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<p>At 8:00 ET, the Memphis Grizzlies will host the Houston Rockets in a divisional matchup. The Rockets are favored by 3.5 points, and the over/under line is set at 220.</p>

<p>Memphis has lost nine straight games and is 13th in the Western Conference. Houston is 12th in the West and has a record of 24-29.</p><h3>HOUSTON ROCKETS VS MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Houston Rockets -3.5</p><p>This game will be played at FedExForum at 8:00 ET on Wednesday, February 14th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE HOUSTON ROCKETS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 94-81 in favor of the Rockets.</li><li>Our projections have Alperen Sengün finishing with Alperen Sengün points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.</li><li>From the field, we have the Rockets finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.7% and knocking down 9 threes.</li></ul><h3>Can Houston Pull Off A Win at FedExForum?</h3><p>Houston is favored by 3.5 points on the spread today and has gone 12-6 ATS as the favorite this season. As the favorite, the Rockets have won two straight games and are 14-4 overall. In these games, they have outscored opponents by an average of 8.9 points per game.</p>

<p>On the road, the Rockets are 9-15 ATS this season and have a straight-up record of 5-20. In Western Conference games, they are 16-13 compared to 8-16 against the East. Currently, they are 12th in the West.</p>

<p>In their last game against the Knicks, the Rockets won 105-103 as 1-point favorites. The O/U line for that game was 224.5, and Houston has now won three straight games to improve to 24-29 on the season.</p>

<p>This year, the Rockets have an O/U record of 24-29, and the under has hit in their last three games. On average, their games have finished with 225.9 points, and today's O/U line is set at 220.</p><p>Heading into their matchup with the Grizzlies, the Rockets are 22nd in the NBA in scoring at 113.3 points per game. However, they have been better at home (115.2 PPG) than on the road (111.2 PPG).</p>

<p>When it comes to pace, Houston is 13th in the league at 99.2 possessions per game. In terms of field goal percentage, they are 25th at 46%.</p>

<p>So far this season, the Rockets have hit 35% of their three-point attempts, which is 26th in the NBA. In terms of assists, they are 24th at 24.9 per game.</p><p>The Rockets' defense is presently ranked 10th in the league, allowing an average of 112.6 points per contest. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Rockets squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 54.0% inside the arc, and they're also giving up 34.3% from downtown.</p><h3>No Pressure for Memphis as Home Dogs</h3><p>Memphis comes into today's game as 3.5-point underdogs, and they have lost their last eight games as the underdog. This season, they are 12-28 as the underdog and have gone 20-20 against the spread in those games.</p>

<p>The Grizzlies' O/U record for the season is 23-30-1, and their games have averaged 219.8 points per game compared to today's line of 220. In games with higher O/U lines than 220, Memphis is 36-18.</p>

<p>Memphis lost to the Pelicans in their last game by a score of 96-87. The Grizzlies were 9.5-point underdogs going into the game, giving them their fourth straight ATS win as the underdog. The game finished with a combined scoring total of 183 points.</p>

<p>Overall, Memphis is 18-36 this season, which is 13th in the Western Conference. Against the West, they are 12-24 compared to 6-12 in non-conference games. At home, the Grizzlies are 5-20 and have an ATS record of 9-16.</p><p>At home, the Grizzlies have struggled offensively, averaging just 103.9 points per game (30th). Overall, Memphis is 30th in the league in scoring at 106.7 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage, the Grizzlies are 30th in the NBA at 43%. So far, they have outscored the league average in just 20.4% of their games.</p>

<p>When it comes to pace, Memphis is 17th in the league at 98.4 possessions per game. In terms of two-point shooting, the Grizzlies are 29th in the NBA at 51%. From beyond the arc, they are 28th in three-point shooting at 34%.</p>

<p>So far, the Grizzlies have made 15.6 free throws per game (29th). In terms of offensive rebounds, Memphis is 22nd in the league. Overall, they are 23rd in assists at 25.2 per game.</p><p>In the current season, the Grizzlies defense has excelled, sitting 12th in the NBA by allowing 113.1 points per game. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Grizzlies squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 53.7% inside the arc, and they're also giving up 38.3% from downtown.</p>

Houston Rockets vs Memphis Grizzlies Betting Pick & Prediction 2/14/24

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<p>Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Bears versus the Gamecocks? Tip off is at at 7:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on SEC. The game will be played at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC. The odds for this non-conference game currently have South Carolina as the -18 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 152.5 points.</p><h3>MERCER BEARS VS SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Mercer Bears +18</p><p>This game will be played at Colonial Life Arena at 7:00 ET on Thursday, November 21st.</p><h3>WHY BET THE MERCER BEARS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-71 in favor of the Gamecocks.</li><li>Even though we have South Carolina winning straight-up, we like Mercer at +18.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 152.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 148 points.</li></ul><h3>Is a Road Win Possible for the Bears?</h3><h3>Mercer Bears Recent Game/Games</h3> 

<p>Mercer fell to South Alabama 75-66 on Saturday, November 16th. The Bears were +5.5 point underdogs going into the game and did not cover the spread. The total points for the game were 141, falling short of the O/U line of 151.5.</p> 

<p>After trailing 42-32 at halftime, Mercer tightened up defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 33 points while scoring 34 of their own. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit.</p><p>Mercer's offense struggled from the field in their last game, shooting just 37.9% overall, but they hit 12 threes at a 37.5% rate. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.3%, and they were nearly perfect from the line, going 10/11 for 90.9%.</p> <p>Myles Corey and Tyler Johnson were the standouts, with Corey scoring 28 points and Johnson adding 26, hitting 6 threes at 54.5%. Ahmad Robinson contributed 16 points and 7 assists, while Judah Brown shot 66.7% from the field.</p><p>Mercer’s defense gave up 75 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 41% from the field. They allowed 17 two-point baskets on 28 attempts, a 60% success rate.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, Mercer’s defense held their opponents to 25% shooting, with 8 made threes on 32 attempts. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 17 free throws, shooting 68%. Mercer gave up 12 offensive rebounds.</p><h3>Can the South Carolina Offense Score Enough at Home?</h3><p>South Carolina dropped to 1-2 on the season after an 87-71 loss to Indiana on Saturday. The Gamecocks, who were +8.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 158, exceeding the O/U line of 143.5.</p> <p>South Carolina was down 43-32 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the 2nd half, as they were outscored 44-39.</p><p>South Carolina put up 71 points in their last game, shooting just 38.1% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 44.4%. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 27.6% of their threes (8/29), while connecting on 47.1% of their two-point attempts. At the free-throw line, they made 15 of 23 attempts, good for 65.2%.</p> <p>Myles Rice led the Gamecocks with 23 points, shooting 70% from the field and 75% from three (3/4). Morris Ugusuk added 18 points, hitting 4 of 6 from deep, while Mackenzie Mgbako chipped in 17 points on 62.5% shooting. Nick Pringle contributed 11 rebounds, and Jamarii Thomas dished out 4 assists.</p><p>South Carolina's defense struggled, giving up 87 points on 51% shooting. They allowed 18 two-pointers on 34 attempts, a 52% success rate for the opposing team.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, the Gamecocks gave up 8 threes on 17 attempts, with the other team shooting 47%. South Carolina also sent them to the line 33 times, where they hit 27 free throws, an 81% rate.</p>

Mercer Bears vs South Carolina Gamecocks NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

<p>The Bulldogs and Skyhawks are set to face off at 7:00 ET on NEC. The Skyhawks will host the game at Merkert Gymnasium in South Easton, MA. Bryant is favored by -11.5 in this non-conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 149.5 points.</p><h3>BRYANT BULLDOGS VS STONEHILL SKYHAWKS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Bryant Bulldogs -11.5</p><p>This game will be played at Merkert Gymnasium at 7:00 ET on Thursday, November 21st.</p><h3>WHY BET THE BRYANT BULLDOGS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 85-66 in favor of the Bulldogs.</li><li>Not only will Bryant pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -11.5.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 149.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 151 points.</li></ul><h3>Do the Bulldogs Have What it Takes on the Road?</h3><h3>Bryant Bulldogs Recent Game</h3> 

<p>The Bulldogs edged out an 85-84 win over Delaware on Monday. Bryant, who were -3.5 favorites, didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 169, surpassing the O/U line of 161.</p> 

<p>Bryant led 46-44 at halftime and scored 39 points in the 2nd half while allowing 40. They’ll look to tighten up defensively in future games.</p><p>Bryant's offense put up 85 points in their last game, shooting 50.8% from the field and 41.7% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 58.5%, and they grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, dishing out 15 assists as a team.</p> <p>John Camden and Barry Evans were key contributors, with Camden scoring 27 points on 10/16 shooting, including 4/6 from deep. Evans added 25 points, hitting 10/14 from the floor and 3/5 from beyond the arc.</p><p>Even with a solid defensive effort, the Bryant Bulldogs couldn't keep their opponent from scoring 84 points. They allowed 42% shooting from the field, with 29 made baskets on 68 attempts.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, Bryant's defense gave up 7 threes on 20 attempts, a 35% shooting rate. They also sent their opponent to the line 21 times, where they converted 19 free throws, shooting 90%.</p><h3>Will Stonehill Secure A Victory as Home Underdogs?</h3><h3>Stonehill Skyhawks Recent Game/Games</h3> 

<p>The Skyhawks dropped a close one to Lindenwood on Sunday, November 17th, losing 75-74 on the road. Stonehill, who entered the game as 2-point favorites, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.</p> 

<p>After leading 36-35 at halftime, the Skyhawks were edged out in the second half, getting outscored 40-38. The game’s total points reached 149, surpassing the over/under line of 136.</p><p>Stonehill's offense was fueled by their three-point shooting, hitting 15 of 30 attempts for a 50% success rate, contributing to an effective field goal percentage of 62.7%. Overall, they shot 47.1% from the field, with a two-point shooting percentage of 42.9%.</p> <p>Anias Futrell led the way with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Josh Morgan added 16 points, hitting 4 threes at a 50% rate. Ethan Meuser was also key from beyond the arc, connecting on 4 of 5 attempts, finishing with 13 points and 4 assists.</p><p>Stonehill's defense gave up 75 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 40% from the field, hitting 24 of 59 shots. Inside the arc, they allowed 16 field goals on 34 attempts, a 47% shooting rate.</p> <p>From three-point range, Stonehill's opponents went 8 for 25, shooting 32%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 24 times, where they made 19 free throws, a 79% success rate. Stonehill allowed 15 offensive rebounds.</p>

Bryant Bulldogs vs Stonehill Skyhawks NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

College Basketball

Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs East Carolina Pirates NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

Vanderbilt Commodores vs Nevada Wolf Pack NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

Grambling State Tigers vs New Mexico Lobos NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

Memphis Tigers vs San Francisco Dons NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

Eastern Michigan Eagles vs Oakland Golden Grizzlies NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

Niagara Purple Eagles vs Kent State Golden Flashes NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

Central Connecticut State Blue Devils vs Sacred Heart Pioneers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

UT Martin Skyhawks vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

Eastern Washington Eagles vs Washington State Cougars NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/21/24

In a perfect world, we’d be a week away from the Kentucky Derby. It is not a perfect world, but we do still have the Arkansas Derby coming up on May 2. Before we get to that huge Grade 1 race at Oaklawn Park, we’ve got a couple of extremely interesting stakes races this weekend with the Bachelor Stakes and the Carousel Stakes.

It will be a big-time Saturday in Hot Springs with these two races. We’ll take a look at both of them here at BangTheBook, beginning with this look at the Bachelor Stakes.

This is a $100,000 purse featuring nine three-year-olds running just six furlongs. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see one of these horses make an appearance in the Preakness Stakes, but the Kentucky Derby seems like a stretch with the additional length. Eight Rings and Sir Rick are the only horses that have gone 1 1/16 miles.

But, our focus is on this race and the six furlongs coming up in Race 9 on Saturday April 25.

Here are the post positions for the field and the trainer and jockey combos with the morning line odds from the racing form:
<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">Little Menace</td>
<td width="166">S. Asmussen</td>
<td width="166">S. Elliott</td>
<td width="48">4/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">2</td>
<td width="166">Beau Oxy</td>
<td width="166">M. Robertson</td>
<td width="166">A. Canchari</td>
<td width="48">20/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">3</td>
<td width="166">Echo Town</td>
<td width="166">S. Asmussen</td>
<td width="166">R. Santana Jr.</td>
<td width="48">9/2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">4</td>
<td width="166">Ginobili</td>
<td width="166">R. Baltas</td>
<td width="166">D. Cohen</td>
<td width="48">6/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">5</td>
<td width="166">Lykan</td>
<td width="166">I. Mason</td>
<td width="166">T. Baze</td>
<td width="48">8/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">6</td>
<td width="166">Liam’s Pride</td>
<td width="166">D. O’Neill</td>
<td width="166">M. Garcia</td>
<td width="48">20/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">7</td>
<td width="166">Eight Rings</td>
<td width="166">B. Baffert</td>
<td width="166">J. Rosario</td>
<td width="48">5/2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">8</td>
<td width="166">Sir Rick</td>
<td width="166">R. Diodoro</td>
<td width="166">O. Mojica</td>
<td width="48">30/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="43">9</td>
<td width="166">Long Weekend</td>
<td width="166">T. Amoss</td>
<td width="166">J. Talamo</td>
<td width="48">3/1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Eight Rings is the favorite for the Bob Baffert and Joel Rosario tandem and 5/2 is a price that will likely go down, given that this colt won the American Pharoah G1 race last year at Santa Anita and was a promising contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile before finishing sixth.

Joe Talamo and Tom Amoss have the second favorite from the far outside post in Long Weekend, who has three wins in four events, including a win in the Gazebo Stakes at Oaklawn just over a month ago.

That win for Long Weekend came over Little Menace, who was a game second-place finisher and has not finished outside the top two spots in four career races. Three-year-olds sired by Into Mischief have been popular bets to this point, so we’ll see if that continues in this race.

Let’s size up the nine competitors and put together a bet slip:

<strong>Little Menace</strong> will be a popular pick on Saturday. The longest odds this horse has faced him been a little less than 3/1 in a win in allowance optional claiming back on February 2 at Oaklawn. He won that race by a head over American Butterfly by talking the pace. Little Menace has been both a pacesetter and a stalker and that versatile running style is likely to be popular with the bettors.

To this point, Little Menace has run three straight races with an Equibase Speed Figure of 98 and has been one of the most consistent three-year-olds in this field.

<strong>Beau Oxy</strong> is a long shot from the Hugh H. Robertson barn. His son, McLean, will have his seventh different rider in as many races here. Beau Oxy finished fourth, 11 lengths behind Long Weekend, in the Gazebo Stakes. It was a decent run, but it was clear that he didn’t have the speed. The line of 20/1 here suggests the exact same thing about this field, which is even stronger thanks to Eight Rings.

One interesting side note about Beau Oxy is that the son of Oxbow seems to like the dirt a lot. In his six races, three have been on dirt and he’s won two of them. He was fourth in the other with that stronger field. This is a good test for a horse that could be a little too overlooked.

<strong>Echo</strong><strong> Town</strong> makes his fourth start of 2020 for Steve Asmussen. He won an allowance race back on March 13 on a sloppy track by 3 3/4 lengths over American Butterfly, who seems to have something of a penchant for finishing second. This is a horse with two enormous speed figures in the last two races.

The son of Speightstown will have Ricardo Santana Jr. in the mount once again. He is more of a closer than a pacesetter and you can bet that he’ll be driving hard in hopes of finishing this one on a high note. Last time out, he just outran American Butterfly after a three-wide final turn. In his third-place finish, he finished one length behind Tuggle for second, but 4 1/2 lengths behind the winner Lykan.

<strong>Ginobili</strong> will have David Cohen in the mount for a second straight race in search of better fortunes. This is a good horse that had an excellent run, finishing a close second to Nadal in the San Vicente G2 race at Santa Anita back in February. Ginobili had impressive speed figures prior to not doing much for Cohen back on April 5.

This is a quick turnaround, but that run with Nadal, who just won the Rebel Stakes, shows the ceiling for this horse. It is a big ask for the son of Munnings and of trainer Richard Baltas, but Ginobili may be ready for a bounce back run.

<strong>Lykan </strong>is the most experienced horse of the bunch with a ton of past performances to examine. Those performances have been all over the place as well. Tyler Baze draws the mount again after leading Lykan to a show and a win at Oaklawn Park in the last two races, including a third in the Gazebo Stakes.

This horse has been all over the map, but has hit the board in five of six dirt starts, including the AlwOC win back in February. The third was a distant third of 8 1/4 lengths behind the winner Long Weekend in the Gazebo. This is a solid horse and a horse that has had some big runs, but isn’t consistent enough to take in a field of this caliber.

<strong>Liam’s Pride </strong>has had some terrific workouts in the lead-up to this race. This is a step up in class, though. This is the stakes debut for Doug O’Neill’s three-year-old and he is far from being the favorite like he was in his only career win two races ago. Six furlongs seems to be the right distance here, but with a really good field and a tough post position, he seems like a real long shot to get to the board. The 20/1 price is confirmation of that.

<strong>Eight Rings</strong> looks to be the class of the field. Who knows what sort of price we may be talking about if he hadn’t lost rider Drayden Van Dyke in the Del Mar Futurity G1 last year in September. He was the 1/2 favorite in that race. He then went to Santa Anita just 25 days later and won the American Pharoah Stakes. He went off as the second favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile G1 race at Santa Anita on November 1, but finished 12 1/4 lengths behind the winner, Storm the Court, who will be at Oaklawn for the Arkansas Derby next weekend.

Eight Rings was ridden by John Velazquez in the last two races, but now draws Rosario, which is a strong power move. We have some clear and pressing questions given the long layoff, but we’ve seen some excellent workouts from him of late. The late fade in the BC Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles was concerning, but with six furlongs and the speed of this horse, he should set the pace and easily has the endurance to sustain it.

<strong>Sir Rick</strong> is definitely stepping up in class here. The speed figures have been underwhelming, but the Richard L. Davis colt still has four wins and a show in seven dirt starts. That says more about the level of competition than it does about the horse. The numbers just aren’t there and the post position with pressure from Long Weekend on the outside is bad, too.

One note about Sir Rick – after finishing 13th in the Oaklawn Stakes back on April 11, he’ll have blinkers in this race. He was second midway through that race on a sloppy track, but stopped running. We should have a firm and fast track on Saturday.

<strong>Long Weekend</strong> has three wins in four tries, all of which have come in the favorite role. Long Weekend will be hard-pressed to be the favorite over Eight Rings on Saturday, but expect another short price here. The wins for Long Weekend have been impressive, statement types of victories by 4 3/4, 6 3/4, and 5 lengths, with the first two at this same six-furlong distance. The workouts have been good, not great, but this is a horse that jets out to the lead and maintains it. Little Menace provided a token threat in the Gazebo before getting outrun over the final furlong.

A big question for Long Weekend will come with more distance in future races. It will be interesting to see how he maneuvers to the front of the pack from the far outside post, but he has been the leader at the quarter pole in all four races. Many of these horses are fast starters. Long Weekend has been in cruise control by the middle of the race in the three wins. How will he fare if challenged a little bit harder here?

<strong><u>Picks</u></strong>

I’ve been sitting here thinking of ways to skirt the 7 Eight Rings and the 9 Long Weekend because I do really like the 1 Little Menace and the 3 Echo Town. Echo Town wasn’t raced as a two-year-old and only has three data points, but all three have been impressive. Heading into Thursday’s races at Oaklawn, Ricardo Santana Jr. was a 21% jockey in sprints and he’s the rider for Asmussen on Echo Town.

Santana also had the pick between the Asmussen colts of Echo Town and Little Menace and picked Echo Town. He had two previous rides on Little Menace and won them both. Stewart Elliott draws the mount on Little Menace, which is a bit of a red flag to me.

I can’t get away from this colt, so Echo Town will be on my bet slip. I also can’t get away from Rosario and Eight Rings. It’ll be an exacta box with 3/7 for me.

I’ll add Long Weekend to the exacta box, too. We’re not talking about a big pay day in the Bachelor Stakes in all likelihood, but I think we can make some money with what appears to be a chalkier race.

<strong>Win/Place: 3</strong>

<strong>Exacta Box: 3/7/9</strong>

Triple Crown Hopeful Eight Rings Leads Field Into Bachelor Stakes on April 25