SERVICE PLAYS FOR SAT. 2/9
- Thread starter GIANTS007
- Start date
VEGAS SPORTS PICS
Marquette Golden Eagles + 5 over (at) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame (17-4, 7-2) vs. No.16 Marquette (16-5, 6-4) posted a 92-66 home win over Notre Dame on 01/12, despite attempting 10 fewer free throws. Irish are on a 33 game home win streak, the Eagles being the last team to win there.
LaSalle Explorers + 3 over Duquesne Dukes
Duquesne (14-7, 4-4) dropped its last road game losing at St. Bonaventure 74-59 on 02/02. LaSalle (9-12, 4-4) won its last home game beating St. Bonaventure 84-61 on 01/30. The Explorers are 7-3 over the Dukes last ten meetings.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets + 8.5 over (at) Connecticut Huskies
No.18 Connecticut (17-5) vs. Georgia Tech (11-10) is 4-1 last five games off winning at (13-8) Wake Forest 88-83 on 02/06, snapping the Deacon's 16 game home win streak. Teams met last season for first time since '04, Jackets at home winning 65-52.
Cincinnati Bearcats - 2.5 over (at) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers (10-14, 2-9) enters off a 52-45 home loss to (9-12) St.John's, a team playing without its leading scorer. Cincinnati (10-12, 5-5) came up big in its last road game winning at (16-7) West Virginia 62-39. Then 1-9 Big East Cincinnati lost at Rutgers 73-69 last season.
Georgetown Hoyas + 2.5 over (at) Louisville Cardinals
Louisville (17-6, 7-3) vs. No.6 Georgetown (19-2, 9-1) leads the Big East in both field goal percentage and scoring defense. Teams met last season for the first time since 2000, Hoyas led by current leading scorer Hibbert's 20 points and 11 rebounds won at Louisville 73-65
Marquette Golden Eagles + 5 over (at) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame (17-4, 7-2) vs. No.16 Marquette (16-5, 6-4) posted a 92-66 home win over Notre Dame on 01/12, despite attempting 10 fewer free throws. Irish are on a 33 game home win streak, the Eagles being the last team to win there.
LaSalle Explorers + 3 over Duquesne Dukes
Duquesne (14-7, 4-4) dropped its last road game losing at St. Bonaventure 74-59 on 02/02. LaSalle (9-12, 4-4) won its last home game beating St. Bonaventure 84-61 on 01/30. The Explorers are 7-3 over the Dukes last ten meetings.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets + 8.5 over (at) Connecticut Huskies
No.18 Connecticut (17-5) vs. Georgia Tech (11-10) is 4-1 last five games off winning at (13-8) Wake Forest 88-83 on 02/06, snapping the Deacon's 16 game home win streak. Teams met last season for first time since '04, Jackets at home winning 65-52.
Cincinnati Bearcats - 2.5 over (at) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers (10-14, 2-9) enters off a 52-45 home loss to (9-12) St.John's, a team playing without its leading scorer. Cincinnati (10-12, 5-5) came up big in its last road game winning at (16-7) West Virginia 62-39. Then 1-9 Big East Cincinnati lost at Rutgers 73-69 last season.
Georgetown Hoyas + 2.5 over (at) Louisville Cardinals
Louisville (17-6, 7-3) vs. No.6 Georgetown (19-2, 9-1) leads the Big East in both field goal percentage and scoring defense. Teams met last season for the first time since 2000, Hoyas led by current leading scorer Hibbert's 20 points and 11 rebounds won at Louisville 73-65
CAPPERS ACCESS
Sat (CBB) Notre Dame
Sat (CBB) Georgia Tech
Sat (CBB) Nevada
MIGHTY QUINN
Mighty hit with Columbia last night. Today it's Marquette.
The surplus is 420 sirignanos
ARMVIN SPORTS
CBB
TULANE 1
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 12
VILLANOVA -5.5
NEVADA -10
ILLINOIS STATE -6
BUTLER -6
PACIFIC -14
NHL
PHILADELPHIA -140
COLORADO at VANCOUVER Over 5
Sat (CBB) Notre Dame
Sat (CBB) Georgia Tech
Sat (CBB) Nevada
MIGHTY QUINN
Mighty hit with Columbia last night. Today it's Marquette.
The surplus is 420 sirignanos
ARMVIN SPORTS
CBB
TULANE 1
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 12
VILLANOVA -5.5
NEVADA -10
ILLINOIS STATE -6
BUTLER -6
PACIFIC -14
NHL
PHILADELPHIA -140
COLORADO at VANCOUVER Over 5
L ness
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NBA insider - phil 7ers (7:35 ET)
cbb:
20* - notre dame (12:00 ET)
weekend wipeout winner - uab (8:00 ET)
20* conf goy - louisville (9:00 ET)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NBA insider - phil 7ers (7:35 ET)
cbb:
20* - notre dame (12:00 ET)
weekend wipeout winner - uab (8:00 ET)
20* conf goy - louisville (9:00 ET)
BIG AL
Our 3 selections for late afternoon action include South Carolina, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Our 3 evening selections are St Bonaventure, Louisville, and Evansville.
Our 3 selections in the early afternoon package are Boston College, Minnesota and Washington State.
At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors minus the points over Sacramento. Last night, we won with the Kings over Utah, and that was a big win for Reggie Theus' men, as they snapped the Jazz' 10-game win streak.
Our 3 selections for late afternoon action include South Carolina, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Our 3 evening selections are St Bonaventure, Louisville, and Evansville.
Our 3 selections in the early afternoon package are Boston College, Minnesota and Washington State.
At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors minus the points over Sacramento. Last night, we won with the Kings over Utah, and that was a big win for Reggie Theus' men, as they snapped the Jazz' 10-game win streak.
Winning Sports Plays
ALL ARE TOP-RATED
FLORIDA -12 PLAY OF THE DAY
NOTRE DAME -4 -120
SOUTH CAROLINA -3
OLE MISS +8 -120
BOSTON COLLEGE +20 -120
ILLINOIS STATE -5 -120
ALL ARE TOP-RATED
FLORIDA -12 PLAY OF THE DAY
NOTRE DAME -4 -120
SOUTH CAROLINA -3
OLE MISS +8 -120
BOSTON COLLEGE +20 -120
ILLINOIS STATE -5 -120
Sports Info
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(16) Marquette (16-5, 7-9 ATS) at (22) Notre Dame (17-4, 9-9 ATS)
Marquette, which had its three-game winning streak snapped in embarrassing fashion on Monday, looks to get rolling again when it travels to Big East rival Notre Dame, which hopes to avenge a blowout loss to the Golden Eagles earlier this season.
For the second time this season, Marquette got pounded by Louisville, this time falling 71-57 Monday as a three-point home chalk as it shot just 32 percent from the field (16 of 50). The Golden Eagles (6-4, 3-7 ATS Big East) have failed to cover the number five times in their last six outings (3-3 SU), including twice to the Cardinals, who again held Marquette under 60 points.
Notre Dame drummed Seton Hall 95-69 on Wednesday as a one-point road favorite for its fourth straight victory (2-2 ATS). The Fighting Irish (7-2, 5-4 ATS Big East) shot a sizzling 54.7 percent (35 of 64), including 47.4 percent from 3-point range (9 of 19), and they killed the Pirates on the boards (44-29).
Marquette routed Notre Dame 92-66 last month laying 6? points at home, moving to 3-1 the last four in this series (2-2 ATS). In last year?s lone meeting, the Irish posted an 85-73 home win as a 5?-point favorite.
The Golden Eagles are 3-9 ATS on their last 12 road trips and 1-4 ATS in their last five coming off a SU loss.
The Fighting Irish are a perfect 14-0 at home, including 5-0 in Big East play (3-2 ATS). However, like Marquette, Notre Dame carries mostly negative ATS trends into this contest, including 0-2 at home, 1-4 following a SU win, 1-4 following a spread-cover and 5-13 after a SU win of more than 20 points.
The over is on a 7-0 run for Notre Dame, including last month?s meeting with Marquette (total 142?). Also for the Irish, the over is on streaks of 6-2 at home, 5-1 off a spread-cover, 5-0 against teams with a losing road record and 36-17-1 on Saturday. For Marquette, the over is on runs of 6-1 on Saturday, 11-4 on the highway and 18-8 in Big East play.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NOTRE DAME and OVER
Boston College (12-9, 6-10 ATS) at (2) Duke (20-1, 13-6-1 ATS)
Boston College brings its five-game losing streak into one of the most unlikely places to end such a slide, traveling to Durham to meet the red-hot Blue Devils in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup.
Boston College fell to Maryland 70-65 Wednesday as a one-point home underdog, dropping to 0-5 ATS during its losing skid, including 0-4 ATS as an underdog. The Eagles, who started out 3-0 SU and ATS in the ACC, have broken 70 points only once in their last five starts, and that was an 81-73 overtime loss to Virginia Tech at home.
Duke traveled to Chapel Hill and knocked off archrival and third-ranked North Carolina 89-78 Wednesday for its 10th consecutive win. The Blue Devils covered as a 4 ?-point road underdog, improving to 7-2-1 ATS during their winning streak, including 7-0-1 ATS in ACC play. Duke, which sits alone atop the ACC standings at 8-0, blistered Carolina from three-point range, hitting 13 of 29 (44.8 percent), while holding the Tar Heels to just 3 of 17 from long distance (17.6 percent). The Blue Devils rank 11th nationally in three-point defense.
Duke is on a 6-0 run in this series (2-3-1 ATS), winning and covering both meetings last year, including a 75-61 home rout giving 10 points. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five contests.
The Eagles are 0-3 ATS on their last three road trips and have a wave of other negative ATS trends, including 1-6 on Saturday and 0-4 against teams with a winning percentage above .600.
The Blue Devils are 8-1-1 ATS at home this season (3-0-1 ATS in their last four) and have additional positive ATS trends of 5-0-1 after a spread-cover and 7-3-1 in Saturday games.
Duke has hurdled the posted price in six straight games, including clearing the 164-point mark against North Carolina. The over is also on runs for Duke of 6-0 against teams with a winning record, 6-1 on Saturday and 30-11 in ACC contests. Meanwhile, Boston College has followed up a 5-0 ?over? tear by staying low in its last three. However, the over is 4-1 in the Eagles? last five on Saturdays.
Finally, each of the last six meetings in this series ? dating to 2001 ? has gone over the total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DUKE and OVER
(18) Texas (19-4, 9-8 ATS) A&M at Missouri (13-10, 7-10 ATS)
The Aggies, who have won and covered four in a row, travel to Columbia for a Big 12 meeting with Missouri, which has alternated wins and losses over its past five starts.
Texas A&M dropped Iowa State 69-51 as a six-point road chalk Tuesday and has followed up an 0-4 ATS slide with a 4-0 ATS surge. The Aggies? seventh-ranked shooting defense was again the key, holding Iowa State to 35.6 percent from the field ? two points below A&M?s season average of 37.7. During their four-game run, the Aggies (5-3, 4-4 ATS Big 12) have given up no more than 63 points, holding three opponents to 56 or less.
Missouri, coming off a home upset of Kansas State, tumbled at Kansas 90-71 on Monday, falling just shy as an 18?-point underdog to drop to 1-4 ATS in its last five (2-3 SU). The Tigers (3-5 SU and ATS Big 12) nearly matched the Jayhawks from the field, shooting 46.7 percent to Kansas? 47.0, but Missouri went 0-for-10 from 3-point range and got pounded on the boards (46-23).
Texas A&M is on a 6-0 ATS run in this series (4-2 SU), winning last year?s lone meeting 94-78 as a 13?-point home favorite. The favorite is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 encounters.
The Aggies are on positive ATS runs of 9-3 on Saturday, 19-8 on roadies, 4-0 against teams with a winning record, 18-7 against teams with a winning home record and 6-2 as a favorite of less than seven points.
The Tigers are 11-1 SU at home, going 6-1 ATS in the last seven. However, they?re on negative ATS runs of 6-16 on Saturday and 0-5 against teams with a winning record.
For Texas A&M, the under is 11-5 this season, including 3-1 in its last four starts and 4-1 in true road games. For Missouri, the under is 17-8 in its last 25 Saturday starts, but the over has cashed in 15 of its last 22 overall (2-0 last two) and is 9-4 in its last 13 conference contests.
ATS ADVANTAGE: TEXAS A&M
Georgia (11-9, 7-9 ATS) at Florida (18-5, 9-5 ATS)
Georgia, looking to halt a four-game SU and ATS slide, makes the trip to Gainesville to face the two-time defending national champion Gators in a Southeastern Conference matchup of archrivals.
Georgia is coming off Tuesday?s 67-59 loss to Vanderbilt as a 2?-point home favorite, falling to 2-5 SU and ATS in the SEC. The Bulldogs are averaging 68.4 ppg for the season but have been held to 59 or less the last three games and are averaging just 62 per game in SEC play.
Florida suffered a rare blowout loss Tuesday, getting crushed 104-82 at Tennessee as a 9?-point chalk for its second consecutive SU and ATS defeat. The Gators (5-3, 6-2 ATS in the SEC) gave up a season-high in points as they got outscored 60-34 in the second half. Florida ranks seventh in the nation in shooting at 49.5 percent and was even better than that against the Vols (53.8 percent). However, the Gators gave up 13 three-pointers while making just five.
Florida is on an 8-0 run in this series (5-3 ATS), going 3-0 SU and ATS last season, including a 67-51 win at home as a 14?-point favorite and a 74-57 rout giving 9? points in the SEC tournament. The Gators have won the last seven matchups by at least 10 points. The road team, however, is 11-5 ATS in the last 16 meetings.
The Bulldogs are 0-3 ATS on the highway in SEC play and have lost their last four road contests overall (1-3 ATS). They are on further negative ATS runs of 2-6 on the road and 5-15 versus teams with a winning percentage above .600.
The Gators are 5-1 ATS in lined home games this year, including 4-0 ATS in the last four and 3-0 ATS in SEC play. Also, prior to getting blown out in its last two games, Billy Donovan?s squad had been on a 7-0 ATS run overall and a 10-0 ATS roll in league action. On the negative side, Florida is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 following a non-cover.
The under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in this series and is 6-0 in the last six clashes in Gainesville. For Georgia, the under is on streaks of 3-0 overall, 37-18-1 on the road (4-2 on the road this year) and 6-2 in SEC play. For Florida, the under is 3-1 in its last four overall and 4-0 against teams with a winning record.
ATS ADVANTAGE: FLORIDA and UNDER
(7) Tennessee (20-2, 11-7 ATS) at LSU (8-13, 4-12 ATS)
Some 24 hours after finding out coach John Brady had been fired, LSU faces the daunting task of taking on SEC East leader Tennessee at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.
With this team in a 1-9 nosedive (1-6 in SEC play), Brady was given the boot on Friday, although there were reports that he may be allowed to coach this one final game today. Regardless of who is on the sidelines, he?ll be guiding a team that?s coming off last Saturday?s 81-72 loss at Alabama. The Tigers barely cashed as a 9?-point road underdog in that contest, their second straight spread-cover after going 2-12 ATS to open the season.
Trailing 48-44 to Florida at halftime on Tuesday, Tennessee flipped the switch in the second half and rolled to a 104-82 victory as a 9?-point home chalk, the team?s fourth straight win and cover. The Vols have the best record in the SEC, regardless of division, at 8-1 (6-2 ATS), including 3-1 SU and ATS on the road.
These teams met twice last year ? once in the regular season, once in the SEC tournament. The Vols took the first meeting 70-67, but LSU prevailed 76-67 in overtime in the tournament. The Tigers cashed in both contests and are 3-0 ATS in the last three. Also, the underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last eight series clashes.
LSU is just 6-4 at the Maravich Center this season, failing to cover in any of its five lined home games. Meanwhile, Tennessee is 8-2 as a visitor, and after going 0-4 ATS in its first four on the highway, Bruce Pearl?s squad is 5-1 ATS in its last six.
The Vols have cashed in five of their last six Saturday contests, but LSU is 5-22-1 ATS in its last 28 on Saturday. What?s more, the Tigers are mired in ATS funks of 12-25-1 in the SEC, 8-22-1 at home and 4-15-1 following a spread cover.
The under is 4-1 in Tennessee?s last five on the highway and 4-1 in its last five on Saturday. The under is also 21-8 in LSU?s last 29 at home (4-1 this year) and 21-6 in its last 27 on Saturday. However, the Tigers have topped the total in four of their last five overall.
ATS ADVANTAGE: TENNESSEE
USC (15-7, 13-7 ATS) at (17) Washington State (17-5, 10-11 ATS)
The Trojans aim for a sweep of their Pacific Northwest road trip when they pull into Pullman for a Pac-10 battle against freefalling Washington State.
Southern Cal rolled past Washington 73-59 Thursday as a one-point road favorite, moving to 6-1 SU and ATS in its last seven contests. The Trojans, who dropped their first three Pac-10 games, are now 6-4 in league play (7-3 ATS). Against the Huskies, they hit a solid 51.9 percent from the floor (27 of 52) and held Washington to just 36.1 percent, including a stifling 2 of 21 from 3-point range. Over their last five games, the Trojans have outshot opponents by nearly 13 percentage points (51.4-38.7).
Washington State dropped its third in a row on Thursday, losing to UCLA 67-59 as a 2?-point home underdog, its sixth straight ATS setback (2-4 SU). The Cougars (5-5, 3-7 ATS Pac-10) have averaged 67.5 ppg this season, but that?s dropped to 61.6 over the past five games, during which they?ve allowed opponents to shoot 49 percent from the field. Wazu still ranks third nationally in points allowed (55.8), but they?ve given up 67 or more to four of their last five opponents.
Washington State has won four of the last five in this series (3-2 ATS), including a 73-58 road whipping of USC last month as a one-point pup. Last year, the Cougars won two of three meetings, including an 88-86 overtime home win giving six points. Finally, the Trojans are 6-2 ATS on their last eight trips to Pullman, and the road team is on a 4-0 ATS run in this rivalry.
USC has won nine of 12 on the highway this year (road and neutral sites), and they come into this one riding a four-game SU and a five-game ATS winning streak as a visitor, all in Pac-10 play. The Trojans are on additional positive ATS runs of 26-9 on Saturday, 19-7 on road trips, 6-2 against teams with a winning record and 35-17 on the highway against teams with a winning home mark.
Since starting the season 8-0 in Pullman, the Cougars have dropped three in a row on their own floor, and they?re 0-4 ATS in their last four, all against Pac-10 opponents. Furthermore, Washington State is bogged down in negative ATS ruts of 2-5 coming off a SU loss, 2-6 on Saturday and 3-10 versus teams with a winning record.
For USC, the over is on upticks of 16-5 in Pac-10 play, 9-4 on Saturday and 4-1 against teams with a winning record. For Washington State, the over is on a 4-1 run overall and is also 6-2 in its last eight against teams with a winning road record. The total has also cleared the posted price each of the last three meetings in this series.
ATS ADVANTAGE: SOUTHERN CAL and OVER
Georgia Tech (11-10, 10-9 ATS) at UConn (17-5, 8-9-1 ATS)
The Yellow Jackets, who have won four of five to get above .500 on the year, take a break from ACC play but hardly get a breather when they visit surging Connecticut.
Georgia Tech rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit on Wednesday to top Wake Forest 89-83 as a 2?-point road pup, improving to 5-1 ATS in its last six starts (4-2 SU). For the season, Tech is pouring in 78.6 ppg, but the Jackets have averaged 84.5 points over the past six.
Connecticut squeaked past Syracuse 63-61 Wednesday for its sixth straight victory, covering as a 2 ?-point ?dog (4-1-1 ATS during the winning streak). The Huskies, with the nation?s eighth-ranked shooting defense at 37.7 percent, stayed true to that number in allowing the Orange to shoot just 37.3 percent. UConn, which surrenders only 68.4 ppg, has held its last four opponents to 67 points or less.
These two teams also met exactly a year ago, with Tech rolling to a 65-52 home victory laying six points. The Yellow Jackets earned a small measure of revenge in that one after losing 82-73 to UConn as a five-point underdog in the 2004 NCAA Championship Game.
The Yellow Jackets have won and covered on their last three road trips, all as underdogs, and they?re 7-3 ATS as a pup this year. But they are 1-4 ATS in their last five Saturday starts.
The Huskies are 11-1 at home this year, including 3-0 in the last three (2-0-1 ATS), and they?re 4-1-1 ATS in their last six following a SU win. However, UConn is on ATS slides of 3-7 on Saturday, 2-6 against ACC teams, 2-10 in non-conference play and 2-10-1 following a spread-cover.
For Connecticut, the under is on surges of 4-0 overall, 6-2 at home this year and 6-2 on Saturdays. However, the over is 12-4 in the last 16 against teams with a winning road record (Yellow Jackets are 5-4 on the highway). Conversely, Georgia Tech has topped the total in eight straight games overall, five straight on the road, four straight on Saturday and 13 of 16 versus teams with a winning percentage above .600.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CONNECTICUT
Oregon (13-9, 9-9-2 ATS) at Cal (14-7, 10-8 ATS)
Cal guns for its fourth consecutive victory and looks to avenge last month?s loss at Oregon when it hosts the struggling Ducks in a Pac-10 clash.
The Golden Bears struggled to put away last-place Oregon State on Thursday, prevailing 81-76 but coming up way short as a 15 ?-point home chalk. The victory not only was the third in a row for Cal (5-5, 4-6 ATS in league play), but it snapped the team?s four-game home losing skid.
Oregon suffered its worst loss of the season on Thursday at Stanford, getting crushed 72-43 as a 9?-point road underdog. The Ducks have lost five of their last six (all in the Pac-10), going 1-4-1 ATS and falling to 4-6 in conference play (4-5-1 ATS).
The SU winner is 8-1-1 ATS in Oregon?s Pac-10 games, 9-1 ATS in Cal?s conference contests and 7-2-1 in the last 10 series meetings.
The Ducks topped Cal 79-70 as a 5 ?-point home chalk on Jan. 10, improving to 3-1 (2-2 ATS) in the last four head-to-head battles. Oregon has cashed in the last two battles after Cal went 6-0-1 ATS in the previous seven. Finally, nine of the last 10 in this series have been decided by single digits.
The Bears are 0-5 ATS in their last five at home, all against Pac-10 rivals.
Oregon is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 on Saturday, but 2-4 ATS this season as an underdog.
Cal has topped the total in six consecutive games, and the over is 8-3 in its 11 home games (4-0 in the last four). Also, the over is 6-2 in the last eight series meetings at Cal. On the flip side, the under is 6-2 in Oregon?s last eight, including 3-0 on the road.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
Baylor (17-4, 7-6 ATS) at (4) Kansas (22-1, 14-7 ATS)
Kansas looks to continue its dominance of Baylor when these rivals clash in a key Big 12 matchup at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks have bounced back nicely from their first loss of the season with a pair of double-digit victories. Last Saturday, they topped Colorado 72-59, but failed to cover as a 17?-point favorite, then they routed Missouri 90-71 on Monday, barely covering as an 18?-point chalk. Kansas is 7-1 in the Big 12 (5-3 ATS), including 4-0 SU and ATS at home (all as a double-digit favorite).
Baylor got past Texas Tech 80-74 to halt a two-game slide. However, the Bears failed to cover as a 7?-point home favorite, their third consecutive non-cover. They?re now 5-2 in league play, but only 3-4 ATS (2-1 ATS as an underdog).
The Jayhawks own a six-game winning streak against Baylor, including an 82-56 rout on the road in last year?s lone meeting. Kansas covered easily as a 9?-point favorite in that contest and is 3-0 ATS in its last three trips to Baylor. In fact, the road team has cashed in six straight in this series.
Baylor is 7-2 in road/neutral-site games this season, going 6-1 ATS in lined games. The Bears are also 4-2 ATS as an underdog.
Kansas is on ATS streaks of 8-3 following a SU victory and 6-2 on Saturdays.
This figures to be a high-scoring affair, as Baylor averages 80.7 ppg on 45.6 percent shooting, while Kansas ranks ninth in the nation with 82.8 ppg and second nationally in field-goal offense at 51.2 percent.
Baylor has jumped over the total in all seven Big 12 games, and going back to last year, the over is 11-1 in its last 12 league contests. Meanwhile, the over is 8-2 in Kansas? last 10, including 5-0 at home and 6-2 in Conference action.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
(10) Butler (20-2, 11-8-2 ATS) at Wisconsin-Green Bay (13-9, 10-8-1 ATS)
Butler faces its second straight difficult Horizon League road game when it travels to Wisconsin-Green Bay, which is 9-1 on its home floor.
The Bulldogs rallied to top Valparaiso 71-68 on Tuesday, pushing as a three-point road chalk. Butler has a two-game lead in the Horizon League with a 9-2 record, including an ongoing four-game winning streak. However, the Bulldogs are 3-6-2 ATS in league action after going 8-2 ATS in non-conference play.
The Phoenix come into this contest on a 4-1 run (3-1-1 ATS), including Thursday?s 76-71 overtime victory over Valparaiso as a 1?-point home favorite. Wisconsin-Green Bay is 9-1 at home (4-4 ATS), the only loss coming to instate rival Wisconsin-Milwaukee (65-61 as a 5?-point chalk).
Butler has won seven straight in this rivalry, going 5-2 ATS. One of those non-covers came on Jan. 10 in Indiana, as the Bulldogs prevailed 74-65 but came up way short as a 15-point home chalk. However, they?re 3-0 SU and ATS in their last three trips to Wisconsin-Green Bay, and the visitor has cashed in six of the last eight series meetings.
The Bulldogs have been road warriors all season, going 11-2 on the highway, but just 5-5-2 ATS. That includes a 3-2 record in Horizon League road games (0-3-2 ATS). Additionally, going back to last year, Butler is 2-9-2 ATS in its last 13 contests against Horizon League rivals.
Wisconsin-Green Bay is 1-7-1 ATS in its last eight games following a spread-cover and 0-4-1 ATS in its last five on Saturdays.
The under is 3-0 in the last three meetings in Green Bay. The under is also 11-3 in Butler?s last 14 on the road and 22-8 in Wisconsin-Green Bay?s last 31 at home, including 5-1 in the last six.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
(6) Georgetown (19-2, 8-10 ATS) at Louisville (17-6, 10-10-1 ATS)
Georgetown looks to maintain its grip on first place in the 16-team Big East when it visits Louisville in an important league battle.
The Hoyas carry a six-game winning streak into this contest, including consecutive double-digit home wins over Seton Hall last Saturday (73-61) and South Florida on Tuesday (63-53). However, Georgetown, which leads the Big East with a 9-1 record, failed to cash in both contests, and is just 4-6 ATS in conference.
Louisville hammered Marquette 71-57 as a three-point road underdog on Monday, its second straight win and cover. The Cardinals are 7-2 in conference (6-2-1 ATS), with the last six victories coming by double digits.
The Hoyas went to Freedom Hall last year and won 73-65 as a one-point road favorite in the first meeting between the schools since 2000.
Going back to the non-conference season, Georgetown is just 5-7 ATS overall, including 3-3 ATS on the road. In Big East play, the Hoyas are 4-1 SU on the highway (3-2 ATS). Dating to last year, they?re on ATS streaks of 17-8-2 in conference, 20-8 following a non-cover and 14-6-1 on the road. However, Georgetown has failed to cash in eight of its last 10 Saturday games.
Louisville is 23-8-2 ATS in its last 33 Big East contests, including 3-1 ATS in league home games this season.
The under is 8-2 in Georgetown?s last 10 overall, including 5-0 in the last five and 5-0 in Big East road games. For the season, the under is 13-5 in Hoyas games, including 8-1 on the highway. The under is also on runs of 47-20 for Georgetown overall, 37-14 for Georgetown in the Big East, 11-3 for Georgetown on Saturdays, 10-4 for Louisville overall and 8-3 for Louisville at home.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
(24) Purdue (18-5, 11-9 ATS) at (8) Wisconsin (19-3, 9-10 ATS)
First place in the Big Ten is on the line at the Kohl Center in Madison, where the eighth-ranked Badgers host red-hot Purdue.
Wisconsin edged Iowa 60-54 on Wednesday, coming up just short as a 6 ?-point road chalk. The Badgers have won three in a row and they?re 9-1 in the Big Ten, but just 4-6 ATS, all as a favorite.
Purdue ran its winning streak to eight in a row with Tuesday?s 67-53 rout of Penn State, cashing as an 11-point home chalk. The Boilermakers (9-1, 8-2 ATS in league play) are tied atop the Big Ten standings with Wisconsin, a half-game ahead of Indiana and two games clear of Michigan State.
One of Purdue?s victims during its current winning streak was Wisconsin, which went to West Lafayette on Jan. 26 as a 1 ?-point favorite and fell 60-56. The Boilermakers are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings (all as an underdog). However, the home team is 8-1 in the last nine series clashes (7-2 ATS).
Since failing to cover as an 11-point favorite in a 65-58 home win over Michigan in their Big Ten opener, the Boilermakers are on an 8-1 ATS roll, including 4-0 ATS on the road and 4-0 ATS as an underdog. They?re also on positive pointspread streaks of 6-1 as an underdog this year, 4-0 on Saturdays and 6-1 following a spread-cover.
Wisconsin beat Indiana 62-49 in its most recent home game, cashing as a four-point chalk to end an 0-7 ATS slump at the Kohl Center. The Badgers are also 1-6 ATS in their last seven on Saturday.
The under is 7-3 in Wisconsin?s 10 conference contests, including 5-1 in the last six. The under is also 8-3 at the Kohl Center this year (4-1 in league home games). Also, the under is 4-1 in Purdue?s last five overall, 36-17 in Purdue?s last 53 Big Ten games, 35-17 in Wisconsin?s last 52 league contests and 4-0 in the last four series meetings.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PURDUE and UNDER
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(16) Marquette (16-5, 7-9 ATS) at (22) Notre Dame (17-4, 9-9 ATS)
Marquette, which had its three-game winning streak snapped in embarrassing fashion on Monday, looks to get rolling again when it travels to Big East rival Notre Dame, which hopes to avenge a blowout loss to the Golden Eagles earlier this season.
For the second time this season, Marquette got pounded by Louisville, this time falling 71-57 Monday as a three-point home chalk as it shot just 32 percent from the field (16 of 50). The Golden Eagles (6-4, 3-7 ATS Big East) have failed to cover the number five times in their last six outings (3-3 SU), including twice to the Cardinals, who again held Marquette under 60 points.
Notre Dame drummed Seton Hall 95-69 on Wednesday as a one-point road favorite for its fourth straight victory (2-2 ATS). The Fighting Irish (7-2, 5-4 ATS Big East) shot a sizzling 54.7 percent (35 of 64), including 47.4 percent from 3-point range (9 of 19), and they killed the Pirates on the boards (44-29).
Marquette routed Notre Dame 92-66 last month laying 6? points at home, moving to 3-1 the last four in this series (2-2 ATS). In last year?s lone meeting, the Irish posted an 85-73 home win as a 5?-point favorite.
The Golden Eagles are 3-9 ATS on their last 12 road trips and 1-4 ATS in their last five coming off a SU loss.
The Fighting Irish are a perfect 14-0 at home, including 5-0 in Big East play (3-2 ATS). However, like Marquette, Notre Dame carries mostly negative ATS trends into this contest, including 0-2 at home, 1-4 following a SU win, 1-4 following a spread-cover and 5-13 after a SU win of more than 20 points.
The over is on a 7-0 run for Notre Dame, including last month?s meeting with Marquette (total 142?). Also for the Irish, the over is on streaks of 6-2 at home, 5-1 off a spread-cover, 5-0 against teams with a losing road record and 36-17-1 on Saturday. For Marquette, the over is on runs of 6-1 on Saturday, 11-4 on the highway and 18-8 in Big East play.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NOTRE DAME and OVER
Boston College (12-9, 6-10 ATS) at (2) Duke (20-1, 13-6-1 ATS)
Boston College brings its five-game losing streak into one of the most unlikely places to end such a slide, traveling to Durham to meet the red-hot Blue Devils in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup.
Boston College fell to Maryland 70-65 Wednesday as a one-point home underdog, dropping to 0-5 ATS during its losing skid, including 0-4 ATS as an underdog. The Eagles, who started out 3-0 SU and ATS in the ACC, have broken 70 points only once in their last five starts, and that was an 81-73 overtime loss to Virginia Tech at home.
Duke traveled to Chapel Hill and knocked off archrival and third-ranked North Carolina 89-78 Wednesday for its 10th consecutive win. The Blue Devils covered as a 4 ?-point road underdog, improving to 7-2-1 ATS during their winning streak, including 7-0-1 ATS in ACC play. Duke, which sits alone atop the ACC standings at 8-0, blistered Carolina from three-point range, hitting 13 of 29 (44.8 percent), while holding the Tar Heels to just 3 of 17 from long distance (17.6 percent). The Blue Devils rank 11th nationally in three-point defense.
Duke is on a 6-0 run in this series (2-3-1 ATS), winning and covering both meetings last year, including a 75-61 home rout giving 10 points. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five contests.
The Eagles are 0-3 ATS on their last three road trips and have a wave of other negative ATS trends, including 1-6 on Saturday and 0-4 against teams with a winning percentage above .600.
The Blue Devils are 8-1-1 ATS at home this season (3-0-1 ATS in their last four) and have additional positive ATS trends of 5-0-1 after a spread-cover and 7-3-1 in Saturday games.
Duke has hurdled the posted price in six straight games, including clearing the 164-point mark against North Carolina. The over is also on runs for Duke of 6-0 against teams with a winning record, 6-1 on Saturday and 30-11 in ACC contests. Meanwhile, Boston College has followed up a 5-0 ?over? tear by staying low in its last three. However, the over is 4-1 in the Eagles? last five on Saturdays.
Finally, each of the last six meetings in this series ? dating to 2001 ? has gone over the total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DUKE and OVER
(18) Texas (19-4, 9-8 ATS) A&M at Missouri (13-10, 7-10 ATS)
The Aggies, who have won and covered four in a row, travel to Columbia for a Big 12 meeting with Missouri, which has alternated wins and losses over its past five starts.
Texas A&M dropped Iowa State 69-51 as a six-point road chalk Tuesday and has followed up an 0-4 ATS slide with a 4-0 ATS surge. The Aggies? seventh-ranked shooting defense was again the key, holding Iowa State to 35.6 percent from the field ? two points below A&M?s season average of 37.7. During their four-game run, the Aggies (5-3, 4-4 ATS Big 12) have given up no more than 63 points, holding three opponents to 56 or less.
Missouri, coming off a home upset of Kansas State, tumbled at Kansas 90-71 on Monday, falling just shy as an 18?-point underdog to drop to 1-4 ATS in its last five (2-3 SU). The Tigers (3-5 SU and ATS Big 12) nearly matched the Jayhawks from the field, shooting 46.7 percent to Kansas? 47.0, but Missouri went 0-for-10 from 3-point range and got pounded on the boards (46-23).
Texas A&M is on a 6-0 ATS run in this series (4-2 SU), winning last year?s lone meeting 94-78 as a 13?-point home favorite. The favorite is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 encounters.
The Aggies are on positive ATS runs of 9-3 on Saturday, 19-8 on roadies, 4-0 against teams with a winning record, 18-7 against teams with a winning home record and 6-2 as a favorite of less than seven points.
The Tigers are 11-1 SU at home, going 6-1 ATS in the last seven. However, they?re on negative ATS runs of 6-16 on Saturday and 0-5 against teams with a winning record.
For Texas A&M, the under is 11-5 this season, including 3-1 in its last four starts and 4-1 in true road games. For Missouri, the under is 17-8 in its last 25 Saturday starts, but the over has cashed in 15 of its last 22 overall (2-0 last two) and is 9-4 in its last 13 conference contests.
ATS ADVANTAGE: TEXAS A&M
Georgia (11-9, 7-9 ATS) at Florida (18-5, 9-5 ATS)
Georgia, looking to halt a four-game SU and ATS slide, makes the trip to Gainesville to face the two-time defending national champion Gators in a Southeastern Conference matchup of archrivals.
Georgia is coming off Tuesday?s 67-59 loss to Vanderbilt as a 2?-point home favorite, falling to 2-5 SU and ATS in the SEC. The Bulldogs are averaging 68.4 ppg for the season but have been held to 59 or less the last three games and are averaging just 62 per game in SEC play.
Florida suffered a rare blowout loss Tuesday, getting crushed 104-82 at Tennessee as a 9?-point chalk for its second consecutive SU and ATS defeat. The Gators (5-3, 6-2 ATS in the SEC) gave up a season-high in points as they got outscored 60-34 in the second half. Florida ranks seventh in the nation in shooting at 49.5 percent and was even better than that against the Vols (53.8 percent). However, the Gators gave up 13 three-pointers while making just five.
Florida is on an 8-0 run in this series (5-3 ATS), going 3-0 SU and ATS last season, including a 67-51 win at home as a 14?-point favorite and a 74-57 rout giving 9? points in the SEC tournament. The Gators have won the last seven matchups by at least 10 points. The road team, however, is 11-5 ATS in the last 16 meetings.
The Bulldogs are 0-3 ATS on the highway in SEC play and have lost their last four road contests overall (1-3 ATS). They are on further negative ATS runs of 2-6 on the road and 5-15 versus teams with a winning percentage above .600.
The Gators are 5-1 ATS in lined home games this year, including 4-0 ATS in the last four and 3-0 ATS in SEC play. Also, prior to getting blown out in its last two games, Billy Donovan?s squad had been on a 7-0 ATS run overall and a 10-0 ATS roll in league action. On the negative side, Florida is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 following a non-cover.
The under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in this series and is 6-0 in the last six clashes in Gainesville. For Georgia, the under is on streaks of 3-0 overall, 37-18-1 on the road (4-2 on the road this year) and 6-2 in SEC play. For Florida, the under is 3-1 in its last four overall and 4-0 against teams with a winning record.
ATS ADVANTAGE: FLORIDA and UNDER
(7) Tennessee (20-2, 11-7 ATS) at LSU (8-13, 4-12 ATS)
Some 24 hours after finding out coach John Brady had been fired, LSU faces the daunting task of taking on SEC East leader Tennessee at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.
With this team in a 1-9 nosedive (1-6 in SEC play), Brady was given the boot on Friday, although there were reports that he may be allowed to coach this one final game today. Regardless of who is on the sidelines, he?ll be guiding a team that?s coming off last Saturday?s 81-72 loss at Alabama. The Tigers barely cashed as a 9?-point road underdog in that contest, their second straight spread-cover after going 2-12 ATS to open the season.
Trailing 48-44 to Florida at halftime on Tuesday, Tennessee flipped the switch in the second half and rolled to a 104-82 victory as a 9?-point home chalk, the team?s fourth straight win and cover. The Vols have the best record in the SEC, regardless of division, at 8-1 (6-2 ATS), including 3-1 SU and ATS on the road.
These teams met twice last year ? once in the regular season, once in the SEC tournament. The Vols took the first meeting 70-67, but LSU prevailed 76-67 in overtime in the tournament. The Tigers cashed in both contests and are 3-0 ATS in the last three. Also, the underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last eight series clashes.
LSU is just 6-4 at the Maravich Center this season, failing to cover in any of its five lined home games. Meanwhile, Tennessee is 8-2 as a visitor, and after going 0-4 ATS in its first four on the highway, Bruce Pearl?s squad is 5-1 ATS in its last six.
The Vols have cashed in five of their last six Saturday contests, but LSU is 5-22-1 ATS in its last 28 on Saturday. What?s more, the Tigers are mired in ATS funks of 12-25-1 in the SEC, 8-22-1 at home and 4-15-1 following a spread cover.
The under is 4-1 in Tennessee?s last five on the highway and 4-1 in its last five on Saturday. The under is also 21-8 in LSU?s last 29 at home (4-1 this year) and 21-6 in its last 27 on Saturday. However, the Tigers have topped the total in four of their last five overall.
ATS ADVANTAGE: TENNESSEE
USC (15-7, 13-7 ATS) at (17) Washington State (17-5, 10-11 ATS)
The Trojans aim for a sweep of their Pacific Northwest road trip when they pull into Pullman for a Pac-10 battle against freefalling Washington State.
Southern Cal rolled past Washington 73-59 Thursday as a one-point road favorite, moving to 6-1 SU and ATS in its last seven contests. The Trojans, who dropped their first three Pac-10 games, are now 6-4 in league play (7-3 ATS). Against the Huskies, they hit a solid 51.9 percent from the floor (27 of 52) and held Washington to just 36.1 percent, including a stifling 2 of 21 from 3-point range. Over their last five games, the Trojans have outshot opponents by nearly 13 percentage points (51.4-38.7).
Washington State dropped its third in a row on Thursday, losing to UCLA 67-59 as a 2?-point home underdog, its sixth straight ATS setback (2-4 SU). The Cougars (5-5, 3-7 ATS Pac-10) have averaged 67.5 ppg this season, but that?s dropped to 61.6 over the past five games, during which they?ve allowed opponents to shoot 49 percent from the field. Wazu still ranks third nationally in points allowed (55.8), but they?ve given up 67 or more to four of their last five opponents.
Washington State has won four of the last five in this series (3-2 ATS), including a 73-58 road whipping of USC last month as a one-point pup. Last year, the Cougars won two of three meetings, including an 88-86 overtime home win giving six points. Finally, the Trojans are 6-2 ATS on their last eight trips to Pullman, and the road team is on a 4-0 ATS run in this rivalry.
USC has won nine of 12 on the highway this year (road and neutral sites), and they come into this one riding a four-game SU and a five-game ATS winning streak as a visitor, all in Pac-10 play. The Trojans are on additional positive ATS runs of 26-9 on Saturday, 19-7 on road trips, 6-2 against teams with a winning record and 35-17 on the highway against teams with a winning home mark.
Since starting the season 8-0 in Pullman, the Cougars have dropped three in a row on their own floor, and they?re 0-4 ATS in their last four, all against Pac-10 opponents. Furthermore, Washington State is bogged down in negative ATS ruts of 2-5 coming off a SU loss, 2-6 on Saturday and 3-10 versus teams with a winning record.
For USC, the over is on upticks of 16-5 in Pac-10 play, 9-4 on Saturday and 4-1 against teams with a winning record. For Washington State, the over is on a 4-1 run overall and is also 6-2 in its last eight against teams with a winning road record. The total has also cleared the posted price each of the last three meetings in this series.
ATS ADVANTAGE: SOUTHERN CAL and OVER
Georgia Tech (11-10, 10-9 ATS) at UConn (17-5, 8-9-1 ATS)
The Yellow Jackets, who have won four of five to get above .500 on the year, take a break from ACC play but hardly get a breather when they visit surging Connecticut.
Georgia Tech rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit on Wednesday to top Wake Forest 89-83 as a 2?-point road pup, improving to 5-1 ATS in its last six starts (4-2 SU). For the season, Tech is pouring in 78.6 ppg, but the Jackets have averaged 84.5 points over the past six.
Connecticut squeaked past Syracuse 63-61 Wednesday for its sixth straight victory, covering as a 2 ?-point ?dog (4-1-1 ATS during the winning streak). The Huskies, with the nation?s eighth-ranked shooting defense at 37.7 percent, stayed true to that number in allowing the Orange to shoot just 37.3 percent. UConn, which surrenders only 68.4 ppg, has held its last four opponents to 67 points or less.
These two teams also met exactly a year ago, with Tech rolling to a 65-52 home victory laying six points. The Yellow Jackets earned a small measure of revenge in that one after losing 82-73 to UConn as a five-point underdog in the 2004 NCAA Championship Game.
The Yellow Jackets have won and covered on their last three road trips, all as underdogs, and they?re 7-3 ATS as a pup this year. But they are 1-4 ATS in their last five Saturday starts.
The Huskies are 11-1 at home this year, including 3-0 in the last three (2-0-1 ATS), and they?re 4-1-1 ATS in their last six following a SU win. However, UConn is on ATS slides of 3-7 on Saturday, 2-6 against ACC teams, 2-10 in non-conference play and 2-10-1 following a spread-cover.
For Connecticut, the under is on surges of 4-0 overall, 6-2 at home this year and 6-2 on Saturdays. However, the over is 12-4 in the last 16 against teams with a winning road record (Yellow Jackets are 5-4 on the highway). Conversely, Georgia Tech has topped the total in eight straight games overall, five straight on the road, four straight on Saturday and 13 of 16 versus teams with a winning percentage above .600.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CONNECTICUT
Oregon (13-9, 9-9-2 ATS) at Cal (14-7, 10-8 ATS)
Cal guns for its fourth consecutive victory and looks to avenge last month?s loss at Oregon when it hosts the struggling Ducks in a Pac-10 clash.
The Golden Bears struggled to put away last-place Oregon State on Thursday, prevailing 81-76 but coming up way short as a 15 ?-point home chalk. The victory not only was the third in a row for Cal (5-5, 4-6 ATS in league play), but it snapped the team?s four-game home losing skid.
Oregon suffered its worst loss of the season on Thursday at Stanford, getting crushed 72-43 as a 9?-point road underdog. The Ducks have lost five of their last six (all in the Pac-10), going 1-4-1 ATS and falling to 4-6 in conference play (4-5-1 ATS).
The SU winner is 8-1-1 ATS in Oregon?s Pac-10 games, 9-1 ATS in Cal?s conference contests and 7-2-1 in the last 10 series meetings.
The Ducks topped Cal 79-70 as a 5 ?-point home chalk on Jan. 10, improving to 3-1 (2-2 ATS) in the last four head-to-head battles. Oregon has cashed in the last two battles after Cal went 6-0-1 ATS in the previous seven. Finally, nine of the last 10 in this series have been decided by single digits.
The Bears are 0-5 ATS in their last five at home, all against Pac-10 rivals.
Oregon is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 on Saturday, but 2-4 ATS this season as an underdog.
Cal has topped the total in six consecutive games, and the over is 8-3 in its 11 home games (4-0 in the last four). Also, the over is 6-2 in the last eight series meetings at Cal. On the flip side, the under is 6-2 in Oregon?s last eight, including 3-0 on the road.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
Baylor (17-4, 7-6 ATS) at (4) Kansas (22-1, 14-7 ATS)
Kansas looks to continue its dominance of Baylor when these rivals clash in a key Big 12 matchup at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks have bounced back nicely from their first loss of the season with a pair of double-digit victories. Last Saturday, they topped Colorado 72-59, but failed to cover as a 17?-point favorite, then they routed Missouri 90-71 on Monday, barely covering as an 18?-point chalk. Kansas is 7-1 in the Big 12 (5-3 ATS), including 4-0 SU and ATS at home (all as a double-digit favorite).
Baylor got past Texas Tech 80-74 to halt a two-game slide. However, the Bears failed to cover as a 7?-point home favorite, their third consecutive non-cover. They?re now 5-2 in league play, but only 3-4 ATS (2-1 ATS as an underdog).
The Jayhawks own a six-game winning streak against Baylor, including an 82-56 rout on the road in last year?s lone meeting. Kansas covered easily as a 9?-point favorite in that contest and is 3-0 ATS in its last three trips to Baylor. In fact, the road team has cashed in six straight in this series.
Baylor is 7-2 in road/neutral-site games this season, going 6-1 ATS in lined games. The Bears are also 4-2 ATS as an underdog.
Kansas is on ATS streaks of 8-3 following a SU victory and 6-2 on Saturdays.
This figures to be a high-scoring affair, as Baylor averages 80.7 ppg on 45.6 percent shooting, while Kansas ranks ninth in the nation with 82.8 ppg and second nationally in field-goal offense at 51.2 percent.
Baylor has jumped over the total in all seven Big 12 games, and going back to last year, the over is 11-1 in its last 12 league contests. Meanwhile, the over is 8-2 in Kansas? last 10, including 5-0 at home and 6-2 in Conference action.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
(10) Butler (20-2, 11-8-2 ATS) at Wisconsin-Green Bay (13-9, 10-8-1 ATS)
Butler faces its second straight difficult Horizon League road game when it travels to Wisconsin-Green Bay, which is 9-1 on its home floor.
The Bulldogs rallied to top Valparaiso 71-68 on Tuesday, pushing as a three-point road chalk. Butler has a two-game lead in the Horizon League with a 9-2 record, including an ongoing four-game winning streak. However, the Bulldogs are 3-6-2 ATS in league action after going 8-2 ATS in non-conference play.
The Phoenix come into this contest on a 4-1 run (3-1-1 ATS), including Thursday?s 76-71 overtime victory over Valparaiso as a 1?-point home favorite. Wisconsin-Green Bay is 9-1 at home (4-4 ATS), the only loss coming to instate rival Wisconsin-Milwaukee (65-61 as a 5?-point chalk).
Butler has won seven straight in this rivalry, going 5-2 ATS. One of those non-covers came on Jan. 10 in Indiana, as the Bulldogs prevailed 74-65 but came up way short as a 15-point home chalk. However, they?re 3-0 SU and ATS in their last three trips to Wisconsin-Green Bay, and the visitor has cashed in six of the last eight series meetings.
The Bulldogs have been road warriors all season, going 11-2 on the highway, but just 5-5-2 ATS. That includes a 3-2 record in Horizon League road games (0-3-2 ATS). Additionally, going back to last year, Butler is 2-9-2 ATS in its last 13 contests against Horizon League rivals.
Wisconsin-Green Bay is 1-7-1 ATS in its last eight games following a spread-cover and 0-4-1 ATS in its last five on Saturdays.
The under is 3-0 in the last three meetings in Green Bay. The under is also 11-3 in Butler?s last 14 on the road and 22-8 in Wisconsin-Green Bay?s last 31 at home, including 5-1 in the last six.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
(6) Georgetown (19-2, 8-10 ATS) at Louisville (17-6, 10-10-1 ATS)
Georgetown looks to maintain its grip on first place in the 16-team Big East when it visits Louisville in an important league battle.
The Hoyas carry a six-game winning streak into this contest, including consecutive double-digit home wins over Seton Hall last Saturday (73-61) and South Florida on Tuesday (63-53). However, Georgetown, which leads the Big East with a 9-1 record, failed to cash in both contests, and is just 4-6 ATS in conference.
Louisville hammered Marquette 71-57 as a three-point road underdog on Monday, its second straight win and cover. The Cardinals are 7-2 in conference (6-2-1 ATS), with the last six victories coming by double digits.
The Hoyas went to Freedom Hall last year and won 73-65 as a one-point road favorite in the first meeting between the schools since 2000.
Going back to the non-conference season, Georgetown is just 5-7 ATS overall, including 3-3 ATS on the road. In Big East play, the Hoyas are 4-1 SU on the highway (3-2 ATS). Dating to last year, they?re on ATS streaks of 17-8-2 in conference, 20-8 following a non-cover and 14-6-1 on the road. However, Georgetown has failed to cash in eight of its last 10 Saturday games.
Louisville is 23-8-2 ATS in its last 33 Big East contests, including 3-1 ATS in league home games this season.
The under is 8-2 in Georgetown?s last 10 overall, including 5-0 in the last five and 5-0 in Big East road games. For the season, the under is 13-5 in Hoyas games, including 8-1 on the highway. The under is also on runs of 47-20 for Georgetown overall, 37-14 for Georgetown in the Big East, 11-3 for Georgetown on Saturdays, 10-4 for Louisville overall and 8-3 for Louisville at home.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
(24) Purdue (18-5, 11-9 ATS) at (8) Wisconsin (19-3, 9-10 ATS)
First place in the Big Ten is on the line at the Kohl Center in Madison, where the eighth-ranked Badgers host red-hot Purdue.
Wisconsin edged Iowa 60-54 on Wednesday, coming up just short as a 6 ?-point road chalk. The Badgers have won three in a row and they?re 9-1 in the Big Ten, but just 4-6 ATS, all as a favorite.
Purdue ran its winning streak to eight in a row with Tuesday?s 67-53 rout of Penn State, cashing as an 11-point home chalk. The Boilermakers (9-1, 8-2 ATS in league play) are tied atop the Big Ten standings with Wisconsin, a half-game ahead of Indiana and two games clear of Michigan State.
One of Purdue?s victims during its current winning streak was Wisconsin, which went to West Lafayette on Jan. 26 as a 1 ?-point favorite and fell 60-56. The Boilermakers are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings (all as an underdog). However, the home team is 8-1 in the last nine series clashes (7-2 ATS).
Since failing to cover as an 11-point favorite in a 65-58 home win over Michigan in their Big Ten opener, the Boilermakers are on an 8-1 ATS roll, including 4-0 ATS on the road and 4-0 ATS as an underdog. They?re also on positive pointspread streaks of 6-1 as an underdog this year, 4-0 on Saturdays and 6-1 following a spread-cover.
Wisconsin beat Indiana 62-49 in its most recent home game, cashing as a four-point chalk to end an 0-7 ATS slump at the Kohl Center. The Badgers are also 1-6 ATS in their last seven on Saturday.
The under is 7-3 in Wisconsin?s 10 conference contests, including 5-1 in the last six. The under is also 8-3 at the Kohl Center this year (4-1 in league home games). Also, the under is 4-1 in Purdue?s last five overall, 36-17 in Purdue?s last 53 Big Ten games, 35-17 in Wisconsin?s last 52 league contests and 4-0 in the last four series meetings.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PURDUE and UNDER
ATS Consultants
Newsletter Plays
Hoops
Best Bet (3 units)
Kentucky over Alabama 80-64
The Wildcats are back to playing solid basketball. They certainly have the talent, with star guard Joe Crawford and the size to match Alabama. Alabama is a solid team, but they struggle on the road. This is a must-win for Kentucky if they want to get back into the hunt for an NCAA tournament bid.
Preferred Plays (2 units)
New Orleans over Memphis 112-88
Missouri over Texas A&M 88-77
Hockey
Best Bet
Over in the Edmonton/Calgary game
Preferred Plays
Pittsburgh over the Kings
Under in the Nashville/San Jose game
Frank Rosenthal
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Nba Hoops
511 Bulls+13 Sb
Under 203.5 Sb
513 Kings+8 Sb
Over 223 Sb
College Hoops
518 Nd-5 Sb
Under 149 Sb
521 Bc+19.5 Sb
524 Ky-6 Sb
Under 144 Sb+
533 So Fl+7.5 Sb+
550 Fl-12 Sb
553 Virginia+4.5 Sb
561 Central Fl+22 Sb
568 Nebraska-4 Sb+
582 Nova-5.5 Sb
592 Nevada-10 Sb
594 Cal Over 158 Sb+
657 Georgetown+3.5 Sb
668 Pacific Under 138.5 Sb+
Good Luck!
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Nba Hoops
511 Bulls+13 Sb
Under 203.5 Sb
513 Kings+8 Sb
Over 223 Sb
College Hoops
518 Nd-5 Sb
Under 149 Sb
521 Bc+19.5 Sb
524 Ky-6 Sb
Under 144 Sb+
533 So Fl+7.5 Sb+
550 Fl-12 Sb
553 Virginia+4.5 Sb
561 Central Fl+22 Sb
568 Nebraska-4 Sb+
582 Nova-5.5 Sb
592 Nevada-10 Sb
594 Cal Over 158 Sb+
657 Georgetown+3.5 Sb
668 Pacific Under 138.5 Sb+
Good Luck!
FERRINGO
EARLY PLAYS
1-Unit Play. Take #518 Notre Dame (-4) over Marquette (Noon, Saturday, Feb. 9)
The Irish are hot and we?re going to the well. Marquette has been an awful road team, going 3-9 ATS and losing three of their last four by an average of 17 points. Marquette shoots just 28 percent from 3-point land on the road and the hot-shooting Irish will get some revenge for a 26-point bludgeoning they took in Wisconsin earlier this season.
5-Unit Play. Take #658 Louisville (-2.5) over Georgetown (9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8)
Note: This is our Game of the Week. I know it's a little low for a GOTW play but we're trying to keep it tight these days. This play is fine at 3.0 but start to bump it down a half-Unit or a Unit if it gets to 3.5 or 4.0.
Louisville is an unranked team favored over a team in the Top Ten. That should be a huge red flag, and there is good reason for it. The Cardinals are starting to shoot a bit better, and as long as they don?t do something ridiculous as go 4-for-20 from 3-point land then they could blow this one open early. They simply play much better at home ? offensively and defensively ? and they should be able to neutralize Georgetown?s size with their own big men underneath. Louisville is on a nice 7-2-1 ATS rush and is 23-8-1 ATS in their last 32 conference games.
3.5-Unit Play. Take #645 Baylor (+18) over Kansas (8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8)
Arizona, Depaul, and Loyola are the only three teams to cover in Lawrence this year. The thing they have that all of the other clubs who came in and took their beatings is some competency in the backcourt. They are perimeter-oriented clubs. So is Baylor. And then some. The Bears have a backcourt that can compete with Kansas for 40 minutes, and if they can keep their big men out of foul trouble they will be in this game, not just covering but with a chance to steal one. Baylor is getting the same amount of points that Missouri was getting without their best player. And the Tigers didn?t cover because of one missed layup. Baylor is getting five points less than Iowa State, a team they are twice as good as. Baylor is 7-1 ATS on the road (and their one loss was a garbage loss) and 9-3 ATS as an underdog. They?ve covered their last four trips to Kansas and the road team is 6-0 ATS in the series.
2.5-Unit Play. Take #542 Ohio (-4.5) over Western Michigan (2:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8)
The home team is 9-1 ATS in this series, with Ohio going 5-0 ATS as a host, and Western Michigan has been a weak road team all season long. Ohio came out flat in its last game at Eastern Michigan and had its worst shooting performance of the year. I think they got that game out of their system and bounceback with a strong performance. Ohio is 45-19-1 ATS at home, 27-11 ATS against a team with a road record, and 38-15-1 ATS on Saturdays.
2-Unit Play. Take #565 George Mason (-1.5) over Old Dominion (4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9)
This just isn?t the same Old Dominion team that we?re used to and they should be getting a lot more points than this. The Monarchs are just 2-3 SU at home, losing to teams that aren?t better than Mason. Oh, and George Mason beat ODU by 33 points just two weeks ago. They aren?t going to win this one by 30 but they are going to win. They are on a 6-1-1 ATS run and the Monarchs are 0-7 ATS as a dog. The Patriots are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings and 4-1 ATS in their last five at ODU. The only reason this play isn?t higher is because Mason pressed a lot against Drexel and may not have 100 percent to give. But Mason at 90 percent is still 10 points better than OD at 100.
EARLY PLAYS
1-Unit Play. Take #518 Notre Dame (-4) over Marquette (Noon, Saturday, Feb. 9)
The Irish are hot and we?re going to the well. Marquette has been an awful road team, going 3-9 ATS and losing three of their last four by an average of 17 points. Marquette shoots just 28 percent from 3-point land on the road and the hot-shooting Irish will get some revenge for a 26-point bludgeoning they took in Wisconsin earlier this season.
5-Unit Play. Take #658 Louisville (-2.5) over Georgetown (9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8)
Note: This is our Game of the Week. I know it's a little low for a GOTW play but we're trying to keep it tight these days. This play is fine at 3.0 but start to bump it down a half-Unit or a Unit if it gets to 3.5 or 4.0.
Louisville is an unranked team favored over a team in the Top Ten. That should be a huge red flag, and there is good reason for it. The Cardinals are starting to shoot a bit better, and as long as they don?t do something ridiculous as go 4-for-20 from 3-point land then they could blow this one open early. They simply play much better at home ? offensively and defensively ? and they should be able to neutralize Georgetown?s size with their own big men underneath. Louisville is on a nice 7-2-1 ATS rush and is 23-8-1 ATS in their last 32 conference games.
3.5-Unit Play. Take #645 Baylor (+18) over Kansas (8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8)
Arizona, Depaul, and Loyola are the only three teams to cover in Lawrence this year. The thing they have that all of the other clubs who came in and took their beatings is some competency in the backcourt. They are perimeter-oriented clubs. So is Baylor. And then some. The Bears have a backcourt that can compete with Kansas for 40 minutes, and if they can keep their big men out of foul trouble they will be in this game, not just covering but with a chance to steal one. Baylor is getting the same amount of points that Missouri was getting without their best player. And the Tigers didn?t cover because of one missed layup. Baylor is getting five points less than Iowa State, a team they are twice as good as. Baylor is 7-1 ATS on the road (and their one loss was a garbage loss) and 9-3 ATS as an underdog. They?ve covered their last four trips to Kansas and the road team is 6-0 ATS in the series.
2.5-Unit Play. Take #542 Ohio (-4.5) over Western Michigan (2:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8)
The home team is 9-1 ATS in this series, with Ohio going 5-0 ATS as a host, and Western Michigan has been a weak road team all season long. Ohio came out flat in its last game at Eastern Michigan and had its worst shooting performance of the year. I think they got that game out of their system and bounceback with a strong performance. Ohio is 45-19-1 ATS at home, 27-11 ATS against a team with a road record, and 38-15-1 ATS on Saturdays.
2-Unit Play. Take #565 George Mason (-1.5) over Old Dominion (4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9)
This just isn?t the same Old Dominion team that we?re used to and they should be getting a lot more points than this. The Monarchs are just 2-3 SU at home, losing to teams that aren?t better than Mason. Oh, and George Mason beat ODU by 33 points just two weeks ago. They aren?t going to win this one by 30 but they are going to win. They are on a 6-1-1 ATS run and the Monarchs are 0-7 ATS as a dog. The Patriots are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings and 4-1 ATS in their last five at ODU. The only reason this play isn?t higher is because Mason pressed a lot against Drexel and may not have 100 percent to give. But Mason at 90 percent is still 10 points better than OD at 100.
Michael Cannon
20 Dime ?
OHIO
Take Ohio as the home chalk this afternoon over Western Michigan.
We?re getting some serious value with the Bobcats here on their home court. Ohio has played 10 of its last 15 games on the road, which is the reason they?ve been less than dominant since conference play started.
But now they are back in the comfy confines of their home court, where they are 8-0 SU this year, including dominating wins over Miami (OH) and Kent State.
Western Michigan is at the top of the MAC-West, but that won?t mean much here except to motivate Ohio a little more.
Ohio is 6-2 ATS in its last eight overall and its last eight vs. MAC opponents. The home team is also on a 9-1 ATS run in this series.
Take Ohio minus the number as they grab the win and cover.
10 Dime ?
CAL-SANTA BARBARA
Take Cal-Santa Barbara minus the points for the win and cover tonight over UC-Irvine.
Payback time for Santa Barbara.
They were knocked off at Irvine last month, 66-63, which puts the Gauchos in double-revenge mode.
Santa-Barbara has the nation?s fourth-best 3-point shooting percentage, 15th-best 3-point defense and force the second-most turnovers in the nation.
Add all that up, put Santa Barbara on its home court and what you have is the makings of a double-digit win for the Gauchos.
Take Cal-Santa Barbara as the home chalk tonight over UC-Irvine.
5 Dime ?
TCU
Take Tcu this afternoon over San Diego State.
The Horned Frogs have played the Aztecs tough over the last couple of seasons, going 3-1 ATS.
Tcu definitely hung with them last year, when the Horned Frogs were in a lot worse shape than they are now.
Tcu is scoring more than nine points per game from last year, and have averaged almost four more steals per game.
San Diego State has won the last five meetings in this series, but it?s now time for Tcu to end that run.
Take Tcu as the tiny home dog as they get it done over San Diego State.
20 Dime ?
OHIO
Take Ohio as the home chalk this afternoon over Western Michigan.
We?re getting some serious value with the Bobcats here on their home court. Ohio has played 10 of its last 15 games on the road, which is the reason they?ve been less than dominant since conference play started.
But now they are back in the comfy confines of their home court, where they are 8-0 SU this year, including dominating wins over Miami (OH) and Kent State.
Western Michigan is at the top of the MAC-West, but that won?t mean much here except to motivate Ohio a little more.
Ohio is 6-2 ATS in its last eight overall and its last eight vs. MAC opponents. The home team is also on a 9-1 ATS run in this series.
Take Ohio minus the number as they grab the win and cover.
10 Dime ?
CAL-SANTA BARBARA
Take Cal-Santa Barbara minus the points for the win and cover tonight over UC-Irvine.
Payback time for Santa Barbara.
They were knocked off at Irvine last month, 66-63, which puts the Gauchos in double-revenge mode.
Santa-Barbara has the nation?s fourth-best 3-point shooting percentage, 15th-best 3-point defense and force the second-most turnovers in the nation.
Add all that up, put Santa Barbara on its home court and what you have is the makings of a double-digit win for the Gauchos.
Take Cal-Santa Barbara as the home chalk tonight over UC-Irvine.
5 Dime ?
TCU
Take Tcu this afternoon over San Diego State.
The Horned Frogs have played the Aztecs tough over the last couple of seasons, going 3-1 ATS.
Tcu definitely hung with them last year, when the Horned Frogs were in a lot worse shape than they are now.
Tcu is scoring more than nine points per game from last year, and have averaged almost four more steals per game.
San Diego State has won the last five meetings in this series, but it?s now time for Tcu to end that run.
Take Tcu as the tiny home dog as they get it done over San Diego State.
DAVID PAGE
PREMIUM PLAYS
Sat, February 9th 2008 08:05:00 PM Game Analysis
NBA New Orleans Hornets
Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans Hornets -14 (-103)
Sat, February 9th 2008 09:05:00 PM Game Analysis
NBA Utah Jazz
Chicago Bulls
Over 203 (+100)
Sat, February 9th 2008 10:35:00 PM Game Analysis
NBA Golden State Warriors
Sacramento Kings
Golden State Warriors -7.5 (-107)
Sat, February 9th 2008 12:00:00 PM Game Analysis
NCB Notre Dame
Marquette
Notre Dame -5.5 (-104)
Sat, February 9th 2008 06:00:00 PM Game Analysis
NCB UNLV
Colorado State
UNLV -20 (-105)
Sat, February 9th 2008 07:00:00 PM Game Analysis
NCB California
Oregon
California -5 (-102)
Sat, February 9th 2008 08:00:00 PM Game Analysis
NCB Drake
Evansville
Drake -16.5 (-105)
Sat, February 9th 2008 08:00:00 PM Game Analysis
NCB Arkansas Little Rock
North Texas
North Texas +2 (-101)
PREMIUM PLAYS
Sat, February 9th 2008 08:05:00 PM Game Analysis
NBA New Orleans Hornets
Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans Hornets -14 (-103)
Sat, February 9th 2008 09:05:00 PM Game Analysis
NBA Utah Jazz
Chicago Bulls
Over 203 (+100)
Sat, February 9th 2008 10:35:00 PM Game Analysis
NBA Golden State Warriors
Sacramento Kings
Golden State Warriors -7.5 (-107)
Sat, February 9th 2008 12:00:00 PM Game Analysis
NCB Notre Dame
Marquette
Notre Dame -5.5 (-104)
Sat, February 9th 2008 06:00:00 PM Game Analysis
NCB UNLV
Colorado State
UNLV -20 (-105)
Sat, February 9th 2008 07:00:00 PM Game Analysis
NCB California
Oregon
California -5 (-102)
Sat, February 9th 2008 08:00:00 PM Game Analysis
NCB Drake
Evansville
Drake -16.5 (-105)
Sat, February 9th 2008 08:00:00 PM Game Analysis
NCB Arkansas Little Rock
North Texas
North Texas +2 (-101)
Bobby Maxwell
Bobby Maxwell
Anybody got Maxwell? He's been real solid in hoops this year. His 600 unit plays have been golden. Thanks.
600-UNIT BIG EAST
BOOK BUSTER TONIGHT!
Georgetown at Louisville
Bobby Maxwell
Anybody got Maxwell? He's been real solid in hoops this year. His 600 unit plays have been golden. Thanks.
600-UNIT BIG EAST
BOOK BUSTER TONIGHT!
Georgetown at Louisville
Kelso
Chairman 10 units Louisville-2.5
Best Bets
10 units Duke -19.5
5 units Ky -6
5 units Cincy -2.5
Chairman 10 units Louisville-2.5
Best Bets
10 units Duke -19.5
5 units Ky -6
5 units Cincy -2.5
Drew Gordon
Drew Gordon
Drew Gordon
Tonight's Games...
1. 200,000♦ Bradley
2. 50,000♦ Purdue
3. 50,000♦ Rockets
1. Bradley- Tough, tough turnaround for Illinois State, coming off a heart breaking loss to Drake at home Tuesday 73-70. Word out of Redbird country is the loss was devastating, to both players and fans alike, who have watched their chances at the Dance dwindle with losses in 4 of their last 6 games after a red-hot start. Enter Bradley, who's not only playing much better basketball, but already proved they could beat this Redbird team on their home court last season 70-62.
I'm not saying they win outright, but this game is going to be razor close, as the Braves have won 6 straight (5-1 ATS over that span) and are really starting to come together as a team. The return of a healthy Daniel Ruffin is a big part of their success, as the talented guard has only gotten better and better since coming back (25 points & 7 assists against Missouri State in last one). No surprise the Braves have won and covered all 5 games since his return!
Biggest problem for Illinois State is their lack of depth, as we know what we'll get from G Eldridge, F Slack, and G Johnson, but after that, the pickings are slim at best. They've shown tremendous inconsistency from that point on downward on their roster, and losing 4 of their last 6 hasn't helped. In fact, looking over the Redbirds last 5 games, its clear the team has lost "the edge" they had early on, as they've softened considerably on defense, allowing 68 ppg on 46% shooting over that span! That's the last thing you want against a Bradley offense which is firing on all cylinders with Ruffin back in the lineup (71 ppg 46% from floor 45% from 3-point last 5 games)!
Speaking of defense, its been the Braves who've stepped it up over their last 5 games, locking down opponents to just 60 ppg on 39% shooting (28% from 3-point)! The way the Redbirds are playing right now, even if they do win this game, there's no way they extend the margin based on the Braves outstanding defense of late. If anything this game comes down to a late basket, but even then, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Bradley won outright here.
Take Bradley plus the points over Illinois State as your top-rated play of the day.
2. Purdue- Okay, okay, we all know about the Badgers and their outstanding record at the Kohl Center, let's just get that out of the way right now. Yes, they're excellent at home, and yes they'll most likely win this game, but not by nearly as much as Vegas wants you to believe and here's why:
First, Purdue already proved they can hang with this Badgers team by beating them earlier this season 60-56 in West Lafayette. How'd they do it? The same way they're going to grab the cash tonight, with defense, plain and simple. While its true the Badgers defense at the Kohl Center is superior, the Boilermakers aren't that far behind, as both teams are allowing about 55 ppg over their last 5 contests.
Second, let's try an remember this isn't the same Wisky team that featured stars Tucker and Taylor, but instead Trevon Hughes and a couple good, but not great frontline players in Butch and Landry. Guys, in case you haven't noticed, Wisconsin is only 4-7 ATS at the Kohl Center this season, and a big part of that is the lack of a true "go-to" player. Hughes is good, but he's still young, and his 58 assists to 55 turnover ratio is far from ideal.
Finally, the Boilermakers may not have the size down-low, but their efficient perimeter attack has proven extremely effective, winning 8 in a row & 7 of their last 8 ATS. If they go cold, they could lose this game badly, but their offense has been solid over their last 5 games, and will be good enough to keep this contest within the number tonight. Boilermakers grab the cash in Madison Saturday!
Take Purdue plus the points over Wisconsin in this Big Ten showdown.
3. Rockets- Sure, the Hawks have won 3 of their last 4 and looked good over that span, BUT, surprise those 4 games were all at home, where the Hawks are solid season. However, now back on the road, we start to see the train fall off the tracks again, as Atlanta has proven they cannot be trusted on the highway (6-15 SU & 9-12 ATS away), plain and simple.
Rockets meanwhile, have been playing damn good basketball, winning 9 of their last 10 games, including 4 in a row! They crushed a red-hot Cleveland team in their last home game 92-77, sending Lebron and company back home with their tails tucked between their legs. If Houston can dominate a match up with one of the hotter teams in the East, then they can definately win and cover against one of the more road-weary teams in the East as well.
Match ups are huge problem (literally), as rookie Al Horford is already a power forward prentending to be a center, going up against the biggest and one of the most effective centers is the NBA today, Yao Ming. While the Hawks have better athletes in the frontcourt than Houston, its clear to me that the Rockets have the better basketball players, as both Scola and Battier know their roles and play them well, especially at home. In the backcourt, Joe Johnson is more consistent than the injured T-Mac, but coming off a bad game against the Cavs, I expect T-Mac to reemerge tonight.
Another issue to consider is fatigue, as the Hawks are playing in the tail end of back-to-back, which is not the best situation for them, going 1-4 ATS over their last 5 games with no rest. Want an example? They lost badly to the Suns January 29th 125-92, and the very next day managed only 88 points in an 95-88 loss to the lowly Clippers... More of the same tonight, as I can see the Hawks coming flat and falling behind early in this one, which is a bad idea against the Rockets stingy defense.
Bottom line, the Rockets protect their house and grab the cash against a tired and road-weary Hawks squad in this one. Houston is nasty at home (just ask Cleveland) and they'll prove it once again tonight, as an overmatched Atlanta team walks into the Lions den and becomes a nice meal for Yao and company.
Take the Rockets at home BIG over the Hawks in this NBA match up.
Afternoon Action...
1. 50,000♦ Ohio
1. Ohio- This is a bad spot for Western Michigan, as they've proven vulnerable on the road, with losses at Kent State & Eastern Michigan, and now travel to Ohio, who's yet to lose on their home floor this season, going 8-0 SU & 7-1 ATS!
Although not really considered an offensive juggernaut, the Bobcats bring their brand of stout defense to this contest, but they're also much better at putting points on the board at home, averaging 75 ppg on 49% shooting (38% from 3-point). Needless to say, those are BIG jumps from their season averages, and its clear to anyone who's seen the Bobcats play, that their a much more dangerous team in Athens.
Want to talk about a team that struggles on the road? Let's talk about the Broncos, as their defensive numbers, in particular, balloon when they travel, allowing 71 ppg on 44% shooting away this season. Although they beat Buffalo in their last road game, it took them an overtime to do it, and they allowed 90 points to a Bulls team that averages 71 ppg on 40% shooting! The road game prior, they lost badly to Kent State 67-58... A team the Bobcats beat handily 71-59 on this court in mid-January.
Finally, you have to consider the match ups, as the thin Broncos frontline will have trouble against the Bobcats frontcourt duo of Williams and Tillman. F Leon Williams especially, as the 6'8 forward is shooting 61% on the season and averaging a double-double with 16 ppg and 10 boards/game! Western Michigan's C Joe Reitz is not only undersized at 6'7, but has real bad habit of picking up stupid fouls (72 personal fouls on season). Other than that, both backcourts are solid, but you give the nod to the Bobcats guards playing at home in this one.
Bottom line, you know you're going to get rock-solid defense from this Bobcats team game in and game out, but what makes them so dangerous at home, is their ability to match their defensive intensity with some offense... A big reason they're 8-0 & 7-1 ATS there this season! More of the same this afternoon, as Western Michigan once again gets exposed on the road in this one.
Take Ohio at home comfortably over Western Michigan in afternoon MAC action.
Drew Gordon
Drew Gordon
Tonight's Games...
1. 200,000♦ Bradley
2. 50,000♦ Purdue
3. 50,000♦ Rockets
1. Bradley- Tough, tough turnaround for Illinois State, coming off a heart breaking loss to Drake at home Tuesday 73-70. Word out of Redbird country is the loss was devastating, to both players and fans alike, who have watched their chances at the Dance dwindle with losses in 4 of their last 6 games after a red-hot start. Enter Bradley, who's not only playing much better basketball, but already proved they could beat this Redbird team on their home court last season 70-62.
I'm not saying they win outright, but this game is going to be razor close, as the Braves have won 6 straight (5-1 ATS over that span) and are really starting to come together as a team. The return of a healthy Daniel Ruffin is a big part of their success, as the talented guard has only gotten better and better since coming back (25 points & 7 assists against Missouri State in last one). No surprise the Braves have won and covered all 5 games since his return!
Biggest problem for Illinois State is their lack of depth, as we know what we'll get from G Eldridge, F Slack, and G Johnson, but after that, the pickings are slim at best. They've shown tremendous inconsistency from that point on downward on their roster, and losing 4 of their last 6 hasn't helped. In fact, looking over the Redbirds last 5 games, its clear the team has lost "the edge" they had early on, as they've softened considerably on defense, allowing 68 ppg on 46% shooting over that span! That's the last thing you want against a Bradley offense which is firing on all cylinders with Ruffin back in the lineup (71 ppg 46% from floor 45% from 3-point last 5 games)!
Speaking of defense, its been the Braves who've stepped it up over their last 5 games, locking down opponents to just 60 ppg on 39% shooting (28% from 3-point)! The way the Redbirds are playing right now, even if they do win this game, there's no way they extend the margin based on the Braves outstanding defense of late. If anything this game comes down to a late basket, but even then, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Bradley won outright here.
Take Bradley plus the points over Illinois State as your top-rated play of the day.
2. Purdue- Okay, okay, we all know about the Badgers and their outstanding record at the Kohl Center, let's just get that out of the way right now. Yes, they're excellent at home, and yes they'll most likely win this game, but not by nearly as much as Vegas wants you to believe and here's why:
First, Purdue already proved they can hang with this Badgers team by beating them earlier this season 60-56 in West Lafayette. How'd they do it? The same way they're going to grab the cash tonight, with defense, plain and simple. While its true the Badgers defense at the Kohl Center is superior, the Boilermakers aren't that far behind, as both teams are allowing about 55 ppg over their last 5 contests.
Second, let's try an remember this isn't the same Wisky team that featured stars Tucker and Taylor, but instead Trevon Hughes and a couple good, but not great frontline players in Butch and Landry. Guys, in case you haven't noticed, Wisconsin is only 4-7 ATS at the Kohl Center this season, and a big part of that is the lack of a true "go-to" player. Hughes is good, but he's still young, and his 58 assists to 55 turnover ratio is far from ideal.
Finally, the Boilermakers may not have the size down-low, but their efficient perimeter attack has proven extremely effective, winning 8 in a row & 7 of their last 8 ATS. If they go cold, they could lose this game badly, but their offense has been solid over their last 5 games, and will be good enough to keep this contest within the number tonight. Boilermakers grab the cash in Madison Saturday!
Take Purdue plus the points over Wisconsin in this Big Ten showdown.
3. Rockets- Sure, the Hawks have won 3 of their last 4 and looked good over that span, BUT, surprise those 4 games were all at home, where the Hawks are solid season. However, now back on the road, we start to see the train fall off the tracks again, as Atlanta has proven they cannot be trusted on the highway (6-15 SU & 9-12 ATS away), plain and simple.
Rockets meanwhile, have been playing damn good basketball, winning 9 of their last 10 games, including 4 in a row! They crushed a red-hot Cleveland team in their last home game 92-77, sending Lebron and company back home with their tails tucked between their legs. If Houston can dominate a match up with one of the hotter teams in the East, then they can definately win and cover against one of the more road-weary teams in the East as well.
Match ups are huge problem (literally), as rookie Al Horford is already a power forward prentending to be a center, going up against the biggest and one of the most effective centers is the NBA today, Yao Ming. While the Hawks have better athletes in the frontcourt than Houston, its clear to me that the Rockets have the better basketball players, as both Scola and Battier know their roles and play them well, especially at home. In the backcourt, Joe Johnson is more consistent than the injured T-Mac, but coming off a bad game against the Cavs, I expect T-Mac to reemerge tonight.
Another issue to consider is fatigue, as the Hawks are playing in the tail end of back-to-back, which is not the best situation for them, going 1-4 ATS over their last 5 games with no rest. Want an example? They lost badly to the Suns January 29th 125-92, and the very next day managed only 88 points in an 95-88 loss to the lowly Clippers... More of the same tonight, as I can see the Hawks coming flat and falling behind early in this one, which is a bad idea against the Rockets stingy defense.
Bottom line, the Rockets protect their house and grab the cash against a tired and road-weary Hawks squad in this one. Houston is nasty at home (just ask Cleveland) and they'll prove it once again tonight, as an overmatched Atlanta team walks into the Lions den and becomes a nice meal for Yao and company.
Take the Rockets at home BIG over the Hawks in this NBA match up.
Afternoon Action...
1. 50,000♦ Ohio
1. Ohio- This is a bad spot for Western Michigan, as they've proven vulnerable on the road, with losses at Kent State & Eastern Michigan, and now travel to Ohio, who's yet to lose on their home floor this season, going 8-0 SU & 7-1 ATS!
Although not really considered an offensive juggernaut, the Bobcats bring their brand of stout defense to this contest, but they're also much better at putting points on the board at home, averaging 75 ppg on 49% shooting (38% from 3-point). Needless to say, those are BIG jumps from their season averages, and its clear to anyone who's seen the Bobcats play, that their a much more dangerous team in Athens.
Want to talk about a team that struggles on the road? Let's talk about the Broncos, as their defensive numbers, in particular, balloon when they travel, allowing 71 ppg on 44% shooting away this season. Although they beat Buffalo in their last road game, it took them an overtime to do it, and they allowed 90 points to a Bulls team that averages 71 ppg on 40% shooting! The road game prior, they lost badly to Kent State 67-58... A team the Bobcats beat handily 71-59 on this court in mid-January.
Finally, you have to consider the match ups, as the thin Broncos frontline will have trouble against the Bobcats frontcourt duo of Williams and Tillman. F Leon Williams especially, as the 6'8 forward is shooting 61% on the season and averaging a double-double with 16 ppg and 10 boards/game! Western Michigan's C Joe Reitz is not only undersized at 6'7, but has real bad habit of picking up stupid fouls (72 personal fouls on season). Other than that, both backcourts are solid, but you give the nod to the Bobcats guards playing at home in this one.
Bottom line, you know you're going to get rock-solid defense from this Bobcats team game in and game out, but what makes them so dangerous at home, is their ability to match their defensive intensity with some offense... A big reason they're 8-0 & 7-1 ATS there this season! More of the same this afternoon, as Western Michigan once again gets exposed on the road in this one.
Take Ohio at home comfortably over Western Michigan in afternoon MAC action.
Kelso Sturgeon
Chairman
10 units Louisville-2.5
Best Bets
10 units Duke -19.5
5 units Ky -6
5 units Cinn -2.5
Chairman
10 units Louisville-2.5
Best Bets
10 units Duke -19.5
5 units Ky -6
5 units Cinn -2.5
DA STICK
Da Sticks ranks picks from 1-20
5 units Calgary Flames -190
5 units Philadelphia/New York under 5.5
5 units Nashville/San Jose over 5
Da Sticks ranks picks from 1-20
5 units Calgary Flames -190
5 units Philadelphia/New York under 5.5
5 units Nashville/San Jose over 5
