College Basketball Knowledge
Texas Tech is 6-0 in Big X play vs TCU, winning by 9-11-17 points in three visits here. Red Raiders lost last four games; they're 0-2 on road in Big X, losing by 7-13 points to Iowa St/K-State. TCU upset Texas by a point for its only league win- both sides are 1-4 in Big X. Horned Frogs are 1-7 vs top 100 teams. Tech is 6-0 vs teams outside top 100. Big X home underdogs are 5-4 vs spread.
Duke lost last two games, to Clemson/Notre Dame; they allowed 1.36 ppp to Irish, very poor defense. Blue Devils won their last three games with Syracuse by 6-19 points; home side is 3-1 in series games, Orange losing by 6-19 in two ACC visits here. Syracuse won last two games by 22-28 points after starting 0-4 in ACC; they're 2-1 since Boeheim came back from his suspension. ACC double digit home favorites are 4-3.
Valparaiso is 15-2 in its last 17 games with Youngstown, winning five in row, none by more than 15 points. Crusaders won last two visits here by 3-15 points. Valpo is 5-0 in Horizon, winning at Oakland/Detroit by 18-17 points. Youngstown State lost last two games by 20-36 points; Penguins split pair of home games, losing by 16 to Milwaukee. Horizon home underdogs are 3-7 vs spread.
Wright State won seven of its last eight games after 3-7 start; Raiders are 4-1 in Horizon, winning both home games, by 17-36 points. WSU won last three games with Detroit by 4-13-11 points. Titans allowed 89 ppg in losing last two games by 18-4 points; Detroit has #323 eFG% defense in country- this is Titans' first Horizon road games after five road tilts. Horizon single digit home favorites are 4-2 vs spread.
Cleveland State is 16-1 in its last 17 games with Ill-Chicago, winning last four by 5-8-10-20 points. Vikings are 1-5 in Horizon, beating No Ky for first win Saturday; their eFG% defense is 56.9% in league play, worst in Horizon. UIC is 0-3 as Horizon road dog, losing by 28-18-25 points; Flames are 0-14 vs D-I opponents- they do have two non-D-I wins. Horizon double digit home favorites are 7-3 vs spread.
Purdue is 4-3 in its last seven games after starting season 11-0; Boilers are 2-1 in true road games, winning at Pitt/Wisconsin, losing at Illinois. Purdue swept Rutgers LY in its first two Big 14 meetings; Boilers won 61-51 (-6) here. Rutgers is 0-5 in Big 14, with last four losses all by 22+ points. Scarlet Knights lost by 7-34 points in two conference games at home. Big 14 double digit underdogs are 7-8 vs spread, 4-0 at home.
Home side won six of last seven Ark-Little Rock-Arkansas State games; ASU lost last four visits here, by 2-7-7-13 points. Trojans are 5-1 in Sun Belt, winning road games by 9-6 points; they're 15-1 overall, with only loss at Texas Tech. Arkansas State was upset at home by Appalachian State Saturday; they're 1-2 vs top 100 teams, with best win over #99 UL-Lafayette. Sun Belt home underdogs are 7-4 vs spread.
Not often is #1 team in country an underdog. Home side won the last six Oklahoma-Iowa State games; Sooners lost last four visits here, by 11-19-6-7 points- they also knocked OU out of Big X tourney last March. Big X home favorites are 7-8 vs spread. Sooners won tough game Saturday vs Oklahoma; their only loss was in triple OT at Kansas. Iowa State is 2-3 in conference, with all three losses by 5 or less points.
Monmouth had emotional win at Iona Friday Hawks are 3-1 vs Siena in AAC play, winning by 4-6 points in two games here. Monmouth is 5-1 in MAAC, winning both home games by 15-14 points. Siena is 4-2 in MAAC, losing by 5-4 points; one of those was at Manhattan in triple OT. Saints are turning ball over 22.4% of time in conference play, not good. MAAC home favorites are 6-14 against the spread.
Armadillosports.com
NCAAB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Syracuse at Duke
Tonight in the ACC the Duke Blue Devils (14-4, 8-8-1 ATS) hitting a rough patch losing back-2-back games look to right the ship when they host Syracuse Orange (12-7, 8-10 ATS) at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Coach K's troops 11-5-1 ATS after a loss, 7-3 ATS L10 vs the conference, 8-2 as DD chalk, 3-0-1 ATS vs Orange get the job done. Keep in mind, Orange aren't a peg to hang your hat on away from the Carrier Dome going 2-6 ATS L8, 4-10-1 ATS L15 and enter 1-3-1 ATS as double digit underdogs.
Big Monday Tip Sheet
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
College hoops action continues to heat up in the dead of winter with a pair of key conference matchups on ESPN’s Big Monday slate. First in the ACC, the Syracuse Orange will head down Tobacco Road to face the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils in a 7 p.m. (ET) tip. Over in the Big 12, two nationally ranked teams square-off against one another with the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners going on the road to face the No. 17 Iowa State Cyclones in a 9 p.m. start.
Syracuse Orange at No. 9 Duke Blue Devils
Betting Point-spread: Duke -12
Betting Matchup
After stumbling out of the gate to a 0-4 start both straight-up and against the spread in ACC play, Syracuse has now won its last two conference games both SU and ATS. This past Saturday, the Orange crushed Wake Forest 83-55 as two-point road underdogs after hammering Boston College 62-40 in their previous outing as 11-point favorites at home. The total has now stayed UNDER in four of their last six games.
The win against BC was head coach Jim Boeheim’s second game back at the helm after serving a NCAA-imposed nine-game suspension and the Orange put forth a solid effort with four players scoring in double figures. Against Wake Forest, senior guard Trevor Cooney led the way with a game-high 25 points while hitting 6-of-11 shots from three-point range. Syracuse is averaging 71.1 points a game and allowing an average of 64.4 points on defense.
The Blue Devils are 14-4 SU on the year with a pedestrian 3-2 record in conference play following a stunning 95-91 loss to Notre Dame this past Saturday as 8½-point home favorites. This followed a 68-63 loss to Clemson as ½-point favorites on the road that is sure to knock them out of the AP’s Top 10 this week. The total went OVER 153 ½ points in the loss to the Fighting Irish and it has now gone OVER in eight of their last 11 games.
Duke has gotten a big effort from sophomore guard Grayson Allen this season with a team-high 20.2 points per game, but he has failed to meet that average in four of his last five games. He went 5-for-11 from the field in the loss to Notre Dame including a 2-for-6 shooting performance from three-point range. The Blue Devils remain the second-highest scoring team in the nation with 86.9 PPG, but defensively they have allowed 75 points or more in four of their last eight games.
Betting Trends
The Orange are just 7-23-2 ATS in their last 32 conference games and they have failed to cover in four of their last five road games. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of their last 10 games played on the road.
The Blue Devils are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following an ATS loss, but they have gone 4-12-1 ATS in their last 17 Monday games. The total has gone OVER in five of their last six home games.
Duke has won the last four meetings SU and it has a 3-0-1 edge ATS. The total has been evenly split at 2-2 in those four games.
No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners at No. 17 Iowa State Cyclones
Betting Point-spread: Iowa State -2½
Betting Matchup
Oklahoma could find itself holding down the top spot in Monday’s new AP Top 25 following a tight 70-68 victory against West Virginia this past Saturday given that the Mountaineers were coming off a huge upset of current No. 1 Kansas early last week. However, after failing to cover as 4½-point home favorites in that win, the Sooners are now a costly 1-6 against the spread in their last seven games. The total has stayed UNDER in their last two outings after it went OVER in their previous five games.
Senior guard Buddy Hield led the way in the win over West Virginia with team-high 17 points, but that was well below his 26 PPG scoring average that is the second-highest in the nation. It was just the second time in Oklahoma’s last 10 games that it failed to score at least 83 points and on the year the Sooners are fourth in the nation in scoring with 86.3 points a game. They are also one of the best rebounding teams in the nation with 43.6 a game.
Iowa State was able to bounce-back from losses to Baylor at home and Texas on the road as a favorite in each with a solid 76-63 victory against Kansas State this past Saturday as a slight 1½-point road favorite. It was the first time the Cyclones covered in their last four games and the total stayed UNDER the 152½-point closing line after going OVER in six of their previous seven games with a closing total line.
This is another team that knows how to light-up a scoreboard with an average of 85.2 PPG. Junior guard Monte Morris led the way in Saturday’s win with 19 points and on the year he is averaging 14.7 PPG. Senior forward Georges Niang has been Iowa State’s leading scorer all season long with 19.6 PPG and he added another 15 points in the win over the Wildcats.
Betting Trends
The Sooners have failed to cover in 11 of their last 13 conference games, but they have gone 7-2 ATS in their last nine games played on Monday. The total has stayed UNDER in nine of their last 13 road games.
The Cyclones are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five home games, but they are 21-10 ATS in their last 31 home games against a team with a SU winning record on the road. The total has gone OVER in their last four games following a SU win.
Head-to-head in this Big 12 tilt, the favorite is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in five of the last seven games. Oklahoma has failed cover in four of its last five road games against Iowa State.
Monday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
SYRACUSE ORANGE (12-7, 2-4 ACC) at DUKE BLUE DEVILS (14-4, 3-2 ACC)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Duke -11, Total: 145
Duke looks to avoid a three-game losing skid when it takes on surging Syracuse on Monday night.
The Orange (8-10 ATS) dropped their first four games of ACC play, but have responded with back-to-back blowouts of Boston College (62-40) on Wednesday and at 2-point favorite Wake Forest (83-55) on Saturday.
The Blue Devils (8-8-1 ATS) began conference action with three straight wins by 16+ points each, but have dropped two in a row since then. After falling 68-63 at 7.5-point underdog Clemson on Wednesday, they lost at home in a 95-91 shootout versus 8.5-point underdog Notre Dame on Saturday.
These schools have met four times since Syracuse joined the ACC, with Duke winning three of those contests SU, and all four ATS. Last season, the Blue Devils prevailed 80-72 in the Carrier Dome on Valentine's Day before destroying the Orange 73-54 at home two weeks later.
There are good reasons for bettors to wager on either side Monday, as Syracuse is an impressive 15-2 ATS on the road after an upset win as an underdog since 1997, and is also 9-1 ATS on the road after two straight blowout victories of 20+ points in this same timeframe.
Duke is 20-9 ATS versus good defensive teams (42% or less FG allowed) in the past two seasons, and is also 32-12 ATS at home since 1997 when the total is 145 to 149.5.
The only significant injury in this game is Duke F Amile Jefferson (foot), who remains out indefinitely.
Syracuse has been anemic offensively this season with only 71.1 PPG (225th in nation) on 42.3% FG (262nd in D-I) and 34.8% threes (158th in nation). The team makes only 67.9% FT (223rd in D-I), but doesn't hurt itself with many turnovers (11.9 per game, 85th in nation).
The defense has been pretty strong though, allowing only 64.4 PPG (33rd in D-I) on 40.0% FG (50th in nation) and 29.0% threes (12th in D-I). In the past three games, opponents have made only 11-of-62 shots (18%) from behind the arc.
The Orange are adept at generating steals through their active 2-3 zone, as their 8.8 steals per game rank 14th in the nation. Rebounding has been a big problem though with a minus-0.7 RPG margin (214th in D-I).
Syracuse has three players who provide the bulk of scoring with versatile G Michael Gbinije (17.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.4 APG, 2.5 SPG), streaky shooting G Trevor Cooney (13.9 PPG, 2.7 APG, 1.8 SPG) and swingman F/G Malachi Richardson (12.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG). Gbinije can score from anywhere on the floor with a 45% FG clip and 37% threes, but he needs to convert at a better rate than his 65% FT clip.
The senior has scored at least 10 points in every game this season, and after four straight contests of shooting below 40% from the floor (29% FG, 17-of-58), he is a sizzling 11-for-19 FG (58%) during the two-game win streak. Gbinije lit up the Blue Devils for 27 points on 10-of-14 FG (5-of-8 threes) at home last season, but scored only 12 points on a dreadful 5-of-20 FG (2-of-9 threes) in Durham.
Cooney continues to be a roller-coaster on offense with point totals of 15, 5, 12, 27, 5 and 25 points in ACC play. He drained 6-of-11 threes in that 25-point effort Saturday at Wake Forest and also added three assists, three steals and three rebounds. But Duke defended the senior very well last season, holding him to 24 points on 9-of-30 FG (30%) and 4-of-18 threes (22%) in the two meetings.
The freshman Richardson had recorded at least 15 points in four straight games before tallying only five points on 1-of-8 shooting in Saturday's win. Luckily for him, a pair of teammates picked up his scoring slack against the Demon Deacons.
Junior F Tyler Roberson (9.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG) recorded a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds (7 offensive) plus three steals, while freshman F Tyler Lydon (8.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG) came off the bench to score 11 points (3-of-4 threes) and grab four boards in just 18 minutes.
Duke is always known for its high-octane offense, and this season is no exception as the group is averaging an eye-popping 86.9 PPG (2nd in nation, trailing only The Citadel 89.7 PPG) on 48.3% FG (29th in D-I) and 39.4% threes (23rd in nation). The team is a decent foul-shooting team at 72.2% FT (77th in D-I), and really helps itself out by ranking seventh in the nation in made free throws (350) and 12th in free-throw attempts (485).
The Blue Devils are a quality rebounding team with a +3.9 RPG margin (88th in D-I), and they don't hurt themselves with turnovers either (10.2 TOPG, 14th in nation). This offense needs to be super efficient, because its defense is not strong with 70.7 PPG allowed (164th in D-I) on 43.3% FG (191st in nation) and 35.0% threes (227th in D-I).
Four different players average at least a dozen points per game for Duke, led by G Grayson Allen (20.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.1 SPG) and F Brandon Ingram (16.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 1.7 BPG). The sophomore Allen has scored at least 16 points in seven straight games, where he has averaged 20.3 PPG on 55% FG while getting to the line 48 times (81% FT, 39-of-48).
The 6-foot-9 Ingram has not yet hit that freshman wall, recording 11 straight games of 14+ points, where he's averaged a whopping 20.6 PPG. Ingram dropped 25 points on 7-of-14 FG (4-of-7 threes) with three blocks in Saturday's loss. The other two healthy double-digit scorers on this team are G Matt Jones (13.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.2 SPG) and freshman F/G Luke Kennard (12.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG). While Jones prefers to try his luck from long range (42% threes),
Kennard loves driving to hole and getting to the foul line where he is almost automatic at 92% FT (61-of-66). Jones totaled 17 points (5-of-9 threes) in the series sweep of Syracuse last season, and Kennard is coming off a career-high 30 points (10-of-15 FG, 4-of-6 threes, 6-of-7 FT) and eight rebounds in Saturday's loss to the Fighting Irish.
Steve's Screenshot
By Steve Merril
Syracuse at Duke (-11, 144.5)
Syracuse was in an excellent spot for their home game against North Carolina two Saturday nights ago. The Orange were catching the Tar Heels off a 109-point performance, and Syracuse was getting head coach Jim Boeheim back from his 9-game suspension. That wasn’t enough as the Orange were still non-competitive.
Duke enters tonight off back-to-back SU losses versus Clemson and Notre Dame, so the Blue Devils should be in a focused spot. They are 3-1 SU (3-0-1 ATS) against Syracuse the past two seasons and Duke is a strong three-point shooting team which is always important when facing Boeheim's zone defense. Duke is averaging 39.4% from three-point range this season (versus opponents that allow just 35.0%).