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Dinero Tracker – Feb. 17

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read
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Last night's ATS Records
NBA: 0-0 | NCAA BB: 9-9

Friday night started much better than it ended, since I lost big showdowns in both the Sun Belt and Horizon League. My college lock came in, as did my hunch on Twitter that the World Team would take down Team USA in NBA Rising Stars. I think it's impossible to pick a winner in the 3-point and skills challenge, but do like Dennis Smith, Jr. to beat Donovan Mitchell in the slam dunk contest. Here's Friday's recap, complete with some of the highlights (and lowlights):

SATURDAY'S FREE SELECTION

The pick: TCU -7
This is one of Saturday night's most intriguing matchups. Both TCU and Oklahoma State enter this matchup under .500 in Big 12 play but they're perceived differently as far as the bracket goes. A home loss here could cast the Horned Frogs on a slippery slope, which is why I think we'll see desperation play a big role in completing a sweep of the Cowboys. Five TCU players scored in double-figures as the team shared the ball and burden beautifully in a 79-66 win in Stillwater. Consider that the Cowboys shot 8-for-14 from 3-point range and were still easily cast aside. Lay the points and ride TCU.

FRIDAY'S FREE SELECTION

The pick: Penn ML -145
The Quakers look to keep pace with Harvard atop the Ivy League by winning on the road this weekend. Although the Ivy League now has a four-team tournament in place to decide who reaches the NCAA Tournament instead of rewarding their regular-season champ, the Crimson will have to come through the Palestra next Saturday, so you know that this weekend's games will be about rebounding from their first league loss in Cambridge and taking care of business as a favorite so that they're still even with Harvard come next week. On paper, this visit to NYC will be their toughest test, so it's a good thing that it's up first. Ride Penn on the money line to win at Columbia as opposed to laying the extra possession on the road.




Result: The freebie came through comfortably thanks to a fantastic finish from the Quakers, who trailed Columbia for most of the night until putting together an 18-0 run, holding the Lions without a field goal for over five minutes down the stretch.

FRIDAY'S LOCK

The pick: Princeton/Cornell OVER 144.5
The Big Red have a pair of terrific scorers in guard Matt Morgan and sweet-shooting big man Stone Gettings. They don't play a lick of defense, so facing a Tigers squad that has dropped four straight games by also being unable to get stops should create a game where both teams chase points wherever they can get them and we'll get a game extension by whoever is down to aid the cause. Ride the over, guaranteed.

Result: Chicken dinners were provided for all who got in on last night's college lock, although there were a few nervous moments early since the Big Red couldn't score at all. Any fears that the Tigers would be able to lock Cornell down all game were alleviated before halftime, leading to a fantastic second half where we reached our goal in regulation and these teams played deep into the night. Cornell prevailed in a 107-101 triple-OT thriller that marked the first time in the 118-year history of the series where both teams scored more than 100 points each.



TOTAL RECALL

The pick: Oakland/Cleveland State OVER 151
It's been a really rough week for the Golden Grizzlies, who have lost key senior wing Martez Walker, one of the Horizon League's top talents. They then saw their rough time compounded by a loss to Youngstown at the buzzer, so today's game will test the resilience of Greg Kampe's team. There is a chance they'll score more efficiently without Walker since Jalen Hayes and Kendrick Nunn will get more touches, so against a beatable team like Cleveland State, this appears to be a strong bounce-back spot since the Vikings are vulnerable defensively. Ride Oakland -5 and the over for the in-game parlay.

Result: Oakland put together a fantastic second half to cover our side play, but a 20-2 run over the Vikings down the stretch meant that this wasn't close enough to get the game extended with some late-game fouling. Cleveland State still got off a 3-pointer that would've delievered a push, but came up short in an 82-66 loss.

CARDIAC ATTACK

The pick: St. Bonaventure +3
There definitely seems to be a curse for most teams that have entered this week unbeaten in conference play. Montana, New Mexico State and Florida Gulf Coast joined Cincinnati in losing in their respective leagues for the first time. Rhode Island comes in perfect and will now likely have EC Matthews for this one, but there's no way he's 100 percent. Ride St. Bonaventure plus the points.

Result: This was a terrific game, living up to billing in every way. Matthews played and showed he's still got plenty of juice on an athletic, twisting jumper late in the game. His shot missed, which allowed the Bonnies to escape with a thrilling 77-74 win. St. Bonaventure is for real, winning in spite of an off night from star guard Jaylen Adams. I hope they finish strong enough to command an NCAA Tournament bid.

SWING AND A MISS

The pick: Georgia State ML -135, GSU/Georgia Southern UNDER 14
The Panthers lost to Louisiana-Monroe in Atlanta on Saturday and have only fallen in consecutive games twice this season. They owned the first meeting in Statesboro and seem to match up well with the rival Eagles due to their ability to make their guards work for every inch. Ride Georgia State on the money line and back the under for the in-game parlay.

Result: The Eagles played a fantastic game, taking advantage of Panthers guard D'Marcus Simonds being saddled with foul trouble early and throughout the evening. The teams shot a combined 76 free throws, so my under never had a shot.

PROOF OF CLAIRVOYANCE

The pick: Yale ML -145
The Big Green come off an enormous win over Princeton to snap a 10-game losing streak and end a winless run in Ivy League play. That upset certainly ensures James Jones' Bulldogs won't come into this one expecting a win to be a given, especially since they need this game badly considering their at .500 in the Ancient Eight and will need to put in work to secure a spot in the conference tourney. Ride Yale on the money line.  

Result: The Bulldogs took control of this one in the middle of the first half and got up by as much as 75-50, putting this one in the win column well before it was over.


Follow Tony Mejia on Twitter at @TonyMejiaNBA or e-mail him at mejia@vegasinsider.com

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