THE SPORTS ADVISORS
NCAAB
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Villanova (13-5, 5-10 ATS) at (18) Pittsburgh (16-4, 10-5 ATS)
The Wildcats, who have dropped out of the Top 25 rankings after a two-game slide, travel across the state for a Big East matchup against Pittsburgh, looks to avenge a loss earlier this month at Villanova.
Villanova was upended at home 90-80 by Notre Dame on Saturday as a 2?-point chalk, its second consecutive SU and ATS loss, giving up 80 or more in both contests. The Wildcats dropped to 3-4 SU and 1-6 ATS in conference play, with the lone cover coming in an 81-71 victory at Syracuse as a 4?-point underdog. Going back to non-league action, Villanova is mired in a 1-8 ATS slump.
Pittsburgh also stumbled at home Saturday, losing to lowly Rutgers 77-64 as an overwhelming 18-point favorite to halt a 13-game home win streak that dated to last season. The Pirates are still above .500 in the Big East (4-3) and are 5-2 ATS in conference action. They are averaging 76.8 points per game overall, but they?ve been held under 70 in four of their seven league matchups.
Villanova squeaked out a 64-63 win over Pitt on Jan. 6 but failed to cash as a three-point home favorite. These two teams met just once last season, with the Panthers taking a 65-59 road win as a two-point pup. The underdog has cashed in each of the last three meetings.
The Wildcats are in ATS slides of 1-3 on the highway, 1-7 ATS in Big East play and 1-4 against teams with a winning percentage over .600.
The Panthers are 5-2 ATS at home this season despite Saturday?s setback, and they?re on additional positive ATS streaks of 10-4 overall, 5-0 after a SU loss, 4-0 versus teams with a winning percentage above .600 and 21-8 on Wednesday.
The over is on a 2-0 run for Pittsburgh and is 8-3 for the Panthers at home. The Wildcats have also followed a 4-0 ?under? run by clearing the posted price in their last two. However, each of the last four series meetings in this rivalry have stayed under.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PITTSBURGH
(1) Memphis (19-0, 10-7-2 ATS) at Houston (15-3, 10-9 ATS)
The top-ranked Tigers, one of just two unbeaten teams in the country, travel to Texas for a Conference USA battle against Houston.
Memphis, taking a step out of its predominantly weak conference, held off a solid Gonzaga squad 81-73 on Saturday, but failed to cash as a 13-point home chalk, just the second non-cover for the Tigers in their last 10 games. Memphis, eighth in the country in offensive rebounding and 14th on the defensive end, posted a 39-25 edge on the boards against Gonzaga, including 15 offensive rebounds.
Houston dropped Marshall 70-58 at home Saturday giving 10? points to move to 4-0 in conference play (2-2 ATS). The Cougars are 11-1 at home this season (3-4 ATS in lined games), with the lone blemish being an 85-71 defeat to Pac-10 stalwart Arizona as a one-point favorite.
Memphis has owned this series recently, winning five straight, including three last season, all by double digits. But the Tigers are just 2-3 ATS in those five contests (1-2 ATS last season). Although the underdog is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings and the Tigers are just 3-8 ATS the last 11 in this series, the road team is on a 14-2 ATS run and Memphis has covered in five of its last six trips to Houston.
The Tigers are 4-1 ATS in Conference USA, favored by no less than 13 points in any of those contest. Their lone ATS setback was when they beat Rice 77-50 as 27?-point favorites. Memphis is also 4-1 ATS against teams with a winning percentage over .600. On a negative note, John Calipari?s squad is 1-6 ATS against teams with a winning record.
The Cougars hold positive ATS trends of 4-1 on Wednesday, 7-2-2 in conference play and 8-3 against teams with a winning record. But they are 4-10-1 ATS coming off a spread-cover and 3-13 ATS at home against teams with a winning road record (Memphis is 8-0 SU in road/neutral-site games).
The under is on runs of 3-0 for Houston overall, 4-1 for Memphis overall, 3-1 for Memphis on the road and 8-0 in this series.
ATS ADVANTAGE: MEMPHIS and UNDER
Creighton (14-5, 10-5 ATS) at (16) Drake (18-1, 12-3 ATS)
The Bluejays get an almost immediate shot at redemption when they travel to Iowa for a Missouri Valley Conference clash with red-hot Drake, which beat Creighton in Omaha last week.
Creighton scored just 19 second-half points in Saturday?s 48-44 loss at Southern Illinois, but did manage to get the cash as a 4?-point pup, moving to 6-1 ATS in its last seven starts, with the only non-cover coming against Drake. The Bluejays (5-4 SU, 6-3 ATS in the MVC) have dropped two straight league games after a five-game winning streak.
Drake edged Northern Iowa 58-54 on Saturday for its 17th consecutive victory, but the Bulldogs failed to cash as an 8?-point home favorite, dropping to 11-3 ATS in lined games during its winning streak. Drake (9-0 SU, 6-3 ATS in the MVC) allows just 58.2 ppg, good for 12th in the country.
The Bulldogs outlasted Creighton 68-60 in overtime on Jan. 22, covering as a 4?-point road ?dog to halt a 6-0 SU and ATS run by the Bluejays in this series, all as a favorite. Last year, Creighton won 67-62 at Drake as a 3?-point favorite, three weeks after a 79-56 blowout home win laying 10 points. Creighton is 4-1 ATS in its last five trips to Drake.
Including Saturday?s cover at Southern Illinois, the Bluejays have now cashed in four straight on the highway this season and are 5-2 ATS overall in true road games. They are on additional positive pointspread streaks of 25-10 overall, 10-3 following a loss, 37-17 in the MVC and 13-6 against teams with a winning percentage above .600.
The Bulldogs sport ATS streaks of 7-1 at home, 7-1 versus teams with a winning percentage over .600, 5-2 following a non-cover and 11-5 on Wednesday. On the negative side, they are 1-6 ATS in their last seven against teams with a winning record.
For Creighton, the under is on a 2-0 surge following four straight games in which the total hurdled the posted price. The under is also 8-1 following a SU loss and 25-12 on the highway for the Bluejays.
The over is 13-5 in Creighton?s last 18 games and 9-1 in its last 10 following a spread-cover. However the under is 25-12 in its last 37 on the highway and 8-1 in its last nine following a SU loss. Also, the under is 13-2 overall for Drake this season, including 7-1 at home and 5-1 in the last six. Finally, each of the last three meetings has stayed low.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CREIGHTON and UNDER
(2) Kansas (20-0, 13-5 ATS) at (22) Kansas State (14-4, 7-5 ATS)
The Jayhawks, who join Memphis as the only unbeaten teams in the country, travel to Manhattan for a Big 12 battle with instate rival Kansas State.
Kansas pounded Nebraska 84-49 as a 20-point home chalk on Saturday, moving to 5-0 in the Big 12 (4-1 ATS). The Jayhawks held Nebraska to just 30 percent shooting, while knocking down 52.5 percent of their shots (32 of 61), just a tick above their season average of 51.6 percent (2nd in the nation).
Kansas State flattened Iowa State 82-57 on Saturday as an 11?-point home favorite for its fifth straight victory overall. After squeaking past Oklahoma 84-82 as a 7?-point road pup to open conference play, the Wildcats (4-0 SU and ATS in the Big 12) have won their last three by at least 16 points, and they are shooting a sturdy 48.3 percent over their last five games.
Kansas is on a 4-0 run in this series (3-1 ATS), with three of the victories coming last season, including a 71-62 road win as a five-point favorite. Since the 2003-04 season, the Jayhawks are on a 9-1 SU run against K-State (6-4 ATS). Going back even further, Bill Self?s team is on a 14-5 ATS roll in this rivalry, including eight consecutive spread-covers in Manhattan. In fact, the road team is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 clashes.
The Jayhawks are on ATS streaks of 7-2 overall, 8-3 on the road, 26-9 in Wednesday games and 7-1 against teams with a winning percentage over .600.
The Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in their last five home starts and a solid 21-7 ATS in Big 12 play going back to last season. But they are just 5-14 ATS in their last 19 against winning teams.
The over is on runs of 6-1 for Kansas overall, 5-1 for Kansas in Big 12 play, 9-4 for Kansas State overall and 6-2 for Kansas State at home. However, four of the last five meetings in this series have stayed under the posted price.
ATS ADVANTAGE: KANSAS
(10) Texas (16-3, 7-7 ATS) at (23) Texas A&M (16-4, 6-8 ATS)
The Longhorns take their three-game winning streak to College Station for a matchup against archrival Texas A&M in a Big 12 showdown.
Texas blasted Texas Tech 73-47 as a 10?-point home chalk Saturday, halting an 0-3 ATS skid and improving to 3-1 SU in the Big 12 (1-3 ATS). The Longhorns are shooting 47.4 percent for the season, but that number has dropped to 42.9 percent in conference play, while Big 12 opponents are converting 44.1 percent of their attempts against Texas.
Texas A&M edged Oklahoma State 59-56 as a 1?-point road favorite on Saturday, snapping a three-game SU and ATS slide to improve to 2-3 in the Big 12 (1-4 ATS). The Aggies, hitting 49.1 percent from the field this season, eclipsed that by shooting 51.2 percent against the Cowboys. That came on the heels of a dismal 35-of-94 effort (37.2 percent) in a five-overtime home loss to Baylor a week ago.
In this series, the home team is on runs of 8-0 SU and 8-2-1 ATS in this rivalry, with A&M posting a 100-82 rout at home last season as a seven-point favorite, then losing a 98-96 overtime thriller as a one-point road pup in Austin.
The Longhorns are on ATS slides of 2-6 ATS overall and 1-4 ATS against teams with a winning record. On a positive note, they are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 when coming off a win.
The Aggies are 28-12 ATS in their last 40 against teams with a winning percentage above .600 and 4-1 ATS in their last five versus teams with a winning record. But they are 1-4 ATS in their last five overall and 1-5 ATS in their last six Big 12 meetings.
The over is 4-1 in the last five head-to-head clashes, including 3-0 in the last three. However, the under is on current streaks of 6-1 for Texas (3-0 last three) and 5-2 for A&M. The under is also 9-5 for both teams this season.
ATS ADVANTAGE: TEXAS A&M and UNDER
NBA
Golden State (27-19, 20-26 ATS) at New Orleans (32-12, 29-14-1 ATS)
The Warriors look to avoid becoming the Hornets? 10th straight victim when the two meet in New Orleans in a Western Conference showdown between two red-hot squads.
Golden State comes in off Tuesday?s 111-107 loss in Houston as a three-point road underdog. Although the Warriors are still 7-3 in their last 10, they?re just 2-7 ATS in their last nine, including four consecutive non-covers.
Don Nelson?s club, which has been getting it done with offense all year, has topped the century mark in 10 straight outings. During this run, Golden State is putting up an astounding 112.4 points per game, notching at least 105 in each contest. On the downside, the Warriors have given up 101 points or more 12 times in their last 14 games, yielding an average of 110.6 ppg over this stretch.
The Hornets dismantled the Nuggets on Monday 117-93 as 9?-point home favorites, their ninth consecutive win and cover. New Orleans is not only the hottest team in the NBA, but eight of the nine victories during its winning streak have come by 14 points or more. Over just its last five games, the Hornets have averaged 106.4 points a game and shot 49.2 percent from the field while limiting the opposition to 87.2 ppg and 42.7 percent shooting.
Golden State is 3-1 SU and ATS in its last four against New Orleans, but the loss was earlier this month when the Hornets went to Oakland and scored a 116-104 win as 2?-point ?dogs. The home team is 7-3 SU and 6-3-1 ATS in the last 10 head-to-head meetings dating back to 2005.
During their nine-game winning streak, the Hornets are 7-0 at home. They?ve been favored by at least 7? points in each contest, yet managed to cover the spread by at least seven in all but one of those games.
Including last night?s loss at Houston, Golden State is now 14-11 on the highway this year (12-13 ATS).
The Warriors are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 against Southwest Division squads, but the Hornets are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 against the Pacific Division and 21-7 ATS in their last 28 Wednesday outings.
The over is 6-2 in the last eight series meetings in the Big Easy, 35-17-1 in the Warriors? last 53 Wednesday tip-offs, 6-2 in the Warriors last eight overall and 5-1 in the Hornets? last six overall. However, the under is 11-4 in New Orleans? last 15 Wednesday tip-offs.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NEW ORLEANS and OVER
Cleveland (24-19, 20-23 ATS) at Portland (26-18 SU and ATS)
The Cavaliers are gunning for their fifth straight road win as they visit the Rose Garden for a matchup with the suddenly slumping Blazers.
Cleveland, which hasn?t won five in a row on the highway in almost a decade, comes into this one 4-0 SU and ATS in its last four away from Ohio, including Sunday?s 98-95 win at the Lakers as four-point ?dogs. The Cavaliers have won 10 of 12 overall this month (7-5 ATS) and conclude this short three-game trip in Seattle on Thursday.
Portland rallied to edge Atlanta 94-93 on Sunday, but failed to get the cash as a six-point home chalk, its third straight non-cover. The Blazers, who have played their last two at home, are just 4-5 SU and 3-6 ATS since going on a brutal seven-game, 11-day Eastern Conference road trip that started in mid-January.
The Cavs are 5-2 SU and ATS in the last seven series meetings against Portland. However, the home team has pretty much owned this rivalry lately (8-2 SU and ATS in the last 10).
Despite their recent hot streak on the road, the Cavs are still just 11-12 overall as a visitor this season (13-10 ATS). On the bright side, Cleveland is on ATS runs of 25-10-1 on the road against teams with a winning home mark, 4-1 against the Western Conference and 5-1 against Northwest Division squads.
Despite failing to cash in its last two at home, Portland is still 11-3 ATS in its last 14 at home. The Blazers are on additional ATS tears of 7-2 following a non-cover and 4-1 on two days? rest.
The under is 6-2 in Cleveland?s last eight road games and 41-20-1 in Portland?s last 62 Wednesday tip-offs. However, the over is 5-2 in the Cavs? last seven overall.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CLEVELAND
