Seton Hall (10-5, 3-6 ATS) at (11) Georgetown (12-2, 5-5 ATS)
Seton Hall tries for its second straight Big East win and its second consecutive victory over Georgetown when it visits the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The Pirates snapped a four-game SU and five-game ATS slide with Saturday’s 83-76 win over Big East foe Cincinnati as a four-point home favorite. It was Seton Hall’s first conference win after home losses to West Virginia (90-84 in overtime) and Syracuse (80-73), and a road setback at UConn (71-63). Seton Hall is 2-5 SU and 1-5 ATS since starting the season with eight straight wins (2-1 ATS).
The Hoyas rebounded from a three-point Big East road loss at Marquette (62-59 as a 1½-point underdog) with Saturday’s three point conference home win over UConn (72-69 as a five-point favorite). Georgetown is 3-1 SU but 1-3 ATS in Big East action, and the Hoyas’ two losses (to Marquette and Old Dominion) were by a combined seven points.
Seton Hall snapped a four-game losing streak to Georgetown with last year’s 65-60 home win as an eight-point underdog. The Pirates also cashed as a 14½-point underdog in their last trip to the Verizon Center, losing 73-61.
Seton Hall has scored more than 80 points in 11 of 15 games and is averaging 85.5 ppg on 44.6 percent shooting. However, tonight the Pirates face a Georgetown squad that yields just 58.6 ppg on 38.6 percent shooting, with the Hoyas yielding 62 points or less nine times. No team has scored more than 70 points against Georgetown.
The Pirates have failed to cover in five of their last six overall (all against winning teams) and four of their last five Big East games. Meanwhile, Georgetown carries nothing but negative ATS trends, including 9-20-1 overall, 2-10 at home, 7-20 in league action and 3-8-1 after a SU win.
Seton Hall is riding “under” streaks of 7-3 on the road, 8-2 after a spread-cover and 6-0 against winning opponents, while the Hoyas are on “under” rolls of 5-2 overall, 6-2 against Big East teams, 15-6 on Thursday and 5-0 after a SU win. Finally, the last six meetings between these squads have stayed under the total, and the under is 4-1 in the last five clashes at Georgetown.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Cal (10-5, 7-7 ATS) at Washington State (12-4, 6-8 ATS)
Cal hits the road for the first time in more than three weeks when it treks to the Wallis Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Wash., for a Pac-10 clash with the Cougars.
The Golden Bears capped a 4-1 homestand (3-2 ATS) with Saturday’s 67-59 victory over USC, coming up just short as a 10-point favorite. Cal is off to a 2-1 SU start in league play (1-2 ATS), with the only misfire being a one-point overtime loss to UCLA as a 14-point home chalk. The Bears are 1-4 SU and ATS away from Berkeley, and the last time they hit the highway, they lost 84-69 to then-top-ranked Kansas, falling just short as a 13½-point underdog.
Washington State split its two-game Arizona road trip last weekend, topping Arizona 78-76 as a two-point road underdog Friday before getting crushed 71-46 at Arizona State as an eight-point pup Sunday. The Cougars have won seven of their last nine games, but they’re just 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS in Pac-10 play, with the two victories coming by a total of seven points. In fact, prior to getting bombed at ASU, Wazu had played four games decided by a total of 11 points.
Cal is 7-3 SU and 5-4-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings against the Cougars, including sweeping last year’s series by scores of 57-50 as a three-point underdog and 71-63 as a six-point home chalk. The Bears are 4-1 (3-1-1 ATS) in their last five trips to Pullman. Also, the visitor is on a 10-4-1 ATS roll in this rivalry, and the SU winner is 10-1-1 ATS in the last 12 clashes (6-0 ATS in the last six).
The Bears are on a trio of 1-4 ATS slides: on the road, in Pac-10 action and when playing on Thursday. Likewise, Washington State also sports three 1-4 ATS slumps: overall, at home and in conference play, and the Cougars also have failed to cover in four straight against winning teams.
Cal is on “over” runs of 41-19-1 overall, 24-11 on the road, 35-15-1 in conference play, 44-16-1 after a SU victory and 23-8 on Thursday. The Cougars also carry “over” trends of 9-3 overall, 4-1 at home and 6-2 after a non-cover, but the under is 5-1 in their last six on Thursday and 7-2 in their last nine Pac-10 contests.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CAL and OVER
(17) Gonzaga (12-3, 7-4-1 ATS) at St. Mary’s (15-2, 12-3 ATS)
Gonzaga looks to extend a four-game SU and ATS winning streak and tries to beat the Gaels for a fourth straight time when these West Coast Conference rivals clash at McKeon Pavilion.
The Bulldogs tipped off WCC play with Saturdays’ 81-78 win at Portland, barely covering as a two-point road favorite. That came a week after edging Illinois 85-83 in overtime as a three-point underdog in Chicago. Since an embarrassing 76-41 loss to Duke as an 8½-point underdog at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 19, Gonzaga has won and covered four in a row while averaging 85.8 ppg. Mark Few’s team is 6-2 SU and 5-2-1 ATS in road/neutral-site games, despite getting outscored (76-76.5) and outshot (41.7 percent to 47 percent) in those eight contests.
St. Mary’s ran its winning streak to five in a row with Sunday’s 80-72 win at Santa Clara in its conference opener, but came up shy as a 12½-point road favorite, ending a 4-0 ATS run. The Gaels still have the best pointspread record in the nation, and they’re 8-1 at home this year (6-1 ATS in lined action), putting up 87.8 ppg (52.2 percent shooting) and allowing 64.1 ppg (40 percent).
These teams met three times last year, and Gonzaga won all three: 69-62 as a 9½-point home favorite; 72-70 as a four-point road chalk; and 83-58 as a 7½-point chalk in the West Coast Conference tournament in Las Vegas. The Zags have failed to cash in four of their last five visits to St. Mary’s, and prior to Gonzaga’s road win last year, the host had won six straight in this rivalry (5-1 ATS).
Gonzaga is on ATS runs of 4-0 overall, 4-1 as a visitor, 4-0 in WCC action and 4-1 after a spread-cover. The Gaels are on pointspread upticks of 14-4 overall, 21-9 at home, 16-5-1 against winning teams, 10-2 after a SU win and 9-2 after an ATS setback, but they have failed to cash in five of their last seven conference contests.
The Bulldogs sport “over” trends of 20-6 overall, 21-8 on the road, 8-2 in league play, 6-0 on Thursday and 20-7 after SU victory. The over is also 18-7-1 in St. Mary’s last 26 overall and 16-5 in its last 21 at home. Finally, four of the last five Bulldogs-Gaels meetings in St. Mary’s have topped the total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
NCAAB News and Notes
Thursday, January 14
Information on the best of Thursday's college basketball games........
Georgetown won four of last five games vs Seton Hall, winning last two played here by 10-12 points; Hoyas are in UConn/Villanova sandwich; they beat Huskies after being down 15 at half. Pirates are 1-3 in Big East with losses by 6-7-8 points- favorite is 4-0 vs spread in their Big East games. Big East home favorites are 8-7 vs spread in conference play.
Tennessee has to come back after emotional home upset of top-ranked Kansas Sunday. Vols only have six scholarship players, plus Knoxville has been crazy last couple of days. Home side won last six Auburn-Tennessee games; Tigers lost last three visits here, by 6-16-19 points. SEC home favorites are just 1-6 vs spread to start conference play.
Mississippi State won last three games vs Arkansas by 6-14-9 points; State PG Bost is under weather, will play. Bulldogs won nine of last ten games; they're 5-3-1 as a favorite. Arkansas got boost with return of OG Fortson in last game; they lost last three games, by 23-1-11 points. Dogs are 7-2 vs spread in SEC play so far, 6-1 on road.
Denver is 5-1 in conference, but lost only road game by 18 at Troy; LY, Pioneers lost here in double OT, then beat Cajuns by 4 at home. ULL is 2-2 in conference, losing road games by 12 at Western Kentucky, 10 at Middle Tennessee- they're 0-4 vs spread in league games. Sun Belt home favorites are 12-9 vs spread in league play.
Wright State is 4-2 in Horizon play (were favored in all six); Raiders are 1-1 on road, losing by point at Loyola, beating UIC by 17. Green Bay is 3-0 at home in Horizon, winning by 21-9-8 points (1-1-1 as home fave). Raiders lost by 11 here LY, then beat Green Bay by 1 at home. Horizon home favorites are 8-12 vs spread in conference games.
Arizona State won three of last four games vs Oregon, but they've lost three of last four visits here; home team is 4-0 in ASU's conference tilts, as Sun Devils lost first two road games by 2-10 points. Oregon is 6-1 in last seven games, but lost Pac-10 home opener to rival Beavers Sunday. Pac-10 home favorites are 4-9 vs spread.
Providence won three in row, five of last six games vs DePaul team that is reeling from coach Wainwright's firing this week. Blue Demons are 0-3 in Big East, losing by 13-17-27 points; they've lost seven of nine overall. Friars are 2-2 in conference, with favorite covering three of four games. Big East home favorites are 3-8 against the spread.
Cal-Santa Barbara won three of last four games vs Long Beach State, as teams split last four games played here. Gauchos won last three games by 4-21-1 points; their two Big West road games were decided by total of six points. 49ers are 2-1 on conference, with only win by hoop over Irvine. Underdogs are 11-1 vs spread in Big West play, 6-1 on road.
Arizona won its last eight games vs Oregon State, winning last three in /Corvallis by 6-36-3 points; Wildcats are just 8-8, 2-0 as an underdog, splitting pair of road tilts, losing by 6 at USC, winning by 14 at UCLA. Oregon State snapped three-game skid with win at rival Oregon in last game. Underdogs are 11-4 vs spread in Pac-10 games, 9-4 on road.
Cal Bears are 7-3 in last ten games vs Washington State, winning four of last five in Pullman, with wins by 12-2-5-7 points. Bears are 1-2 on the road, winning by 25 at Pacific, losing at New Mexico/Kansas. Cougars had won six of seven games before losing last game by 25 at Arizona St. Pac-10 home underdogs are 2-0 so far this season.
Stanford lost five of last six visits to Washington; Cardinals were 0-3 vs Huskies LY, losing by 1-7-12 points. Stanford is 0-4 on road, losing by 13 at San Diego, 26 at Cal, 8 at Northwestern, 13 at Tex Tech. Huskies lost last three games by 11-17-17; they miss the graduated Brockman's toughness. Pac-10 home favorites are 4-9 against the spread.
Portland lost five of last six games to San Diego; Pilots lost last six visits here, with favored Toreros covering five of those six games. Home teams covered three of first four WCC games. Portland is 1-3 in true road tilts, losing last three at Idaho-Washington-Nevada. Erratic San Diego is 3-4 in last seven games, losing by 16 at San Francisco in last game.
Gonzaga won last four games vs St Mary's by 12-7-2-25 points; home team won six of last seven series games, with Zags losing three of five in Moraga. Gonzaga won last four games, last two by total of five points, winning tough WCC road opener by 3 at Portland. Gaels are 15-2, losing to Vandy by hoop at home, USC by 11 in Hawaii.