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Stephen Nover |
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| I have had only two losing season in pro football in my handicapping career. I have the best sources in the business thanks to more than 25 years as a sportswriter, handicapper and analyst. |
| YESTERDAY'S PLAYS | ||
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| Matchup | Selection | W/L |
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NCAA-B | Jan 25, 2021 Arizona State vs Arizona |
Arizona -4½ -110 at Mirage |
Won $100 |
| Play Type: Premium | ||
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Arizona State has been a major disappointment in the Pac-12 with a 1-4 league mark and 4-7 overall record. Much of this can be blamed on COVID-19. The pandemic has played havoc with the Sun Devils' schedule causing four postponements and one cancellation. The Sun Devils, though, were up for this past Thursday's game against in-state and conference rival Arizona. They led the Wildcats by six points with 3:40 left before losing, 84-82, on a tip-in at the buzzer as 2 1/2-point home 'dogs. Now the scene shifts to Tucson where Arizona gets to host Arizona State. The Wildcats took the Sun Devils' best punch. Arizona State wasn't happy about the officiating, but it got to shoot 12 more free throws than Arizona. The Sun Devils also made 11 of 21 3-point shots for 52 percent. Arizona also shot well from beyond the arc. But the Wildcats are much more proficient from 3-point range than the Sun Devils, who shoot 33.2 percent from there. The Wildcats are the superior team. They are 11-3 overall and 5-3 in the Pac-12. I don't see Arizona letting an 11-point lead slip like it did in the last meeting. I also don't envision the Sun Devils playing as well as they did on Thursday. ASU is 1-8 ATS following a loss and this last one was very tough to take. The Sun Devils also are just 1-5-1 ATS in their past seven road contests. |
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| Matchup | Selection | W/L |
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NBA | Jan 25, 2021 Lakers vs Cavs |
Cavs +10½ -105 at pinnacle |
Won $100 |
| Play Type: Premium | ||
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The Lakers haven't let their championship get to their heads. They are 13-4, tied with the Clippers for the best record in the NBA. LA has yet to lose on the road in nine away games. But this is the right spot to step in against the Lakers with the improved Cavaliers. LA is in the third game of a seven-game road swing. The Lakers beat the Bucks, 113-106, this past Thursday and followed that up with a 101-90 victory against the Bulls this past Saturday. Up next for the Lakers is a major challenge on Wednesday - the 76ers. They have the best record in the Eastern Conference at 12-5. So the Lakers are in-between a letdown spot and a look-ahead spot - all while laying double-digits. The Cavaliers suffered their own letdown on Sunday getting blasted, 141-103, by the Celtics in Boston. Cleveland entered that matchup having won three in a row, including consecutive victories against James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the rest of the Nets. Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff pulled his starters early in the Boston debacle. None of the Cavaliers' key players - Andre Drummond, Collin Sexton, Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman - logged more than 18 minutes in the Celtics loss. They should be highly motivated for this matchup, especially welcoming LeBron James back to Cleveland. The Cavaliers are 5-2 SU and ATS as home 'dogs this season. They are 8-8 on the season, yet hold little respect in the marketplace. They've upset the Nets twice and the 76ers. They can hang at home against the Lakers. |
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| Matchup | Selection | W/L |
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NHL | Jan 25, 2021 Senators vs Canucks |
OVER 6 -125 |
Won $100 |
| Play Type: Top Premium | ||
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I'm very surprised this total opened at 6 with juice instead of 6 1/2 or even 7 given the low quality of these defenses. Ottawa ranks 29th defensively giving up 4.0 goals a game. Vancouver is even worse. The Canucks surrender an NHL-high 4.7 goals per game. They also allow the second-most shots on goal. Vancouver has given up an average of five goals a game during its past six games. The good news for the Canucks is they have young, talented goal scorers. One of these is Elias Pettersson, who is starting to emerge out of an early-season scoring slump. The Canucks should get their share of goals against an Ottawa squad that just surrendered four goals in the third period during its last game, a 6-3 road loss to the Jets this past Saturday. The Senators have permitted at least three goals in all five of their games. Goalie Matt Murray has not looked good in the early going. The Over has cashed during the past four meetings between the two teams. That trend should continue as I'm expecting a loose game from two teams with a combined 3-9 record. |
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SERVICE BIO |
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Sports gaming writer for Las Vegas Review-Journal 1984-1997. Professional handicapper since 1999. Author of three books - Las Vegas Sportsbeat, Sportsgaming Beat, Winning Fantasy Football. Taught sports betting at UNLV. Former co-host of the Sunday Night Stardust Line sports gaming radio show. Was part-time oddsmaker and analyst for Roxy Roxborough. Recognized NFL expert with 21 of 23 winning seasons. |
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