored a league-high of 109.9 PPG, but have allowed 110.4 PPG on the road.

Phoenix has struggled away from home with a 9-15 record, as well as 11-13 ATS.  However, Alvin Gentry’s club has stellar 8-1 SU and 5-4 ATS records when having two days of rest.

The Suns and Rockets have met twice so far with Phoenix sweeping both matchups SU and ATS. Totals split among the two meetings, but came within three points or less of the number each time.

Suns’ guard Leandro Barbosa was present for those battles, but will miss Sunday’s tip.  His teammates have gone 8-11 ATS when he has not been available.

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The Under has cashed at an opposite 11-8 on those occasions.

Houston opened as a three-point favorite, according to SBRodds.com.  Early action pushed the number up a half-point.

The ‘total’ was initially set at 220, but ‘under’ backers made it drop to 219 shortly after.

Sports books closed totals higher than 220 in two of the matchups between these foes last year at 222 ½ and 226.  Both of those duels inched ‘over’ by a bucket or less.

Rockets’ guard Kyle Lowry will miss his first game of the season against Phoenix after spraining his left knee on Friday.  The injury will halt a streak of three straight double-digit scoring efforts off the bench.

Lowry also has the second-highest amount of steals and assists on the Rocket roster despite playing fewer minutes than the starters.

This Western Conference clash is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. (ET), and will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.

Bold Chieftain, Wicked Style live longshots in Sunshine Millions Classic

January 30, 2010 by Reload

Bold Chieftain, Wicked Style live longshots in Sunshine Millions Classic

Joe Freda

Gulfstream and Santa Anita team up for Sunshine Millions on Saturday, a six-race series, and there are a couple of live longshots in Bold Chieftain and Wicked Style.

The sun may be setting on football season, but it is on the rise come Saturday in the horse racing world.  Gulfstream and Santa Anita team up for the Sunshine Millions, which features top California and Florida thoroughbreds going stride for stride in a six-pack of rich purses.

Headlining the card is the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic and two side-by-side longshots are worth a look as overlays.

Horse RacingMorning line odds makers are favoring the duo of The Usual Q.T. (#7) and Compari (#8) to be first at the finish line with 5-2 and 3-1 prices, respectively, in the Classic.  However, as with a lot of California racing action, I am advising to not back the chalk on Santa Anita’s synthetic surface.

Similar to how next weekend’s Super Bowl in Miami will have two dome teams playing outside on grass, the surface matters when it comes to where you put your cash come post time.

The Usual Q.T. has won six straight races, including a win over the respected Battle of Hastings, at Saturday’s same distance of 1 1/8 miles.  All of these efforts were on turf, and it is difficult for me to support betting any favorite who is switching back to synthetic against a large field who will be out for the big money.

Compari has won four out of five starts with all occurring in California, but the most recent two victories were on turf at much shorter distances.  His only start on synthetic at this distance was a victory at Hollywood park nine months ago, but it could be asking a lot to stretch out once again receiving low odds.

My two choices to look at come right after the favored duo in the starting gate, and will be looking for an upset on the outside.

Bold Chieftain (#9) is a 6-1 shot in the morning line, and is a bit of an overlay thanks to being off a fourth place finish earlier this month.  Prior to that, Russell Baze guided him twice to solid victories at 1 1/8-mile and 1 1/16-mile distances.

Closing sharply in both of those efforts should give the only million-dollar earner in this field a shot at another big prize.

Wicked Style (#10) at 10-1 is one of the few Florida-breds in this field and will not be out west for a suntan with Holy Bull and Macho Uno in his blood.  George Arnold’s contender came in the money three out of four times at long distances on the synthetic surfaces at Keeneland, Turfway, and Arlington during 2009.

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A red flag could be present with not racing since November, however having Rafael Bejarano in the saddle makes up for that and more.  Bejarano has been hot this week and is the leading jockey at Santa Anita since the meet began with 23 wins.

HRTV will broadcast this clash live as Race 8 on Santa Anita’s card with a post time of 6:25 p.m. (ET).

Golden Bears, Sun Devils battle for top spot in Pac-10

January 28, 2010 by Reload

Golden Bears, Sun Devils battle for top spot in Pac-10

The Pac-10 is really struggling right now with not a single team in either poll, and it's just possible the conference will only get one invite to the Big Dance this year.

Cal leads the Pac-10 standings at 5-2, but Arizona State is one of five teams at 4-3 ready to inch ahead.  The Sun Devils host the Golden Bears on Thursday as short faves with conference action shifting to the Copper and Beaver States.

Mike MontgomeryDefense got it done for the Golden Bears last week with 65-61 and 89-57 victories against Oregon State and Oregon, respectively, at home.  Both matchups ducked comfortably ‘under’ their respective ‘totals’, and Cal split covering against the spread.

The Golden Bears have also clawed their way to the top thanks to a conference-leading 47.6 percent shooting from the field.  However, it could be a tough test for them on Arizona State’s floor with the Sun Devils allowing only 37.2 percent shooting at home.

Herb Sendek’s Sun Devils had a four-game winning streak snapped as double-digit favorites at the hands of in-state rival Arizona this past Saturday.  The Wildcats scratched out a 77-58 victory over Arizona State thanks to Sendek’s troops being sunburned 52-31 in the second half.

The scoring surge given up by Arizona State was the most points it has surrendered at home.  This made the matchup soar ‘over’ the 127 ½-point ‘total,’ and ended a 7-0 streak for the ‘under’ with the Sun Devils as hosts.

Last season the home team won and covered ATS in both meetings between these foes.  The last four meetings between the Bears and Devils have all seen the ‘over’ get the money.

Arizona State opened as a three-point favorite for this 8:30 p.m. (ET) tip, according to SBRodds.com.  The ‘total’ was initially set at 136 points, identical to the number both of last year’s contests closed at.
http://www.sbrforum.com/Stats/NCAA-Basketball/Matchup/20100128/534.aspx
Stanford Cardinal at Arizona Wildcats (-6 ½, 144)
– 8 p.m. (ET)

The Wildcats and Cardinal come into their matchup hot with two-game winning streaks.  However, Stanford has lost all three of its Pac-10 road meetings, and has a 1-2 ATS record to show for the defeats.

Arizona has not been favored by this much since a couple of cupcake openers to the season where the Wildcats crushed Rice and Northern Arizona as double-digit chalk.

The ‘over’ has been as automatic as dry heat in the Grand Canyon with it cashing among six straight duels in the desert between these schools.

USC Trojans at Oregon State Beavers (+2 ½, 110 ½)
8:30 p.m. (ET) - Gill Coliseum
USC has gone 1-2 on the road since Pac-10 play began, but has cashed ATS in all three tips away from home.  Visiting Oregon State will be the first time all season the Trojans have been made road favorites by the sports books, but the eighth straight time they have been favored against the Beavers.

Rebounding has helped the Trojans keep games tight with Nicola Vucevic and Alex Stepheson averaging 9.5 and 7.9 boards per game, respectively.

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The Beavers come into this contest cold dropping three games in a row, but have been undervalued by the sports books going 5-2 ATS in conference play.

USC has gone an impressive 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS among their last nine meetings against Brent Barry’s alma mater.

All four home games for Oregon State have resulted in enough points to gnaw way ‘over’ the ‘total.’

UCLA Bruins at Oregon Ducks (-3½, 139)
10:30 p.m. (ET) - McArthur Court
The Ducks have not quacked out a victory in their past five games, and have gone a bankroll-busting 0-5 ATS among them, as well.  They will face a UCLA team coming in with some momentum after two victories and ATS covers last week against Washington and Washington State.

Bruins’ freshman Reeves Nelson has turned some heads off the bench by leading the Pac-10 in shooting at 62.5 percent.  His teammates have scored just enough to stretch most road games ‘over’ the ‘total’ with it collecting at 4-3 in those spots.

Three of the last four meetings between the Bruins and Ducks have floated ‘over’ the ‘total’ with the only other slipping ‘under’ by just a couple of buckets.

Thursday afternoon betting on DARTS

January 28, 2010 by Reload
Can't get any better than this for some Thursday afternoon degenerate betting

Darts Other Sports Money Line [B]PDC Players Championship
[/B]Thu 1/28
301 Dennis Ovens+155 2:15PM
302 Colin Lloyd -185
Thu 1/28
303 Tony Eccles +170 2:45PM
304 Steve Beaton -215
Thu 1/28
305 Paul Nicholson -165 3:15PM
306 Dennis Priestley +135
Thu 1/28
307 Andy Hamilton -170 4:00PM
308 Alan Tabern +140
Thu 1/28
309 Vincent Van Der Voort +155 4:30PM
310 Terry Jenkins -185
Thu 1/28
311 Peter Manley +1900 5:00PM
312 Phil Taylor -2500
Thu 1/28
313 Kevin Painter -150 5:45PM
314 Robert Thornton +120
Thu 1/28
315 Brendon Dolan +460 6:15PM
316 Adrian Lewis -700

Clemson, Boston College contest headlines ACC Tuesday action

January 26, 2010 by Reload

Clemson, Boston College contest headlines ACC Tuesday action

Two straight losses have dropped Clemson out of the latest AP poll and now the Tigers have to go to Chestnut Hill as three-point favorites to face the Boston College Eagles.

The Clemson Tigers have dropped two in a row and fallen out of the latest AP rankings.  It may not get any easier for Oliver Purnell’s troops with starting guard Demontez Stitt doubtful to play on Tuesday when they head north for an ESPN2 date with the Boston College Eagles.

SBR BasketballClemson Tigers at Boston College Eagles (+3, 135)
Conte Forum – 7 p.m. (ET) ESPN2
Clemson hosted the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday night, and disappointed their crowd by losing 60-47 to Coach K and Company as a two-point underdog. Trevor Booker put up 24 points for the Tigers, but his teammates only hit two of 13 shots from beyond the arc, leading to 107 combined points ducking way ‘under’ the 147 ½-point ‘total.’

Scoring could come at an even bigger premium with Stitt expected to miss a contest for the first time this season with an injured foot.  He has reached double figures in eight of the last nine games for Clemson.

The Eagles have started conference play 1-4 with the only win being an upset in Miami as 6 ½-point underdogs one week ago.  They also went on to cover against the spread this past Saturday at Virginia Tech in a tight 63-62 defeat to the Hokies, receiving seven points as a dog there.

Purnell’s squad has dominated recent meetings in this series with a current 4-0, SU and ATS, streak for the Tigers.

Combined points in the last six meetings have plunged ‘under’ the total on five occasions, however, the lowest number set by sports books among this set of matchups was 138 ½.

The ‘under’ has cashed at 5-2 for Clemson in opposing gyms, and at 4-1-1 for the Eagles as a host.

Miami Hurricanes at Maryland Terrapins (-7, 145 ½)
Comcast Center – 7 p.m. (ET) ESPNU
The Miami Hurricanes blow up the East Coast to Maryland where they were defeated last season, 73-68, as 1 ½-point underdogs by the Terps.

Miami has cooled off losing three straight and is on a disappointing 0-4 ATS run.  Maryland has spiraled in the opposite direction winning five out of six and has been collecting at the betting windows with five straight ATS covers.

Big points have lifted recent contests above the ‘total’ for both squads with the ‘over’ cashing at a combined 9-2-1 among the last six matchups each roster has played.  The ‘over’ has also collected at 4-1 in Maryland’s five home games.

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However, the ‘under’ has profited at 5-1 in the last six head-to-head meetings of these ACC foes.

North Carolina Tar Heels at N.C. State Wolf Pack (+2, 153)
RBC Center – 9 p.m. (ET) ESPN Full Court
Roy Williams needs to find some answers in a hurry for his Tar Heels as they have suffered three losses in a row.  Underperforming has made the pointspread among the lowest in recent memory when these in-state rivals meet in Raleigh.

The Tar Heels have emptied wallets going 1-6 ATS among their last seven matchups while the Wolf Pack have cashed at 3-2 ATS since ACC play began this month.

UNC is also expected to be without forward Ed Davis again, who missed the team’s last game on January 20.  The Tar Heels were upset that night by Wake Forest at home, 82-69, as 6 ½-point chalk.

‘Totals’ have stretched ‘over’ in the last five meetings among these squads.

Cleveland Cavaliers look to stay hot in Miami on NBA TV

January 25, 2010 by Reload

Cleveland Cavaliers look to stay hot in Miami on NBA TV

The Cleveland Cavaliers, slowed by injuries to Mo Williams and Delonte West, head south to Florida on this winter's night to face Dwyane Wade and the Heat.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had some injuries mount up, but have won six of their last seven games.  They head southeast on Monday to face the Miami Heat, who will be stepping up in class after going 3-1, SU and ATS, against a few of the league’s also-rans.

Michael BeasleyCleveland hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, and held off a third quarter boom from the visitors to edge out a win, 100-99.  However, LeBron James' 37 points was not enough to cover the pointspread with the Cavs as eight-point favorites, and continued a cold 1-4-1 ATS run in their last six.

Better defense had been expected in this clash with the ‘total’ set at 191, but 199 combined points soared ‘over’ this number.  James hit six of 10 three-pointers while his teammates shot 49.3 percent overall from the field.

Scoring on the road has not been a problem for Cleveland as the Cavaliers have put up an average of 101 PPG in opposing gyms.  But James and Company will be without Mo Williams for a while, and he had been a major contributor from beyond the arc hitting shots from downtown at 42.9 percent.

Delonte West is also expected to miss Monday’s matchup with the Heat, and not having him in Saturday’s game may have been one factor for a closer win than expected.  Cleveland has split its games ATS at 5-5 when West has been out of the lineup and the ‘over’ has collected at 6-3-1.

Miami has been heating up at home winning five of their last seven in American Airlines Arena, as well as cashing ATS at 5-2 in this stretch of matchups.

Dwayne Wade lead the Heat with 27 points en route to a 115-84 crowning of the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, and Miami backers easily got the money laying seven points.  The 199 combined points barely dipped ‘under’ the closing ‘total’ of 201 by a bucket.

The Heat will have some revenge on their minds after losing 111-104 to the Cavaliers when hosting them in November as a one-point favorite.  They will get a break with Williams missing Monday’s rematch, as he torched Miami for five three-pointers and 25 points last time out.

Both squads combined for 53 personal fouls in November’s meeting, and a total of three technical fouls were issued, as well.

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Mike Brown’s squad has gone 3-1 SU and ATS in its last four trips to southern Florida.

TheGreek opened betting action for this contest by making Cleveland a 1 ½-point favorite, and setting the ‘total’ at 190, according to SBRodds.com.  Most early action has appeared to be on the Heat as TheGreek and Pinnacle moved the juice quickly to -115 and -116, respectively, to charge a higher premium for taking the 1 ½ points.

The ‘under’ has collected at 13-10 in Heat home games, but the ‘over’ is on a 4-0 streak in meetings between these squads within the Sunshine state.

These conference rivals will tip at 7:30 p.m. (ET) and NBA TV will televise the matchup nationally.

Bearcats, Panthers road dogs in Sunday Big East doubleheader

January 24, 2010 by Reload
[B][SIZE=3]Bearcats, Panthers road dogs in Sunday Big East doubleheader[/SIZE][/B]

Sunday, January 24, 2010 01:52 PM ET
By: [URL="http://www.sbrforum.com/Handicappers/126-joe-freda.aspx"]Joe Freda[/URL] | [URL="http://reload.mysbrforum.com/"][COLOR=#0000ff]reload.mysbrforum.com[/COLOR][/URL]


The Pitt Panthers come off their first loss in the Big East with a match at Seton Hall while Cincinnati heads to Louisville to meet the Cardinals at Freedom Hall.

Conference championship Sunday may be taking place in the NFL, but cash can be made before the kickoffs with college hoops on the board.

[IMG]http://www.sbrforum.com/forum//Pictures/091229_cincinnatimickcronin200x250.jpg[/IMG]The Big East features two matchups as the Cincinnati Bearcats cross the Kentucky border to meet the Louisville Cardinals while the Seton Hall Pirates host the... More...
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