Daily tips for November 21

Note: Bets are listed in three categories – 1) Suggested (likely bet but yet to be finalised); 2) Confirmed (locked in at the price listed); and 3) Leans (tips, but not recommended bets); all times quoted are Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).


NBA for November 21

Indiana Pacers (9-1, 3-1 away) @ New York Knicks (3-7, 1-5 home), Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, Thursday, November 21, 11.10am

A double-digit winning streak to start the season wasn't considered a likely scenario for the Indiana Pacers to start the 2013-14 NBA season. Indiana still has a shot at becoming the first NBA team to reach 10 victories and will try for a second time Wednesday night in New York where the Knicks look to snap a five-game home losing streak and a three-game slide overall. New York’s lean start to the season continued in Detroit, where they fell behind right after half-time and never led again in a 92-86 setback. Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points but was 8-for-20 from the floor and had seven turnovers. New York has to try to find positives where it can, and the play of J.R. Smith provided a boost. Smith, who had 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting off the bench versus the Pistons, was a dismal 12-for-53 from the floor in four games as a starter. Point guard Raymond Felton sat out Tuesday with an injured left hip and lower back, Metta World Peace has missed consecutive games and is doubtful here while Tyson Chandler remains out with a fracture in his right fibula.

The Pacers have had plenty of time to digest their first loss of the season, a 110-94 setback at Chicago on Saturday. All five Indiana starters reached double figures but leading scorer Paul George was held to a season-low 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting. It was coming off a 27-point win against Milwaukee the night before which represented Indiana’s best offensive showing and largest margin of victory this season. Indiana center Roy Hibbert (pictured) has 38 points, 20 rebounds and 11 blocked shots in his last two games. In addition, no Pacers opponent had scored more than 91 points in the first nine games before Chicago broke out on the strength of an 11-for-19 showing from long range. The Pacers have given up an average of 86.3 while holding opponents to 39.8 per cent shooting. The home team won all four meetings between the Pacers and Knicks last season, and New York has won five of the last six encounters at Madison Square Garden. The favourite is 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings although the Pacers are just 1-5 ATS in the past six in New York.

Confirmed bets

Indiana Pacers -5.5 @ New York Knicks (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (103-96)

Miami Heat -7 @ Orlando Magic (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (120-92)

Sacramento Kings @ Phoenix Suns +196.5 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (113-106)

Boston Celtics @ San Antonio Spurs -193.5 (one unit @ $1.91) LOSE (93-104)

Leans

Brooklyn Nets WIN $1.72 @ Charlotte Bobcats LOSE (91-95)

Washington Wizards +3 $1.91 @ Cleveland Cavaliers WIN (98-91)

Toronto Raptors -3.5 $1.91 @ Philadelphia 76ers WIN (108-98)

Detroit Pistons @ Atlanta Hawks NO LEAN

Utah Jazz @ New Orleans Pelicans -10 $1.91 LOSE (98-105)

Portland Trail Blazers @ Milwaukee Bucks NO LEAN

Los Angeles Clippers @ Minnesota Timberwolves -213 $1.91 WIN (102-98)

Boston Celtics +15 $1.91 @ San Antonio Spurs WIN (93-104)

Houston Rockets WIN $2.15 @ Dallas Mavericks LOSE (120-123)

Memphis Grizzlies +4.5 @ Golden State Warriors WIN (88-81)

College Football (week 13) for November 21

MAC: Northern Illinois Huskies (10-0, 6-0 MAC) @ Toledo Rockets (7-3, 5-1 MAC), Glass Bowl, Toledo, OH, Thursday, November 21, noon

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) again takes the midweek spotlight in College Football as the top-20 ranked Huskies of Northern Illinois seek a share of the MAC West Division title with victory over Toledo in a cold, windy and hostile Glass Bowl. A Huskies win would assure them a fourth successive trip to the MAC championship game while a Rockets victory would forge a three-way tie for the division lead with Ball State. The main task for Toledo will be stop Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch, who passed for 345 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 123 yards in a 48-27 victory last week against Ball State. Lynch established an FBS record for rushing yards by a quarterback earlier this season when he amassed 316 yards in a 38-17 victory against Central Michigan. Last season against Toledo, Lynch threw for a career-best 407 yards and ran for 162 in the 31-24 victory. One of the surprises for the Huskies has been the emergence of RB Cameron Stingily. He was limited to four appearances on special teams last season and looked to be buried behind Akeem Daniels and Keith Harris jr on the depth chart.

But Daniels has been sidelined all season with a toe injury and Harris suffered a season-ending ankle injury in October, opening the door for Stingily to rush for 812 yards and nine touchdowns this season (second only to Lynch). The Rockets are riding a five-game winning streak, despite giving up 27 fourth-quarter points in 51-41 victory last week against Buffalo, averaging 45.2 points in that span. The Rockets have been dealing with their own injuries as running back as David Fluellen, second in the MAC with 133.4 rushing yards per game, has missed the last two contests with a leg injury and his status against Northern Illinois in uncertain. Fluellen has been replaced by freshman Kareem Hunt, who rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo, his fourth straight game with more than 100 yards on the ground. Fluellen’s pass-catching ability is also missed as he’s third on the team with 25 receptions. The Huskies are 4-0 ATS in their past four games overall while the Rockets are just 1-5 ATS in their past six home games against a team with a winning record.

Confirmed bet

Northern Illinois Huskies WIN @ Toledo Rockets (two units @ $1.74) WIN (35-17)

Lean

Northern Illinois Huskies @ Toledo Rockets +73 $1.91 LOSE (35-17)

NHL for November 21

Pittsburgh Penguins (13-8-0, 26pts) @ Washington Capitals (12-8-1, 25pts), Verizon Center, Washington DC, Thursday, November 21, 12.10pm

There may be just four games scheduled for today, but the slate includes a marquee match-up between Metropolitan Division rivals Pittsburgh and Washington with superstars the Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin taking centre stage. Ovechkin hasn't slowed down since winning his third Hart Trophy last season, scoring twice in Sunday's 4-1 triumph over St. Louis to pull into a tie with Alexander Steen (St Louis) for the goal-scoring lead (17). Washington has benefited from Ovechkin's scoring assault, winning three in a row and improving to 7-1-1 in its last nine to move within one point of Pittsburgh. Although Mike Green skated in practice on Tuesday, coach Adam Oates sounded as if he was going to keep his stud defenceman sidelined for a third straight game with a lower-body injury. The Capitals have been outscored 17-9 in the four match-ups since they last defeated the Pens on January 11, 2012. They were beaten 6-3 in the most recent meeting in the nation's capital on February 3. Washington has scored 35 goals in the nine games this month, one more than its output from its 12 October contests.

Pittsburgh (13-8-0) has watched its lead over Washington (12-8-1) cut to one point as it’s dropped four of six overall and three straight on the road. The Penguins have been better in the past three games, though, winning for the second time in that span on Monday as Crosby scored and rookie Brian Gibbons celebrated his NHL debut with a goal and an assist in a 3-1 victory over Anaheim. Pittsburgh has won each of the past four meetings with Washington. Evgeni Malkin was absent from Tuesday's practice with a maintenance day, but coach Dan Bylsma said he expects the former Hart Trophy winner to be in the lineup against Washington. Malkin’s goalless streak reached 14 games on Monday, but he notched two assists for the second time in three contests. Bylsma noted that he plans to keep his lines intact, so Beau Bennett will remain in the top grouping with Crosby and Chris Kunitz. Pittsburgh has killed off 21-of-22 short-handed situations in its past nine games. The ‘under’ is 4-1 in the past five meetings in Washington and 8-3 in the past 11 meetings. 

Confirmed bets

Pittsburgh Penguins @ Washington Capitals -5.5 (one unit @ $1.83) WIN (4-0)

New Jersey Devils @ Anaheim Ducks WIN (one unit @ $1.65) LOSE (4-3)

Leans

Minnesota Wild @ Ottawa Senators WIN $1.91 LOSE (3-4)

Pittsburgh Penguins WIN $1.87 @ Washington Capitals WIN (4-0)

Columbus Blue Jackets @ Calgary Flames WIN $1.77 LOSE (2-1)

Cricket (Ashes Series) for November 21-25

First Test: Australia v England, Gabba, Brisbane, Thursday, November 21, 10.30am

If there’s one form of a sport that suffers from distortion in the Australian media more than any other, it’s Test cricket. Since the final ball was bowled in the Fifth Test at The Oval on August 25, the local commentary has been overwhelming in favour of Australia triumphing over England here this summer. A narrative also developed over the course of the last series that England was in some way fortunate to win 3-0. A 3-0 scoreline in any Test series is telling. Forget luck, forget weather, forget rebuilding – 3-0 tells us that one side was not good enough to win in five outings. Test cricket is about winning matches and, against strong opposition, this Australian side lacks the discipline, consistency, talent and professionalism to do so on a regular basis. They played good cricket at various points in the last series. Indeed, they probably performed above expectations across the series while England were undeniably short of their absolute best. That should not be a comfort to Australia, though; it should be a concern.

The series still ended 3-0 to the home side despite minimal contributions from Alastair Cook (pictured), Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior. Australia surely can’t hope to keep that trio so quiet again, while Joe Root and Kevin Pietersen will also be confident of more consistent sizeable contributions. With the exception of the series victory in India, England has rarely hit the absolute heights under Cook’s captaincy. But they have won nine of his 16 matches in charge, losing only once. They’ve also won the past three Ashes series and four of the past five. The Australia media have seized on England’s low-key preparation as a beacon of hope heading into the First Test but have mostly steered clear of the myriad issues facing the hosts. Skipper Michael Clarke and the ever-fragile Shane Watson are far from 100 per cent fit, the batting line-up remains a work in progress and Australia still lacks a genuine spin threat. The Aussies haven’t lost at the Gabba since 1988 but that could end here.

Confirmed bets

England 3-way Series Winner (two units @ $2.10) 

First Test most runs (1st innings) Ian Bell (0.5 units @ $5.00) 

First Test top wicket taker Ryan Harris (0.5 units @ $5.50)

Leans

England Series Winner (correct score 3-1) $8.00 
England First Test WIN $3.10

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