[h=3]The Gold Sheet's Pick Pack[/h] |
[h=4]Guaranteed Plays[/h] |
Matchup: 521 St Johns at 522 Arizona State Time: 8:00 PM EDT (Fri) Play: Arizona State (-5 -107) Line Source: 5Dimes Posted on: December 8, 2017 @ 2:47:56 PM EST Recent wins at the Las Vegas Invitational Tourney vs. likely Big Dance entrants Kansas State and Xavier have confirmed the upgrades that Pac-12 sources had earlier reported at ASU. After being unable to balance the floor properly a year ago without reliable frontline scoring threats, Bobby Hurley has solved that dilemma with 6-8 RS frosh PF Romello White (16 ppg & 68% from floor) and 6-10 juco De’Quon Lake (13 ppg and 81% FG!), two of five Sun Devil DD scorers that also include high-powered GS Tra Holden & Shannon Evans, combining for 43 ppg. Play Arizona State Sun Devils |
[h=3]Joe Nelson 7-0 L7, 15-3 Streak, 13-3 G-Plays Joe Nelson's Pick Pack[/h] |
[h=4]Guaranteed Plays[/h] |
Matchup: 505 Denver at 506 Orlando Time: 7:05 PM EDT (Fri) Play: Orlando (-1.5 -105) Line Source: 5Dimes Posted on: December 8, 2017 @ 11:39:22 AM EST Denver is facing a third straight road game in Orlando following back-to-back losses in Dallas and New Orleans. The Nuggets are 13-11 on the season but they are 10-2 at home and 3-9 on the road. The season scoring differential is negative for Denver and in going 4-5 in the past nine games the Nuggets have been outscored by 59 points. Denver is 2-10 ATS on the road this season while Orlando appears to be back on track with wins in three of the last five games following an ugly late November slide that saw the Magic lose nine consecutive games. Orlando has a winning home record and has only played 11 of 26 games in Orlando this season for a tough early season schedule. Orlando has played the fifth rated schedule in the league at this point and has three wins vs. the league’s top 10 teams. Denver has played one of the league’s very weakest schedules as the contrast in the current records is likely to even out in the coming weeks. The Nuggets are currently playing without Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic, probably the best two players on the roster as the team is now relying on a group of young and mostly unproven players. Denver is in Game 3 of a six game road trip and this will be a fourth game in eight days for the team with travel in between each game. Evan Fournier is out for Orlando tonight after injuring his ankle in leading Wednesday’s overtime win but the Magic look better suited to handle the absence of one of their top players. Orlando is the stronger outside shooting and free throw shooting team in this matchup and the gap in those numbers grows over recent games. Denver has allowed 112 points per game on the road this season and the team’s three road wins have come against teams that are a combined 22-50 on the season. Orlando is the better defensive team at home and the schedule discrepancy while accounting for the current rosters should clear away any edges for the Nuggets in a difficult travel situation. This is also an early season revenge spot as the Nuggets won 125-107 in early November at the Pepsi Center in this matchup but in contrast to the common perception the Eastern Conference has had the clear edge over the Western Conference so far this season going 88-59-5 ATS. |