Thursday's Televised Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards
The regular-season conference races in both the Big East and Big Ten won’t be decided Thursday, but a pair of key contests will go a long way towards deciding those league chases.
Louisville will play host to Notre Dame at Freedom Hall, while Wisconsin will take on Michigan State in Madison. Also, bettors get a taste of Atlantic-10 action when St. Joseph’s plays host to Rick Majerus’s squad in Philadelphia.
**Notre Dame at Louisville**
--Louisville and Georgetown are currently tied for first place in the Big East with identical 12-3 records. Notre Dame is just one-half game back with an 11-3 ledger in conference play.
--Louisville (22-6 straight up, 15-11 against the spread) has won seven in a row both SU and ATS, including Sunday’s thrilling 75-73 win at Pittsburgh in a pick ‘em affair. David Padgett scored 21 points and made 3-of-4 free throws at crunch time, while Edgar Sosa erupted for 15 of his 18 points in the second half.
--Notre Dame (21-5 SU, 10-13 ATS) has won three consecutive games, including Sunday’s 94-87 win over Syracuse as a 6 ½-point ‘chalk.’ Kyle McAlarney busted up the Orange’s vaunted zone defense by draining 9-of-11 shots from 3-point land en route to a 30-point effort.
--Notre Dame is led by Big East Player of the Year candidate Luke Harangody, who had 14 points and 14 rebounds against the ‘Cuse. Harangody is averaging a double-double, scoring 20.2 points and grabbing 10.5 rebounds per game.
--Rick Pitino’s team is 13-2 SU at home, but the Cardinals are just 6-7 versus the number at Freedom Hall.
--Mike Brey’s team has struggled in underdog spots, compiling a 1-3 record both SU and ATS.
--The ‘over’ owns an incredible 11-1 record in the Irish’s last 12 games. On the flip side, the ‘under’ has been the money maker for Louisville at home, cashing at a 10-3 clip.
--When these teams met in South Bend last year on Jan. 3, the Irish cruised to a 78-62 win as 8½-point home favorites. Notre Dame also took the cash two seasons ago in an 89-86 overtime loss at Louisville as a six-point underdog.
--ESPN will provide television coverage at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
**Saint Louis at St. Joseph’s**
--St. Joseph’s (17-8 SU, 15-8 ATS) has been an under-the-radar profit producer all season long. The Hawks are in second place in the A-10 with an 8-4 record, three games behind league-leading Xavier.
--Does Phil Martelli’s team have a shot at the NCAA Tournament? That’s doubtful unless it wins the A-10 Tournament. A home loss to Lasalle last week as a 13½-point favorite was a backbreaker.
--St. Joe’s bounced back from the inexplicable loss to Lasalle by winning Saturday at Rhode Island by a 90-83 count. The Hawks took the cash as 2½-point underdogs. Darrin Govens buried 4-of-5 shots from 3-point land en route to a team-high 18 points for the Hawks, who had five players in double figures.
--St. Joseph’s is led by Pat Calathes, the older brother of Florida freshman guard Nick Calathes. The elder Calathes averages 18.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
--Saint Louis (15-12 SU, 10-12 ATS) has failed to cover the number in three consecutive games. The Billikens are off an 81-64 loss at Charlotte as 6½ point underdogs.
--Saint Louis owns an 8-7 spread record as an underdog this year.
--St. Joe’s is 7-3 SU and 5-4 ATS at home.
--The ‘under’ is 12-11 overall for St. Joe’s, 5-4 in its home games. With that said, the ‘over’ has hit in four of the Hawks’ last five games (regardless of venue).
--The ‘over’ is 5-1 in the Billikens’ last six outings.
--Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. on ESPN2.
**Michigan State at Wisconsin**
--Since losing three of four games, Michigan State (22-5 SU, 9-12 ATS) has responded with back-to-back wins, albeit at home against two of the Big 10’s weakest links – Iowa and Penn St. The Spartans are off a 66-52 home win over Iowa, but they allowed the Hawkeyes to register a backdoor cover as 15½-point underdogs.
--Raymar Morgan didn’t quite “pull a Christian Laettner” (think 10-10 FG, 10-10 FT’s vs. UK in ’92 Elite Eight) against Iowa, but he didn’t miss, either. Morgan produced a team-high 16 points, draining all six of his shots from the field and each of his four attempts from the charity stripe.
--Wisconsin (23-4 SU, 12-12 ATS) is in a first-place tie with Indiana in the Big Ten, one-half game ahead of Purdue and two games in front of Michigan St. The Badgers and Hoosiers are both 13-2 within the loop.
--Wisconsin has won four in a row, compiling a 3-1 ATS record in the process. The Badgers won Saturday at Ohio St. by a 58-53 count as 1 ½-point underdogs. Jason Bohannon scored a team-high 16 points for the winners.
--Bo Ryan’s squad is 14-2 SU at home, but the Badgers have been mediocre for our purposes, struggling to a 4-9 spread record in Madison.
--Michigan State has lost two of three games as an underdog this season, winning at BYU, losing at Indiana and against UCLA on a neutral court. The Spartans are 1-1-1 ATS in those three spots.
--The ‘over’ is on a 7-3 run in Michigan St. games.
--The ‘under’ is 15-9 overall for Wisconsin, 9-4 in its home games.
--ESPN2 will have the telecast at 9:00 p.m. ET.
vegasinsider.com
Thursday's Tip Sheet
By Josh Jacobs
The NBA Southwest Division is a hostile place, characterized by four teams all vying for immortality in the postseason.
On Thursday, two of these clubs will settle their differences on the parquet. Beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST, a rubber match between Dallas (38-19 straight up, 23-31-3 against the spread) and San Antonio (38-17 SU, 27-27-1 ATS) will ensue, providing even more intrigue for this no holds bar division.
It was back in November that the Mavericks grabbed a 105-92 win over the Spurs. This marked the fourth time in a row that Dallas covered the spread. Coming back for seconds, San Antonio snatched the last meeting in December with a 97-95 victory at home.
A few trends that might get your blood pumping green for the night is that the underdog in these head-to-head contests has gone 14-3 ATS in the last 17 meetings, while the road team has been successful with a 10-4 ATS record in the last 14.
The Spurs’ winning ways can be attributed to a water tight defense allowing a league third best 90.8 PPG. Adding defensive oriented Kurt Thomas to the roster before the trading deadline only bolstered a unit snatching up 31.6 RPG, while holding opponents to hitting a low 44.9-percent from the field.
In their last 11 outings, the Spurs have gone 10-1 SU and 8-3 ATS.
Two days removed from taking down Chicago 102-94, Dallas will be poised to improve upon its disappointing road record of 14-16 SU. In their last six games played away from the friendly confines of American Airlines Center, the Mavs have been unable to break the road cycle with a 2-4 SU and ATS billing.
When placing both teams side-by-side, Dallas’ production from the bench becomes a sticking point. Again, when on the road, the Mavericks’ bench has scored a debilitating average of 29.3 PPG. To expose this problem, compare the aforementioned number to San Antonio’s 37.6 PPG from its subs when playing at home. That’s a difference of 8.3 PPG.
As of Wednesday, both teams appear to have received a clean bill of health. There has been no mention of injuries.
**Milwaukee at New Jersey**
While Maurice Williams and Michael Redd have shot lights out for their Milwaukee team (22-35 SU 26-30 ATS), surrendering 109.4 PPG in the last five games and 101.5 PPG on the season just won’t cut the cake.
Meeting up with a New Jersey squad (25-32 SU, 22-34-1 ATS) that has taken the last seven of eight head-to-head contests, the Bucks will be looking to take only their seventh win in 31 road games.
In their last nine, Milwaukee has struck gold by hitting the ‘over’ play eight times.
Entering Thursday with an 8-18-1 ATS deficit in their last 27 home games, the Nets have been a money pit more times then not this season. In its last 22 overall, New Jersey is a hampered 7-15 ATS.
This is a spot where both clubs will be looking ahead to a duel with San Antonio. While the Bucks get to flirt with the Spurs on Mar. 1, New Jersey will get back-to-back spots (one home and one road game) with the current Southwest Divisional leader.
Milwaukee is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 Thursday games, and has gone 2-6 ATS in its last eight contests played on the road.
New Jersey’s Stomile Swift is ‘questionable’ and Devin Harris has yet to play in his first game as a Net. Harris continues to recover from a sprained ankle that has forced him to miss three weeks of play.
**Miami at L.A. Lakers**
Finally toppling an 11-game slide, the Heat (10-45 SU, 19-35-1 ATS) earned their 10th win on the season by defeating Sacramento 107-86 on Tuesday. Dropping 26 of its last 28 games, Miami will now prepare for an L.A. Lakers team burning through the Association.
Throwing the Spalding down for 112.9 PPG in nine straight wins, the Lakers have also blessed backers with a money making 13-2 ATS record in their last 15.
Installed as an underdog 19 times this season, L.A. has gone an impressive 13-5-1 ATS. In its last spot as the ‘dog, the Lakers shattered a season high score when it out played Phoenix by the tune of 130-124 (worth mentioning even though books will have L.A. as a heavy favorite). The Lake Show is 8-4 on the ‘under’ in its last 12.
In a losing effort against L.A. on Feb. 10 (104-94), Miami failed to cover the 7 ½-point spread. In 10 of their last head-to-heads, the Heat have stumbled to the ticket window with a 3-7 ATS performance.
Miami has raised the offensive intensity, recording 101.6 PPG (compared to 93.5 PPG on the season), but leaving the door open for 102.4 PPG allowed nullifies scoring production. Looking at a three-game road stint (beginning with Thursday night’s contest), gamblers should be aware of Miami’s 1-7-1 ATS docket in the last eight games played away from home.
One positive trend catching some love is the Heat’s 13-3 ATS ledger in their last 16 versus NBA Pacific teams.
vegasinsider.com.
Fade Alert - Hornets
By Joe Nelson
The New Orleans Hornets losing on Monday to Washington coupled with the San Antonio knocking off Atlanta sent the Hornets into second place in the Southwest Division despite leading the way in the division and the Western Conference for most of the first half of the season. The revival of the Hornets has been one of the great stories of the NBA season, but sadly the recent three-game skid may be an ominous sign of how the rest of the year will play out.
The Hornets currently own a 37-18 record, which in the very tightly-packed top half of the Western Conference is only good enough for the No. 5 seed at present. The good news is that the Hornets are just two games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the best record in the Western Conference but the bad news is that New Orleans is just four and a half games ahead of Denver, who currently sits outside of the playoff picture.
New Orleans won nine straight games in January to ascend to the top of the Western Conference, but since that streak the Hornets are 5-6 straight-up and 3-8 against the spread. Perhaps in response to the struggling play and in part as a reaction to some of the other big moves made by the elite Western Conference teams New Orleans decided to go forward with a trade of its own before the deadline. It certainly was not a headline stealing deal but in a same-division swap the Hornets sent Bobby Jackson, Adam Haluska, and Marcus Vinicius to the Houston Rockets for Bonzi Wells and Mike James. The deal makes sense on paper giving the Hornets greater depth with two veteran players but the early results have not been promising.
Mike James could not have been thrilled with the deal and it has to be questioned how he will respond to the situation and fit in with his new teammates. After the 2006 season in Toronto, James was quoted as saying “Houston is my first choice, seriously, Houston is home. My wife is from Houston. We just bought our house in Houston. I want to go home,” speaking of his desire to return to the Rockets, where the well-traveled guard finished the 2004-05 season. James ended up in Minnesota last season and the results were disastrous. Although he had a limited role with the Rockets this season, he may not be able to help much in New Orleans unless his playing time increases and his attitude is team-oriented.
Bonzi Wells was a solid contributor for the Rockets but he may not get the same type of minutes that he received in Houston. He was expendable for Houston with the solid contributions of rookies Carl Landry and Luis Scola. New Orleans needed to add to its bench depth but the Hornets lineup will still remain reliant on the starters. Four of the five starters for New Orleans average over 33 minutes per game and unless the Hornets plan to cast Morris Peterson to the bench there won’t be a lot of opportunities for James and Wells. Even though neither started in Houston it remains to be seen if they will be comfortable with the situation now on a new and very young team. Rasual Butler and Jannero Pargo have also seen more time in recent weeks and they may get more opportunities in the new roster if James and Wells do not fit in quickly. James and Wells combined for 19 points total in the first two games with the Hornets, both losses, and Bobby Jackson’s contributions on both sides of the floor may have been overlooked.
Eventually the trade should pay off for New Orleans but it could take some time, and unfortunately in the West there is not much margin for error. The Hornets have compiled a great record but it has occurred against the 28th ranked schedule in the league according to the Sagarin ratings. The schedule will be getting tougher in the coming weeks. New Orleans has nine of the next 13 games at home but seven of the home games are against teams that would make the playoffs today. The Hornets must close the season playing 10 of the final 14 on the road, making for a very difficult finish.
New Orleans is 18-10 at home this season, a good record to be sure, but compared with what the elite teams do at home it shows that New Orleans is probably not quite ready to take the next step. New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in the past five home games and giving away games at home shows the inexperience of the Hornets. Consider that San Antonio is 23-5, Utah is 24-3, Dallas is 24-3, Phoenix is 21-8, and Los Angeles is 19-7, meaning it is going to be very tough to keep pace in this conference without dominating at home. New Orleans actually only owns four wins at home this season against teams that would make the playoffs right now and some very tough games are coming up. The Hornets have delivered excellent play on the road with wins at Houston, Phoenix and San Antonio this season but the late-season road trips will be challenging.
It would be disappointing to see it happen given how exciting of a team the Hornets can be to watch and how great it has been to see the revival of the franchise, but the Hornets are far from a lock for the playoffs at this point in the season. Houston was dealt a major blow with the injury to Yao Ming but along with the Rockets, the Hornets have to be considered as one of the teams with a risk of falling out of the playoffs. Golden State and Denver still have a lot of work to do but both of those teams have historically been excellent second-half teams in recent seasons. It could be a wild finish for the Hornets and the rest of the Western Conference. The Wells/James trade may be one that is looked back on as a turning point for the worse even though the correlation may not be direct.
VegasInsider.com
Celtics sign veteran P.J. Brown for stretch run
BOSTON(AP) P.J. Brown was at home in New Orleans when Paul Pierce and Ray Allen came to town for the NBA All-Star game.
``They pulled me aside and asked me if I would be interested in joining them,'' he said Wednesday after signing with the Boston Celtics for the rest of the season. ``That probably made the biggest difference of all. They were down there for one of the biggest moments of their careers. ... That meant a lot to me.''
The 6-foot-11 Brown last played for the Chicago Bulls, in 2006-07, averaging 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20.2 minutes. He averaged 9.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 31.4 minutes per game in his 14-year career, but he has never played a meaningful game in June.
``The final thing that kept me from closing the door was wanting to be a champion. I've had a dream to always want to touch that Larry O'Brien trophy,'' he said. ``There are rare moments and opportunities that come in the league where you have a chance ultimately to be a champion. I think this team gives me that chance.''
The Celtics have the best record in the NBA, thanks to Pierce, Allen and Kevin Garnett. Coach Doc Rivers said messing with the team's chemistry was a risk, but ``you always take that risk.''
Brown's attitude and reputation were part of what attracted the team to him.
``It's a guy we looked at before the year. He just didn't know what he wanted to do and we couldn't wait,'' Rivers said. ``In typical P.J. fashion, he said, 'I want to help. I hope I can help. If I'm a cheerleader every night, I'll do that. If I can play every night, I'll do that. Whatever you need, I hope I can do it for you.'
``I don't know what he can do on the floor yet. We'll find that out. He hasn't played all year.''
Brown sat on the bench in street clothes for Wednesday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, getting a big cheer when he was introduced to the crowd in the third quarter. He said he would start practicing Thursday.
``Physically, I'm in shape. But I'm not in NBA shape,'' he said. ``The two biggest things are timing and stamina. It's not going to be overnight, but I'll put in a lot of work and work my tail off. ... When the time comes and my number is called, I'll be ready to go.''
Milwaukee Bucks vs. New Jersey Nets
- The fans at Izod Center will be treated to a game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the New Jersey Nets when they take their seats on Thursday.
Mo Williams poured in 37 points to lead the Bucks to a 105-102 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
The Cavs had been listed as 3.5-point favorites on the road in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the posted total (197).
The Nets lost 102-92 to the Magic last time out, as 6.5-point underdogs at home. The 194 points were UNDER the night's posted total of 202.5.
Vince Carter tossed in a game-high 26 points with eight rebounds in the loss.
Current streak:
Milwaukee has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Milwaukee: 22-35 SU, 26-30-1 ATS
New Jersey: 25-32 SU, 22-34-1 ATS
Milwaukee most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
Before playing San Antonio are 4-6
After playing Cleveland are 5-5
After a win are 3-7
New Jersey most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing San Antonio are 4-6
After playing Orlando are 6-4
After a loss are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 8 games when playing New Jersey
Milwaukee is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games
New Jersey is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
New Jersey is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Jersey's last 7 games at home
New Jersey is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Next up:
Milwaukee home to San Antonio, Saturday, March 1
New Jersey home to San Antonio, Sunday, March 2
Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs
- Divisional bragging rights will be on the line on Thursday when the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs meet at AT&T Center.
The Mavericks got out to an early lead and went on to defeat the Bulls 102-94 on Monday. The Mavericks failed to cover the 9.5-point spread, while the 196 points were a PUSH against the posted total of 196.
Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
The Spurs scored just five points in the first quarter of Monday's 89-74 win over the Hawks. The Spurs covered the 12-point spread at home, but the 163 points were well UNDER the posted total of 187.
Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 23 points with 10 rebounds for a double-double in the victory.
Current streak:
Dallas has won 3 straight games.
San Antonio has won 6 straight games.
Team records:
Dallas: 38-19 SU, 23-31-3 ATS
San Antonio: 38-17 SU, 28-27 ATS
Dallas most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 9-1
Before playing Sacramento are 6-4
After playing Chicago are 7-3
After a win are 7-3
San Antonio most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing Milwaukee are 7-3
After playing Atlanta are 8-2
After a win are 8-2
A few trends to consider:
Dallas is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing San Antonio
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Antonio's last 7 games at home
San Antonio is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
San Antonio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Next up:
Dallas home to Sacramento, Friday, February 29
San Antonio at Milwaukee, Saturday, March 1
Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers
- The Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers will both be trying to pick up a win on Thursday when they battle at STAPLES Center.
The Heat defeated the Kings 107-86 Tuesday night, as slight 1.5-point underdogs. The combined 193 points fell UNDER the posted total of 203.
Shawn Marion led the way with 24 points from10-for-14 shooting from the field, and hauled in eight rebounds in the win.
Kobe Bryant had enough magic with 30 points on Tuesday, helping his Lakers get past the Trail Blazers 96-83. The Lakers failed to cover the 15.5-point spread, while the combined 179 points fell UNDER the posted total of 202.
Bryant finished with nine rebounds and seven assists, while Jordan Farmar added 21 off the bench.
Current streak:
Los Angeles has won 9 straight games.
Team records:
Miami: 10-45 SU, 19-35-1 ATS
Los Angeles: 40-17 SU, 36-20-1 ATS
Miami most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Seattle are 5-5
After playing Sacramento are 4-6
After a win are 1-9
Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Portland are 6-4
After playing Portland are 7-3
After a win are 9-1
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Miami is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games when playing LA Lakers
Miami is 5-16-1 ATS in its last 22 games
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
LA Lakers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 6 games when playing Miami
LA Lakers are 13-3 SU in their last 16 games at home
Next up:
Miami at Seattle, Friday, February 29
LA Lakers at Portland, Friday, February 29
Thursday’s Pregame Buzz
NBA
Milwaukee Bucks at New Jersey Nets
* Bucks are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games.
* Bucks are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 Thurday games.
* Bucks are 1-7 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
* Nets are 7-15 ATS in their last 22 games overall.
* Nets are 8-18-1 ATS in their last 27 home games.
* The OVER is 11-5 in New Jersey's last 16 Thursday games.
* The UNDER is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.
* The UNDER is 7-1 in Milwaukee's last 8 games vs. Atlantic Division.
Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs
* Underdog is 14-3 ATS in the last 17 meetings.
* Road team is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings.
* The UNDER is 6-2-1 in Dallas' last 9 games overall.
* The UNDER is 6-2 in Dallas' last 8 games vs. Western Conference.
* The UNDER is 15-6 in Dallas' last 21 road games.
* The UNDER is 16-5 in San Antonio's last 21 games vs. Southwest Division.
* The UNDER is 6-2 in San Antonio's last 8 games vs. Western Conference.
* The UNDER is 14-6 in San Antonio's last 20 games overall.
Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers
* Heat are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 Thu. games.
* Heat are 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 road games.
* Heat are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 vs. Pacific Division.
* Heat are 3-7 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
* Lakers are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 Thursday games.
* The UNDER is 8-2 in LA's last 10 games as a favorite.
* The UNDER is 6-2 in LA's last 8 games vs. Southeast Division.
CBB
#17 Notre Dame at #13 Louisville
* Louisville is 22-5-2 ATS in its last 29 games vs. Big East.
* Louisville is 7-0 SU & ATS in its last 7 games.
* Notre Dame is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 Thursday games.
* The OVER is 14-3 in Notre Dame's last 17 games overall.
* The OVER is 16-5 in Notre Dame's last 21 games vs. Big East.
* The UNDER is 9-1 in Louisville's last 10 home games.
Saint Louis at St. Joseph's
* Saint Louis is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 road games.
USC at Arizona
* USC is 18-6 ATS in its last 24 road games.
* USC is 8-3 ATS in its 11 games overall.
* Road team is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
* The OVER is 20-7 in USC's last 27 games vs. Pacific-10.
* The OVER is 7-3 in Arizona's last 10 games overall.
* The OVER is 7-3 in Arizona's last 10 games vs. Pacific-10.
* The OVER is 38-17-1 in Arizona's last 56 Thursday games.
#19 Michigan State at #10 Wisconsin
* Wisconsin is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 home games.
* The OVER is 7-3 in Michigan State's last 10 games overall.
* The OVER is 7-3 in Michigan State's last 10 games vs. Big Ten.
* The UNDER is 9-4 in Michigan State's last 13 Thursday games.
* The UNDER is 13-6 in Wisconsin's last 19 games overall.
* The UNDER is 15-7 in Wisconsin's last 22 games vs. Big Ten.
Pregame.com
What bettors need to know: TNT Thursday doubleheader
COVERS.com
Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs
Mavs add a veteran
The Mavs trade for Jason Kidd may have grabbed all the headlines, but another recent signing could have a significant impact on their season. They picked up veteran center Jamaal Magloire off waivers on Tuesday, adding some depth to the roster for the business end of the season.
Magloire, in his eighth NBA season, was waived by the Nets on Friday and is expected to make his Dallas debut on Thursday. He didn’t see much playing time at New Jersey, but was a full-time starter with the Bucks in the 2005-2006 season.
"We were concerned about our backup center spot after the trade and this will provide us some much needed depth," Donnie Nelson, the president of basketball operations, told the Associated Press.
The 29-year-old former Kentucky star is averaging 8.7 points and 7.3 rebounds over his career, and put up 9.2 points and 9.5 rebounds in his last season as a starter.
The Kidd trade, meanwhile, is turning out to be a stroke of genius. He has produced 8.2 points and 8.7 assists in four games since his arrival, and is working well with Dirk Nowitzki in particular.
Nowitzki is averaging 29 points and making more than 50 percent of his shots in those four games, three of which were wins.
Spurs don’t doubt Thomas
The Spurs are another team that made an nice signing which went largely under the radar. They picked up veteran Kurt Thomas from Seattle at the deadline last week, giving them a physical presence on the front line that they were lacking this season.
The 35-year-old is certainly in the twilight of his career, but he has a reputation as a tough defender and a smart rebounder who should average close to 10 boards a game.
"Kurt Thomas is a tough, physical player who can defend, score and rebound," said Spurs General Manager RC Buford. "He will be a great addition to our roster and will add depth to our frontcourt."
He certainly showed signs of that in his San Antonio debut on Monday, posting four points, nine rebounds, two blocks and a steal in just 13 minutes of action. The Spurs came out 89-74 winners as 12-point favorites in the game, their fifth victory in six contests.
"I felt OK," Thomas said of his debut. "My teammates were really talking to me, telling me where I needed to go." With a game under his belt, expect the veteran to see more time against Dallas.
Head-to-head
Dallas has done remarkably well against the Spurs in recent seasons, winning and covering the spread in four of the last five against them. But San Antonio came out on top in the last meeting on Dec. 5, winning 97-95 as a 2 ½-point road underdog.
In fact, the underdog is 14-3 ATS in the last 14 meetings between these teams, while the road team is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 contests.
Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers
Heat snap losing streak
The Miami Heat are the worst team in the NBA this season, having lost 45 of their 55 games. They were on an 11-game losing streak heading into this week’s action, but pulled out a shocking win over Sacramento on Tuesday night to give them cause for cautious optimism.
Forward Shawn Marion scored 24 points and had eight rebounds in leading Miami to a massive 107-86 home win over the Kings as 1 ½-point underdog. Dwayne Wade put up 15 points and nine assists, while five other players also scored in the double-digits.
"Obviously, it was pleasing to be able to see that game," Miami head coach Pat Riley told reporters afterwards. "I know we have had it in us. I don't know where it has been, but tonight we played extremely well. We played a complete game for 48 minutes."
The 21-point margin of victory is Miami’s biggest of the season, and it’s the third time in 21 games that the club managed to break the 100-point mark. The Heat have a 2-22 record in 2008, and are 1-9 so far in February. They have covered the spread just once in their last four outings.
Happy Kobe
It’s hard to believe that the Kobe Bryant that started this season with the Lakers is the same person who walked off the court on Tuesday night. After L.A.’s ninth straight win in which Kobe scored 30 points, he was beaming and full of praise for his teammates.
"We have, in my estimation, the best bench in the league," he said. "Guys come in and do an extremely good job of playing, moving the basketball, knocking down shots and just playing extremely well."
Of course it’s easy to be happy when your team is winning, and they don’t come much hotter in the NBA than the Lakers. Their nine-game streak has given them the best record in the Western Conference (40-17), and they are outscoring opponents by an average of 14.8 points over that stretch. They covered in eight of those games.
Bryant is the driving force behind that success. He is averaging a stunning 29 points per game on the current streak, despite playing through a dislocated finger for the last six games.
A win on Thursday against the Miami Heat would give the Lakers their 21st double-digit winning streak in franchise history.
Head to head
The Lakers have won three of their last four games against Miami, including a 104-94 win as a 7½-point road favorite in their most recent meeting.
The Heat are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings between these teams, and have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last nine road games overall.
Capping the Irish: Little public influence for Notre Dame lines
Covers.com
What’s going on in South Bend?
Last time I checked, Notre Dame was supposed to be a football school. But after what happened with Charlie Weis’ Blighted Irish in the fall, a lot of golden domes were hung low with shame.
Then something really unexpected happened.
The Notre Dame basketball squad, which was picked to finish ninth in the Big East before the start of the season, got busy putting the rest of the conference into cardiac arrest. Right now they’re 21-5, ranked No. 17 in the nation, and they have the best offense in the Big East.
What’s next? Will Touchdown Jesus be moved into the Joyce Center? Will the equipment managers begin dusting the uniforms with real gold? Is Disney going to make a movie about the life and times of Kyle McAlarney?
Before any of that happens, the Irish have to tangle with a more established Big East basketball powerhouse when they travel to Louisville on Thursday night.
The surprising thing about Notre Dame's surprise season is that you’d think an overachieving squad like this would be making a killing at the sportsbook, but for some reason, the Irish are just 11-12 against the spread this season.
Interesting. Part of the problem is probably that they obviously weren’t a surprise to oddsmakers at all if you consider they’ve been listed as favorites in all but four of their 23 betable games this season and as double-digit favorites on eight different occasions – even in a couple Big East contests.
All this makes us wonder: does the same rule apply to Notre Dame basketball as to football? Is this one of the big public teams in hoops too, forcing oddsmakers to shade pointspreads in their games?
“The public does not have as much influence on college basketball lines,” Covers Expert Steve Merril clarifies, “and the oddsmakers are more concerned on where the sharp action is going to be located. Because of this reason, I feel the oddsmakers have done a pretty good job of accurately pricing Notre Dame games. This has been evident recently with games landing close to the spread.”
As Merrill points out, a number of the most recent games involving the Irish have fallen within a point or two of the spread. For example, Notre Dame was favored by 6 ½ against Syracuse and won the game 94-87. Last week against UConn and Marquette, both games finished within 1 ½ points of the spread (not in Notre Dame’s favor).
These are the kind of games that drive bettors nuts because one bounce in the other direction or a couple of missed foul shots could have swung the game to the other side of the spread.
Bettors would feel much more comfortable with a team like Louisville, which started out the season on bettors’ blacklists but since the Big East schedule began they’ve gone 11-2-1 ATS, including seven straight covers.
That makes for an interesting juxtaposition when these two teams meet in Louisville on Thursday night as both teams battle for a Big East title.
But don’t get completely sucked into differences in those results. Oddsmakers have recently caught up with the Cardinals too and even though they had been covering spreads by 11 or more points, their last three games finished within 3, 1 ½ and one point respectively. Looks like another underrated team bites the dust.
That’s why the biggest difference in this matchup might be home-court advantage. Notre Dame has been almost untouchable at home, but it’s shown a serious weakness in road games – particularly against the tougher teams. All three of Notre Dame’s Big East losses have come on the road and they have a 2-5 ATS record (3-4 SU) away from South Bend.
Louisville fans, however, have been given plenty to cheer for recently and not only because the Cardinals have reeled off seven straight wins and put themselves in a good position to win the conference. They’ve also gone undefeated at Freedom Hall in conference play since losing their opener to Cincinnati (which was also center David Padgett’s first game back from a fractured knee cap and he played only about half the game). Coach Rick Pitino played only eight players in that compared with Louisville’s last game against Pitt, in which he used a 10-man rotation.
Aside from a healthier team, the biggest reason Louisville has found success in the Big East is because they can adapt to any style of play. Some teams in the conference like to grind it out and turn the game into a low-tempo, defensive battle. Louisville can come out on top of those games, as they did against Syracuse and Georgetown this month. But they can also crank up the offense when they have to, like in recent wins over Providence and DePaul. That bodes well for the team when it faces the hot-shooting, high-scoring Irish.
"It's real good to know," point guard Edgar Sosa said. "Because if you go deep in the (NCAA) Tournament, you're going to play teams like Kansas, teams that have so much offensive firepower that you're not going be able to (hold) them to 25 percent for the game. You've got to be able to put the ball in the basket."
They’ll have to put the ball in the basket against Notre Dame, which is averaging more than 80 points per game. Interestingly, in Louisville’s games against the conference’s other top offenses (Marquette, UConn, Seton Hall, Syracuse) the under is 3-1 and those teams have been allowed to score an average of 67 points.
Big-game letdowns could mean a tough week for Sparty
Covers.com
Talk about a tough week.
Things haven’t been easy for the Michigan State Spartans since the Big Ten schedule began. They’ve struggled against the upper tier of the conference, losing straight up to Purdue and getting blown out by Indiana, but now they have to face two top 25 teams over a three-day span.
On Thursday, MSU travels to Madison to face the first-place Wisconsin Badgers and then they play host to the Indiana Hoosiers on Sunday. Both teams are 23-4 SU overall and they are ranked ninth and 12th in the nation respectively.
Normally, you wouldn’t have to worry about a Tom Izzo-coached team at this time of year, but after watching the Spartans go 4-10 against the spread since conference play began, you have to think twice before siding with Sparty - especially in big games.
The last time State faced a nationally ranked team, it was those same Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington. It looked like a great spot for Izzo’s boys as Indiana's campus was crawling with reporters looking for the scoop on Kelvin Sampson’s alleged recruiting violations. There were distractions galore in Hoosierville, but it was the Spartans who looked lost as they were blown out 80-61 as four-point underdogs.
Performances like that might make you think that even though the Spartans are ranked No. 15 in the country and 22-5 straight up this season, they might be a little overrated and a lot overvalued.
If that’s what you’re thinking, you don’t know Izzo. There’s a reason he just earned his 300th win as a head coach – and he didn’t get those wins all in the early part of the season. Izzo knows this part of the season is showtime and if the last two games are any indication (wins of 14 and 37 points) this team is coming into form.
“Coach Izzo normally has his teams peaking at this time of year,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “We may have seen an uptick after the Indiana loss. If the Spartans fare well against Wisconsin and Indiana this week we should have a buy sign for the tournament.”
Sloppy play and turnovers had been a big problem for the Spartans, but they finally managed to get it under control. In the two wins, they gave up only 12 turnovers combined, maybe partly due to the pep talk they received from MSU alumnus Magic Johnson. Izzo brought in Magic to tell the players to “go for singles instead of home runs” and then he changed up the rotation to give Chris Allen, Marquis Gray and Durrell Summers more court time.
There’s no reason the improvement should end there.
"I would expect that to carry over," Izzo said of valuing the basketball. "That doesn't mean we'll shoot well against Wisconsin or this or that, but yeah, I'm not expecting us, because it's a better team, to (have more turnovers)."
Penn State and Iowa aren’t exactly the cream of the Big Ten crop. Things will be very different this week against the likes of Marcus Landry and Eric Gordon.
But there is some evidence that the Spartans aren’t totally helpless against top teams. Earlier in the season, they hung within five points of the super-talented UCLA Bruins at the CBE Classic. They also won and covered against BYU and Texas – both currently in the top 25.
And there are other factors that might make bettors want to look long and hard at Sunday’s rematch with the Hoosiers in particular. Although it sounds like an uphill battle for the Spartans to face Indiana just a couple of days after battling the Big Ten’s top team, they might be getting IU in a beatable spot.
“The Spartans are a perfect 17-0 at home,” Leonard says, “and Indiana is still struggling with the Kelvin Sampson situation. The game at Wisconsin should be much tougher.”
The Hoosiers have put on an admirable show in the face of all the controversy in Bloomington, but they showed some weakness in their last outing when they barely squeaked by Northwestern 85-82 as 11 ½-point favorites. In a situation like Saturday’s game, in a tough road environment, with all the other issues hanging over their heads, the Hoosiers might be set up for a fall.
And if you’re into history, the Spartans are 17-8 ATS in their last five games of the season over the last five years.
Thursday’s best NBA bets
COVERS.com
Milwaukee at New Jersey
The Bucks have won two straight and three of their last four, thanks mainly to the sizzling Michael Redd. The guard has averaged 28 points per game over that stretch, helping his team to cover the spread in three of the four contests.
Redd came up trumps in the Bucks’ last game against the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. He had 25 points and four assists and nailed a three-pointer at the horn to lead his team to the money as a 1 ½-point underdog.
But Redd is not the only Milwaukee player who’s hot right now. All five starters in the win over Cleveland scored in double-digits, including Maurice Williams, who produced a season-high 37 points. A similar team performance would ensure the Bucks at least cover the spread against a Nets team that has dropped three of its last five.
Dallas at San Antonio
Jason Kidd’s arrival at Dallas has not only reenergized him after a lackluster stretch at New Jersey, but it’s also bringing the best out of the Mavericks' other big stars – Dirk Nowitzki in particular.
Since Kidd joined the Mavs last week, Nowitzki has averaged 29 points and made more than 50 percent of his shots from the field. Kidd himself has averaged 8.2 points and 8.7 assists in his four games as a Dallas player, helping the team win all four and cover the spread in three of those games.
Dallas has also won and covered in four of its last five games against the Spurs, including a 105-92 victory at American Airlines Center last November. The road team is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings between these teams.
Miami at L.A. Lakers
The best team in the West meets the worst team in the East on Thursday when the Lakers welcome Miami to Los Angeles. There’s nothing to suggest that a shock is in the cards.
Miami has lost 11 of its last 12 games ahead of this clash, covering the spread just three times. The Heat are 10-45 for the season and have the worst offense in the league (93.5 points per game).
The Lakers, meanwhile, have won nine straight games, covering the spread in eight of them. They have outscored their last five opponents by an average of 17.2 points, with Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant ripping it up over that time.
L.A. has won three of its last four against Miami and is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
Locals making good as favorites
By Lonnie White
In recent weeks, Southern California bettors who prefer to support local teams have had a good run if they've been placing money behind the Lakers, Ducks and UCLA basketball.
Let's start with the Lakers, who have ripped through their NBA competition in going 13-2 against the point spread since Jan. 27.
Recently acquired Pau Gasol looks to be the perfect fit for Coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense, and the Lakers' impressive run has finally caught the attention of oddsmakers.
The Lakers have been listed as an underdog only twice since Feb. 1 and favored by at least 9 1/2 points in six of their last seven games, including tonight's game against Miami at Staples Center.
That's a far cry from the start of the season when the Lakers were underdogs in five of their first seven games, which included four played at Staples Center.
Another streaking local team has been the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks, who have bounced back from a sluggish first half of the season with nine victories over their last 10 games entering Friday's matchup against Calgary at the Honda Center.
The Ducks have won against solid goaltenders, including New Jersey's Martin Broudeur, Detroit's Chris Osgood, Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff and the New York Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist.
Although the Ducks are not considered a strong team against the puck spread -- with five one-goal victories since Feb. 7 and a 27-39 record against the line for the season -- bettors have enjoyed a productive money-line streak this month.
Then there's the Bruins, who have a 7-2 record against the point spread in their last nine games while playing in the ultra-competitive Pacific 10 Conference.
With six of the league's 10 teams owning seven to nine wins against the spread in Pac-10 play, UCLA's 10-4 mark against the line stands out.
The Bruins, favorites at Arizona State tonight, have also had to deal with optimistic oddsmakers, who have made UCLA a favorite by at least 12 points in six of 14 Pac-10 games this season.
For supporters of the Clippers, Kings and USC basketball, positive money may not have rolled the way it has for their local rivals but things haven't been that bad.
The Clippers were 5-6 versus the spread over their last 11 games heading into Wednesday's matchup against Portland, while the Kings are 5-5 overall over their last 10 games.
The Trojans have the Pac-10's second best record against the spread at 9-5.
latimes.com
CANISIUS vs. LOYOLA
Canisius is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Loyola
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Canisius's last 7 games when playing Loyola
Loyola is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Loyola's last 10 games at home
GEORGIA SOUTHERN vs. COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
Georgia Southern is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Georgia Southern is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
College of Charleston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Georgia Southern
College of Charleston is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Georgia Southern
MURRAY STATE vs. TENNESSEE TECH
Murray State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Murray State is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
Tennessee Tech is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Murray State
Tennessee Tech is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Murray State
NOTRE DAME vs. LOUISVILLE
Notre Dame is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Notre Dame's last 12 games
Louisville is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Louisville is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
SAINT LOUIS vs. SAINT JOSEPH'S
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Saint Louis's last 6 games
Saint Louis is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Saint Joseph's is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Saint Joseph's is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
WOFFORD vs. WESTERN CAROLINA
Wofford is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Wofford is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Western Carolina is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Wofford
Western Carolina is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Wofford
FURMAN vs. THE CITADEL
Furman is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing The Citadel
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Furman's last 5 games when playing The Citadel
The Citadel is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
The Citadel is 1-15 SU in its last 16 games
AUSTIN PEAY vs. EASTERN KENTUCKY
Austin Peay is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Eastern Kentucky
Austin Peay is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Eastern Kentucky is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
CHATTANOOGA vs. UNC GREENSBORO
Chattanooga is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing UNC Greensboro
Chattanooga is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
UNC Greensboro is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games
UNC Greensboro is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
TENNESSEE STATE vs. MOREHEAD STATE
Tennessee State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Tennessee State is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Morehead State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Tennessee State
Morehead State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Tennessee State
LOYOLA OF CHICAGO vs. WISC-MILWAUKEE
Loyola of Chicago is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Wisc-Milwaukee
Loyola of Chicago is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing Wisc-Milwaukee
Wisc-Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Wisc-Milwaukee is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
MARYLAND vs. WAKE FOREST
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Maryland's last 6 games when playing on the road against Wake Forest
Maryland is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Wake Forest is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wake Forest's last 5 games
PM DETROIT vs. VALPARAISO
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 8 games on the road
ILLINOIS-CHICAGO vs. WISC-GREEN BAY
Illinois-Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Wisc-Green Bay
Illinois-Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Wisc-Green Bay
Wisc-Green Bay is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Wisc-Green Bay's last 8 games at home
NEW ORLEANS vs. SOUTH ALABAMA
New Orleans is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against South Alabama
New Orleans is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against South Alabama
South Alabama is 19-2 SU in its last 21 games
South Alabama is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
NORTH TEXAS vs. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
North Texas is 2-3-5 ATS in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Louisiana-Lafayet
North Texas is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Louisiana-Lafayet
Louisiana-Lafayette is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisiana-Lafayette's last 5 games
JACKSONVILLE STATE vs. EASTERN ILLINOIS
Jacksonville State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Eastern Illinois
Jacksonville State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Eastern Illinois is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Eastern Illinois is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games
DENVER vs. ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK
Denver is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Arkansas-Little Rock
Denver is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arkansas-Little Rock
Arkansas-Little Rock is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Arkansas-Little Rock is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games at home
SAMFORD vs. SE MISSOURI STATE
Samford is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Samford is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
SE Missouri State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Samford
SE Missouri State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Samford
LOUISIANA-MONROE vs. ARKANSAS STATE
Louisiana-Monroe is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisiana-Monroe's last 5 games
Arkansas State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Arkansas State is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games at home
WEBER STATE vs. NORTHERN ARIZONA
Weber State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Weber State is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Northern Arizona is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Weber State
Northern Arizona is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
MICHIGAN STATE vs. WISCONSIN
Michigan State is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Michigan State is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Wisconsin is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wisconsin's last 6 games
USC vs. ARIZONA
USC is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
USC is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Arizona is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing USC
Arizona is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing USC
WRIGHT STATE vs. BUTLER
Wright State is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Wright State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
Butler is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Wright State
Butler is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Wright State
NORTHERN COLORADO vs. MONTANA
No trends available
Montana is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Montana is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
PORTLAND STATE vs. MONTANA STATE
Portland State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Portland State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Montana State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Portland State
Montana State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Portland State
BOISE STATE vs. SAN JOSE STATE
Boise State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Boise State is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games on the road
San Jose State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boise State
San Jose State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boise State
DAVIS vs. PACIFIC
Pacific is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pacific's last 6 games at home
UC RIVERSIDE vs. CAL POLY
UC Riverside is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cal Poly
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of UC Riverside's last 5 games when playing Cal Poly
Cal Poly is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cal Poly's last 6 games at home
WASHINGTON vs. STANFORD
Washington is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Stanford
Washington is 6-17 SU in its last 23 games when playing Stanford
Stanford is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Stanford is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
CS NORTHRIDGE vs. CS FULLERTON
CS Northridge is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
CS Northridge is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
CS Fullerton is 6-1-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing CS Northridge
CS Fullerton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing CS Northridge
IDAHO STATE vs. SACRAMENTO STATE
Idaho State is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games on the road
Idaho State is 3-16 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Sacramento State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Sacramento State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
LOUISIANA TECH vs. UTAH STATE
Louisiana Tech is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Louisiana Tech is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Utah State is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games
Utah State is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Louisiana Tech
NEW MEXICO STATE vs. NEVADA
New Mexico State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
New Mexico State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Nevada is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Mexico State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nevada's last 6 games when playing New Mexico State
UCLA vs. ARIZONA STATE
UCLA is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Arizona State
UCLA is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona State
Arizona State is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Arizona State is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
LONG BEACH STATE vs. UC IRVINE
Long Beach State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing UC Irvine
Long Beach State is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against UC Irvine
UC Irvine is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
UC Irvine is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
WASHINGTON STATE vs. CALIFORNIA
Washington State is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing California
Washington State is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
California is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
California is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
IDAHO vs. HAWAII
Idaho is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Idaho's last 7 games on the road
Hawaii is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Idaho
Hawaii is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Idaho
(17) Notre Dame (21-5, 11-12 ATS) at (13) Louisville (22-6, 15-10-1 ATS)
Two of the hottest teams in the country match up when the Fighting Irish, who have won eight of nine, make a short trip south to Freedom Hall for a Big East battle against Louisville, which has won seven straight.
Notre Dame won its third in a row Sunday, topping Syracuse 94-87 and narrowly covering the 6½-point spread. The Fighting Irish (11-3, 7-7 ATS in the Big East) had fewer field goals but shot a sterling 29 of 53 (54.7 percent), including 14 of 25 from 3-point range (56 percent). Meanwhile, Syracuse hit 33 of 82 (40.2 percent) from the floor, including 6 of 20 from long distance (30 percent).
Louisville edged Pittsburgh 75-73 Sunday as a one-point road pup and is now 7-0 ATS during its seven-game streak. The Cardinals (12-3, 11-3-1 ATS in the Big East) are shooting 48.8 percent over their last five starts, including draining an impressive 57.6 percent of their field goals (30 of 52) at Pitt.
These two teams have met just once each of the past two seasons, with Notre Dame going 2-0 ATS (1-1 SU). Last year, the Irish rolled 78-62 at home laying 8½ points, and in 2006, Louisville won 89-86 in overtime, but Notre Dame got the cash as a six-point road underdog.
The Fighting Irish are 6-2 ATS in their last eight Thursday starts and 27-13-1 ATS in their last 41 on the road against teams with a winning home record. However, they are 2-5 ATS in their last seven roadies, 1-4 ATS in their last five after a spread-cover and 0-5 ATS after scoring more than 90 points in the previous outing.
Along with their current 7-0 ATS streak, the Cardinals are on further positive pointspread runs of 13-3-1 overall, 4-0 on Thursday, 5-1 at home, 22-5-2 in Big East play and 11-5 at home against teams with a losing road record.
For Notre Dame, the over is on streaks of 14-3 overall, 12-2 after a SU win, 5-1 on the highway, 16-5 in Big East action and 37-17 against teams with a winning percentage above .600. For Louisville, though, the under is on runs of 9-1 at home, 6-1 at home against teams with a losing road record and 12-4 coming off a SU victory.
ATS ADVANTAGE: LOUISVILLE
Wright State (20-7, 11-13-1 ATS) at (14) Butler (25-3, 13-12-2 ATS)
Two Horizon League rivals that had lengthy winning streaks snapped on Saturday aim to get back on track as Wright State visits Butler.
Wright State’s 11-game run ended in a 54-46 Bracketbuster Saturday loss to Missouri Valley Conference stalwart Illinois State, though it did get the cash as a 9½-point road underdog, ending an 0-3 ATS slide. In fact, despite their impressive win streak, the Raiders (12-4, 5-10-1 ATS in the Horizon League) went just 4-6-1 ATS in those 11 contests.
Butler also came up short in a Bracketbuster game against an MVC opponent, tumbling to Drake 71-64 Saturday to end a nine-game winning streak. The Bulldogs failed as a 5½-point home favorite, falling to 2-4 ATS in their last six starts. Much like Wright State, Butler (14-2, 4-10-2 ATS in the Horizon League) didn’t fare well against the spread during its nine-game run, going 3-5-1 ATS.
Wright State has dominated this rivalry, going 8-2 SU and 9-1 ATS in the last 10 clashes, including an extremely low-scoring 43-42 victory as a 7½-point home underdog back in December. The Raiders have won and covered the last three meetings, but last year at Butler, the Bulldogs rolled to a 73-42 victory laying 15 points. The home team is on a 5-0 ATS spree in this rivalry, and the underdog is 5-1 in the last six matchups.
The Raiders sport negative ATS streaks of 2-5-1 overall, 0-4-1 after a spread-cover and 2-7 on Thursdays. On the positive side, Wright State is on pointspread runs of 36-17-2 after a SU loss, 5-1-1 on the highway and 6-1 in road games versus teams with a home winning percentage above .600.
The Bulldogs are on a 3-7-1 ATS skid overall and also carry negative pointspread trends of 4-12-2 in the Horizon League, 1-4 at home and 0-5 on Thursday. Butler, though, is 4-1 ATS in its last five coming off a SU loss and 11-5-1 ATS in its last 17 following a non-cover.
The under is on a 7-0 tear for Wright State and is also 4-0-1 for the Blue Raiders on the road and 9-4-1 for them after a SU loss. For Butler, the over is 10-3 in its last 13 games versus teams with a winning percentage above .600, but the under is 4-1 coming off a pointspread defeat. Finally, these teams have stayed low in the last two meetings in this series, with the December battle falling miles short of the 125½-point posted price.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
(19) Michigan State (22-5, 9-12-2 ATS) at (10) Wisconsin (23-4, 12-12 ATS)
The Spartans, who have won their last two games, travel to Madison for a Big Ten clash with Wisconsin, which is on a four-game winning streak.
Michigan State coasted past Iowa 66-52 Saturday but failed to cover as a 15-point home chalk, falling to 1-5 ATS in its last six contests (3-3 SU), all in Big Ten play. The Spartans (10-4, 4-10 ATS in the Big Ten) were outshot 46.5 percent to 39.1 percent, but 16 of their 28 rebounds came on the offensive glass, helping them notch five more field goals than Iowa.
Wisconsin held off Ohio State 58-53 Sunday as a 1½-point road pup to move to 3-1 ATS in its last four games. The Badgers (13-2, 7-8 ATS), who rank second nationally in scoring defense (55.3 points per game allowed), held an opponent under 60 points for the third straight game. They also limited the Buckeyes to just 37 percent shooting, which is below Wisconsin’s season average of 38.7 (12th in the nation).
Wisconsin has won seven of the last 10 in this series, including the last two, but each team has covered five times in this stretch. These teams met three times last year, with the Badgers taking a 52-50 home win but failing to cash as a nine-point favorite, then coming back a week later for a 70-57 win as a four-point favorite in the Big Ten tournament. The home team is on a 6-1 ATS streak, and the favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last seven battles. Finally, Michigan State has covered just twice in its last seven trips to Madison.
The Spartans are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 Thursday starts, but they are on negative ATS runs of 3-7 after a non-cover, 1-4 after a SU win and 1-6 against teams with a winning percentage above .600.
The Badgers are also mired in negative ATS funks, including 3-7 after a spread-cover, 2-5 on Thursday and an alarming 1-9 in Madison.
The over is 4-1 in Michigan State’s last five on the road, 5-2 in its last seven after a SU win and 7-3 in its last 10 Big Ten games, but the under is 9-4 in the Spartans’ last 13 on Thursday. For Wisconsin, the under is on runs of 13-6 overall, 15-7 in Big Ten play, 4-1 at home, 4-1 on Thursday and 11-5 after a SU win. Finally, the total has stayed below the posted price in three of the last four clashes in this series, with only last year’s Big Ten tourney matchup going over (total 118½).
ATS ADVANTAGE: WISCONSIN and UNDER
(4) UCLA (24-3, 16-8-2 ATS) at Arizona State (17-9, 12-10 ATS)
The Bruins, who are riding a three-game winning streak since an upset loss at Washington, head to Tempe for a Pac-10 matchup against Arizona State, which just ended a two-game skid.
UCLA topped Oregon 75-65 Saturday but couldn’t cover the 14-point spread, just the second ATS setback in its last nine games, all in Pac-10 play. The Bruins (12-2, 10-4 ATS in the Pac-10) have allowed just 57.9 ppg on the year (sixth in the nation), and they’ve stuck right on that number over the past five contests at just 58 ppg, holding two opponents in the 40s.
Arizona State dropped Washington 77-63 Saturday as a five-point road ‘dog to salvage a SU and ATS split of its Northwest road trip after Thursday’s 59-47 loss at Washington State as a 10-point underdog. The Sun Devils (7-7, 8-6 ATS in the Pac-10) shot just 39.1 percent in three games prior to Saturday’s contest – including a paltry 15 of 45 at Washington State (33.3 percent) – turned on the offense against the Huskies by hitting 25 of 48 attempts (52.1 percent).
UCLA is on a 7-0 tear in this rivalry but is just 3-4 ATS in those contests. Over the last five meetings, Arizona State is 4-1 ATS (all as an underdog), with the lone non-cover coming in last month’s ugly 84-51 pounding at UCLA as a 13½-point pup. Last year in Tempe, UCLA won 67-61 but couldn’t cover the 11½-point spread.
The Bruins are on positive ATS runs of 32-13-1 on the road, 4-0 against winning teams, 4-0 on Thursday and 5-0 after a pointspread loss.
The Sun Devils are on spread-covering streaks of 12-4 at home, 7-0 in Tempe against teams with a road winning percentage above .600, 4-1 against teams with a winning SU record and 5-2 after a SU win.
The over is on an 8-3 spree in UCLA’s last 11 overall and is also 4-0 in its last four on Thursday. For ASU, the under is on a 19-8 run in Pac-10 play, but the over is 4-1 in its last five when coming off a spread-cover and 5-2 in its past seven against winning teams. Also, these schools have hurdled the posted price in five of their last seven battles, with last month’s matchup jumping over the 127½-point total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UCLA and OVER
Dallas (38-19, 23-31-3 ATS) at San Antonio (38-17, 27-27-1 ATS)
Two of the four teams duking it out in the competitive five-team Southwest Division clash at the SBC Center, where the streaking Spurs host the Mavericks.
San Antonio carries a six-game winning streak (5-1 ATS) into this contest and now leads the Southwest Division by a half-game over the Hornets, a game over the Mavs and two games over the Rockets. The Spurs have rebounded from a three-game losing skid to win 10 of their last 11 (8-3 ATS), including Monday’s 89-74 rout of the Hawks as a 12-point home chalk.
Dallas is on a roll as well, having bounced back from a 1-4 slump to win three in a row, most recently downing the Bulls 102-94 on Monday. However, the Mavs failed to cash as a 10-point home chalk against Chicago, falling to 6-13-2 ATS in their last 21 games.
The home team has taken the first two meetings between these squads both SU and ATS. Dallas prevailed 105-92 as a two-point home chalk on Nov. 15, with the Spurs winning 97-95 as a 2½-point home underdog on Dec. 5. Despite the latter result, the Mavs are 4-1 ATS in the last five series meetings and 7-1 ATS in their last eight trips to San Antonio, including three outright wins in the last four.
Additionally in this rivalry, the road team is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings and the underdog is 14-3 ATS in the last 17 clashes.
Dallas is on ATS streaks of 36-15-1 in Southwest Division games and 24-11-1 when playing on two days’ rest. On the flip side, Avery Johnson’s squad is 1-6 ATS in its last seven following a SU win and 0-4 in its last four on Thursdays.
The Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last four at home and 43-21-2 ATS in their last 66 when playing on two days’ rest. However, they’re mired in pointspread downturns of 1-5 on Thursdays, 4-10-1 in divisional games, 5-11 against the Western Conference and 1-6 when coming off a double-digit victory.
San Antonio has followed up a 10-0 “under” streak by topping the total in six of its last 10 games. Still, the under is 6-1 in the Spurs’ last seven home games, 16-5 in their last 21 against divisional foes. Also, for Dallas, the under is on runs of 6-2-1 overall, 15-6 on the road and 6-1 against divisional foes. Finally, four of the last five series meetings have stayed low.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
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