THE SPORTS ADVISORS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(15) Drake (20-1, 14-3 ATS) at Illinois State (16-6, 10-10 ATS)
Drake guns for its 20th consecutive victory, including its 12th straight in Missouri Valley Conference play, when it visits an Illinois State squad that?s unbeaten on its home floor.
The Bulldogs handed Indiana State its first home defeat of the season on Saturday, rallying for an 83-77 victory, barely cashing as a three-point road chalk. Drake is 11-0 in MVC action, going 8-3 ATS. However, the Bulldogs haven?t covered in three straight games since opening the season on an 8-0 ATS romp.
Illinois State pulled off a mild 64-63 upset victory at Missouri State on Saturday, cashing as a 1?-point underdog. Since ripping off a nine-game winning streak, including six straight victories to open conference play, the Redbirds are 2-3 SU. They?re also just 2-6 ATS in their last eight, all against MVC foes.
Drake was the team to snap Illinois State?s nine-game winning streak last month, winning 79-73 and cashing as a 4?-point home chalk. The host is 8-1 SU in the last nine series meetings (4-0 in the last four), but the Redbirds are 6-2 ATS in the last eight, including 4-0 ATS at home. Also, the favorite has gotten the money in each of the last four series battles.
In addition to sporting the best ATS record in Division I, the Bulldogs are on positive pointspread spurts of 6-2 on the road this year and 6-1 against teams with a winning home record. One negative: They?re 2-8 ATS in their last 10 Tuesday contests.
The Redbirds are 11-0 at home, but only 5-4 ATS. Also, unlike Drake, Illinois State excels on Tuesdays, going 10-2-1 ATS in the last 13
Drake, which gave up a season high in points in Saturday?s win over Indiana State, yields just 59.4 ppg overall on 41.4 percent shooting. The Redbirds are just as strong defensively, allowing 61 ppg on 39.9 percent shooting, numbers that drop to 56.4 ppg and 36.8 percent at home.
The over is 6-1 in Illinois State?s last seven overall, but the under is 14-4 in Drake?s last 18 overall and 7-2 in its last nine on the road.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
Florida (18-4, 9-4 ATS) at (7) Tennessee (19-2, 10-7 ATS)
Two hated SEC rivals go at each other tonight with first place in the SEC East on the line, as Tennessee hosts the Gators at the Thompson Boling Center in Knoxville.
The Vols seized control of the SEC East on Saturday with their 76-71 victory at Mississippi State as a one-point underdog coupled with Florida?s 80-61 blowout loss at Arkansas as a four-point underdog. Tennessee has won and covered three in a row, is 6-1 (5-2 ATS) in SEC play and a perfect 11-0 at home (5-2 ATS in lined games).
The Gators? ugly loss at Arkansas halted a three-game winning streak as well as a 7-0 ATS run. Billy Donovan?s squad is 5-2 in league play (6-1 ATS), including 2-2 on the road (3-1 ATS).
Tennessee was one of the few teams to handle the two-time defending champions over the previous two seasons, going 3-1 SU and ATS, including 2-0 SU and ATS in Knoxville. Last year, Florida earned a 94-78 win as a 15-point home chalk, with Tennessee getting revenge in an 86-76 rout as a 3?-point home ?dog. The underdog is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings, and Tennessee is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 clashes (5-1 SU and ATS in the last six at home).
Not only did the loss at Arkansas kill Florida?s 7-0 ATS streak, it snapped a 10-0 ATS roll in SEC play. The Gators are 19-9 ATS in their last 28 Tuesday contests, but 1-5 ATS in their last six against teams with a winning record. Conversely, Tennessee is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 against winning teams.
The Vols are just 2-5 ATS as a single-digit chalk, while the Gators are 2-2 ATS as an underdog.
For the season, Florida is just 4-3 SU and ATS in road/neutral-site contests against Division I teams, getting outscored by an average of five points per game (77-72) while getting outshot by a 49.5 percent to 41.5 percent margin.
Tennessee averages 88 ppg at home on 49 percent shooting, while limiting visitors to 66.1 ppg on 41.3 percent.
The over is 4-2 in the last six series meetings. However, the under is 3-0 in Florida?s last three and 5-2 in Tennessee?s last seven.
ATS ADVANTAGE: TENNESSEE
NBA
Boston (36-8, 27-16-1 ATS) at Cleveland (26-20, 22-24 ATS)
LeBron James gets his first crack at the new-look Celtics when he leads the Cavaliers against Boston in a battle of Eastern Conference rivals at Quicken Loans Arena.
Cleveland is playing its best basketball of the season, going 12-3 in its last 15. On Saturday, the Cavs returned home from a three-game road trip and routed the Clippers 98-84, cashing as an 11?-point chalk to move to 9-4 ATS in their last 13, including 5-1 ATS as a favorite.
Boston has been idle since Thursday?s come-from-behind 96-90 win over the Mavericks as a one-point home underdog, a game the Celtics played without Kevin Garnett. The Celts are 6-2 in their last eight (5-3 ATS).
With James injured and watching from the sidelines in a suit, Boston topped the Cavaliers 80-70 back on Dec. 2, but the Cavs got the cash as a 13?-point road underdog. Cleveland is 8-2 SU and 6-2-2 ATS in the last 10 series meetings, including 4-1 ATS at home.
The Cavs are on a 7-1 run at home, but only 4-4 ATS. For the season, they?re just 8-13 ATS at Quicken Loans Arena. Also, Cleveland has dropped four of five ATS against the Atlantic Division. On the positive end of the spectrum, the Cavs are 5-0 ATS in their last five against winning teams and 39-18-1 ATS in their last 58 on Tuesday.
Boston has been spectacular on the highway, going 16-4 SU and 13-6-1 ATS. Dating to last year, the Celtics are 46-18-1 ATS as a visitor. Furthermore, they?re on ATS streaks of 6-2 on Tuesday and 4-1 against the Central Division, but they?re just 3-9 ATS in their last 12 when playing on three or more days? rest.
The Celtics, who yield just 90.6 points per game, have allowed just five teams all season to reach triple digits in scoring, holding 26 of their last 27 foes under 100 points. Tonight, they face a Cavaliers? squad that has been limited to 98 points or less in four straight games.
The over is 10-4 in Cleveland?s last 14 against the Eastern Conference and 4-1 in Boston?s last five against the Eastern Conference. Also, the over is 3-1 in the last four series meetings, with the one ?under? occurring in the game back in December in Boston.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON and OVER
L.A. Lakers (30-16, 27-18-1 ATS) at New Jersey (20-27, 18-28-1 ATS)
Buoyed by last week?s acquisition of big man Pau Gasol, the Lakers have won two in a row coming into tonight?s contest against the Nets at Continental Airlines Arena.
Los Angeles began its grueling nine-game road trip with Thursday?s heartbreaking, last-second 90-89 loss at Detroit as an 8?-point underdog. But the next day, news hit that the Lakers traded for Gasol, and the team went out and destroyed Toronto 121-101 as a 6?-point underdog, then crushed the Wizards 103-91 as a four-point chalk on Sunday. Gasol didn?t play in either of those games, but is expected to make his Lakers debut tonight.
L.A. has followed up a 1-6-1 ATS slump with four consecutive spread-covers, all against the Eastern Conference.
The Nets saw a modest two-game SU and ATS winning streak end in Saturday?s 104-92 loss at Atlanta as a seven-point road underdog. New Jersey is 2-10 SU and 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games, including 1-4 SU and ATS at home.
One of New Jersey?s most impressive wins this season came in Los Angeles back on Nov. 25, when the Nets trailed 49-37 at the half only to outscore the Lakers 65-51 in the second half en route to a 102-100 victory as a seven-point underdog. The dog and the road team are both 7-1-2 ATS in the last 10 series meetings, with the Lakers going 5-1-2 ATS in the last eight in New Jersey.
New Jersey hasn?t enjoyed much of a home-court advantage this year, going 10-14 SU and 7-16-1 ATS at Continental Airlines Arena, including 5-15-1 ATS in the last 21. The Nets are also just 2-5 ATS in their last seven against Pacific Division foes, 1-6 ATS in their last seven against the Western Conference, 1-4 ATS in their last five on Tuesday and 1-4 ATS in their last five when playing on two days? rest.
L.A. is on spread-covering streaks of 10-4-1 on the road, 5-0 on Tuesdays and 6-1 following an ATS win.
This game pits one of the NBA?s highest scoring teams against one of the weakest, as the Lakers average 107.1 ppg (3rd in the league) while New Jersey puts in just 93.6 ppg (29th in the 30-team league).
The over is 5-2 in the last seven series clashes, but the under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Jersey.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. LAKERS
