SPL - 25 February 2012

Happy with the results of late. Here are tonight's tips.

St Mirren v Aberdeen
Aberdeen win @ $2.85 (SportingBet)
Draw @ $3.25 (SportsBet)

Celtic v Motherwell
Celtic HT/FT @ $1.83 (SportsBet)

Inverness CT v Rangers
Draw @ $3.75 (SportsBet)

Good luck!

NHL - January/February Review

The new year is well under way, the joke that has become the all-star break is a distant memory and the push towards playoffs is well and truly underway. Make no mistake this is the best part of the regular season. Some teams are looking to lock up the division titles, others are trying to address a weakness in their game plan and then there are those who are just scrambling to make the postseason. Whatever the focus is, the GM will no doubt be looking to his scouts to see what deal can be made to improve the situation before the trade deadline hits on February 27.

This year shapes as another busy trade period although there doesn’t exactly seem to be a lot of big names of the table. Some of the names that we are hearing spoken about as possibly being available include Zidlicky, Selanne, Malone, Kubina, Hemsky and Carter but by far the biggest name is Rick Nash. He has a no trade clause, but like some others, we are lead to believe he has allowed discussions to take place. So hopefully this will heat up the next week or so.

Winners and Losers

My first winner for this month (ok I know it’s been nearly two months) is Sam Gagner. In an amazing night against the Blackhawks he managed eight points, the first time this has been done in 20 years. Quite a night out, especially for a player who you would hardly regard as a star of the league.

Next up are the Red Wings who have built a home record of late to intimidate all comers. Should they continue their current trajectory then they look set for a top two seed in the West and home advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs. This sort of home ice dominance may well be enough by itself to get them through to a conference final alone.

Finally we have those players around the NHL that are currently with teams outside the playoff picture but are coming into unrestricted free agency in the summer. This is a great these unrestricted free agents (UFAs). With their current teams not wanting to lose them at the end of the year for nothing they will likely look to offload them before the trade dead line and get what they can. For the UFA, they can go from a struggling team to a contender in a blink of an eye, should they contribute to a deep playoff run and they may even get signed to a big money deal in the summer. It truly is a great time for free agents.

First loser is Corey Crawford, wow have things gone bad in the windy city. Not that long ago we were talking about the Hawks as a cup threat but now they are in genuine danger of slipping out of the playoff picture. Make no mistake what the fans are blaming for the drastic change of fortune, it is the goaltending situation lead by Crawford.

The Minnesota Wild were on top of the league not so long ago but after a dreadful run of form they are now 12^th in the West and six points away from the final playoff spot. Coach Yeo has declared they won’t be sellers at the deadline as they are still confident of making the playoffs, but I’m not sure I’m buying that.

Daniel Paille is my final loser for missing out on frequent flyer miles when he went for this flight recently.

Corny commentary aside credit to him for getting up and just playing on, a clean hit and no retribution was needed.

Trade plan

The Atlantic is the strongest division in the East and the Rangers more or less have the division title wrapped up, but that’s not to say they won’t be looking to add something before the trade deadline. They are amongst the favourites looking to acquire Rick Nash and whilst they have some cap space, the asking price by Columbus may well be too much. It is most definitely a sellers market this year. If that doesn’t happen expect them to add some depth and hopefully someone who can improve the powerplay.

The Flyers have already made a move to address their biggest concern which was the loss of veteran d-man Chris Pronger and that was to acquire Nicklas Grossman from Dallas. Now Grossman is not even in the same league as Pronger but he does improve the six they put on the ice, but it still leaves them with some room to move. Bryzgalov hasn’t lived up to expectation but a trade here is unlikely, another defender or some depth up forward seems to fit. The fans and management would seem to want Nash but there are conflicting reports as whether Nash would approve a move to Philadelphia, or of greater concern would be if they could get the deal done.

For the Penguins it all hinges on Crosby. If they have ruled him out for the rest of the regular season then they have his cap hit to spend and make a big splash, but he is still free to play come playoff time. If they don’t rule him out they are more or less at their limit for the cap and can only really swap like for like in terms of cap hit. I think we can assume they won’t rule him out for the regular season, 40 days is a long time. If they are looking to free up some cap space they may look to move Paul Martin on as he has underperformed this year and they do have depth in the form of Lovejoy and Despres, although they would want a capable d-man in return in case on injury. Expect them to also add a forward in the days before the deadline and David Jones from Colorado is one that might fit the bill, a potential to score a few goals from the wing and a UFA so may be gotten cheap.

The Devils too are well and truly in the playoff mix and have already got some help up forward but they are in desperate need of reinforcements in defense. They want experience and Zidlicky is perfect, they want him, he wants to go there but Minnesota is keen to get full value for him so will shop him around the league for the next week or so first to entice other buyers. Difficult though when Zidlicky has the no trade clause and can potentially veto a trade to a team he doesn’t approve. Of course he is unhappy in Minnesota so it should make for an interesting few days. Kubina a potential backup for the Devils. Or maybe even Martin back to New Jersey and Zidlicky to Pittsburgh in a complicated three way trade? #ridiculous

In the Northeast Boston are the only serious team for mine and unfortunately they have started to let their super high standards slip again. The injury to Nathan Horton (concussion) hasn’t helped as goals have really dried up and with Rich Peverley down for 4-6 this will magnify that effect. They haven’t had a great deal of injuries to deal with so this is a little concerning that the first sign of trouble highlights a lack of depth up front, injuries will happen in the playoffs. The good news is that they have the time to address it and plenty of cap space. Savards’ full cap hit is available plus more room so it’s just a matter of who they bring in to help. I’m expecting a veteran forward with playoff experience, possibly Carter or Malone (although both Tampa and Columbus are offloading other forwards) and also a depth forward in case of injuries. Of course Boston are also in the Rick Nash mix.

The Southeast has Florida looking fairly solid ahead of a disappointing Washington. It seems like these teams will need to win this division if they want to make the postseason. They probably don’t have the team to make a deep run although a number three seeding could help that. Washington have some cap space so they can add some talent and they do need it but what they are really after are some veterans who can adjust the attitude of the team. Making Ovechkin the captain has hardly proven a success, goaltending coach Olaf Kolzig even suggested that his rock star status is what holds him back. I am at a loss to work out who they will bring in but I really don’t think anyone can help, in the offseason they should move Semin on and give the captaincy to someone else, this will go a long way.

Florida for me are more likely to make an impact in the playoffs if they secure the division title. They can get hot and if they can get healthy they may cause an upset or two. However they have made it clear that they will not be trading for rental type players before the deadline to improve their team for these playoffs, as they are building for the future not necessarily this year. Such a smart organisation. Anyway there are a few players that have been mentioned in passing that fit the bill, as young, with time on their contract and capable of making an impact and the one that seems to make the most sense would be Derick Brassard from Columbus. He was a high draft pick who has found things a little tougher this year. But hey of those at Columbus, who hasn’t? He has been hot of late and just maybe might get a chance if Columbus will prefer prospects and draft picks.

Over in the West you have to start with the Central which is just so tough. Detroit have been dominating at home and riding that form to a commanding position at the top of the division. They do have some minor concerns with Zetterberg out and more importantly his dropping form when he is in the lineup. But generally for the wings it will be about depth and if possible veteran depth. A perfect fit would likely be Teemu Selanne but the more points the ducks get on this road trip the less likely they are to part with an asset before the deadline. Another option mentioned has been Travis Moen from Montreal, he has a bit of an injury which could be an issue but they are not looking for immediate help but playoff help so that shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

As I said it wasn’t that long ago that we were talking about Chicago as a real cup contender but they a long way off that right now. Crawford is horribly out of form and Jeremy Roenick has even come out and suggested that trading Patrick Kane away is doable, presumably for a goalie. Now management has backed Crawford and trading Kane is not going to happen but it does give an idea of how bad things are going of late. If a trade for a goalie is not going to happen then at least one defensemen must come in. Now that Kubina seems to be on the market surely he has to be on the top on their list and they should do what it takes to bring him in. Beyond that maybe a like for like swap of a 5^th or 6^th defensemen may help spark the whole defensive unit up, Oduya or Campoli are two others that could be options.

The Predators are one team that has already made a big move and made it damn clear they are here to win the cup this year, there is no next year for Nashville. They traded for 37 year old Hal Gill and gave up plenty to get him. They now have what can be considered to be one of the best defensive units in the league however they could easily lose Gill, Shea Weber and Ryan Suter in the Summer leaving them thread bare. So they need to win now and in order to do that they still need to probably add an experienced forward, however having declared their hand so brazenly they may be forced to pay dearly. Hemsy, Tuomo Ruutu and Andrei Kostitsyn are some options that have been mentioned.

The Blues are still impressing and look set to play a big role in the West but in terms of activity at the trade deadline they are a hard team to read. They have no obvious weaknesses and are a team built on chemistry and depth, not star players. So if it ain’t broke......

Now I’m not saying they won’t make any trades but I would expect them to tread carefully and look to ensure whoever they get fits in with their system and philosophy. Worth mentioning that Kubina may have listed the Blues as one of the teams he would accept a trade to.

In the Northwest Vancouver are still travelling strongly but things are unsettled and reinforcements up front look all but certain. The topic for discussion in Vancouver is whether or not they should trade backup goalie Corey Schnieder. If you want to add quality then you have to give something up and to have Schnieder sitting on the bench throughout the playoffs is seen by some as a waste of on an asset, others see this as too short sighted. What happens with Schnieder will be very interesting, will they take a Nashville approach and go for broke? Additionally Vancouver may be in the mix for Nash but I’m not so sure the fit is right there. I feel something a little bit smaller on the scale is what they will go for although no names have really been mentioned regularly yet.

In the Pacific San Jose have taken control as expected, but the other teams have really dropped away and don’t really figure in as cup threats anymore for mine. Los Angeles are touted as one of the favourites to land Nash along with the Rangers, so if they can do that without giving away too much in terms of key contributors then it may well throw them back into the mix.

The Sharks have already made a move to improve their depth up forward by adding Dominic Moore from the Lightning.  This is underwhelming on the surface but Moore is a penalty killer and a proven playoff performer and often these signings are the ones that prove the difference. Regardless I still think it’s possible they could move for another veteran forward at the deadline with someone like Ray Whitney being mentioned although it’s unlikely the Coyotes will be willing to trade. Maybe more likely options are Hemsky, Gaustad or Parenteau. The trouble for the Sharks is that the common belief is that their depth chart is not that great and so if they want to make a trade it will have to be through draft picks or talent on their current playing roster. This may be why the rumours about a Ryan Clowe trade persist.

History shows us that the team that wins the Stanley Cup usually makes a critical trade in the day or two leading up to the deadline. Sometimes it can be the blockbuster deal but more often it is the one that slips through under the radar and is only discussed in depth after the cup has been won. The trade deadline will hit on the morning of the 28^th Australian time so keep an eye on the net for all the latest moves.

Cheers

@mal68au

NCAA Basketball - 17 February 2012

One play.

Arizona -2 (at Washington State) - 5 units

Scottish Cup - 15 & 16 February 2012

With some confidence, we play these midweek Scottish Cup fixtures.

QOS v Aberdeen - Taking QOS on penalties - 1 unit @ $15

Worth the punt. Aberdeen are rot. QOS are half decent at home. Definitely value taking this and for one unit... #sheesh

St Johnstone v Hearts - pass

No bet here.

Ross County v St Mirren

Will take a small play on Ross County cos that's where the value is. St Mirren have been quite shite of late, and Ross County have been decent. We might get screwed here but the money on offer is hard to refuse. Taking 2 units the Ross County win ($2.6), 1 unit the win via a shootout ($11)

Ayr United v Falkirk (Thursday morning)

This is where we go "hammer time" and hopefully get the result we deserve.

Falkirk away to Ayr United. Falkirk are very good and performing quite well of late in SFL Division 1. Ayr are at the opposite end (though did make Semi Finals of the League Cup). Still, let's load up on Falkirk @ $2 (minimum found). 10 units? #taken

Enjoy!

AFCON Final Preview

The African Cup of Nations final is tomorrow morning and it will be between pre-tournament favourites the Ivory Coast and surprise packet Zambia. Unsurprisingly the Ivory Coast will start short priced favourites to lift the cup after looking in control right throughout the tournament.

I would expect this game to play out with the Ivory Coast dominating possession and look to build from a solid defence. Amazingly they have yet to concede a goal all tournament. Zambia will need to rely on counter attacks, but that does suit their game style and we have seen time and again how deadly they can be on the break. If they are to score I feel they will have to do it early whilst the teams are still trying to find a rhythm. Or alternatively they might be able to keep the Ivory Coast at bay until the last 20 minutes of regular time. If they can achieve this then the Ivory Coast might just start to push forward a bit more and expose themselves some more at the back. The Ivory Coast will fancy themselves as the better team so will not want this going to shootout which is more of a lottery.

The players to watch for me tomorrow will be Mayuka, Kalaba and Katongo from the Zambian point of view. All three have been a constant threat throughout and Mayuka and Katongo both have the chance to finish as the top scorer for the tournament if they can net one tomorrow.

For the Ivory Coast little happens in the final third the Yaya Toure hasn’t had some sort of say in, he is brilliant but a slight concern is that it at times looks as though he feels he has to do everything. Gosso in midfield has also looked lively and he may just slip under the guard with all the attention going to Yaya. Drogba up front is still a force at his age and will be determined to score (also a chance to finish top scorer), hopefully he is equally determined to stay on his feet rather than dive at the slightest contact. The entire Ivory Coast back four is worth a mention too, in a tournament that has seen the comical at times when it comes to defending and offside traps they have been a class above. If the four of them as a unit can produce another 90 minutes then you have to feel that the trophy is heading to West Africa.

Pretty happy with our pre-tournament play on the Ivory Coast to lift the cup so we may just ride that one out. The Zambians should be a stern test and are capable of an upset, but I see no reason to doubt the men in orange.

Cheers

NCAA Basketball - 13 February 2012

Two plays.

Pittsburgh +1.5 (at Seton Hall) - 10 units
Northwestern +6.5 (at Purdue) - 4 units

SPL - 11 February 2012

Hoping to keep our great run in Scottish football going for another weekend.

Here are the selections for this week.

Celtic v Inverness - Celtic HT/FT double @ $1.67 - 3 units
Plus taking Anthony Stokes - Anytime Goalscorer @ $1.67 - 2 unit
Plus taking Anthony Stokes - First Goalscorer @ $4 - 1 unit

St Mirren v Motherwell - Motherwell win @ $2.75 - 3 units

Dunfermline v Rangers - Draw @ $5 - 1 unit

All prices quoted are still available on Sportsbet.

Good luck!

NCAA Basketball - 8 February 2012

One play.

Florida +9.5 (at Kentucky) - 5 units

AFCON - Quarter Finals Day 2

Small profit from the first two QFs and we will go again for the next two.

In the first match Gabon deserve to be favourites but they are too short for mine. The odds for Mali to win in regular time are juicy enough for a little look.

Mali (win-draw-win) @ $4.33 (sportsbet)

In the second match I will be taking Ghana. For me this will be the pick of the quarter finals but we should see a full strength Ghana side going at 100% and they should just have a bit too much in the midfield I fancy. Andre Ayew has been very good throughout and he really is the creative key that Tunisia will need to close down if they want to progress here. I don't think they will be able to do it.

Ghana (win-draw-win) @ $2.00 (sportsbet) 2 units

NCAA Basketball - 6 February 2012

Expect these will be the only plays taken.

Villanova/Pittsburgh o144.5 - 3 units
Northwestern/Illinois u130 - 4 units
West Virginia -4.5 (at Providence) - 2 units

A-League 4 February 2012

The Melbourne Derby is back and we are getting involved.

MELBOURNE HEART v MELBOURNE VICTORY
Melbourne Victory @ $2.80
Melbourne Victory ht/ft @$5.50
Melbourne Victory -1 @ $5.50

@AusSportsGuys

AFCON - Quarter Finals Day 1

So we are now at the knockout stage of the competition and it's fair to say a couple of teams have made it through that we probably didn't expect.

Looking to the first match on Sunday and Zambia take on Sudan. I think this will see the end of Sudan as Zambia look to be playing too well as a unit. The threat of Mayuka up front as well as Kalaba and the captain Katongo pushing on from midfield should be able to break down what has proven a stubborn Sudanese backline. I like this to be one of the tighter affairs and wouldn't be surprised if just the one goal for Zambia settles it. Looking to Sportsbet here for some value with one of their added markets in the "Match and total goals doubles".

Zambia to win and 1 or 2 goals in the match @ $3.34 (sportsbet)

In the second match tomorrow we have Ivory Coast up against co-hosts Equatorial Guinea. The Ivory Coast have been in brilliant form even having the luxury of resting 9 regulars for the last group match and still winning the game 2-0, however playing the home team is a brand new challenge. Both Gabon and EQ have shown just how the home support can give them a tremendous boost which it seems is almost worth a goal. The Ivory Coast though are just looking too focused and professional this time around and will surely not trip up at this hurdle. As far as the actual final score I a really not sure, it could end up a 4-0 win a 1-0 win or a 3-2 win. It is hard to read how this game will play but I am confident that when the key moments come that the more experienced Ivory Coast will stand up.

Ivory Coast (win-draw-win option) @ $1.40 (sportsbet) 3 units

On a selection front I would be interested to see if Gervinho starts up front along side Drogba and Kalou as I thought he was rather poor in the first too matches and Wilfried Bony looked ok coming on as a sub against Burkina Faso. Then was great in setting up the first and scoring the second against Angola. So maybe a change up front?

Enjoy the games

NCAA Basketball - 5 February 2012

Seton Hall/UConn u125 - 1 unit
Baylor/Oklahoma State o139.5 - 8 units
Ohio State -2 (at Wisconsin) - 3 units
Georgia State/Hofstra u124 - 3 units
Auburn/Mississippi State u127.5 - 5 units
Rice/East Carolina u139.5 - 2 units
UL Lafayette/Troy u146.5 - 4 units
Oregon/Colorado u138 - 2 units
Missouri State/Drake u131 - 3 units
Georgia/Tennessee u117.5 - 1 unit
Santa Clara/San Diego o145.5 - 1 unit
Drexel/Towson State o107 - 2 units
TCU/San Diego State u134.5 - 2 units
Tennessee Martin +18 (v Murray State) - 3 units

More plays to follow.

Central Michigan/Ohio u130 - 1 unit (correction - originally had 127 which was never offered)
Stanford -3 (v Arizona) - 1 unit

Bracketology - Part One - Our Field of 68

BRACKETOLOGY

This is part one of our analysis of how we see the final field of 68 for the forthcoming NCAA Tournament – the GREATEST yearly tournament in sports (my opinion only).

America East – The only team coming from this conference is whoever wins their conference. For mine, I’ll go with Vermont. Currently second in the conference and do have an abysmal loss at New Hampshire, but apart from that their only loss was at Stony Brook (the current top side). And it was only by 6 points. Figure they’ll continue rolling and get revenge on Stony Brook. They do look the goods to make it out of here.

Atlantic 10 – Have 5 sides coming from here. It will be a bit of a raffle but pretty sure Temple, Xavier, Saint Louis and Massachusetts (though that loss at Rhode Island the other day was disgusting!) get out. The last spot is a real raffle between La Salle, Saint Joseph’s, Dayton and St Bonaventure. Personally I’d probably take Dayton. The conference deserves 5 teams however.

ACC – Doesn’t deserve more than 4 places, but you know they’ll probably get more. North Carolina and Duke are guarantees, Florida State and Virginia should also get through without trouble. Apart from that, any other team that makes the field should consider themselves incredibly blessed. Very much a down down down year for the ACC.

Atlantic Sun – Think only the champions will get through and for mine that’s Belmont. They have a good record this year (16-7, 9-2 in conference) and have had good performances out of conference. Of course, they have to win their conference to get through. Might come down to their final game at Mercer (currently top).

Big 12 – Deserves 5 teams I think. Kansas, Missouri, Baylor are guarantees. I also think Iowa State (solid wins over Kansas and Kansas State) and Kansas State should make it. Maybe a 6^th team on the bubble, such as Oklahoma State (they did beat Mizzou after all) or Oklahoma (they did beat K-State twice!) or maybe even Texas (maybe scraping the barrel now). We’ll say 5 definites.

Big East – While I think the Big East is better this year than last, I also think the NCAA will push teams through that really don’t deserve to be there. Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, Cincinnati and West Vrginia belong there for mine. I’d then consider a raffle with Notre Dame, Louisville, UConn, Seton Hall and Pittsburgh for the final perhaps 3 spots. Doesn’t deserve more than 8 bids.

Big Sky – Soft spot for this conference. They’ve looked after me this year. Think 2 teams should be granted a place. Both Weber State and Montana have been very good this year. I will accept that the non-champion of those two goes into the first round knock out (to narrow the field to 64) but still think they deserve two places. I know it will be hard to justify, but remember Montana did beat Long Beach State late November. Maybe…just maybe.

Big South – Thinking only one team from here. UNC-Asheville have looked pretty good this year, with their 11-1 conference record, but do not sleep on Coastal Carolina or Charleston Southern. One of those three will make the tourney. I’ll go with Coastal Carolina.

Big Ten – Any team that averages over 60 points in this conference deserves to get in. While some may say its crap basketball, like the NBA, the low scoring in this conference is due to downright defense, game controlling tempo and grittiness. Ohio State are guaranteed, as I feel are Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State and Indiana. I could not possibly throw in Illinois. They disgust me. But they might make it. If they make it, however, Purdue has to make it. Give Robbie Hummel some love in his final year! That’d be all though.  At least 6 teams, maybe 7. I’ll go with 6 though.

Big West – Long Beach State wins this conference (please no choke job like last year!) and that should be the only team making it from here. You’ve all read about their schedule etc but they are too good for these cats.

CAA –VCU, Drexel, George Mason and Old Dominion will be vying for two spots as I see it. Could be three but those are the teams. All with decent resumes for this, and good conference records (only 2 losses each).

C-USA – I like three teams here, but would be surprised if they all got in. Southern Mississippi’s win over Memphis the other day was huge. Really huge. That puts them in good stead to progress from the group, with Memphis. My third team is Marshall. They looked good early but seem to have slightly lost their way. Hopefully three teams come from here as they’re all deserving.

Great West – Only the champion will get through. I have no idea who that’ll be.

Horizon – Cleveland State have been good this year, Valparaiso have impressed, as have Youngstown State and Milwaukee. Detroit has been a disappointment (given the pre-season expectations) and Butler is very good considering the talent they lost. Hoping two sides make it out of this conference, Cleveland State will definitely be one. I’ll take Valpo as the other.

Ivy – The only conference where no tournament occurs. Harvard are that much better than everyone here, they MUST make it through. And they’ll be the only one.

MAAC – Love this conference. Has a fair amount of talent and hope two sides make it through. Iona should win the conference, thus securing their guaranteed berth. Scott Machado and Mike Glover are outstanding players, but I’d also like to see Loyola Maryland make it. They’ve been good this year and deserve a place.

Mid-American – Think at least two sides deserve to progress, maybe even three (won’t happen). Akron have been great, Ohio and Buffalo too (East division). Ball State should be clear in the West but that hasn’t happened. The two that make it SHOULD be Akron and Ball State. We’ll wait and see.

That’s all for part one. We may need to review this as we've got 46 teams coming through. We will table it all at the end of part two over the weekend. Please feel free to comment or send any thoughts via Twitter to @AusSportsGuys, @mal68au or @wiggum7534.

Scottish Cup - 4 February 2012

The world's oldest cup competition continues this coming weekend, and we have some plays below.

Inverness CT v Celtic
Celtic @ $1.44 - 2 units

Worth the punt. Celtic are in excellent form. Inverness are always hard to beat at home and this is the place Celtic lost the title last season, but with the form Celtic are in I cannot see them losing this one (or drawing!)

Ayr v Falkirk
Falkirk @ $2.10 - 2 units

Falkirk are an outstanding Division One side. It is just a pity Ross County are in the division this year, otherwise Falkirk would definitely be getting promotion. They will win this against a struggling Ayr side.

Motherwell v Morton
Motherwell HT/FT @ $2 - 2 units
Motherwell to win both halves @ $3.24 - 1 unit

Motherwell are in very good form and the addition of Henrik Ojaama seems to be working wonders. Expect them to smash Morton.

St Mirren v Ross County
Draw @ $3.50 - 1 unit
Ross County @ $3.75 - 1 unit

I'm fully aware that the gap between SPL and SFL is big, but Ross County are in exceptional form while I feel St Mirren are not. Will take the value in this one.

Rangers v Dundee United
Draw @ $4.50 - 1 unit

Rangers are a lost cause. Not sure Dundee United are going that well to beat them, but could certainly force a replay.

Enjoy!

NCAA Basketball - 3 February 2012

Plays as tweeted earlier.

Illinois-Chicago/Youngstown State u130 - 3 units
Pacific/Cal Riverside u119 - 2 units
Weber State -11 - 1 unit

Better numbers have been available for those selections.

An extra play.

San Diego +22 (@ St Marys) - 1 unit

Another extra play.

Nebraska/Northwestern u126 - 1 unit

And another...

Idaho/Fresno State u130 - 2 units


Another late one.

Montana State -3.5 (v Idaho State) - 2 units

AFCON - Group D

Final matches in the group stage tomorrow morning and I like Mali to get the job done against Botswana. Botswana have been really poor so far and whilst Mali haven't exactly been at their best I think they have a lot more to offer and should really improve tomorrow. Not expecting Botswana to concede 6 again but look for Maiga or Diabate to score and the win will be enough to see Mali through to the quarters.

Mali @ $1.33 (sportsbet or centrebet)

In the other game Guinea would need to beat Ghana to progress or get a draw and hope Mali lose. Whilst Ghana only need a draw to go through and top the group. So Guinea really will be going for this game and will be full of confidence after their 6-1 win although the scoreline was maybe a little flattering as they were up 3-1 when Botswana went down to 10 men. Anyway I think that result has added a lot of value to Ghana in this matchup as they currently sit at $2 to win the game. They don't have a lot of selection issues to worry about with both John Mensah and Vorsah back from suspension which should help their defense. But the question is will they rotate their squad? I am finding it difficult to gather info on this but regardless I really do think they will be too strong and like the Ivory Coast will look to keep that winning momentum going right through the tournament. Very confident here.

Ghana @ $2 (sportsbet or sportingbet) for 5 units

A-League - Melbourne Victory v Gold Coast

Midweek A-League Action:

MELBOURNE VICTORY v GOLD COAST
Gold Coast @ 3.75 (1u)
Draw @ 3.45 (1u)

@AusSportsGuys

NCAA Basketball - 2 February 2012

Here are the plays as tweeted earlier today:

Colorado State/UNLV o147.5 - 3 units
Ohio/Northern Illinois o124.5 - 2 units
UTEP/Rice u128 - 4 units
Towson/Hofstra u117.5 - 4 units
Georgia State/NC Wilmington u128.5 - 2 units
Indiana/Michigan u137.5 - 1 unit
Boise State/San Diego State u135 - 4 units
Baylor/Texas A&M o130 - 3 units
Northeastern +5 (at Drexel) - 1 unit
Fordham +19.5 (at Temple) - 1 unit