TheSpread.com

Scott Delaney

30* PISTONS - I know Rip Hamilton has food poisoning, and could miss tonight’s game. But that won’t stop the Pistons’ dominating ways against the Hawks. Detroit has won eight straight and will complete the season series-sweep of Atlanta tonight with an easy win and cover. Atlanta came out sluggish in its last game, scoring just 31 points in the first half of a 108-89 loss to Houston on Saturday, and I’ve been less than impressed with how this team has performed lately. The Hawks' 10 points in the second quarter against the Rockets were a season low and no starter reached double figures in scoring.

Detroit is 14-4 the last 18 times it’s played on one-day’s rest, and is 17-8 in its last 25 in intra-conference games. Couple those numbers with the Hawks ATS skids of 1-6 on Tuesday nights, 2-6 ATS as an underdog and the fact Detroit is on an 8-3 ATS run in Atlanta and I’ll lay the points with ease in this one.

10* MICHIGAN STATE - Everything points to the Boilermakers in this one, and it looks too easy to play them here. That means one thing – right? I’ll play Michigan State to take care of business on the road, as Tom Izzo’s bunch needs a big win, and this is the perfect opportunity in its sixth true road game. The Spartans have won six of their last seven outings to improve to 20-3, and they cruised past Northwestern on Saturday by a 70-55 final, and the Boilers are coming in off an upset win over Wisconsin. The stats and trends are on Purdue, the public is on Purdue and the “looks too easy choice” is Purdue. Again, give me the points with Michigan State.