SPORTS ADVISORS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(23) Richmond (22-6, 15-9 ATS) at Xavier (20-7, 17-9 ATS)
The surging Spiders, in search of their ninth straight victory, make the trek to Cincinnati for a key Atlantic 10 battle against Xavier at the Cintas Center.
Richmond has ripped off eight consecutive wins, with five victories coming by double digits. The Spiders have been off since last Saturday, when they edged George Washington 74-70 but came up short as a healthy 9½-point home favorite, ending their 7-0 ATS tear. Richmond has gotten it done with defense this season, ranking in the top-20 in points allowed (60.2 points per game for 15th in the country), shooting percentage (38.7, 16th) and three-point percentage (28.6, 11th).
Xavier has won eight of its last nine games (7-2 ATS), with three road wins included in their current four-game surge (3-1 ATS). On Wednesday at St. Louis, the Musketeers held off a surging Bilikens’ squad 73-71, but fell short as a 4½-point chalk. Xavier puts up 79.4 ppg and allows 68.3, and much like Richmond, its three-point defense is stout, allowing opponents to shoot just 28.2 percent from beyond the arc (fifth in the nation).
The Musketeers were riding a six-game winning streak in this rivalry until last season when Richmond scored an 80-75 home win, cashing as a 5½-point pup. Xavier has cashed in five of the last seven meetings, however the road team has covered the number in seven of the last 10.
Richmond is just 2-6 ATS in its last eight Sunday contests, but it is on several positive ATS streaks, including 7-1 in Atlantic 10 action, 4-0 on the road, 6-1 after a straight-up win and 4-1 against teams with winning records. The Musketeers are on ATS runs of 7-2 overall, 19-6-2 at home, 6-2 in conference play, 15-5-2 after a non-cover and 8-2-1 on Sundays.
The Spiders have stayed below the posted number in eight of 11 overall, four straight road games, four straight after a non-cover and eight of 11 in Atlantic 10 action. Xavier is riding several “over” streaks, including 13-6 overall, 7-3 at home, 11-3 after a straight-up win and 19-7 at home against teams with winning road records. Finally, in this series, the over has been the play in four of the last six overall.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
Louisville (18-10, 8-15 ATS) at UConn (17-11, 12-14 ATS)
The Huskies, desperately trying to play their way back into NCAA contention, go after their fourth straight win when they welcome Big East foe Louisville into the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn.
Connecticut has knocked off a pair of Top-10 teams in the past two weeks, toppling Villanova 84-75 as a 9½-point road ‘dog on Feb. 15 and then scoring a 73-62 home win over West Virginia on Monday, cashing as a 2½-point chalk. Between those two victories, the Huskies crushed Rutgers 76-58 as a six-point chalk. At home, UConn is yielding just 64.4 ppg and limiting the opposition to 38.3 percent shooting.
Louisville is also trying to get back into the postseason picture, but didn’t do itself any favors with a 70-60 home loss to Georgetown on Tuesday as a four-point chalk. The setback halted a three-game winning streak and was the Cardinals third straight non-cover and fifth ATS loss in their last six overall. Rick Pitino’s team has struggled offensively lately, managing just 68 ppg over the last five while allowing 70.4 ppg.
Back on Feb. 1, Louisville scored an 82-69 home win over the Huskies, cashing as a 6½-point home favorite. The Cardinals have cashed in four of the last six meetings with the Huskies dating back to 2006.
Louisville is on ATS slides of 1-4 on Sunday and 3-8 against winning teams, but it is on pointspread upticks of 45-22-2 in Big East play, 29-13-1 on the road and 28-12-1 on the highway against teams with a winning home record. UConn has failed in four of five Sunday games and five of six at home against teams with losing road records, but it has cashed in four of five Big East contests and eight of nine after a straight-up win.
For the Cardinals, the under is on streaks of 5-1 in Big East play, 4-1 on Sunday, 4-1 on the road and 4-0 after a non-cover. The Huskies are riding “under” runs of 5-1 overall, 6-2 at home and 4-0 after a spread-cover.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
(14) Michigan State (21-7, 10-17 ATS) at (3) Purdue (24-3, 12-14-1 ATS)
The Boilermakers will try to extend their winning streak to 11 when they host Michigan State in a key Big Ten matchup inside Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Spartans have dropped four of their last six overall and six of their last eight at the betting window. The two wins did come on the road with victories and covers at Penn State and Indiana. But Michigan State failed to capitalize on the momentum last Sunday, falling to Ohio State 74-67 as a 3½-point home favorite. The Spartans have won and covered in four of their last six road games and they put up 68.3 ppg on the highway on 48.8 percent shooting.
Purdue has won 10 straight (5-5 ATS) but now must move on with the services of star forward Robbie Hummel, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Wednesday’s 59-58 road win at Minnesota, with the Boilermakers failing to cover as a three-point road favorites. Purdue has been dominant at home (13-1, 7-7 ATS), averaging 75.3 points a game while allowing just 57.8 points and 39.5 percent shooting. However, Hummel contributed greatly to those numbers as he averaged 16 points and seven rebounds per contest.
Back on Feb. 9, the Boilermakers went to East Lansing, Mich. and scored a 76-64 win at as a three-point road pup. They have now won three of the last four against the Spartans and cashed in six of the last seven overall. Purdue is 4-1 ATS in the last five series clashes at home, all as the favorite, as the chalk has cashed in 12 of the last 16 meetings overall.
Michigan State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven Sunday tip-offs, but otherwise is mired in ATS skids of 2-6 in Big Ten action, 1-4 after a non-cover, 0-6 against winning teams and 2-6 on the road against teams with a winning home record. The Boilermakers are just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 against teams with a winning record but 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 at home against teams with a winning road mark.
The Spartans are on “under” runs of 6-1 on the road, 18-8 in Big Ten action and 8-3 against teams with winning records. It’s been all “unders” for Purdue lately, including 4-0 on Sunday, 4-1 at home, 9-2 against winning teams and 6-2 at home against teams with winning road records. In this series, the “under” is 9-2 in the last 11 clashes, including 4-0 in West Lafayette.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PURDUE and UNDER
NBA
Phoenix (37-23, 34-26 ATS) at San Antonio (32-24, 26-29-1 ATS)
The Suns take aim at their sixth straight victory when they visit the AT&T Center in for a matchup with the struggling Spurs, who have lost three of four.
Phoenix beat up the Clippers in the desert on Friday, winning 125-112 and extending a late lead to cash as a 9½-point chalk, the team’s fifth-straight win and cover. The Suns got a huge game from center Robin Lopez who had a career-high 30 points on 13-for-16 from the field, and pulled down 12 rebounds. Phoenix is 6-1 (SU and ATS) since the All-Star break, including 2-1 on the highway. The SU winner has covered the pointspread in 15 straight Suns games and 19 of the last 20.
San Antonio is coming off Friday’s 109-104 loss at Houston as a 3½-point road chalk as it played without the services of point guard Tony Parker who is listed as questionable for today after a bout with food poisoning. The Spurs have dropped 11 of 19 games overall, going 6-13 ATS during this stretch.
In the lone clash between these teams this season, Phoenix scored a 116-104 home win back on Dec. 15, easily cashing as a two-point favorite. The win snapped a three-game SU and ATS San Antonio winning streak in the series. The Spurs are 5-3-1 ATS in the last nine head-to-head meetings.
The Suns are riding a plethora of positive ATS runs, including 6-1 on the road, 9-2 against Western Conference teams, 7-0 after one day off and 4-0 after an ATS win. San Antonio is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games against the Pacific Division, but otherwise is on ATS skids of 0-4 on Sunday, 0-4 after one day off and 1-5 at home against teams with losing road records.
Phoenix is on several “under” streaks, including 9-2 overall, 7-2 against Western Conference teams, 5-1 on the road, 5-1 on Sunday and 7-2 after a spread-cover. It’s also been all “unders” for the Spurs lately as well, including 5-1 against the Pacific Division, 9-2-1 on Sundays, 3-1-1 at home, 7-3-1 after a straight-up loss and 9-4-1 after a non-cover. However, in this rivalry, the “over” has been the play in six of the last 10.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Denver (39-19, 27-28-3 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (44-15, 25-32-2 ATS)
The Nuggets bring a three-game winning streak with them to the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a Western Conference showdown with the Lakers, who are looking to get past Denver for the first time in three tries this season.
Denver followed up Thursday’s 127-112 whipping of the Warriors in Golden State with Friday’s 107-102 home win over the Pistons but came up short as a 10-point chalk. Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony combined for 49 points to lead the way for the Nuggets, who have won four of their last five games while averaging 112.6 ppg and shooting 47.7 percent from the field.
The Lakers have yet to cover a spread since the All-Star Break (0-5 ATS), including Friday when they beat the Sixers 99-90 but came up short as 11-point home favorites. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum teamed up for 43 points and 24 rebounds to lead Los Angeles, which has alternated SU wins and losses in its last five games.
After falling to the Lakers in six games (3-3 ATS) in last year’s Western Conference Finals, Denver has won and covered in both matchups this season with the Lakers, including a 126-113 win inside the Staples Center on Feb. 5 as an eight-point pup. Despite that result, the Lakers have dominated the rivalry in Southern California, cashing in 12 of the last 16 clashes.
The Nuggets are just 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight after a straight-up win and just 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight on Sunday, but they are on positive ATS runs of 4-1-1 on the road, 3-0-1 on the road against teams with winning home records and 3-1-1 against Western Conference teams. Los Angeles is 6-1-1 ATS in its last eight Sunday affairs, but otherwise is on negative ATS streaks of 0-5 overall, 1-5-1 at home, 3-7-2 against winning teams and 0-4 following a non-cover.
Denver has stayed below the posted number in 11 of 15 against winning teams, but from there the Nuggets are on “over” runs of 4-1 overall and 4-1 on the road. For the Lakers, the under is on streaks of 7-1 overall, 4-0 at home, 19-5-2 on Sunday, 14-6 against Northwest Division teams and 4-0 after getting a day off. In this rivalry, the “under” is 11-4 in the last 15 clashes overall, including 5-2 inside Staples Center.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
New Orleans (31-28, 30-29 ATS) at Dallas (38-21, 25-34 ATS)
The surging Mavericks look for their seventh straight victory when they welcome the Hornets to American Airlines Center in Dallas.
New Orleans comes in off Friday’s 100-93 come-from-behind win over Orlando as a 4½-point pup. The Hornets trailed by as many as 18 in the third quarter before David West took over the game, scoring 40 points and pulling down 10 rebounds to lead the comeback. New Orleans has dropped three straight on the road (2-1 ATS), including back-to-back losses Tuesday and Wednesday at Cleveland and Milwaukee (1-1 ATS).
Dallas scored a 111-103 overtime win in Atlanta on Friday, cashing as a three-point pup behind the outstanding play of Jason Kidd (19 points, 16 rebounds, 17 assists) and Dirk Nowitzki (37 points, 9 boards). Over their last five, the Mavs are outscoring opponents by nearly eight points per game (99-91.4).
The home team has won five straight in this series, but the Hornets have cashed in three straight and six of the last eight. In November, New Orleans scored a 114-107 overtime home victory, cashing as a four-point chalk and then went to Dallas on Dec. 14 and cashed as 8½-point pups in a 94-90 loss. The favorite is 21-9 ATS in the last 30 meetings.
The Hornets are on several positive pointspread pushes, including 7-1 on the road, 6-0 after a day off, 9-1 on the road against teams with winning home records and 19-7 against winning teams. On the opposite side, the Mavericks are on ATS downturns of 7-16 overall, 8-20 against Western Conference teams, 6-20 at home, 3-10 after a straight-up win, 3-13 after a spread-cover and 1-5 against Southwest Division squads.
New Orleans has topped the total in seven of eight on the road, but it is on “under” runs of 5-2 overall, 4-1 after a day off and 33-16-2 after a straight-up win. Dallas is riding “over” streaks of 9-4 at home, 7-2 after a straight-up win and 4-1 after a spread-cover. In this series, the under has been the play in 11 of the last 13 clashes in the Lone Star State.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NEW ORLEANS
