Your Hoops and Horses Selections for Feb. 14-15

Welcome to ABR’s Hoops and horses column, where winners play!
Horse racing is Joe Kristufek’s means to an end, and he loves the sport like no other, but as a Chicago Bulls season-ticket holder for seven years and a feared participant in fantasy hoops, he also has his finger on the pulse of the NBA.
From growing up with the Flintstones of Michigan State, running March Madness pools out of his hidden manila envelope in high school, to attending conference tournaments, Sweet 16s and Final Fours ... college basketball runs in Derek Cooley’s blood.
Let’s sprint out on the fast break, spring the horses from the gate and pad our bankrolls!
Pro Hoops – by Joe Kristufek
Last Friday night:

Brooklyn beat New York by four points, but failed to cover the seven-point spread.
Orlando needed overtime to win by six, and fortunately for us, they covered the number in the process.
Utah kept it close on the road at Phoenix, but fell two points short of the spread.

Last Week: 1-2 (.333)
Year to Date: 1-2 (.333)
Sunday, Feb. 15
2015 NBA All-Star Game 
As it is most years, the West team is scary. Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are like bread and butter, and league MVP candidate James Harden knows how to play with these guys. Toss is a heavy dose of the “Splash Brothers” – Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson – and it’s not unrealistic to think the West could break the all-star game record for team points.
West – 177
East – 145 
MVP
Oftentimes, the All-Star MVP is a dynamic player who can score both inside and out. Added incentive and lots of minutes help.
West – Kevin Durant (13-2) – Given the early season injuries, he’d love to light up the Garden. He’s very capable of doing so.
West - Russell Westbrook (10-1) – This game was made for this player. Why not?
KEVIN DURANT AND JAMES HARDEN FIGURE TO HELP PROPEL THE WEST

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If for some reason you like the East ...
East – John Wall (15-1) – Much like Kyrie Irving last year, he can shine brightest.
East – Kyrie Irving (15-1) – Was simply awesome in last year’s game. He can do it again.
In other news, yes I’m a Chicago Bulls fan. You might consider my opinion to be somewhat skewed, but in all honesty, I’ll take the current 11-1 price on them to win the NBA title. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah are getting healthier by the day. Jimmy Butler has emerged as one of the game’s best two-way players. Pau Gasol is rejuvenated. Tony Snell, yes, Tony Snell, is legit. They have one of the NBA’s best coaches in Tom Thibodeau and the team is beginning to gel. 
College Hoops – by Derek Cooley
Saturday is always the best day for college hoops, with marquee matchups morning, noon and night. Weekly, I’ll provide a brief synopsis of what I see - as well as a final score “prediction” - which you can use as a guide to tackling the money line, spread and/or the over/under total.
Let’s take a look at how we faired against the spread and over/under the final score totals according to last Saturday's score predictions, in comparison to the outcomes … as well as the upset selection.
Let’s build on that momentum into this Valentine’s Day Saturday, which includes a couple of marquee matchups in the Big 12. 
Against the Spread: (2-1)
Over/Under: (2-1)
Upset Pick: (1-0)
Last Week: 5-2 (.714)
Year to Date: 5-2 (.714)
Saturday, Feb 14
IZZO

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#23 Ohio State @ Michigan State (noon ET, ESPN)
D’Angelo Russell has been making quite the statement against B1G opponents and has vaulted himself into possibly the top 5 in this summer’s NBA Draft. However, Ohio State will be going into a hostile environment up in East Lansing, Mich., which saw the Spartans lose a tough one to Illinois last Saturday. Michigan State needs that signature, quality win to put on it’s tournament resume to solidify another Tom Izzo team in the Big Dance. Let’s face it, it’s Valentine’s Day, and Denzel Valentine will lead the Spartans to the minor, yet much-needed, upset of the Buckeyes.
Ohio State - 61
Michigan State - 66
#21 West Virginia @ #14 Iowa State (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
West Virginia is coming off a home victory over Kansas State, whereas Iowa State is coming off a tough road loss, giving up 94 points in the process at Oklahoma. Iowa State is a completely different and totally dominant team at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, and coach Fred Hoiberg, being the mayoral guy he is, will not allow another defensive performance like we saw the Cyclones display in Norman, Okla. ... especially in front of the home fans.  Cyclones get out early and coast.
West Virginia - 70
Iowa State - 83
#16 Baylor @ #8 Kansas (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
Both of these squads are coming off of recent losses at the hands of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Let’s take a look at those for a second. Kansas blew a lead on the road in a hostile environment a week ago, whereas Baylor failed to protect their own home court while losing to the Cowboys. To me, this one is simple. Kansas doesn’t lose at home, especially in conference. They just don’t. It’s just a matter of how much the Jayhawks will win by.
Baylor - 65
Kansas - 77
Upset Watch:  #15 Wichita State @ Illinois State (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Ponies – by Joe Kristufek
Last Saturday, we broke exactly even at the windows, but had a lot of fun in the process. Shared Belief scored a visually impressive, statement win in the San Antonio Stakes, while Firing Line (Robert B. Lewis Stakes) and Lea (Donn Handicap) both finished second best.  
Last Week: 3-1-2-0 ($2 WPS * $18 wagered * $18 returned)
Season Total: 64-20-11-5 ($2 WPS * $384 wagered * $437.60 returned = $6.84 ROI)
Saturday, Feb. 14
Golden Gate Fields – Berkeley, Calif.
Race 7 - El Camino Real Derby (G3)
#4 Conquest Typhoon (morning-line odds, 7-2)
As the only graded stakes winner in the field, this guy surely has a class edge, and his fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf was very respectable. He ran second in both of his previous Polytrack starts and, off the bench, he fits like a glove in this spot.
Oaklawn Park – Hot Springs, Ark.
Race 9 - Essex Handicap
#4 Code West (morning line odds, 9-2)
Consistent yet not spectacular throughout his career, this 5-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid may be primed for his best season. Second in the swiftly run Fifth Season Stakes locally last time out, he owns a stalk-and-pounce style that should put him in excellent position in a race that appears to be on speed overload. Ride On Curlin, the little horse who could, also rates a serious chance.
CODE WEST (inside) COULD BE POISED FOR HIS BEST SEASON YET

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
Santa Anita Park – Arcadia, Calif.
Race 8 - Santa Maria Stakes (G2)
#7 Sweet Marini (morning line odds, 8-1)
Perhaps the scariest of Bob Baffert’s three-headed monster, this gray mare has done the vast majority of her work sprinting, but in a race loaded with more questions than answers, she should offer a square price. The winner of consecutive races at Los Alamitos, she was last seen finishing second behind the red-hot Sam’s Sister. She should be forwardly placed here. Hopefully, she can go on with it.