Jim Feist

The Portland Trailblazers enter tonight's game in LA with a 10-3 S/U and ATS mark on the season. The Lakers, despite adding Lebron James in the offseason, are just over .500 at 7-6 S/U and 4-9 ATS. The Blazers just finished a six game home stand that saw the club go 5-1 both ATS and S/U. Their lone loss was to the Lakers, 110-114 on Nov 3. They have already played the Lakers twice this season, both at home, and are 1-1 S/U and ATS. The Lakers have won three straight games and five of their last six. The Lakers are 2.5-point favorites in this game and the favorite has covered 11 of the last 15 in this series. I'm going to lay the short line at home with the Lakers tonight.

 Jacksonville State is not a good team. They have played two away games and are 0-2 both S/U and ATS. They opened with a blowout loss at Samford, a team with a seven point lower power rating then themselves. Then their second game was a loss at Penn State, 61-76. Meanwhile, Bradley opened with a win over Wisconsin Parkside, 74-58 and then a home win over SE Missouri State, 68-57. They are 0-1 ATS. The Samford Gamecocks are 2-5 ATS their last seven games while Bradley is 20-5-1 ATS their last 26 at home vs a team with a losing road record. They are also 20-5-2 ATS their last 27 at home. I rely heavily on my own numbers this early in the season and I have Bradley well into the double-digit favorite. Yet, the oddsmakers and bettors have driven this number to just six. That's a bargain for me, I'm taking Bradley.