THE SPORTS ADVISORS
NBA
Portland (25-16, 26-15 ATS) at New Orleans (28-12, 25-14-1 ATS)
The Trailblazers conclude a brutal seven-game, 11-day road trip tonight in New Orleans in a battle of two of the NBA?s hottest teams.
Portland outlasted the Hawks 111-109 on Monday afternoon, barely covering as a one-point road underdog. The Blazers have alternated SU and ATS wins in their last seven games (including the first six of this road trip), and the straight-up winner is 14-0 in the team?s last 14 games.
Going back to Dec. 3, the Blazers are on a 20-4 SU roll (19-5 ATS). They?ve scored at least 90 points in 22 of the 24 contests, topping triple digits 12 times.
New Orleans continued its winning ways with Monday?s 106-92 rout of the Bucks. The Hornets, who outscored Milwaukee 56-38 in the second half to cover as an 11-point home favorite, have won five in a row, eight of nine and 13 of 15. The straight-up winner has covered the pointspread in all 15 of those contests. In fact, the winner is 18-0 ATS in New Orleans? last 18 games.
These teams have already met three times this season ? twice in Portland and once in the Big Easy ? and the home team won and covered all three meetings. In fact, the host is 6-0 SU and ATS in the last six series clashes and 9-1 SU and ATS in the last 10. The winner covered the number in all 10 of those battles.
The Blazers, who have played nine of their last 11 games on the highway, are 8-4 SU and ATS in their last 12 as a visitor. Also, the winner is 17-1 ATS in Portland?s last 18 road contests
New Orleans went just 9-7 in its first 16 home games (7-9 ATS), have taken four in a row SU and ATS on their own floor, blowing out Miami, Seattle, Charlotte and Milwaukee by margins of 26, 31, 28 and 14 points. During their four-game home winning streak, the Hornets have averaged 113.8 points per contest.
The over is 6-2 in the Hornets? last eight overall (3-0 last three) and 5-1 in their last six at home (4-0 last four). However, the under is 7-1 in Portland?s last eight against Southwest Division foes, 8-3 in Portland?s last 10 against the Northwest and 2-0 in the last two series meetings (both in Oregon).
ATS ADVANTAGE: NEW ORLEANS
L.A. Lakers (27-12, 23-16 ATS) at San Antonio (26-13, 18-20-1 ATS)
The Lakers look to continue their hot streak when they visit the SBC Center in San Antonio in a clash of two of the Western Conference?s top dogs.
After having its seven-game winning streak snapped in Thursday?s 106-98 home loss to Phoenix, Los Angeles bounced back with Monday?s 116-99 thrashing of the Nuggets. Phil Jackson?s squad, which has averaged 112 points per game during its 8-1 run, cashed easily as a 3?-point chalk against Denver, halting an 0-4 ATS slide.
Although the Spurs topped the Bobcats 95-86 as a 6?-point road favorite on Monday, they?ve still been surprisingly inconsistent over the past six weeks, losing 10 of their last 19. They?re also just 4-12 ATS in their last 16 outings (3-7 ATS at home).
San Antonio routed the Lakers 107-92 as an eight-point home favorite back on Nov. 13, but L.A. got revenge exactly one month later, prevailing 102-97 but coming up just shy as a six-point favorite. In the latter contest, the Spurs played without All-Stars Tony Parker and Tim Duncan.
Although the host won the first two meetings this year, the visitor has won five of the last eight in this series and cashed in eight of the last 11. During this stretch, the Lakers are 4-1 ATS in San Antonio.
The Spurs are 19-4 on their home floor, but just 12-10-1 ATS. They?re also mired in ATS funks of 0-6 following an outright win, 0-4 against the Pacific Division, 1-4 against Western Conference opponents and 5-9 as a favorite of less than eight points.
Los Angeles has won five straight road games (3-2 ATS) and is 8-2 in its last 10 on the highway (7-3 ATS). Furthermore, the Lakers are on positive pointspread streaks of 5-1 as an underdog, 7-1 as a ?dog of less than seven points, 10-4 against the Western Conference and 5-1 on Wednesdays.
The Lakers are averaging 109.4 ppg in their last five contests, compared with San Antonio?s 91.6 ppg average in its last five. However, the Spurs are surrendering just 85.8 ppg in their last five, while L.A. is yielding 106 ppg.
The Lakers have stayed under the total in four of its last six overall and seven of nine on the road. The under is also 16-6 in San Antonio?s last 22 overall (7-4 at home). Finally, the under is 7-3 in the last 10 series encounters and 6-1 in the last seven meetings at the SBC Center, with the lone ?over? occurring in the Nov. 13 meeting this year.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. LAKERS and UNDER