THE SPORTS ADVISORS
Boston College (3-1, 2-1 ATS) vs. (11) Purdue (4-0, 3-0 ATS)
(at New York)
Purdue guns for its first 5-0 start in five years when it takes on Boston College in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden.
The Boilermakers, who haven’t been 5-0 since 2003-04, have won all four of their games by at least 20 points, including Saturday’s 66-46 rout of Coppin State in a non-lined game. Purdue advanced to New York with easy home wins over Eastern Michigan (87-58) and Loyola-Chicago (78-46), covering as a double-digit chalk in both games.
Boston College started the season with three blowout victories, but the Eagles tasted defeat for the first time in Saturday’s 53-50 setback to Saint Louis as a 1½-point road favorite. B.C. got outrebounded 43-32 in the loss after beating its first three opponents on the glass by an average of 11.3 rebounds per contest.
Purdue is getting it done with defense, giving up just 50 points per game and 33 percent shooting this year. However, Boston College has been strong on the offensive end this season, putting up 75.5 ppg on 45.7 percent shooting.
The only other time these schools met on the hardwood was in a preseason tournament in 1978, with Purdue prevailing 82-54.
The Boilermakers are on an 18-4-1 ATS tear since early January, including 12-2 ATS as a favorite, and they’re 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18 after a SU win. However, they’re in pointspread slumps of 3-7 against the ACC and 18-37-3 on Wednesdays. Meanwhile, the Eagles are on ATS runs of 9-3 at neutral sites and 5-1 versus the Big Ten, but they’ve failed to cover in five of their last seven on Wednesday.
The over is 4-1 in Purdue’s last five lined games overall, 4-0 in its last four at neutral sites and 6-2 in its past eight lined non-conference games, but the under is 4-1 in its last five against the ACC. Boston College has topped the total in seven of its last 10 non-conference affairs and five of its last seven on Wednesday, but the under is 4-1 in its last five at neutral venues.
The winner of this contest faces the winner of Oklahoma-UAB in Friday’s tournament championship game.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PURDUE
UAB (4-0, 3-1 ATS) vs. (12) Oklahoma (4-0, 1-1 ATS)
(at New York)
Player of the year candidate Blake Griffin leads unbeaten Oklahoma against UAB in a battle of 4-0 squads in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden.
Griffin saved the Sooners from an embarrassing home loss to Gardner-Webb on Sunday, pouring in career highs of 35 points and 21 rebounds in an 80-76 non-lined home victory. Griffin, a 6-foot-10 sophomore forward, has registered a double-double in all four of Oklahoma’s games so far, posting back-to-back 20-20 performances in the past two. For the season, he’s averaging 26 points and 19.8 rebounds per contest and shooting 74.5 percent from the field.
The Sooners advanced to the Big Apple with wins over Mississippi Valley State (94-53) and Davidson (82-78), both at home.
UAB punched its ticket to New York by traveling to Arizona and posting a pair of victories over Santa Clara (64-61) and host Arizona (72-71). The Blazers remained perfect with another road win on Sunday, topping Old Dominion 77-62 as a two-point underdog. In that victory, senior swingman Robert Vaden hit eight of his team’s 11 three-pointers to finish with 28 points.
The Sooners are putting up 84.8 points per game and shooting 49.6 percent from the field and giving up 65.2 ppg on 36.7 percent shooting. Meanwhile, UAB is netting 75 ppg and allowing 65 ppg, while outshooting opponents 46.4 percent to 36.7 percent.
In the only previous meeting between these teams, Oklahoma knocked UAB out of the 1983 NCAA Tournament with an 81-63 victory.
The Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last five neutral-site games, but otherwise they’re on positive spread runs of 5-2 in non-conference play, 5-2 on Wednesdays and 4-0 against the Big 12. Oklahoma has also struggled at neutral sites recently (8-20 ATS), but is on impressive ATS runs of 7-3 in non-league action and 7-1 on Wednesdays.
The under is on runs of 7-3-1 for Oklahoma overall, 5-2-1 for Oklahoma at neutral sites 8-2 for Oklahoma on Wednesdays, 8-1 for Oklahoma against Conference USA opponents and 4-1 for UAB overall (all in non-conference play). However, the over is 5-0 in the Blazers’ last five against the Big 12, 5-2 in its last seven at neutral sites and 8-0 in its last eight on Wednesdays.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
(8) Notre Dame (4-0, 2-1 ATS) vs. (1) North Carolina (5-0, 2-2 ATS)
(at Maui, Hawaii)
After rolling through the first two rounds of the Maui Invitational, North Carolina figures to get somewhat challenged tonight when it hosts eighth-ranked Notre Dame in the tournament finale from Maui.
The Tar Heels trounced tourney host Chaminade 115-70 in a non-lined game Monday, then came back last night and blasted Oregon 98-69, easily covering as an 18-point favorite. Reigning national player of the year Tyler Hansbrough, playing in just his second game of the season, scored 16 points (12 from the free-throw line) and added five rebounds, while Danny Green tallied a game-high 21 points as five UNC players scored in double figures. The Heels clamped down on Oregon defensively, holding the Ducks to just 29.3 percent shooting.
Prior to North Carolina taking the court, Notre Dame held on for an 81-80 victory over No. 6 Texas as a three-point underdog. The Irish, who upended Indiana 88-50 in Monday’s opening round, survived when a desperation half-court shot by Texas hit the front of the rim as time expired. Forward Luke Harangody had game-highs of 29 points and 13 rebounds Tuesday to pace the Irish, who shot 47.6 percent from the field, including hitting 11 of 24 three-point tries.
North Carolina, which is 41-3 since the start of last season (34-2 in the regular season), has won all five of its games by 15 points or more and is averaging 86.2 ppg (46.5 percent shooting) against Division I foes. Meanwhile, Notre Dame is on a 16-4 SU roll and an 8-4 ATS run dating back to last season, and prior to last night had won its first three games by double digits. The Irish put up 86.2 ppg on 48 percent shooting.
North Carolina is on ATS runs of 37-16 in non-conference play and 5-1 at neutral sites, while the Irish are 1-4 ATS In their last five after a SU victory.
Notre Dame is in the midst of “under” streaks of 6-2 overall, 6-2 at neutral sites and 11-5 against non-conference foes. North Carolina has gone over the total in four straight games on Wednesday.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NORTH CAROLINA
NBA
Orlando (10-4, 6-7-1 ATS) at Philadelphia (7-7, 6-8 ATS)
The Magic gun for their fifth consecutive road victory when they invade the Wachovia Center for an Eastern Conference clash with the Sixers.
Orlando bested the Bucks 108-101 on Monday, but fell short of cashing as a nine-point home chalk, dropping to 1-3-1 ATS in its last five games, all as a favorite. However, since dropping their road-opener at Memphis, the Magic have won four straight on the highway (2-1-1 ATS).
Philadelphia slipped up at Charlotte on Monday, losing 93-84 to the lowly Bobcats as a three-point road favorite. The 76ers are still on a 5-2 SU roll (3-0 at home), but they’ve followed up a 3-0 ATS run by failing to cash in three of their last four games.
The Magic knocked off Philadelphia 98-88 as a five-point home favorite back on Nov. 6, improving to 6-1 in the last seven meetings (4-3 ATS). The host has won the last four head-to-head clashes and covered the spread in each of the last five. However, the underdog is 22-10 ATS in the past 32 meetings.
Orlando’s ATS streaks including 4-0 against the Atlantic Division, 4-1 on Wednesdays and 36-16-1 after a non-cover. Conversely, Philadelphia is mired in pointspread slumps of 0-7 against the Southeast Division, 3-8 versus the Eastern Conference and 1-5 on Wednesday.
The over is 6-2 in Orlando’s last eight overall and 5-1 in its last six when going on one day of rest. Otherwise, for Orlando, the under is on runs of 13-4 on the road, 4-1 against the Atlantic Division, 19-7 against the Eastern Conference and 10-4-1 on Wednesdays, while the Sixers are on under stretches of 10-4-1 overall, 20-7 at home, 7-1-1 against the East and 4-0 on one day of rest.
ATS ADVANTAGE: ORLANDO and UNDER
Chicago (7-8, 9-6 ATS) at San Antonio (7-6, 6-7 ATS)
The Bulls continue their brutal seven-game, 13-day road trip at the AT&T Center, where they will attempt to cool off the red-hot Spurs.
Chicago is 2-3 on its journey so far, but one of the victories came Monday in Utah, a surprising 101-100 win as a 6½-point underdog. The Bulls are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games (4-2 ATS as an underdog), scoring 100 points or more in five of those contests.
San Antonio improved to 5-1 SU and ATS in its last six games with Monday’s 94-81 rout of Memphis as a three-point road chalk. The Spurs have gone back to their defensive-oriented ways, holding nine straight opponents under trip digits while allowing 94 points or fewer in eight straight games.
The SU winner is 9-0 ATS in San Antonio’s last nine contests and 10-1 ATS in Chicago’s last 11.
The Spurs swept the season series from Chicago last year, winning 94-79 as a 9½-point home favorite and 102-80 as a five-point road chalk. The winner has cashed in each of the last six meetings and eight of the last nine, but the visitor is on an 11-3 ATS roll in this rivalry, with Chicago going 5-2 ATS in its last seven trips to the AT&T Center.
Chicago is 6-2 ATS in its last eight against the Western Conference and 4-1 ATS in its last five when playing on one day of rest, but the Bulls are on negative ATS runs of 7-20 after a victory, 4-11 after a spread-cover, 4-9 against the Southwest Division and 1-4 on Wednesdays. Meanwhile, San Antonio is 1-4 ATS in its last five against the Central Division and 0-4 in its last four on Wednesdays.
The Spurs are on a bunch of “under” streaks, including 20-6-1 overall (9-4 this year), 5-1 at home, 12-0-1 after a SU win, 13-3 after an ATS win and 36-17 when going on one day of rest. For the Bulls, the under is on stretches of 7-3-1 against the Western Conference, 6-2-2 versus the Southwest Division and 8-3 on one day of rest, but the over is 17-8-2 in their last 27 road games.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Miami (7-7, 6-7-1 ATS) at Portland (9-6, 8-7 ATS)
The inconsistent Heat kick off a five-game, eight-day West Coast road trip when they battle the streaking Blazers at the Rose Garden.
Miami has alternated SU wins and losses in its last 10 games and alternated spread-covers in its last seven. In their most recent game Monday, the Heat fell 107-98 to the Rockets as 3½-point home underdog. Miami has topped the century mark in scoring just once in its last 10 games, while allowing three straight opponents and five of the last seven to reach triple digits. Also, the team is 2-4 SU and ATS on the highway so far.
Portland continued its winning ways with Monday’s narrow 91-90 home win over the Kings, moving to 8-3 SU in its last 11 games and 5-0 at home on the season. However, the Blazers never threatened to cover as an 1½-point chalk, their second straight non-cover after a 6-1 ATS run.
Miami went 5-0 SU and ATS against Portland from 2005-07, but the Blazers have won and covered the last three meetings, including a 104-96 victory in a pick-em contest in South Beach back on Nov. 12. The visitor is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 series clashes, with Miami cashing in four of its last five trips to Portland. Finally, the SU winner has covered in each of the last 10 battles.
The Heat are 6-16-1 ATS in their last 23 games on Wednesday, but they’re 9-1 ATS in their last 10 after a SU defeat and 7-1 ATS in their last eight after a non-cover. As for the Blazers, they’re on positive pointspread streaks of 7-2 at home, 4-1 against the Eastern Conference, 4-1 on one day of rest and 5-1 on Wednesdays.
The over is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings between these teams overall and 4-0-1 the last five years in Portland. Also, the over is 11-5-1 in the Blazers’ last 17 games against the Southeast Division, 4-1 in Miami’s last five overall and 20-6-1 in Miami’s last 27 against the Northwest.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
