ATS LOCK
8 N C Wilmington -7 1/2
7 Louisville -2 1/2
7 Arkansas -6 1/2
1 Unit Round Robin with the three
5 So Carolina -2 1/2
4 Calif -5
ATS FINANCIAL
4 Nebraska -3 1/2
4 Florida -2 1/2
4 Northeastern -5 1/2
Brandon Lovell
20* Louisville (double your wager GOY)
10* Boston college
WINNING POINTS
***BEST BET
*Philadelphia over Los Angeles Clippers by 16
PHILADELPHIA 101-85.
***BEST BET
*Houston over Atlanta by 17
HOUSTON 104-87
***BEST BET
Ohio* over Western Michigan by 22
OHIO, 78-56
***BEST BET
Cal-Santa Barbara* over Cal-Irvine by 20
CAL-SANTA BARBARA, 75-55.
THE SPORTS MEMO
The “key card” is a look ahead to the key stories and matchups
for this coming Saturday’s college hoops card…
Marquette at Notre Dame - Both teams enter the new week
in the midst of three straight wins in Big East play. Notre
Dame’s Luke Harangody may be a bit undersized but there
is nothing small about his game; he has scored at least 25
points and added 10+ rebounds in five of his eight conference
games. Marquette’s guard dominated lineup will have to find
a way to slow him down or losing their fourth Big East road
game by double digits seems a real possibility.
Texas A&M at Missouri - It has been a crazy two week stretch
for the Aggies who went from contender to pretender and back
again. A&M entered the week having won three straight both
SU and ATS with a monster win over Texas to their credit. But
don’t count Missouri out just yet. Despite major suspensions
to three starters and key reserves (Leo Lyons and Marshall
Brown returned last Saturday) the Tigers beat Kansas State.
Will home court be enough to keep Missouri afloat? We’ll see
this weekend.
San Diego State at TCU - The Aztecs dropped two heart
breakers to UNLV and BYU by a combined six points, leaving
them one game back of the two leaders in the Mountain West
standings. They have a chance to keep pace with two winnable
games against Air Force (midweek) and TCU (Saturday). The
frontline of Wade, White and Amoroso will be too much for
the shorthanded Frogs who may be without top option Henry
Slater to extend the SDSU defense.
Virginia at Wake Forest - The red hot Demon Deacons have
covered in five straight ACC games and haven’t dropped a
home game all season (also 5-1-1 ATS at home at the time of
press). We’ll see if the long term effects of losing their best
perimeter defender and go-to offensive threat (LD Williams)
catches up with them this week. The Cavs rarely pack their
defense when traveling and haven’t scored a conference road
win yet, but this may be their best opportunity if Sean Singletary
can find space on the outside.
USC at Washington State - No conference is as brutal as
the PAC 10, just ask Washington State who has battled but
come up short in three of four including two straight at home.
The Cougars will have to contend with the road warriors of
the west, USC (6-1 ATS away), less than 48 hours after facing
UCLA. In-season revenge for USC who dropped a home decision
by 15 to Wazzu comes into play here as well. Anticipate
a low scoring affair with USC’s myriad of defensive looks and
Washington State’s 6-3 under mark at home.
Ole Miss at Arkansas - At 5-2 at time of press the Razorbacks
find themselves atop the SEC West, tied with Mississippi
State, and staring down a meeting with defending SEC West
champion Ole Miss. Andy Kennedy’s Rebels have not fared
well on the road with three of their four conference losses
coming away from home. Their struggles on the defensive end
in SEC play have seen them blow large leads and fall behind
early at times as well as ranking second-worst in points allowed
and third-worst defensive FG percentage.
Oklahoma State at Kansas State - Oklahoma State just can’t
buy a road win. Dating back to last season the Cowboys have
dropped 14-straight true road tilts and have covered just two
times in that span. Although a tradition of winning in Manhattan
isn’t yet established, the Wildcats are 5-1 ATS this season
at home and have a win over arch rival Kansas to their credit.
Michael Beasley is hands down the most impressive freshman
in the Big 12, and perhaps in all of college basketball, averaging
over 25 points and 13 boards per game. K-State will need
this game to keep pace in the tightly contested upper half of
the conference and with a trip to Lubbock looming expect the
Cats to come out with nothing less than max effort, even if it
looks easy on paper.
Georgetown at Louisville - I anticipate Louisville to be in rebound
mode after traveling midweek to face Marquette, and
with Georgetown leading the conference and carrying a top
ten ranking, there seems to be no better opponent to elicit
that type of emotional effort. With their full compliment of
big men back on the court the Cards have the size and depth
inside to contain Roy Hibbert. And their pressure in the back
court should trouble the Hoyas. Both teams rank in the top
25 in defensive points allowed, and both rank in the top ten in
defensive FG percentage allowed which sets this game up as
a physically brutal matchup. Maybe look to play against both
after Saturday’s slobberknocker.
Purdue at Wisconsin - You’d never know it if you watched
the ESPN or Fox Sports highlight shows and college basketball
preview shows, but the young Boilermakers lead the
Big Ten after nine games. Purdue’s lone loss in Big Ten play
came by three points at Michigan State. But they cashed a
ticket in that meeting and have cashed in seven of their nine
league games including a win over this same Badgers squad.
After facing a litany of double-digit point spreads, Wisconsin
backers were looking at big losses. But back in a reasonable
range the boys from Madison walloped Indiana while holding
the high-flying Hoosiers to just 49 points. I suspect a similar
greeting for the Boilers is in order in this midseason revenge
spot.
WINNING POINTS
***BEST BET
*Philadelphia over Los Angeles Clippers by 16
The 76ers are on pace to finish with the league’s worst 3-point field goal percentage in
three years. However, the 76ers won’t need a lot of long-range baskets to take advantage
of the Clippers’ soft middle and fatigue issues. This marks Los Angeles’ sixth
straight road contest and sixth game in nine days. The 76ers are too physical for the
soft Clippers with a top-10 defense. PHILADELPHIA 101-85.
***BEST BET
*Houston over Atlanta by 17
Time after time, no matter how much they spin it, the Hawks have failed to produce
on the road. Atlanta defeated Indiana at home in late December and proceeded to go
on the road for three straight games and lost all three. Following a 3-2 homestand,
including a victory against Denver, the Hawks were swept in two consecutive road
contests, failing to cover against Milwaukee and Toronto. Atlanta then dropped four
of five in a West Coast road swing that finished at the end of January, including losing
as a small favorite to the Clippers minus Corey Maggette and Chris Kaman. This
is the Hawks’ first road contest since that defeat. Atlanta also has failed to cover during
four of the past five times during the second of back-to-back games. HOUSTON
104-87
***BEST BET
Ohio* over Western Michigan by 22
Who knew the Bobcats will have played 10 of their last 15 games on the road to this
point, including a trip to Hawaii and back? No wonder they’ve been less than dominant
since conference play began. But looking between the lines, Tim O’Shea has had
‘em ready for their best against the best opponents on their home floor – thrashed
Miami-OH, thrashed Kent State. Didn’t thrash Ball State, but why should they care
about Ball State? Shooting guard Bubba Walther’s bonk on the head should be well
enough behind him to spread out the Western Michigan defense and create less Bobcat
and more air for the visiting Broncos to bump. Western Michigan sits atop the MACWest
division and with nothing but bad teams underneath them, they can take care of
business some other day. OHIO, 78-56
***BEST BET
Cal-Santa Barbara* over Cal-Irvine by 20
Barbarians got Big West home opener-jobbed at Irvine last month, as the Anteaters
eked out some double-revenge frustration from last season. But with the nation’s
fourth-best 3-point shooting percentage (41.8%), 15th-best 3-point percentage
defense (29.6%), and the second-best defensive turnover frequency in the nation, they
appear to be so ready to turn the tables decisively as Irvine’s two leading scorers are
both undersized forwards. CAL-SANTA BARBARA, 75-55.
THE SPORTS REPORTER
BEST BET
*NOTRE DAME over MARQUETTE by 14
Spread projections off prevailing power ratings suggest that this favorite could come at a
surprisingly-reasonable price, pointwise, especially with Golden Eagles’ revival made apparent
in second half at Cincinnati.factored in. Still haven’t seen the top-form Dominic James
for any sustained period, this season. Irish’s lengthy home-court success streak add to the
attraction. NOTRE DAME,.84-70
BEST BET
*LOUISVILLE over GEORGETOWN by 12
It’s February? It’s Pitino Time! When Ricky has the horses, this train’s never late . . . with a
plethora of serious player health issues subdued or solved, it’s time for the Cards to put their
best sneakers forward against the established high-quality Hoyas. 6-11 David Padgett isn’t
Roy Hibbert, but he’s not wholly outclassed inside, Terrence Williams and Jerry Smith can
pour it in, and Card defense was permitting opponents to hit below 38% of their fieldgoal
tries, at this writing. All the ingredients are there, as the Ville makes their way into the Top
25. LOUISVILLE, 71-59.
BEST BET
*GOLDEN STATE over SACRAMENTO by 14
It’s the battle for Northern California as the Warriors host the Kings. It’ll be a little bit more
personal for these players if Chris Webber suits up as expected for the Warriors. The
nucleus may have changed but Mike Bibby and Brad Miller still remember how sweet it
was when the Kings were at their peak with Chris Webber manning the middle. Tonight
though, the Kings will be handicapped by having played last night while the Warriors will
be running up and down the court with ease. GOLDEN STATE 118-104
Gamblers Data
St. Bonaventure +7.5
Scott Spreitzer
KO GOY FLA
Locksmith Sports
1 Unit on Boston College +19.5
Duke is good, but not nearly 20 points better than BC good. The Dog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in this series and will be the winner again here. It is going to be very difficult for Duke to get up for this one after a highly emotional win over UNC. The Blue Devils just aren't going to be able to match the same intensity and even if they did, I'm not sure they could win by 20 today. There's no doubt that BC is struggling, but they'll bring their A game against Duke to try to hit the big target on its back. BC is 11-1 ATS in road games after 5 straight games forcing opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers over the last 3 seasons. The defense gets turned up a notch by BC here and the result will be a cover.
BlackMagic Sports
1 Unit on Baylor +18
The Baylor Bears finally get their chance to show the world that they are the real deal this season with a tough road contest at Kansas, the best team in all of the Big 12. Baylor is 17-4 on the year due to their experience with 5 starters back from last season and brilliant coaching from Scott Drew. The reason Baylor has a great chance hang with Kansas in this game is their ability to hit 3-pointers along with a big defensive presence inside with two 7-foot centers at their disposal. This presence won’t allow Kansas to get all the easy buckets they are accustomed to. Baylor averages 9 made 3-pointers per game, shooting at a stellar 38% clip. Baylor doesn’t mind going on the road where they have just one loss to seven wins and a 6-1 ATS road record. Baylor is 6-0 ATS in road games after 1 or more consecutive wins this season. Cash in with Baylor as the underdog.
BlackWidow Sports Picks
1* on Akron -6
At 16-6 on the season, Akron travels to Ball State to face a team that is just 3-18 on the year. Akron is an NCAA Tournament caliber team and cannot afford to lose this road game against a perennial bottom feeder. Ball State has lost back-to-back home games to Bowling Green and Miami (Ohio) by 10 and 12 points respectively. Akron is better than both of these teams that just recently manhandled Ball State. Ball State is 1-9 ATS off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog over the last 3 seasons. Ball State is 0-7 ATS after a game where they made 50% of their 3 point shots or better over the last 3 seasons. The Cardinals will cool off from deep Saturday against a very stingy Akron defense. Take Akron and lay the points.
InfoPlays
3* on Michigan State -19
Michigan State gets the luxury of going up against the worst team in the Big Ten conference Saturday. Coming off a bad road loss at Penn State will have the Spartans fired up and ready to go at home today. Northwestern comes to town and will likely suffer their worst loss of the season. The Wildcats have yet to earn a win in Big Ten play this season. They are 0-9 in conference play and 3-6 ATS as well. Northwestern is 1-9 ATS in road games after 3 straight games committing 11 or less turnovers since 1997. Michigan State’s pressure defense will force many turnovers and easy buckets in transition for their play-makers such as Ramar Morgan. Bet Michigan State at home.
Winning Sports Plays
NOTRE DAME -4 -120
SOUTH CAROLINA -3
OLE MISS +8 -120
FLORIDA -12
Jim Feist Comp
Rockets
Cappers Access
N Dame
G Tech
Nevada
Joe Wiz
N Dame
Ind St
John Ryan
Pepperdine vs. Gonzaga
Play:Gonzaga
Ai Simulator 3* graded play on Gonzaga - AiS shows a 73% probability that Gonzaga will win this game by 23 or more points. Pepperdine has a nice offense, but their defense is simply horrible. For the season they have allowed 81.6 PPG 38.3 PPG in the first half, 47.8% shooting and have allowed 40.2 rebounds per game. Gonzaga already scoring 76.5 PPG and have a vastly under rated defense that has allowed just 39.5 shooting on the season. AiS shows a 90% probability that Gonzaga will score 81+ points in this game. Note that Gonzaga is 17-5 ATS when they score 81 or more points in a game over the last 2 seasons. Pepperdine is 8-26 ATS in road games versus good shooting teams that are making >=45% of their shots after 15+ games since 1997. Take Gonzaga.
Dave Price
Duquesne vs. La Salle
Take La Salle Explorers
1 Unit on LaSalle +3 Duquesne is awful on the road and poor as a favorite. The Dukes are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite of 0.5-6.5 and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Saturday games. The LaSalle Explorers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Saturday games, 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600, 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 games overall, and 20-8-1 ATS in their last 29 games as an underdog. LaSalle has won 3 in a row ATS and is 9-3-1 ATS this season. Take the points on the home dog.
Nelly
Nebraska – over Texas Tech
The Texas Tech coaching change came as a surprise to some and it may take some time for the transition to start paying dividends. The Red Raiders have covered in five of the past six games but this will be a tricky road game for a team that is 1-7 S/U away from home this season. Nebraska lost soundly in its last game so there will be motivation for tonight's home game as the Huskers seek to improve on a 12-2 home record. The only teams to beat Nebraska at home this season are Kansas and Baylor, and the Baylor game was very close as Nebraska lost by just two points. Look for Nebraska to deliver a win Saturday afternoon.
Dave Cokin
Indiana State @ 636 Wichita State 8PM ET
Play: Indiana State +5
Indiana State is clearly not a good road team, but here's a spot where the Sycamores have a real shot to grab a win. Wichita State continues to struggle badly, and their only hope of salvaging a brutal season will come in the MVC Tournament. I can't see the Shockers laying even a medium price as is the case here. Indiana State plus the points.
James Patrick Sports
Boston College vs. Duke
The whole country watched as the Blue Devils laid it on the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill the other evening. Coach K is 0-3 ATS in his last three games following a North Carolina game. The Eagles of BC are capable and always seem to play up or down to the competition. They’ll have to play up today and we feel they will and make our Saturday College Basketball complimentary selection on #521 Boston College Eagles. In other hoop action across our land Big Game James Patrick is featuring a Trifecta of Winners on a pay after you profit format for $15 in afternoon action. This is headlined by a Pot of Gold selection. In evening games the Big Man has his NCAA Totals Pot of Gold Game of the Year available as part of a two game card Get in the huddle at jamespatricksports.com and cash in on the Gym Rat’s winners this Saturday. Good Luck!
Tom Scott
Providence at SAINT JOHN'S
Play ON: #515 PROVIDENCE minus the points
The Friars had a ten-game series winning streak in their pockets when they strolled into Madison Square Garden in their regular season finale last year. Full of confidence, they stood almost motionless and watched the Saint John's defense stifle them completely when they did try to move. The result was a humiliating 77-64 loss that dropped Providence all the way down to a tenth seed in the Big East tournament and put them up against a high-powered West Virginia team that was looking for revenge. Providence lost to the Mountaineers and then to Bradley in the NIT to end its season on a bitter note. Now, it's time to get even. The Johnnies have faced ten winning teams this season and have lost all ten times. Providence is 59-2 ATS in its last 61 SU road wins.
PREDICTION: PROVIDENCE 70 - Saint John's 58
Great Lakes
College Basketball Selection:
Butler at Wisconsin Green Bay
Play on: Butler Bulldogs
The Buldogs have owned Wisconsin Green Bay going 18-8 ATS vs the Phoenix since 1997, and 4-2 ATS vs Wisconsin Green Bay the last three years. The Bulldogs are also 8-3 ATS at Wisconsin Green Bay since 1997, and Butler is 6-3 ATS when playing on Saturday's this year. We look for the Butler Bulldogs to grab the road ATS Win & cover tonight