College Basketball Information
Yale beat Harvard last week; both teams are 5-1 with eight games left in season; no conference tourney in Ivy, so Bulldogs have shot to win Ivy in huge upset. Bulldogs swept Penn LY by 9-14 points; they're 2-1 as home favorites, winning by 7-10-4 at home. Ivy League home favorites of 7+ points are 4-5 vs spread. Quakers are 0-2 as road underdogs, with losses by 17-30 points in their two Ivy road games.
Harvard won eight of last nine games with Columbia, but lost 78-63 here LY; Crimson is 3-3 as Ivy favorite, 1-0 on road- they won by 30 in only road game, at Dartmouth. Harvard won three of last four visits here, by 29-19-7. Columbia lost three of last four games, beating Cornell by 10 in only home game so far. Ivy League home underdogs are 4-2 vs spread. Harvard has made 43.6% of its 3-pointers in league play.
Cornell is 0-19 vs D-I teams; their only win was against Oberlin, which is 6-16 in D-III; Big Red won 18 of last 21 games with Dartmouth, with wins in last 10 games played here. Ivy League home teams are 5-1 vs spread if spread was less than 5 points. Cornell is 4-2 vs spread in Ivy, but they were getting double digits in all four covers. Dartmouth is 2-4 in Ivy, despite playing five of the six games at home.
Brown won four of its last five games, is 3-0 at home in Ivy, winning by 17-12-8 points; Bruins lost three of last four games with Princeton but won six of last eight played here- home side is 11-5 in last 16 series tilts. Princeton is 1-4 in Ivy after going 12-2 out of conference- they've lost twice in OT, another by one point- their only Ivy win was over an awful Cornell team. Ivy League home underdogs are 4-2 vs spread.
Detroit didn't want Oakland joining Horizon, so this will be good rivalry game as years go on; Grizzlies (+2.5) won first meeting 77-69 on Jan 11, rallying from 11 down with 8:10 to play. Horizon home favorites of 5 or less points are 4-13 vs spread. Oakland lost its last three games, is 1-3 as home favorite, with last two home wins by a point each. Detroit won three of last four games, covering last three on foreign soil.
Arizona won six of last seven games with Arizona State, winning 91-68 (-14) in first meeting Jan 16, leading 24-8 after 10:00; Wildcats are 2-2 as road favorites, with only one road win by more than four points. ASU is 4-1 in last five games, with last three wins by 2 points or in OT. Pac-12 home dogs of 5 or less points are 10-6 vs spread. Arizona won three of last four visits to Tempe, with all three wins by 15+.
Canisius (-9.5) outscored Niagara 26-7 on line in 87-74 home win Jan 22, with Baron scoring 31 points; Griffins won last two series games, after Niagara had won 17 of previous 20. MAAC home underdogs of 6 or less points are 4-7 vs spread. Canisius lost last two games to Iona/Jaspers- they're 2-2 as road favorites, winning last two away games. Niagara lost last four games, with three losses by four or less points.
Iona (-6.5) won 89-71 in first MAAC meeting at Monmouth Feb 4, with Gaels making 23-30 (77%) of shots inside arc. MAAC double digit home favorites are 7-8 vs spread. Iona won its last eight games (6-2 vs spread); they're 4-4 as home favorites, 2-3 when laying double digits. Monmouth lost last five games, three by 6 or less points; they're 5-3 as underdogs on road. Iona is making 41.7% from arc in MAAC, best in league.
Marist won three of last four games, covered last three; Red Foxes (+4) lost 67-58 at Siena Jan 10- Saints outscored them 29-16 on line in game where five Foxes had 4+ fouls. Siena is 2-5 on MAAC road, 2-3 as road underdog- thery're 0-4 vs spread in last four games. MAAC home faves of 5 or less points are 12-10 vs spread. Marist is 3-2 as home favorite, winning last three home games by 7-2-14 points.
Chattanooga lost two of last three games after starting 8-0 in conference; Moccasins are 5-0 at home, 2-1 as home favorites, winning by 9-1-21-10-15 points at home. Western Carolina won three of last four games, is 2-2 on SoCon road, losing by 11 at Wofford, 14 at Elon. WCU forces a turnover 22.7% of time, best in league. Southern Conference favorites are 10-7-1 vs spread in games where spread was 3 or less points.
Temple lost 11 of last 12 games, is 1-9 in AAC, 3-4 vs spread as a dog, losing home games by 7-10-4 points, with win over Rutgers. Louisville hasn't played in nine days; they've won six of last seven games, is 4-1 as road favorite, winning away games by 25-7-12-39-15 points. Cardinals are forcing turnovers 23.7% of time, making 41% from arc, both best in AAC. AAC double digit favorites are 16-5 vs spread, 3-1 on road.
SMU (-12) beat Rutgers 70-56 at home Jan 18, holding Knights to 33% from floor, forcing 18 turnovers; Mustangs are in top 25 for first time in 28 years- they're 7-1 in last eight games, 9-1 in last ten vs spread, 1-1 as road favorites (2-2 SU on road). Rutgers won two of last three games, is 2-1 as home dogs. Home teams are 9-2 against spread in their conference games. AAC home underdogs are 6-11 vs spread.
Armadillosports.com
Game of the Day: Arizona at Arizona State
By Covers.com
Arizona Wildcats at Arizona State Sun Devils (+5, 133)
Arizona proved in its last win that it has enough firepower to remain the frontrunner in the Pac-12, but its remaining path to a conference title figures to test its mettle. The third-ranked Wildcats begin a stretch in which they play five of their final seven games on the road Friday against Arizona State. Arizona lost starter Brandon Ashley for the season in its Feb. 1 setback at California, then struggled in a home victory against Oregon before routing Oregon State on Sunday.
Each of the Wildcats’ five remaining road games is against an opponent they have already defeated, perhaps none of which were more impressive than their 91-68 triumph on Jan. 16 against the Sun Devils. Arizona State has won five of six since that setback, although it has coughed up a second-half lead of at least 16 points in two of its last three victories. “I think for the second game in as many weeks of having a big lead and then losing it, our guys showed great character in retaking the lead and winning both (games),” Sun Devils coach Herb Sendek told the school’s official website.
LINE HISTORY: The early odds out of Las Vegas had Arizona as a 4.5-point road favorite with the total opening at 133 points.
COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Arizona (-17.5) - Arizona State (-7.8) - Home Court (-3.0) = Arizona -6.7
INJURY WATCH: Arizona - Brandon Ashley (Out - Foot)
WHAT BOOKS SAY: "We will likely needs ASU to cover the spread as Arizona easily covered with them earlier this season and has covered five of the last six versus the Sun Devils. Both teams are struggling ATS recently, with Arizona going 1-5 in its last six and ASU going 2-6 in its last eight." - Mike Perry, Sportsbook.com.
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "A 22-point blowout of Oregon State may not seem like it means much. But after three straight games decided by three points or less it showed that the Ashley-less Wildcats still have that high gear." - Covers Experts' Doc's Sports.
ABOUT ARIZONA (23-1 SU, 14-9 ATS, 5-17 O/U): In the nearly three games that Ashley has missed (he logged two minutes against California), former sixth man Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has stepped into his spot in the lineup and averaged 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds – each of which is a slight improvement over Ashley’s season averages. The Wildcats outscored the Beavers 40-12 in the paint and 13-0 in second-chance points, continuing their season-long domination in both areas. Arizona owns a plus-13.3 advantage in the paint (854-535) and has nearly doubled up its opponents in second-chance points (326-166).
ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (18-6 SU, 11-11 ATS, 9-12 O/U): Wildcats coach Sean Miller attributed the absence of second-leading scorer Jermaine Marshall – out with a groin injury on Jan. 16 – to Arizona’s success against Jordan Bachynski, who was limited to three points in the first meeting. “You don’t have to account for that 16 points per game…(Friday) will be much more difficult because they have another shooter (Marshall) on the court,” Miller told the Arizona Daily Star. Bachynski was nearly unstoppable last week, averaging 21.5 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks en route to winning Pac-12 Player of the Week honors.
TRENDS:
* Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Under is 39-16-1 in Wildcats' last 56 overall.
* Under is 38-17-3 in Sun Devils' last 58 home games.
COVERS CONSENSUS: 64 percent of the wagers are on Arizona -5.
Arizona at Arizona State
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
Friday night’s schedule for men’s college basketball tends to be light in nature, but this Friday features a huge showdown in the Pac-12 between No. 2 Arizona and Arizona State. The Wildcats cruised to a lopsided victory when these two met in mid-January, but they will be on the road this time around in a very difficult place to get a win.
No. 2 Arizona Wildcats at Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona’s win over the Sun Devils on Jan. 16 was part of an impressive 21-game winning streak, but that all came to an end with a stunning 60-58 loss to California on Feb. 1 as a six-point road favorite. Since that loss, the Wildcats have posted straight-up victories over Oregon and Oregon State, but they have been no bargain to bet on lately with a 1-5 record against the spread in their last six outings.
The Wildcats are 23-1 SU overall and 10-1 SU in conference play. They have covered in 14 of 23 games with a posted line, but they are just 5-6 ATS in the Pac-12. The total stayed UNDER the 134-point closing line in last Sunday’s 76-54 romp over the Beavers as 16-point home favorites and it has now stayed UNDER in their last six games.
The big question for Arizona is how it moves on without the services of Brandon Ashley, who was lost for the season with a foot injury. He was the team’s third leading scorer with 11.5 points per game, which puts a dent in an offense that is averaging 73.4 PPG. His loss will put some added weight on a defensive that is ranked third in the nation in points allowed (57.0). The Wildcats have also been a very solid team under the boards with an average of 39 rebounds a game.
The Sun Devils are also coming off a pair of victories over Oregon State and Oregon in their last two games, but they were both hard-fought battles that were decided by a combined total of six points. They are now 7-4 SU in the Pac-12 and 18-6 SU overall. Ever since that 23-point loss to the Wildcats as 13 ½-point road underdogs, Arizona State has gone 5-1 SU in its last six games, but it has failed to cover in four of those contests.
This is another team that has been tough on the wallet lately with a 2-6 record ATS in its last eight games. The Sun Devils are an even 11-11 ATS this season and the total has stayed UNDER in 13 of 21 games including nine of 12 games played at home. They have only covered in four of their first 11 games against the Pac-12 and the total has gone OVER in six of their last eight conference games.
Arizona State has a slight edge in this matchup in scoring with 77.1 points a game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field. Where it could have an issue is on the other end of the court with a defense that is allowing an average of 67.7 PPG to its opponents. The Sun Devils should match up pretty well under the boards with 37.1 rebounds a game and they have the edge shooting the ball from the outside; hitting 39.4 percent of their shots from 3-point range.
The Wildcats have been opened as five-point road favorites over Arizona State for Round 2 of this Pac-12 rivalry. Arizona has won six of the last seven meetings SU and they are 5-1 ATS in the last six games. The one encouraging trend for the Sun Devils is that the home team in this series is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings. The total has stayed UNDER in four of the last six games between the two.
Bonus Games
No. 13 Louisville Cardinals at Temple Owls
Thursday’s snowstorm in Philadelphia pushed this AAC matchup to Friday night. The Cardinals had been listed as 14-point road favorites, but it remains to be seen if this delay will have any effect on this betting line. The will come into this game in second place in the conference at 8-2 SU, but after failing to cover in two of their last three games they are just 5-5 ATS in the AAC. It has been a rough season for the Owls with an overall record of 9-13 SU (8-11-1 ATS) that includes just one SU victory in 10 AAC games. The last time these two met was in the 2002 NCAA Tournament with Temple coming away with a 65-62 win.
Harvard Crimson at Columbia Tigers
Harvard is 5-1 SU in the Ivy League this season, but that one loss came at the hands of Yale in a 74-67 setback this past Saturday as a 12½-point home favorite. The Crimson have failed to cover in five of their last eight games, but they will look to get back on track as six-point road favorites against a Tigers. Harvard has an 8-1 SU record in the last nine meetings; however Columbia has covered in five of the last six games.
Louisville at Temple
By Sportsbook.ag
Louisville Cardinals (19-4) at Temple Owls (6-16)
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Louisville -14, 153
For the fourth time in its past five games, No. 13 Louisville will be a double-digit favorite as it continues American Athletic Conference play Friday against cellar-dweller Temple. This game was postponed on Thursday due to snow.
Louisville (10-10-1 ATS) enters this one coming off an eight-day layoff after pushing against Houston 77-62 as 15-point favorites on Feb. 5. The Cardinals are 1-2-1 ATS in their past four games and 4-5-1 ATS (8-2 SU) against AAC opponents. Over the past three seasons, Rick Pitino’s squad is 13-3 ATS in road games after one or more consecutive games going Under the total. Overall, the Cardinals are 4-2-1 ATS on the road this season.
The Owls have been absolutely dreadful lately, losing their past three SU and ATS after their lone conference SU victory against Rutgers. They are 8-11 ATS and 4-6 ATS in the AAC, going 1-9 SU in league action. But since 1997, underdogs of 10 to 19.5 points, after allowing 75 points in at least five consecutive games, with just one or fewer starters returning from last season, are 29-6 ATS.
The last time these two programs met was in March 2002 when Temple won 65-62 as four-point underdogs.
Louisville’s offense is impressive this season, totaling 82.3 PPG (14th in Div. I) on 47.6% shooting (31st in Div. I) with 15.3 APG (40th in Div. I). The Cardinals also take deft care of the ball with only 10.6 turnovers per game. More impressive than their offense, though, is their stifling defense that holds opponents to 62.4 PPG on 39.7% shooting. They force 17.3 turnovers per game (4th in Div. I) with 9.6 SPG (3rd in Div. I).
SG Russ Smith (18.3 PPG, 4.7 APG) is the team’s star, pacing the club in scoring and assists as a natural shooting guard who has had to handle the ball more this season. That means he has turned it over 3.1 times per game, but he is also a menace defensively with 1.8 SPG. He is the only Cardinals player with more than 1.5 turnovers per game.
He’s joined in the backcourt by SG Chris Jones (10.9 PPG, 1.9 SPG) and swingman Wayne Blackshear (9.7 PPG, 45.1% threes), who is set to play after missing the team’s last game due to a concussion.
Like Blackshear, SF Luke Hancock (11.5 PPG) is a swing player who can do damage shooting the ball. Down low, PF Montrezl Harrell (12.6 PPG, 8.2 RPG) is the team’s primary threat to score and grab rebounds. He is the lone Louisville player grabbing more than five rebounds per game, though SF Stephan Van Treese (2.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG) has been coming into his own, especially on the glass (5.7 RPG in 24.7 MPG in past three games), since Chane Behanan was kicked off the team.
The Temple offense averages 74.6 PPG (94th in Div. I) on a poor 43.4% shooting clip (236th in Div. I). But the offense has the unique characteristic of being the only in the nation to feature four players who average at least 14.0 PPG. Their issues come on the defensive end, where they yield a whopping 77.8 PPG (325th in nation) on 46.4% shooting while only forcing 10.9 turnovers per game.
SG Dalton Pepper (17.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG) is the team’s top scorer, hitting 40.8% of his threes this season. Since a 33-point outburst in a near upset of Cincinnati in which he hit 8-of-14 threes, Pepper is just 7-of-31 (23%) from behind the arc.
Junior PG Will Cummings (16.4 PPG, 4.4 APG) runs the offense for Fran Dunphy and is averaging 5.6 APG over the team’s past five contests. Sophomore SG Quenton DeCosey (15.2 PPG) rounds out the backcourt, though he is just 11-of-37 (29.7%) from the field in the team’s past three games. PF Anthony Lee (14.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG) rounds out the quarter of options for this offense, leading the team in boards, including 10.0 RPG over the past three contests.
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