Basketball Betting Odds and Preview Capsules: March 11
Atssportsline.com
This is the final big Monday and this is all about mid-major basketball tournaments. The NBA is also in action with a slate that is highlighted by a huge Western Conference matchup. We hope you picked some good winners this past weekend just as we did here at ATS Sportsline. March Madness starts next week as there are many great tournaments which includes the finals of the Colonial Athletic Association and West Coast Conference.
Get ready for another big basketball Monday!
Oklahoma City Thunder (46-16 SU, 37-23-2 ATS, 33-29 O/U) at San Antonio Spurs (48-15 SU, 35-26-2 ATS, 29-32-2 O/U).
Intangibles:
Tony Parker is out for the Spurs with a left ankle injury.
Russell Westbrook averaged 30.6 points per game over the first seven game of their 7-1 stretch
San Antonio can't play any worse than they did in their 30-point home loss to Portland on Friday.
Keys to Success:
Cory Joseph has to defend Westbrook and run the team. He's no Parker and he'll need help from Danny Green and Gary Neal, if he's healthy enough to play due to a calf injury.
Last game: (12/17/12) Oklahoma City (-5.5) over San Antonio, 107-93. Oklahoma City has won five straight games including a 91-79 win over Boston, giving 11 on Sunday. San Antonio is coming off a 136-106 loss at home against Portland on Friday, giving 11.5. This is also an important game as the Spurs are ahead of the Thunder by just one game in the Western Conference race for the best record. Oklahoma City is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Monday games.. Pro Basketball Odds: San Antonio is a 3-point favorite. Total: 208.5.
James Madison Dukes (19-14 SU, 20-10 ATS) vs. Northeastern Huskies (20-11 SU, 14-12 ATS)
Intangibles:
James Madison is playing much closer to home as Richmond is about two hours away from Harrisonburg.
Northeastern is located in Boston though they did bring a few hundred fans to Richmond.
Northeastern has won five of the last six in this series straight up and against the spread.
Keys to Success:
Both teams have outstanding backcourts. But the x-factor is A.J. Davis (6-6, 205), the super-athletic wing for the James Madison Dukes, who's a transfer from Wyoming. Davis had 21 points in the first meeting and averages 11.6 points per game overall but is averaging over 21 points per game in his last seven contests. Northeastern must find a way to slow down Davis and not get down over 20 points in the first half as they did against George Mason in the semifinals.
Last game: (2/20/13) Northeastern (-4.5) over James Madison, 66-64. James Madison has won three straight games including a 58-57 win over Delaware as 1-point dog as they basically won in the final seconds as Devon Moore hit two free throws for the victory. Northeastern came back from a 31-19 halftime deficit and were down 24-4 at one point, to beat George Mason, 69-67 betting 1.5. James Madison is 18-6 ATS last 24 overall. College Basketball Lines: NL. Total: NT.
St. Mary's Gaels (27-5 SU, 15-12-1 ATS) vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs (30-2 SU, 16-12-2 ATS)
Intangibles:
Gonzaga 7-foot forward Kelly Olynyk is coming off an eight-point game against Loyola-Marymount. That's not good news for St. Mary's.
Gonzaga has won two straight in the series but St. Mary's has covered two of the last three.
Gonzaga is going for a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Keys to Success:
Gonzaga has strong huge post players in Olynyk (7-0, 238) and Elias Harris (6-8, 238). They held Harris to seven points and nine boards in their last meeting, but Olynyk wound up with 17. Guard Matthew Dellavedova (16.2 points per game) can't do it by himself. He had 22 points in the first game.
Last game: (2/14/13) Gonzaga (-1.5) over St. Mary's, 77-60. St. Mary's is coming off a 69-68 overtime win over San Diego on Saturday in the semfinals of the WCC. Gonzaga is coming off an easy 66-48 win over Loyola-Marymount on Saturday as a 21-point-betting odds favorite. These two teams are traditionally best in the conference every year. St. Mary's is 8-3 ATS last 11 Monday games. College Hoops Odds: Gonzaga is a 5.5-point favorite. Total: 138.