Handicappers Picks

Sunday afternoon will mark the culmination of what has been a very eventful Men’s Olympic Hockey tournament. It is being played by two teams that have a little revenge on their minds – the US wanting to avenge a Gold Medal final loss eight years ago in Salt Lake City and the Canadians wanting to avenge a 5-3 loss to the Americans during the Round Robin portion of the tournament.

Moneyline Odds: Canada: -210 : USA: +160
Sunday 3pm EST on NBC
CLICK HERE TO WAGER ON USA VS. CANADA OLYMPIC HOCKEY

Team Canada had been on quite a rollercoaster ride during the 2010 Olympics. They started somewhat slowly against Norway, had a “hiccup game” against the Swiss and then fell flat against the USA in the Round Robin. Canada was relegated to the Qualification Round to the chagrin of most Canadians. Who could have predicted that an extra game and a little humble pie was what Team Canada needed to find their groove and to reach their potential? Canada dismantled Team Germany and defeated a stubborn Slovakia to earn a spot in Sunday’s Gold Medal final.

For Team Canada, it is not the veterans that have been getting it done in these Olympics. Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla, Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger have had flashes in this tournament but have also disappeared at times. It is the youngsters that have been leading the way. Shea Webber and Drew Doughty on Defense and Ryan Getzlaf, Correy Perry and Jonathan Toews on offense have really carried Team Canada to this point. The veteran presence of Martin Brodeur in goal for Canada was an experiment that largely failed, handing Canada’s International Hockey reigns to Roberto Luongo who has played good, mistake-free hockey thus far.

The youth movement is on for Canada’s International Hockey program and it is a good thing. Canada is going to need every bit of their youthful energy to slow down the high flying Americans on Sunday.

CLICK HERE TO WAGER ON USA VS. CANADA OLYMPIC HOCKEY

Team USA has been on quite a roll during this Olympic tournament. They are 5-0 and show no signs of letting up. The Americans have fed off of their underdog roll so far but have emerged on everyone’s radar now. General Manager Brian Burke built this team to be difficult to play against. He picked players with speed, grit and a physical element and it has worked wonders. They have developed a tremendous chemistry and they enjoy a surprisingly balanced attack with a different player stepping up seemingly every game.

Team USA is not the collection of established Superstars that Team Canada is, they are a group of young , budding stars that we will be hearing from for a long time. The future of USA Hockey has developed quicker that most imagined – here they are in the Gold Medal Final of the Olympic Games. The youthful Patrick Kane, Zach Parise and Paul Statsny have been excellent for the American squad, they young defense that includes Jack and Erik Johnson and Brian Rafalski have been stellar and goaltender Ryan Miller is demonstrating to the world why he is regarded as the beast goalie on the planet right now.

Sunday’s Gold Medal final is one that not many predicted but is one that is deserved. Like it or not, the Canada-US rivalry has supplanted the Canada-Russia rivalry that dominated the International Hockey world for the past 40 or so years. Canada will battle nerves but I think that they learned enough from their 5-3 loss to the Americans during the Round Robin to improve and defeat Team USA for Gold on Home Ice. “Oh Canada” will be sung by every Canadian with a voice on Sunday afternoon!

USA vs. Canada Pick: Team Canada in a 5-4 thriller! (The Total currently sits at 5 ½ goals – it is something to ponder as well when making your Gold Medal bets) – Courtesy of Dave Bond: Betus.com News Feed: Featured on Handicapperspicks.com

Boise State vs. New Mexico State
Free Pick: New Mexico State -7 (February 27th 2010 – Tom Freese)
Want more free college basketball picks? Visit Sports Handicappers Picks

Boise St is 13-15 overall and they are 3-10 in Conference Play. Forward Ike Okoye scores 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. Forward Robert Arnold scores 10.5 points a game. La’Shard Anderson scores 10.2 points a game. Daequon Montreal scores 10 points a game. The Broncos score 73.3 points a game. Boise St is 2-5 ATS off a straight up win and they are 3-7-1 ATS their last 11 meetings with the Aggies. New Mexico St is 18-9 overall and they are 10-3 in Conference Play. Jahmar Young scores 21 points a game. Guard Johnathan Gibson scores 18 points a game while shooting 40.7% from behind the arc. Forward Troy Gillenwater scores 13.8 points a game. Forward Wendell McKines scores 11.2 points a game. Center Hamidu Rahman scores 10.6 points and 8 rebounds a game. The Aggies score 78 points a game and they 12-3-1 ATS their 16 league games and they are 8-1-1 ATS their last 10 Saturday games.

Tulsa vs. East Carolina
Free Pick: Tulsa -9.5 (February 27th 2010 – Steve Merril)
Want more free college basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

Tulsa is in a funk right now; the Golden Hurricane have lost four straight games and five of their last six overall. However, all five of those losses have come against very good teams in UTEP (twice), Memphis, Marshall, and Duke. There’s no shame in losing to any one of those teams, so the recent bad run by Tulsa isn’t as bad as it seems.

Tonight, Tulsa takes a huge step down in class as they travel to East Carolina and take on a team that is simply playing out the string. The Pirates are a dismal 9-18 on the season, and considering they are facing a desperate Tulsa team in dire need of a win, they can expect to be on the losing end once again. East Carolina has been repeatedly waxed by good teams this season. In fact, of their 18 losses, 12 of them have come by double digits.

Despite Tulsa laying over East Carolina in terms of talent, we cannot make them a Best Bet tonight for a couple of reasons. First, and foremost, they are a fragile team right now. Tulsa was the preseason conference favorite, and since they’ve underperformed, there’s concern that their psyche is shattered. They could very well name the score here, but if they are not fully focused and fail to bring their ‘A’ game, they’ll be hard-pressed to win by double digits. Secondly, Tulsa is just 4-7 on the road this year with all four wins coming by 7 points or less. Those two reasons are enough to downgrade Tulsa to Free Play status even though they are the superior team in this game.

LSU vs. Auburn
Free Pick: Auburn -8.5 (February 27th 2010 – Rob Vinciletti)
Want more free college basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

On Saturday the free play is on Auburn. Game 622 at 7:00 eastern. The Tigers are 21-3 vs teams who average 65 or less with several big covers. When they play losing teams they have won 19 of 22 and have cashed 6 of the last 7 Saturday games. Tonight they catch an LSU team that wont remind anyone of the days when Shaq played there. LSU is 1-12 in the conference this year with their lone win coming on Thursday night at home vs Arkansas. Look for them to regress back to normal tonight as they are 0-10 on the road losing by an average 18 points per game. When they have home loss revenge they are 0-4 and have failed 3 times vs the spread. They lost and failed to cover every time this year on the road in this range as a dog. Take Auburn tonight. On the Saturday card I have the WAC Goy with a huge Power angle that has cashed 21 of 22 times. I also have a Triple angle NCAAB Total, The Big DOG 90% TV game and a Last Home game System Side. We went 5-1 Last Saturday and much like Last weeks big play I expect this WAC GOY game to win with no problem. NBA will be on the late report. For the free play take Auburn. RV

Portland Trailblazers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Free NBA Pick: Portland -4 (February 27th 2010 – Big Al McMordie
Want more free NBA basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Portland Trail Blazers minus the points over Minnesota. Portland has won two of its first three games on this five-game road trip, although the loss came last night, by four points, in Chicago as a 3.5-point underdog. Minnesota is mired in a big slump, as the Timberwolves have won just one of their previous nine games, including a blowout loss last night in Oklahoma City. Tonight, we’ll take the road-favored Trail Blazers, as Portland falls into a 64-35 ATS system of mine. What we want to do is play on any .550 (or better) road favorite of less than eight points that failed to cover as a road underdog its last time out, if it is matched up against a .399 (or worse) opponent off back to back losses. Portland is a super 27-13 ATS as a road favorite, and Minny is 28-41 ATS at home its last 69. Take Portland. Good luck, as always…Big Al McMordie.

Al McMordie is having a terrific week, CASHING 4 of his 5 Releases here. Last Saturday, Big Al SMASHED the Books with his Sun Belt Conference Game of the Year on Louisiana Monroe, and Al has another HUGE Conference Game of the Year Winner today out of a 76-33 ATS System. Get on it.

Niagara vs. Manhattan
Free Pick: Niagara -3.5 (February 26th 2010 – Tom Freese)
Want more free college basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

Manhattan is 10-17 overall and 4-12 in Conference Play. Guard Rico Pickett scores 17.8 points a game. Guard Darryl Crawford scores 14.5 points and 6 rebounds a game. No other player on the team scores more 7.9 points a game. The Jaspers score just 64.6 points a game and they shoot just 68% from the foul line. The Jaspers are 0-5 ATS off an ATS win and they are 9-25-1 ATS their last 35 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. Niagara is 16-13 overall and they are 8-8 in Conference Play. Guard Tyrone Lewis scores 16.7 points a game. Forward Bilal Been scores 13.6 points and 9.9 rebounds a game. Guard Rob Garrison scores 11 points a game. Guard Anthony Nelson 10.2 points a game. Forward Demetrius Williamson scores 9.8 points a game. The Purple Eagles score 72.5 points a game. Niagara is 24-9 ATS their last 33 games as favorites of 0.5 to 6.5 points and they are 4-0 ATS their last 4 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. PLAY ON NIAGARA -

Detroit Pistons vs. Denver Nuggets
Free Pick: Detroit +10.5 (February 26th 2010 – Jimmy the Moose)
Want more free NBA basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

The Pistons are having another season to forget and the end of the year can’t come soon enough for this club. Tonight they face a Nuggets team that they have had success against and they are hoping that trend continues tonight. There aren’t many stats that support the Pistons in most games that they play but look for them to keep tonight’s game closer than the line would indicate. Detroit is 7-20 SU on the road but 11-15-1 ATS. Detroit has covered the line in 2 of their last 3 games coming into this one.

Denver was on the road to face the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night and will be the more tired of the two clubs tonight. The Nuggets are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games played with 0-day rest between action. Denver is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400. In their last 17 games vs. a team with a SU losing record they are 3-13-1 ATS. The Nuggets are 7-17-1 ATS in their last 25 games as a favorite.

There is no doubt that the Nuggets are the better team by far in this one but look for them to play down to their competition tonight. The Pistons are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 trips to Denver. In the last 16 meetings overall between the clubs the Nuggets are 3-13 ATS. Look for the trend to continue as the Pistons cover the line again tonight.

Georgia vs. Vanderbilt
Free Pick: Vanderbilt -11.5 (February 25th 2010 – Freddy Wills)
Want more free college basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

I’m going with Vanderbilt I feel strongly that they will bounce back from the Kentucky heart breaker. Georgia has been tough at times, but have not much to show for it with an 0-9 road record. Vandy will be focused with revenge on mind for losing by 14 @ Georgia earlier this season where they shot a dreadful 32.8% and gave up 55% shooting to Georgia. Look for that to be flip flopped with a lot of other stats as Vandy is holding opponents to 38% shooting on their home court while shooting over 50%. The biggest advantage they will have is Georgia’s inability to take care of the ball. Georgia -7 turnovers per game on the road and they were -11 TO @ home earlier this year to Vanderbilt. I look for that to be a huge advantage along with it being the first time head Coach Fox will coach at Vanderbilt. It will be a challenge trying to coach from the baseline.

Free Pick: South Alabama +2 (Jimmy Boyd)
This matchup has been all about home court so we can’t really read too much into the 71-48 loss Denver handed South Bama last month except that it has provided plenty of motivation for the Jags. In fact, the home team is an impressive 15-3 ATS in the last 18 meetings. The Pioneers are about as poor a road team as you’ll find. They are 2-10 SU when playing away from home this season and 1-10 ATS in those lined games. In fact, the Pioneers are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. S. Bama is off back-to-back losses, and this is its last home games of the season so you can expect it to play with a great deal of pride and passion tonight. Take the Jags.

Free Pick: San Diego -3.5 (Rocky Atkinson)
Loyola Marymount is 0-4 SU and ATS last 3 years as a road underdog of 3 1/2 to 6 points. Lions are 7-17 ATS in their last 24 games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5. Lions are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400. Lions are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog of 0.5-6.5. Toreros are 20-9 ATS in their last 29 games as a home favorite of 0.5-6.5. Loyola Marymount is 11-57 SU as an underdog the past 3 years and 7-35 SU on the road the past 3 seasons. We’ll recommend a small play on San Diego tonight! Thanks and good luck, Rocky

Want more free college basketball picks each day? Visit Handicappers Picks for free and premium sports predictions from professional sports handicappers

Idaho vs. New Mexico State
Free Pick: New Mexico State -4.5 (February 24th 2010 – Matt Fargo)
Want more free college basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

The way I see it, the markets have not caught up with New Mexico St. for some reason and we are still getting value on the Aggies so we will continue to ride. The Aggies started the season at 3-6 and that slow start can be attributed to a number of reasons but mostly it was due to not being at close to full strength. That is not that case anymore as New Mexico St. has everyone back and the biggest returnee was forward Wendell McKines. He has been back for 16 games and it is no surprise that the Aggies are 13-3 in those games with one loss coming against WAC heavyweight Nevada, another coming against a strong San Jose St. team and the last at Fresno St. He is averaging 11.2 ppg and 9.6 rpg and his presence makes this team nearly complete. The backcourt is one of the best in the conference and is even better with McKines back in the lineup. Guard Jahmar Young and guard Jonathan Gibson are doing something really special in Las Cruses. Young enters this game third in the WAC in scoring at 20.9 ppg while is Gibson is sixth at 18.2 ppg. They are the highest scoring teammates in the conference and as of last week’s NCAA’s stats, they were the only teammates in the national top 50 in scoring.

To make things even better, the Aggies got forward Troy Gillenwater back five games ago as he was reinstated from being academically ineligible. All he’s done in his first five games back is average 15.6 ppg and 7.4 rpg and it the best sixth man in the conference. The high-scoring backcourt combined with the new solid frontcourt of McKines, Gillenwater and center Hamidu Rahman, make New Mexico St. a tough matchup for anybody in the WAC as the Aggies now possess five double-digit scorers. The fifth starter is point guard Hernst Laroche who had a tidy 2.00 assist/turnover ratio. Idaho was a pleasant surprise to open the season with an 8-4 record but it then suffered six straight conference losses to take some of the wind out of its sails. To the Vandals credit, they did not quit and have gone a solid 5-3 over their last eight games including a 3-1 record on the road. However the one loss came against the best team they played and that was Utah St. by 18 points and while these Aggies may not quite be in line with those Aggies, they are close.

The RPI shows New Mexico St. with a 66 rank while Idaho is at 174 and those are pretty significant differences. With a variance that big, we usually see it in the line as well but that is not the case in this one as we once against catch New Mexico St. with an outstanding line. 3* New Mexico St. Aggies

Portland Trailblazers vs. New Jersey Nets
Free Pick: New Jersey +8 (February 23rd 2010 – John Martin)
Want more free NBA basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

I feel like the Nets are catching too many points at home tonight. Yes, New Jersey is the worst team in the league, but this is more of a play against Portland who is not one of the better road teams in the game. The Blazers have lost 4 of their last 6 overall and injuries have really depleted this team. Brandon Roy remains in the lineup, but he’s far from 100%. The Nets have been playing much better of late, going 8-4-1 ATS in their last 13 games overall. Portland is 7-23 ATS versus terrible defensive teams – shooting pct defense of >=48% since 1996. Cash in with New Jersey as the underdog.

*STEADY 107-78 (58%) All Picks Run!*  Consistent profit taking on a weekly/monthly basis is what I strive for, and I’ve been delivering the goods for 3 straight months now!  A PERFECT 3-0 Hoops Run Sunday & Monday gets even better tonight with one top play you don’t want to miss!  My 5 Unit NBA DOG OF THE YEAR offers the best underdog selection I’ll release this season!  TAKE THE POINTS knowing you are GUARANTEED PROFITS or I’ll send you Wednesday’s plays FREE of Charge!

Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Free NBA Pick: Oklahoma City -6.5 (February 23rd 2010 – Black Widow)
Want more free NBA basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

We’ll back the Thunder as they host the Phoenix Suns tonight in a game where Steve Nash will be watching from the sidelines. Nash remains one of the most important players to his team in the league, and without him Phoenix will be a bit lost. Not to mention they have to contend with an Oklahoma City team that is riding a 9-game winning streak. They also have to deal with Kevin Durant, who has scored 25 or more points in 28 straight games. The Thunder are a superb 17-3 ATS (+13.7 Units) after a game where they failed to cover the spread this season. OKC is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season. Take the Thunder and lay the points.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Free NBA Picks: Memphis Grizzlies +5 (February 23rd 2010 – Jorge Gonzalez
Want more free NBA basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

The Grizzlies are coming off a 104-94 win over the hapless New Jersey Nets but have won just twice in the last eight games. The Lakers have been off for four days ad will have Kobe Bryant back in the starting line-up for the firs time since the All- Star break. Bryant missed five games for the Lakers but was not really missed as his teammates took up the slack winning four of five games, losing only to Boston 87-86. The Grizzlies will be the fired up team in this spot with the NBA Champions coming to town. The Lakers may be a little but rusty and may be looking ahead to playing the new-look Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks have been on fire since the All-Star break winning four of five games and not allowing any team to break the century mark. Memphis are an up and coming team but do not register as a big game in the NBA. Thus, the Lakers have covered just six of the last 21 meetings and the underdog has covered 11 of the last 16 meetings.

Detroit Pistons vs. Sacramento Kings
Free NBA Picks: Under 197.5 (February 23rd 2010 – Doc’s Sports
Want more free NBA basketball picks? Visit Handicappers Picks

Tinkering with the lineup has seemed to have zapped the Kings of any offensive explosiveness. They have averaged just 92 PPG in their last four contests and three of those were against three of the worst defensive teams in the NBA (The Suns, Warriors and Clippers). Tonight they play a pretty good Detroit defense that is ranked in the Top 10 in points allowed per game. This is also a Detroit team that sniffs 100 points about as many times per season as the solar eclipse comes around. This team has scored 100 in regulation only once in their last 32 games. We think the Sacramento offense will continue to struggle tonight and that Detroit will be their normal selves on the road (92 PPG average on the road this season). We think this number came in at least three points too high and the under is looking like a very solid option tonight. The under is 7-2 in the Kings last nine home games and 8-2 in Detroit’s last 10 as a listed underdog.

Detroit Pistons vs. Sacramento Kings
Odds: Sacramento is currently set as a 2 point home favorite against Detroit with the games over/under posted at 194 total points
Pick: Click here for the winning pick on this game
Betting: Click here to bet on this game at BetUS online sportsbook

ATS Trends:
Under is 5-1-1 in the last 7 meetings in Sacramento.
Over is 3-1-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Pistons are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Road team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
Pistons are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Tuesday games.
Pistons are 9-22-1 ATS in their last 32 games overall.
Pistons are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games.

Looking for winning sports picks on a daily basis? Visit Handicappers Picks for expert sports betting advice