Slam Dunk 'o The Day

EaglesPhan36 · 11-09-2007, 06:40 PM

My plays this season: All plays are for ONE unit unless otherwise noted. All lines are courtesy of Bookmaker.com. For weekly record purposes, my week runs from MON-SUN.

FRI 11/9: 7:00 ET tipoff

Loyola (MD) -3 (-110) @ Towson

Loyola returns four starters from last year's squad including stud Gerald Brown who averaged 20+ pts per game last season while guiding Loyola to 18 wins. Marques Sullivan should lead the outside shooting barrage for Loyola. Loyola is picked to be a contender in the MAAC this season along with Siena.

On the other side, Towson lost one of the nation's leading scorers in Gary O'Neal who averaged 25+ pts per game. Towson is relying mainly on returnees (CC Williams is top returnee only averaged 6+ pts last season) to play above their #s from last year while meshing in some younger players as they battle in the Colonial Athletic Association where most pick them to be in the bottom 3 of the 12 team league.

**Note** Towson won last year's meeting between the two teams 70-62 @ Loyola.

Analysis: I believe Loyola will have the more cohesive unit to start the season with their 4 returning starters while Towson could struggle to find the right mix of players at the beginning of the season. Even on the road, I believe Loyola should cover this one tonight.

I do not claim to be an expert. This is purely based on my gut feeling and the research I do in looking at games.

RESULT: (L) Towson wins 83-69

bigboydan · 11-09-2007, 06:57 PM

The only thing I liked in this game was the under 142.5, but I passed on it Mr.Eagles.

BOL to you tonight sir

EaglesPhan36 · 11-09-2007, 09:36 PM

Loyola got absolutely skunked tonight. Solid start to the season for me.

ATS (0-1) -1.1 units

EaglesPhan36 · 11-10-2007, 12:34 PM

SAT 11/10: 8:00 pm ET tipoff

UAB @ Georgia State OVER 128.5

Former IU Coach Mike Davis should have more talent to work with this season at UAB as transfers Walter Sharpe (Miss St), Robert Vaden (IU) and Channing Toney (UGA) are now eligible to play. Throw in returning guard Paul Delaney who was a first team All-CUSA selection and the UAB offense should be potent this season.

Georgia State will struggle under new coach Rod Barnes in all likelihood. He lost leading scorer Lance Perique and will have to rely on Leonard Mendez to carry the scoring load. G-State should hoist 3s up fairly routinely as evidenced in their exhibition game vs. Clark where they hit 12 of 23 from distance.

Analysis: I think UAB comes out looking to make a statement that they will be a team to be reckoned with this season. I think they score anywhere from 70-85 points in this game. That means G-State will just need to pick up the slack and hit near the 60 mark to cash this one in. With a team that likes to shoot 3s, I think that can happen hopefully!

Result: (W) UAB wins 86-63, Total Pts = 149

bigboydan · 11-10-2007, 01:19 PM

I really didn't have a feel on the total at all, however I did take Georgia State +10 in this game earlier today Mr.Eagles.

EaglesPhan36 · 11-11-2007, 12:39 PM

SUN 11/11 3:30pm ET Tipoff

Northwestern St vs. Harvard UNDER 162

Not going to in-depth with this pick. This total just seems awfully high to me for two teams that struggled to score points in their first two games. NWST's main weapon, the 3 ball, has been hit and miss in their first two games. They're 12 of 40 from distance so far. Harvard has struggled in all aspects of the game so far this season, especially FT shooting where they were at 50% (13-26) in their first game and just slightly better at 16-26 in game 2. If these two teams do open up and score, FTs sometimes make the difference in a cover at the end.

Analysis: I expect both teams will show better form today because they are stepping down in competition against each other, but I believe this game will hit below the inflated # of 162.

1-1 ATS (-.10 units)

Result: (W) Harvard wins 90-60, Total Pts = 150

idontlikerocks · 11-11-2007, 06:20 PM

thanx eagles fan for your last 2 picks i put em both in parleys keep em coming thanx again

EaglesPhan36 · 11-12-2007, 12:30 PM

(2-1) ATS +.90 units

Nice to have a positive # there with a couple wins. Waiting for some of the totals for today to pop up before I make a selection. Looks like it might be a chalk eating day on some of the top teams if nothing else.

EaglesPhan36 · 11-12-2007, 03:24 PM

MON 11/12 6:00pm ET Tipoff

Delaware St. vs Columbia OVER 120.5

Scouring deep into the card to try to find a solid pick and this is where we land today. This total seems just a tad low to me with two teams that seem likely to attempt plenty of 3s. Despite playing against D-2 teams, Delaware St. showed that they will make the 3 ball a major part of their offensive scheme by putting up 22 & 18 attempts in their first two games, hitting 16 3s combined. Delaware St. also struggled to win 70-69 in their last game, so defense could be an issue for them as well. Columbia struggled vs. Fordham on defense in their lone game this season, allowing 11 of 21 from beyond the arc. Columbia did connect on 8 3s of their own in 20 attempts. Both teams are adequate FT shooting teams so far, which could also aid in squeaking by the #.

Analysis: I don't think the # is going to get blown out of the water by any means in this game, but I do believe that both teams are capable of getting 60+ points with perhaps one even lifting upwards of 70. We'll probably be sweating this one out, but I believe a total in the mid 120s or higher could be our end result.

Result (L) Columbia wins 47-41, Total pts = 88

EaglesPhan36 · 11-12-2007, 07:20 PM

Gonna chalk this up as a loss already. Both Delaware St. and Columbia have fallen off the map offensively after a quick start that saw 30 points in the 1st 8 minutes of the 1st half ... there's been 26 in the next 20!

(2-2) ATS (-.10 units)

EaglesPhan36 · 11-12-2007, 08:51 PM

MON 11/11 10:30pm ET Tipoff

W.Michigan @ Oregon (-15.5)

Well after seeing alot of the plays that I looked and liked play out pretty well, I decided I'd add one for tonight because this was the other one I really liked other than the skunk listed above.

Not much necessary to look at this one. Both W.Michigan and Oregon have played Pacific & Pepperdine in this tournament. WM lost by 14 to Pacific and struggled to beat Pepperdine by 5. Oregon meanwhile manhandled both clubs, beating Pacific by 16 and Pepperdine by 30. Oregon is playing on their home court with both teams playing their 3rd game in as many days. The Ducks have shot over 50% from the floor so far and hit over 45% from 3. WMich meanwhile is struggling, hitting just 39% from the floor and 34% from 3. Oregon is also doing a better job on the boards thus far and has limited its opponents to 35% shooting while WM has given up 42% from the floor. The only negative thus far for Oregon has been poor FT shooting.

Analysis: Playing on their home floor should be a great advantage for the Ducks. W.Michigan does not appear to have the fire power needed to stick with this up-tempo group of Ducks.

Result: (L) Oregon wins 97-88

YTD 2-3 (-1.10 units)

Crappy day on Monday. One of those days where you don't make the bets that would have won and do make the ones that don't

EaglesPhan36 · 11-13-2007, 06:42 PM

TUES. 11/13 9:00pm ET Tipoff

Oral Roberts @ Texas A&M OVER 129.5

This total looks low to me as two teams that have the horses to push the tempo meet in College Station. ORU beat-up a nobody in SW Oklahoma State 84-59 in their opener. ORU shot 56% from the floor and nearly 40% from long range on 9 of 23 shooting. Nearly half their shots came from beyond the arc. Robert Jarvis and Moses Ehambe did most of the damage, hitting 8 of those 3s.

A&M was solid, yet unspectacluar in their opener vs. McNeese State, a 73-50 win in Coach Mark Turgeon's first game at the helm. The Aggies held McNeese to 37% FG shooting and forced 19 turnovers. That could come into play tonight with ORU having turned the ball over 26 times in their first game. Plenty of easy points! Offensively, the Aggies shot 54% and 5 of 13 from 3-land. Joseph Jones should play big again down low for A&M and newcomer DeAndre Jordan could pick up some of the scoring slack left by the graduated Acie Law.

Analysis: A&M should have little problem putting up points against this Oral Roberts team that let an average-at-best SW Oklahoma State grab 59 in their opener. A&M should hit for 70+ points in this game and it wouldn't surprise me if they approached or exceeded 80. That means ORU needs to pick up the slack and chip in somewhere near 60 points on the low end to help clear this # tonight. I think turnovers and fast break points by both squads help us get the over cashed.

Result: (L) Texas A&M wins 67-53, Total Pts = 120

bigboydan · 11-13-2007, 07:31 PM

I don't know if this game can go over that total at all Mr.Eagles. Oral Roberts suspended one of their very prolific scorers in Marchello Vealy.

BOL to you sir

EaglesPhan36 · 11-13-2007, 07:44 PM

Vealy was a decent player for them last season, but inconsistent. He had a big game vs. Kansas, but otherwise he was averaging under 10 per game for the season. We'll see how it goes, I'm banking on A&M to do alot of the work!

EaglesPhan36 · 11-13-2007, 11:05 PM

Doh. Another loser. If ORU shows up in the first half, mighta woulda coulda.

YTD 2-4 (-2.10 units)

EaglesPhan36 · 11-14-2007, 05:12 PM

**All Lines courtesy of Bookmaker**

WED 11/14 PLAYS

8pm ET Tip: Detroit +11 @ St.Louis

Look for the Titans to keep this game close enough to cover tonight when they travel to take on Rick Majerus' Billikens. Detroit won their opener at the buzzer vs. MAC rep Kent State, 61-60. Jon Goode was the leading scorer with 22 pts in that contest, but it's Brandon Cotton who you should keep an eye on tonight. Cotton, the team's leading scorer from last season, was suspended along with Goode prior to the season. With his return, Detroit should have enough ammo to stick with St.Louis. The Billikens will be tough though as they proved in an 11 pt. loss to 22nd Pitt in their last game. Kevin Lisch is the key cog to the St.Louis attack and that should provide for a good match-up with Goode or Cotton. I'm banking on Cotton getting solid minutes in this one and Detroit's outside attack to get them the cover.

Result: (W) St.Louis wins 66-58.

7pm ET Tip: Rhode Island -6 @ Brown

I'm taking the Rams tonight to control the tempo of this one and run away from Brown for a cover. RI is bringing back all five of last year's starters from a 19-14 squad and one that destroyed Florida Atlantic by 37 pts in their opener. The Rams are best when they force turnovers and can keep up a more frenetic pace. Jimmy Barron being the likely candidate to light it up from outside for RI. They'll need a better night from low post threat Will Daniels who was their leading scorer last season, but had just 7 in the opener. The Rams also have a talented bench with two guys Mbang and Cothran contributing double figures in the season opener. Their D forced 25 turnovers from FAU. For Brown, they'll look to the 3 ball also after hitting 10 of 17 against E.Michigan in a win and just 10 of 29 in a 15 pt. loss to Michigan. If Brown is to keep this one close, they'll need to rebound better. They were beaten on the boards -10 against Michigan. I look for Brown to keep this one close into the 2nd half, but I believe the Rams have the better all-around talent and depth to cover here.

Result: (W) 75-61 Rhode Island wins

YTD 4-4 (-0.10 units)