Cashing In

Your "Bad Beat" for Monday is on:

Magic (over 100, first half) at Los Angeles.

The stars were out in Los Angeles as usual and the points were up early on. The Magic and Lakers combined for 58 points in the first quarter meaning only 43 more in the second quarter were needed for that first half over.

Shannon Brown nailed a 25 footer and midway through the second quarter it was 48-35 Lakers. The high was still looking great but then nothing happened and especially nothing for the defending champions.

LA would only make one more field goal the rest of the half, miss two of their four free throws and turn the ball over ad nauseum.

In the waning seconds Orlando's Jameer Nelson missed a 17 footer and this thing went to the half with a 52-47 LA lead somehow staying under that total.

That's a head scratcher!



Your winners for Tuesday are on:

3* Georgia Tech (minus 3) vs. Clemson.

2* Purdue (minus 2 1/2) at Illinois.

A loss of 5* on Monday in the poor 0-2 day thanks to the 76ers blowing the huge lead and falling in overtime.



I am backing the home Yellow Jackets here as these two teams are fairly even but in the end the home court is going to help be a bit too much.

Clemson is very good and Trevor Booker is awesome. Throw in Stitt and a few others and one can see how these guys are rolling right now including destroying North Carolina last week. But the road is always difficult and we saw that in the last game when the Tigers imploded a bit in that second half in Raleigh over the weekend to blow the cover. Oliver Purnell's team did win in the end but they could not cover the five and the Wolfpack are not the Jackets.

Paul Hewitt has a squad this season that is playing very very well at home. Tech has dropped two of three on the road with the defeats at Georgia and Virginia but in Hotlanta these guys have been very very good. Oh and that road win came in Chapel Hill against the Tar Heels which is never easy no matter how much Roy Williams' team has been struggling of late.

Gani Lawal has been huge down low and Derrick Favors is a star freshman who is no joke. Throw in a little Zach Peacock and Brian Oliver and a few others and I just do not see the Tigers coming in here and winning this game, I just don't. A win more than likely equals a cover and I'm backing the home Jackets.



I know all about Matt Painter's teams' sudden struggles. Purdue has dropped three in a row but to be honest with you I'm really not too worried. The Boilers are still a very very good team that is experienced and senior laden and will be just fine. Moore, Hummel, Kramer and the rest of this team will not just implode. They are athletic, can play defense and have pretty much all been there and done that. This is the recipe for a team to respond and that they will here.

Illinois is not bad and being at home will help them but McCamey and the Illini are also not nearly as stout as today's opponent and Purdue will be more than focused to end this skid as enough is enough.

Bruce Weber's team will look for some blood at home but in the end they will get outclassed as the Boilers get back in the win column.