College Basketball Knowledge
Duke is 2-3 in its last five games with Miami; road team won four of last six series games. Blue Devils are 3-2 in last five visits here; they snapped 3-game skid Saturday at NC State, are 2-4 in games decided by less than 10 points. Miami is 3-0 at home in ACC, winning by 13-13-14 points; Hurricanes are 7-2 vs top 100 teams, but lost last two ACC home faves of 5 or less points are 3-5 against the spread.
Ohio State is 19-2 in its last 21 games with Penn State, winning eight of last nine here; both PSU wins came two years ago. Buckeyes lost three of last four games, but are 3-0 at home in Big 14, winning by 15-2-26 points. Lions are 1-3 on Big 14 road, losing by 6-23-17 points, with a win at Northwestern, their only win in eight top 100 games. Big 14 single digit home favorites are 10-8 vs spread.
Green Bay won its last four games with Detroit, winning 62-52/96-76 in last two played here; Phoenix lost three of its last four Horizon games, giving up 91.3 ppg- they're playing at #2 tempo in country, forcing TOs 22% of time, but they lost 111-95 to Oakland Saturday. Detroit lost its last four games, with last three losses all by 4 or less points. Horizon home favorites of 8 or less points are 4-6 vs spread.
Milwaukee won three of last four games with Oakland, winning two at home 86-64/84-67; Panthers won five of last six games, winning last two at home by 9-3 points. Oakland won three of last four games, winning last two on road. Milwaukee's eFG% defense is #226, bad news against Oakland team that shoots 38.7% on arc. Horizon home teams are 1-6 vs spread in games where spread was less than 5 points.
Iowa State won three of last four games with Kansas, beating Jayhawks in last two Big X tourneys; Kansas split last four visits here, losing LY 86-81. Cyclones won last three games (two on road); they won two of three Big X home games- all three were decided by 7 or less points. Big X favorites are 9-3 vs spread in games where spread was less than five points. Kansas lost last two road games, at West Virginia, Okla State.
VMI swept Furman LY, by 10-34 points; Keydets snapped five-game skid in last game Thursday- they're 3-11 vs D-I teams, with three wins vs non-D-I teams. VMI split two SoCom home games, losing by 4 to Wofford. Furman is 0-3 on SoCon road, losing by 1-4-3 points- its last three games overall were decided by total of eight points.. SoCon home underdogs are 7-4 against the spread.
Home side won both Davidson-Richmond games LY, in their first year as A-14 rivals; Wildcats lost 89-63 here, after winning 81-67 at home in first meeting. Davidson lost last five road games, losing three A-14 road tilts by 12-6-9 points, allowing 91 ppg. Richmond has been off for nine days since OT loss to crosstown rival VCU; Spiders lost four of last six games overall. A-14 home favorites of 6+ points are 11-7 vs spread.
Georgia Southern swept Appalachian State 83-46/77-58 LY in their first year as Sun Belt rivals. Eagles are 0-3 on Sun Belt road, losing by 14-20-3 points- two of their last four games went OT. ASU won three of last four games, beating Txas State/Georgia State in last two home tilts. Sun Belt home favorites of 5 or less points are 4-4 vs spread. ASU turns ball over 23% of time, 7th-worst in country.
Manhattan won its last 11 games with St Peter's, winning last four here; Jaspers are 7-3 in last ten games after a 1-7 start; they're 1-2 on road in MAAC, with only win at Canisius- their last seven games were decided by 8 or less points. St. Peter's is 6-2 in MAAC, winning both games at home by 4-9 points. MAAC home favorites of 6 or less points are 1-7 vs spread. Peacocks' MAAC opponents shoot just 41% inside the arc.
Armadillosports.com
NCAAB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Duke at Miami-Florida
The Hurricanes moved to 15-3 (10-6-1 ATS) on the season, 4-2 (3-2-1 ATS) in the ACC with a 77-63 home win over Wake in their last game but pushed at the betting window as -13 point home chalk. In their last game, the Blue Devils snapped a three game slide defeating N.C. State 88-78 cashing as -4.5 point road favorite. Blue Devils carry a 15-5 (9-9-1 ATS) record into the contest along with a 4-3 SU/ATS mark within the conference.
Blue Devils upended 90-74 as -15.0 point home faves in Durham last year will be looking for pay back as -2.5 point road chalk. Tempting, but keep in mind Canes home-court advantage tilts the scales. They're 10-1 at home (6-2-1 ATS) , 8-2-1 ATS last eleven vs Blue Devils, 11-5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record
Big Monday Tip Sheet
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
The final Monday in January offers-up a pair of key showdowns in both the ACC and the Big 12 for college hoops bettors as part of ESPN’s Big Monday slate. In the opener, the struggling Duke Blue Devils will try and return to form with a trip to South Florida to face the nationally ranked Miami Hurricanes in a 7 p.m. (ET) tip. The second game is a matchup between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Iowa State Cyclones in a 9 p.m. start at Hilton Coliseum.
No. 20 Duke Blue Devils at No. 15 Miami Hurricanes
Betting Point-spread: Miami -2½
Betting Matchup
The Blue Devils got a much needed victory with their 88-78 win against NC State this past Saturday as 4½-point road favorites. This followed a three-game losing streak both straight-up and against the spread that included losses to Notre Dame and Syracuse as healthy home favorites. The total went OVER the 148½-point closing line in Saturday’s win and it has now gone OVER in eight of their last 11 games.
In the win against the Wolfpack, Duke got a huge effort from sophomore guard Grayson Allen (28 points) and freshman guard Brandon Ingram (25 points) on the scoreboard and it shot a blazing 54.2 percent from the field. The Blue Devils are ranked fifth in the nation in scoring with 85.7 points per game and they are hitting 48 percent of their shots from the floor.
Miami had little trouble getting past Wake Forest this past Saturday in a 77-63 romp that ended as a PUSH. The win improved its record to 4-2 SU in conference play, but it is still a costly 2-3-1 ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in five of those six games. The Hurricanes are a profitable 6-2-1 ATS this season on their home court.
Sophomore guard Ja’Quan Newton came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points in Saturday’s win. The Hurricanes’ top scorer this season has been senior guard Sheldon McClellan with 16 PPG. He added 14 points in the winning effort but Miami, as a team, shot just 35.9 percent from the field while going 7-for-20 from three-point range. On the year, the Hurricanes are averaging 79.2 PPG with a 47.8 field goal percentage.
Betting Trends
The Blue Devils are 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 games following an ATS win, but they are just 4-13-1 ATS in their last 18 games played on Monday. The total has gone OVER in six of their last eight road games.
The Hurricanes have covered ATS in five of their last seven home games and they are 20-8-1 ATS in their last 29 games following a SU win. The total has stayed UNDER in their last four home games.
Head-to-head in this matchup, the road team is 8-1-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings and it has gone 4-2 SU in the last six games. The total has gone OVER in six of Duke’s last seven road games against Miami.
No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks at No. 19 Iowa State Cyclones
Betting Point-spread: Iowa State -1
Betting Matchup
The Jayhawks bounced-back from a bad 86-67 loss to Oklahoma State as nine-point road favorites with Saturday’s 76-67 victory against Texas. They failed to cover as 12 ½-point home favorites in that win and they are just 1-5 ATS in their last six games. The total ended as a PUSH on a 143-point line against the Longhorns after staying UNDER in three of their previous four games.
Senior forward Perry Ellis has been the team’s leading scorer all season long with 16.3 PPG and he rose to the occasion against Texas with a game-high 26 points. Kansas also got a big effort from junior guard Wayne Selden Jr. with 19 points while going 4-for-8 from three-point range. The Jayhawks are averaging 84 points a game and shooting 48.5 percent from the field; however their scoring average has dropped to just 69 points over their last five games.
Iowa State has won its last three games both SU and ATS following Saturday’s 73-60 victory against TCU as a nine-point road favorite. The Cyclones are now 4-3 (SU and ATS) in Big 12 play and the total has stayed UNDER in their last three wins. One of those victories came against Oklahoma on Jan. 18 in an 82-77 win as two-point home favorites.
Cyclones’ senior forward Georges Niang has been the leading scorer this season with 19.3 PPG. While he only had 11 points in the win against TCU, he has eclipsed this average in four of his first seven conference games. Iowa State is ranked 11th in the nation in scoring with 84.4 PPG and it is shooting an effective 50.2 percent from the field. Junior forward Jameel McKay is the team’s leading rebounder with 9.3 a game as part of the Cyclones’ 38 rebounds a game.
Betting Trends
The Jayhawks have failed to cover in their last four games against a team with a SU winning record and they are 1-2 ATS in their last three road games. The total has gone OVER in five of their last six games played on a Monday.
The Cyclones are 8-3-1 ATS in their 12 games against the Big 12, but they are just 1-4-1 ATS in their last six home games. The total has stayed UNDER in nine of their last 13 home games.
Iowa State is 3-1 both SU and ATS in the last four meetings and the total has gone OVER in seven of the last nine games between these two conference foes.
Monday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
KANSAS JAYHAWKS (16-3, 5-2) at IOWA STATE CYCLONES (15-4, 4-3 Big 12)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Iowa State -2, Total: 161.5
A huge Big 12 clash takes place on Monday night when Iowa State hosts Kansas.
The Jayhawks (9-7 ATS) enter this matchup with four straight ATS defeats and two consecutive SU road losses by double-digits. After falling 74-63 at West Virginia on Jan. 12, they were crushed 86-67 at 9-point home underdog Oklahoma State on week later. The Cyclones (9-6 ATS) have rattled off three straight wins (SU and ATS) since an overtime loss at Texas, but are just 3-3 ATS at home this season.
These conference foes have met three times in each of the past three seasons, with Kansas winning the first five matchups (4-1 ATS), and Iowa State taking three of the past four meetings (SU and ATS), including a 70-66 upset in the Big 12 Tournament Championship last season. Both teams provide plenty of reasons for bettor optimism, as the Jayhawks are 49-28 ATS versus good passing teams (16+ APG) after 15+ games since 1997, and head coach Bill Self is 15-5 ATS versus explosive offenses (84+ PPG) after 15+ games in this same timeframe. The Cyclones are 25-4 ATS as a home favorite of 3 points or less (or pick) since 1997, and are 13-5 ATS versus good teams (4+ PPG margin) after 15+ games in the past two seasons. There are no significant injuries for either team on Monday.
Kansas has a high-powered offense that generates 84.3 PPG (12th in nation) on 48.5% FG (22nd in D-I) and 43.6% threes (4th in nation). However, the offense has really slumped in the past five games with a mere 69.0 PPG on 41.8% FG. The Jayhawks are still very efficient with 16.8 APG (25th in D-I) and only 11.7 TOPG (67th in nation), which equals a stellar 1.44 Ast/TO ratio (29th in D-I).
The defense allows a pedestrian 68.4 PPG (117th in nation), but limits opponents to 39.9% FG (41st in D-I) despite a subpar 34.2% threes (170th in nation). The team's 7.6 steals per game (56th in D-I) and 14.2 forced turnovers per game (88th in nation) also help keep opponent scores low. Rebounding is also strong at +5.5 RPG (45th in D-I), but the team has produced only 11.2 offensive RPG (157th in nation).
Kansas has four main scorers it relies on with F Perry Ellis (16.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG), G Wayne Selden Jr. (14.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.8 APG), G Frank Mason III (13.2 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG) and G Devonte' Graham (10.7 PPG, 3.7 APG, 1.5 SPG). The senior Ellis is knocking down 50% FG and 47% threes this season, and has at least 10 points in 14 straight games, which includes 26 on Saturday. Ellis had 18.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG in two regular-season meetings with the Cyclones last year, but scored only seven points on 2-of-10 FG in the conference finals loss.
Selden has been scorching from long range this season in making 49% threes (8th in nation), which is way up from his 37% clip from last season. The junior is coming off a huge 19-point, 5-rebound performance in Saturday's win versus Texas, and had little trouble scoring versus Iowa State last season with 19.0 PPG on 57% FG (8-of-15 threes) in the three meetings. The junior Mason has scored in double-figures in nine straight games (13.0 PPG), but has been ice-cold over the past three contests with a 28% FG clip (10-of-36). Graham has been outstanding in running the offense with a 3.5 Assist/Turnover ratio this season (15th in nation), and contributed 14 points and six assists on Saturday.
Iowa State is also an explosive offensive squad with 84.4 PPG (11th in nation) on a blistering 50.2% FG (6th in D-I) and solid 36.6% threes (93rd in nation). This is an average foul-shooting team at 70.5% FT (139th in D-I) that rarely gets to the line with a mere 308 free-throw attempts (330th in nation). However, the team has a strong 1.48 Ast/TO ratio (23rd in D-I) because it usually makes the extra pass (16.6 APG, 29th in nation) and rarely turns the ball over (11.3 TOPG, 42nd in D-I).
Iowa State does not have a very tough defense, allowing 73.7 PPG (223rd in nation) on 42.8% FG (156th in D-I) and 35.6% threes (245th in nation), but it stays out of foul trouble with the fewest amount of personal fouls in D-I (14.7 per game). The team is strong on the defensive glass (28.7 Def. RPG, 23rd in nation), but grabs only 9.7 offensive RPG (264th in D-I).
Two upperclassmen carry this program, senior F Georges Niang (19.3 PPG, 2nd in Big 12) and junior PG Monte Morris, whose stellar 4.5 Ast/TO ratio ranks seventh in the nation. The burly 6-foot-8 Niang rarely takes a bad shot, as evidenced by his 53% FG, 40% threes and 84% FT this season. He also grabs 6.4 RPG and dishes out 3.2 APG, and has a current streak of 28 straight double-figure scoring games dating to last season. However, Niang coming off a season-low 11 points (4-of-12 FG) in Saturday's win where he committed a troubling seven turnovers. Niang averaged 19.3 PPG (7-of-15 threes) in three meetings with Kansas last season, and will be counted on to produce a similar output on Monday.
Morris has a career-high 15.2 PPG and 4.0 RPG this season, while ranking 11th in the nation in assists (6.8 APG) and 30th in steals (2.11 SPG). He has committed more than three turnovers just once in 89 career games (4 TO last season at Kansas), and recorded a double-double of 11 points and 10 assists, along with seven rebounds, in the home win over the Jayhawks last season.
Senior F/C Jameel McKay (13.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG) has five double-doubles this season and came close to adding to that total in both games last week. After tallying eight points and 13 rebounds versus then-No. 1 Oklahoma, he followed that with eight points and 10 boards in Saturday's win. He is shooting 59% from the floor this season (29th in nation) and averaged 10.0 PPG on 68% FG (13-of-19) versus the Jayhawks last season.
Junior G Matt Thomas (10.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG) is the school's best long-range shooter, as he is making 42% of his threes. Thomas has scored at least 11 points in four straight games, including 15 points on 5-of-8 FG (3-of-4 threes) in Saturday's win at TCU. Senior F Abdel Nader (12.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG) was a big reason his team upset the Sooners last week with 20 points, but struggled on Saturday with more turnovers (five) than rebounds (four) in his 30 minutes of action.