College Knowledge
-- Drexel (-7) won 55-52 at Hofstra Jan 23, game they trailed 44-36 with 8:42 left to play, Dragons' 4th straight series win. Hofstra lost three of last four visits here, losing by 18-13-11 points. CAA double digit home favorites are 3-4 vs spread. Drexel is disappointing 6-7 in CAA, losing three of last four home games, but four of their six CAA wins are by 11+ points. Hofstra is 3-3-1 as CAA road dog, with five losses by 11+.
-- Notre Dame won last four games vs Pitt, allowing 52 ppg; Irish lost four of last five visits here, losing by 3-2-3-13 points. Three of ND's last five games went to OT; they lost last two road games by 16-17 points. Pitt is 4-3 SU at home in Big East, 2-4 as home favorite, winning home games by 8-38-10-10 points. Four of Panthers' last five games stayed under total. Big East double digit home favorites are 6-10 vs spread.
-- Georgia State is 8-3 in last 11 games, beating Wm&Mary 74-58 (-5) Jan 16, Panthers' third straight series win, by 32-4-16 points. Dogs are 6-1 vs spread in State's CAA road games; Panthers are 4-3 SU on road in CAA after hammering George Mason Saturday. Tribe is 4-3 in its last seven games after starting 1-6 in conference games. CAA home teams are 12-17 when the pointspread is 4 or less points.
-- Villanova won five of last six games vs Rutgers, winning last three at home, by 23-10-16 points; Wildcats won three of its last four games, are 4-2 SU at home in Big East, 2-1 as home faves, winning home games by 12-9-4-28 points. Rutgers lost seven of last eight games; they're 3-3 as a Big East road dog, losing away games by 25-3-12-8-6 points. Big East single digit home favorites are 16-29 against the spread.
-- Kansas State shot 59% inside arc, nipped West Virginia 65-64 (-1) Jan 12 in Morgantown; WV was just 12-22 on foul line. Favorites covered last four WV road games; Mountaineers are 3-3 on Big X road, losing on road by 2-14-20 points. K-State is 4-0 as Big X home favorite, winning in Little Apple by 9-26-9-20 points, losing only to Kansas. Big X home favorites of 10+ points are 10-4 against the spread.
-- Iona lost four of last five games, with three OT losses and fourth loss by 3 points; Gaels (-5.5) beat Fairfield 84-73 Jan 18, making 21-31 free throws (Stags were 9-13). Gaels won four of last five series games; they lost five of last six visits here, losing by 3-9-2-17-4 points. Stags are 4-1 vs spread in last five games as a home favorite. MAAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 8-14 against the spread.
-- Eastern Washington (-2.5) shot 56% inside arc, beat Portland State by 11 at home Jan 28, just second EW win in last ten series games- they've lost last six visits here, by 19-22-2-23-16-5 points. Nine of last 11 PSU games went over total. Eastern snapped its 8-game losing skid Saturday; they're 0-8 on Big Sky road. Big Sky home favorites of 6 or less points are 22-11 vs spread. Vikings are 3-2 vs spread as Big Sky favorite.
Armadillosports.com
Monday Cliff Notes
By Dave Essler
Bucknell at Lehigh: Few people (well, JRO does) realize what a rivalry this is, outside of the area. Had my daughter not gone to Bucknell, I probably wouldn't either. I was only magnified two years ago in the Conference Championship when Bucknell won on a bit of a dicey home non-call. Lehigh guard and likely NBA first round broke his foot earlier in the year and may not risk further injury and return. So, this IS their GOY and then won at Bucknell earlier this season by by holding Bucknell to only 2-14 from behind the arc, while shooting 10-18 from deep themselves. They were horrid from inside, which is not entirely surprising since the Bison's interior defense is one of the best in the nation, as well as the most experienced. Lehigh is, even without McCollum, one of the most efficient and best shooting teams in the nation, Their only real weakness is rebounding, but Bucknell simply won't want to run with them. I look for more of the same here as Muscala and Wilman (for Bucknell) should have their way inside, while Lehigh will hit their shots. The wild card in this game is probably Lehigh's Gabe Knutson. If he can stay out of foul trouble and hit a few outside shots, they win, of not, the Bison do. It's almost that simple. I look for this game to go over, if not sooner then later. If Lehigh gets ahread they won't worry about running it up, and if not then there will be free throws to the bitter end.
Iona at Fairfield: Big game in terms of Conference seeding as both teams want to get into the top four. Right now, Iona has a one game lead over Fairfield, who have one six of seven but have not played a decent team in a month. The Gaels looked pretty bad in that double OT game at Manhattan, and I really wonder if they didn't peak a bit too early. Clearly that took a ton of energy, both physical and mental, from them. And, they've got a BB game against Indiana State, Saturday, on the road. They did beat Fairfield earlier this season at home. I still have to lean to the Stags here. I think they'll slow this game down (who doesn't against Iona when they can) and I simply cannot trust Iona's offense to make up for their total lack of defense on the road. Add to that that the Stags defense is number one in the MAAC in terms of efficiency and they lead the MAAC in steals as well as offensive rebounding. With that in mind, and should there be a total, I lean under.
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh: Two teams that irked me, or should I say I irked myself with on Saturday. I had said I thought that the Panthers were the most over rated team in the Top 25 and should have been all over Marquette, and I had said that the Friars were favored for a reason, and failed to play either of them. Both teams probably played themselves out of a top four, hence bye, in the Big East Conference Tournament, so perhaps the focus has changed. Interesting thing here is that Notre Dame has played the worst Big East SOS while the Panthers have played the best SOS. That in and of itself might make me lean Pittsburgh, but at home they're tough, losing only to Cincinnati way back when we thought Cincinnati was good. I really think the Irish are falling victim to not only that weak Big Easy schedule, but one of the worst non-conference schedules in the nation. Clearly Pitt will be laying a lot of points, especially with people figuring that they'll bounce back from that Marquette game. They might, but with both teams being extremely methodical and a low scoring game expected, it may behoove us to consider taking the points. Pitt's NOT going to pile up three pointers, and they are not a great free throw shooting team. Notre Dame can match their size, and in a slower paced game the lack of a bench may not hurt Notre Dame as much as it might against a quicker team. Not to mention that these schools really don't like each other. However, the Irish beat them badly in South Bend last year, so we've got that to consider as well. Panthers SHOULD be seriously motivated here because they SHOULD win their remaining games, and if that put them at 25-6 for the season and 13-5 in the Big East, with no real bad losses, then they may get a decent seed in spite of how the Tournament goes.
Rutgers at Villanova: Villanova off a huge win at Uconn (one we did get right) but that was predictable after Uconn's big game against Syracuse. I suppose that would make people want to hop on the Wildcats train here, and I can understand that. But, even though Rutgers has an awful W/L record, they've played the middle of the pack Big East teams reasonable tough, so this may be an inflated number. Rutgers has been known to play some defense and both teams have been known to turn it over, which gives me an immediate lean to the under in this one. What might scare me off Rutgers is that fact that 'Nova is a great rebounding team and should control both ends of the glass. With them coming off that huge win in Storrs and not really facing a team that might motivate them, I really could make the case for the dog here. It'd probably have to be Rutgers, given that they've got the third best three point % in the Big East, while Villanova's weakness, if there is one on defense, is defending the perimeter. This looks like a sloppy game to me, and that total does like enticing. I see it probably around 132 or so. We'll see what happens.
West Virginia at K-State: The Wildcats were another team I said in Saturday's thread we liked but neglected to play. Hopefully it steered someone in the right direction. Having said that and convincing win over Baylor, this will be a big number, especially given that WVU barely squeaked by Texas Tech at home, and the fact that K-State already beat them in Morgantown. Both teams shot well over 50% from the floor in that game, and if K-State hadn't committed ten more fouls, hence sending WVU to the line a lot, they may have won that going away. However, if WVU hadn't shot 55% from the charity stripe, then THEY might have won. K-State is tied for the Conference lead, so there's really no reason they shouldn't me motivated. This one comes down to turnovers. WVU leads the conference in creating them, and K-State's offense leads the Conference in not turning it over. So, if the Wildcats are not 100% focused, WVU will be. And if they can NOT turn it over against a team that does create them, they can stay within range provided they continue to hit three's.
Big Monday Tips
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh (20-6 straight up, 9-10 against the spread) is in a fifth-place tie with Notre Dame in the Big East standings, as both teams have 8-5 records in league play. The Panthers had won three in a row and seven of their last eight until Saturday’s 79-69 loss at Marquette as two-point road favorites. In the losing effort, Lamar Patterson scored a team-high 19 points.
Jamie Dixon’s team has won 13 of its 15 home games but has struggled to a 3-6 record versus the number. Pitt has posted a 1-1 spread record in a pair of home games as a single-digit favorite.
Pitt is led by senior point guard Tray Woodall, who averages team-highs in scoring (10.9 points per game), assists (5.5 APG) and steals (1.4 SPG). The Brooklyn native, who attended St. Anthony’s High School that has produced college players galore like Eddie Rivera (UTEP, early ‘90s!), has scored in double figures in five straight games.
Notre Dame (20-6 SU, 11-12 ATS) has won five of its last seven games, but should gamblers be concerned that fatigue is becoming an issue for this squad, especially considering the quick turnaround in this spot? Mike Brey’s team needed overtime, including five extra sessions two Saturdays ago in a win over Louisville, in three of its previous four games before getting thumped 71-54 Saturday at Providence.
Jack Cooley had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to the Friars even though foul trouble limited him to 26 minutes of playing time. Cooley is a candidate for Big East Player of the Year, averaging 14.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per contest.
Notre Dame has been a road underdog three times, going 1-2 both SU and ATS with an outright scalp at Cincinnati.
Notre Dame has won four consecutive head-to-head meetings over Pitt both SU and ATS. The ‘under’ has connected in each of those four contests. Going back further, the Irish own a 6-1 spread record in the last seven encounters with the Panthers.
The ‘over’ is 10-5 overall for Pitt, 4-2 in its six home games with a total. However, the ‘under’ has cashed in four of the Panthers’ last five games.
Totals have been an overall wash (10-10) for the Irish, but the ‘under’ is 4-2 in its six true road assignments.
BetOnline.com opened Pitt as a 10.5-point favorite.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
West Virginia at Kansas State
Kansas St. (20-5 SU, 10-10-1 ATS) goes into Monday’s action in a three-way tie with Oklahoma St. and Kansas for first place in the Big 12 standings. The Wildcats bounced back from last Monday’s blowout loss at KU by trouncing Baylor 81-61 Saturday as 4.5-point home ‘chalk.’ Angel Rodriguez enjoyed a tremendous performance, producing 22 points, 10 assists and three steals compared to only two turnovers. Shane Southwell added 18 points for the winners.
Bruce Weber’s team has won 12 of its 13 home games while compiling an outstanding 7-3 spread record.
Rodney McGruder averages a team-high 15.0 points per game for K-St. McGruder, who also averages 5.3 RPG, has scored 20 points or more seven times this season.
BetOnline.com opened K-St. as a 10.5-point ‘chalk.’
West Virginia (13-12 SU, 8-13-2 ATS) has won four of its last five games to get over .500. However, the Mountaineers have been going against the bottom feeders in the Big 12. They won a 66-64 decision Saturday over Texas Tech but failed to cover the number as 13.5-point home favorites.
In the win over the Red Raiders, senior power forward Deniz Kilicli scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. The ‘Istan-Bull’ also pulled down eight rebounds. Eron Harris added 15 points.
West Va. has been a road underdog six times this season, limping to a 2-4 spread record.
K-St. is 19th in the RPI Rankings, going 5-5 against the RPI Top 50 and 7-5 against the RPI Top 100. WVU is 94th in the RPI, going winless in eight games against RPI Top 500 opponents.
When these teams met in Morgantown on Jan. 12, K-St. escaped with a 65-64 win as a one-point road favorite. Southwell buried a pair of free throws with 21 seconds remaining and then blocked a shot before the buzzer to help the Wildcats prevail. Southwell and McGrduer scored 17 points apiece. Jabarie Hinds has a team-high 15 points for WVU.
The ‘over’ is 9-7 overall for the Wildcats, 4-1 in their five home games with a total.
WVU has watched the ‘under’ go 13-10, 5-4 in their nine true road games with a total.
ESPN will have the telecast from Manhattan at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets
Bo Ryan is doing another stellar coaching job this year. His Wisconsin squad drilled Ohio St. by a 71-49 count Sunday as a 3.5-point favorite.
How sketchy was the end of overtime for Georgia backers like me Saturday night at Ole Miss? The Bulldogs, who are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games, led the Rebels for most of the game as 11-point underdogs. But the game went to overtime when UGA couldn’t get a call when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was fouled on an alley-oop pass at the end of regulation. Andy Kennedy’s team took a 10-point lead in the final minute of OT and got the ball back with a chance for the miracle cover. Thankfully for UGA supporters, the Rebels pulled it out and ran out the clock in the 10-point victory.
Tennessee smashed Kentucky by 30 in Knoxville on Saturday. It was the worst loss for John Calipari since his first year as a head coach in 1989. I’m guessing that was the worst UK loss since Vandy destroyed it by 40-plus during Billy Clyde’s disastrous tenure in Lexington.
Villanova can’t afford a loss Monday night at home against Rutgers. The Wildcats opened as 10-point favorites per BetOnline. Tip-off is slated for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU.
Notre Dame at Pitt: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Pittsburgh Panthers (-10.5, 125)
Barring a major collapse, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh can expect to be two of the 68 teams to have their names announced during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on March 17. Monday's meeting in Pittsburgh, though, could prove crucial as the winner would likely have the inside track to a better seed. But first, the Fighting Irish and Panthers are tied for fifth at 8-5 in the congested and competitive Big East, where a top-10 finish earns a first-round conference tournament bye and winding up in the top four comes with a double bye.
Both teams lost Saturday, with weary Notre Dame losing 71-54 at Providence and Pittsburgh falling at Marquette 79-69. The Fighting Irish have played three overtime games in their last five contests, including their epic five-OT victory over Louisville on Feb. 9, so Monday's quick turnaround - their third game in six days - is sure to test their fitness. The Panthers, who have won four straight Big East games at home, prevailed 62-52 at Cincinnati on Feb. 9 in their previous game prior to Saturday.
ABOUT NOTRE DAME (20-6, 8-5 Big East): Coach Mike Bray summed up Saturday's loss in which his team trailed by as many as 24 points: “That was the varsity versus the JV a little bit today.” Notre Dame lost its previous road game 63-47 at Syracuse on Feb. 4 after winning two straight away from home against DePaul and South Florida, who are a combined 3-22 in Big East games. Conference player of the year candidate Jack Cooley, a 6-9 senior forward, leads the team in scoring (14.6) and rebounding (11.2), and has recorded six consecutive double-doubles. Notre Dame, which has won four straight over Pittsburgh, has also received strong guard play from Jerian Grant (13 points, 5.8 assists) and Eric Atkins (11.7, 5.9).
ABOUT PITTSBURGH (20-6, 8-5): The Panthers can be excused somewhat for Saturday's loss, as Marquette has won 23 straight at home, and Pittsburgh certainly understands what it's like to dominate at home. The Panthers are 178-21 at their Petersen Events Center since it opened in 2002, including 10-2 this season. Pittsburgh averages 71 points, but hasn't scored more than 69 in its last five games. On Monday, the Panthers wrap up a stretch where they will have played five ranked opponents in their last six contests. Pittsburgh, though, sports the No. 1 scoring defense in the Big East at 55.4 points. Guard Tray Woodall (10.9 points), and forwards Lamar Patterson (10.5) and Talib Zanna (10.3) lead a balanced scoring attack.
TRENDS:
* Fighting Irish are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Panthers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a S.U. loss.
* Underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
TIP-INS:
1. Ten of the 15 teams in the Big East are 7-6 or better in conference games.
2. Notre Dame is second in the country in assists at 17.9 per game, while Pittsburgh is tied for seventh at 17, led by Woodall's 5.5.
3. Pittsburgh and Notre Dame are 1-2 in the Big East in field goal percentage at 48.02 to 47.96.
College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
Regular-season conference title hopes took a turn for the worst for both Pittsburgh and Notre Dame on Saturday. The Panthers upset 79-69 at Marquette fell to 20-6 (9-10 ATS) on the campaign, 8-5 (6-7 ATS) in the conference. Fighting Irish dealt a 71-54 blow at Providence head into Monday night's clash 20-6 (11-12 ATS), 8-5 (5-8 ATS) in the conference. Pittsburgh which doesn't score a ton of points (71.0 PPG) but having one of the best scoring defenses when up against Big East opponents (59.6 PPG) have been pegged 10 point favorite. Home teams have done well in the Big East posting a 55-39 SU mark but have not done well against-the-oddsmaker posting a 38-56 record at the betting window. Put's Pittsburgh in dangerous betting territory as Panthers are just 2-4 ATS hosting a conference foe this season, 1-6 ATS last seven meetings vs. Irish including 1-3 ATS on home court.
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
No. 21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 16 Pittsburgh Panthers
The Fighting Irish are sure to tumble in the new rankings after a stunning 71-54 loss to Providence as two-point road underdogs this past Saturday. They are now 20-6 straight up on the year but just 11-12 against the spread after going just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games. The total has gone OVER in three of their last five games. Notre Dame is shooting 48 percent from the field behind Jack Cooley, who is scoring a team-high 14.6 points while hitting an incredible 58.4 percent of his shots from the floor.
Pittsburgh’s recent move back up the rankings hit a snag last Saturday with a 79-69 loss to Marquette as a 2½-point road favorite. The loss dropped the Panthers to 8-5 in Big East play and to 20-6 SU overall. They have failed to cover in two of their last three games to fall to 9-10 ATS. The total went OVER the 125-point line against the Golden Eagles after staying UNDER in their previous four games. This is another team that can light it up from the field; shooting 48 percent while scoring an average of 71 points a game.