SPORTS ADVISORS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Washington (16-7, 7-15 ATS) at California (15-8, 11-11 ATS)
Washington will try to extend its winning streak to five when the Huskies visit Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif. for a Pac-10 matchup with the Golden Bears.
The Huskies has rattled off four straight home wins, including Saturday’s 79-56 rout of Arizona State as a five-point home favorite, but now they go back on the road where they are 0-6 SU and ATS this season, including 0-4 SU and ATS when visiting Pac-10 rivals. Washington scores just 67 points per game on the road, and defensively it is a disaster away from home, giving up 80.6 ppg on 49.8 percent shooting.
Cal hasn’t been home since Jan. 23, going 2-2 (SU and ATS) in four Pac-10 roadies since. The Golden Bears looked spectacular on Saturday, winning at UCLA 72-58 as three-point favorites. They got outstanding efforts from Theo Robertson and Patrick Christopher, who had 20 points each. At home, Cal averages 81 ppg while shooting 50.5 percent from the floor, limiting opponents to 61.4 ppg and 39.9 percent shooting.
These teams met back in Seattle on Jan. 16 with the Huskies blowing out Cal 84-69, cashing as 2½-point favorites. That win snapped Cal’s three-game Cal SU and ATS winning streak in this rivalry, including an 86-71 home win last season as a one-point underdog. The Golden Bears have cashed in five of the last eight series clashes overall.
Washington is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 as a road ‘dog, but otherwise is on ATS slides of 7-16 overall, 5-12 after a straight-up win, 0-5 on the road, 2-7 after a spread-cover and 1-4 on Thursday. Cal is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 as a favorite but it is in ATS ruts of 0-4 after a spread-cover and 0-4 at home after three or more straight road games.
The Huskies are on “over” runs of 27-12 overall, 15-6 on the road, 20-7 after a straight-up win, 27-9 in Pac-10 action and 13-4 after a spread-cover. Cal has stayed “under” the number in six of seven overall and four straight as a favorite, but it is on “over” streaks of 12-5-1 at home, 38-17-1 after a spread-cover, 19-7 on Thursday and 15-5-2 at home against teams with losing road records. In this series, the “over” has been the play in five of the last six overall.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Ole Miss (17-6, 12-6-1 ATS) at Mississippi State (16-7, 10-8 ATS)
Mississippi State tries to avoid a third straight loss when its hosts the Rebels inside the Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss., for a key SEC matchup between bitter rivals.
Ole Miss snapped a two-game losing streak on Saturday with a 74-67 victory over Alabama, pushing as a seven-point home favorite. The Rebels are 3-2 (4-1 ATS) in SEC road games this season but fell back on Feb. 2 at Kentucky 85-75 as an 11-point underdog. Ole Miss puts up 80.3 ppg this season and limits the opposition to 69.9 ppg and 41 percent shooting.
The Bulldogs have lost four of five overall and failed to cash in five of their last seven, including Saturday’s 69-62 loss at Florida, falling short as three-point underdogs. Mississippi State has been in a scoring drought lately, averaging just 64 ppg while shooting 35.4 percent from the field over the last five games.
Mississippi State has won and cashed in the last two meetings in this rivalry, including an 80-75 victory Jan. 9 victory at Ole Miss, cashing as a 3½-point underdog. The Bulldogs have won five of the last eight (SU and ATS) in this rivalry, and the favorite has cashed in 10 of the last 14 meetings.
The Rebels are on ATS runs of 5-1-1 overall, 4-0 on the road, 9-4 as road ‘dogs and 6-2 after a straight-up win. Mississippi State is on ATS slides of 2-5 in SEC action and 1-4 as a chalk, but it is 5-2 ATS in its last seven home games and 10-4 ATS in its last 14 after a straight-up loss.
Ole Miss has stayed below the posted number in 10 of 13 as a ‘dog, eight of 10 as a road ‘dog and five of seven after a straight-up win. Mississippi State is on “under” streaks of 4-1 overall, 4-1 in SEC action and 6-0 as a favorite of less than seven points, but the Bulldogs have topped the number in 13 of 19 as a home favorite. In this rivalry, the “over” is 10-2-1 in the last 13 clashes overall, including 5-1-1 in the last seven in Starkville.
ATS ADVANTAGE: MISSISSIPPI STATE
St. Mary’s (21-3, 15-7 ATS) at (16) Gonzaga (19-4, 11-8-1 ATS)
The top two teams in the West Coast Conference square off with first place on the line as St. Mary’s visits the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash., to take on the Bulldogs.
The Gaels have won six straight (3-3 ATS) to take the lead in the conference, sitting a half-game ahead of Gonzaga. St. Mary’s scored a 73-57 home win over San Francisco on Saturday but came up short as a 16½-point favorite. It is 9-1 (6-3-1 ATS) in games away from home this season and a perfect 4-0 (3-1 ATS) in WCC road contests.
Since suffering a stunning upset loss in San Francisco back on Jan. 30, the Bulldogs have won two straight, crushing Portland 76-49 a week ago as nine-point favorites and then upsetting Memphis 66-58 on Saturday in a non-conference contest, prevailing as five-point ‘dogs. Gonzaga dominates at home, averaging 84.4 ppg and 52.1 percent shooting while allowing just 66.4 ppg and 39.4 percent shooting.
Gonzaga has won five straight against St. Mary’s (3-2 ATS) and eight of 10 overall (5-5 ATS). Even though the home team is on a 6-2 ATS run, the Bulldogs scored an 89-82 road win back on Jan. 14, upsetting the Gaels as a 4½-point underdog.
St. Mary’s is just 4-12 ATS in its last 16 games as a road ‘dog, but otherwise the Gaels are on positive ATS runs of 13-6 overall, 12-5 after a straight-up win, 4-1 on the road and 6-1 on the road against teams with winning home marks. Gonzaga is a perfect 6-0 ATS in its last six against teams with a winning record and 6-1 ATS in its last seven after a spread-cover, but the Zags are also sporting negative ATS runs of 1-4 in WCC play, 1-4 as a favorite and 1-4 after a straight-up win.
The Gaels are on “under” stretches of 4-1 in conference games and 4-1 after a straight-up win, but they have topped the total in three of five roadies and eight of 10 as a ‘dog of less than seven points. The Bulldogs are on a plethora of “over” runs, including 23-8 overall, 13-3 at home, 8-2 on Thursdays, 19-7 as a favorite and 12-5 in WCC contests. In this series, the “under” has been the play in four of the last five in Washington.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
NBA
Orlando (36-17, 27-25-1 ATS) at Cleveland (42-11, 27-25-1 ATS)
The Cavaliers put their 12-game winning streak on the line when they welcome the red-hot Magic to Quicken Loans Arena for a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals.
Orlando arrives in Cleveland having won seven of eight overall (5-3 ATS) and fresh off Wednesday’s 107-87 blowout of the Bulls in Chicago, easily cashing as a 4½-point road chalk. The Magic (16-12 SU and 14-13-1 ATS on the road this season) have rattled of three straight wins and covers on the highway, and they’ve cranked up the defense lately, giving up just 92.2 points per game in their last six contests.
Cleveland made it 12 straight wins (7-5 ATS) on Tuesday with a 104-97 home victory over the Nets, coming up well short as a 16-point favorite. LeBron James had 32 points and 11 assists on in the win, while Daniel Gibson was the only other starter to reach double digits with 11 points. The Cavs have won the first five on their current seven-game homestand, averaging 107.6 ppg and shooting 51.3 percent from the floor.
Orlando eliminated the Cavaliers in six games in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals (5-1 ATS), but in the only meeting this season, Cleveland went to Orlando and scored a 102-93 victory as a one-point underdog. Despite that result, the Magic are 15-3 ATS in the last 18 series clashes, including 7-1 ATS when they play in Cleveland.
The Magic are just 1-6 ATS in their last seven Thursday games and 3-9 ATS in their last 12 against Central Division teams, but they are on positive ATS runs of 41-19-2 as an underdog and 21-10-1 as road pup. Cleveland is on positive pointspread streaks of 6-2 overall, 16-7 at home against a team with a winning road record, 6-1 after a day off and 3-0-1 on Thursday.
Orlando is on a plethora of “under” streaks, including 22-8 on the road, 14-4 on Thursday, 7-1 as an underdog, 6-0 against the Eastern Conference and 5-0 against Central Division teams. On the opposite side, the Cavs are on “over” runs of 5-1-1 at home, 9-3-1 as a favorite and 7-3 at home against teams with a winning road record. Finally, the “over” has been the play in the last four Cavs-Magic meetings dating to last year’s playoff series.
ATS ADVANTAGE: ORLANDO
San Antonio (29-21, 24-25-1 ATS) at Denver (35-17, 24-25-3 ATS)
The Spurs continue their season-high eight-game road trip with a stop at the Pepsi Center for a Western Conference showdown against the Nuggets.
San Antonio has gone 2-2 (1-3 ATS) in the first four games of this jaunt, including a 101-89 loss to the Lakers on Monday, failing as a 2½-point underdog. The Spurs got 20 points from Tony Parker and 16 points from Tim Duncan but not much else against Los Angeles, which was playing without superstar Kobe Bryant. San Antonio, which is just 10-11 (9-12 ATS) on the road this season, has given up 98.8 points a game and 48.3 percent shooting over its last five contests.
Denver has alternated wins and losses in its five games, but crushed the Mavericks 127-91 on Tuesday, easily cashing as a seven-point favorite. Nene led the way with 21 points and eight rebounds and Carmelo Anthony returned to the lineup after missing two weeks with an ankle injury and finished with 19 points, six assists and four rebounds. The Nuggets (23-4 SU and 14-12-1 ATS at home), have averaged 113.6 points and 50.5 shooting over their last five games.
Denver has defeated the Spurs twice already this season), both twice in San Antonio, including a 103-89 victory back on Jan. 31 as a 5½-point underdog. The Nuggets have taken six of the last eight series clashes SU and ATS, but the road team has covered in each of the last six meetings and the Spurs have cashed in eight of the last 11 played in Denver.
San Antonio has struggled at the betting window lately, currently on ATS slides of 1-4 overall, 2-5 on the road, 3-9 as a road ‘dog, 3-7 after two days off, 2-10 against Northwest Division teams and 1-7 on Thursday. Denver is in pointspread funks of 1-7-3 after a spread-cover, 6-15-1 as a favorite and 0-3-1 after a straight-up win, but it is on positive ATS runs of 17-5 against Southwest Division teams and 48-19-2 as a favorite of five to 10½ points.
The Spurs are on several “under” streaks, including 6-1 on the road, 22-6 against winning teams, 7-2-1 after a non-cover, 7-3 as ‘dogs and 4-0 on Thursday. The Nuggets have stayed below the posted number in 20 of 26 against teams with a winning record, four of five on Thursday and four of five after getting a day off, but they are on “over” runs of 4-1 overall, 4-1 at home and 7-3 at home against teams with a losing road record. Finally, the “under” is 21-7 in the last 28 series clashes between these clubs, including 11-5 in the last 16 played in the Mile High City.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER