SPORTS ADVISORS
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(12) Georgetown (13-3, 6-6 ATS) at (9) Pittsburgh (15-2, 8-5-2 ATS)
The Hoyas play a second straight road game against a Top 10 conference opponent when they invade Petersen Events Center looking to end Pittsburgh’s eight-game overall winning streak and 31-game home winning streak.
Georgetown went to Villanova on Sunday and fell 82-77, coming up just short as a 4½-point road underdog. The Hoyas (4-2, 2-4 ATS in Big East play) won their first conference road game by 17 points at DePaul, but they’ve since dropped consecutive roadies at Villanova and Marquette (62-59 as a 1½-point underdog) by a total of eight points. Georgetown has averaged 78 ppg in its last three contests, but the once-stout defense has surrendered season-highs of 82 and 73 points in the last two after holding its first 14 opponents to 70 points or less.
Pittsburgh staged a big rally in the final minute on Saturday against Louisville to force overtime, then held on for an 82-77 Big East win as a 1½-point home favorite. The Panthers (5-0, 4-0-1 ATS in the Big East) trailed the majority of the second half and were losing by five points with 34 seconds left, but Louisville missed four foul shots down the stretch while the Panthers hit two free throws with 1.9 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. Pitt has cashed in four straight games and is 6-0-1 ATS in lined action during its winning streak.
The Panthers’ 31-game home winning streak is second-best in the nation behind Kansas’ 52-game run. This year, Pitt is 10-0 at Petersen Events Center, outscoring visitors 14.3 ppg (68.2-53.9) and outshooting them 49 percent to 36 percent.
Pitt has pulled off three straight upsets against Georgetown, winning last year’s lone meeting 70-54 as a 3½-point road ‘dog. The pup has cashed in six of the last eight meetings and the visitor is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 regular-season series clashes (with the Hoyas getting the money in five of their last seven trips to Pittsburgh).
Georgetown has cashed in four of its last five after a non-cover and it is 11-4-1 ATS in its last 16 Wednesday outings. On the other hand, the Hoyas are in pointspread ruts of 10-20-1 overall, 6-20 in Big East games and 4-11 after a SU loss. In addition to going 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven overall and 4-0-1 ATS in Big East Play, the Panthers are on pointspread surges of 4-0-2 at home, 5-0-1 after a SU win, 3-0-1 after a spread-cover and 8-1-2 against winning teams.
The under is 8-3 in the Hoyas’ last 11 on Wednesday, 4-1 in their last five against winning teams and 4-1 in Pitt’s last five against opponents with a winning record. However, the over is 23-11-1 in the Panthers’ last 35 conference contests. Finally, four of the last five head-to-head clashes between these schools have stayed low.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PITT and UNDER
Wake Forest (12-4, 6-7 ATS) at (24) North Carolina (12-6, 6-10 ATS)
Less than a year removed from winning the national championship, the Tar Heels now find themselves clinging to a Top 25 ranking as they take a two-game losing skid into an ACC clash with Wake Forest at the Dean Smith Center.
The Demon Deacons got destroyed at Duke on Sunday, losing 90-70 as a 16-point road underdog. Wake Forest has dropped two of its last three games, with both defeats coming on the road in ACC play (the other being a 67-66 loss at Miami as a 5½-point pup). Prior to this mini-slump, the Deacons had won seven in a row, and three of their last five games have gone to overtime, while a fourth was the one-point loss at Miami. They’re just 2-5 ATS in their last seven contests.
North Carolina has dropped three of its last four games, including the last two in a row to Clemson (83-64 as a five-point road underdog) and Georgia Tech (73-71 as a 6½-point home chalk). In Saturday’s loss to the Yellow Jackets, the Tar Heels rallied from a 42-28 halftime deficit but still couldn’t avoid ending their 19-game home winning streak. UNC’s defense has been a big reason for the team’s struggles this year, as it has given up an average of 82.7 ppg in its six losses.
Wake Forest handed the Tar Heels their second defeat of the season last year, winning 92-89 as a 6½-point home underdog, ending a four-game SU and ATS losing skid in this rivalry (all as an underdog). The Demon Deacons are 5-2 ATS in their last seven trips to Chapel Hill, and the SU winner has covered the spread in each of the last 15 head-to-head meetings.
As part of Wake Forest’s current 2-5 ATS slump, it has failed to cash in four of its last five conference games and is 2-5 ATS in its last seven after a non-cover. North Carolina is 35-16-1 ATS in its last 52 games after a defeat, but otherwise the defending champs are 1-5 ATS in their last six overall, 1-4 ATS in their last five on Wednesday and 7-20 ATS in their last 27 ACC contests.
The over has hit in five of the last six in this rivalry, with the last four at the Dean Dome topping the posted total. The over is also 7-1 in UNC’s last eight games on Wednesday and 4-1 in Wake’s last five overall, but otherwise the under is on stretches of 6-2 for the Deacons on the road, 5-2 for the Tar Heels overall, 4-1 for the Tar Heels at home and 4-0 for the Tar Heels in ACC play.
ATS ADVANTAGE: WAKE FOREST
(25) Baylor (14-2, 7-2 ATS) at (3) Kansas (16-1, 7-6-1 ATS)
The third-ranked Jayhawks shoot for their 53rd consecutive win at Allen Fieldhouse when they host Baylor in a Big 12 battle.
The Bears had a nine-game winning streak snapped eight days ago at Colorado, losing 78-71 as a three-point road chalk in their first conference road game of the season. But they rebounded Saturday, routing Oklahoma State 83-70 as a six-point home favorite. In addition to losing at Colorado, Baylor’s only other setback this season came on a neutral court against Alabama (79-76 as a one-point favorite). The Bears have scored at least 70 points in eight straight games, and prior to the last two contests they had held eight of nine opponents to 64 points or less.
After two lackluster performances on the road (eight-point loss at Tennessee followed by a 12-point win at Nebraska), Kansas returned to its dominating ways Saturday, throttling Texas Tech 89-63 and easily cashing as a 21½-point home favorite following an 0-2-1 ATS dip. The Jayhawks’ 52-game winning streak is the best in the nation, and it includes 11 victories this year by an average of 31.1 ppg (90.3-59.2). Kansas makes 51 percent of its shots at Allen Fieldhouse and holds the opposition to 35 percent (27.6 percent on three-pointers).
The Jayhawks went to Baylor last February and rolled 75-65 as a 1½-point road underdog, but the Bears got revenge in the first round of the Big 12 tournament, scoring a shocking 71-64 upset as an eight-point underdog. That win ended Baylor’s eight-game SU losing skid in this rivalry, and the teams have now alternated spread-covers in the last nine clashes, with the underdog going 7-3 ATS in the last 10 (3-0 ATS in the last three). Also, the visitor has cashed in nine of the past 10 regular-season battles, with Baylor going 6-0 ATS in its last six visits to Lawrence, Kan., all as a double-digit ‘dog.
The Bears are on ATS rolls of 7-1 overall, 4-1 on the road, 5-2 in league play, 7-1 against winning teams and 5-1 after a SU victory. Kansas is 35-16-1 ATS during its 52-game home winning streak, and the Jayhawks are also on pointspread rolls of 36-17-2 overall, 18-6-2 in conference, 19-6-2 on Wednesday and 42-20-2 versus opponents that have a winning record.
Baylor is on “over” surges of 4-0 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play, but four of its last five on Wednesday have stayed low. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks sport “under” trends of 6-2 overall, 5-0 at home, 22-6 after a SU victory and 8-1 following a non-cover. Finally, last year’s two meetings between these clubs stayed below the posted total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
NBA
Memphis (22-18, 23-16-1 ATS) at New Orleans (21-19, 19-21 ATS)
The surging Grizzlies try for their season-best fifth straight victory when they trek to New Orleans Arena for a battle with the Hornets.
Memphis is coming off a perfect 4-0 homestand (3-1 ATS), which was capped by Monday’s 125-118 win over Phoenix as a two-point favorite. Since losing seven of its first eight games, the Grizzlies have won 21 of 32, going 12-3 SU and 11-3-1 ATS in the last 15 games, and they’re also 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21. Memphis is on its second four-game winning streak of the season, but has yet to win five in a row.
On the downside, the Grizzlies are just 7-13 SU on the highway (10-10 ATS), with their last two defeats coming as a visitor. While, they’ve scored as many points at home as on the road (104.2 per game), they’ve given up 108.3 ppg (50.2 percent shooting) in road outings.
New Orleans has alternated SU wins and losses over its last six games and ATS wins and losses over its last eight. Most recently, the Hornets fell 97-90 to San Antonio as a one-point home chalk on Monday, ending a seven-game home winning streak. Despite the recent inconsistency, the Hornets are still 8-3 SU and 7-4 ATS in their last 11 games, and they’ve won 13 of 15 at New Orleans Arena (9-6 ATS).
During its current 8-3 run, New Orleans has held nine of 11 opponents under 100 points, and is limiting visitors to 96.7 ppg.
This is the first meeting this season between these Southwest Division rivals. Last year, New Orleans won three of the four clashes (2-1-1 ATS), with the host and favorite both going 3-0-1 ATS. The Hornets are 8-1 in the last nine battles (4-4-1 ATS), and the Grizzles are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight trips to the Big Easy.
In addition to going 15-5-1 ATS in its last 20 games, Memphis is on a slew of positive pointspread runs, including 8-2 against division rivals, 5-1 on the road, 5-1 as an underdog, 9-3 as a pup of less than five points, 5-1-1 when coming off a day of rest and 20-6 after a SU win. The only negative is the Grizzlies’ 1-4 ATS slump on Wednesday.
New Orleans has cashed in four of five Western Conference contests, four of five on Wednesday, eight of 11 after a SU defeat, four straight after a non-cover and 11 of 13 against winning teams. Conversely, the Hornets are on ATS slides of 3-8 as a favorite, 6-13 as a home chalk and 6-14 when laying less than five points. Also, the underdog is 7-2 in the Hornets’ last nine games.
The high-scoring Grizzlies carry “over” streaks of 10-3 overall, 16-5 on the road, 8-2 as a ‘dog, 7-1 as a road pup and 11-2 when catching less than five points, but the under is 6-2 in their last eight Southwest Division games. New Orleans is on “under” surges of 16-6 overall, 36-16 at home, 18-8 in divisional battles, 10-2 against Western conference teams and 5-1 on Wednesday. Finally, the over is 11-3 in the last 14 meetings in this rivalry, with six of the last seven battles in New Orleans topping the posted price.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Utah (23-18, 23-16-2 ATS) at San Antonio (25-15, 21-18-1 ATS)
The Spurs kick off a six-game homestand when they entertain the Jazz at the AT&T Center in a matchup of Western Conference rivals playing inconsistent basketball.
Utah has been idle since Sunday, when its four-game winning streak came to a halt with a 119-112 loss in Denver, pushing as a seven-point road underdog. The Jazz are just 12-11 in their last 23 games, including 4-8 on the road, but they do come into this one on a 5-0-2 ATS roll overall and they’re 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight on the highway.
San Antonio snapped a two-game SU and ATS hiccup with Monday’s 97-90 mild upset of the Hornets as a one-point road underdog. The Spurs, who concluded a 2-2 SU and ATS road trip with Monday’s win in New Orleans, are just 5-4 SU and 4-5 ATS in their last nine outings. However, Gregg Popovich’s troops have won nine of 11 at the AT&T Center (6-4-1 ATS).
The Jazz can pull off a rare regular-season four-game sweep of the Spurs with a victory tonight, as Utah has taken the first three meetings by scores of 113-99 (as a one-point home favorite), 90-83 (as a 4½-point road underdog) and 104-101 (as a two-point home chalk). Prior to this year, the Spurs had won and covered four straight meetings, and the home team is 20-6 ATS in the last 26 series clashes.
Additionally, with their seven-point win in Texas on Nov. 19, the Jazz ended a 20-game, 10-year losing skid in San Antonio, during which time the Spurs were 15-5 ATS.
In addition to going 5-0-2 ATS in its last seven overall and 5-2-1 ATS in its last eight as a visitor, Utah is on pointspread pushes of 3-0-1 as an underdog, 3-0-2 against winning teams, 7-1 versus Southwest Division foes and 10-3 after a defeat. On the flip side, Jerry Sloan’s squad is in ATS ruts of 3-9 on Wednesday, 5-15-1 as an underdog of five to 10½ points and 2-13-1 in that pointspread range on the road.
San Antonio has failed to cover in seven of nine against Northwest Division opponents, but it is on ATS runs of 4-1-1 on Wednesday, 29-8-1 as a favorite of five to 10½ points and 36-17-2 when laying that price at home.
The Jazz are on a plethora of “over” streaks, including 4-1 overall, 19-9-1 on the highway, 9-4 against Southwest Division teams, 33-15-1 as an underdog, 27-11-1 as a road pup, 5-0 against winning teams and 11-5-1 on Wednesday. The over is also 5-1 in the Spurs’ last six on Wednesday, 4-0 in their last four against the Northwest Division and 5-0 in their last five against winning teams.
Finally, in this rivalry, the over is on surges of 6-1 overall and 8-1 at the AT&T Center.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Brad Diamond Sports
Play on: Richmond over Charlotte
The Spiders come off a close call against the short handed Explorers on Saturday and now must face another team looking to overcome a series deficit. Visiting Charlotte is 0-4 SU & ATS in the series and board Wednesday with a miserable 8-23 spread run overall. Plus, the 49ers are 1-15 ATS on Wednesday’s and 0-5 ATS versus teams with .600 plus winning SU record. Spiders shutdown this type opponent.
James Patrick Sports
La Salle vs. Pennsylvania
This a solid Explorer team from Philadelphia and we expect La Salle to grab a tough Big Five road win here against Penn as the Quakers resemble a good high school team and the Explorers can take out some frustrations on it's old Big Five rival. La Salle HC John Giannini returns all (4) double-digit scores from an (18) win team and the Explorers are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference and we have this La Salle team as a entry in this seasons NCAA Tournament come March. Our Wednesday College Basketball selection is La Salle Explorers.
Marc Lawrence
Play On: Xavier
The X-Men travel to Philadelphia to take on the Owls in a big battle of Atlantic-10 powers with conference tourney revenge on their minds when Temple ousted them as the No. 1 seed. The Musketeers' 6-1-1 ATS mark as a conference road dogs off a win with revenge is certainly appealing. So too is the Owls' 0-6 SU and ATS mark as home favorites of less than eight points against foes looking to avenge a conference tourney loss. With Temple off a revenge victory over UMass, you know what to do. Grab the points in this payback.
JIM FEIST
NEW JERSEY NETS VS PHOENIX SUNS
TAKE: PHOENIX SUNS
Phoenix comes home after a long road trip and has had a day to relax. They need a big win on a 4-game skid. They've been scoring plenty of points, it's just that the defense has struggled. Well they catch a break as New Jersey comes to town, 3,000 miles from home with the worst offense in the NBA. The Nets are on an 0-8 SU, 3-5 ATS run, losing by double digits in each of the last four games. The uptempo style of the Suns is bad news for the offensively challenged visitors. Play the Suns.
Cajun Sports
2* Baylor Bears +14.5
The Baylor Bears make the trip from Waco to Lawrence Kansas to face Big 12 rival and host the Kansas Jayhawks on Wednesday night tipoff is set for 9:00PM EST and the game will be carried on the Deuce. Baylor had a nine game win streak snapped last Tuesday in Bolder when the Buffalos took them down 78 to 71 as 3.5 point home underdog. Good teams bounce back from a big loss and that is what this Bears team did as they routed the Oklahoma State Cowboys 83 to 70 as six point home favorites last Saturday. Baylor has been installed as an underdog three times this season winning each game outright although this will be their first time as a double-digit underdog. They may not keep their streak going winning outright as an underdog because Kansas has won nine in a row versus the Bears but Baylor has cashed the ticket at a rate of 6-4 against the spread in their last ten meetings. The visitor in this series has posted a record of 10-1 against the spread the last eleven meetings between these two programs. With that said we will back the road team here as the Bears keep this one well within the 14.5 point number so take the points with Baylor.
PROJECTED FORECAST: 2* Baylor Bears 76 Kansas Jayhawks 80
Rob Vinciletti
St Bonaventure vs. Massachusetts
Play: St Bonaventure +2
The Bonnies have big offensive statistical edges in this one and are taking points here tonight. In games vs losing teams they have won all 4 times thus far this year. They have covered 6 of 8 times a dog this year and will take on U.Mass team that is 0-5 ats as a home favorite of -3 or less and is just 2-10 ats in lined games this year. St. Bonaventure looks like a live dog here tonight.
BIG AL
Marshall at West Virginia
Prediction: Marshall
Bob Huggins' Mountaineers broke out to an 11-0 record (and a #6 ranking), but have dropped three of their last five games to fall to 13-3 this season. In its last game, WVU lost a 1-point heartbreaker, 72-71, at home to Syracuse, and the Mountaineers have now failed to cover in six of their last nine lined games. In contrast, Marshall is on a huge roll, with 15 wins in 17 games this season, and five ATS wins over its last six. Although WVU has won each of the past two seasons' meetings with Marshall, it didn't cover the spread in either game, and Marshall is 4-1 ATS since 2005 in this series. Let's take the points here with the Thundering Herd, as WVU is a poor 1-21 ATS off a loss by six points or less, when matched up against an opponent off a straight-up win.
Carlo Campanella
New Jersey Nets at Phoenix Suns
Play: Phoenix
Phoenix (24-18) finds themselves as double digit Favorites as they host slumping New Jersey (3-37) on Wednesday even though the Suns are currently on a 3-6 SU losing streak, including 4 straight losses! Those last 4 losses came during a 4-game road trip and now the Suns return home in the perfect spot to turn things around against a New Jersey squad that's an NBA-worst 1-20 SU (7-14 ATS) on the road this season. Phoenix is a solid 15-4 SU at home and Wednesday's game marks the first of a 3-game home stand. That's great news for the Suns, who are 5-2 SU during their last seven as host, which includes a 15-point victory over the LA Lakers and an 18-point win over Boston. Interestingly, the Suns play this with revenge after losing their last meeting at home in this series, 109-117, back on November 30th 2008, but that was their ONLY recent home loss in this series as we find them owning an 11-1 SU & 9-2 ATS home record during their last eleven as host in this series.
VEGAS EXPERTS
Michigan at Wisconsin
Wisconsin catches Michigan off its big upset of UConn on Sunday, but let's quickly note that the Wolverines are a lousy 8-20 ATS as well as a money burning 4-13 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points. Wisconsin has covered seven of eight here at the Kohl Center where they are unbeaten on the year. The Badgers have won five straight in this series, holding the Maize and Blue to 61 points or less in all of those games.
Play on: Wisconsin
Charlie Scott
Michigan vs. Wisconsin
Play: Michigan +8.5
Wisconsin must adjust to playing without forward Leuer (wrist) who was a factor down low and Wisconsin's 2nd leading scorer. Once a trend becomes common knowledge among bettors it usually loses and it seems the talking heads are making a big deal about Wisconsin being 10-0 s/u at Home the Kohl center. Michigan is a formidable opponent off the U Conn win and has a good inside out game with Harris and Sims. I just don't see Wisconsin scoring enough to cover this big number.
JR TIPS
Nuggets at Warriors
The Nuggets look to extend a four-game winning streak tonight against the Warriors as Denver has won three straight and five of six with all of those victories have been at home. The Nuggets have dropped seven of their last eight road games although they have won four straight including two this season against the Warriors with both teams averaging over 112 points as Golden State ranks second in the NBA with 107.4 points per game and Denver is third at 107.3.The Nuggets will play two point guards at the same time after using that strategy successfully against Utah with Chauncey Billups and rookie Ty Lawson. Billups had 29 points and Lawson had 11 points and two key steals against the Jazz. With this duo playing together it makes it hard for teams to double-team Carmelo and center Nene. Golden State has had a thin frontcourt due to injuries and will have a tough time stopping Denver's post players as they only dressed eight players for the second straight game. Monta Ellis and Corey Maggette continue to carry the Warriors offensively as Ellis had 36 points and Maggette scored 32 in their last game while Ellis is averaging 30.1 points over his last 15 games, including 32 in a 123-122 loss to Denver on Jan. 5th. Maggette also had a game high 35 points in the last meeting with Denver and is averaging 28.3 over his last nine contests. When these two teams get together they light up the scoreboard especially when they play in Golden state. Both teams like to get up and down the court and with Denver playing two points guards at the same time tonight, it will add even more to this high scoring affair, These teams scored 245 points in their last matchup and 230 is way too low for tonight's total.
TAKE OVER 230
EZWINNERS
Indiana Pacers +11.5
This is a bad spot for Orlando. This is the first home game for the Magic after completing a four game west coast road trip in which they lost the final three games and they are facing a dangerous Pacers team. Indiana comes into this game off of three days of rest and they now have a healthy Danny Granger and Troy Murphy back in their starting line up. Indiana is playing much better with these guys back from injury as the Pacers have won four out of their last five games and asking a road weary Orlando team to win by double digits seems to be a tough task. The Magic are on a 2-6-1 slide against the spread in their last nine games overall. Take the points.
Karl Garrett
Sacramento +10 at ATLANTA
G-Man now on a 7-2 comp play run as Miami trashes Indiana last night.
The Kings played the Bobcats right down to the wire on Monday, only to lose their 9th in their last 10 games, but Sacramento did cover that one plus the points, and the effort is there on a nightly basis from this young Sacto squad.
G-Man expecting the points to work with the Kings in this one, as the Kings are 10-7-2 against the spread on the road this season.
Atlanta is off a home loss on Monday to the Thunder, as the Hawks have now failed their last pair of home dates minus the points.
The Hawks did win this season's earlier meeting in California by 8, as their series winning streak is now at 4 in a row.
With Sacramento looking to end the series slide, and the overall slide, expect another stirring effort from the visitors, and expect the Kings to hang inside of this roomy impost.
G-Man taking the points here.
3♦ SACRAMENTO
Bobby Maxwell
Toronto at MILWAUKEE -2'
Scored the FREE winner with the Raptors on Tuesday and improved to 54-22 with my comp plays, including 31-8 over the last 39 days. Today I've got another NBA winner coming as I go with the Bucks at home against Toronto.
Toronto is playing its third game in four nights and they are playing a Milwaukee team that crushed them back in December. The Bucks scored a 117-95 win as a four-point favorite.
The Raptors fell in Cleveland on Tuesday night and make the short trek to Milwaukee for this one. They get a Bucks’ squad that is coming off a six-game West Coast road trip, but these young guys fared well on the road. I know they only won one of the six games, but they took the Rockets to OT and lost by just four in Phoenix. They went 3-3 ATS during the trip.
Milwaukee is 11-7 at home (10-8 ATS) and they average 102.4 points a game at home, but it’s their defense that steps up, allowing just 99.7 points a game as compared to the 108.4 they gave up on the recent road trip.
This young roster feels so much more comfortable at home and you’ll see big efforts tonight from center Andrew Bogut who is getting better every night out and guard Bandon Jennings, who had 25 points and 7 assists last time out.
The home team is 6-2 ATS in the last eight series clashes and the favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last seven. Milwaukee is on ATS runs of 8-2 at home after a road trip of 7 or more days, 5-0 against the Atlantic Division and 4-1 as a favorite of up to 4 1/2-points. Toronto is on ATS slides of 2-7 on the second night of back-to-back games, 2-6 on Wednesdays and 15-35-1 on the road against teams with a winning home record.
Play the young Bucks tonight!
5♦ MILWAUKEE