Matt Fargo – Sports Handicapper

This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS for our Friday Free Play. We are laying the big number here as it is safe to say the Pistons have packed it in and have a laundry list of injuries heading into Friday with one of the most obscure starting lineups you will witness. Detroit has lost four straight and 15 of its last 16 games and has wrapped up the worst record in the Eastern Conference and is two games clear of Houston for the worst record in the entire league. The Pistons are 7-28 on the road including nine straight losses and the Pistons have gone a dismal 1-15 against the Atlantic Division this season. Toronto has dropped two straight games and is in danger of missing the postseason as it is sitting in the No. 9 spot but is just two games out of falling out of the playoffs altogether. The Raptors have been awful on the road but are 23-14 at home and this is the second game of an important four-game homestand before hitting the highway for five straight road games. They have struggled against the poor teams but that damage has been on the road where they are 2-11 ATS as road favorites but 17-13 ATS laying points at home. Here, we play against underdogs averaging 45 or fewer rpg on the season, after a game being outrebounded by opponent by 20 or more. This situation is 30-13 ATS (69.8 percent) over the last five seasons. Play (534) Toronto Raptors

2-0 CBB Thursday and 7-1 L8 CBB Plays! Fargo is on a MASSIVE 130-105-2 Run following a 104-91-2 stretch with his last 197 plays and we are ready to extend the winning in the postseason and maintain the dominance! He is ready to add to his 247-195-3 Hoops Run with TWO NCAA Tournament Winners Friday including his Sweet 16 Game of the Year! NBA 78-53-1 run and Matt is back on Friday night with TWO Winners!

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Signature Enforcer. We played against Oklahoma City last night as that was more of a play on the Clippers as opposed to against the Thunder and now they are in bounce back mode hanging on for dear life in the Western Conference. The loss dropped them a half-game behind Minnesota for the No. 7 spot and are part of four teams that are tied at 36-37 and only four of six teams that are within a game of each other will be going to the postseason. Oklahoma City fell to 14-22 on the road and are getting a great number in a rebound situation. The Lakers defeated the injury ravaged Suns, who did not step up in the absence of DeAndre Ayton as the frontcourt managed only 30 points from the starters, to make it two straight victories and they are a solid 6-3 over their last nine games in keeping their playoff hopes alive. Los Angeles improved to 20-17 at home which is nothing spectacular and it has been counting on reserves behind Anthony Davis to make up for the LeBron James absence and it cannot count on Austin Reaves to put up 30 ppg a night like he has the last two. The Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a losing straight up record. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points off two or more consecutive home wins, in March games. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (547) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Ultimate Underdog. Milwaukee continues to control the Eastern Conference as it has a 2.5-game lead over Boston as it has won four of its last five games and is 23-3 over its last 26 games so not many people are going to step in front of the Bucks right now. They are 22-13 on the road which is just a half-game better than the Utah record at home and yet are overvalued here based on the recent results as well as injury concerns and this is a tough spot with Milwaukee heading to Denver tomorrow night in a possible NBA Finals preview. Utah had won four of five games before losing to Portland at home on Wednesday by 12 points as a five-point favorite. The Jazz remain home where they are 22-14 and look to steal a big game to keep pace in the Western Conference as they are the last team in the group of six teams that are separated by only one game that are vying for the four spots for the play-in tournament. Utah is a half-game behind four other teams making every game huge. Lauri Markkanen is out for Utah and this is a similar situation like that of the Clippers last night where a top player was out yet the rest of the team picked up the slack. Here, we play on underdogs allowing 114 or more ppg on the season, after three straight games where both teams scored 115 points or more. This situation is 37-14 ATS (72.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (540) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our NCAA Tourney Enforcer. San Diego St. presents a big challenge for Alabama and it is catching a big number with the lowest total on the board of the Friday games with two of the best defenses in the country squaring off. The Aztecs needed some late free throws to cover against Charleston in its tournament opener and then had no issues with Furman on Saturday as their defense was outstanding, holding the Paladins to only 52 points on 32 percent shooting as Furman made only 16 field goals the entire game. They had a solid offensive performance which can bring some momentum into this game as they came in only No. 105 in efficiency, against the No. 4 ranked team in defensive efficiency. Alabama has rolled through its first two games of the tournament and the results against Maryland were outstanding as they held the Terrapins to only 51 points on 35 percent shooting so that will be a challenge again. While the Tide are good offensively, they are not great as they are No. 35 in efficiency and will be facing the No. 15 ranked team in defensive efficiency and an expected low scoring game in on the side of San Diego St. 10* (647) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the HOUSTON COUGARS for our Sweet 16 Game of the Year. Miami is ranked No. 8 in offensive efficiency but now faces its biggest test. The Hurricanes defeated Drake which came in No. 17 in defensive efficiency but they easily could have lost that game as they used a 16-1 to end the game as the full court press was the difference and they cannot use that here. We won with Miami on Sunday as the offense had a big advantage facing the Hoosiers No. 102 ranked defensive efficiency as they tallied 85 points on nearly 50 percent shooting. They now face the No. 2 ranked team in defensive efficiency yet it is the other side of the ball where they will really have a big disadvantage. Houston toyed with Northern Kentucky before a late surge even though it dominated most categories but had only nine made free throws, the same as the Norse, and the Cougars were sloppy with the ball with 14 turnovers. Against Auburn, they again started slow, trailing by 10 points at halftime before outscoring the Tigers 50-23 in the second half. As mentioned, their defense will be strong against the Miami offense and it is their own offense, ranked No. 4 in efficiency, facing a Miami defense ranked No. 182 in efficiency. 10* (644) Houston Cougars