Kevin Durant Returns to OKC Tonight as Warriors Face the Thunder

 

Thunder Coming Off Upset of Cavs

The fans at Chesapeake Energy Arena will see Kevin Durant return to OKC. The Golden State Warriors visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. The highly anticipated matchup tips off on Saturday night at 8:30 pm EST.  ABC Sports will televise the game.

The Oklahoma City Thunder had their biggest win of the season last game. They took on the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs had been riding a four-game win streak, before the Thunder pulled out the upset. None of that seemed to matter after the game. All anyone wanted to talk about afterward was the return of Kevin Durant to OKC and what the fan reaction will be.

Oddsmakers opened the Warriors as -7-point favorites versus the Thunder, while the game's total opened at 227.5.

The Thunder was a 118-109 winner in their upset victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. They covered the -1.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (227) made winners of OVER bettors. Another factor that could work toward the Thunder is that the Warriors are playing the second half of a back-to-back games after playing in Memphis Friday night.

Golden State was a 122-107 winner on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies last time out. They covered the -8-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (229) was profitable news for OVER bettors. Golden State won the first two games by an average margin of almost 24 points. They were both played in Oakland.

Betting Odds Trends

Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14 games
Golden State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Golden State's last 13 games
Golden State is 19-4 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Golden State's last 19 games on the road
Golden State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City
Golden State is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Golden State is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Golden State's last 14 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Oklahoma City is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games at home
Oklahoma City is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
Oklahoma City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games when playing Golden State
Oklahoma City is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Golden State
Oklahoma City is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Oklahoma City's last 14 games when playing at home against Golden State

 

Next up:
Golden State at Denver Monday, February 13
Oklahoma City at Washington Monday, February 13

Get all your 2017 NBA Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook



 

Untested Gonzaga Travels to St. Mary's Saturday

 

Will Zags Get First Test of Season Today?

The Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Saint Mary's-California Gaels will battle on Saturday when they meet at McKeon Pavilion. This game will decide the West Coast Conference Championship most likely. It could shake the national basketball landscape as well if the Gaels can pull off an upset.

Oddsmakers opened the Bulldogs as -4-point favorites versus the Gaels, while the game's total opened at 131. The total now is at 133.5.

Saint Mary's-California was a 51-41 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Portland Pilots. They failed to cover the -24-point spread as favorites. Saint Mary's returns every key member of the team that beat Gonzaga 70-67 the last time the teams met in Moraga. All nine Saint Mary's players who saw time in that game are back this season. That was before 6-foot-11 center Jock Landale was a prominent contributor. He leads the team in both scoring (15.7) and rebounding (9.5).

Gonzaga was a 90-60 winner in its last match on the road against the Loyola-Marymount Lions. They covered the -17-point spread as favorites. Gonzaga has won its 13 conference games by an average margin of 25.8 points and none was closer than 10 points. Saturday's game is the biggest remaining obstacle to Gonzaga completing an undefeated regular season.

Betting Odds Trends

Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Zags are 15-2-1 ATS in its last 18 games
The Zags are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The Zags are 8-1-1 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
The Zags are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Gonzaga's last 6 games on the road
The Zags are 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Saint Mary's-California
The Zags are 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing Saint Mary's-California
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Gonzaga's last 11 games when playing Saint Mary's-California
Gonzaga is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Saint Mary's-Cali
Gonzaga is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Saint Mary's-Cali
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Gonzaga's last 5 games when playing on the road against Saint Mary's-Cali

Saint Mary's-California Gaels
Saint Mary's-California is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Saint Mary's-California's last 10 games
Saint Mary's-California is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Saint Mary's-California is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Saint Mary's-California's last 9 games at home
Saint Mary's-California is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Gonzaga
Saint Mary's-California is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing Gonzaga
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Saint Mary's-California's last 11 games when playing Gonzaga
Saint Mary's-California is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Gonzaga
Saint Mary's-California is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Gonzaga
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saint Mary's-California's last 5 games when playing at home against Gonzaga

 

Next up:
Gonzaga home to San Francisco Thursday, February 16
Saint Mary's-California home to Loyola Marymount Thursday, February 16

Get all of your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

Streaking FSU Travels to Notre Dame

 

FSU Starts Tough ACC Road Stretch

The Florida State Seminoles and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will square off in a key ACC matchup on Saturday.  The Joyce Center on the campus of Notre Dame will host the game.  This key ACC matchup will be televised by ESPN at 6 pm EST.

Saturday's game at Notre Dame  opens a stretch of four of the next five on the road for Florida State. They are only 2-3 away from home in league play.

Oddsmakers opened Notre Dame as -1-point favorites versus the Seminoles, while the game's total opened at 155.5.

Notre Dame, a 88-81 winner, against Wake Forest showed some offensive fire-power. They covered in the matchup as a -5.5-point favorite. This is a different Notre Dame team than the one that lost by three points to the Seminoles last month on the road. The Irish were flying high and atop the league at that time.  They had won their first five conference contests. They scored 47 points in the second half of a game that saw them shred the FSU defense to go 15-of-21 (71.4 percent) from 3.

Florida State was a 95-71 winner against North Caroline State Wolfpack. They gave the home crowd a lot to cheer for. They covered in the match as a -13.5-point favorite. Freshman power forward Jonathan Isaac returned to form earlier this week in a 24-point home victory over North Carolina State. After scoring only two points in a 48-point clubbing of Clemson, Isaac busted out for 21 points and seven rebounds. He gave the nearly-two dozen NBA scouts in attendance that night good reason to watch.

Betting Odds Trends

FSU
Florida State is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Florida State's last 10 games
Florida State is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Florida State is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida State's last 7 games on the road
Florida State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Notre Dame

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
Notre Dame is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Notre Dame is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Notre Dame is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Notre Dame is 18-2 SU in its last 20 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Notre Dame's last 6 games at home
Notre Dame is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida State

 

Next up:
Florida State at Pittsburgh Saturday, February 18
Notre Dame at Boston College Tuesday, February 14

Get all of your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

Resurgent Hawks Battle the Sacramento Kings

 

Cousins Back After One-Game Suspension

The fans at Golden 1 Center will see the Atlanta Hawks and the Sacramento Kings face-off Friday night.  The Kings welcome back DeMarcus Cousins to the lineup on Friday night after a one-game suspension. Cousins temper is up and down and causes erratic play for the Kings.

Oddsmakers opened the Hawks as -1.5-point favorites versus the Kings, while the game's total opened at 210.5.

Sacramento was a 108-92 winner in its last match at home against the Boston Celtics. They covered the +8.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 200 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. The Kings' pattern has been to follow up a good game with a bad one. A perfect example is Monday's loss at home to Chicago, the one in which Cousins earned two more technical fouls and his suspension, when they trailed by 27 points two nights after beating the two-time Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors as only the latest example.

The Hawks were a 117-106 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Denver Nuggets. They covered the -3.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (223) made winners of UNDER bettors.  The Hawks have lost by at least 20 points in each of their past three losses, all of them coming after a victory. Atlanta hasn't lost two in a row since a seven-game skid early in the season. With that being said, they have only one winning streak of longer than two games since then, too.

Betting Odds Trends

Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games
Atlanta is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games on the road
Atlanta is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Sacramento
Atlanta is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Atlanta's last 15 games when playing Sacramento
Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Atlanta is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing on the road against Sacramento

Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Sacramento is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Sacramento's last 5 games
Sacramento is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Sacramento is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Sacramento's last 5 games at home
Sacramento is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Atlanta
Sacramento is 1-16 SU in its last 17 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Sacramento's last 15 games when playing Atlanta
Sacramento is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Sacramento is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Sacramento's last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta

 

Next up:
Atlanta at Portland Monday, February 13
Sacramento home to New Orleans Sunday, February 12

Get all your 2017 NBA Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook

Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns Battle on ESPN

Bulls and Suns Headed in Opposite Directions

The Chicago Bulls and the Phoenix Suns meet on Friday night on ESPN. The contest is at Talking Stick Resort Arena and tips at 10:30 pm EST.

The Phoenix Suns were a 110-91 loser on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Suns failed to cover the +7.5-point spread as underdogs. The combined score, of 201, was profitable news for UNDER bettors. The Suns are coming off a one-sided loss that ended ugly. The Suns are having an issue with ejected players. They had their third and fouth players to be ejected this season. Marquese Chriss and Tyler Ulis were ejected in the fourth quarter of this game for fighting.

The Bulls were a 123-92 loser as they battled the Golden State Warriors on the road. The Bulls failed to cover in the matchup as a +18-point underdog. The 215 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Jimmy Butler has missed 3 games in a row with a bruised heel.  There's potential good news on the immediate horizon. Butler participated in a scrimmage on Thursday. He felt good and hopes to be back in the lineup in Phoenix. Dwyane Wade also missed because of an upper respiritory infection.

Betting Odds Trends

Chicago Bulls
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Chicago's last 23 games on the road
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Chicago is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Phoenix
Chicago is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chicago's last 10 games when playing on the road against Phoenix

Phoenix Suns
Phoenix is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Phoenix is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Phoenix's last 16 games
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Phoenix is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing Chicago
Phoenix is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
Phoenix is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Phoenix's last 10 games when playing at home against Chicago

 

Next up:
Chicago at Minnesota Sunday, February 12
Phoenix at Houston Saturday, February 11

NHL Odds: Islanders-Flyers in Patrick Division Classic

 

They might play in the Metropolitan Division now, but the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers will always be remembered as Patrick Division rivals under the old format. They’ll meet again Thursday night (7 PM ET, NBCSN) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia; the Flyers have already beaten the Islanders twice in New York this season, each by a final score of 3-2.

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This has been a year to forget for both clubs, but as long as the NHL keeps handing out points for “overtime losses,” there’s still plenty of time to make a playoff run. The Islanders (23-18-10) are doing just that, winning seven of their last 10 games – and losing twice in overtime. One of those losses was against the Flyers (26-21-7), who have been up-and-down all season; they’re one of the league’s worst teams against the puck line at 22-32 ATS and minus-15.04 units.

Both clubs should be well-rested after taking Tuesday and Wednesday off. The projected starting goaltenders are Thomas Greiss (.921 save percentage) for New York and Steve Mason (.900 SV%) for Philadelphia. It’s a mismatch in goal, but Philly’s No. 2 netminder, Michal Neuvirth (.893 SV%), is having his worst season since joining the league in 2008.
Get your NHL odds at Bovada today.



 

Matthews and the Leafs Take on the St. Louis Blues

 

Blues Back in Playoff Hunt

The St. Louis Blues (27-22-5 SU, 19-35 ATS) continue their Ontario road trip with a stop in Toronto on Thursday (7:30 PM ET on SNO). They’re riding two straight shut outs, one against the Ottawa Senators and one against the Philadelphia Flyers. Since the firing of former head coach, Ken Hitchcock, St. Louis has won three of four games and gotten back into a playoff position. They currently occupy the first wildcard position in the Western Conference. Goaltender Jake Allen (2.74 goals against average, .900 save percentage) will attempt to build on a 30-save shutout, but will need to contend against an offensive juggernaut in the Leafs.

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The Leafs (25-17-10 SU, 33-19 ATS) will look to end the Blues’ shutout streak with their sixth best offense in the league (3.12 goals per game). Rookie phenome, Auston Matthews (25 goals, 19 assists) leads the Leafs in goals, while fellow rookie Mitch Marner (13 goals, 31 assists) leads the team in points. The Leafs’ downfall of late has been a shaky defense; they’ve given up five or more goals in four of their last five games.

Get your NHL odds at Bovada today.

Oklahoma Sooners Hosts 13th-Ranked West Virginia

 

Sooners Look to Snap 5-Game Skid

The fans at Lloyd Noble Center will be treated to a Big XII matchup between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday night. Game time is 9 pm EST.

Oddsmakers opened the Mountaineers as -9-point favorites versus the Sooners, while the game's total opened at 156.

Oklahoma was a 77-69 loser in its last match on the road against Red Raiders. They failed to cover the +6-point spread as underdogs.

Jordan Woodard took over the game the las time the Sooners' played West Virginia. The senior point guard had 20 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals in Oklahoma's 89-87 overtime upset of the then-No. 7 Mountaineers in Morgantown on Jan. 18.

In their last action, West Virginia was a 82-75 loser at home against Cowboys. They failed to cover the -10.5-point spread as favorites. The Mountaineers have forced a Division I-best 22.26 turnovers per game this season. More than 3.5 turnovers per game better than No. 2 Fordham. No other major-conference team is within 5.5 of the Mountaineers' number.

Betting Odds Trends

West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
West Virginia is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of West Virginia's last 10 games
West Virginia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of West Virginia's last 5 games on the road
West Virginia is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Oklahoma
West Virginia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of West Virginia's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma
West Virginia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma
West Virginia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Oklahoma is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma's last 7 games
Oklahoma is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Oklahoma is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma's last 7 games at home
Oklahoma is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games when playing West Virginia
Oklahoma is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing West Virginia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma's last 5 games when playing West Virginia
Oklahoma is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against West Virginia
Oklahoma is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against West Virginia

 

Next up:
West Virginia home to Kansas State Saturday, February 11
Oklahoma at Iowa State Saturday, February 11

Get all of your College Basketball Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook.

Golden State Hosts the Chicago Bulls Wednesday on ESPN

 

Warriors 12-2 Last 14 Games

The Chicago Bulls and the Golden State Warriors will on Wednesday when they meet at Oracle Arena and the game will be televised by ESPN.

Oddsmakers have Golden State as a 16.5 point favorite. The total is set at 220.

Golden State was a 109-106 loser in its last match on the road against the Sacramento Kings. They failed to cover the -14.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 215 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. The Bulls' chances of winning again at Golden State would increase if they could get star shooting guard Jimmy Butler back from a heel injury. The All-Star has missed the last two games and is considered questionable for Wednesday.

Last time out for Chicago, they were a 112-107 winner. They played the Sacramento Kings on the road. The Bulls covered in the matchup as a +4-point underdog. The 219 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. The Warriors have yet to face the Bulls since last year. Golden State swept Chicago last season, winning by 12 and 31 points.

Betting Odds Trends

Chicago Bulls
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games
Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Chicago is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games on the road
Chicago is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
Chicago is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 8 games when playing Golden State
Chicago is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Chicago is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Golden State

Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games
Golden State is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Golden State's last 11 games
Golden State is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 9 games at home
Golden State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Golden State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 8 games when playing Chicago
Golden State is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games when playing at home against Chicago
Golden State is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Chicago

 

Next up:
Chicago at Phoenix Friday, February 10
Golden State at Memphis Friday, February 10

Get all your 2017 NBA Odds at Bovada Online Sportsbook

Lebron James, Pual George Go Head-to-Head in Indiana on Wednesday

 

First Night of Back to Back For Cavs

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Paul George of the Indiana Pacers are both headed to the All-Star Game on February 19. But before that, these two will face off on Wednesday when the Cavaliers visit Indiana.

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James is going to his 13^th All-Star Game. He is ranked in the top 10 in both scoring and assists, along with an average of 7.9 rebounds per game. He’s also second to the Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry in minutes per game. This has to be a  is a bit of a concern. The Cavs should look to reduce that number in the second half of the season.

George is joining the All-Star team for the fourth time. He averages 22.5 points per game. He also is averaging 6.1 rebounds per game and 3.3 assists. As always he continues to bring top-class defense to the table. He’s made either the first or second All-Defensive Team in three of the last four years, and will surely be the primary defender covering James on Wednesday.

Cleveland is 6-4 SU in their last 10 games against the Pacers, but just 2-8 ATS. The Pacers won the first meeting of the season 103-93 at home as 3-point favorites, and will be an even bigger challenge on Wednesday, as they’re hot off seven straight wins.

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