OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Writer Vegas Matty previews Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat.

The Miami Heat (43-21) made a serious statement the last time they faced the Los Angeles Lakers (46-19) on Christmas Day.  On Thursday before another national television audience, the struggling Heat will simply be trying to end their own five-game losing streak along with an eight-game winning streak for the defending NBA champion Lakers (-2).

Miami dominated Los Angeles 96-80 at the Staples Center in the last meeting behind a triple double from LeBron James, who totaled 27 points, 11 rebound and 10 assists.  Chris Bosh also had an impressive game against LA’s big men with 24 points and a game-high 13 rebounds while Dwyane Wade chipped in with 18 points and six assists.

The Heat were just starting to jell at that point in the midst of winning 21 times in 22 games, and they should be making their push for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race right now.  Instead, chemistry issues have plagued the supposed dream team of James, Wade and Bosh lately and led to their longest skid of the season.  They have failed to cover the spread in their last seven games.

Questions regarding who should take the last shot of the game have made it clear that James and Wade are more the same type of player than they are complimentary pieces to a championship puzzle while Bosh is just trying to fit into the offense somehow.  Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra has quite the challenge ahead of him as his team tries to finish strong, starting with this key game against the Lakers.

Los Angeles head coach Phil Jackson is enjoying his final ride on the bench and see his team peaking at the perfect time.  The Lakers have played with a vengeance since they dropped three games in a row prior to the All-Star break, including bad losses at Charlotte and Cleveland by a combined 25 points.

Kobe Bryant has scored 20 points or more in seven of the eight games during the winning streak, with LA going 7-1 against the spread in those games.  Bryant tweaked his ankle in a 101-87 win at Atlanta on Tuesday but still scored 26 points as his team failed to give up more than 87 points for the fifth straight games.  In fact, the Lakers have allowed just one opponent to total more than 95 points since the All-Star break, limiting the rest to an average of 85 points.  The UNDER has cashed in four of their last five games.

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With the Big Ten playing a more prominent role in college basketball betting this season than in other recent years, it feels like this football-crazy conference has turned over a new leaf. All eyes will be on No. 1 Ohio State. Can it avenge defeats to Wisconsin and Purdue? Let’s handicap the Big Ten Tournament.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (29-2)

Sportsbook odds: -150

The Buckeyes are the top-ranked team in all of college basketball, so it’s no surprise to see them listed as the betting favorite to win the Big Ten tourney. Some people will dispute the rank and call for Kansas to get the top spot. After all, two other contenders in this tourney, Purdue and Wisconsin, beat Ohio State. But the Buckeyes look like the real deal. They responded well after their second defeat, winning four straight times by 19 or more points. They’re also a national top-20 team in both scoring offense and defense.

PURDUE BOILERMAKERS (25-6)

Sportsbook odds: +300

Remember Robbie Hummel? Apparently Purdue doesn’t. It’s not often that a team overcomes a season-ending injury to one of its starters only to play mostly dominant basketball but Purdue has done just that this season. The Boilermakers enter the tourney having won seven of eight. JaJuan Johnson is having a dream season, averaging 20.6 points per game. Purdue is a legitimate threat to the Buckeyes, having beaten them by 13 points on February 20.

WISCONSIN BADGERS (23-7)

Sportsbook odds: +350

As “that other team that beat Ohio State,” Wisconsin falls right behind Purdue. The Badgers are an intriguing sleeper. Not only do they have a one-two punch as good as any Big Ten team’s in Jon Leuer and Jordan Taylor, they’re also one of the country’s most outstanding defensive teams. Keep a close eye on the Badgers.

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (19-12)

Sportsbook odds: +800

Michigan is the quintessential mid-range contender in this tournament. The Wolverines are kinda, sorta good everywhere. They don’t score a ton but they play pretty good defense, they have some pretty good scorers in Darius Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr., they enter the tournament pretty hot with six wins in eight games…you get the picture. Michigan could reach, say, the semifinals but this is a low-upside pick.

MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (17-13)

Sportsbook odds: +800

Picking Michigan State to win the Big Ten Tournament is like picking Tiger Woods to win a golf tournament: don’t let the name fool you. I know Tom Izzo is still the coach and I know Kalin Lucas is good but this team just doesn’t have what it was supposed to have this year. The Spartans haven’t reached the Big Ten title game since 2000.

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (19-2)

Sportsbook odds: +1000

Fun fact: Illinois has the best all-time record of any team in the Big Ten Tournament at 23-11. But don’t let that fool you into picking the Fighting Illini to win it this year. These guys are solid and a good shooting team at .469 for the season but their 9-9 record in conference play this season tells you all you need to know.

THE PICK

I’m so tempted to pick Wisconsin. Love the defense, love their scoring tandem, a win over Ohio State already…but I can’t veer off the path. Ohio State made a statement when it crushed Wisconsin 93-65 in the rematch a few days ago. The Buckeyes are ready to win their fourth Big Ten tourney.

Today’s free pick: Ohio State-150

Senior Writer Vegas Matty previews Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets from the standpoint of the sports gambler.

One of the best scores and odds games has the Chicago Bulls (44-18) bring a three-game winning streak to Charlotte on Wednesday in hopes of evening the season series with the Bobcats (26-37) at two games apiece.  Charlotte won the first two meetings with Chicago by a combined six points before the Bulls pulled off a 106-94 victory in the last game between the teams on February 15.

The Bobcats have since traded Gerald Wallace to Portland and lost leading scorer Stephen Jackson to a hamstring injury, winning just once in six games.  They are currently riding a five-game losing streak, going 1-4 against the spread after falling at home 92-87 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.  A lack of scoring has obviously been the major concern, as the team is averaging only 81.2 points per game during the skid with the UNDER cashing each time.

That pattern is not likely to change here against a Chicago team that has tightened the screws defensively since losing 118-113 at Toronto in the first game after the All-Star break.  The Bulls have not allowed an opponent to score 90 points in the last seven games, giving up an average of 81.1 points during that stretch en route to a 6-1 record with the UNDER going 7-0.

While Chicago has risen to the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race thanks in part to the struggles of the Miami Heat, the team still needs to prove itself by consistently winning on the road.  The Bulls were finally able to get over the .500 mark away from home on their most recent road trip, going 4-1 both straight-up and ATS.  They need just one more road victory to surpass last year’s total.

Chicago point guard Derrick Rose continues to play at an MVP level despite a hiccup here or there, scoring 21 points or more in four of the last five games.  However, Rose struggled in an 83-80 loss at Atlanta on March 2, which was the lone setback during the road trip.  He made just 5 of 21 shots from the field against the Hawks, totaling 12 points, 12 assists and six turnovers.  Rose owns career averages of 19.9 points and 6.6 assists in 10 career games against Charlotte.

The Bobcats are 2-4 ATS in the last six meetings with the Bulls even though they won three of those games.  The UNDER was 3-1 in the previous four games between them before Chicago’s most recent win in the series.

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OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has a free pick for Wednesday on Oklahoma City (+1) at Philadelphia.

Reasoning: Let me first start by saying that you should play this game early because the only line movement you will see will be on the Thunder and against you. Why? Because the line that I am seeing is soft with Philadelphia on the back-to-back with travel.

Doug Collins has done a great job with the 76ers reviving the team and the franchise as a whole after some rough last few years. I’m not saying this Philly team has gotten over the hump at all but after the terrible 3-13 start they have turned things around and are playing some great ball of late. For them to currently be 33-30 shows me a team that is making great strides. But with that said they are in an extremely difficult spot tonight playing for the never easy second straight night after the victory in Indiana yesterday and are also hitting the court for a third game in four nights. To ask the 76ers to keep pace in this spot just does not seem all that probable against what is the superior team in Oklahoma City and the fresher team in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder are rapidly growing into an elite squad. Getting Kendrick Perkins was a nice little piece in the middle to go along with a pair of superstars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. These guys almost knocked off the Lakers last season in the playoffs and are 39-23 this season.

The 6ers are at home which is never a bad thing but they also are not going to have enough legs to be able to slow down Westbrook and Durant. Andre Iguodala has played a ton better of late and things have been going Philadelphia’s way but tonight is just too tall of a task and one that they are not going to succeed in.

The City of Brotherly Love will be friendly to the visiting Thunder as they take care of business going away.

Top expert pick on this game: Oklahoma City

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The Big 12 may not have the depth of the Big East or the rivalries of the Big Ten but it still has some serious national title contenders with teams like Kansas, Texas and Kansas State. So the Big 12 Tournament will still get plenty of sports betting action. Let’s take a look at the hopefuls and make a pick.

KANSAS JAYHAWKS (29-2)

Sportsbook odds: -200

It should come as no surprise at all to see the No.2 Kansas Jayhawks favored to win the Big 12 tourney. Bill Self’s boys know how to shoot the lights out. No one does it better. At 51.8 per cent from the field, Kansas is the nation’s top shooting team. It’s no wonder the Jayhawks are also fifth with 82.7 points per game. The Morrises, Marcus and Markieff, both shoot just under 60 per cent. Amazing.

KANSAS STATE (22-9)

Sportsbook odds: +250

Here I was thinking Kansas State would be a sleeper, but the oddsmakers are ahead of the game. The Wildcats couldn’t hide anymore after their outstanding late-season run that included wins over Kansas and Texas (at Texas). Jacob Pullen has been a man on a mission for this team down the stretch. Arguably, no team carries more momentum into the Big 12 tournament.

TEXAS LONGHORNS (25-6)

Sportsbook odds: +350

If it weren’t for Kansas State going crazy over the last month, Texas would’ve been the consensus top challenger to Kansas for the Big 12 crown. After all, the Longhorns beat Kansas earlier this season. You could also argue that Texas has the conference’s best pure scorer in Jordan Hamilton. The Longhorns were popular in college basketball betting circles this year, leading the Big 12 with an 18-8 ATS record.

TEXAS A&M AGGIES (23-7)

Sportsbook odds: +650

Unlike the Big East, in which every team seems to have 20 wins and a shot at the tournament crown, only a handful of Big 12 teams are taken seriously. Texas A&M is probably the last of that group, and even the Aggies are a stretch. They’re a fine defensive squad, ranking 15^th in the nation with 60.4 points allowed per game, but their offense leaves a lot to be desired. Texas A&M also seemed to fall flat on its face every time it matched up against a good Big 12 team, especially away from home. So I wouldn’t waste a bet on the Aggies if I were you.

THE PICK

It’s no coincindence that this preview is shorter than my Big East preview. To me, recommending or even discussing anyone besides the top four teams in the Big 12 would be steering you in the wrong direction. Actually, you shouldn’t get caught picking anyone other than Kansas, Kansas State or Texas.

I like the All-Kansas rivalry to be the deciding factor here. Kansas State is playing the best basketball in the Big 12 right now and Kansas knows how to win better than anyone else. I think that experience (and coaching edge) will be enough to put the Jayhawks over the top…barely.

Today’s free pick: Kansas -250

OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Writer Vegas Matty previews Los Angeles Lakers at Atlanta Hawks from the standpoint of the bettor.

The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers (45-19) started a seven-game winning streak after the All-Star break with a 104-80 rout of the Atlanta Hawks (37-26) at home two weeks ago.  The Lakers (-5.5) will try to remain the hottest team in the league on Tuesday when they visit the Hawks during the second stop of a four-game road trip.

Los Angeles is coming off arguably its biggest statement game of the season on Sunday, ripping San Antonio 99-83 to end a franchise-record 22-game home winning streak for the Spurs.  The Lakers built a monstrous 65-37 halftime lead and cruised from there behind a game-high 26 points from MVP candidate Kobe Bryant while Pau Gasol added 21 points and Andrew Bynum grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds for the second time in a row.

Defense has been the secret to LA’s success during the winning streak, as the team has held opponents to 87 points or less five times, including four straight.  The UNDER has cashed five times over that period in which the Lakers have also gone 5-1 against the spread.

After losing in Los Angeles, Atlanta went 2-2 in the final four games of a seven-game road trip to finish up 3-4.  The Hawks have played their last three games at home, losing the last two after rallying back from a 19-point deficit to beat Chicago 83-80 last Wednesday.  Al Horford scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds against the Bulls but has totaled 19 points and 19 rebounds in losses to Oklahoma City (111-104) and New York (92-79) since then.

Atlanta has had trouble scoring in the last 13 games, breaking the century mark only once during that stretch.  That came in the loss to the Thunder last Friday, which is also the only time the Hawks scored more than 90 in their last five games.  The UNDER is 5-1 in their last six games and 9-2 in their past 11.

The Lakers had failed to cover the spread in the three previous meetings with Atlanta before the latest game between the teams.  They have split the last four meetings straight-up, losing both games in Atlanta and failing to register a victory in their past three trips there.  Bryant has struggled offensively in the last three road games in the series, averaging just 18.7 points on 41.1 percent shooting.  However, Bynum did not play in any of those games.

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It isn’t quite NCAA Tournament time but, for many NCAA hoops betting fans, the Big East Tournament is the next best thing. It’s virtually peerless among the conference tourneys, with an incredibly deep field and possibility 10 teams out of that conference alone that could make the field of 68 for the NCAA Tournament.

The Big East tourney starts Tuesday. Who has the inside track to win it all? Here’s a look at the top contenders and, of course, a betting pick.

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS (27-4)

Sportsbook odds: +200

After edging out Notre Dame for the conference title, the Panthers are viewed as the favorite or at least the co-favorite by most sports betting sharps. Pittsburgh gets the job done with outstanding backcourt play from Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker. But the Panthers will need guys like Gilbert Brown and Gary McGhee to step up under the basket if they want to hold off the other powerhouses.

NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (25-5)

Sportsbook odds: +200

The Irish will be just as popular of a pick as Pittsburgh this year. Ben Hansbrough has matured into a great team leader and Notre Dame is hot, with just one loss in its last 12 games. The win over UConn after Hansbrough fouled out also proved that this isn’t a one-man team.

SYRACUSE ORANGE (+25-6)

Sportsbook odds: +300

Syracuse is a perennial contender in the Big East but does it have the horses to run with the other big boys? Scoop Jardine and Rick Jackson are good at what they do – passing and rebounding, respectivley – but Syracuse arguably lacks the gamebreaking scorer that teams like Pittsburgh, Notre dame and UConn have.

ST. JOHN’S RED STORM (20-10)

Sportsbook odds: +650

Sniff around any betting circle and you’ll quickly learn that St. John’s is the hottest sleeper pick to win the Big East Tournament. The Red Storm went 7-1 at Madison Square Garden, the host venue, this season and beat both Notre Dame and Pittsburgh there. St. John’s is another team that does have that elite go-to guy that can make a difference: Dwight Hardy.

GEORGETOWN HOYAS (21-9)

Sportsbook odds: +1200

Georgetown limps into the tourney having lost four of five, all within Big East play, and its main ball distributor, Chris Wright, is out indefinitely after hand surgery. This sports betting blog suggests you stay away from the Hoyas.

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS (20-10)

Sportsbook odds: +1200

Last year, West Virginia was the talk of the country leading up to March Madness and won the Big East. This year, the Mountaineers are relegated to sleeper status. However, we shouldn’t count them out. Yeah, they’ve struggled against juggernauts like Pittsburgh, but Casey Mitchell really showed some clutch ability down the stretch. He could lead West Virginia to some upsets in this tournament.

CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (21-9)

Sportsbook odds: +2000

Instead of Cincinnati or Villanova, I’ll go with UConn as the final team to consider in the Big East. The Huskies are struggling badly, losing four of five to enter the tourney, but they still have that crucial X-factor in Kemba Walker. I know Cincy is the hotter team but UConn’s one win over its last five came against the Bearcats.

THE PICK

It feels like every team has a shot to win the uber-competitive Big East. St. John’s and West Virginia feel like the most intriguing sleepers; Pittsburgh and Notre Dame stand out among the top contenders. In the end, I like the Irish. They knocked out Pittsburgh last year and I think the inside presence of Hansbrough and guys like Carleton Scott will be too much for Pitt to handle should they meet in the final.

Today’s free pick: Notre Dame +200

OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has a winner Monday is on the Portland Trail Blazers (+2) at Orlando.

This may be the simplest write-up that I have ever had, truly. The Trailblazers aren’t great at all but with Dwight Howard out suspended who on the Magic has any chance of slowing down LaMarcus Aldridge? Orlando is an extremely small team that has Howard in the paint and pretty much nothing else. They made the flurry of trades a few months ago after that losing streak and really became a ton smaller limiting themselves in a major way if anything ever happened to Howard.

Well it now happened as the big man is out suspended for accumulating all of the technical fouls.

Orlando does have a ton of guys that are somewhat quick and can shoot in Arenas, Richardson, Turkoglu, Redick and Anderson but the deficiency in the paint is just beyond belief and would rival Gulliver against the Liliputians or whoever he was against. If I was smart enough to know that I probably wouldn’t be doing this.

Plus Portland has really manned up through all of the injuries and is a team that has to be taken seriously by all right now. The Blazers have won two in a row and 9 of their last 12 games to get to the current 35-27 mark.

Stan Van Gundy will have no choice but to go small and that will mean a lot of long range shooting for the home Magic. If they can consistently knock down those three’s then all I can do is tip my cap. But the advantage with a guy that has been blowing up in Aldridge tonight in the middle is just much too good to overlook.

Aldridge is a superstar, Brandon Roy is still somewhat around, Andre Miller is a bit rejuvenated and after 48 minutes I will gladly fade the well undersized Magic without their star in Howard.

Top expert pick on this game: Portland from the real Matt Rivers

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Senior Writer Vegas Matty previews previews the Portland Trail Blazers at Orlando Magic from an NBA spread standpoint.

The Orlando Magic (40-23) will again get to find out what life is like without their NBA MVP candidate on Monday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers (35-27).  The Magic (-3) will not have All-Star center Dwight Howard in the lineup due to a one-game suspension he received after picking up his 16^th technical foul of the season on Friday in an 89-81 home loss to Chicago.

Howard scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds against the Bulls, who outrebounded Orlando by a 50-30 margin.  The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Magic that included key victories against Miami (99-96) and New York (116-110).  The team split two games earlier this season against Detroit and Milwaukee that Howard missed with a stomach virus, but those two teams combined have just 11 more wins than the Trail Blazers.

Meanwhile, Portland has won consecutive games after losing two in a row and begins a four-game road trip in Orlando.  The Trail Blazers have won their last five road games – going 4-0-1 against the spread – and are coming off a 93-69 rout of Charlotte at home on Saturday, limiting the Bobcats to 1 of 10 shooting from behind the 3-point arc.  LaMarcus Aldridge also continued his strong play despite being snubbed from the All-Star Game, scoring a game-high 26 points in addition to totaling seven rebounds.

Aldridge has scored 20 points or more in 10 of the team’s last 12 games, averaging nearly 27 points per game during that stretch.  He figures to be the biggest beneficiary of Howard’s absences after making just 5 of 15 shots and scoring 14 points in a 97-83 home win against the Magic in their only regular-season meeting back on December 9.  Howard enjoyed a monster game of 39 points and 15 rebounds in that game, but the Blazers still outscored Orlando in the paint 50-30 and had a 10-0 edge in fast-break points.

The UNDER has cashed in three of Portland’s last four games along with the last three meetings with the Magic, who have also seen the UNDER go 11-2 in their past 13 games overall.  The Trail Blazers have won and covered each of the last two meetings as home underdogs, and the home team is 7-3-1 ATS in the past 11 games between the teams.  Portland has lost in four of its last five trips to Orlando.

Top expert pick today: Matt Rivers does not give out many plays in the Association as the league is certainly not the easiest one out there but when I spot a play such as today’s from Charlotte between the Clippers and Bobcats I have no choice but to pounce. Charlotte traded away Gerald Wallace and has not been playing well but the Clippers are across the country, without Eric Gordon and still the “Clippers”. So what gives? I’ll give 500,000* and the most potent play in my arsenal on what gives! OffshoreInsiders.com has the card

OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has a free winning pick on the LA Lakers (+3) at San Antonio.

Kobe and the Lakers should be nice and rested and ready to roll today. No doubt San Antonio has been unreal with that gaudy 51-11 record which is heads and shoulders the best in all of the NBA but I still believe that Greg Popovich’ squad is going to run out of gas a tad and fall back down to Earth before the season is out. I truly do not give San Antonio a great shot at being able to maintain this level and win the championship. My belief is that the somewhat aging Spurs have played too great thus far and have peaked which will result in a disappointing end of the season and postseason making them very fade worthy these days. The talent level including the big three in Duncan, Parker and Ginobili is still pretty solid but that hasn’t resulted in such a record in years making me feel that they just cannot be as good as the record indicates and a definite go against as the season comes to a close.

The Lakers have had ups and downs this season for sure but there’s still the Black Mamba in Kobe Bryant leading the way along with a big and dominant frontcourt with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. Los Angeles is an elite 44-19 team and after having only played a pair of games this past week with both being easy victories over Minnesota and Charlotte the Lake Show should be more than fresh and locked and loaded for this litmus test of a game.

The defending champions have won six in a row and covered all except for the last game against the Bobcats which could have been a cover very easily. They look as if they are back playing at a high level after the debacle before the All-Star break capped by the shocking defeat in Cleveland and should be just fine today.

Tony Parker may have miraculously come back the other night but there’s no way that the calf can be near 100% and the still overdue to lose Spurs should get loss number dozen today.

Top expert pick on this game: LA Lakers from the real Matt Rivers.

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