Your Hoops and Horses Selections for March 6-7

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 Week: 1-5 (.167)
Year to Date: 5-7 (.417)
There were some close calls, but overall our “after the All-Star break” angle proved to be unsuccessful this year. We’ll get back up in the saddle and revert to more traditional selections.
Friday, March 6
Chicago Bulls (+6) at Indiana Pacers
The Bulls are tremendously short-handed and playing the second game of a tough back-to-back. The Pacers are playing well of late and they’ll be highly motivated. All signs point toward an Indiana win, but there’s no denying the Bulls competiveness, and they should keep it close.
Detroit Pistons (+7) at Houston Rockets
The Rockets have James Harden and they’re at home, but the Pistons bigs – Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond – are a big advantage down low. Reggie Jackson is getting acclimated to his new teammates and is starting to make a difference. The Pistons play hard and perhaps the Rockets will take them lightly.
New Orleans Pelicans (-6.5) v. Boston Celtics
Anthony Davis is back ... in a big way. The Pelicans held down the fort while their star was away, and now they seemingly get a break against a weak opponent at home. The Pels should be motivated to put on a show.
Golden State Warriors (-10.5) v. Dallas Mavericks
Last night in Portland, the Mavs got crushed. The Rajon Rondo experiment is apparently failing, and now they have the pleasure of visiting the “Splash Brothers” at home. Golden State doesn’t mess around. They’ll come out of the gate fast and keep the pedal to the metal. 
GOLDEN STATE SHARPSHOOTER STEPH CURRY

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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 totals according to last Saturday's score predictions, in comparison with the outcomes … as well as the upset selection.
Against the Spread (last week/overall): (1-2) (6-3)
Over/Under: (2-1) (7-2)
Upset Pick: (0-1) (1-2)
Last Week: 3-4 (.429)
Year to Date: 14-7 (.667)
Saturday, March 7  
#9 Kansas @ #15 Oklahoma (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Coming off a miraculous overtime win against West Virginia and securing the Big 12 regular season title, the Kansas Jayhawks go into this tough matchup in Norman with little to worry about. Normally, under more normal circumstances, I would take the Sooners at home, given the road woes Kansas has endured this year. Not this game. Kansas will play carefree, and it will benefit them greatly.
Kansas - 77
Oklahoma -71 
#2 Virginia @ #16 Louisville (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No Justin Anderson in this one for the Cavaliers, as he underwent an appendectomy Thursday and is unable to play. Anderson was originally slated to possibly return to the lineup as he was recovering from a broken finger. The Cavs certainly could use Anderson in this one, as the back-to-back ACC champs look to tame a hostile environment at the Yum! Center in Louisville. On the other hand, you never know what team you are going to get from the Cardinals. After losing a relatively close game to Virginia in Charlottesville earlier in the year, I think Rick Pitino and Co. will seek and obtain revenge from that loss. Never let a coach of Pitino’s caliber learn from an earlier loss.
Virginia - 58
Louisville - 63
#3 Duke @ #19 North Carolina (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
To round out the triple header of games I’m picking featured on ESPN, we’ve got Duke at Carolina. … We can only hope to see a game that lives up to the overtime thriller we saw in Durham, N.C. in mid-February. The Tar Heels need this one. They will want this one to wrap on the regular season a little more than the Dukies. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding the program at Duke currently, and it’s really only the tip of the iceberg. The off-the-court situation won’t be the sole reason Duke loses this one, but it will aid the Tar Heels in their pursuit for victory. I like Carolina holding serve at home.
Duke - 82
North Carolina - 86
THE DEAN E. SMITH CENTER IN CHAPEL HILL WILL BE ROCKING ON SATURDAY

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Upset Watch:  Oklahoma State @ #20 West Virginia (2 p.m. ET ESPNN)
Ponies – by Joe Kristufek
Regardless of how good you are at anything in life, there are going to be down times. The key to getting back on track is to not panic or overthink. Just do what you do well! 
Last Week: 3-0-0-0 ($2 WPS * $18 wagered * $0 returned)
Season Total: 70-20-11-6 ($2 WPS * $420 wagered * $440.40 returned = $6.29 ROI)
Saturday, March 7
Aqueduct – Jamaica, N.Y
9th Race - Gotham Stakes (G3)
 #4 El Kabeir (morning-line odds, 8-5)
With seven starts already under his belt, this gray flash is a real throwback. Unlike any of today’s opponents, he has a pair of graded stakes wins on the résumé, and consistency is surely a strength. In a race that appears to be overloaded with speed, the ability to rate just off the expected fast pace would help him a long way toward another victory.
EL KABEIR 

Photo by NYRA
Tampa Bay Downs – Tampa, Fla.
11th Race - Tampa Bay Derby (G2)
#9 Danzig Moon (morning-line odds, 12-1)
A romping winner of his season debut last out at Gulfstream, this up and comer steps up into stakes competition for what will be his first ever try around two turns. The pedigree and fluidity of movement suggest the potential for success at this new venture, and in a highly competitive affair, the price should be right.   
Santa Anita Park – Arcadia, Calif.
7th Race - San Felipe Stakes (G2)
#6 Prospect Park (morning-line odds, 4-1) 
He took the blinkers off for his season debut and has since won both of his 3-year-old starts. Visually, this son of Tapit couldn’t have been any more impressive than he was last time out. He enters his stakes debut with the arrow pointing way up and I expect his progress to continue in a big way.