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ATS Consultants

Newsletter Plays
Thursday, February 21st

Hoops
Pitt covers over Notre Dame 68-69-Pref.
Georgia Tech over Virginia 78-63-Pref.

Hockey
Buffalo over Toronto - Pref.
Under in the St. Louis/LA Kings Game - Pref.

James Patrick Sports

Duquesne vs. Xavier

A track meet is scheduled for the Queen City this Thursday under the disguise of an Atlantis 10 match up between the conference’s elite . Scoring won’t be the problem here as the first team to 80 claims a victory. Our selection in Atlantic 10 action is Dukes – Musketeers Over the Total.


Dave Cokin

Virginia @ Georgia Tech
Play: Georgia Tech -5

Virginia and Georgia Tech are suffering through tough campaigns, and neither team is in good current form. But the Yellow Jackets have a good chance to improve their lot tonight. They have simply dominated the Cavs at home, covering nine straight meetings at this site. The number looks just a little short to me and with that remarkable history, I'll give Georgia Tech a shot tonight.

Scott Spreitzer

Miami Heat at Houston Rockets

I'm taking the points with the Heat on Thursday night. With Shaq in the desert and Shawn Marion now bringing his athletic style to South Beach, I believe Miami is in "buy" mode. The team is much better with their current lineup. Marion averaged 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 steals per game in his first three outings with the Heat. Meanwhile, although the Rockets won at Cleveland on Tuesday, Tracy McGrady has been in a cold-funk and Yao Ming didn't fare to well himself, in the win. In fact, McGrady is barely topping 12 PPG on 31% shooting in his last five outings. Houston has been getting solid play from the supporting cast, but with T-Mac off his game, they should NOT be laying double-digits against a Heat squad that just got much better due to the Marion/Shaq trade mentioned above. I'm "buying" the Heat and taking the points with the double-digit pup

Play on: Miami

VEGAS EXPERTS

Oregon State Beavers at UCLA Bruins

It would be difficult for the Bruins to let down far enough to keep the Beavers in this one. Oregon State is 6-19 on the year, 2-9 on the road, 0-13 in the Pac-10 and thus 0-7 on the Conference road. It has lost those seven contests by an average of 14.3 points. It comes off a Saturday home loss to Washington by 38 points, 97-59. UCLA has won six of its last seven and the loss, at that same Washington club, came just two games ago. UCLA has played just five Conference home games, losing to arch-rival USC but winning the other four contests by 14, 17, 33 and 22 points.

Play on: UCLA

LAS VEGAS SPORTS PICS

Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 4.5 over Pittsburgh Panthers
   
Injury depleted Pittsburgh (19-6, 7-5) is out of the national rankings for the first time in two plus seasons. No.21 Notre Dame (19-5, 9-3) is 15-0 at home with an average winning margin of 17.1 points. The Irish lead the Big East in both scoring and rebounding margin.
   
Massachusetts Minutemen + 6 over (at) Rhode Island Rams
   
Rhode Island (20-6, 6-5) vs. Massachusetts (16-9, 5-6) ranks tenth in the nation averaging 82.2 ppg. In A-10 games the Minutemen's 284 three-pointers easily leads the league. They're 3-1 last four meetings, the loss coming at Rhode Island 75-72 last season.
   
Michigan Wolverines + 8.5 over (at) Minnesota Golden Gophers
   
Minnesota (15-9, 5-7) vs. Michigan (8-17, 4-9) enters on a three game win streak off posting an 80-70 home win over (17-9) Ohio State on Sunday. Sagarin ratings has the Wolverine's schedule ranked second toughest in the nation. Michigan won at Minnesota 62-51 last season.
   
Oregon Ducks + 5.5 over (at) USC Trojans
   
USC (15-9, 6-6) key player starting guard Hackett (back) is out. Oregon (15-10, 6-7) in its last road game hit a team record 18 three-pointers winning at (15-9) Cal. 92-70. Ducks lost at USC 71-68 last season going cold from the field getting outshot 60.2 percent to 33.1 percent.

WINNINGWAY SPORTS

Selection: Rhode Island -6

Reason: Put us down on Rhode Island -6 for our Free College Basketball Selection on Thursday. Today Massachusetts will be on the road as they take on Rhode Island. We will lay the points with Rhode Island! Out of these two teams, Rhode Island has the much better defense. Rhode Island (at home) is allowing opponents to score an average of only 68.6 points per game, while Massachusetts (on the road) is allowing opponents to score an average of 82.4 points per game. That means the Rhode Island defense is allowing opponents to score an average of 13.8 points per game less then the Massachusetts defense. In addition, Rhode Island has been a proven winner against Massachusetts. In fact, Rhode Island is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings against Massachusetts. Lay the points

Take Rhode Island -6

John Ryan

Game: Montana at Idaho State Feb 21 2008 9:00PM
Prediction: Idaho State

Reason: Ai Simulator 3* graded play on Idaho State - AiS shows an 80% probability that Idaho State will win this game. Montana State is 15-10 on the season, but just 4-9 on the road. They are averaging 35 points in the 1st half, but nearly 5 PPG less on the road. Idaho State has a solid defense, which I think Montana will struggle against tonight. Idaho State also defends their glass well and has allowed opponents just 29 total boards in home games and also allowing 31 PPG in the first half. This combination of matchups certainly supports Idaho State in getting a home win tonight. Note that Montana State is 5-15 ATS in road games in February games since 1997.

Peter Loshak

Nassau Coliseum on the Island should be a cozy rink for the home team and their fans.  Side with the New York Islanders at home when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On Thursday in the NHL, I think there is modest but clear value with the New York Islanders at home over Tampa Bay at a relatively low line of -110.
Islanders -110 to snuff Lightning

A big reason this line is low may be that the Islanders, who aren’t exactly world beaters when they are in top form, have been hit hard with injuries of late, particularly on defense. Despite this, however, the Islanders seem to have become energized, and have now actually won five games in a row, their longest winning streak in three years. Of course, this will likely end sometime very soon, and it may well end with a resounding thud. But I don’t see tomorrow’s foe, Tampa Bay, as likely to mount a strong challenge to end it.

Tampa Bay, of course, is in last place in the Eastern Conference with little chance of making the playoffs, eight points behind the Islanders who are in the thick of it in 10th place and fighting well to make it. The Lightning have sub-.900 goaltending and I’m not sure they will have a lot of fight here on the road, on a back-to-back, off of a demoralizing OT loss in Buffalo on Wednesday.

The Islanders, for all their mediocrity and misfortune, are proving to be a gritty and resilient team, and goaltender Rick DiPietro is rising to the occasion in the stretch run, playing well and seeming focused.

This should be a competitive game, and the Islanders will once again have to reach down for something extra to keep their winning streak alive. But I do think they have a better chance of coming away with a win than a line of -110 dictates, so I’ll go with those odds on the Islanders being able to manufacture another win on Thursday evening.

Al McMordie

Willie Nelson's On the road again should be the theme song for this series as the road squad is 24-5 ATS since '93.  Side with Oregon to cover as small dogs at USC Thursday.

Our Thursday night college basketball selection is on the Oregon Ducks plus the points on the road over Southern Cal.

Ducks +5 quack & cover at Trojans

Earlier this season, USC went up to Eugene and upset the Ducks 95-86 as 3½-point underdogs.  But that's par for the course in this Pac-10 series, as the road team is 24-5 ATS since 1993, including a perfect 15-0-2 ATS when priced from -1 to +6½ points.

Oregon, itself, is 12-1-2 ATS on the road at USC, and we'll back Ernie Kent's men tonight.  Take the points.

Oregon +5

Marc Lawrence 

Play On: Arizona State

Note: Sun Devils travel to Pullman to meet the Cougars at Friel Court with same season homecourt loss revenge on their minds tonight. The key to this contest is ASU's urgency as they are 16-8 on the season, sitting 'on the bubble' at the moment. With WSU staring dead ahead to consecutive same season revengers against Arizona, California and Stanford, and standing just 2-8 SU & 1-9 ATS as a series host when the Sun Devils own a win percentage of .600 or better, we'll grab the points in this payback tonight.


Steve Merril

PICK: Arizona State

REASON FOR PICK: Arizona State is 3-1 ATS in the past four meetings with Washington State, including a hard fought 56-55 home loss last month. The Sun Devils lost by just one point, despite shooting just 2-for-14 from three-point range and being outshot 46%-14% from beyond the arc. Arizona State actually dominated the game down low and outshot the Cougars 61% to 43% from two-point range.

Arizona State should be able to keep the game close again tonight as they are a very efficient offensive team that shoots 47% FG and commits just 12 turnovers per game. They are also a solid defensive squad that allows just 61.8 points per game and 41% FG (versus opponents that average 68.8 ppg and 44.8% FG).

Both teams prefer a slow, half-court style and this favors the big underdog as Arizona State qualifies in a 46-18 ATS situation, while Washington State fits a negative 35-68 ATS situation.