SPORTS ADVISORS
BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
(at New York)
Villanova (20-11, 12-16 ATS) vs. (9) Georgetown (25-4, 11-15 ATS)
Villanova (10-9, 8-11 ATS in conference) made a big statement to the NCAA Tournament selection committee with Wednesday?s opening-round 82-63 rout of Syracuse, cashing as a 2?-point underdog. The Wildcats are on streaks of 6-2 overall and 7-2 ATS, with the only outright losses coming against NCAA Tournament locks Marquette (85-75 at home) and Louisville (68-54 on the road).
Georgetown (15-3, 7-11 ATS in conference) held off Louisville 55-52 at home on Saturday to secure its second consecutive Big East regular-season championship. The Hoyas enter the tournament riding a five-game winning streak, but they?re just 3-7 ATS in their last 10, including failing to cover as a 3?-point chalk against Louisville on Saturday.
Underdogs went 3-1 ATS in Wednesday?s opening-round tournament action.
Georgetown scored a 55-53 victory over Villanova back on Feb. 11 in what proved to be one of the most controversial finishes of the entire college hoops season. With the game tied at 53, Villanova was whistled for a questionable foul with 0.1 seconds left, putting the Hoyas on the foul line, where they won the game with two free throws.
The Hoyas have won the last three series meetings, including a 62-57 victory as a 3?-point favorite in last year?s Big East tournament. Still, Villanova is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 head-to-head clashes, and the underdog is 9-3 ATS in the last 12.
All four of Georgetown?s losses came on the highway, where it finished 9-4 SU and 6-7 ATS, including 6-3 in Big East play (5-4 ATS). Also, the Hoyas, who won last year?s Big East tournament, are 5-2-1 in this event the last three years.
After yesterday?s win over Syracuse, the Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in their last five on the highway, starting with the spread-cover at Georgetown. The Wildcats are also on ATS streaks of 4-2 as an underdog, 5-1 after a SU win and 5-1 after spread-cover.
The under is on streaks of 10-1 for Villanova overall (9-1 in conference), 52-23 for Georgetown overall (10-3 in the last 13), 43-17 for Georgetown when coming off a victory, 42-17 for Georgetown in conference play and 4-0 in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE: VILLANOVA and UNDER
West Virginia (23-9, 13-12 ATS) vs. UConn (24-7, 13-13-1 ATS)
West Virginia (12-7, 9-10 ATS in conference) struggled to put away Providence in Wednesday?s tournament opener, prevailing 58-53, but coming up short as an 8?-point chalk. The Mountaineers have won five of their last six and 8 of 11, all in conference action, but they?ve followed up a 5-1-1 ATS run by failing to cash in three of their last four.
Connecticut (13-5, 10-7-1 ATS in conference) capped its regular season with Sunday?s 96-51 blistering of Cincinnati as an 11?-point home chalk, earning a first-round bye and shaking off a stunning 85-76 loss at Providence last Thursday laying five points. The Huskies are 3-1 SU and ATS in their last four starts, and they?re on a 13-2 roll in their last 15 games overall (9-5-1 ATS), with a 10-game win streak as part of that run.
Twelve days ago, UConn topped West Virginia 79-71 as a three-point home chalk in the only meeting this season between the two teams. The Huskies are 5-1 SU and ATS in the last six series clashes, all as a favorite.
The Mountaineers are on positive ATS runs of 6-3 after a pointspread setback and 20-9-1 in neutral site games, but they?re mired in pointspread funks of 1-4 in the Big East tournament, 4-10 following a SU victory and 1-3 as an underdog.
The Huskies, who went 7-3-1 ATS in their first 10 Big East games, are 3-4 ATS in their last seven conference starts. Also, UConn has gotten knocked out in the first round of the Big East tournament each of the last two years, and is 0-3 SU and ATS in its last three conference tourney games, with all three defeats coming against Syracuse.
The over is on streaks of 4-1 for West Virginia overall, 9-5-1 for West Virginia at neutral sites and 4-0 for UConn overall. Also, this year?s meeting between the schools hurdled the total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Pitt (23-9, 14-13 ATS) vs. Louisville (24-7, 17-11-1 ATS)
Pittsburgh (11-8, 9-10 ATS in conference) advanced to today?s quarterfinals after fending off Cincinnati 70-64 on Wednesday, failing to cover as an 8?-point chalk. The Panthers have followed up a three-game losing skid by winning four of their last five. However, they struggled against lately, going just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 starts, all in the Big East.
Louisville (14-4, 13-4-1 ATS in the Big East) had a nine-game winning streak halted in Saturday?s regular-season finale at Georgetown, falling 55-52 in a game that decided the Big East regular-season champion. On the bright side, the Cardinals narrowly covered as a 3?-point underdog on Saturday, improving to 9-1 ATS in their last 10 starts, all in conference action. Seven of Louisville?s nine victories during its recent win streak came by at least eight points, and five were by double digits.
In this year?s lone meeting on Feb. 24, Louisville escaped with a 75-73 road win at Pitt as a one-point pup. However, Pitt has eliminated the Cardinals in each of the last two Big East tournaments, winning 65-59 as a three-point chalk in last year?s semifinals and 61-56 as a four-point favorite in the opening round of the 2006 event.
The Cardinals are a red-hot 16-3-1 ATS in their last 19 outside Louisville and have further positive ATS trends of 14-3-1 overall, 7-1 after a spread-cover and 24-6-2 in Big East play. Meanwhile, Pitt has alternated SU wins and losses in its last four Big East road contests, but the Panthers are just 1-5 ATS in their six on the highway and 0-4 ATS in their last four as an underdog.
The over is on a 7-0 tear for Pittsburgh (4-0 ?over? on the road). However, Louisville has followed a 4-1 ?over? streak by staying under the total in its last two. Also, the under is 4-1 in the last five head-to-head meetings, the lone ?over? coming in last month?s clash.
ATS ADVANTAGE: LOUISVILLE
Marquette (23-8, 14-11 ATS) vs. Notre Dame (24-6, 14-13 ATS)
Marquette (12-7, 10-9 ATS in conference) opened postseason play with Wednesday?s 67-54 victory over Seton Hall, pulling away in the final two minutes to cover as an 11-point favorite. The victory came on the heels of Saturday?s 87-72 wipeout at Syracuse, and the Golden Eagles are now 7-2 ATS in their last nine lined outings (all in the Big East).
Notre Dame (14-4 in conference) nabbed a bye as the conference?s second seed by finishing the season on a 3-0 run (2-1 ATS), including Saturday?s 67-60 win at South Florida as a five-point favorite. The Fighting Irish have won 11 of their last 13, including six of the last seven, and they?re on a 5-1 ATS roll, all in Big East play.
These two teams split their regular-season matchups this year, but Marquette took the cash both times. The Golden Eagles posted a 92-66 home rout laying 6? points on Jan. 12, then lost 86-83 on the road but covered as a 4?-point pup on Feb. 9.
The Golden Eagles are 6-2 ATS in their last eight neutral-site contests (3-0 this year) and 6-1 ATS in their last seven on the highway. However, they?re 0-3 ATS in their last three as an underdog.
The Irish are 5-2 ATS in their last seven as a visitor (all in Big East play), including 3-0 ATS in the last three. Also, Notre Dame has cashed in three straight Big East tournament games.
Marquette stayed under the total in last night?s game against Seton Hall, ending a 3-0 ?over? streak overall and a 7-0 ?over? streak on the road. Also, the over is 19-8 in the Eagles? last 27 neutral-site contests. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has followed up a 13-1 ?over? run by staying under the number in its last two. However, the over is still 7-1 in the Irish?s last eight outside of South Bend, and both of this year?s meetings with Marquette sailed over the posted price.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
ACC TOURNAMENT
(at Charlotte, N.C.)
Virginia (15-14, 13-11 ATS) vs. Georgia Tech (14-16, 14-14 ATS)
Georgia Tech (7-9, 9-7 ATS in conference) rebounded from a five-game losing skid (1-4 ATS) at the end of February to win three of four both SU and ATS, including Saturday?s 86-78 road win at Boston College as 2?-point underdogs. The Yellow Jackets are 4-1 ATS in their last four.
Virginia (5-11, 8-8 ATS) went 4-2 SU (5-1 ATS) to finish the season and crushed Maryland 91-76 in the regular-season finale on Sunday as a 1 ?-point favorite. The Cavaliers won two of their last three road games ? cashing in all three ? with the lone loss coming in Miami by a bucket, 95-93, as a seven-point pup.
The ?Jackets have won seven of the last 10 series clashes both SU and ATS dating back to 2002, and they?re 11-3-1 ATS in the last 14 head-to-head battles. However, the schools split the year?s season series with the road team getting the SU and ATS triumph in each outing, as Georgia Tech scored a 92-82 OT win in Virginia as 4?-point ?dogs on Jan. 27 and the Cavaliers returned the favor on March 3, winning 76-74 as 4?-point pups.
Georgia Tech is 0-5 ATS in its last five neutral-site contests, while Virginia is 1-5-1 ATS in its last seven on neutral sites.
The under is on runs of 7-3 for Virginia overall, 7-1 for Virginia on Thursday and 3-1 in this rivalry. However, the over is 12-5 in Georgia Tech?s last 17 overall, including 11-5 in ACC play.
ATS ADVANTAGE: GEORGIA TECH
Boston College (13-16, 10-14 ATS) vs. Maryland (18-13, 11-14-1 ATS)
Boston College (4-12, 7-9 ATS in conference) ended the season with a thud, losing six straight (2-4 ATS) and 12 of 13 (4-9 ATS). The Eagles haven?t won a game in almost a month, last tasting victory against N.C. State on Feb. 14, winning 82-65 as four-point home favorites. Four of Boston College?s six straight losses have come by eight points or more, including Saturday?s 86-78 home setback to Georgia Tech as a 2?-point chalk.
Maryland?s NCAA Tournament hopes have faded thanks to a 1-4 SU and ATS slump to end the regular season. On Saturday, the Terps (8-8, 8-7-1 ATS in conference) got drilled by Virginia in their finale 91-76 as a 1?-point road ?dog. Prior to its current 1-4 ATS slump, Maryland had gone 5-0-1 ATS.
The road team swept the season series this year, with B.C. getting an 81-78 win at Maryland on Dec. 9 as six-point pups and the Terps returning the favor on Feb. 6 with 70-65 victory as a one-point road chalk. Since 2005, Boston College is 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS in head-to-head matchups.
The Eagles are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 as an underdog overall, but they?re on positive pointspread streaks of 13-6 as a pup of less than seven points, 9-3 on Thursdays, 8-2 at neutral sites and 5-1 as a neutral-site underdog. Meanwhile, Maryland is 4-1 ATS in its last five as a favorite, 11-5 ATS in its last 16 after a defeat and 5-2 ATS in its last seven on Thursdays, but at neutral sites, the Terps are on ATS nosedives of 0-4 overall and 1-5 as a chalk.
The under is 6-3 in the Terps? last nine overall, 16-7 in their last 23 as a favorite and 6-2 in the Eagles? last eight as an underdog.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON COLLEGE
BIG 12 TOURNAMENT
(at Kansas City, Mo.)
Missouri (16-15, 8-17 ATS) vs. Nebraska (18-11, 9-12 ATS)
Missouri (6-10, 4-12 ATS in conference) ended the regular season on a six-game ATS slide (2-4 SU), including Saturday?s 75-66 loss at Oklahoma catching seven points. The Tigers won just four of their last 11 games, and they were even worse against the number, going 2-9 ATS, all in conference play.
Nebraska (7-9 SU and ATS in conference) halted a two-game SU skid by ripping lowly Colorado 68-49 Sunday as an 11-point home chalk for its second straight spread-cover. The Huskers finished a mediocre season in strong fashion, going 5-1 ATS in their last six starts (4-2 SU), including a 65-59 upset win at Texas A&M as a 10?-point pup.
These two teams tend to like close games and overtime, as six of the last 10 clashes have been decided by five points or less, and two of the last three went to OT. The road team won and cashed in each meeting this season, with Nebraska prevailing 66-62 getting 4? points on Jan. 30, and Missouri earning an 86-78 overtime win as a four-point pup two weeks later, stopping the Huskers? 4-0 SU and ATS series run.
The Tigers are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 Thursday outings, but the pointspread trends are all negative from there, including: 8-21 overall, 18-37-1 in the Big 12, 2-5 in neutral venues, 1-4 after a SU loss and 0-5 after a non-cover. The Huskers are 4-1 ATS against winning teams, 4-1 ATS at neutral sites and 9-4 as a favorite of less than seven points, but they are 2-5 ATS on Thursday, 3-8 ATS after a spread-cover and 4-11 ATS after a SU win.
For Missouri, the over is on streaks of an 8-2 overall, 8-1 at neutral sites, 5-1 after a SU loss and 21-5-1 when the Tigers are an underdog. The over is also 19-7 when Nebraska is favored by less than seven points. Finally, the over/under has alternated the last six in this series, with last month?s overtime battle soaring over the 139-point posted price.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Iowa State (14-17, 13-11 ATS) vs. Texas A&M (22-9, 12-13 ATS)
Texas A&M (8-8, 7-9 ATS in conference) got drubbed by Kansas 72-55 on Saturday as a five-point home underdog, continuing its roller-coaster ride during the season?s second half. In their last 15 games, the Aggies went 7-8, starting with a three-game losing streak, followed by a five-game win streak and an other three-game skid, then alternated wins and losses in their last four games. The one constant over that stretch: the straight-up winner cashed in all 15 contests.
Iowa State (4-12, 9-7 ATS in conference) fell just short in Saturday?s home game against Kansas State, losing 73-69 but getting the cash as a 4?-point home ?dog. The Cyclones are on a terrible run entering the postseason, having lost five in a row (3-2 ATS) and nine of their last 10 (4-5 ATS), all in conference.
Texas A&M is on a 4-1 run in this series (5-0 ATS), including a 69-51 road rout on Feb. 5 as a six-point chalk in the only meeting this year. Three of A&M?s wins during its five-game win streak against the Cyclones were by 16 or more points. Finally, the favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last seven matchups.
The Cyclones are mired in ATS slumps of 2-6-1 at neutral venues and 1-5-1 ATS as a neutral-site underdog. Conversely, the Aggies are on positive pointspread runs of 9-2 at neutral sites, 4-1 as a neutral-site favorite, 11-5 after a SU loss and 9-4 as a favorite of 12 points or less.
The over is on 6-1-1 in Iowa State?s last eight overall and 13-3-1 in its last 17 at neutral venues. But for Texas A&M, the under on streaks of 5-2 overall, 6-1 as a favorite and 5-1 at neutral sites. Also, the last two series meetings have stayed below the posted total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: TEXAS A&M
SEC TOURNAMENT
(at Atlanta)
Alabama (16-15, 10-15 ATS) vs. Florida (21-10, 11-11 ATS)
Two-time defending national champion Florida (8-8 SU and ATS in conference), playing its way right out of this year?s NCAA Tournament, dropped its last three games, including a 75-70 setback Sunday at Kentucky as a three-point pup. The Gators failed to cash in all three contests and are just 3-7 SU and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 starts, all in conference play.
Alabama (5-11, 7-9 ATS in conference) knocked off 16th-ranked Vanderbilt 78-73 in overtime Saturday as a two-point home favorite, moving to 3-1 ATS in its last four games (2-2 SU). The Crimson Tide, however, went 4-6 SU and ATS in their last 10 SEC contests.
These two teams met just once this season, with Florida taking a 90-83 road win Jan. 8, cashing as a 3?-point underdog to halt Alabama?s two-game ATS run in this series. Florida has won eight of the past 10 meetings (6-3-1 ATS), including a 68-62 win as a one-point favorite in the 2005 SEC tournament. Finally, the underdog is cashed in the last three battles.
The Crimson Tide are stuck in ATS ruts of 6-14 after a victory, 3-8 as an underdog, 2-5 as a pup in neutral-site game, 1-5 on Thursdays and 1-6 after a spread-cover. Meanwhile, the Gators are 0-4 ATS in their last four as a favorite and 1-6 ATS in their last seven against winning teams, but 22-8-1 ATS in their last 31 at neutral venues, including 20-8-1 ATS as a favorite.
The under is 8-3 in Alabama?s last 11 an underdog, but otherwise the over is on streaks for the Tide of 7-0 on Thursdays, 4-0 at neutral sites and 7-3 after a SU win. Meanwhile, for Florida, the over is on streaks of 6-2-1 overall, 9-1 after a SU defeat, 7-2 on Thursdays and 4-1 at a neutral site.
ATS ADVANTAGE: FLORIDA and OVER
Georgia (13-16, 12-13 ATS) vs. Ole Miss (21-9, 11-14 ATS)
Mississippi (7-9, 6-10 ATS in conference) is looking to bolster its NCAA Tournament case in an immediate rematch with Georgia, having whipped the Bulldogs 76-62 Saturday as a 1?-point road underdog for its third straight victory (2-1 ATS). The Rebels are 4-2 SU and ATS in their last six contests, all in SEC play.
With Saturday?s loss, Georgia (4-12, 7-9 ATS in conference) ended the regular season on a 1-6 freefall and has followed up a 4-0 ATS run by going 1-4 against the number in its last five. Going back to January, the Bulldogs are just 2-11 (5-8 ATS), all within the SEC.
Mississippi has won and covered the last two in this rivalry, snapping a 6-1 SU and 7-0 ATS run by Georgia. In last year?s lone meeting, the Rebels rolled to a 67-49 home win as a three-point chalk. The favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last seven matchups.
The Rebels are on a host of negative ATS runs, including 5-11 against losing teams, 3-7 as a favorite, 2-5 after a SU win, 2-8 on Thursday and 1-4 after a spread-cover. Likewise, the Bulldogs are on pointspread declines of 2-5 at neutral venues, 7-19 as an underdog and 1-4 as a neutral site ?dog.
For Georgia, the over is 14-6 in its last 20 neutral-site contests, but the under is 5-0 in its last five against winning teams. The under is also 5-1-1 in Mississippi?s last seven overall and 5-0 in the last five head-to-head battles between these schools
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
ATLANTIC-10 TOURNAMENT
(at Atlantic City, N.J.)
Dayton (21-9, 11-14 ATS) vs. (10) Xavier (26-5, 13-14 ATS)
Xavier (14-2 in conference, 6-10 ATS) rolled to the regular-season Atlantic 10 championship, winning it by three games over second-place Temple. The Musketeers closed the regular-season on an 18-2 run, but went just 9-10 ATS in lined games. However, they have cashed in four of their last six, including Saturday?s 86-61 rout of Richmond as a 16?-point home chalk.
Dayton (9-8, 6-11 ATS in conference) needed overtime to knock off Saint Louis 63-62 on Wednesday, failing to cover as a six-point chalk. The Flyers have bounced back from a 3-8 SU slump to win four in a row (2-2 ATS). However, they?re just 4-11 ATS in their last 15, all in Atlantic 10 action. Also, they haven?t advanced past the second round of the A-10 tournament since the 2003-04 season.
Xavier swept the season series from the Flyers, rolling to a 69-43 victory as an 11-point home favorite on Jan. 24, then going Dayton exactly one month later and pulling out a 57-51 win as a 4?-point road chalk. The Musketeers are 5-0 SU and ATS against Dayton the last two years, including a 72-51 rout as 10-point favorite in last year?s Atlantic 10 Tournament. The favorite is 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.
The Musketeers went 6-2 in A-10 road games this season (3-5 ATS), and they also went 2-0 SU and ATS in their two neutral-site contests. They?re also 10-2 ATS in their last 12 conference tournament games. Meanwhile, Dayton has followed up a five-game SU and ATS road losing skid with three straight wins in foreign venues (2-1 ATS). However, the Flyers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight A-10 tournament contests.
Both meetings between these schools this season stayed under the total, and last year?s conference tournament matchup also remained low. Also, Xavier enters the tournament on a 10-5 ?under? streak, but Dayton has topped the total in five of its last seven, including the last three in a row.
ATS ADVANTAGE: XAVIER and UNDER
Charlotte (19-12, 17-10-1 ATS) vs. UMass (21-9, 14-12-1 ATS)
UMass (10-6, 8-7-1 ATS in conference) had a bye in the first round of the A-10 tournament and enters the league tournament riding a six-game winning streak (5-1 ATS). On Saturday, the Minutemen barely kept their streak alive with a 67-63 victory at George Washington, coming up short as a 5?-point road chalk.
Charlotte (10-7, 11-5-1 ATS in conference) ran its SU and ATS winning streaks to four in a row with Wednesday?s 75-73 upset victory over Rhode Island as a two-point underdog in opening-round tournament action. The 49ers, who ended the regular season with a win over Rhode Island on Saturday, are on a 7-2 ATS roll.
In the lone meeting between these schools this season, UMass prevailed 86-79, pushing as a seven-point road underdog.
The Minutemen have won three straight road games (3-0 ATS) during their current winning streak, boosting their A-10 road record to 5-3 SU and ATS. Also, UMass is 2-0 SU and ATS on neutral courts. However, it is 0-4 SU and ATS the last four years in the Atlantic 10 tournament, including last year?s 74-71 opening round overtime loss to Saint Louis as a seven-point favorite.
The 49ers are now 11-2 ATS as an underdog this season, but despite last night?s win, they?re still just 8-19 ATS in their last 27 neutral-site contests (2-2 SU and ATS this year). Also, prior to the last two wins over Rhode Island, Charlotte had lost three straight A-10 contests on the highway (1-2 ATS).
Charlotte has followed up a 4-1 ?over? streak by staying low in its last two, while UMass is on a 3-1 ?under? streak. However, this year?s meeting topped the total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
(at Indianapolis)
Illinois (13-18, 12-18-1 ATS) vs. Penn State (15-15, 11-14-2 ATS)
Penn State (7-11, 7-10-1 ATS in conference) upset Indiana 68-64 in overtime Sunday as an eight-point home pup. The Nittany Lions have won three of their last four (2-2 ATS) to reach .500 for the season.
Illinois (5-13, 8-10 ATS in conference) topped Minnesota 67-58 Saturday laying five points at home to win and cover for the second time in its last three starts. The Fighting Illini, however, are just 3-7 SU and ATS in their last 10 outings, all in Big Ten play, with the SU winner cashing in every game.
Penn State is on a 3-0 ATS run in this series (2-1 SU), winning both of this year?s meetings by scores of 68-64 as an eight-point road underdog and 52-51 as a five-point home pup. The Nittany Lions are 6-1-1 ATS in the past eight meetings, all as an underdog.
The Illini are on ATS slides of 5-11 at neutral venues, 7-23 after a SU win, 2-7 as a neutral-site chalk, 1-4 after a spread-cover and 1-6 on Thursday.
The Nittany Lions are 6-2 ATS in their last eight as a neutral-site ?dog and 9-4 ATS in their last 13 against losing teams. On the downside, Penn State is stuck in ATS slumps of 5-11-1 as an underdog, 1-4 after a victory and 0-5 after a spread-cover. In fact, the Lions haven?t cashed in back-to-back games since opening Big Ten play 2-0 SU and ATS.
The under is on streaks of 4-0 for Illinois overall, 42-20-2 for Illinois after a victory, 9-4 for Penn State overall (3-0 last three) and 8-3 when Penn State is an underdog.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
PAC-10 TOURNAMENT
(at Los Angeles)
Arizona State (19-11, 14-11-1 ATS) vs. USC (20-10, 17-11 ATS)
USC (11-7 SU and ATS in conference) closed the regular season on a 5-1 surge (4-2 ATS), including Saturday?s 77-64 upset win as a one-point road underdog. However, the only loss during the Trojans? 5-1 run came at Arizona State on March 1, an 80-66 setback as a two-point road underdog.
The Sun Devils (9-9, 10-7-1 ATS in conference) alternated SU wins and losses in their last six contests, and they?re 3-1-1 ATS in their last four, including Saturday?s 77-64 rout of Oregon State as a 9?-point chalk. Arizona State is 3-1-1 ATS in its last five on the highway.
These two squads have alternated wins and losses their last six clashes, but the Sun Devils are 4-1 ATS in the last five. The non-cover came in a 67-53 loss at USC as a 6?-point road ?dog on Feb. 2. Finally, the underdog has cashed in eight of the last 10 series meetings.
The Trojans are on a 34-16 ATS run against teams with a winning record and 4-1 in their last five as a chalk, while Arizona State is 1-4-1 ATS in its last six following an ATS win and 1-4-1 ATS in its last six on Thursdays.
The under is on runs of 21-8 for Arizona State as an underdog, 21-10 for Arizona State in Pac-10 play and 10-4 for ASU in Thursday tip-offs. On the opposite side, for the Trojans, the over is on runs of 5-1 overall, 22-7 in Pac-10 play and 11-5 when they are favored by less than seven points.
ATS ADVANTAGE: USC
California (16-14, 15-12 ATS) vs. (3) UCLA (28-3, 18-10-2 ATS)
UCLA (16-2, 12-6 ATS) won its final seven games to capture its third straight Pac-10 regular-season title and earn a first-round bye. However, the Bruins? final two wins over Stanford (77-67 in overtime on Thursday) and Cal (81-80 on Saturday) came with a side of controversy, as two apparent officials errors allowed the Bruins to steal the victories. Ben Howland?s team, which never came close to covering as a 15?-point home chalk against Cal, has alternated ATS wins and losses in its last six games.
Cal (7-12, 9-10 ATS in conference) snapped a five-game losing skid ? and in the process earned this rematch with UCLA ? by holding off Washington last night 84-81, barely cashing as a 2?-point chalk. Despite winning just once in its last six games, Cal is 5-2 ATS in its last seven contests, including 4-1 ATS as an underdog.
In addition to Saturday?s controversial victory over Cal, UCLA beat the Bears 70-58 as a four-point road chalk. However, last year, Cal eliminated the Bruins in this round of the Pac-10 tournament, scoring a stunning 76-69 overtime victory as a 15-point chalk. In fact, the Bruins have been bounced in the opening round of this event three of the last four years.
UCLA, which is playing this game down the road from campus at the Staples Center, are 3-0 in neutral-site games this season (1-1-1 ATS). Meanwhile, Cal is 9-3 ATS on the highway this year and 3-0 ATS as a double-digit ?dog.
The over is on runs of 22-6-1 for Cal overall, including 14-1 in the last 15 (all in Pac-10 play), and 10-5 for UCLA overall. However the Bruins have stayed under the number in four straight contests away from Pauley Pavilion.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CAL and OVER
Oregon (18-12, 14-11-3 ATS) vs. (21) Washington State (23-7, 15-14 ATS)
Washington State (11-7, 8-10 ATS in conference) won six of eight down the stretch, edging rival Washington 76-73 on Saturday but failing to cash as 9?-point home favorites. The Cougars are 1-3 ATS in their last four after going 4-0 ATS in their previous four.
The Ducks (9-9, 9-7-1 ATS in conference) kept their NCAA Tournament hopes alive by winning three straight games to end the regular season, topping Arizona 78-69 as a 1?-point home chalk on Saturday. Oregon is 3-0-1 ATS in its last four overall and 3-1 ATS in its last four on the highway.
Washington State ended an eight-game losing streak to the Ducks by sweeping the season series this year, winning 69-60 at home on Jan. 20 but failing to cash as 9?-point favorites, then going to Oregon and winning 62-53 as one-point pups. Oregon has dominated the series otherwise, going 8-2 SU and ATS in the last 10 clashes.
Oregon is 9-3-1 in its last 13 at neutral venues, but 1-4 ATS in its last five as a ?dog of less than seven points and 1-4-1 ATS in its last six on Thursdays. At the same time, though, Washington State is mired in pointspread slumps of 1-4 as a chalk and 1-4 at neutral sites.
The under has been the play in each of the last three head-to-head meetings and is 5-1 in Washington State?s last six overall and 41-19 in Oregon?s last 60 Thursday tip-offs. However, the over is 8-3 in the Cougars? last 11 neutral-site games.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Arizona (19-13, 16-13-1 ATS) vs. (11) Stanford (24-6, 14-16 ATS)
Stanford (13-5, 8-10 ATS) in conference saw its dreams of a regular-season Pac-10 title go up in smoke in Thursday?s heartbreaking 77-67 loss at UCLA as an 8?-point underdog. After that defeat, the Cardinal had little left in the tank for Saturday?s game at USC, falling 77-64 as a one-point road favorite. Prior to the two defeats, Stanford had won four in a row and 11 of 12.
Arizona (9-10, 10-9 ATS in conference) routed Oregon State 87-56 last night, easily cashing as an 17?-point favorite. Despite the win, the Wildcats are still just 4-7 in their last 11 contests (5-6 ATS). They?ve also alternated SU and ATS wins and losses in their last five games on the highway, and the winner has cashed in each of their last eight road outings.
These teams played a couple of nail-biters this year, with Stanford coming out on top in both contests, winning 52-46 but failing to cover as a 7?-point home favorite on Jan. 17 and 67-66 as a 1?-point road underdog on Feb. 16. Prior to this year, Arizona had won six in a row against the Cardinal, and it is still 4-2 TS in the last six clashes. Finally, the underdog has cashed in 17 of the last 19 series meetings.
The Cardinal have followed up a 5-0 ATS streak by going 2-6 ATS in their last eight, including 1-3 ATS on the highway. Also, Stanford has been eliminated in the opening round of the Pac-10 tournament each of the last two years and is 1-3 ATS in this event over the past three seasons. Meanwhile, Arizona is 16-6 ATS in its last 22 neutral-site games and 7-3 ATS as an underdog of seven points or less this season, but 2-3 ATS in its last five Pac-10 tournament games.
Stanford has topped the total in eight of its last 10 overall, including five straight on the road, this after a 14-2 ?under? streak. Also, the over is 9-1 in the last 10 series meetings, including 2-0 this year. Finally, Arizona has followed a 5-0 ?under? run by hurdling the posted price in its last two.
ATS ADVANTAGE: ARIZONA and OVER
NBA
Golden State (40-23, 28-35 ATS) at Phoenix (42-22, 29-33-2 ATS)
The streaking Warriors, who have won seven of their last 10 overall and three straight against the Suns, head south to Phoenix for a key Western Conference matchup at the US Airways Center.
After completing a 3-1 SU and ATS road trip, Golden State made a quick pit stop at home last night and topped Toronto 117-106 as a 10-point home favorite, its third consecutive win and cover. It?s the Warriors? first three-game ATS winning streak since they covered four straight from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, a stretch that began with a 15-point home win over the Suns.
Golden State, which leads the NBA in scoring, has put up at least 104 points in 27 consecutive games, but it has surrendered 100-plus points 20 times during this 27-game stretch.
Phoenix has put together two solid home games, beating the Spurs 94-87 on Sunday as 1?-point ?dogs and then blowing out Memphis 132-111 on Tuesday as a 13?-point home chalk. The Suns had gone 2-5 SU and ATS prior to Sunday and still find themselves in sixth place in the Western Conference playoff race, just 1? games ahead of Golden State, which is occupying the eighth and final playoff spot.
Golden State is 3-0 SU in the last three series battles (all at home) and 5-2 ATS in the last seven. However, the home team has dominated this series, going 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in the last 10, including 5-0 in the last five (3-2 ATS). In both meetings this season in Oakland, the Warriors prevailed 129-114 on Nov. 26 as a 4?-point favorite and 120-118 on Feb. 13, failing to cash as three-point favorites.
The Warriors are on ATS streaks of 9-3 on Thursdays, 4-1 as a ?dog and 4-1 when playing on back-to-back nights, but they?re 0-4 ATS in their last four divisional games. Meanwhile, the Suns are 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 as a home chalk.
The over has been the play in the last four series clashes, and is 18-5 in the Warriors? last 23 overall, 9-1 in the Warriors? last 10 road games, 7-1 in their last eight as an underdog and 9-2 in their last 11 on Thursday. Also, the over is 11-3 in Phoenix?s last 14 overall and 8-3 in its last 11 against the Western Conference.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
