College Knowledge
-- Columbia won six of last eight games vs Brown, with home sides 4-0 in last four series games; Lions lost last two visits here, by 8-16 points. Losing side scored 74+ points in three of last four meetings. Ivy League home underdogs are 4-2 vs spread. Lions lost four of last five, but upset Harvard last game; they're 0-2 on Ivy road, losing by 4-6 points at Penn, Princeton. Brown lost four of last five games, but all five were on road.
-- Cornell is 11-6 in last 17 games vs Yale, with home side winning last four; Big Red lost last two visits here, by 1-31 points. Cornell won two of three on Ivy road, with wins by 2-3 points- three of their last five games were decided by 3 or less points. Yale is 3-3 in Ivy, 3-0 when it allows 64 or less points, 0-3 when it allows more. Cornell scored 65+ points in all six of its conference games.
-- Princeton won its last six games vs Dartmouth, winning last four here, by 5-16-22-24 points; Tigers are 4-1 in Ivy, with three wins by 12+, but all those games were at home. Dartmouth is 2-4 in Ivy, turning ball over 23.8% of time in league- they allowed 75+ points in three of four losses, gave up 62-57 in its two wins. Ivy League home underdogs are 4-2 vs spread. Princeton is 3-3 on road, winning at Kent State/Elon.
-- Harvard is 5-1 in Ivy, but 0-6 vs spread, with no wins by more than 10 points, and two in OT; they've won six of last seven games vs Penn, but three of last five series games were decided by a single point. Penn lost its only Ivy road game by 12 at Princeton; they won at Harvard LY, after losing here previous two years, by 14-15 points. Ivy League double digit home favorites are 2-6 against the spread.
-- Milwaukee is 2-10 in Horizon, 0-5 on road, losing by 15-2-11-10-31 points; they're turning ball over 22.1% of time, making 28.8% of its 3's. Youngstown made 56% of 2-point shots, won 75-72 (-3) at Milwaukee Jan 19, its third win in row vs Panthers, by 2-8-3 points. Penguins lost three of last four games, with win by a point; they're 3-2 in Horizon home games, winning by 7-14-12. Horizon League home favorites of 8+ points are 11-7 vs spread.
-- Cincinnati won six of last seven games with Georgetown, winning last four, by 12-22-4-2 points, with double OT win in conference tourney LY. Cincy won three of last four home games, winning by 2-8-18; they held five of last six opponents under 60 points. Big East home favorites of 5 or less points are 2-15 vs spread. Georgetown won/covered last six games, with wins at Notre Dame/Rutgers.
-- Home side won 10 of last 11 Green Bay-Cleveland State games, with Phoenix losing last five visits here, by 17-8-14-7-10 points., but Vikings lost six of last eight games, with four of last five losses by 12+ points. Green Bay won seven of last ten games; they're 2-4 on Ivy road, winning by 20-8 points. Horizon League home underdogs of 5 or less points are 9-6 vs spread. Cleveland State allowed 86 ppg in last two games.
-- Iona (-13) beat Manhattan 78-70 Jan 6, making 10-19 from arc, with 19 forced turnovers; Gaels won four of last five series games, winning its last two visits here, by 37-12 points. Iona lost three of last four games, with two OT losses; they've also lost three of last four on road. Jaspers won last three games, allowing 47.7 ppg; they've won three of last four at home. MAAC home underdogs of 6 or less points are 6-4 vs spread.
-- Niagara shot 58% inside arc, raced out to 51-30 halftime lead as they drilled Marist 94-72 (-10.5) Jan 3; home teams won last six series games, with Eagles losing last two visits here, by 8-12 points. Niagara lost last three games, allowing 79.3 ppg; they've won five of last six conference road games. Marist's last five games were decided by 6 or less points. MAAC home underdogs of 6 or less points are 6-4 vs spread.
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Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
No. 20 Georgetown Hoyas vs. No. 17 Cincinnati Bearcats
The Hoyas are just one game back in the Big East standings at 8-3 heading into a key Monday night matchup against Marquette. Overall, they are 17-4 on the year after beating Rutgers this past Saturday 69-63 as 4½-point road favorites. Georgetown has now covered in its last five games to improve to 10-7 ATS this season. The total has gone OVER in its last three games. The team as a whole is averaging just 64.4 points a game but ranked eighth in the country in points allowed; giving-up an average of just 55.7 points a game.
Cincinnati will try and snap a two-game skid against Villanova on Tuesday night before taking on the Hoyas in this matchup. Saturday's 62-52 loss to Pittsburgh as one-point home favorites dropped the Bearcats' overall record to 18-6 and left them mired in the middle of the Big East standings at 6-5. They are 9-11 ATS this season while covering the spread in just one of their 10 home games with a posted line. The total has stayed UNDER in their last five games. Cincinnati is scoring 70.5 points a game but shooting just 41.6 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from three-point range.
Friday College Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Friday nights are usually slow in college basketball, but thanks to the NBA All-Star weekend, the Big East showcases a solid matchup. Georgetown travels to Cincinnati for a key conference battle, one of nine games on the card. We'll also take a look at two other nationally televised contests, but start in the Queen City with two teams looking to improve their tournament resumes.
Georgetown at Cincinnati
The Hoyas (18-4 SU, 11-7 ATS) are the hottest team in the Big East right now with six consecutive wins, as Georgetown heads to Fifth Third Arena on Friday night. Cincinnati snapped a two-game skid with Tuesday's 68-50 blowout of Villanova as 7½-point home favorites, while improving to 7-5 in league play. The Bearcats (19-6 SU, 10-11 ATS) have cashed the 'under' in nine of the last 10 games, as Cincinnati's defense has limited seven of the previous nine opponents to 62 points or fewer.
Georgetown shot just 38% in Monday's 63-55 triumph over Marquette as five-point home 'chalk,' the eighth cover in the last nine games for John Thompson III's club. The Hoyas have covered four of five times in the underdog role this season, while winning outright against Louisville and Notre Dame. This is just the second road game since January 22 for the Hoyas, as Georgetown knocked off Rutgers last Saturday as 4 ½-point favorites, 69-63.
Cincinnati covered for just the second time in 11 home contests with the win over Villanova, as the Bearcats own a dreadful 0-5 ATS record the last five games off an ATS victory. Mick Cronin's squad has split six home conference games, while cashing the 'under' five times (the lone 'over' came in an overtime victory over Marquette). Five of Cincinnati's seven conference wins came against the bottom six teams in the Big East (Rutgers twice, Villanova, Seton Hall, and DePaul), but the Bearcats did beat the Hoyas twice last season in the underdog role.
Iona at Manhattan
These two MAAC rivals are going in different directions at the moment, as the Jaspers go for their fourth straight win. Manhattan (9-15 SU, 12-10 ATS) drubbed Fairfield as a nine-point road 'dog in Tuesday's 62-40 rout, while improving to 7-2 ATS the last nine games. The Jaspers are stepping up their defense as well by cashing the 'under' in eight of the past nine contests, as Manhattan has allowed 54 points or less in five of the previous six games.
The Gaels (15-10 SU, 10-13 ATS) started MAAC play at 7-1, but Iona has gone backwards of late with losses in three of their last four trips to the court. A three-game skid was snapped in a 78-71 win over Rider last Saturday, but the Gaels failed to cash as 9½-point favorites (0-4 ATS last four games). Iona dropped its last two road contests at Niagara and Canisius by three points apiece, while owning an 0-3 ATS record as an away favorite in conference action.
Manhattan looks for revenge on Friday after falling at Iona, 78-70 in early January. The Jaspers cashed as 13-point 'dogs, despite blowing a six-point halftime lead and shooting 48% from the floor. Iona shot lights out from three-point range, knocking down 10-of-16 treys.
Green Bay at Cleveland State
The Horizon League gets some national love on Friday as Green Bay attempts to capitalize off Saturday's home win over Detroit. The Phoenix (13-12 SU, 13-10 ATS) rallied past second-place Detroit, 68-59, while limiting the Titans to 40% shooting from field. Green Bay has now alternated wins and losses in each of its last seven games, as the Phoenix has lost outright in each of their last two opportunities in the favorite role (Illinois-Chicago and Wright State).
Cleveland State (12-14, 8-13-1 ATS) is going through a tough stretch in its schedule, losing to the top two teams in the Horizon over the last week (Valparaiso and Detroit). The loss to the Titans stung, as the Vikings fell by 30 points in the Motor City on Tuesday night, while Cleveland State got outrebounded, 44-23. The Vikings have won three of five home games in conference play, while posting a 3-1-1 ATS record (all in the underdog role).
The Phoenix dominated the Vikings in the first meeting of the season, 77-50 in mid-January at Green Bay as 8½-point favorites. Cleveland State allowed Green Bay to shoot nearly 55% from the field, but the Phoenix heads to northern Ohio trying to snap a four-game road skid in the series.
NCAAB Game Of The Day: Georgetown at Cincinnati
By Covers.com
Georgetown Hoyas at Cincinnati Bearcats (-4)
No. 15 Georgetown puts its six-game winning streak on the line against a Cincinnati squad that has had its number in recent years. The Bearcats, who enter the game in seventh place in the Big East, have won four in a row over the Hoyas, including a 72-20 win in double overtime in the Big East championship quarterfinals. Cincinnati also won the regular season matchup, 68-64, at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The Hoyas come into the contest in a three-way tie for first place with Syracuse and Marquette and also on a roll. Georgetown has defeated three ranked teams -- Louisville, Notre Dame and Marquette -- during its win streak and has allowed 60 or more points just once since Jan. 19. The Hoyas, who still have two games remaining with Big East co-leader Syracuse, scored an impressive 63-55 victory over Marquette at home on Monday while Cincinnati comes in off a 68-50 win over Villanova on Tuesday.
ABOUT GEORGETOWN (18-4, 8-3): Sophomore forward Otto Porter is having a breakout season, leading the team in scoring (15.3), rebounds (7.9) and 3-point shooting percentage (44 percent). He scored a game-high 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had three steals in Monday's win over Marquette. Junior guard Markel Starks ranks second on the team in scoring (12.4) while making a team-best 38 3-pointers while 6-8 junior forward Nate Lubick is shooting a Big East leading 61.7 percent from the floor. But the Hoyas' strength is hard-nosed defense. Georgetown ranks eighth in the nation in scoring defense (55.7) and 11th in field goal percentage defense (37.6). The Hoyas, who scored 24 points off 19 Marquette turnovers Monday, have held their last five opponents to an average of 54 points.
ABOUT CINCINNATI (19-6, 7-5): The Bearcats have won six of the last seven meetings with Georgetown including two of three played at home. Cincinnati is led by Big East Player of the Year candidate Sean Kilpatrick, a 6-4 junior shooting guard who ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (18.2) and is second in 3-pointers made (2.68 per game) and has attracted strong attention from NBA scouts. Senior point guard Cashmere Wright is second on the team in scoring (13.4) while another guard, senior JaQuon Parker, also averages in double figures (10.9). The trio combined for 49 points in Tuesday's win over Villanova. Like Georgetown, the Bearcats get it done on the defensive end where they are holding opponents almost 13 points below their average in Big East play.
TRENDS:
* Hoyas are 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Bearcats are 1-7 ATS in their last eight home games.
* Hoyas are 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Hoyas are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.
TIP-INS:
1. The 6-8 Porter ranks third in the Big East in 3-point shooting percentage (44.3).
2. Wright needs one steal to become the school career leader. He is currently tied with David "Puffy" Kennedy who had 189 from 1977-81.
3. Cincinnati ranks 11th in the nation in rebounding margin (plus-8.0) and has out-rebounded 20 of its 25 opponents this season.
Friday Cliff Notes
By Dave Essler
G-Town at Cincinnati: Bearcats looked good against 'Nova (unfortunately) but I really wonder how much of that was Villanova's youth making them look better than they are/were. Clearly they started stroking the ball, but early on when the confidence wasn't there, they threw up bricks. Hoyas have been equally impressive, but for longer. They've got a gimme next while Cincinnati travels to UConn. Clearly though, there is no such thing as a look-ahead right now in this Conference. Hoyas have a bit of a score to settle in that they lost at home to the Bearcats and lost in OT in the Big East Tournament to them as well. Hard to imagine this one going over with two of the top ten defenses in the nation, which is exactly why I might consider it, and that would be mainly because they know each other so well. Not sure I can lay points here, but it's got to be the Bearcats almost as a fade of G'Town's youth, and the fact that they will get to the line more.
Iona at Manhattan: The suddenly surging Jaspers who have won four of their last five and have a score to settle from an earlier loss at Iona, but it was only an eight point loss, so they've got every reason to think they can win this game. Iona first of three straight road games, including a tough on at Fairfield on Monday and the their bracketbuster game at Indiana State next weekend. Given their inability to play much defense and Manhattan's new-found confidence, I clearly lean to the home team here. They'll slow it down, and the Jaspers' have the #1 ranked defense in Conference play in terms of efficiency. And yes, they can defend the perimeter reasonably well.
Columbia at Brown: I suppose Brown could be dangerous here, not having played a home game in almost a month. They are a big, slow, three point shooting team, which can cause issues if they get even luke warm, especially at the pace they'll play. Columbia is almost a mirror image in what they want to do, but the do it just a bit better. Perhaps the biggest difference is that they (Columbia) do get to the line a lot, and are a good FT shooting team, and don't turn the ball over. Always tough to lay those short numbers on the road (for me), but stat-wise there is no other option. Brown capable, they've beaten Niagra and Providence, so this would certainly not be a stretch here.
Niagra at Marist: Niagra could be getting to the point where they're now over valued. That double-ot loss at home to Loyola may have been a tipping point for this young team. Whereas Marist comes in a little warm, having upset Iona on the road and beaten Loyola at home. Marist did play a great non-conference schedule was I can assure has jaded their stats to some extent. Niagra's defense is, from an efficiency standpoint, not that far behind Marist's at all. Marist has a little more experience and a little more length. Just don't like Niagra's situation here. Two Conference road games and the home next weekend against Northwestern State just doesn't sit right with me. Lean Marist for the upset here.
Wisconsin MW at Youngstown State: Youngstown, for all their January ATS wins/betting love, really only has one good win and that was at home over Valpo. Yes, it's hard to back a team as bad as MW, especially on the road, but there is Sunday's game against Green Bay that Valpo could be thinking more about. MW hasn't won a road game, and in fact hasn't really been IN a road game since early January at Wright State. They ARE bigger and they ARE more experienced (OK, older) but can we really take them seriously here. Probably better games or a total will come out, but BECAUSE MW can hit threes once in while, I couldn't rule them out.
Wisc GB at Cleveland State: Green Bay is certainly going to be loved by bettors after beating Detroit, and Cleveland State not-so-much after getting shelled by Detroit in a rare Tuesday (make up) Horizon League game. But, this is the same Cleveland State team that actually beat Detroit at home earlier this season, so let's not be quick to dismiss a home team catching a couple of possessions. GB is in a tough scheduling spot, with three of their last four Conference games on the road, in addition to a game at Drake next weekend. Cleveland State is young and tiny, while GB is one of the biggest teams in the nation. But, they'll play this game slow enough to where I certainly don't see it being a boatrace. GB can in fact be turnover prone, and one of the things the little quick team will do to the big slow team is steal the ball. I just don't know if CS can combat the massive amount of FT's GB usually takes, and makes.