OPENING CONFERENCE TOURNEY PREVIEWS!

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1 $10 Volume 1, Issue 8 February 7-March 4, 016 College False Favorite Play Of The Year Goes Saturday! OPENING CONFERENCE TOURNEY PREVIEWS! INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Picks on Every Lined Game Incredible Stat of the Week Best Bets and Key Plays Awesome Angle & Tremendous Trends NCAA and NBA Power Ratings NBA Day of the Week ATS Results GET SMART GET PLAYBOOK GET EVERY EDGE IMAGINABLE COPYRIGHT NOTICE - All materials in this newsletter are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, rebroadcast, displayed, or otherwise published without the prior written permission of Playbook.com. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice, nor may you offer for sale or resale the material included herein. VegasInsider.com

2 THIS WEEK IN BASKETBALL FEB 7-MARCH 4, 016 Remember: You Have A PLAYBOOK BEST BET Whenever Our Predicted Margin Of Victory Is 7 Or More Points In Favor Of Your Line DAILY -MINUTE HANDICAP TRENDS N Carolina VIRGINIA Villanova MARQUETTE Oklahoma TEXAS Texas Tech KANSAS Ucla STANFORD Michigan WISCONSIN Washington OREGON Syracuse N CAROLINA Virginia CLEMSON Kentucky FLORIDA (all trends ATS unless noted otherwise) A: Away Con: Conference D: Dog F: Favorite H: Home Rev: Revenge R: Road SU: Straight-Up Saturday, February 7 1- L4 aft NC State -7 off DD SU win SERIES: 6-1 L7H -14 w/ 4 > days rest 9-1 off SU fav loss 6- aft Xavier SERIES: 1-7 L8 1-6 off BB away -1 A off BB DD SUATS wins -6 A btwn H SERIES: Host 1-4 L st BB H 10-1 H bef KU 1-4 vs opp off BB ATS wins 1-4 w/ > rest bef W Va SERIES: 6-1 L7 8-0 L8 games TY 5-0 H bef Texas 4-1 L5 vs <.555 opp 4-11 in nd BB away SERIES: 1-10 L bef BB away 1-4 w/ 1 day rest Sunday, February bef Iowa 1 A btwn H vs opp off SU dog win SERIES: 1- L4 1-6 H btwn A off SU dog win 4-1 L5 w/ > days rest 0-5 A vs.750 > opp SERIES: 0-5 L5 6-1 bef UCLA -7 rd of H Monday, February bef Florida St -7 w/ 1 day rest Fav -0 L 1 off BB SUATS wins bef Duke Tuesday, March vs opp off BB SU losses -8 vs opp w/ 6 > rest SERIES: 4-1 L5 H -10 off BB SU losses w/ SS rev -10 A bef LSU 5-15 A w/ days rest SERIES: 1-4 L w/ SS rev -11 LHG w/ rev INCREDIBLE STAT OF THE WEEK The Washington Wizards are ATS on Sundays during the regular season the last two years. AWESOME ANGLE OF THE WEEK PLAY AGAINST any.687 or greater Ivy League double-digit home favorite on Saturday if they played the day before and are facing an opponent off BB losses. Play Against: PRINCETON & YALE (Sat, /7 check line & Friday results) POISON IVY ATS W-L Record Since 1990: 1- (88%) COLLEGE BASKETBALL Saturday, February 7 DAYTON VIRGINIA Georgia Tech TEMPLE BEST BET OHIO ST Iowa by 7 Rhode Island by 9 North Carolina by 8 COLLEGE by 10 Central Florida by 15 With Marc s famous Qualified Last Home Game system plays now taking center stage, you re going to be reading a lot about quality teams in Last Home Game (LHG) scenarios in this and next week s final regular season issues of the Playbook Basketball Newsletter. We tip it off in Columbus where the Buckeyes are 1 SU in this series and 14- SU in LHG s in which they sport a.600 or greater record, including 10-1 SU when seeking revenge. In addition, OSU is 14- SU at Value City Arena off a previous home loss, including 6-1 ATS the last seven. And though the Hawkeyes still have their sights set on the Big Ten title despite their first home loss of the season to Wisconsin, that battle with Bucky usually takes it toll (1-5 ATS away after the Badgers). It also doesn t help that a revenger with the aforementioned Hoosiers and a possible conference title is on deck. As it is, Iowa is ATS away after facing Indiana. They are also ATS away this season versus avenging foes. On the flip side, there s nothing the Matta with the Buckeyes on this last Saturday in February as confirmed by The Clincher: Ohio State head coach Thad Matta is 9-11 ATS at home with revenge in conference affairs, including 11-0 SU and 9- ATS in Last Home Games. GEORGIA UAB GEORGETOWN Cincinnati Va Commonwealth NC-WILMINGTON Wright St Loyola-Chicago MIAMI FLORIDA LA SALLE AKRON BALL ST Florida International Davidson Mississippi by Western Kentucky by 17 Butler by 4 EAST CAROLINA by 1 GEORGE WASHINGTON by Towson by 1 CLEVELAND ST by 6 DRAKE by 6 Louisville by George Mason by 5 Bowling Green by 1 Eastern Michigan by 4 FLORIDA ATLANTIC by FORDHAM by EVANSVILLE Northern Iowa by 10 The Panthers cracked the Purple Aces, 57-54, as a 1-point home choice last month but their 1-7 SUATS away mark versus greater than.444 opponents this season suggests they re ready to fold today in Evansville. So does a series history that finds the Aces 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS on this table (a.k.a. home) when arriving off a SU win. Complicating matters for Panther prowlers is the fact that they enter off a sameseason revenger with Indiana State and are ATS versus revengeseeking foes after tangling with the Sycamores. Worse, our well-oiled machine doesn t think this one will come down to the river as it notes: 5-returning starter teams who had a winning campaign the previous year are 5-6 SU in Last Home Games in which they own a.714 or greater record, including 16-1 SU when seeking revenge. Thus, we ll pocket these Aces as they improve to 7-1 SU and 6- ATS in LHG s. page

3 NORTHWESTERN Villanova TEXAS Elon KANSAS SYRACUSE MISSISSIPPI ST Rutgers by 18 MARQUETTE by 6 Oklahoma by DELAWARE by 5 Texas Tech by 1 NC State by 10 South Carolina by 6 GEORGIA ST Appalachian St by 14 We ll be the first to admit that this year s edition of the Panthers doesn t resemble the team that knocked off Baylor in last year s NCAA Tournament and had head coach Ron Hunter falling off his wheeled seat after his son hit a dramatic game-winning 0- foot -pointer. Yes, that may have been Georgia State s One Shining Moment as the Panthers have turned to pussycats (-8 SU and ATS last 11 at press time) following a promising 11- start. However, we think Turner s Cats have at least one more life in them as this last homer finds them seeking revenge from a 9-point loss they suffered as 4.5-point road chalk at ASU earlier this season. And with one of our favorite handicapping ploys at work today (a winning team looking to avenge a same-season loss to a losing squad), we have no reason to believe that the series visitor (0- SUATS with the average ATS loss coming by 17 PPG) won t stumble again. Nope, these Apps just aren t to our liking. Lay it AND play it. JAMES MADISON IOWA ST Kent St OHIO U PROVIDENCE HOFSTRA Pepperdine Kentucky SOUTHERN ILLINOIS INDIANA ST ST. BONAVENTURE Northeastern Texas A&M PURDUE STANFORD NORTHERN ILLINOIS UL-Lafayette ALABAMA UL-Monroe FLORIDA ST MIDDLE TENNESSEE PRINCETON BROWN DUQUESNE West Virginia SAN DIEGO ST LOUISIANA TECH CHARLOTTE U Northern Kentucky Columbia TOLEDO LONG BEACH ST ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK TENNESSEE OLD DOMINION SOUTHERN MISS LSU William & Mary by 10 Kansas St by MIAMI OHIO by 4 Buffalo by 1 DePaul by 1 College of Charleston by 7 LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT by 1 VANDERBILT by Missouri St by 1 Bradley by 14 Massachusetts by 10 DREXEL by 1 MISSOURI by 9 Maryland by 10 Ucla by Western Michigan by 10 SOUTH ALABAMA by 9 Auburn by 16 TROY by 7 Notre Dame by Marshall by 1 Cornell by 14 Harvard by Richmond by 1 OKLAHOMA ST by 6 Boise St by 6 Rice by 9 Utep by 6 YOUNGSTOWN ST by 1 PENNSYLVANIA by 1 Central Michigan by 1 Cal Riverside by 1 Texas St by 14 Arkansas by 5 Tex-San Antonio by 1 North Texas by 1 Florida by 1 YALE Dartmouth by 6 We usually climb the Ivy on Friday but Yale s poisonous 5-19 ATS mark in LHG s has us looking for some Big Green a day later. Yes, patience is a virtue and our juicy AWESOME ANGLE on page insists this salacious silage (excuse our intended Ivy objective) is worth the wait. As does a series history that finds the Green 4-1 ATS in this building of late and 6- ATS away in this matchup on Saturdays with no rest. In addition, Dartmouth looks good in both their before and after photos as they are 4-1 ATS away post-brown and 10- ATS away before penciling in Penn. And though very much in a dead heat with Princeton for the top spot in the conference at press time, Yale s celebrated rivalry with Harvard comes into play (-5 SUATS after clashing with the Crimson). Hence, the Eli are not coming on this Saturday at least not on the ATS scorecard. Grab the generous points in this near-shocker. Baylor WICHITA ST UT Arlington Cal Irvine Cal Santa Barbara SANTA CLARA Portland NEW MEXICO UTAH UTAH ST Saint Mary s CA BYU HAWAII TCU by 4 Illinois St by 0 ARKANSAS ST by 8 UC DAVIS by 4 CS FULLERTON by 9 Pacific by 1 SAN DIEGO by Fresno St by 7 Arizona by 1 San Jose St by 1 UNLV Wyoming by 14 Another winner-versus-loser revenger has the Rebels taking the floor for Senior Night in their final home game of the season (though they will be back here hosting the MWC tourney next week). The conference highway has not been kind to the Cowboys off a previous home game (-8 SUATS last 10) and this trip to Vegas doesn t figure to wash away those sins as the Rebels are 6-1 ATS in this series with same-season revenge. Todd Simon s squad is also ATS in LHG s versus.400 or greater foes and ATS in SU revenge wins. Wyoming also figures to enter a bit beat up as they arrive off a battle with physical San Diego State. They also just may have one eye towards San Jose as they suffered a humiliating loss to the cellardwelling Spartans back in mid-january. That leaves us no choice but to run with the Rebels as (series) history tells us they won t crap out for a second straight time in this matchup. Simon says to lay the points. Sunday, February 8 MICHIGAN ST ILLINOIS SAN FRANCISCO by 4 Gonzaga by 4 CS Northridge by 14 Penn St by 18 Minnesota by SETON HALL Xavier by 10 The linesmaker has not caught up with the success of the Pirates this season (7-4 SU and 10-1 ATS when not favored by or more points, including 6-1 SU and 7-0 ATS as a conference dog) and doesn t figure to do so today as Xavier arrives off a win topranked Villanova. That should have the casual fan (read: square) all the X-Men but we know better as the Hall is 5-0 SU in LHG s when they own a win percentage of.690 or better. In addition, the Pirates are seeking payback from an 8-point loss at the hands of these giddy Musketeers a month ago and that could prove to be the magic elixir that has the X-Men walking the plank in this Senior Seton send off. That or the fact that the Musketeers have a season-ending revenger with Creighton waiting in the wings, bringing their 0- ATS log before balling with the Bluejays into play. Either way, we re Hall the hosts. (continued on next page) page

4 CONNECTICUT ST. JOSEPH S PITTSBURGH CREIGHTON SMU Valparaiso WISC-MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN MEMPHIS COLORADO NEVADA OREGON ST WAKE FOREST CALIFORNIA OREGON Monday, February 9 IOWA ST NORTH CAROLINA Virginia BUFFALO AKRON BALL ST KENT ST WESTERN MICHIGAN EASTERN MICHIGAN VILLANOVA VANDERBILT Kentucky RICHMOND 4 BEST BET Tuesday, March 1 Houston by 10 Saint Louis by 1 Duke by St. John s by 16 Tulane by WISC-GREEN BAY by 4 Illinois-Chicago by 16 Michigan by Tulsa by 6 Arizona St by 6 Colorado St by 8 Washington St by 15 Virginia Tech by 6 Usc by 8 Washington by 10 Oklahoma St by 11 Syracuse by 10 TEXAS Kansas by 10 It may be February 9th but we re not about to Leap into the lap of the No. 1 team in the country (assuming Kansas beats Teas Tech on Saturday) not with the Longhorns on an impressive 9- ATS run (as of press time) and 1- ATS in this series with revenge, including 6-1 ATS at home. As it is, Shaka Smart s squad is 7-1 ATS with revenge this season. They re also starting to reward their loyal backers following a 5-11 ATS start and the price of oil figures to climb as priced Kansas comes calling. Yes, the Jayhawks are on a nice spread run of their own but do you want to pay for a KU team that s just 1-11 SU and ATS in regular season road finales since 1991 when facing an avenging foe? Or one that has a double-revenger with Iowa State looming? The answer to that should be a resounding NO, especially after hearing from The Clincher: Smart is 7-1 ATS as a pick or dog with revenge in his career during the regular season, including 6-0 ATS in games in which his teams sports a sub.705 win percentage. LOUISVILLE DUKE OKLAHOMA NEBRASKA GEORGE WASHINGTON UT ARLINGTON ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK Utah St CLEMSON by 1 Miami Ohio by 1 Ohio U by 4 Central Michigan by Bowling Green by 6 Toledo by 1 Northern Illinois by 10 DePaul by 6 Tennessee by 8 FLORIDA by 1 Dayton by 1 Georgia Tech by 16 Wake Forest by 19 Baylor by 6 Purdue by George Mason by 19 Texas St by 16 Arkansas St by 4 AIR FORCE by page 4 IOWA Indiana by 1 With the Hawkeyes stumbling of late (1- SUATS last four heading into Saturday s shindig at Ohio State), the price of admission has dropped in Iowa City. We love early-bird specials and this has the look of one as Fran McCaffery s men should be hell-bent on avenging an loss they suffered in Bloomington three weeks ago especially with the Big Ten title possibly on the line (let s hope not for * sake!). Iowa is already 4-1 ATS with payback this season. They are also a no-nonsense 5-14 ATS in SU conference revenge clashes as a favorite. Meanwhile, Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been an ATS nightmare for the Hoosiers (1-8 ATS last nine) and is just another reason the hosts should improve to 16-4 SU and 1-7 ATS in LHG s. And should Indiana knock off the Illini the previous Thursday (check result), that number tightens to a perfect 6-0 ATS. Either way, look for the red-faced Hawkeyes to play like lions on this first day of March. MARQUETTE Texas A&M LSU NEW MEXICO Wednesday, March DUQUESNE WEST VIRGINIA NOTRE DAME Georgetown by 6 AUBURN by 15 Missouri by 14 San Diego St by 6 Fordham by 7 Texas Tech by 8 Miami Florida by 7 VIRGINIA TECH Pittsburgh by 8 Panthers have faded down the stretch, losing four of their last six (including a crucial home revenger versus Louisville) heading into Sunday s final home game against Duke. Pittsburgh has dropped its last two meetings with the Blue Devils and can t seem to regroup after matching wits with Coach K, going 0- SUATS all-time after playing Duke. And while neither Pitt nor Virginia Tech have managed to break free from a mid-pack logjam in this year s ACC race, the Hokies have at least taken care of business at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, posting a perfect 7-0 ATS record in conference clashes and an 8- ATS mark when playing with revenge. The Gobblers are certainly used to picking the Panthers pockets: Va Tech s loss in the Steel city earlier this year snapped a -game ATS losing skid in the series for Pitt. Should Buzz Williams Gobblers handle Wake Forest on Sunday, they ll ride their first -game SU winning streak since mid-december into tonight s showdown. Regardless, Tech s super 9-1 ATS effort versus sub.800 opposition this season is all the ammo we need to go on a Panther hunt tonight. Michigan St LA SALLE CENTRAL FLORIDA VA COMMONWEALTH RUTGERS by 7 Saint Louis by 1 Tulane by 1 Davidson by 8 OLE MISS Mississippi St by 1 Last home game for the Rebels in this Egg Bowl rivalry finds Ole Miss on the Tourney Dance cusp, looking to avenge a 6-point loss in Starkville earlier this year. History sides with the hosts here as Mississippi is a stout 7-1 SUATS at Tad Smith Coliseum when playing with same-season revenge (5-1 SUATS when playing its Last Home Game), while MSU has stumbled to a money-burning 14-8 ATS mark versus SEC foes with same-season revenge. Andy Kennedy s Rebs also catch the hated Bulldogs coming to town off a triple-revenger against South Carolina with a season-ending LTKO revenger on deck versus Auburn. A win Saturday at Georgia would notch the Rebels sixth victory in their last eight outings, and with Ole Miss currently on a 4-0 SU and -1 ATS series run on this court, we think the Bulldogs will leave Oxford tonight with egg on their face. Hey, if you re gonna make an omelet, you gotta crack a few, right?

5 St. Joseph s KANSAS ST BUTLER NC STATE Wisconsin SOUTH FLORIDA Creighton ALABAMA UCLA WYOMING BOISE ST Long Beach St USC WASHINGTON FRESNO ST MARSHALL MARYLAND RHODE ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINA Middle Tennessee TEMPLE Uab Arkansas-Little Rock UL-MONROE Charlotte U Old Dominion UT ARLINGTON UL-LAFAYETTE TEXAS ST Northwestern SMU ARIZONA HOUSTON WESTERN KENTUCKY CAL SANTA BARBARA Hawaii Thursday, March ST. BONAVENTURE by Tcu by 9 Seton Hall by 7 Boston College by 0 MINNESOTA by 4 East Carolina by 1 PROVIDENCE by Arkansas by 4 Oregon by 6 San Jose St by 16 Nevada by CS FULLERTON by 8 Oregon St by 7 Washington St by 17 Colorado St by 10 Louisiana Tech by 7 Illinois by 16 Massachusetts by 15 Georgia by 7 FLORIDA ATLANTIC by 5 Memphis by 10 FLORIDA INT'L by APPALACHIAN ST by 11 Georgia Southern by 1 RICE by 1 NORTH TEXAS by South Alabama by 4 Georgia St by 8 Troy by 10 PENN ST by 1 Connecticut by 10 California by 10 Cincinnati by Southern Miss by 1 Cal Riverside by 1 UC DAVIS by 6 ARIZONA ST Stanford by 11 It s been a tough year for ASU rookie head coach Bobby Hurley. Even with four returning starters back from an team, the Sun Devils are barely above.500 and have won a mere four conference games all season. Another former Duke star turned head coach, Stanford s Johnny Dawkins has seen his team fail to recapture the magic of last year s 4-1 record (Cardinal just 1-1 at press time). Tonight s before-and-after scenarios clearly favor the hosts. Arizona State is 6-1 ATS after clashing with Colorado and -1-1 ATS before facing California. Meanwhile, Stan takes the court here off a triple-revenger against UCLA with 1-time revenge against Arizona on deck (-8 ATS as road dogs before taking on the Wildcats). ASU s Hurley can take solace in the fact that in contests preceding their Last Home Game, the Sun Devils have won and ced five straight times. And when the Farm boys show up for a series shootout against Arizona State with a sub.590 win percentage, they ve gone 4-8- ATS, including 1- ATS here. To paraphrase the late comedian Flip Wilson, the Devils made us do it so we ll lay the spot. NOTE: Home team is shown in ALL CAPS. SU WINNER in side-by-side game matchups appears in Bold check your line for ATS lean. PLAYBOOK selection in all game writeups is Bold and Underlined. Marc Lawrence s award-winning basketball selections are available all season long at: VegasINSIDER.com tcal IRVINE Cal Poly-Slo by 11 Missouri Valley Tournament Begins (page 6) ttyale Princeton COLUMBIA DARTMOUTH BOWLING GREEN Friday, March 4 5 BEST BET CORNELL by 10 HARVARD by 6 Brown by 11 Pennsylvania by 10 Buffalo by AKRON Kent St by 0 With the best all record of any MAC team at press time (1-7) and double-digit wins versus conference foes (10-5), Keith Dambrot s Zips have nonetheless dropped three of their last four contests to turn the MAC East race from a foregone conclusion into a dogfight. But they can wrap up the title by disposing of their two main challengers Ohio U on Tuesday and Kent State tonight (beat the Zips, 85-76, as a -point home dog on Feb 19). For openers, there s no better way to close out the regular season than with a comfy -game home stand, and the hosts just happen to own a moneymaking 7- ATS mark playing with same-season revenge from a loss of 7 or more points. The Flashes play right into Akron s hands here with a weak 1-4 SUATS record away versus revenge this campaign, as well as a -7 SUATS log away in the final game of the regular season versus an avenging foe. We close out with The Clincher: Akron is -5 SU and ATS at home with revenge in conference games under head coach Dambrot, including 10-1 ATS as a favorite of 8 or more points. tcentral MICHIGAN Ohio U TOLEDO NORTHERN ILLINOIS Texas Western Michigan by 10 MIAMI OHIO by 6 Eastern Michigan by 11 Ball St by 6 OKLAHOMA ST by 1 Colonial Athletic Tournament Begins (page 6) West Coast Tournament Begins (page 7) Horizon League Tournament Begins (page 7) Marc Lawrence s award-winning basketball selections are available all season long at: VegasINSIDER.com page 5

6 016 NCAA CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PREVIEW This issue contains 4 of our 17 Conference Tournament previews cing teams that appear weekly in the 016 College Basketball Power Ratings section. (1) MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE March -6 All games at Scottrade Center St. Louis, MO PLAYBOOK PROJECTED FINAL FOUR: WICHITA ST EVANSVILLE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS ILLINOIS ST Higher-seeded favorites are SU & ATS in first round games (no Donkey games) teams off BB SU losses are -7 ATS w/ revenge vs opp off BB SU wins -10 off DD SU win vs opp off DD SU loss DD dogs are 4-11 ATS off SU dog win #1 seeds are ATS w/ + days rest but only 1-6 ATS as dogs # seeds are 1-9 SU & 4-16 ATS since 00 and 7-14 ATS as dogs or favorites of < 6 points since 1991 # seed favorites are 1-8 ATS since 005 #4 seeds are 0-5 ATS vs opp off SUATS loss #6 seeds are 4-4 SU #7 seeds are -1 off SU loss and ATS L7 games all. THE WAY WE SEE IT: Once again WICHITA STATE is the reigning king of the Valley. Unlike last year when the Shockers ruled, there appears to be a deeper degree of competition in the loop this season. That s not good news for teams outside the MVC considering the Valley ruled the postseason with a 14- record last year, the best win percentage of any conference in the nation. Surprisingly, while Witchy has won this event each of the last two years, their previous title came back in Keep that in mind as they look to accomplish the hat trick this year Behind 5 returning starters, EVANSVILLE lived up to its preseason expectations (picked to finish rd in the loop this year) and are on pace to exceed last year s 4-win effort in this tourney. The Aces will need to be all-in if they hope to reverse past failures (one-and-out last year and ATS all of late, including ATS versus No. 4 or higher seeds) in this tournament SOUTHERN ILLINOIS made the biggest rebound in the conference this campaign, improving for a 1-win effort, with a chance to double that total here in the tourney. The Salukis more than held their own away from home this season, going 10-4 SU and 8-5 ATS at press Wichita State's Fred VanVleet leads all MVC players with a solid 5.7 assists per game. time. Meanwhile, an 18- SU mark versus sub.600 foes this season figures to land the Snakes a win or two in this affair ILLINOIS STATE slumped down the stretch but still managed to challenge Wichita for conference honors. Over the past two seasons (at press time) the Redbirds are 6-10 SU versus.750 or lesser opposition, but only -14 against better. And since the Valley is better this season than last, expect these Birds to head off to the NIT after this tourney concludes. THE SLEEPER: NORTHERN IOWA The Panthers won 1 games last season before losing in the rd round of the NCAA tourney. That alone makes them MVC tourney worthy. They also managed to snap mighty Wichita s 4-game home-court win streak at Koch Arena this season. KEY TOURNAMENT BEST BET: PLAY ON THE NO. 1 SEED (WICHITA ST) IN GAME ONE The simple fact is numbers don t lie. Not when the top seed in this tourney is a staggering 5-0 SU and ATS in its opening game. Enough said. EXTRA TOURNEY TRENDS & NOTES BRADLEY: 1-5 ATS vs # seed, -7 ATS dogs w/ revenge, -6 ATS off BB SU losses DRAKE: ATS vs #4-8 seeds, 7-1 ATS as #6 seed or higher EVANSVILLE: 4-0 ATS vs opp w/ revenge, 0-4 ATS DD dogs, -9-1 ATS off BB SU wins, -8 ATS w/ same-season double revenge ILLINOIS ST: ATS dogs > 5 pts, 9--1 ATS w/ + days rest off SU win, 4-9 ATS off SU loss INDIANA ST: 10-1 ATS off SU loss, 8-1 ATS dogs vs opp off SU loss, 10- ATS vs #7 seed or lower, 1-6 ATS L7 DD dogs LOYOLA-CHICAGO: 5-1 ATS dogs vs opp off SUATS loss, 1-5 ATS away vs opp off SUATS win MISSOURI ST: 4-0 ATS w/ + days rest vs opp off DD SU win, 7- ATS off SU dog win, -8 SU & -8 ATS vs # seed, 4-11 ATS vs opp off BB SUATS wins, 5-1 ATS L18 NORTHERN IOWA: 5-0 dogs off DD SU win, 5-0 ATS vs # seed, 4-1 ATS favs 6 > pts, 6- ATS vs opp off SU dog win, -5-1 ATS vs #8 or lower seed SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: ATS vs #9 seed, 0-6 vs opp off BB SUATS wins w/revenge, 1-5 ATS vs # seed, -7-1 ATS off BB SUATS wins WICHITA ST: 6- ATS favs off BB SUATS wins, 1-8 ATS off SU win vs #1-#4 seeds off SUATS win, 1-4 ATS vs opp off SU loss, -5 ATS off BB SU losses. () COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION March 4-7 All games at Royal Farms Arena Baltimore, MD PLAYBOOK PROJECTED FINAL FOUR: JAMES MADISON NC-WILMINGTON HOFSTRA WILLIAM & MARY TECH NOTES: Dogs of > pts off SU fav loss are 5-1 ATS DD dogs are ATS off SU dog win and ATS off BB SU wins DD favs are 1-10 ATS L11 off DD SU win #1 seeds are SU & ATS since 00 # seeds are 1-5 ATS as dogs and -11 off SUATS win vs opp w/ rev # seeds are 11-1 ATS as favs < 4 points and 17-6 as favs vs opp off SU win #4 seeds are 1-8 ATS off DD SU win and -1 ATS off SU win since 00 #6 seeds are 7-0 ATS vs opp off DD SU win and 1-14 ATS vs opp off SU loss #8 seeds are 0-8 off SU loss vs opp off SU loss and 0-8 ATS off BB SU losses. THE WAY WE SEE IT: For the third consecutive year, the CAA tournament returns to the Baltimore Arena where it has showed significant improvement in attendance the former venue at Richmond Coliseum, where it was played since The No. 1 seed has reached the finals each of the last 4 years. JAMES MADISON was actually a better team away from home this campaign, going 8- SU and 8--1 ATS at press time. They were also ATS away in CAA play. Last year s 19-win Dukes returned all 5 starters this season, making them a legit contender to be cutting down the nets on March 7 Much like last season, NC-WILMINGTON was dissed by the press prior to the start of the season, picked to finish 7th. The uncooperative Seahawks, in position to capture the top spot in Colonial at press time, are 8-8 SU versus sub.600 opposition behind nd year head coach Kevin Keatts, thus figuring to advance deep in this event HOFSTRA, our Sleeper choice in last year s tourney (lost 9-91 to top seed Bill & Mary) have posted 0 victories each of the last two seasons and are 4-1 SUATS in this tourney in games against foes they defeated most recently. The preseason choice Second-year HC Kevin Keatts has led NC-Wilmington to a 5-9 record in CAA contests. to capture the Association, the Pride could run deep WILLIAM & MARY, our top pick in this tourney last year, lost as the No. 1 seed in the finals to Northeastern last season, and took it on the chops twice to Hofstra, NC-Wilmington and Towson this season. Plenty of revenge incentive is in order for the dangerous Tribe, who returned 4 starters from last year s 0-win squad. THE SLEEPER: TOWSON There should be plenty of local rooting interest for TOWSON. Wake Forest transfer William Aldala Moto, the CAA Newcomer of the Year, leads the Tigers in scoring and rebounding, and keyed a revival from a 1-win edition to a 19-win unit this season. Color them dangerous. KEY TOURNAMENT BEST BET: PLAY ON NC-WILMINGTON IN GAME ONE The high-flying Seahawks come out of the gate in conference tourney play like a bull in a china shop, sporting a 1-1 SU and ATS mark in lid-lifters. That s all you need to know. EXTRA TOURNEY TRENDS & NOTES DELAWARE: 5-1 vs #8-10 seeds, -1 ATS off DD SU loss, 0-5 off DD ATS win, 1-7 ATS off DD SU win, ATS w/ revenge, -7-1 ATS vs #1- seeds DREXEL: 0-8 ATS vs #7 seed or lower, 0- ATS vs opp off DD SU loss, -1 ATS w/ + days rest, 1-6 ATS vs opp off BB SU wins, 1-6 ATS off SU loss, -14 ATS L17 games, -7 ATS vs opp w/ revenge, -9 favs HOFSTRA: 7- ATS favs, 0-5 SUATS vs #1 seed, 0- ATS off SU dog win, 1-6 ATS vs opp off DD SU win JAMES MADISON: 4-0 ATS off DD ATS loss, 11- # or # seeds, 5- ATS w/ revenge off SU loss, ATS dogs off DD SU win, 1-4 L5 DD favs, ATS favs off BB SU wins NC-WILMINGTON: 1-1 SU / ATS 1st game since 96, 4-0 ATS vs #1 seed, 6-1 ATS dogs off SU dog win, 9--1 ATS favs off DD SU win NORTHEASTERN: -0 ATS favs off DD ATS win, 4-1 ATS vs #10 seed or lower, 0-4 favs vs opp off BB SU wins, 1-4 ATS w/ revenge off BB SU wins vs opp off SU win TOWSON: 5-0 ATS dogs vs opp off SUATS win, 9-1 ATS dogs w/ revenge, 6-1 ATS as DD dogs, 6-1 ATS vs opp off SUATS loss, 14-6 ATS all-time in tourney WILLIAM & MARY: 0-1 SUATS as #6-8 seed, 0-1 dogs 7 < pts w/ + rest, 1-7 ATS vs opp off BB SU losses, ATS vs #9 seed or lower, 1-8 ATS 1st round w/ revenge, 1-7 dogs vs opp off SU loss, 1-5 vs opp off DD SU loss. page 6

7 () WEST COAST CONFERENCE March 4-8 All games at Orleans Arena Las Vegas, NV PLAYBOOK PROJECTED FINAL FOUR: GONZAGA SAINT MARY'S BYU PEPPERDINE TECH NOTES: Favorites are 6-1 w/ revenge dogs > 8 pts are 8- ATS off DD ATS favorites are 8- off BB SU losses DD favorites are 1-9 L5Y dogs are 1-4 ATS < 4 pts vs opp w/ revenge #1 seed favorites of < 1 pts are 9- ATS L9Y # seeds are 1-7 ATS LY # seeds are 10-1 SU & 8- ATS as favorites 5 > points #4 seed dogs are -11 ATS #5 seeds are 8- ATS as favorites < 9 pts #7 seeds are -6 ATS off a SU win. THE WAY WE SEE IT: If our Projected Final Four in this tourney looks familiar, it should it was the exact same call in last year s preview on these pages. Former GONZAGA coach Dan Monson put it best when he said of the Bulldogs: They are a mom-andpop store and they are beating Microsoft every day. The mighty Zags have cut down the nets 1 of the last 15 years in this tourney while arriving to the title game all fifteen years in the process. A -4 SU record all-time in this tourney says it all. One note of caution, though: they are just 5-9 ATS as favorites of 1 or more points in this event Like the Zags, SAINT MARY S is a fixture in this tourney as they have played for the title five of the last seven years. The good news for the Gaels: they re the leading Offensive Field Goal percentage team in the nation (51.0) and No. 6 in -Point FG Percentage (4.1). In addition, they are 1- SU and ATS versus No. or lower seeds. The bad news: they went one-game-out last year in this event and are just 1-8 SUATS versus No. 1 seeds BYU lost to Gonzaga in the finals of last year s tourney and they fell to -14 ATS all of late in postseason conference tournament play, including 0-9 ATS in games when the Cougars aren t favored. Still, this perennial 0-game winner should not be dismissed PEPPERDINE was booted in the semifinals by eventual champion Gonzaga last season. The Waves return 5 starters from that same unit and, safe to say, are extremely dangerous this go-round. Remember this: the Waves are 16-4 ATS as dogs in games off BB wins under head coach Marty Wilson. THE SLEEPER: SAN FRANCISCO Once again the Dons move back into their annual sleeper slot, thanks in large part to head coach Rex Walters and his dominating ATS career mark in conference games, including 8--1 ATS in this tourney with Frisco. The Dons are also 4-0 ATS versus.666 or greater foes in this tourney. Now that s a treat. KEY TOURNAMENT BEST BET: PLAY ON LOYOLA MARYMOUNT, SAN DIEGO, SAN FRANCISCO AND SANTA CLARA VERSUS BYU The Lions, Tigers, Dons and Broncos each fell twice to the Cougars this season, setting up an inspired revenge scenario. That s because BYU is 0-7 ATS in its last seven conference tourney contests against foes seeking same-season double revenge-exact. Once again, we re betting the Tabernacle Choir is not capable of pulling the hat trick against any of these entries in this tournament. EXTRA TOURNEY TRENDS & NOTES BYU: 4-1 ATS off DD SU win vs opp off SU loss, 0-9 ATS L9 pick or dogs, -1 ATS off BB SU wins, ATS vs opp off BB SU wins GONZAGA: -4 SU & -15 ATS all-time in tourney (favored in every game), 6-1 ATS favs 10 < pts L5Y, 7- SUATS after scoring 7 < points, 9- vs #4 or #5 seeds, -9 L1 ATS favs > 11 pts LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT: 6-1 ATS LY, 4-1 vs opp off DD SU loss, 4-1 off SU dog win, 6- ATS L8 DD dogs PACIFIC: -0-1 ATS vs opp off SUATS win, 0-5 ATS w/ revenge off SU loss, 1-7- ATS L10, 4-0 ATS off SUATS win, -9 ATS L11 favs 5 > pts, -9 ATS dogs vs opp off DD SU win PEPPERDINE: 5- ATS off SUATS loss, 0-5 ATS off SU dog win, 1-7 ATS vs opp off SUATS loss, 1-6 off BB SUATS wins, 1-6 ATS w/ revenge PORTLAND: -0 ATS DD dogs, 0-7 ATS off SUATS win, 1-7 off DD SU win, 1-5 vs #7 thru #10 seeds, 5-16 SU all-time in tourney, -7 ATS vs opp off SU loss SANTA CLARA: 6-0 ATS off BB SUATS wins, 4-0 ATS LY, 9--1 ATS as #5 seed or lower, 8- ATS as favs, 1-4 ATS off SUATS loss SAN DIEGO: -0 ATS vs opp off SU dog win, 6- ATS off SUATS loss, 5- ATS vs opp w/ revenge, 1- ATS vs opp off DD SU loss, -5 ATS favs off SU win SAN FRANCISCO: -0 ATS vs opp off DD SU loss, 9- ATS off BB SU wins, 4-1 ATS L5 favs, 5- ATS w/ revenge, 0-4 ATS as dogs off SU loss, 1-5 ATS away SAINT MARY S: 4-1 ATS favs vs opp off DD SU win, -1 ATS off DD ATS win, 0-8 dogs 6 > pts, 0-6 ATS off BB SUATS wins vs opp off BB SU wins, -1 SUATS vs #1- seeds, -10 dogs vs opp off SU win. (4) HORIZON LEAGUE March 5-8 All games at Joe Louis Arena Detroit, MI PLAYBOOK PROJECTED FINAL FOUR: VALPARAISO OAKLAND MILWAUKEE GREEN BAY TECH NOTES: Home teams are 4-0- ATS all-time in tourney favorites are 6-1 ATS w/ > days rest off SU favorite loss teams off BB SU wins are 8- ATS vs opp off BB SU losses dogs are 1-7 ATS off DD ATS loss dogs with revenge are 5-1 ATS vs opp off SUATS win #1 seeds are 8- ATS off DD SU win, 1-6 ATS vs opp w/ rev off BB SU wins # seeds are 7-1 ATS vs opp w/ rev, 1-6 ATS dogs, 1-5 ATS vs opp off DD SU win # seeds are 9-1 ATS vs opp off DD SU win and 14-4 ATS off BB SU wins #5 seeds are 8-0 ATS off SU dog win, 4-0 ATS as DD favorite, 8-1 vs opp off SUATS loss, 7-1 ATS L8 games, 7-1 vs revenge and 10- ATS home games #6 seeds are 6-1 ATS vs opp off SU loss and 1-9 ATS vs opp off SU win. THE WAY WE SEE IT: After five straight years of using league home courts exclusively to decide the season s entrant into the Big Dance, this year the Horizon enters in to a 5-year agreement to play its postseason tourney in Detroit. Now the top teams in the League will have to earn their way to the Big Dance as opposed to the Pass Go format they ve been using. Home court or not, top-seed VALPARAISO looks hard to beat as last year s 8-win Crusaders brought all 5 starters back. That s the same Valpo squad, 6-4 SU against sub.590 opponents the past two seasons, that advanced to the nd round of last year s NCAA tourney. And they bring strong credentials into this fray, owning both Top 10 Rebound Margin and Defensive Field Goal Percentage rankings For all intents and purposes, this tourney is a two-horse race with only the Golden Grizzles of OAKLAND capable of matching baskets with the Crusaders. A rugged non-conference schedule the past two seasons ( ATS) has toughened up the Grizz. That, coupled with the group that went -0 in Spain prior to the start of the season, makes -year veteran coach Greg Kampe s troops a team no one wants to face this time of the season. The Senior guard Kyle Collinsworth does it all for BYU, averaging 15 points and 8 boards per game. Need points? Sharpshooting Oakland PG Kay Felder obliges with 4. PPG (No. 5 in nation). last two slots in this tournament are largely up for grabs with both of the Wisconsin s in the mix MILWAUKEE returns to the Horizon party sporting a sparkling 15-8 SUATS mark in this event, including -0 ATS versus No. 1 seeds. FYI: the Panthers were ATS as dogs this season at press time GREEN BAY has gone one-and-out of the last 5 years, making them a risky proposition at best. Just 9-16 SU and ATS all in this tourney, the Phoenix are 4-0 SUATS versus No. 8 or lower seeds. THE SLEEPER: WRIGHT STATE After a wobbly -7 start to the season, the Raiders righted the ship en route to a 1 finish. A 9- SU mark versus sub.450 opponents this season (at press time) likely assures the closing assault continues early on in this tournament. KEY TOURNAMENT BEST BET: PLAY ON VALPARAISO The Crusaders have the key ingredient (defense) to make it to the title game. Remember, until Green Bay fell flat on its face last year, the No. 1 seed in this tourney had reached the finals each of the previous 11 seasons. EXTRA TOURNEY TRENDS & NOTES CLEVELAND ST: 0-8 ATS away, 0-7 SUATS as #7 seed or lower, 1-10 ATS dogs, 1-7 ATS off SU loss, 1-7 ATS w/ revenge, 1-7 ATS off DD SU win DETROIT: 5-0 ATS off SU dog win, -0 ATS dogs vs opp off BB SUATS wins, 4-1 ATS w/ + days rest, 6- ATS home, 7- ATS as # seed or higher, 11-4 ATS favs > points GREEN BAY: 0-6 off BB SUATS wins, 0-4 dogs vs opp off SU loss, 1-6 L7 away, -11 ATS L1 dogs, 4-14 vs #7 seed or lower ILLINOIS-CHICAGO: 7-0 ATS vs opp w/ revenge, 9-1 ATS vs opp off SU loss, 7-1 ATS away, 9- ATS L11, 1- ATS L16 dogs, 11-4 ATS off BB SU wins MILWAUKEE: 5-0 off SU dog win, 5-0 off DD ATS win, 4-0 ATS vs opp off SU dog win, 5-1 ATS favs vs opp w/ revenge VALPARAISO: 5-1 ATS vs opp off DD SU win, 0- ATS w/ revenge, 1-5 ATS off DD SU win WRIGHT ST: 6-0 ATS vs opp w/ rev, 7-1 ATS L8 home, 6-1 ATS off BB SU wins, 5-1 ATS vs #7 seed or lower, 9- ATS favs > points, 11- ATS as #1-4 seed, 1-6 ATS w/ revenge, -6 ATS L8 away YOUNGSTOWN ST: 0-8 ATS dogs < 10 points, 0-5 ATS off SU win, 0-4 SUATS vs # seed, 1-7 ATS L8 as #1-7 seed,1-5 vs opp off DD SU win, 1-5 ATS w/ revenge. page 7

8 016 COLLEGE BASKETBALL POWER RATINGS Add 4 points to each team's rating for home court value Ratings courtesy of Statfox.com ACC COLLEGE 68 CLEMSON 8 DUKE 91 FLORIDA STATE 81 GEORGIA TECH 80 LOUISVILLE 9 MIAMI FLORIDA 86 NC STATE 81 NORTH CAROLINA 9 NOTRE DAME 87 PITTSBURGH 84 SYRACUSE 8 VIRGINIA 91 VIRGINIA TECH 80 WAKE FOREST 76 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CENTRAL FLORIDA 66 CINCINNATI 85 CONNECTICUT 85 EAST CAROLINA 69 HOUSTON 81 MEMPHIS 77 SMU 87 SOUTH FLORIDA 69 TEMPLE 78 TULANE 68 TULSA 8 ATLANTIC 10 DAVIDSON 78 DAYTON 8 DUQUESNE 74 FORDHAM 71 GEORGE MASON 68 GEO WASHINGTON 8 LA SALLE 64 MASSACHUSETTS 70 RHODE ISLAND 77 RICHMOND 76 SAINT LOUIS 68 ST. BONAVENTURE 79 ST. JOSEPH'S 8 VA COMMONWEALTH 8 BIG EAST BUTLER 86 CREIGHTON 8 DEPAUL 70 GEORGETOWN 81 MARQUETTE 79 PROVIDENCE 81 SETON HALL 8 ST. JOHN'S 71 VILLANOVA 91 XAVIER 89 BIG TEN ILLINOIS 76 INDIANA 88 IOWA 87 MARYLAND 85 MICHIGAN 8 MICHIGAN STATE 96 MINNESOTA 76 NEBRASKA 80 NORTHWESTERN 78 OHIO STATE 81 PENN STATE 77 PURDUE 87 RUTGERS 6 WISCONSIN 87 BIG 1 BAYLOR 86 IOWA STATE 84 KANSAS 9 KANSAS STATE 8 OKLAHOMA 91 OKLAHOMA STATE 77 TCU 75 TEXAS 85 TEXAS TECH 8 WEST VIRGINIA 87 BIG WEST CAL IRVINE 79 CAL POLY-SLO 70 CAL RIVERSIDE 68 CAL SANTA BARBARA 76 CS FULLERTON 6 CS NORTHRIDGE 69 HAWAII 79 LONG BEACH STATE 75 UC DAVIS 69 COLONIAL COLL OF CHAS TON 74 DELAWARE 6 DREXEL 65 ELON 7 HOFSTRA 77 JAMES MADISON 78 NC-WILMINGTON 78 NORTHEASTERN 7 TOWSON 74 WILLIAM & MARY 75 CONFERENCE USA CHARLOTTE U 7 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 6 FLORIDA INT L 69 LOUISIANA TECH 74 MARSHALL 77 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 74 NORTH TEXAS 64 OLD DOMINION 7 RICE 67 SOUTHERN MISS 61 TEX-SAN ANTONIO 60 UAB 79 UTEP 71 W KENTUCKY 69 HORIZON CLEVELAND STATE 64 DETROIT 7 ILLINOIS-CHICAGO 6 NO KENTUCKY 69 OAKLAND 81 VALPARAISO 85 WISC-GREEN BAY 7 WISC-MILWAUKEE 80 WRIGHT STATE 74 YOUNGSTOWN ST 6 IVY LEAGUE BROWN 66 COLUMBIA 76 CORNELL 65 DARTMOUTH 71 HARVARD 71 PENNSYLVANIA 69 PRINCETON 84 YALE 8 MID-AMERICAN (E) AKRON 77 BOWLING GREEN 69 BUFFALO 75 KENT STATE 7 MIAMI OHIO 65 OHIO U 75 MID-AMERICAN (W) BALL ST 74 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 74 EASTERN MICHIGAN 74 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 71 TOLEDO 78 WESTERN MICHIGAN 70 MISSOURI VALLEY BRADLEY 61 DRAKE 64 EVANSVILLE 77 ILLINOIS STATE 79 INDIANA STATE 67 LOYOLA-CHICAGO 7 MISSOURI STATE 65 NORTHERN IOWA 80 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 7 WICHITA STATE 91 MOUNTAIN WEST AIR FORCE 69 BOISE ST 79 COLORADO STATE 7 FRESNO ST 7 NEVADA 75 NEW MEXICO 75 SAN DIEGO STATE 81 SAN JOSE STATE 66 UTAH STATE 74 UNLV 76 WYOMING 7 PAC-1 ARIZONA 91 ARIZONA STATE 77 CALIFORNIA 86 COLORADO 80 OREGON 86 OREGON STATE 79 STANFORD 79 UCLA 85 USC 8 UTAH 89 WASHINGTON 81 WASHINGTON STATE 69 SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA 79 ARKANSAS 80 AUBURN 71 FLORIDA 8 GEORGIA 78 KENTUCKY 94 LSU 79 MISSISSIPPI 81 MISSISSIPPI STATE 81 MISSOURI 7 SOUTH CAROLINA 80 TENNESSEE 78 TEXAS A&M 85 VANDERBILT 88 SUN BELT APPALACHIAN STATE 66 ARK-LITTLE ROCK 81 ARKANSAS STATE 65 GEORGIA SOUTHERN 7 GEORGIA STATE 70 SOUTH ALABAMA 65 TEXAS STATE 68 TROY 66 UL-LAFAYETTE 78 UL-MONROE 77 UT ARLINGTON 80 WEST COAST BYU 87 GONZAGA 87 LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT 68 PACIFIC 71 PEPPERDINE 76 PORTLAND 71 SAINT MARY'S CA 8 SAN DIEGO 65 SAN FRANCISCO 71 SANTA CLARA 66 NBA BASKETBALL Saturday, February 7 NEW ORLEANS San Antonio Miami by Minnesota by HOUSTON by 4 BEST BET Portland CHICAGO by 1 Beware the Blazers! After going on a red-hot 8-1 SU and 7- ATS run prior to the All-Star break, Portland resumed play with three consecutive wins to move into the No. 6 spot in the West before taking on Houston at the Moda Center on Thursday. Very few saw it coming: After losing four starters from last year's team that won 51 games, the Blazers were assigned a line of 6.5 season wins at the Westgate SuperBook Las Vegas a total they surpassed by beating the Rockets on Feb 10. And though Chicago seems to have stopped the bleeding from a previous 1-6 SU and -5 ATS February swoon, there s very little to like about the Bulls in tonight s matchup. Air Jordan s former team has gone 1- SUATS in this series of late at the United Center, and they ve struggled to a feeble -10 ATS mark in weekend games this season. In addition, da Bulls take the court here off a double revenger at Atlanta last night with a Heat revenger up next. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers land in the windy city sporting a 6-1 SUATS mark when playing with same-season loss revenge of 8 or less points (4-1 ATS this campaign), plus they ve managed to post a respectable 11-7 ATS record against no-rest foes this season. Led by Damian Lillard s 5.1 PPG (4th best in the league), Portland looks too strong to challenge here a notion seconded by The Clincher: The Bulls are ATS as single-digit favorites in non-conference home games after facing Atlanta. MILWAUKEE OKLAHOMA CITY UTAH Memphis Detroit by 1 Golden State by 1 Brooklyn by 10 PHOENIX by Sunday, February 8 Cleveland ATLANTA BEST BET WASHINGTON by 8 Charlotte by DETROIT Toronto by 8 Like Chicago, the Pistons are looking to shake off a less-thansuccessful February (4-6 SU and -7 ATS at press time) in this second of back-to-backers against Central division foes (at Milwaukee Sat night). While the Pistons have misfired twice this year in this series (including a loss at Toronto three weeks ago), it s rare that they drop three straight to the Canadians, as evidenced by their superb 15- SU record with double revenge including 10-1 ATS on this court. And even though Toronto currently owns the second-best mark in the East behind Cleveland, they ve failed to ring the register in games versus non-rested opponents his season, going 1-6 ATS all and 0- ATS when venturing south of the border. The Raptors also take the floor tonight off a -point revenger with the aforementioned Cavs (8-17 SU and 7-18 ATS after Cleveland, including 0-5 ATS versus non-rested foes), with a Utah revenger on deck. With Toronto cing only four of its last 11 games heading into Friday s headliner against King James and company, we ll look for Detroit to keep the heat on the Pacers and Bulls in the race for second place in the Central division. The Clincher: The Pistons are 17- SUATS at home with revenge from a loss of 7 or more points. page 8

9 INDIANA ORLANDO DALLAS Miami Portland by 8 Philadelphia by 8 Minnesota by 6 NEW YORK by Monday, February 9 CLEVELAND WASHINGTON MILWAUKEE Memphis Oklahoma City LA CLIPPERS Tuesday, March 1 CHARLOTTE Portland ORLANDO Charlotte TORONTO MEMPHIS HOUSTON MINNESOTA Indiana by 5 Philadelphia by 9 Utah by 5 Houston by 4 DENVER by SACRAMENTO by 5 Brooklyn by 8 Phoenix by 1 NEW YORK by Chicago MIAMI by 6 Yes, Miami can boast a recent 9-4 SU and 10- ATS run at press time but the wounded Heat are losing players left and right. All- Star forward Chris Bosh has been advised by physicians to sit out the remainder of the season (blood clot issue), guard Beno Udrih will undergo season-ending foot surgery, and team leader Dwyane Wade s knees continue to give him fits. Equally as troubling for tonight, the Heat take the floor off a revenger against the hated Knicks, and Erik Spoelstra s squad has cashed only ONCE in its last ten games after rumbling with New York (1-8-1 ATS). The Bulls lost to Miami as 6.5-point home chalk five weeks ago, 89-84, and they ve been like money in the bank when looking to get even in this series: 9- ATS all with revenge including -0 SUATS the last three and 17-7 ATS with revenge from a single-digit loss. Sooner or later, player attrition will catch up to the Heat we think it starts here. DALLAS LA LAKERS GOLDEN STATE Orlando by 6 Brooklyn by Atlanta by 10 Wednesday, March 5 BEST BET Chicago by PHILADELPHIA by Portland by 5 Utah by 7 Sacramento by 5 New Orleans by 4 Washington by 1 Indiana MILWAUKEE by 14 SAN ANTONIO DENVER LA CLIPPERS Thursday, March MIAMI San Antonio SACRAMENTO GOLDEN STATE Friday, March 4 Miami CHARLOTTE ORLANDO TORONTO CLEVELAND MEMPHIS MILWAUKEE DENVER Detroit by 1 LA Lakers by 7 Oklahoma City by 6 Phoenix by 9 NEW ORLEANS by 4 Dallas by 4 Oklahoma City by 6 PHILADELPHIA by 5 Indiana by Phoenix by 8 Portland by New York by 11 Washington by 10 Utah by Minnesota by 4 Brooklyn by 8 LA LAKERS Atlanta by 6 Forget about Tom Cruise and the recently Botoxed face he displayed at the BAFTA awards the REAL risky business these days is calling for a win by the downtrodden Lakers. But if ever there was a spot for the blind Hollywood hogs to root up an acorn, this is it. Not only are the Hawks hamstrung by bad ATS series history 4-0 SU and ATS away in the last 4 meetings they arrive off a double-revenger with defending champ Golden State (7-1 SUATS post Warriors) with a Utah revenger up next ( ATS before the Jazz). While Kobe and friends may have already secured their tickets for a long vacation beginning on April 14th, they haven t completely packed it in just yet: half of La La s 11 SU wins at press time have occurred since 1/8/15. Remarkably, they ve emerged from that 6-1 SU slide with a money-making ATS mark during that span. Factor in the Lakers 14-8 ATS effort versus Eastern Conference opponents this year, and we think the purpleand-gold will make amends here for a 1-point loss to the Hawks at Atlanta in early December. Like Bruce Springsteen once sang, Show a little faith, there s magic in the night. You ain t a beauty but hey you re alright. Showtime returns to the Staples Center. After sliding past the Bulls for second place in the Central division, we expect Indiana to fight tooth-and-nail to hang onto the spot. They certainly can t afford to drop another game to cellar-dwelling Milwaukee, who took down the Pacers as 6-point road dogs on New Year s Eve, Our well-oiled machine agrees as it chimes in with this beauty: Indiana is 5-10 ATS with revenge as road chalk versus sub.500 conference foes, including 1-1 SU and 10- ATS in division games. Those numbers fit with Milwaukee s 0-9 SU and ATS home record versus winning foes with same-season revenge, including 0-5 SUATS the last five. In addition, the Bucks take the floor off a quintuple-revenge payback contest against the Rockets, and Milwaukee has gone just 1-4 SUATS in its last five after facing Houston. And then there s The Clincher: The Pacers are 9-0 ATS in their last nine games when seeking revenge from a division loss (check additional result versus Cleveland on Monday). page 9

10 016 NBA POWER RATINGS & DAY TO DAY TRENDS BY VICTOR KING NBA POWER RATINGS HOME COURT VALUE HOME & AWAY OVER / UNDER RATINGS EASTERN CONFERENCE TEAM PWR HCV H O/U A O/U CLEVELAND TORONTO INDIANA MIAMI CHARLOTTE ATLANTA CHICAGO DETROIT WASHINGTON ORLANDO MILWAUKEE NEW YORK BROOKLYN PHILADELPHIA WESTERN CONFERENCE TEAM PWR HCV H O/U A O/U GOLDEN STATE SAN ANTONIO OKLAHOMA CITY LA CLIPPERS UTAH MEMPHIS PORTLAND DALLAS HOUSTON SACRAMENTO NEW ORLEANS DENVER MINNESOTA PHOENIX LA LAKERS All results are ATS (Against The Spread) unless otherwise noted. Legend as follows: A: Away AFT: After BB: Back to Back BEF: Before CONF: Conference Dog: Underdog DD: Double Digit Fav: Favorite Gm:Game H: Home HD: Home Dog HF: Home Favorite HG: Home Game HS: Home Stand L: Last O : Over OPP: Opponent RD : Road Dog Res: Rest RF: Road Favorite RG: Road Game RT: Road Trip SS: Same Season SIT: Situation SU: Straight Up TY: This Year 'U: Under V: Versus Vst: Visiting Team w/: With Y : Year /: After >: More Than < : Less Than All ATS ties omitted. O/U trends are ATS and / or in OVER (First) and UNDER (Second) sequence. SAT /7 Heat: 1-8 O/U in /1 rest sit / Celtics: 1-4 O/U L5 vs Mia... NEW ORLEANS 4**** Best Bet OVER T Wolves: 7-0 O/U as RD s 8 < pts w/ RG next day / 9-1 O/U L10 non-div gms / 6-1 O/U Saturdays vs conf // Pelicans: 5-1 O/U L6 home vs Min / 10- O/U L1 HG / 4-1 O/U vs.400 < opp... San HOUSTON Spurs: 6-1 O/U in 1/1 rest sit / Rockets: 10- O/U home in 1/1 rest sit... CHICAGO Blazers: 0-4 O/U away in 1/0 rest sit / Bulls: 1-4 home in 0/1 rest sit MILWAUKEE Pistons: 1-4 Saturday RG / Bucks: 7- O/U L10 vs Det... Golden OKLAHOMA CITY Warriors: 1-6 Saturday RG / Thunder: 6-0 O/U in 1/1 rest sit... UTAH *** Best Bet UNDER Nets: 1-7 O/U as RD s vs NW Div / -9 O/U Saturdays / -7 O/U in rd straight RG // Jazz: 0-4 O/U Saturdays / 1-6 O/U home in 1/1 rest sit / -1 O/U as non-conf HF s... PHOENIX Grizz: 0-5 O/U away w/ no rest / Suns: 0-5 O/U home vs unrested non-div conf opp.. SUN /8 WASHINGTON Cavs: 1-6 O/U Sundays / Wiz: on Sundays... ATLANTA Hornets: 0-4 O/U L4 vs Atl / Hawks: 1-6 O/U in 1/1 rest sit... DETROIT Raptors: 6-1 O/U L7 vs Det / Pistons: 5-1 home w/ no rest... INDIANA Blazers: 5-1 L6 vs Indy / Pacers: 1-4 home vs unrested non-conf opp... ORLANDO Sixers: 1-5 O/U Sundays / Magic: 1-5 O/U as HF s in 1/1 rest sit DALLAS T Wolves: 6-0- O/U away w/ no rest / Mavs: 4-1 L5 vs Min... NEW YORK Heat: O/U away in 0/1 rest sit / Knicks: 1-8 home in 1/0 rest sit. MON /9 CLEVELAND Pacers: 0-5 in 0/0 rest sit / Cavs: 6-1 O/U Monday HG... WASHINGTON Sixers: 4-0 Mondays / Wiz: 6-0 O/U in 0/0 rest sit TY... Jazz: 5-0 O/U away in 1/1 rest sit / Celtics: O/U home in 1/1 rest sit MILWAUKEE Rockets: 8-0 O/U away vs CEN Div / Bucks: -1 home in 1/1 rest sit vs non-conf... DENVER Grizz: 4-0 O/U Mondays / Nuggets: 4-1 O/U home in /1 rest sit... Oklahoma SACRAMENTO 5***** Best Bet UNDER Thunder: 0-8 O/U Monday favs 6 < pts / 0-6 O/U L6 away vs Sac / 1-5 O/U bef LAC // Kings: O/U in /1 rest sit vs non-div / 1-8 O/U non-div HD s 8 < pts / 1-4 O/U home vs.666 > opp... LA CLIPPERS Nets: 7-1 L8 vs LAC / Clips: 1-1 O/U Monday HG. TUE /1 CHARLOTTE Suns: 6-1 L7 vs Char / Hornets: 0-4 in 1/ rest sit... NEW YORK Blazers: 4-1 Tuesday RG / Knicks: 8-1 O/U Tuesdays... MIAMI Bulls: 6-1 in /1 rest sit / Heat: Series host 0-4 DALLAS Magic: -1 O/U away in 1/1 rest sit / Mavs: 9- home in 1/1 rest sit... LA LAKERS Nets: 6-0 O/U away in 0/+ rest sit / Lakers: 5-0 O/U home in +/0 rest sit... GOLDEN STATE Hawks: 10- away in 1/ rest sit / Warriors: 1-5 home in /1 rest sit. WED / ORLANDO Bulls: -6 away in 0/0 rest sit / Magic: 8- O/U in 0/0 rest sit... PHILADELPHIA Hornets: 0-5 O/U in 0/1 rest sit / Sixers: 1-5 Wednesday HG... Blazers: Series visitor 4-0 / Celtics: 1-4 O/U home vs unrested opp... TORONTO Jazz: -1 O/U in 1/ rest sit / Raptors: L5 vs Utah... MEMPHIS Kings: 5-0 O/U away in 1/1 rest sit / Grizz: O/U L1 HG New HOUSTON Pelicans: -6 away vs div / Rockets: 4-1 L5 vs NOrl... MINNESOTA Wiz: 1-7 O/U away in 1/ rest sit / T Wolves: Series host MILWAUKEE Pacers: 6-1 Wednesday RG / Bucks: 1-5 Wednesday HG... SAN ANTONIO Pistons: 10- O/U L1 vs San Ant / Spurs: 11- w/ rest... La DENVER Lakers: 4-1 in 0/1 rest sit / Nuggets: Series host Oklahoma LA CLIPPERS Thunder: 1-6 away in 1/1 rest sit / Clips: 1-6 O/U home in 1/1 rest sit. THUR / MIAMI Suns: 0-6 away in 1/1 rest sit / Heat: 7-0 L7 vs Phoe... San NEW ORLEANS Spurs: 1-5 L6 vs NOrl / Pelicans: 6-0 L6 as div HD s DALLAS Kings: 1-7 O/U L8 vs Dal / Mavs: 1-8 O/U in 1/0 rest sit... Oklahoma GOLDEN STATE Thunder: 1-6 THursday RG / Warriors: 4-1 home vs unrested opp. FRI /4 PHILADELPHIA Heat: 7-1 Fridays / Sixers: Series host CHARLOTTE Pacers: 4-1 in 1st of BB RG / Hornets: 0-6 O/U home in 1/1 rest sit vs non-div ORLANDO Suns: Series visitor 5-1 / Magic: -10 home vs.00 < opp... TORONTO Blazers: 1-4 Friday non-conf RG / Raptors: 4-1 O/U L5 vs Port... New Knicks: -8 away w/ rest / Celtics: 7- home in 1/ rest sit... CLEVELAND Wiz: -1 away vs.700 > opp / Cavs: 6-0 home w/ rest... MEMPHIS Jazz: 7-1 L8 vs Mem / Grizz: 6-1 O/U home vs NW Div... MILWAUKEE T Wolves: 0-4 O/U L4 vs Mil / Bucks: 1-6 as non-conf HF s... DENVER Nets: 1-8 O/U in /1 rest sit / Nuggets: 0-4 O/U L4 vs Brook... LA LAKERS Hawks: 1-4 O/U away w/ rest / Lakers: 0-1 home in 1/ rest sit.. page 10

11 THIS WEEK'S BEST BETS A REVIEW OF THE CURRENT RATED BEST BET SELECTIONS WEEK ENDING FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 016 BEST BET 4 BEST BET 5 BEST BET COLLEGE OHIO STATE (Saturday /7) TEXAS (Monday /9) AKRON (Friday /4) NBA PISTONS (Sunday /8) TRAIL BLAZERS (Saturday /7) PACERS (Wednesday /) NBA TOTALS Jazz UNDER (Saturday /7) Pelicans OVER (Saturday /7) Kings UNDER (Monday /9) NBA DAY-OF-THE-WEEK ATS RESULTS THRU SUNDAY /1/16 E A S T E R N C O N F E R E N C E W E S T E R N C O N F E R E N C E ATLANTA BROOKLYN CHARLOTTE CHICAGO CLEVELAND DETROIT INDIANA MIAMI MILWAUKEE NEW YORK ORLANDO PHILADELPHIA TORONTO WASHINGTON M T W T F S S DALLAS DENVER GOLDEN STATE HOUSTON LA CLIPPERS LA LAKERS MEMPHIS MINNESOTA NEW ORLEANS OKLA CITY PHOENIX PORTLAND SACRAMENTO SAN ANTONIO UTAH M T W T F S S page 11