THE SPORTS ADVISORS
Butler (8-0, 4-2-1 ATS) at (21) Ohio State (5-0, 3-1 ATS)
A battle of unbeatens is on tap at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, where the 21st-ranked Buckeyes host perennial mid-major power Butler.
Ohio Sate has been idle since Saturday’s 67-62 upset victory over then-No. 7 Notre Dame at the Hall of Fame Classic in Indianapolis, its 11th consecutive win going back to last year, which is the longest winning streak in the nation. The Buckeyes, who covered as a 4½-point underdog against the Irish, have pulled off consecutive upsets of Top 25 teams, also defeating No. 21 Miami (Fla.) 73-68 as an eight-point road underdog in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Dec. 2.
Butler pounded Bradley 87-75 as a one-point road underdog on Wednesday to keep its perfect record intact. However, after giving up 59 points or fewer in their first six wins, the Bulldogs have surrendered 75 and 71 in their last two.
These schools met last December, and Butler cruised to a 65-46 victory as a six-point home favorite. In 2005, the Buckeyes won 79-69 in overtime, but the Bulldogs cashed as a 14½-point road underdog.
Butler is on several positive pointspread streaks, including 8-3-1 overall, 35-17-1 in non-conference play, 5-2 on the road, 5-2-1 versus the Big Ten, 4-1 on Saturdays, 6-2-1 against winning teams and 7-3-1 after a SU victory. Likewise, Ohio State sports several ATS runs, including 8-1 overall (3-0 last three), 7-1 at home and 11-1 in non-league play.
For Butler, the over is on stretches of 7-3 overall and 6-2 in non-conference play, but the under is 15-7 in the Bulldogs’ last 22 on the road. The Buckeyes have topped the total in five of their last seven against Horizon League foes, but the under is 36-16-1 in its last 53 games on Saturday.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
(17) Memphis (5-1, 4-2 ATS) at (19) Georgetown (6-1, 2-2 ATS)
The day’s only clash between Top 25 teams takes place at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., with Georgetown serving as host against the Tigers.
Memphis hasn’t been on the court since Dec. 2, when it blasted Marist College 100-61, covering as a 26-point home favorite. That victory came on the heels of the Tigers’ only loss this year, a 63-58 neutral-site setback to Xavier as a six-point chalk. Aside from that loss to Xavier, Memphis has scored at least 80 points in every game so far, and the Tigers put up 82.5 points per game (44.6 percent shooting)
Georgetown has rebounded from its only loss of the season – 90-78 to Tennessee as a 3½-point underdog in a preseason tournament in Florida – with three straight victories. Most recently, the Hoyas crushed Savannah State 100-38 in a non-lined home game on Dec. 8. Georgetown is putting up 76.6 ppg while shooting an impressive 53.1 percent from the field.
Last year, Georgetown went to Memphis and got cracked 85-71, falling well short as a four-point road underdog. The home team is 3-0 SU and ATS in three head-to-head meetings since 1998.
Memphis carries ATS runs of 7-3 overall (all in non-conference play), 4-1 against the Big East and 4-0 on Saturday, but John Calipari’s club is 1-6 ATS in its last seven after a 20-plus-point victory and 3-9 ATS in its last 12 after a spread-cover. The Hoyas are on ATS dips of 5-12 on Saturday, 1-4 after a victory and 1-6 after a 20-plus-point win.
The Tigers are on over stretches of 5-1 on the road, 7-0 versus the Big East and 4-1 on Saturdays, and the over is also 5-1 in Georgetown’s last six Saturday contests. However, the under is 48-21 in the Hoyas’ last 69 home games.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
Indiana (5-4, 3-3 ATS) at Kentucky (6-3, 1-2-1 ATS)
Two storied programs that are in the midst of rebuilding continue their annual rivalry, with Kentucky welcoming Indiana to Rupp Arena.
The Hoosiers snapped a two-game slide with Wednesday’s 66-56 rout of TCU as a one-point home underdog, improving to 4-1 (3-0 ATS) at home. However, Tom Crean’s squad is just 1-3 in road or neutral-site venues (0-3 ATS). Also, Indiana is averaging just 62.1 ppg on 41.6 percent shooting (29 percent on 3-pointers).
Kentucky quickly rebounded from last Saturday’s 73-67 home loss to Miami (Fla.) as a 3½-point home favorite with Sunday’s 88-65 beatdown for Mississippi Valley State in a non-lined home game. Unlike the Hoosiers, the Wildcats are strong offensively, putting up 78.8 ppg on 50.3 percent shooting (31.1 percent on 3-pointers).
Indiana pounded the Wildcats 70-51 as a six-point home favorite last year after Kentucky prevailed 59-54 as a five-point home favorite in 2006. The host has won the last four meetings and eight of the last 10, with the SU winner covering the spread in each of those contests. During this 10-game stretch, Kentucky is 7-3 SU and ATS (4-0 SU and ATS last four at home), and the favorite is 9-1 ATS.
The Hoosiers are mired in ATS funks of 2-6 against the SEC, 0-5 on the road and 1-6 after a SU win, while Kentucky is 1-4-1 ATS in its last six overall and 1-4 ATS in its last five versus Big Ten foes. But on Saturdays, Indiana is on a 5-2 ATS run and the Wildcats are on a 6-2 ATS surge.
For Indiana, the under is on runs of 4-0 overall, 9-2 against the SEC and 6-1 against winning teams, while Kentucky sports “under” streaks of 5-2 at home, 4-0 against the Big Ten and 6-0 versus winning teams. Finally, the under is 6-1 in the last seven meetings in this rivalry (3-0 last three years).
ATS ADVANTAGE: KENTUCKY and UNDER
Utah (5-3, 5-2 ATS) at (5) Oklahoma (9-0, 4-2 ATS)
Player-of-the-Year candidate Blake Griffin leads undefeated Oklahoma onto the court at the Noble Center in this non-conference clash with Utah.
After a pair of close calls – an 87-82 overtime win over Purdue in New York and a 73-72 home win over USC – the Sooners reestablished their dominance in blowout wins over Tulsa (69-44 as a seven-point road underdog) and Maine (78-52 in a non-lined home game) in their last two. Oklahoma is 6-0 at the Noble Center this year, outscoring opponents by an average of 18 ppg (82-64), but it is 0-2 ATS in lined home games.
Griffin had 22 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes against Maine, and he’s averaging 24.4 points and 15.6 rebounds per game.
The Utes jumped out to a 5-1 start before dropping its last two – a 72-68 loss at Idaho State as a 12-point road favorite last Saturday and a 72-69 setback to California as a 6½-point home chalk Tuesday. Utah shot a combined 44 percent from the field in the two defeats and got outrebounded in both games after having the rebounding edge in five of its first six outings. The SU winner is 16-0-1 ATS in the Utes’ last 17 games.
This is a rematch of a 2005 NCAA Tournament meeting, which Utah won 67-58 as a 4½-point underdog.
The Utes are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall (all non-conference) and 4-1 ATS in their last five following a SU defeat, but they’re 1-4-1 ATS in their last six on Saturday. Meanwhile, Oklahoma has cashed in 10 of its last 14 non-league contests.
The over is on runs of 5-2-1 for the Sooners overall, 10-3-1 for the Sooners in non-conference play, 4-1 for the Sooners at home, 9-3 for Utah overall, 6-2 for Utah in non-conference action and 5-1 for Utah on the road.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OKLAHOMA and OVER
DePaul (4-3, 1-4 ATS) vs. (16) UCLA (5-2, 3-4 ATS) (at Anaheim, Calif.)
DePaul takes a three-game losing streak to the West Coast where it meets UCLA in the annual John Wooden Classic at the Pond in Anaheim.
The Blue Demons have gone 0-for-December thus far, losing road games at California (77-67) and Northwestern (63-36), then coming home Wednesday and falling to lowly Morgan State 79-75 in a non-lined game. Since covering the spread in their first lined contest against Illinois-Chicago, DePaul is 0-4 ATS. The Demons are averaging 66.6 ppg, but making just 37.8 percent of their shots.
UCLA bounced back from a tough four-point loss at Texas with Sunday’s 85-67 victory over nearby Cal State Northridge. However, the Bruins fell short as a 22-point home favorite, snapping a 3-0 ATS run. Ben Howland’s team is shooting an even 50 percent from the floor against Division I opponents, averaging 73.3 ppg.
These teams have not faced each other since 2001, when the Bruins went to DePaul and won 94-88 as a two-point road chalk.
Although it has failed to cover in four straight games, DePaul is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 on Saturdays. UCLA is 35-17 ATS in its last 52 games after a non-cover, but otherwise the Bruins are in pointspread ruts of 2-5 at home, 2-5 versus the Big East and 2-5 on Saturdays.
The under is 8-2 in UCLA’s last 10 against the Big East and 5-2 in DePaul’s last seven on the road. However, the over is on runs of 4-1 for the Blue Demons overall, 8-3 for the Blue Demons in non-conference games, 4-0 for UCLA overall, 7-2 for UCLA at home and 5-1 for UCLA on Saturday.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
(10) Xavier (8-0, 3-4 ATS) at Cincinnati (6-1, 2-1 ATS)
Off to its best start in school history, Xavier now guns for its second straight victory over cross-town rival Cincinnati, which is unbeaten on its home court this year.
The Musketeers followed up close home wins (and non-covers) over Miami (Ohio) and Auburn by hammering Ohio 78-56 as a 15-point home favorite on Wednesday. Xavier is 3-0 on the highway (2-1 ATS), despite outscoring that trio of opponents by an average of just three points per game (67-64).
Cincinnati returned from a two-game preseason tournament in Las Vegas and held off UAB last Saturday, winning 87-80 as a three-point home favorite. The Bearcats are 5-0 at home, but UAB was the first Division I foe that Cincinnati has hosted.
Xavier struggled to put away the Bearcats last year, winning 64-59 but never threatening to cover as an 18½-point home favorite. Also, in their last trip to Cincinnati’s home court exactly two years ago, the Musketeers lost 67-57 as a 4½-point road chalk. The home team has won the last five meetings, but the visitor has cashed in six of the last eight. Also, the underdog is on an 8-0 ATS run in this rivalry.
These rivals are very similar statistically, with the Musketeers averaging 71.5 ppg (45.2 percent shooting) and allowing 60.2 ppg (35.7 percent), while Cincinnati puts up 73.2 ppg (45.3 percent) and gives up 59.3 ppg (36.8 percent).
Xavier is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games on Saturday and 2-6 ATS in its last eight versus the Big East. On the flip side, Cincinnati is on pointspread stretches of 4-1 overall, 8-1 in non-conference action, 5-1 against the Atlantic 10 and 5-2 on Saturdays, but prior to the win over UAB, the Bearcats had failed to cover in four straight home games.
The over is on stretches of 11-5 for the Musketeers in non-conference play, 7-3 for the Bearcats overall, 5-2 for the Bearcats versus the A-10 and 5-0 for the Bearcats on Saturdays. However, the under is 6-1 in the last seven head-to-head clashes between these rivals.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CINCINNATI
NBA
Orlando (17-6, 12-10-1 ATS) at Utah (15-9, 13-11 ATS)
The Magic continue their five-game Western Conference road trip when they visit Salt Lake City for the only time this season for a meeting with the Jazz.
Three days after a buzzer-beating victory at Portland, Orlando was on the wrong end of a last-second loss Friday night in Phoenix, falling 113-112 but covering as a two-point road underdog. That defeat ended the Magic’s four-game winning streak, but they’re still 8-2 SU in their last 10 games and 7-2 ATS in their last nine. Also, Orlando is 4-2 (5-1 ATS) on the road during this run, and for the season, Stan Van Gundy’s squad is 8-3 on the highway (7-3-1 ATS).
Utah is coming off Thursday’s 97-88 rout of Portland as a three-point home favorite, the team’s second straight win and cover. Going back to last month, the Jazz are on a 6-3 SU and ATS run, going 4-2 SU and ATS at home. The SU winner is 17-2 ATS in Utah’s last 19 games (8-0 last eight at home).
The Jazz swept Orlando last year, winning 113-94 as a four-point road underdog and 119-115, falling short as a seven-point home chalk. The ‘dog is 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS the last two years when these teams have met. Also, the Magic are 8-1-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings overall and 5-0-1 ATS in their last six trips to Salt Lake.
In addition to its current ATS runs of 7-2 overall and 5-1 on the road, Orlando is on pointspread upticks of 6-2 against the Western Conference, 27-13-2 against the Northwest Division, 36-17-1 on Saturdays and 4-1 when playing on back-to-back nights (3-1 this year). Meanwhile, the Jazz are on ATS streaks of 47-21-2 at home (8-5 this year), 26-11-1 against teams with a winning record and 4-0 when playing on one day of rest, but Utah is just 2-6 ATS in its last eight against the Eastern Conference and 8-20-2 ATS in its last 30 versus the Southeast Division.
For the Magic, the under is on runs of 16-7 on the road, 9-4-1 against the Northwest Division and 7-2 against winning teams. For Utah, the under is on stretches of 6-1 overall, 4-1 at home and 4-0 against the Eastern Conference. Lastly, the under is 3-1 in the last four series meetings.
ATS ADVANTAGE: ORLANDO and UNDER
