Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
- The Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at STAPLES Center.
Kobe Bryant scored 41 points Wednesday, as the Lakers defeated the Suns 130-124. The Lakers won the game as 3-point road underdogs, while the combined score sailed OVER the posted total of 224.
Bryant shot 16-for-25 from the field with five rebounds and three assists, and Pau Gasol added 29 points in the win.
Corey Maggette poured in 27 points on Friday night to guide the Clippers to a 114-104 win over the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz had been favored by 6 points on the road in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the night's posted total (200).
Current streak:
Los Angeles has won 6 straight games.
Los Angeles has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Los Angeles: 37-17 SU, 34-19-1 ATS
Los Angeles: 19-33 SU, 24-28 ATS
Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 7-3
Before playing Seattle are 4-6
After playing Phoenix are 5-5
After a win are 7-3
Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 8-2
Before playing Boston are 4-6
After playing Utah are 5-5
After a win are 1-9
A few trends to consider:
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
LA Lakers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games on the road
LA Lakers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games
LA Clippers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
LA Clippers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games at home
LA Clippers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games at home
Next up:
LA Lakers at Seattle, Sunday, February 24
LA Clippers home to Boston, Monday, February 25
Saturday’s Pregame Buzz
NBA
New Orleans Hornets at San Antonio Spurs
* Hornets are 42-13-2 ATS in their last 57 Saturday games.
* Spurs 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Spurs are 6-3 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz
* Hawks are 9-19 ATS in their last 28 Saturday games.
* Jazz are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games overall.
* Favorite is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
Los Angles Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers
* .Lakers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall
* Lakers are 4-2 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
CBB
Virginia Commonwealth at Akron
* VCU is 7-3-1 ATS in its last 11 games overall.
* Akron is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games overall.
* The OVER is 7-3 in VCU’s last 10 games overall.
#13 Connecticut at Villanova
* It's worth noting that Villanova is 0-2 SU & ATS at the Wachovia Center this season, losing to both Notre Dame and Syracuse by double digits. All of the Wildcats' 11 home wins have come on-campus at The Pavilion, including Wednesday rout of West Virginia. EDGE: UCONN
* Seven of UConn's wins during its 10-game winning streak have been decided by 6 points or less, including the last 3. Four of those wins have come against ranked opponents, vaulting the Huskies into third place in the Big East, just a half-game behind Georgetown and Louisville for the league lead. EDGE: UCONN
* UConn's A.J. Price saw a streak of 16 straight games of scoring in double figures end Tuesday in a 65-60 win over DePaul. Price had averaged 18 points and 6.1 assists in the first 9 games of the winning streak but totaled just 6 points against the Blue Demons. SLIGHT EDGE: VILLANOVA
* Villanova leading scorer Scottie Reynolds has averaged just 7.5 points in the last 2 games due to sprained ankle that has limited him to a combined 39 minutes in those games. EDGE: UCONN
* UConn is 6-15 ATS in its last 21 road games.
* Villanova is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 home games.
* Home team is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
George Mason at Ohio
* George Mason is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games overall.
* Ohio is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games overall.
* The UNDER is 8-1 in Ohio’s last 9 games overall.
Arkansas at Kentucky
* Arkansas is 22-47-2 ATS in its last 71 road games.
* Kentucky is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games overall.
* Kentucky is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
Iowa at #19 Michigan State
* This is a big revenge game for Michigan State, as the Spartans set a school-record low for points in the shot clock ere in a 43-36 loss at Iowa back on January 12th. They had won 11 straight games going into that game and have won 12 straight meetings with the Hawkeyes at home, including the last 6 by an average of 24.1 points. They will also be trying to get head coach Tom Izzo his 300th career victory. BIG EDGE: MICHIGAN STATE
* Iowa is 1-4 against ranked opponents this season and has lost 10 of 11 on the road against Top 25 teams. EDGE: MICHIGAN STATE
* Iowa is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
* Michigan State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 home games.
* The UNDER is 7-1 in Iowa’s last 8 games overall.
Creighton at Oral Roberts
* Creighton is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 Saturday games.
* The OVER is 18-6-1 in Creighton’s last 25 games overall.
* The OVER is 7-3-1 in Oral Roberts' last 11 games overall.
Oregon at #6 UCLA
* UCLA is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games overall.
* UCLA is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games vs. Pacific-10.
* Oregon is 9-3-1 ATS in its last 13 Saturday games.
* Oregon is 1-9 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
* The OVER is 8-2 in UCLA's last 10 games overall.
* The UNDER is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.
Oklahoma at #7 Texas
* Texas has won the last 4 meetings with Oklahoma and 9 of the last 12. The Longhorns won the earlier meeting between the teams this year 64-54 back on February 6th behind 19 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds from D.J. Augustin. EDGE: TEXAS
* Augustin broke out of a 5-game shooting slump with 27 points on 9-of-14 shots in a 77-50 rout of Texas A&M on Monday. He had made just 22.1 percent (15-of-68) from the field in his previous 5 games in February combined. EDGE: TEXAS
* Oklahoma is 3-8 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* Texas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games overall.
* The UNDER is 7-1 in Texas' last 8 home games.
#4 Kansas at Oklahoma State
* Kansas has not played since last Saturday's 69-45 rout of Colorado. The Jayhawks have dropped 2 of their last 3 road games in Big 12 play, losing at both Texas and Kansas State. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State is 11-2 at home this season, losing only to Texas and Texas A&M. EDGE: OKLAHAOMA STATE
* The Jayhawks have won the last 3 meetings with the Cowboys by an average of 15.3 points. However, most of the damage was done in an 87-57 rout in the last meeting more than a year ago. SLIGHT EDGE: OKLAHOMA STATE
* Kansas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games overall.
* Oklahoma State is 4-6 ATS in its last 10 games overall.
* Favorite is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* The UNDER is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.
St. John's at #5 Duke
* Duke has won the last 3 meetings with St. John's at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where the Blue Devils have a 58-game winning streak against non-conference opponents. However, they failed to cover 2 of those games as favorites of 20+ points. SLIGHT EDGE: DUKE
* St. John's has 8 freshmen averaging double figures in minutes played, and the Red Storm is the lowest-scoring team in the Big East at 62.5 points per game. They have been even worse recently, scoring an average of just 49.7 in their last 3. EDGE: DUKE & UNDER
* St. John’s is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
* Duke is 1-3-2 ATS in its last 6 games overall.
* The UNDER is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings.
#16 Drake at #8 Butler
* Drake is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 Saturday games.
* Butler is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games overall.
* The OVER is 7-3 in Drake’s last 10 games overall.
#2 Tennessee at #1 Memphis
* The top-ranked Tigers put their 47-game regular-season home winning streak on the line, currently the longest of any school in the country. Memphis is also the lone unbeaten team in the nation and hopes to prove a team from Conference USA belongs among the very best. “Them. Us. Everybody in the state. It’s an ego game,” Tigers head coach John Calipari said. “That game has been played up to a level that I can’t even begin to tell you.” EDGE: MEMPHIS
* Tennessee beat Memphis last year 76-58 as an unranked team and has won 6 of the last 8 meetings, covering the last 3. “They beat us fair and square,” Tigers forward Chris Douglas-Roberts said. EDGE: TENNESSEE
* The lower-ranked team has won 5 of the last 6 meetings between #1 and #2. This is only the 5th time in 38 all-time games between the top teams in which both schools were from the same state. EDGE: TENNESSEE
* Tennessee is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games overall.
* Memphis is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games against the SEC.
Kent State at #23 St. Mary's
* St. Mary's will be trying to match a season-high 7-game winning streak against the MAC's top team. The Gaels are coming off 2 of their most lopsided wins of the season, beating Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount by a combined 67 points. They are tied with Gonzaga atop the West Coast Conference and play 3 more league games after this to close out the regular season. EDGE: ST. MARY'S
* Kent State has won 5 straight games and is 11-3 against non-conference opponents this season. However, St. Mary's is even better outside the WCC with a 13-2 mark, including wins over #16 Drake, Oregon and Seton Hall. SLIGHT EDGE: ST. MARY'S
* The Gaels are shooting 37.2 percent from beyond the 3-point arc this season, nailing a school-record 17 treys in a 100-64 win at Pepperdine on Monday. They make an average of 8.5 per game, which ranks in the Top 40 nationally. Kent State is allowing opponents to shoot 35.8 percent from 3-point range on the road this season. BIG EDGE: ST. MARY'S
* St. Mary is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games overall.
* The OVER is 7-2-1 in Kent State’s last 10 games overall.
Pregame.com
No. 1 Memphis, No. 2 Tennessee in showdown
Move over, North Carolina and Duke.
Undefeated Memphis and Tennessee stage an in-state, No. 1-vs.-No. 2 showdown tonight in Memphis that is considered the biggest obstacle between the Tigers and an unbeaten regular season.
This will be the 38th meeting of teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2, but only the fifth between teams from the same state.
Cincinnati and Ohio State met twice as the top teams in the 1960s, and Duke and Carolina met in 1994 and 1998.
But unlike the Blue Devils and Tar Heels, the Tigers (26-0) and Volunteers (24-2) are hardly neighbors. Memphis and Knoxville are at opposite ends of the state, nearly 400 miles apart.
"We're in the same state, both of us have things going pretty good at both schools, but you have to understand this -- they're closer to Washington D.C. than they are to Memphis, Tennessee," said Memphis Coach John Calipari, who was off by a distance approaching 100 miles, but made his point: "We're so far from them. It's not as though they're 50 miles away from us."
A trend favors Tennessee: In the four previous games between top-ranked teams from the same state, the No. 2 team has won each time.
latimes.com