They will own them again.
Watching the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night struggle to beat the Miami Heat, I said to myself right then and there, they are not beating the Knicks.
Let's make sure we are honest with each other here: If Jimmy Butler doesn't get hurt, the Sixers do not win that game. Simple as that.
And to watch them celebrate the win, so proud of themselves, like they really accomplished something was pathetic.
Well, I will tell you what they accomplished, facing a team that flat out owned them this year with OG Anunoby in the lineup.
The Knicks made one of the biggest acquisitions of the entire NBA season when they acquired Anunoby from the Raptors on December 30th.
Anunoby, Kawhi Leonard's main running mate on the Raptors NBA championship team, has made all the difference in the world for this team.
With him in the lineup, the Knicks are 20-3 SU with 19 of those 20 wins by 3 points or more. The only one that wasn't: the last game of the year against the Bulls.
Now, the Sixers and Knicks met 3 times and only one of the games was Anunoby and Embiid against each other.
At Philly on January 5th, the Knicks (+5) destroyed Embiid and Philly 128-92 controlling the paint out- rebounding the Sixers 49-38 in the 36-point win.
The last 2 meetings were March 10th and 12th in New York and Philly was without Embiid for both, the Knicks were missing Anunoby for the first game.
The Sixers took advantage of OG being out of the lineup and won 79-73 win.
However, he returned 2 days later in New York and wouldn't you know it, a Knicks blowout win 106-79.
Folks, Embiid is not himself. You could see it in his movement against the Heat. He may play his way into shape as this series but game 1 will be a struggle today.
I will say it again.....the Sixers had no right beating the Heat. They barely beat a team that was essentially playing with 4 guys!!!!
As Jimmy Butler said after the game, "I probably hurt us more than helped us by staying in the game."
You damn right Jimmy. I will go to my grave saying to myself, if Butler sits down, the Sixers don't win that game.
This Knicks team is the healthier team, playing at home, supremely confident in how they match up against Philly and they know how to beat Philly.
Lay it with confidence today as New York rolls by double digits yet again as the Knicks go to 21-3 with OG Anunoby in the lineup.
Oh, with 20 of those 21 wins by 3 points or more.
I will say to you again, I will ride and die with this absolute money maker.
I told you that last Saturday when I came with a 200 dime play on these Huskies over Illinois and all they did was go out and win by 25.
That win and cover is putting this team closer to the greatest covering machine in history.
Let's recap!!
Over the last 2 years when it comes to non-conference neutral site games, the UConn Huskies have now covered 17 in a row.
I'm talking 17-0 SU and 17-0 ATS and it's not going to be, this non defense playing Alabama team that is going to bring that streak to an end today.
Last year in their non-conference schedule, they played 3 neutral site games at the Phill Knight Invitational.
They went 3-0 SU and ATS with wins and all 3 were by double digits.
Laying 3 1/2 against Oregon they won 83-59, laying , laying 1 1/2 to Alabama won 82-67 and laying 6 1/2 to Iowa State won 71-53.
Notice the margins of victory: 23, 25 and 18.
Fast forward to the NCAA tourney and 6 straight wins, 6 straight covers and all 6 by double digits.
Folks, do the math: 9-0 SU and ATS on neutral floors versus non conference teams last year.
Now let's move on to this year.
In their non conference schedule, they played 4 neutral site games and wouldn't you know it, a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS.
The Empire Classic in New York they laid 11 to Indiana and won 77-57 and laying 8 against Texas they won 81-71.
Then 2 weeks later in the Jimmy V classic back in New York, they laid 5 1/2 to North Carolina and beat them 87-76.
Lastly, they faced Gonzaga in Seattle and laying 3 1/2, hammered the Zags again 76-63.
Once again, a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS with all 4 by double digits.
You throw that run with a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS in this tournament with all 4 by double digits and there is your 17-0 SU and ATS staring you in the face.
Now comes Alabama, a team that in 3 of their last 6 regular season games allowed over 100 points including 117 at Kentucky.
Yes, they have played a little better defense in this tourney but they still allowed College of Charleston to score 90 on them in the first round.
In round two Grand Canyon was up 58-55 with just over 6 minutes to go when they went ice cold and scored 3 points the rest of the way.
Next round beat North Carolina because RJ Davis forgot how to play basketball and against Clemson in the next round, they still allowed 82 points.
The way to beat UConn is to slow it down but Alabama won't do that. They look to run and get spot up 3's. That won't work against UConn.
Lastly, Illinois Terrence Shannon, all 6'6 of him, was averaging over 30 points a game in his last 9 games.......UConn held him to 9.
As Bama's Mark Sears goes, so goes the Tide and trust me when I tell you, Sears is in for a long night against this UConn defense.
At the end of the day, Alabama is just not good enough defensively to stay with UConn for 40 minutes. Their deficiencies will get exposed tonight big time.
I will be absolutely shocked if UConn doesn't beat this team by at least 20!!!
Huskies go to 18-0 SU and ATS in non conference games played on a neutral site with yet another double digit blowout win.
UConn marches on to the final Monday night.
I will ride and die with this absolute money maker.
To put it bluntly, the numbers are just flat out staggering.
Over the last 2 years when it comes to non-conference neutral site games, the UConn Huskies are the greatest cash cow in NCAA history.
Last year in their non-conference schedule, they played 3 neutral site games at the Phill Knight Invitational.
They went 3-0 SU and ATS with wins and all 3 were by double digits.
Laying 3 1/2 against Oregon they won 83-59, laying , laying 1 1/2 to Alabama won 82-67 and laying 6 1/2 to Iowa State won 71-53.
Notice the margins of victory: 23, 25 and 18.
Fast forward to the NCAA tourney and 6 straight wins, 6 straight covers and all 6 by double digits.
Folks, do the math: 9-0 SU and ATS on neutral floors versus non conference teams.
Now let's move on to this year.
In their non conference schedule, they played 4 neutral site games and wouldn't you know it, a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS.
The Empire Classic in New York they laid 11 to Indiana and won 77-57 and laying 8 against Texas they won 81-71.
Then 2 weeks later in the Jimmy V classic back in New York, they laid 5 1/2 to North Carolina and beat them 87-76.
Lastly, they faced Gonzaga in Seattle and laying 3 1/2, hammered the Zags again 76-63.
Once again, a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS with all 4 by double digits.
You throw that run with a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS in this tournament with all 3 by double digits and what do you get????
Over the last 2 years versus non conference teams on neutral sites the Huskies have covered 16 straight games and all 16 have been by double digits.
I'm talking 16-0 folks. A perfect 16-0 ATS.
As I said at the top, they are a cash cow and I am jumping all over that cash cow today.
It doesn't matter what Illinois has done in this tourney. It doesn't matter who they are.
Until a team, shows me, they can stay within single digits of this Danny Hurley coached team, I will back them again.
16 in a row. 16 in a row by double digits. 16 straight covers the last 2 years versus non-conference teams on a neutral site floors.
17 in a row happens tonight.
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My Rating System
My ratings system is pretty simple. Plays are generally rated anywhere between 25 and 100 Dimes to aide clients in money management. However, when I sense an opportunity to go for the jugular or when I'm on a roll and can afford to take shots with a bankroll that's been steadily growing, you better believe I'm going for it.
Who is Brandon Lang?
Where do I start? Let's just say Hollywood would not have made a movie based on my life as a professional sports handicapper, "Two For the Money," if I wasn't a winner!
"Two For The Money" is all about me, the guy who is 25-4-2 lifetime with his Super Bowl selections!
Al Pacino plays my boss, Renee Russo plays his wife and Matthew McConaughey plays me. "Two For The Money", debuted in theaters in October of 2005 and is widely available on DVD and you'll always find it playing on one of the major streaming services.
I was born in Midland, Michigan in 1963. Sports was always my first love and I was a great athlete in high school, lettering in two sports, but my dreams of playing college ball were cut short by a knee injury.
With my playing days over, I decided to see the world by joining the Navy in 1981, getting stationed aboard the Battleship New Jersey, where I eventually became the youngest sailor to ever qualify as a master helmsman in the ship’s history.
After being honorably discharged in 1984, I traveled the world for three more years before ending up in Las Vegas in 1987. It was there I entered the sports handicapping industry, building my reputation by validating my opinion to customers worldwide. The daily highs and lows of competing against the Vegas oddsmakers filled the void left by the end of my basketball career.
In 1989, I joined a nationally-known sports service based on the East Coast and immediately embarked on one of the most historic winning streaks ever witnessed in the handicapping world. After an incredible six-year run, I just had a feeling my life story would make a fascinating movie. But, with that decision came the realization that my dream would only be fulfilled by leaving the business.
Despite sitting atop the handicapping world, I abandoned the industry in 1996, moving to Los Angeles in order to turn my movie aspirations into a reality. I networked my way in as a caddy at the prestigious Riviera Country Club, knowing the job would eventually put me in touch with a director, writer, or producer that could take my dream to the silver screen. After caddying for the likes of President Clinton, Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise, along came Dan Gilroy, whom I pitched the movie idea of a lifetime after he made a fifty-foot putt. Six years later, with Matthew McConaughey playing Brandon Lang, "Two For The Money" was born.
A funny thing happened along the way though. I had a movie about my life in production, but something was missing. It was this business. The emotion, the adrenaline rush you get every football weekend with it all coming down to the Monday Night Game. No other feeling in the world can compare to that I get from knowing people are betting hundreds of thousands of dollars on my opinion, and then having me come through in the clutch when nobody else could.
With the movie deal wrapped up, I returned to the business, making my online debut in August of 2004.
This is the ONLY place you can get ALL my plays, right here
There is no 800 phone service; no 900 numbers.
Here at my website, it's just me and you. I'm forced to validate my opinion every day I release a big play. I win, and you're happy. I lose too often, and you're gone. But, at the end of the day, it's just me and you.
Understand something right now: I am not going to win every day, every week or every month. But, I can put you on the right side of more games that you've ever been on in your gambling life, and by doing that, you will make money.
By the way, if you're curious about whether my record is legitimate, let me assure you it is, and let me explain why: You see I offer long-term packages of 7, 30, 60 and 100 days. Anyone who buys a package gets EVERY play I release, day in, day out. Now, if I lied, even once, how many customers do you think I'd have remaining?
See, that's the beauty of the Internet. I don't need some phony monitoring service to document my wins and losses. Instead, you - my customers - do that for me. You validate my opinion and assure my credibility. And that's why we're a team.
Yes, the movie was intoxicating. I mean, who wouldn't want to have a major motion picture made about their life? The countless radio and TV interviews are incredible, too. But, no matter how much I tell you about what Hollywood is like, remember that my focus remains on doing what I do best, and that's making people money.
Listen, they only make movies about winners - and that's me!