Sweet 16 Trends:

• One-seed faves of less than 11 points off back to back ATS wins are 10-2 ATS

• Two-seeds are 12-5 ATS vs. opponents off a SU dog win

• Four-seed dogs are 2-8 ATS vs. foes off back to back ATS wins

• Five-seeds are 1-4 ATS vs. foes off back to back ATS wins

• Six-seeds off a double digit straight up win are 2-6 ATS

• Nine or higher seed dogs greater than two points are 3-10 ATS

• Favorites off a straight up win of 30 points or more are 4-0 ATS

• Favorites off back to back straight up wins of 15 points or more are 10-2 ATS

• Underdogs who scored less than 65 points last game are 7-3 ATS

• Underdogs off back to back dog wins are 2-9 ATS

• Underdogs who scored less than 85 points last game are 2-7 ATS

Best Team SU & ATS records in this round

Xavier: 3-0 ATS, Michigan St: 5-1 SU & ATS, Kentucky: 10-2 SU / 9-3 ATS, West Virginia: 3-1 ATS

Worst Team SU & ATS records in this round

Butler: 0-3 SU / 1-2 ATS, Tennessee: 0-3 SU / 1-2 ATS, Washington: 0-3 SU, Duke: 1-5 SU & ATS, Syracuse: 1-4 SU / 0-4-1 ATS, Purdue: 1-3 SU & ATS.

Best Conference ATS records in this round

Atlantic 10: 6-0, SEC: 8-2 as dogs, Big Ten: 14-5.

Worst Conference ATS records in this round

Big East: 0-5 as faves 7 points or less, Pac 10: 1-6 as dogs, Big 12: 1-5 as faves of less than 10 points, ACC: 3-11 as faves of 8 points or less.

dr bob

2 Star Selection
Ohio State (-4 1/2) over Tennessee
26-Mar-10 04:05 PM Pacific Time
Despite wins over #1 seeds Kansas and Kentucky this season (both at home), the Volunteers are not a great team. Both of those wins came after the dismissal of star Tyler Smith, but overall the Vols were worse in the 23 games without Smith. Ohio State, meanwhile, remains underrated, as their rating is among the best in the nation if you take out the 6 games in which All-American Evan Turner missed. Tennessee was lucky to beat San Diego State in round 1, as they won by just 3 points despite the extremely positive 3-point shooting variance (8 for 17 while SD State made just 3 of 18) and they were in an extremely good situation in round 2 against Ohio. There are no situations favoring Tennessee in this game and they're going to have to get lucky to keep this one close. My ratings favor Ohio State by 7 points and the Buckeyes apply to a 26-4 ATS round 3 situation. I'll take Ohio State in a 2-Star Best Bet at -5 points or less and for 3-Stars at -4 points.

Play Strength: 2-Stars at -5 or less, 3-Stars at -4.

3 Star Selection
Baylor (-4) over St. Mary's
26-Mar-10 04:25 PM Pacific Time
St. Mary's has certainly been impressive, beating Richmond and Villanova behind the incredible play of big man Omar Samhan, who averaged 30.5 points on 75% shooting in those two games. Neither Richmond or Villanova had the big man to match-up with Samhan, but Baylor does. The Bears' Ekpe Udoh averages 3.8 blocks per game and the poor jumping Samhan is not going to have an easy time shooting over Udoh in this game. St. Mary's has more than just Samhan, as they are a very good 3-point shooting team (41.1%), but Baylor is 7-0 ATS the last few years against teams that make 41% or more of their 3-point shots. St. Mary's will have trouble guarding Baylor point man Tweetie Carter and the Bears also have match-up advantages with LaceDarious Dunn on the wing and Quincy Acy down low. Samhan is a good defender, but he can't guard Acy and Udoh at the same time in the paint and nobody on St. Mary's can handle Dunn's athleticism. My ratings favor the underrated Bears by 5 points even without giving them an extra advantage for playing in nearby Houston, where they'll have most of the fan support (teams playing in their home state are 122-80 ATS in the NCAA Tournament). St. Mary's applies to a negative 59-133-4 ATS letdown situation following their 3 straight upset wins and a 9-34-1 ATS NCAA tournament situation. I'll take Baylor in a 3-Star Best Bet at -5 points or less and for 2-Stars at -5 1/2 or -6 points.

Play Strength: 3-Stars at -5 or less, 2-Stars up to -6.

2 Star Selection
Northern Iowa (+1) over Michigan State
26-Mar-10 06:35 PM Pacific Time
Northern Iowa's season rating doesn't look all that impressive because the Panthers are not the type of team that runs up the score against weaker competition. However, against good teams Northern Iowa tends to play their core players more minutes and the Panthers play with more intensity, which has resulted in a 30-4 straight up record and a 12-2 ATS mark in games when they're not laying more than 5 points (25-4 ATS in that price range since last season). Northern Iowa is a veteran team that is certainly not intimidated by facing supposedly better opposition and the Panthers are now 14-1 ATS in their last 15 games as an underdog and 55-24-1 ATS as a dog going back further. There was nothing fluky about the Panthers' win over #1 Kansas, as they shot a modest 9 for 26 from 3-point range and would have lost by about 4 points had each team shot their normal percentage from long range (Kansas was just 6 for 23 from 3-point range).

Michigan State is a flawed team that is just 7-7 straight up against NCAA caliber teams (I included Illinois) while Northern Iowa is now a perfect 4-0 straight up against NCAA teams with wins over Siena (by 17), Old Dominion (by 9), UNLV (by 3) and #1 Kansas (by 2). The Spartans are not only an inferior team but now they're without the player that makes them good, as point guard Kalin Lucas is out for the season after getting injured against Maryland. The Spartans were up by 9 points when Lucas went down and needed a last second shot to win the game. Lucas was injured earlier this season in an 18 point loss at Wisconsin and then they lost by 5 at Illinois without him and by 12 points at home to Purdue when he came off the bench in the next game. It's pretty clear that Michigan State is not nearly as good without their star point guard, who leads the team in scoring and assists while also registering 1.2 steals per game. Backup point guard Korie Lucious hit the game winning shot against Maryland, but Lucious has made only 34% of his shots this season and isn't as good defensively as Lucas, so the Spartans are likely going to struggle in this game, as they have in other games when Lucas has been on the bench. I would make the line on this game MSU by 1 point even if I used all games for Northern Iowa (rather than just their games against decent teams) and if I didn't adjust for Lucas being out. My NCAA tournament ratings give more value to games against quality opposition and those ratings favor Northern Iowa by 2 points without accounting for Lucas being out. You might suspect a letdown from Northern Iowa after beating Kansas, but teams seeded #4 or worse that beat a #1 seed are actually 13-4 ATS in their game if they are once against the worse seeded team. Also, 3rd round games usually go to the lower seeded team when both teams are seeded #5 or worse (11-5 ATS, including 9-1 ATS for the worse seeded team if they're coming off an upset win as a dog of 4 points or more). The wrong team is favored in this game and I'll take Northern Iowa in a 2-Star Best Bet at -1 or better.

Play Strength: 2-Stars at -1 or better.

2 Star Selection
Duke (-8) over Purdue
26-Mar-10 06:55 PM Pacific Time
Purdue has played well in the first 2 rounds of this tournament with wins over Siena and a good Texas A&M team, but the Boilermakers are still not as good without injured star Robbie Hummel. Those two wins actually set up the Boilermakers in a very negative 1-19 ATS round 3 situation while Duke applies to a 26-4 ATS round 3 angle. My ratings favor Duke by 8 1/2 points with Hummel out for Purdue and I'll take Duke in a 2-Star Best Bet at -9 points or less based on the strong situation.

RIGHT ANGLE SPORTS (RAS)


Saint Mary's/Baylor (Under 145)
Rating: 1.00

Baylor -3.5
Rating: 1.00

BIGFELLA SPORTS

PLAYS FOR FRIDAY

NCAA Basketball 3/26/2010
5* 7:07:00 PM Tennessee at Ohio State pointspread Ohio State -4.5 5

NCAA Basketball 3/26/2010
3* 7:27:00 PM St. Mary's at Baylor pointspread St. Mary's +4

NCAA Basketball 3/26/2010
2* 9:37:00 PM Northern Iowa at Michigan State pointspread Northern Iowa +1.5

NCAA Basketball 3/26/2010
2* 9:57:00 PM Purdue at Duke pointspread Purdue +8

David Malinsky

5* Duke / Purdue Under

Teddy Covers

20* big ticket
Baylor

Gamblers Data (Fletcher)

5* Baylor-4.5

Sean Higgs

50*Ohio State
20*Duke

John Morrison

3/26 Denver [C]
Toronto

3/26 Sacramento [b]
Boston

3/26 New York [A]
Phoenix

SPORTS ADVISORS

FRIDAY, MARCH 26

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NCAA TOURNAMENT

MIDWEST REGIONAL

(at St. Louis, Mo.)

(6) Tennessee (27-8, 14-16-2 ATS) vs. (2) Ohio State (29-7, 18-18 ATS)

The Volunteers posted a pair of victories in Providence, R.I., last week, barely holding off No. 11 seed San Diego State 62-59 as a three-point favorite in the first round then knocking out upstart and 14th-seeded Ohio 83-68 as a nine-point favorite. Tennessee has won nine of its last 11 overall (5-5-1 ATS), and though both losses were by double digits (74-45 to Kentucky in the SEC tournament and 75-62 at Florida), the nine wins were by an average of 9.8 points per game. Ohio State rolled through the first two rounds of the Big Dance in Milwaukee, crushing U.C. Santa Barbara 68-51 (falling just short as a 17½-point favorite) and knocking out Georgia Tech 75-66 (barely cashing as a seven-point chalk). The Buckeyes have won nine in a row, 15 of 16 and 18 of 20, with both losses coming by a total of eight points to two teams (West Virginia and Purdue) that are also in the Sweet 16. These teams met three times in a 51-week stretch in 2007 and 2008. Ohio State won the first two by a total of three points – 68-66 at home in January 2007 and 85-84 in the Sweet 16 of the 2007 Tournament – with Tennessee getting revenge 74-69 at home in January 2008. The underdog cashed in all three games, however. The Vols are in the Sweet 16 for the third time in the last four years, suffering the narrow loss to Ohio State in 2007 and getting crushed by Louisville 79-60 in 2008. Tennessee has never made it past this round. Ohio State – which lost in the opening round last year and failed to qualify for the Big Dance in 2008 – is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since reaching the national championship game in 2007. This is just the Buckeyes’ fourth Sweet 16 appearance since 1968, and it went 3-0 SU in the previous three, beating Tennessee in 2007, Auburn in 1999 (72-64) and North Carolina in 1992 (80-73). Tennessee is now 7-2 at neutral sites this season (4-4-1 ATS), averaging 70.4 ppg while allowing 62.3 ppg. Ohio State is 6-1 at neutral venues (3-4 ATS), outscoring opponents by nearly 10 ppg (77-67.7).
The Volunteers are 0-3-1 ATS in their last four as a neutral-site underdog and 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 after a spread-cover, but otherwise they’re on pointspread upticks of 4-0-1 in non-conference play, 4-1-1 versus the Big Ten, 4-1 on Friday and 22-9-1 as an underdog of less than seven points.
Ohio State is 4-1 ATS in its last five as a favorite of less than seven points and 9-4 ATS in its last 13 versus winning teams, but the Buckeyes also carry negative pointspread stretches of 4-11 in the Tournament, 3-10 as a Tournament favorite, 1-6 when laying less than seven points in the tourney, 1-6 in non-conference play and 2-5 on Friday. It’s been all “unders” for Tennessee lately, including 21-8-1 overall, 8-3 in non-league play, 6-1-1 at neutral sites, 23-9 as an underdog, 19-7 when catching less than seven points, 4-0 as a neutral-site pup and 3-0-1 on Friday. Conversely, the Buckeyes sport a slew of “over” trends, including 4-1 overall, 7-2 in the Tournament, 6-1 as a tourney favorite, 4-1 at neutral sites and 11-2 as a neutral-site chalk, though the under is 13-6 in Ohio State’s last 19 on Friday. Finally, when these teams met in the 2007 Big Dance, the 85-84 contest flew over the 144½-point total.

ATS ADVANTAGE: TENNESSEE


(9) Northern Iowa (30-4, 22-11 ATS) vs. (5) Michigan State (26-8, 13-20 ATS)

The Panthers pulled off the shocker of the Tournament – and one of the biggest in the history of this event – in upsetting top-ranked Kansas 69-67 as an 11-point underdog in Saturday’s second round in Oklahoma City. Point guard Ali Farokhmanesh, who hit a game-winning 25-foot three-pointer to beat UNLV 69-66 in the first round, drained the decisive three-pointer against Kansas with 34 seconds to play. Northern Iowa led wire-to-wire against the Jayhawks despite getting outshot (44.4 percent to 40 percent) and outrebounded (32-27), but the Panthers were able to force 15 Kansas turnovers.
Northern Iowa has won six in a row, going 5-0 ATS in the last five. And despite yielding 66 points to UNLV and 67 to Kansas, the Missouri Valley Conference champs still have the second-best scoring defense in the country (55 ppg allowed). However, in their four losses, they scored 52, 51, 59 and 54 points. Michigan State reached the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row, but it wasn’t easy, as it blew large second-half leads against New Mexico State and Maryland but pulled out both games by scores of 70-67 (as a 13-point favorite) and 85-83 (as a one-point underdog), respectively, in Spokane, Wash. In Sunday’s win over Maryland, the Spartans trailed 83-82 in the waning moments when reserve point guard Korie Lucious – in the game because starter Kalin Lucas suffered a first-half injury – drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to steal the win. Since suffering a three-game losing streak in the middle of the Big Ten season, Michigan State has won seven of its last nine, going just 5-4 ATS during this stretch. On the downside for the Spartans, Lucas – who leads the team in scoring, assists and minutes played – suffered a ruptured Achilles in the win over Maryland is out for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, shooting guard Chris Allen, who missed much of Sunday’s game with a foot injury, is listed as probable. This is unchartered territory for Northern Iowa, which was dealt a five-point first-round loss by Purdue last year and had just one Tournament victory (back in 1990) in five all-time appearances before last week. This is the first time a team from the Missouri Valley Conference has reached the Sweet 16 since 1979. The Spartans edged Kansas 67-62 in the Sweet 16 last year en route to the national championship game. Prior to that, they hadn’t advanced to the Elite Eight since 2005. Still, going back to 1999, Tom Izzo’s squad is 6-0 SU in this round of the Tournament. Northern Iowa is now 7-1 (6-2 ATS) at neutral venues this season, averaging 65.5 ppg and yielding 57.8 ppg. Michigan State has still only played five neutral-site contests (including the last three in a row), going 3-2 (2-3 ATS) while pouring in 80.4 ppg and surrendering 73.4 ppg. In addition to cashing in five straight games overall, the Panthers are on pointspread surges of 38-17 overall, 7-0 in non-conference play, 9-2 versus the Big Ten, 54-24 as an underdog, 35-16 as a pup of less than seven points, 6-0 at neutral sites, 5-0 as a neutral-site underdog.
Michigan State is on ATS upticks of 3-1-1 against the Missouri Valley Conference, 21-6-2 as a favorite of less than seven points, 6-2 in the Tournament, 16-4-1 as a Tournament favorite and 4-0 when favored by less than seven in the Big Dance. Conversely, the Spartans are in ATS slumps of 1-4 in non-conference play, 1-4 as a chalk overall, 2-8 against winning teams and 0-5 on Friday. Northern Iowa has topped the total in four of its last five non-conference games, and both of its games last weekend flew over the posted price. Still, the Panthers are riding “under” streaks of 21-8 overall, 4-1 versus the Big Ten, 37-16-1 as an underdog, 20-7 at neutral venues, 11-1 as a neutral-site pup and 9-3 on Friday. Meanwhile, the Spartans have stayed low in four straight against the Missouri Valley and four of five on Friday, but they’re also on “over” stretches of 5-1 at neutral sites, 5-2 as a favorite and 4-1 after a SU win.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE


SOUTH REGIONAL

(at Houston)

(10) St. Mary’s (28-5, 21-10 ATS) vs. (3) Baylor (27-7, 17-10 ATS)

St. Mary’s was one of three double-digit seeds to advance past the first weekend of the Big Dance, and the Gaels did so rather easily. Playing in Providence, they defeated seventh-seeded Richmond 80-71 as a one-point underdog and shocked No. 2-seed Villanova 75-68 as a four-point pup. St. Mary’s, whose only previous Big Dance win came 51 years ago, outshot Richmond and Villanova by a combined 49.5 percent to 41 percent, and big man Omar Samhan was the difference-maker, tallying a total of 61 points and 19 rebounds in 60 minutes of action. The Bears, who hadn’t won a Tournament game since 1950 and were making just their third Big Dance appearance since then, survived tough tests in New Orleans against a pair of double-digit seeds to earn this trip to nearby Houston. First, they got past Sam Houston State 68-59 (failing to cover as a 9½-point favorite), then eliminated Old Dominion 76-68 as a four-point chalk. Both games were tight in the final five minutes before Baylor pulled away down the stretch. Defense proved to be the difference, as the Bears held Sam Houston State and Old Dominion to a combined 46-for-121 from the field (38 percent).
The Gaels, who won the West Coast Conference tournament to secure their automatic bid, have won seven in a row (6-1 ATS). Meanwhile, Baylor is on a 10-2 SU run, going 4-2 ATS in the last six following a 1-5 ATS downturn. St. Mary’s first appearance in the Big Dance came in 1959 and it won its first game, then suffered five straight Tournament defeats prior to last weekend’s 2-0 sweep. Meanwhile, the last time Baylor won consecutive games in the Big Dance was in 1948, and it has never gone farther in this event. The Gaels’ spread-covers last weekend ended a 1-8 ATS slump as a neutral-site underdog. They come into tonight on pointspread runs of 4-0 overall, 21-5-1 in non-conference play, 5-0 at neutral sites, 5-2 as an underdog, 5-2 as a pup of six points or less and 4-1 on Friday.
The Bears sport ATS streaks of 5-2 overall, 7-1 in non-conference action, 5-1 as a favorite, 5-0 when laying less than seven points, 19-7 at neutral sites, 4-1 as a favorite at neutral venues and 7-3 on Friday. The under is 9-3 in the Gaels’ last 12 overall, 8-2 in their last 10 after a victory and 5-1 in their last six as a ‘dog at neutral sites, but St. Mary’s is also on “over” runs of 19-7 in non-conference action, 10-4-1 as a pup of less than seven points and 4-0-1 on Friday. Meanwhile, Baylor has stayed low in five of seven in non-league play, but otherwise is on “over” surges of 5-1 overall (1-1 in the Tournament), 14-2 after a SU win, 11-1 after a spread-cover, 4-0 as a favorite of less than seven points and 6-0 on Friday.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE


(4) Purdue (29-5, 14-18-2 ATS) vs. (1) Duke (31-5, 20-13-2 ATS)

The Boilermakers needed a huge second-half rally to get past 13th-seeded Siena in round one last week (72-64 as a 4½-point favorite), then required overtime against Texas A&M on Sunday, winning 63-61 as a two-point pup. With the two wins in Spokane, Wash., Purdue erased the nightmare of their 27-point Big Ten tournament semifinal loss to Minnesota. Also, in cashing against both Siena and Texas A&M, the Boilers snapped an 0-6-1 ATS drought. Going back to mid-January, Purdue is 15-2 SU but just 7-9-1 ATS. Duke toyed with its two first-round opponents in Jacksonville, Fla., hammering play-in-game winner Arkansas-Pine Bluff (73-44 as a 24-point favorite) and crushing eighth-seeded California (68-53 as a 6½-point favorite). The Blue Devils have won six in a row and 14 of their last 15, and of their five losses this season, four have come against teams that reached the Tournament (Maryland, Georgetown, Georgia Tech and Wisconsin). These teams have met twice in the last six seasons, with the road team taking both contests. Purdue rolled 78-68 as a nine-point road underdog in 2003, while the Blue Devils cruised 76-60 as a two-point pup in December 2008. This is the Boilermakers’ second straight trip to the Sweet 16, as last year it bowed out to eventual Final Four participant UConn, losing 72-60 as a seven-point underdog. That followed three straight second-round exits in 2003, 2007 and 2008. The last time Purdue made it through to the Elite Eight was in 2000 – the only time it has done so since 1994. Duke has made 34 Tournament appearances in school history, including 14 in a row, and it is a No. 1 seed for the 11th time overall and the sixth time this decade. However, last year the Blue Devils got blasted by Villanova 77-54 in the Sweet 16, their third consecutive SU and ATS loss in this round. The last time Duke reached the Elite Eight was in 2004 (also its last Final Four appearance).
Purdue is 7-1 (3-3-2 ATS) in neutral-site action (the only blemish being the ugly loss to Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament). In the seven wins, the Boilermakers averaged 72.1 ppg and given up 61.4 ppg. Meanwhile, Duke has won all nine of its neutral-site contests this season (6-3 ATS), outscoring opponents by 15.3 ppg (70.4-55.1). The Boilermakers’ pointspread numbers are all over the map, as they’re on positive ATS runs of 4-1 as an underdog, 8-3 as a ‘dog at neutral venues, 7-3 when catching points in the Tournament and 4-1-1 on Friday. However, they’re also in ATS ruts of 2-6-1 overall, 2-5 versus the ACC, 1-5-1 after a SU victory, 6-13-1 after a spread-cover and 7-16-1 as an underdog of seven to 12½ points. Duke has cashed in five of seven versus the Big Ten and six of eight on Friday, but prior to last weekend’s easy spread-covers against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Cal, the Devils had failed to cover in 10 of 12 Tournament games overall and 11 of 13 Tournament contests as a favorite. Purdue has gone over the total in eight straight Friday contests and six of eight outside the Big Ten, while the Blue Devils have hurdled the total in five of seven against the Big Ten. After that, though, the Boilermakers are on “under” runs of 6-2 overall, 6-0 versus the ACC, 5-1 after a SU win and 5-2 as an underdog, while Duke carries “under” trends of 5-1 overall (all as a favorite), 18-6 at neutral sites (all as a favorite), 8-3 in the Tournament, 12-4 when laying points in the Big Dance, 4-1 on Friday and 26-12 after a spread-cover.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER


NBA

L.A. Lakers (53-18, 30-38-3 ATS) at Oklahoma City (43-27, 41-29 ATS)

The surging Lakers shoot for their eighth straight win as they trek to the Ford Center in Oklahoma City for a matchup with the Thunder. Los Angeles opened a five-game road trip on Wednesday with a 92-83 win in San Antonio, cashing as a two-point underdog. The Lakers got 24 points and six assists from Kobe Bryant and the trio of Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol combined for 45 points and a whopping 33 rebounds. L.A. has cashed in just four of its last 10 overall but it has covered four of its last five roadies. Oklahoma City snapped a two-game losing streak on Wednesday with a 122-104 home win over the Rockets as an eight-point chalk. Kevin Durant, the NBA’s top scorer, had 25 points and Jeff Green added 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. The Thunder have averaged 105.2 points a game over their last five, five points better than what they’ve done the rest of the season. The Lakers have won 12 straight over the Thunder, including three this season. Back in November, Los Angeles went to Oklahoma City and scored a 101-98 overtime win, but failed as a seven-point favorite. Los Angeles has cashed in four of five on the road and four straight on the highway against teams with winning home records, but it is on ATS slides of 5-11-1 overall, 1-4 on Fridays, 0-5 after a spread-cover and 2-6-1 against Northwest Division squads. The Thunder are on a plethora of positive ATS streaks, including 8-1 on Fridays, 5-1 against Western Conference teams, 13-5 against winning teams, 5-2 after a day off and 14-6 at home against teams with a winning road mark.
The Lakers bring in several “under” streaks, including 4-0 overall, 4-0 on Fridays, 4-0 after a straight-up win, 5-1 on the road, 10-2 against Western Conference teams, 7-3 after a day off and 13-3 on the road against teams with winning home records. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City is on “over” runs of 5-1-1 overall, 6-2 against Pacific Division teams, 5-1 after a day off, 11-1 after a straight-up win, 7-1 after a spread-cover and 3-0-1 at home. Finally, four of the last six Lakers-Thunder clashes have stayed under the posted total.

ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. LAKERS and UNDER


Cleveland (57-15, 36-35-1 ATS) at San Antonio (42-28, 36-33-1 ATS)

LeBron James and the red-hot Cavaliers take an eight-game winning streak into the AT&T Center for a matchup with the Spurs. Cleveland dumped New Orleans 105-92 on Tuesday, winning its eighth in a row and easily cashing as a 5½-point chalk. James was unstoppable, scoring 38 points, pulling down six rebounds and delivering nine assists to lead the Cavs, who are still just 4-4 ATS during their current surge. Cleveland has been tough to beat on the road, going 26-11 this season, 21-15-1 ATS. San Antonio has alternated wins and losses in its last six overall (3-3 ATS), losing at home Wednesday to the Lakers, 92-83 as a two-point favorite. Manu Ginobili had 24 points against Los Angeles, but the Spurs got nothing inside as Richard Jefferson, Tim Duncan and Antonio McDyess combined for just 14 points. The Spurs had won six straight at home (5-1 ATS) before Wednesday’s loss to Los Angeles. Cleveland has won three straight (2-1 ATS) and four of five (3-2 ATS) against San Antonio dating back to 2008. The Cavs scored a 97-95 home win back on March 8, but came up short as 5 ½-point favorites, as the road team improved to 4-1 ATS in the last five series clashes. The Cavaliers are just 1-4 ATS in their last five Friday contests, but they are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 after a spread-cover. San Antonio is on positive ATS streaks of 10-3 overall, 4-1 at home, 4-1 after a non-cover and 4-1 after a straight-up loss. For Cleveland, the under is on several streaks, including 4-0 overall, 11-3-1 on Fridays, 5-0 against Southwest Division teams and 7-3-1 against teams with winning records. The Spurs have topped the total in five of seven Friday contests and three of four after a non-cover, but they are on “under” runs of 11-5-1 against Eastern Conference teams, 7-3-1 against winning teams and 3-0-1 at home against teams with winning road marks. In this series, the under has been the play in seven of the last 11 overall.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

CAPPERS ACCESS

Ohio st
Purdue

Marc Lawrence

5 Unit GOY - Baylor

James Patrick Sports

5* Utah/Indiana Over 210

trace adams

2000------------baylor
500------------atlanta hawks

Jay McNeil 2nd ever 100 Dime Play

100 Dime: St. Mary's

sportsbetsnow 8-6 +7.6 units for the tourney

NCAAB

3 units Northern Iowa +1

Lang
10 Dimer Winner # 3 in a Row
Duke

Alan Boston

N.Iowa

Nover

100 DIME College Hoops Game of the Year

Baylor