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<p>At 8:00 ET, the San Antonio Spurs (-125) will host the Atlanta Hawks (+105) in a non-conference matchup. The over/under line for this game is currently sitting at 233.5 points.</p>

<p>San Antonio is currently favored by 1.5 points and is 13-13 on the season. They are 11th in the Western Conference and 4th in the Southwest Division. As for the Hawks, they are 14-13 and sit 7th in the Eastern Conference and 3rd in the Southeast Division.</p><h3>ATLANTA HAWKS VS SAN ANTONIO SPURS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: San Antonio Spurs -1.5</p><p>This game will be played at Frost Bank Center at 8:00 ET on Thursday, December 19th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 153-122 in favor of the Spurs.</li><li>Our projections have Victor Wembanyama finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists.</li><li>From the field, we have the Spurs finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.3% and knocking down 17 threes.</li></ul><h3>Are Atlanta Ready for a Road Win?</h3><p>The Hawks fell to 14-13 on the season after a 110-102 road loss to the Bucks on Saturday. Atlanta entered the game as +3.5 point underdogs but couldn’t cover the spread, and the total points of 212 fell short of the 233 O/U line.</p> <p>Milwaukee’s 12-0 run in the 2nd quarter put the Hawks on their heels, but Atlanta battled back, outscoring the Bucks 34-27 in the 3rd. However, the Hawks couldn’t maintain their momentum, as they were outscored 28-19 in the 4th quarter.</p><p>In the Hawks' 110-102 loss to the Bucks, Trae Young led the way with 35 points and 10 assists, shooting 50% from the field and hitting 3 threes at a 60% clip. De'Andre Hunter and Jalen Johnson each added 15 points, with Hunter connecting on 3 threes at 50% efficiency.</p> <p>As a team, the Hawks made just 10 threes, but shot 41.7% from deep. Overall, they hit 42.7% of their shots. Young scored 14 points in the 3rd quarter, and added 9 more in the 4th.</p><p>Defensively, the Hawks were consistent, allowing 26 points in the 1st quarter and never more than 29 in any period, but they still gave up 110 points in the loss to the Bucks. Atlanta held Milwaukee to 31% shooting from beyond the arc, where the Bucks made 14 threes.</p> <p>Atlanta sent Milwaukee to the line 27 times, where the Bucks converted 18 free throws. The Hawks secured 37 defensive rebounds, giving up 6 offensive boards, and added 6 blocks and 3 steals.</p><h3>Can the Spurs Please their Home Crowd?</h3><p>The Spurs fell to 13-13 on the season after a 106-92 home loss to the Timberwolves on Sunday. San Antonio, who were +4.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread, and the game’s total of 198 points was well below the 214.5-point line.</p> <p>Minnesota broke the game open with an 11-0 run early, and while the Spurs fought back in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Timberwolves 33-24, they couldn’t maintain the momentum. San Antonio was within six points heading into the 4th, but Minnesota pulled away, outscoring them 30-22 in the final period.</p><p>In their 106-92 loss to the Timberwolves, the Spurs struggled offensively, shooting just 40.7% from the field and 24.4% from beyond the arc, hitting 11 threes. Victor Wembanyama led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 40% from the floor.</p> <p>Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan each added 17 points, with Barnes hitting 4 threes at 57.1% and scoring 13 points in the 3rd quarter. Sochan was efficient, shooting 70% and grabbing 15 rebounds.</p><p>Defensively, the Spurs held the Timberwolves to 106 points on 40% shooting, including 28 points in the 1st and 30 in the 4th. They did a solid job in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, allowing just 24 points in each.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, San Antonio gave up 12 threes on 34% shooting. Minnesota went to the line 16 times, hitting 14 free throws. The Spurs also recorded 6 steals and 8 blocks.</p>

Atlanta Hawks vs San Antonio Spurs Betting Pick & Prediction 12/19/24

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<p>ESNU will be covering the week seven matchup between the Ohio Bobcats and Central Michigan Chippewas, set to kick off at 4:00 ET from Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant. Both teams enter the game with a 3-2 record this season. The Bobcats are the -3.5-point favorites on the road, and the over/under line is currently at 47.5 points.</p><h3>OHIO BOBCATS VS CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Central Michigan Chippewas +3.5</p><p>This game will be played at Kelly/Shorts Stadium at 4:00 ET on Saturday, October 12th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS:</h3><ul><li>We have the Ohio Bobcats winning this one by a score of 26 to 25</li><li>Even though we like the Ohio Bobcats to win, our ATS pick is to take the Central Michigan Chippewas at +3.5</li><li>Look for this game to go over the line of 47.5 points</li></ul><h3>Will The Ohio Bobcats Win As Road Favorites?</h3><p>Ohio enters Week 7 against Central Michigan with a 3-2 record, ranking 106th in our CFB power rankings. They have an 87% chance of being bowl-eligible but just a 6.6% chance of winning the Mid-American. The Bobcats are 2-0 at home but 0-2 on the road this season.</p> <p></p><p>Ohio is 3-1 against the spread, with a -1.8 average scoring margin. They’ve been favored in just one game, going 1-0 ATS as the favorite and 2-1 ATS as the underdog. At home, they are 2-0 ATS.</p> <p></p><p>Their over/under record is 2-2, with an average line of 47 points. Ohio’s games have averaged 44.2 points, and this week’s line is set at 47.5 points.</p><p>Ohio's offense has leaned on their run game, ranking 37th in rushing attempts and averaging 194 yards per game. Anthony Tyus III leads the team with 500 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 5 yards per carry.</p> <p>Quarterback Parker Navarro has thrown for 751 yards, with Ohio ranking 107th in passing yards per game. Navarro has 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, and the team is 79th in scoring, averaging 21.2 points per game.</p><p>Ohio’s defense has been strong against the run this season, allowing just 100 rushing yards per game, which ranks 24th in the nation. In their recent game against Akron, they gave up 116 rushing yards on 21 attempts. The Bobcats also held Akron to 10 points and forced them to throw 32 times, allowing 206 passing yards.</p><p></p><p>Opposing quarterbacks have averaged a 63.5% completion rate and a passer rating of 85.5 against Ohio, with 238.8 passing yards per game, ranking Ohio 112th nationally. On average, they’ve faced 30 rushing attempts per game, the 23rd fewest in the country.</p><h3>Are The Central Michigan Chippewas Going Win In At Upset At Kelly/Shorts Stadium</h3><p>Central Michigan enters Week 7 against Ohio with a 3-2 record, ranked 116th in our power rankings. They have a 44.9% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. At home, they are 2-0, while they are 0-2 on the road this season.</p> <p></p><p>The Chippewas have been favored in three of their five games, going 2-1 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is +0.6 points per game, and they are 1-3 against the spread this season.</p> <p></p><p>Central Michigan’s over/under record is 2-2, with their games averaging 59.4 points. Their average over/under line is 49.9 points, and this week’s line is set at 47.5 points.</p><p>Central Michigan’s offense is averaging 30 points per game heading into week 7, placing them 47th in the nation. However, they rank 92nd in our offensive power rankings. Their passing game is 36th in attempts, with 33.4 per game, and they are 38th in completions, averaging 19.8. Overall, they are 64th in passing yards, with 245 per game, and they have converted 37.1% of their third downs.</p> <p>Joe Labas leads the team with 1,078 passing yards, but he has thrown seven interceptions to go along with seven touchdowns, resulting in a passer rating of 76. Central Michigan’s rushing attack is averaging 184.6 yards per game. B.J. Harris has 273 rushing yards, averaging 7 yards per carry. Evan Boyd is the leading receiver with 253 yards and one touchdown.</p><p>Central Michigan's defense has allowed 29.4 points per game this season, including 21 points in their recent 22-21 win over San Diego State. They gave up 323 total yards in that game, with 224 passing yards and 99 rushing yards on 34 attempts.</p><p></p><p>Opponents have averaged 156.2 rushing yards per game against Central Michigan, while quarterbacks have posted a 103.6 passer rating, completing 61.8% of their throws and averaging 197.6 passing yards per game.</p>

Ohio Bobcats vs Central Michigan Chippewas Betting Pick & Prediction 10/12/24

College Basketball

San Diego State Aztecs vs California Golden Bears NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

Bellarmine Knights vs Colorado Buffaloes NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders vs Houston Cougars NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

Kansas State Wildcats vs Wichita State Shockers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

Canisius Golden Griffins vs Bradley Braves NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

North Carolina Tar Heels vs UCLA Bruins NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

Kennesaw State Owls vs San Jose State Spartans NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

Eastern Illinois Panthers vs Little Rock Trojans NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

Western Illinois Leathernecks vs Lindenwood Lions NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

Tennessee State Tigers vs Morehead State Eagles NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

Learning how to bet the ponies just might be the only way to get your gambling fill during the coronavirus outbreak. To this point, just about everything except for the horse racing circuit has shut down. It may only be a matter of time, we’ll have to wait and see, but there is no time like the present to familiarize yourself with betting on horses.

Last week, we took a look at the <a href="http://bangthebook.com/2020-rebel-stakes-betting-odds-picks-preview/691383/"><strong>Rebel Stakes</strong></a>. I opted to skirt the favorite Nadal, who essentially went gate-to-wire for the win, going off as a 4/5 favorite. It was a very impressive performance for the favorite and also for the place finisher, Excession, who started slow at the back of the back, made a huge push up the rail, and nearly had enough to take down the favorite in the muck and mud.

This week, we’ll take a look at two big races coming up down at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The first is the Fair Grounds Oaks. This is part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, which is a series of filly races that generally precedes the first Friday in May. Unfortunately, with the Kentucky Derby pushed back to September, the Kentucky Oaks is now the first Friday in September.

Nevertheless, we’ve got the Grade 2 TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks this week, which is a 1 1/16 mile race. Serengeti Empress, the winner of last year’s Kentucky Oaks, was the seventh filly since 2000 to win the Fair Grounds Oaks and then the Kentucky Oaks, so this one could be predictive for when we get to Churchill Downs.

This is the first race in the second leg of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series and it looks to be a race for second place. The favorite, <strong>Finite</strong>, was listed as the 3/5 morning line favorite. Finite also drew the outermost post position, so the race to the front should be unabated.

Here are the horses, trainers, jockeys, and odds from the morning line for the 2020 Fair Ground Oaks:
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="43">Post</td>
<td width="166">Horse</td>
<td width="166">Trainer</td>
<td width="166">Jockey</td>
<td width="48">Odds</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">1</td>
<td width="166">Antoinette</td>
<td width="166">B. Mott</td>
<td width="166">J. Alvarado</td>
<td width="48">12/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">2</td>
<td width="166">French Rose</td>
<td width="166">J. Desormeaux</td>
<td width="166">M. Murrill</td>
<td width="48">20/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">3</td>
<td width="166">Tempers Rising</td>
<td width="166">D. Stewart</td>
<td width="166">J. Leparoux</td>
<td width="48">9/2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">4</td>
<td width="166">Bonny South</td>
<td width="166">B. Cox</td>
<td width="166">F. Geroux</td>
<td width="48">4/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">5</td>
<td width="166">Stop Shoppin Tammy</td>
<td width="166">P. Bauer</td>
<td width="166">C. Lanerie</td>
<td width="48">8/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">6</td>
<td width="166">Finite</td>
<td width="166">S. Asmussen</td>
<td width="166">R. Santana Jr.</td>
<td width="48">3/5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Let’s look at the six horses in the field and put together a profile:

<strong>Antoinette – </strong>Antoinette comes in off of her first win, which came in the Tepin Stakes at Aqueduct. The daughter of Hard Spun went 1 1/16 miles in 1:38:87 for a strong time to hold off I Dare U and Quality Heat. I Dare U was actually the even money favorite in that two-year-old filly race. Antoinette stalked the pace for most of the race before sliding down at the rail to beat I Dare U over the final furlong and a half. And she just scampered to the victory in her dirt debut.

This will be her first race since then for legendary trainer Bill Mott. Interestingly, Alvarado was in the irons on Stretchthestory, who went off at 23/1 in that race. It was a patient and calculated ride from Joe Bravo. Will Alvarado take the same tact? If so, will Antoinette have the speed in a stronger race, particularly to chase down Finite?

<strong>French Rose – </strong>French Rose comes off the shelf for the first race in nine months after a couple of maiden special weight (MSW) races at Santa Anita. This seems like an odd choice for J. Keith Desormeaux to bring this filly all the way from California to run in a race where she seems to have no chance. There must be a method to the madness.

Local rider Mitch Murrill will also be the one trying to get French Rose to the board. Murrill will also ride Sonneteer for Desormeaux in the New Orleans Classic, a 4+ race that precedes the Louisiana Derby. Sonneteer would seem to have a better chance in that race than French Rose has here.

<strong>Tempers Rising – </strong>The third favorite on the board comes from the camp of Dallas Stewart. Julian Leparoux will be in the irons for this powerhouse team that has had a couple of underwhelming finishes at Fair Grounds to this point. Tempers Rising finished fourth in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes back in February and third in the Silverbulletday Stakes in January. In fact, Tempers Rising has yet to win a race.

The daughter of Bayern, who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic back in 2014, has run at 1 1/16 miles twice in her career. The distance shouldn’t be a factor for her, but she has been bested by Finite twice already, so making the board is a possibility, but winning the race does not seem to be. Her familiarity with Fair Grounds and the cohesiveness of Stewart and Leparoux could really help in the quest for second.

<strong>Bonny South – </strong>Another excellent team here as Brad Cox and Florent Geroux team up once again with Bonny South. We don’t have a whole lot of data points for Bonny South, but we have one and it was impressive. In her allowance race at Oaklawn last month, she beat Shedaresthedevil in a sprint to the finish. Shedaresthedevil just won the Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn back on March 7.

There are some additional layers to Bonny South being in this race. We could have seen Taraz in the Fair Grounds Oaks. She won the Martha Washington Stakes at Churchill Downs and the Letellier Memorial at Fair Grounds, but suffered a catastrophic injury during a workout last month and had to be euthanized. It was reported that Taraz was going to run the Honeybee Stakes and not this race, so perhaps Bonny South was built better for the distance all along.

Cox is having some tough luck of late. An injury to Mr. Monomoy, thought to be a solid Derby contender, has put him on the shelf. One other note here is that Cox is also the trainer for British Idiom, who finished second to Finite in the Rachel Alexandra. It is a different ownership group, but Cox very much knows what he is up against.

<strong>Stop Shoppin Tammy – </strong>We don’t know much about Stop Shoppin Tammy except that she is the daughter of Tapit and that she is good enough for Corey Lanerie to assume the mount. Lanerie has a full dance card on Saturday with a full day of racing, but it is rare for Lanerie to pair up with Philip Bauer.

Stop Shoppin Tammy finished fourth in her maiden at Saratoga last year before coming to Fair Grounds for a win in her maiden there in mid-February. She went gate-to-wire in that one and comes in with a little momentum here off of a terrific workout time. She is also on Lasix for the first time, so we’ll see how that goes for her.

<strong>Finite – </strong>Finite isn’t just the likely winner of this race, but she could very well win a race or two in the Grade 1s, whenever that may be. The Kentucky Oaks won’t be until September. We’ll see when the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes that precedes the Preakness and the Acorn Stakes that precedes the Belmont will be run, but Finite should be ready.

Finite won the Rachel Alexandra on this very track by nearly five lengths last month. She beat Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner British Idiom in that race and has won five straight races overall. She’s won the Golden Rod Stakes and the Rachel Alexandra at this distance, so she won’t be bothered by that. This will also be her third race at Fair Grounds along with the Silverbulletday, which she also won.

<strong>Picks</strong>

So, who do we take alongside Finite? There are only six fillies in the race, so we want to be somewhat selective after Finite in an exacta or a trifecta. The horse that I prefer for second is Bonny South. Brad Cox knows fillies. Even with Taraz, prior to her tragic passing, and British Idiom in his group, Cox pointed Bonny South to this race. Munnings is the sire of both Finite and Bonny South and it should be a Munnings 1-2 finish.

Antoinette and Tempers Rising are both of interest in exotics. Antoinette’s excellent time in the Tepin Stakes came with a really strong close. Tempers Rising is a Dallas Stewart filly and even though she hasn’t had the results, we know he’s solid with the girls. I’m still finalizing my card with regards to the exotics, but will play Finite and Bonny South together and separately.

<strong>Exacta Box 6/4</strong>

<strong>Win/Place 6, 4</strong>

Post time is set for 5:15 p.m. ET on Saturday March 21 and the race will be shown on NBC Sports Network.

Horse Racing Picks: Finite Big Favorite for Fair Grounds Oaks on March 21

<p>The Bobcats and Warhawks are set to face off at 3:30 ET on ESPN+. The Warhawks will host the game at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, LA. The Bobcats are favored in this Sun Belt conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 131.5 points.</p><h3>TEXAS STATE BOBCATS VS LOUISIANA-MONROE WARHAWKS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks +3.5</p><p>This game will be played at Fant-Ewing Coliseum at 3:30 ET on Saturday, January 13th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE LOUISIANA-MONROE WARHAWKS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Warhawks.</li><li>Not only will Louisiana-Monroe pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +3.5.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 131.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.</li></ul><h3>Can Texas State Stun the Crowd at Fant-Ewing Coliseum?</h3><p>After losing their fifth straight game, Texas State is looking to get back on track when they take on Louisiana-Monroe. So far, the Bobcats have gone 6-10 on the season, including a 0-4 mark in Sun Belt Conference play.</p>

<p>On the road, Texas State has gone 3-6, and they come into this game with an average scoring margin of -9.8 points per game. In their last 10 road games, the Bobcats have gone 3-7.</p><p>As the favorite, Texas State has gone just 2-3 against the spread this season and they have an overall ATS mark of 6-8. On the road, the Bobcats are 5-4 vs. the spread this year and they are 1-2 ATS in their last 3 road games.</p><p>So far this season, the over/under record for Texas State games is 6-8. The average scoring total in their games this year is 137.4, which is slightly lower than the average over/under line of 137.8. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total is 151 points.</p><p>In their latest game, Texas State's offense looked good, scoring 82 points against Arkansas State. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 51.7% and made 12/16 free throws. The team's top scorer is Brandon Love, who enters today's matchup with an average of 11.8, while Dylan Dawson also carries a PPG average of 9.8 into the game.</p><p>On the defensive side, Texas State is currently hovering around the NCAA's average for points allowed, conceding an average of 71.4 points per game. Against Arkansas State in their most recent game, the Texas State defense gave up a total of 85 points while allowing Arkansas State to hit 58% of their shots.</p><h3>Is a Home Win Possible for Louisiana-Monroe?</h3><p>With a record of 4-10, Louisiana-Monroe has lost seven straight games, including their most recent game against Southern Miss by a score of 71-58. The Warhawks are 0-4 in Sun Belt Conference play and 1-4 at home this season. Over their last 10 games at home, they have gone 3-7.</p>

<p>On the season, the Warhawks have been the underdog in nine of their 14 games, going 1-8 in those contests. As the underdog, they have an average scoring margin of -7.6 points per game.</p><p>As the underdog this season, Louisiana-Monroe has gone 4-5 against the spread and their overall ATS record for the year is 4-8. At home, the Warhawks are 0-5 vs. the spread and their last 10 home games vs. the spread is 1-7. Over their last three games as the underdog, Louisiana-Monroe is 1-2 ATS.</p><p>So far this year, the over/under record in Louisiana-Monroe games is 5-7. The average scoring total in their games is 134.6 points, which is 4.7 points lower than the average over/under line of 139.3. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 132 points.</p><p>Against Southern Miss, the Louisiana-Monroe had a tough time putting up points compared to their season average of 67.9 points per game. They scored 58 points and posted a field goal percentage of 36.7% in the game. Leading the team in scoring was Nika Metskhvarishvili with 14 points. Jalen Bolden also added 13 points for the Warhawks.</p><p>The Warhawks' defense is presently ranked 189th nationally, allowing an average of 72.5 points per contest. In today's game, the Louisiana-Monroe defense will be looking to once again do a good job defending the three-point line, as they gave up just 3 three-pointers while giving up 71 points.</p>

Texas State Bobcats vs Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks Betting Pick & Prediction 1/13/24