Sports Advisors
WEST COAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
(at Las Vegas)
St. Mary’s (24-5, 14-10-1 ATS) vs. (14) Gonzaga (25-5, 14-13 ATS)
Gonzaga made it eight straight wins overall and improved to a perfect 15-0 in West Coast Conference play with Sunday’s thorough 94-89 beating of Santa Clara in the tourney semifinals, easily cashing as a 14½-point favorite. The Bulldogs shot 57.1 percent from the field and 59.1 percent from beyond the three-point-line and had five players scored in double-digits. Gonzaga has followed up a 1-5 ATS slump by going 4-1 ATS in its last five lined games
After the Zags secured their spot in tonight’s championship game, the Gaels – with star point guard Patty Mills back in the lineup for the first time in five weeks – won their sixth straight (3-3 ATS) with a 71-61 triumph over Portland, cashing as 8½-point favorites. St. Mary’s won easily despite getting outshot 48.1 percent to 43.4 percent, and it went just 7-for-19 from three-point land, while Portland made 9 of 12 tries from downtown. Also, Mills shot just 3-for-12 and the Gaels missed 12 of 30 foul shots, yet still won by double digits for the fourth straight time and the fifth time during their six-game winning streak.
This is Gonzaga’s 12th straight trip to the West Coast Conference tournament title game, while St. Mary’s is seeking to become the first team in school history to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years.
These rivals have played two close ones this season with Gonzaga getting a 69-62 home win back on Jan. 29, but failing to cover as 9½-point favorites. Then Bulldogs went to St. Mary’s on Feb. 12 and held on for a 72-70 victory, but again came up short against the line, this time as a four-point road chalk. The Gaels have gotten the money in four of the last five battles, going 3-1 ATS in the underdog role.
Not only are the Zags unbeaten in conference play, but they have won 17 of their last 18, with the only blemish being a 68-50 home loss to Memphis on Feb. 7 as four-point favorites. Gonzaga is 5-1 at neutral sites this season (4-2 ATS). Meanwhile, the Gaels are 8-5 ATS in their last 13 overall, but 6-15-2 ATS in their last 22 neutral-site games and 2-4 ATS in their last six following a SU win.
Gonzaga has topped the total in six of its last seven overall and eight of 11 away from home, but the Bulldogs have stayed below the total in six of seven neutral-site games as a favorite. St. Mary’s has stayed below the total now in three straight after a six-of-seven stretch where the Gaels topped the total. Also, they have stayed under the total in eight of 11 games away from home this season. Finally, the over is 4-2 in the last six meetings between these rivals.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
(at Chattanooga, Tennessee)
College of Charleston (26-7, 12-16-2 ATS) vs. Chattanooga (17-16, 12-17 ATS)
The College of Charleston reached the Southern Conference tournament championship game for the second time in three years by upsetting top-seeded Davidson 59-52 as 9½-point ‘dogs Sunday. The Cougars have won eight in a row (6-2 ATS) and 10 of 11 (8-3 ATS), including two victories over Davidson, which last year made a string run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Chattanooga reached the finals on its home court with victories over Elon College on Saturday (79-78 as an 8½-point favorite) and Samford on Sunday (81-70 as a 5½-point chalk). Stephen McDowell scored 32 points on Sunday to lead the Mocs, who have put their season-ending three-game losing streak well behind them. However, they’re still just 1-6 ATS in their last seven.
These two met on February 23 with Charleston scoring an 86-77 upset as a 2½-point underdog at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga. The Cougars are 4-1 in the last five meetings (3-2 ATS).
The Cougars are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 overall, 7-0 ATS in their last seven away from home and 5-0 ATS in neutral-site contests this season. Chattanooga is just 1-4 ATS in its last five on its home court, including 1-1 ATS in this postseason tournament.
The Mocs have topped the total in five straight and 11 of their last 14 overall. Meanwhile, Charleston has stayed under the posted number in four straight and nine of the last 12. When these two met in February, they topped the 158½-point total, ending a 5-1 “under” streak in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE: COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
NBA
New Orleans (39-22, 26-33-2 ATS) at Atlanta (35-28, 33-30 ATS)
The Hornets head to Philips Arena in Atlanta in search of their eighth straight victory as they begin a four-game road trip against the Hawks.
New Orleans is coming off Saturday’s 108-90 victory over the Thunder as 12½-point home favorites, the Hornets’ seventh straight SU win (3-4 ATS) and third straight spread-cover. They’ve been doing it with defense, not allowing an opponent to reach triple figures during this seven-game streak.
Atlanta has dropped six of its last nine (5-4 ATS) but did manage a Saturday night home victory over Detroit, winning 87-83 as a 2½-point chalk. The Hawks have won 21 of 28 home games (15-13 ATS), including 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS n the last six.
In November, the Hawks went to New Orleans and upset the Hornets 87-79 as 8½-point underdogs, ending a four-game SU and ATS losing streak in this series. The Hornets are 3-1 SU and ATS in their last four trips to Atlanta.
New Orleans is on ATS slides of 2-7 on the road, 5-12-1 after a spread-cover, 2-5 on Mondays and 1-4 after getting a day off. Atlanta is just 1-5 ATS in its last six against the Western Conference, but the Hawks are on positive ATS runs of 5-2 overall, 10-3 at home against teams with a winning road mark, 6-0 as a home ‘dog and 4-0 at home overall.
For the Hornets, the under is 9-3-2 in their last 14 Monday games, but the over is on runs of 9-3 as a favorite, 8-3 after getting a day off and 4-1-1 on the road. The Hawks have stayed under the total in five of seven at home, six of eight against teams with winning records and four straight on Mondays. In this series, the under is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings in Atlanta.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NEW ORLEANS and UNDER
Houston (41-23, 30-33-1 ATS) at Denver (40-24, 34-29-1 ATS)
The struggling Nuggets return to the Pepsi Center in Denver to host the red-hot Rockets tonight.
Houston comes into this one having won 10 of 12 (7-5 ATS), including Sunday’s 93-83 home win over Memphis, falling short as a 14-point favorite. The Rockets have been lighting up the scoreboard lately, averaging 102.8 points per game over their last six contests, topping the century mark in four of those outings. However, they are just 2-6 (3-5 ATS) in their last eight roadies.
Denver has stumbled lately, losing seven of 10 both SU and ATS, including getting swept on a brief two-game road trip this past weekend, first falling 97-91 at Utah on Friday (cashing as a 9½-point ‘dog), then losing 114-106 at Sacramento on Sunday night as a nine-point favorite. George Karl’s defense has reverted to its old ways during the 3-7 slump, giving up 100 points or more in seven of those games, including 109 or more five times.
The host has won each of the last seven meetings between these two (5-2 ATS), including all three this season. Denver got a 104-94 win at home back in November as a 3½-point favorite, but Houston has since gotten payback, prevailing 108-96 in December as a four-point chalk and eking out a 115-113 victory in January, failing as 2½-point favorites. This figures to be a high-scoring affair, as the victor has scored 103 points or more in each of the last nine series battles.
The Rockets are 0-4 ATS in their last four Monday contests, but they carry positive ATS trends of 7-4 overall, 5-2 against teams with a winning straight-up record and 4-1 against Northwest Division teams. Denver is 1-5 ATS in its last six as a chalk, but otherwise the Nuggets are on ATS runs of 8-4 against Western Conference teams, 6-2 against teams with winning records and 6-1 at home against teams with losing road marks.
Houston is riding “over” streaks of 11-5 on the road against teams with a winning home mark, 6-2 on Mondays and 7-3 as a road ‘dog of up to 4½ points. For the Nuggets, the under is on runs of 7-3 against Western Conference teams, 4-0 on the second night of a back-to-back and 4-2 overall. Conversely, all three meetings this season between these clubs have eclipsed the posted total, and the over is 7-3 in the last 10 in the Mile High City.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DENVER
L.A. Lakers (50-12, 32-30 ATS) at Portland (39-23, 31-31 ATS)
The Lakers will try to make it three straight overall and three straight over the Blazers when they make their first visit of the season to the Rose Garden for a Western Conference showdown.
Los Angeles has been off since Friday when it scored an easy 110-90 home win over the Timberwolves, cashing as a 15½-point favorite. The Lakers are 21-8 on the road this season (16-13 ATS), but they have dropped three of their last four both SU and ATS away from home, including back-to-back setbacks at Denver (90-79) and Phoenix (118-111) in their last two. Aside from those three road losses, the Lakers have won 15 straight games.
Portland has won four of five overall (2-3 ATS) but barely held off the Timberwolves 95-93 on Saturday, coming nowhere near the number as a 14-point chalk. The Blazers have rattled off 11 straight wins at home (7-4 ATS), and they’re 26-5 at the Rose Garden (19-12 ATS) this season.
The Lakers have made it look easy against the Blazers twice already this season, both at home, winning 96-76 on opening night as an eight-point chalk and 100-86 in early January as 11-point favorites. It is the first two covers for Los Angeles in this rivalry since 2006, as the ‘dog remains on a whopping 22-6 ATS run in the last 28 series meetings, with the Blazers going 21-7 ATS in those 28, including 13-3 ATS in the last 16 clashes with Los Angeles at home.
The Lakers are on ATS streaks of 7-3 after a spread-cover, 7-3 on the road against teams with winning home records, 6-1 on Monday and 6-0 after getting two days off. Portland is just 1-4 ATS in its last five as a ‘dog, but it’s riding pointspread hot streaks of 27-10 as a home pup, 5-1 after getting a day off and 4-0 on Monday.
Los Angeles has stayed below the total in each of its last four and 15 of 21 on Mondays, but the Lakers are on “over” runs of 10-4-1 on the road, 7-3-1 as a road chalk, 16-6-1 after a straight-up win and 8-3 after a spread-cover. The Blazers are on “under” streaks of 11-4 as a ‘dog, 5-1 after a non-cover and 7-3-1 against Western Conference teams. However, In this rivalry, the over is 8-3 in the last 11 matchups in Oregon.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PORTLAND
