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Sports Betting Tips Weekly: Hot and Cold Wagering Options

by Victor Ryan - 2/25/2016

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade

The college basketball regular season is winding down and the push to the playoffs has begun in the NBA. This is a critical time on the basketball calendar in which some teams will rise to the occasion and others will wilt under the increasing pressure of the moment. This week's look at the hottest and coldest bets in sports includes a pair of college basketball teams fighting for conference titles; while in the NBA, the focus will be on a team that's padding bettors' bankrolls despite being shorthanded. Let's get started.

NCAAB

California (19-8 SU, 15-12 ATS, five straight wins)

Expectations in Berkeley were high entering the season thanks to second-year coach Cuonzo Martin's highly-rated freshman class, which included a pair of five-star recruits in Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb, as well as the return of leading scorer Tyrone Wallace. Those expectations have largely been met, as the youngsters have started to live up to the hype and Wallace has put together another good campaign. Brown leads the Golden Bears in scoring with 15.7 ppg, while Raab has shot a team-high 62.6 percent from the field while averaging 12.0 ppg and a team-high 8.3 rpg. California's recent 5-0 run both straight up and against the spread has largely coincided with the return of Wallace from injury. After missing five games, Wallace returned Feb. 11 and the Golden Bears promptly pasted then-No. 11 Oregon 83-63 at home. California (9-5) now sits just 1 1/2-games back of the first-place Ducks (11-4) in the Pac-12 title race.

California is deep and talented and with the youngsters now hitting their stride, this is a dangerous squad. Don't be surprised if the Golden Bears make a deep run in the upcoming Pac-12 tournament.

Next up for California is at home versus UCLA tonight, where it is a 7-point favorite, and at home against USC on Sunday.

Other hot college basketball bets: Kansas (24-4 SU, 18-8 ATS, eight straight wins), Michigan State (23-5 SU, 18-9 ATS, eight straight wins), Missouri (10-18 SU, 16-9-1 ATS, seven straight wins), Hawaii (22-3 SU, 12-7 ATS, six straight wins), Western Carolina (13-16 SU, 14-19-1 ATS, six straight wins),

Dayton (22-5 SU, 13-14 ATS, five straight losses)

The Flyers sit in a tie atop the Atlantic 10 and are assuredly NCAA Tournament bound, but when it comes to beating the number, Dayton hasn't been particularly effective. Dayton's current five-game losing streak ATS entails a pair of straight up losses, which includes a particularly bad 79-72 loss to St. Bonaventure as a 10-point home favorite on Saturday. That defeat dropped the Flyers from No. 15 to completely out of the AP Top 25.

For Dayton, perhaps this is just one of those rough patches that most teams will undergo at some point during the season. Remember Duke a few weeks back? The reason for optimism is the Flyers stout defense. Dayton can put the clamps on teams as they lead the Atlantic 10 in both scoring defense (64.6 ppg allowed) and field goal percentage defense. The Flyers are also a veteran team that's won NCAA tournament games in successive seasons, so it's more than likely these recent struggles are just a blip rather than an emerging trend.

Next up for Dayton is at home versus Rhode Island on Saturday and at Richmond on Tuesday.

Other cold college basketball bets : Indiana State (13-16 SU, 13-14-1 ATS, eight straight losses), Quinnipiac (9-18 SU, 6-16 ATS, six straight losses), Niagara (7-21 SU, 11-13-1 ATS, six straight losses), Providence (19-8 SU, 13-13 ATS, five straight losses), Mercer (18-11 SU, 12-12 ATS, five straight losses), Weber State (20-7 SU, 12-12-1 ATS, five straight losses)

NBA

Miami Heat (32-25 SU, 30-26-1 ATS, four straight wins)

The Heat have become a slightly profitable proposition this season with their current four-game winning streak against the number. Coming out of the All-Star break, Miami won its first three games both straight up and against the number before finally falling to Golden State 118-112 as an 8-point home underdog on Wednesday. The Heat have managed the recent success despite being shorthanded. Leading scorer Chris Bosch has been out since just before the All-Star break and isn't expected to return this season, while backup point guard Beno Udrih suffered an injury earlier this week that knocked him out for the season. However, the loss of Udrih may not be as costly as was first thought. Rookie second-round pick Josh Richardson, who took over Urih's role, came off the bench and scored 15 points while also holding his own defensively against Steph Curry. Coach Eric Spoelstra called the Tennessee product a "tenacious" player and raved about how he seized his opportunity. Energy and enthusiasm is just what this veteran-laden team needs. If Richardson continues to light a fire under the Heat, they could be a live play moving forward.

Next up for Miami is a back-to-back at Boston on Saturday and at New York on Sunday followed by a home game against Chicago on Tuesday.

Other hot NBA bets: Chicago Bulls (29-26 SU, 22-23 ATS, three straight wins)

Cold NBA bets: Atlanta Hawks (31-27 SU, 26-30-2 ATS, three straight losses)

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