It is pretty safe to say that Portland is struggling this season. After last season’s breakthrough, the Blazers were a strong bet to get even better but it has not gone that way thus far. They are 14-11 to start the season which is good for a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference but things do need to get better and this could be the perfect spot. Portland is coming off a four-game roadtrip out east where it went just 1-3 that included a loss against Cleveland where it blew a big lead and an overtime loss in Milwaukee. Overall, the Blazers are 2-6 over their last eight games which came on the heels of a very solid 10-2 run but could not keep it going. Portland is back in the Rose Garden where it is just 1-2 in its last three games and 8-4 overall. This game starts a short homestand with Phoenix next before the Blazers once again take to the road for a four-game trip that consists of games against Orlando, Miami, Dallas and San Antonio. That makes this game pretty important. Sacramento is definitely a pleasant surprise in the Western Conference and probably one of the biggest surprises in the NBA. The Kings are 10-12 to start the season which is a significant improvement from its 6-16 record through 22 games a season ago. It is not playoff material but it is competitive enough to where we get a break on the lines and that is the case here. The Kings are 9-3 at home but only 1-9 on the road and winning away from home was a huge problem last season when they went only 6-35 in the 41 road games. Sacramento is coming off a win last time out at home against Minnesota by 20 points and that could spell letdown. The Kings took three of the four games in the season series two years ago and Portland returned the favor last season by sweeping all three games by an average of 18 ppg. The Blazers were favored by 12 points in each of the two home games last season and I don’t think the gap has closed this much to nearly cut the line in half in the first meeting this season. The Kings have been a covering machine of late, going 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games but this is not a spot for that to continue. Sacramento is only 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games on the road after covering two or more straight games. Also Portland is 22-10 ATS in its last 32 home games after covering two out of its last three games.
3* Portland Trailblazers It is pretty safe to say that Portland is struggling this season. After last season’s breakthrough, the Blazers were a strong bet to get even better but it has not gone that way thus far. They are 14-11 to start the season which is good for a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference but things do need to get better and this could be the perfect spot. Portland is coming off a four-game roadtrip out east where it went just 1-3 that included a loss against Cleveland where it blew a big lead and an overtime loss in Milwaukee. Overall, the Blazers are 2-6 over their last eight games which came on the heels of a very solid 10-2 run but could not keep it going. Portland is back in the Rose Garden where it is just 1-2 in its last three games and 8-4 overall. This game starts a short homestand with Phoenix next before the Blazers once again take to the road for a four-game trip that consists of games against Orlando, Miami, Dallas and San Antonio. That makes this game pretty important. Sacramento is definitely a pleasant surprise in the Western Conference and probably one of the biggest surprises in the NBA. The Kings are 10-12 to start the season which is a significant improvement from its 6-16 record through 22 games a season ago. It is not playoff material but it is competitive enough to where we get a break on the lines and that is the case here. The Kings are 9-3 at home but only 1-9 on the road and winning away from home was a huge problem last season when they went only 6-35 in the 41 road games. Sacramento is coming off a win last time out at home against Minnesota by 20 points and that could spell letdown. The Kings took three of the four games in the season series two years ago and Portland returned the favor last season by sweeping all three games by an average of 18 ppg. The Blazers were favored by 12 points in each of the two home games last season and I don’t think the gap has closed this much to nearly cut the line in half in the first meeting this season. The Kings have been a covering machine of late, going 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games but this is not a spot for that to continue. Sacramento is only 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games on the road after covering two or more straight games. Also Portland is 22-10 ATS in its last 32 home games after covering two out of its last three games.
Play: Rider (+7 -110) Line Source: SPORTSBOOK Posted on: December 15, 2009 @ 10:20:40 AM EST
**9** CBB DARK HORSE DANDY **68% ANGLE** One particular game stands out on the Rutgers schedule and that is the game against Colgate where the Scarlet Knights won by only nine points. That is a game Rutgers should be winning handily as the Red Raiders are now 0-9 on the season and considered one of the worst teams in Division I (ranked 326th out of 345 teams). Overall Rutgers has played the 342nd ranked schedule so its 6-2 record is hardly impressive. Adding to that is the fact that Rutgers now has to play on without its best big man as Gregory Echenique is out for a month after needing eye surgery. He is the team’s leading rebounder and the second leading scorer. On the season Rutgers is hitting 65.9 percent from the free throw line and that is just below what I consider the mediocre line which is right at 66 percent. Also, despite playing a cupcake schedule, the Scarlet Knights have a 0.91 assist/turnover ratio and that comes down to the play of the point guard which was one of the big questions coming into this season. Rider has suffered some big losses this season as it fell to Kentucky by 29 points and Virginia by 33 points but the Broncs are not without big wins as well. In their opener they went to Mississippi St. and defeated the Bulldogs while more recently they took out St. Josephs. This is a team that has the ability to unseat Siena in the MAAC if things come together like they should. They went 19-13 last season and have four starters back including guard Ryan Thompson, the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. He averaged 18 ppg last season and while his scoring is down this year, 15.1 ppg, the Broncs have four players averaging double digits all of which happen to be those four returnees. Despite the easy slate for Rutgers of late, it has struggled making shots and that is a part of a situation that favors Rider. Play on road teams that are allowing 45 percent or worse shooting on the season going up against an opponent that have shot less than 40 percent from the floor in three straight games. This situation is 68-32 ATS (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* Rider Broncs
Matt Fargo 12/15
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