SPORTS ADVISORS
NIT
Connecticut (18-15, 12-19 ATS) at Virginia Tech (24-8, 13-12-1 ATS)
After slipping past Northeastern in the opening round, UConn now travels to Blacksburg, Va, to take on Virginia Tech in the second round of the NIT.
The Huskies, losers of four straight coming in o the tournament, got 18 points from Jerome Dyson and edged Northeastern 59-57 Tuesday, coming up well short as seven-point favorites at home. UConn lost three in a row (SU and ATS) to close out the Big East regular season and then was embarrassed by St. John’s in the opening round of the conference tourney, losing 73-51 as a 4½-point chalk.
The Hokies delivered an 81-61 beating to Quinnipiac at home in Wednesday’s opening-round game, easily cashing as 13-point favorites. Malcolm Delaney led the way with 25 points, six assists and seven boards, while teammate Dorenzo Hudson chipped in with 19 points. Virginia Tech won its final two ACC regular-season games (SU and ATS), but got dropped in the first round of the conference tourney, losing 70-65 to Miami as a 3½-point favorite, ending its Big Dance hopes.
These teams have met seven times since 2001 with the Huskies holding a 6-1 (5-2 ATS) advantage. Last time they met was in 2004 when UConn scored a 96-60 win as a 14-point favorite.
The Huskies have cashed in six of their last eight as an underdog and eight of their last 10 after a straight-up win, however they are on ATS skids of 0-4 after a non-cover and 0-5 against winning teams. Virginia Tech is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 against Big East teams and 5-0 ATS in its last five non-conference contests, but it is 0-4 ATS in its last four as a home chalk of less than seven points and 1-3-1 ATS in its last five after a straight-up win.
For UConn, the under is on several streaks, including 8-3 overall, 6-0 against ACC squads, 10-4 after a non-cover, 21-10 as an underdog and 19-8 as a road ‘dog. The Hokies have stayed below the posted number in seven of 10 as favorites, but they are on “over” streaks of 23-11 as a home favorite, 14-3 in non-conference action and 7-1 against Big East squads.
ATS ADVANTAGE: VIRGINIA TECH
Dayton (21-12, 14-15-1 ATS) at Cincinnati (19-15, 10-19 ATS)
After limping to the finish line in the Atlantic 10, Dayton opened the NIT with a decisive win and now travels to Cincinnati for second-round action against the Bearcats.
The Flyers lost five of seven to close out the season, including a 78-73 setback to Xavier in the conference tourney, falling short as three-point pups. They were able to bounce back in the opening round of this event, crushing Illinois State 63-42, easily covering as 7½-point favorites. Dayton shot 48.1 percent from the floor as 11 players got in the scoring column, led by Chris Johnson’s 13 points and nine rebounds.
Cincinnati reached the quarterfinals of the Big East tourney before falling to eventual-champ West Virginia 54-51, cashing as an 8½-point ‘dog. On Wednesday the Bearcats routed Weber State 76-62 as a 9½-point favorite in the NIT’s opening round, getting 16 points and seven assists from Donta Vaughn and 14 points from Lance Stephenson.
These teams last met in the 2005 campaign when both were in the Atlantic 10, splitting two games within a 30-day period. Dayton scored a 75-66 win as a 9½-point pup only to have Cincinnati return the favor with an 81-63 win as a 7½-point chalk. The Bearcats are 6-2 SU (5-3 ATS) in eight head-to-head meetings with the Flyers since 1998.
Dayton is 5-0 ATS in its last five non-conference contests and 4-1 ATS in its last five against Big East squads, but it is on several ATS skids, including 2-7-1 overall, 0-4-1 on the road, 0-3-1 after a straight-up win and 1-6-1 against winning teams. Cincinnati is on a plethora of negative ATS streaks, including 7-19 overall, 3-13 at home, 18-39-2 as a home favorite, 16-37-1 as a favorite anywhere, 1-7 at home against teams with a losing record and 0-6 as a home favorite of less than seven points.
The Flyers are on “under” streaks of 7-0 in non-conference action, 5-2 as a road ‘dog and 7-3 after a spread-cover, but they’ve topped the total in five of their last six against Big East squads. The Bearcats have stayed below the number in five of six overall, seven of eight non-conference games and five of seven Monday contests, but they are on “over” runs of 7-2 against Atlantic 10 foes and 5-1 as a home favorite.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DAYTON
NBA
San Antonio (41-27, 35-32-1 ATS) at Oklahoma City (42-26, 40-28 ATS)
The Spurs wrap up a quick two-game, two-day road trip with a stop at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City for a battle with the Thunder.
San Antonio was in Atlanta last night where it fell to the Hawks 119-114 in overtime, just missing as a three-point underdog. Despite the setback, the Spurs have won five of their last seven games and nine of their last 12, going 4-3 on the highway. They’re also on a 9-2 ATS run (including 5-2 ATS as a visitor). For the season, Gregg Popovich’s troops are 16-17 outside of San Antonio (15-18 ATS).
Oklahoma City suffered a shocking 20-point loss at Indiana on Sunday, falling 121-101 as a 5½-point road favorite. Still, like the Spurs, the Thunder are playing solid basketball over the past few weeks, winning nine of their last 12 (7-5 ATS) and 18 of their last 23 (13-10 ATS). During this 23-game stretch, Oklahoma City is 7-1 at home (5-3 ATS), boosting their overall mark at the Ford Center to 22-11 (18-15 ATS).
The Thunder knocked off the Spurs 101-98 as an 8½-point road underdog back on Nov. 14, but San Antonio has taken the last two meetings, prevailing 109-108 in overtime as a 1½-point road ‘dog in mid-January and 95-87 as a 4½-point home chalk in late February. The Spurs are 6-2 in the last eight meetings, but the teams have split the cash in those contests. Also in this rivalry, the Spurs are 5-2 ATS in their last seven trips to Oklahoma City, the underdog is on a 5-2 ATS roll and the visitor has cashed in four of the last five.
In addition to their current ATS surges of 9-2 overall and 5-2 on the road, the Spurs are on pointspread upticks of 4-2 as an underdog (all on the road), 6-0 against the Western Conference, 4-2 versus winning teams and 14-5-1 on Monday. However, they’ve failed to cash in 15 of 22 against Northwest Division squads.
It’s been nothing but positive ATS runs for the Thunder, including 12-4 versus winning teams, 4-0 against the Western Conference, 5-1 versus Southwest Division squads, 11-1 as a favorite of less than five points, 5-0 at home in that price range and 40-19 on Monday.
San Antonio sports “under” trends of 4-2 on the road, 7-2 as an underdog (all on the highway), 5-1 as a pup of less than five points, 5-0 against the Northwest Division, 4-2 versus winning teams and 11-4 when going on back-to-back days. Also, Oklahoma City has stayed low in 10 of 11 on Monday, 17 of 25 as a small favorite (less than five points) and 4-1 against the Southwest Division, Conversely, the Thunder are on “over” runs of 8-3 overall, 10-4 as a favorite, 4-1 at home and 4-1 when playing on no rest.
Finally, four of the last five series meetings overall and seven of the last 10 clashes at the Ford Center have topped the posted total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OKLAHOMA CITY
Boston (45-24, 29-38 ATS) at Utah (45-25, 43-24-3 ATS)
The Celtics shoot for their fifth straight victory when they conclude a three-game road trip with their one and only visit of the season to Energy Solutions Arena for a matchup with the Jazz.
Boston has registered four straight comfortable victories (seven points or more), cashing in all four, including Saturday’s 102-93 upset victory at Dallas as a four-point underdog. The winning streak comes on the heels of 1-3 SU and 1-3-1 ATS slumps, and the Celtics continue to perform much better on the road (24-12 SU, 19-16-1 ATS) than at home (21-12 SU, 10-22-1 ATS).
Utah is coming off Saturday’s 106-86 beat-down of the Hornets, easily covering as a 9½-point home favorite. Still, the Jazz have split their last six games both SU and ATS (three home wins, three road losses) after a 30-game surge that saw them go 24-6 SU and 22-5-3 ATS. Also, Utah has won six in a row SU and ATS at home and it is 16-2 in its last 18 in Salt Lake City (13-3-2 ATS).
The home team has won three in a row in this rivalry, including Boston’s 105-86 rout of the Jazz back on Nov. 9, easily cashing as an 11-point favorite to halt Utah’s 5-1 ATS run in this rivalry. Despite losing 90-85 as a two-point favorite in last year’s game in Utah, the Celtics are still 5-2 ATS in their last seven visits to Salt Lake City.
Boston is on ATS runs of 4-0 overall, 4-1-1 on the road, 3-1-1 after a SU win, 5-2 after a spread-cover, 3-1-1 when playing on one day of rest, 52-24-2 as an underdog, 14-6 as a ‘dog of five to 10½ points and 23-10 as a road pup of five to 10½ points. However, the C’s are still 2-8 ATS in their last 10 on Monday and 4-10-1 ATS in their last 15 against western Conference opposition.
The Jazz are on spread-covering sprees of 37-16-3 overall, 21-6-2 at home, 17-5-1 versus the Eastern Conference, 5-0 against the Atlantic Division, 20-5-2 as a favorite, 20-6-2 as a home chalk, 25-10 on Monday and 13-6-3 when coming off a double-digit win. The lone negative: a 2-5 ATS mark in their last seven when coming off one day of rest.
Utah has gone over the total in eight of 11 as a favorite, six of seven as a chalk of five to 10½ points and eight of 11 on Monday. Also, the over is 5-1 in Boston’s last six against the Northwest Division, 13-5-1 in the last 19 Jazz-Celtics meetings overall and 5-2 in the last seven meetings at Energy Solutions Arena.
On the flip side, Boston is on “under” stretches of 8-2 against the Western Conference, 4-1 on the road, 7-1 after a SU win, 6-1 after a non-cover and 26-11-1 on Monday, while the under is 3-0-1 in the last four against Atlantic Division foes.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
Mike Wynn
Free Play: Milwaukee -4 Over Atlanta
#1 Sports
Monday's free selection: Dayton Flyers + 3 1/2
Platinum Plays
NCAA: the Chicago Bulls -2 over the Houston Rockets
The Vegas Steam Line
Free Winner for Monday: Take VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH -13
High Stakes Syndicate
Free Selection for Monday: Fairfield Stags + 5
Marc Lawrence | NBA Sides
Free pick 610 OKL -3.5 (-110) BetUS vs 609 SAN
Analysis: Play On: Oklahoma City
Note: While we're not big advocates of playing against the Spurs this time of the season, there are exceptions to certain circumstances - and this is one of them. Granted, both teams lost and ailed to cover on the road last night, but San Antonio dropped a 119-114 overtime affair in Atlanta where they snapped a seven game win streak in the series. It's the Thunder that catches our fancy, though, as they are an eye-popping 17-2 ATS in games off a SU and ATS defeat this season. With the Spurs looking dead ahead to the Lakers, the Cavs and the Celtics, and with the Thunder looking to exact same-season double revenge, Ok City is okay by our standards here tonight.
Craig Trapp
NCAA-B | Mar 22
Connecticut vs. Virginia Tech Virginia Tech
-4-110 at BetUS > 15h.
Craig has proven why he is one of the best sports handicappers going 16-8 overall the past week. Yesterday Craig goes 2-2 with one really tough OT loss by A&M. Monday Craig has two huge 5 star winners: NIT Game of the Week (2-0 NIT Plays so far) + NBA Hoops BLOWOUT WINNER!
624 Va Tech -4: Two teams headed in different directions. UCONN is lucky to even have won their first game whereas VA Tech looks motivated to prove they were snubbed from the big dance. UCONN is 0-5 ATS the L5 not looking good in any of those games. VA Tech is 3-1 ATS and straight up in L4 including two wins verse quality ACC competition. As an added bonus the BIG East has been taking a beating in the post season whereas the ACC has looked better than originally thought. UCONN is looking for spring break and VA Tech is pointed to Madison Square Garden next week. Easy cover
Scott Spreitzer
Fairfield at Creighton
Play: Fairfield
I'm taking the points with Fairfield on Monday night. I went against Creighton last week on these pages and we cashed the ticket with South Dakota. The Blue Jays completely out-classed the Coyotes on paper, but again, the Jays were a bit sluggish. They obviously won the game, but fell short ATS. Creighton has had a down season, no doubt, and I don't believe they're as interested as they need to be to continue their run in the CIT. And once again, they won't be playing in their 17-thousand seat, state of the art QWest Center, but rather the 60-year old, nine-thousand seat Civic Auditorium. The interest isn't high, to say the least, in Omaha, with just 3,100 tickets sold through Sunday night. And on top of their lack of motivation and general interest, the Jays will have to face Fairfield's Mike Evanovich. The 6'8" transfer from Iowa State can be a perimeter dead-eye. In fact, he "canned" nine 3-pointers in the Stags win over George Mason. Creighton simply has no one to stay with Evanovich on the outside. Fairfield has plenty of "outs," along with the motivation to move on as we saw in their comeback win over GMU. Creigthon is favored in name only, as far as I'm concerned, and I'm taking the points with Fairfield.
Jack Clayton
Free play
Sport: NBA
Game: Suns at Warriors
Date/Time: 3/22/2010 9:00PM EST
Pick: Suns
VEGAS EXPERTS
San Antonio at Oklahoma City
The Spurs rarely play well in the second night of back to backs, so having been taken to, and lost, in overtime last night in Atlanta certainly won't help their cause tonight in Oklahoma City against the young and high-flying Thunder. OKC is off a crushing defeat in its own right, a 20-point loss at Indiana where they surrendered a season high in points allowed. The Thunder have been one of our favorite teams to play on all season long and as you know are an excellent play when coming off a SU - or ATS - loss.
Play on: Oklahoma City
JIM FEIST
(615) BOSTON CELTICS
(616) UTAH JAZZ
Take "(615) BOSTON CELTICS"
The Boston Celtics have rattled off four straight wins after a impressive win at Dallas on Saturday, 102-93. The win was also the fourth cover for the Celtics in a row and fifth in their last six games. Boston sits third right now in the eastern conference standings, behind both Cleveland and Orlando. Atlanta is nipping at their heals though, just 1/2 game back of the Celtics. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz bounced back from their loss at Phoenix on Friday with a win over New Orleans on Saturday, 106-86. The Jazz were playing without two important players in their lineup, Mehmet Okur (illness) and Andrei Kirilenko (Calf). Both players are considered questionable for tonight's contest against Boston. The Celtics are a five-point dog here on Monday, a role they have relished at Utah. The last five times the Celtics have been dogs at Utah they have covered four times. That's just what I expect to happen here on Monday. The Celtics need the wins so I expect a supreme effort out of them.
DAVID CHAN
Boston @ Utah
PICK: Boston +5
We suggested Boston as a free play Saturday, and Monday sees us offer up a second helping. The rationale remains similar: the Celtics are halfways bettable away from the Garden, moreso as dogs.
Utah is a rock-solid home team (how’s 24-10-2 ATS?) but has been running that number higher lately as double-digit chalk against weak opposition. You have to go back some distance, but the last two times the Jazz were at home to teams where they gave less than seven points, they lost straight up (Feb 10th, Lakers 96-81; Feb 22nd Hawks 105-100). Since then it’s been 6-0 SU and ATS, but it’s been the Bobcats, Rockets, Clippers, Wizards, T-Wolves, and Hornets.
We got touched up last week with another pick when we took those T-Wolves in that spot, but I think the picture’s clearer now: Utah will try to bury weak opposition for the home crowd, but struggles against quality opposition.
In the teams’ other matchup this year, the Celtics crushed the Jazz 105-86 at the Garden.
BIG AL
San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City
PICK: Oklahoma City -4
OKC plays with revenge from an 8-point loss in the Alamo City in February (and a 1-point defeat at home in January). And the Thunder are a solid 20-11 ATS when playing with revenge this season! Last night, the Spurs had to go into overtime at Atlanta when they blew a four point lead with a little over a minute to play in regulation. Off that heartbreaking defeat, look for the unrested Spurs to have a tough time tonight against the younger, more athletic Thunder. Not only will they once again be without Tony Parker (who's scheduled to miss the rest of the regular season), but Manu Ginobili has made just 9 of his 36 shots this season vs. Oklahoma City! The Thunder sit one game ahead of San Antonio in the Western Conference standings, and still have hopes of catching the Jazz for home court advantage in the playoffs. OKC is 22-11 at home this season, and I think they'll roll over the Spurs. Lay the points.
Arthur Ralph Sports
Free Play MON Boston U -2