College Knowledge
-- Drexel won four of last five games vs Delaware, winning last four here by 10-8-13-16 points; Dragons won last three games, allowing 52.3 ppg, after 5-11 start, but they've lost two of three CAA home games. CAA home favorites of 6 or less points are 8-9 vs spread. Delaware lost three games in row, by 3-4-14 points; they're 2-1 on CAA road, with favorites covering all three games. Blue Hens make just 28.6% behind arc.
-- James Madison won four of last six games vs NC-Wilmington; their win here LY was just their second in last seven visits here. Favorites are 7-1 vs spread in JMU's CAA games; Dukes are 1-3 as road underdogs, losing by 16-11-26 points. Seahawks won three of last four games; they won last two home games by 8-5 points. CAA home underdogs of 3 or less points are 0-5 vs spread.
-- Louisville lost its last three games, scoring 61 ppg, after its 16-1 start; Cardinals are 1-1-1 as Big East home favorite, winning by 18-26 points, losing to Syracuse. Pitt won its last four games, allowing 55.8 ppg; they grab 42% of their own missed shots (#4 in country). Panthers lost last three visits to Louisville, by 6-3-3 points. Big East home favorites of 7 or less points are 1-15 vs spread.
-- Kansas is 6-0 in Big X play, covering three of last four games, taking road wins by 14-5-4 points (1-2 as road favorite). West Virginia is 2-5 in last seven games, 1-2 at home in its first Big X season, losing home tilts by 1-10 points. WVU cannot shoot (29.2% from arc, 43.8% inside arc); their 43.8 eFG% is 312th in country; they're 0-8 vs teams in top 75. Big X home underdogs are 2-4 vs spread.
-- Marquette is 5-1 in Big East, with four wins by 7 or less points; they are 2-2 as home favorites, winning by 6-1-7-10 points. Eagles are 7-1 in last eight games vs USF, winning last three by 11-1-20 points. Bulls lost last four visits here, by 2-8-11-20. Big East home favorites of 9+ points are 4-7 vs spread. USF is 1-2 as a Big East road dog, losing away games by 26-3-8 points.
-- Portland State won eight of its last nine games vs Eastern Washington, winning three of last four visits here. Eagles lost last four games overall, with last three all by 14+ points- they're 1-2 as home favorites, winning at home by 3-23 points (2-2). Vikings are 0-5 on Big Sky road, 1-4 as road underdogs, losing by 3-7-17-9-13 points. Big Sky home favorites of 7 or less points are 15-6 against the spread.
Armadillosports.com
Big Monday Tips
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
Gamblers have only seven board games to choose from in college basketball on Monday night. Let’s take a look at both of ESPN’s Big Monday contests before touching on a few developments from over the weekend.
Pittsburgh at Louisville
SportsBetting.com opened Louisville (16-4 straight up, 10-10 against the spread) as a 6½-point home favorite.
Rick Pitino’s team has lost three straight games both SU and ATS. In the process, the Cardinals have gone from No. 1 in the nation to a five-way tie for fifth place in the Big East.
U of L’s losing streak started two Saturdays ago with a 70-68 home loss to Syracuse as a seven-point favorite. Then on Tuesday, Villanova won a 73-64 decision over Louisville as an 11½-point home underdog. Another road defeat came on Saturday when the Cards lost 53-51 at Georgetown as 5½-point road ‘chalk.’
Louisville has won nine of its 10 home games, compiling a 4-6 spread record. The Cardinals have been single-digit home favorite twice, failing to cover both times vs. the ‘Cuse and in an 80-77 win over Kentucky.
U of L is led by junior guard Russ Smith, who averages 18.4 points per game. The Brooklyn native from Archbishop Malloy High School has scored 20 points or more nine times, including a season-high 31-point effort. However, we should note that Smith was held to 12 points in Saturday’s loss to the Hoyas and had just eight points against ‘Nova. Also, he has more turnovers (59) than assists (56). Smith has only eight assists in the last five games.
Since losing three of its first four Big East games, Pittsburgh (17-4 SU, 6-8 ATS) has won four in a row, including Saturday’s 93-55 shellacking of DePaul as a 16-point home favorite. Trey Zeigler, the transfer from Central Michigan, scored a game-high 18 points in only 18 minutes of playing time off the bench. Lamar Patterson added 15 points and seven rebounds.
Jamie Dixon’s team has been an underdog twice this year, winning 73-45 at Georgetown and losing 72-67 vs. Michigan as a three-point ‘dog at MSG in NYC on Nov. 21.
Pitt is one of the nation’s most balanced teams with outstanding depth. Dixon plays 10 guys who each average at least 4.5 PPG and play at least 12 minutes per contest. Talib Zanna leads the Panthers in scoring with an 11.5 PPG average. Zanna makes 55.9 percent of his shots from the field. Tray Woodall, another Brooklyn product, is Pitt’s senior leader at point guard. Woodall averages 10.5 PPG and dishes out a team-high 5.8 assists per contest.
Louisville (#13 RPI) has a 3-3 record against RPI Top 50 teams and has won seven of 11 games against RIP Top 100 foes.
Pitt (#47 RPI) owns a 2-3 record against RIP Top 50 opponents and is 5-4 against RPI Top 100 foes.
With the opening line at 6.5, we should note that the Panthers have lost by seven points or more just twice (74-67 vs. Marquette and 70-61 vs. Cincinnati). Their best wins came at Georgetown and vs. UConn.
The ‘over’ is hitting at a 9-1 overall clip for Pitt, going 3-1 in its four true road games.
The ‘over’ is 8-6 overall for Louisville, 3-1 in its home games with a total.
ESPN will have the telecast at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Kansas at West Virginia
Most books opened Kansas (18-1 SU, 9-9 ATS) as a nine-point road ‘chalk’ with a total of 130.
Bill Self’s team is atop the Big 12 standings as usual with a 6-0 record. KU leads Baylor by one game. Since losing 67-64 to Michigan St. at the Ga. Dome in Atlanta on Nov. 13, the Jayhawks have won 17 in a row, including Saturday’s 67-54 win over Oklahoma as 12 ½-point home favorites.
Ben McLemore, the redshirt freshman from St. Louis, scored a team-high 18 points. McLemore hit 3-of-5 shots from beyond the arc and knocked down all five of his free-throw attempts. Senior center Jeff Withey added 13 points, nine boards and four blocked shots.
McLemore has emerged as KU go-to scorer, averaging a team-high 16.2 PPG. For a guard, he shoots with incredible efficiency. McLemore is making 51-percent of his shots from the field, 46 percent from 3-point land and 88 percent from the charity stripe. Withey, a first-team All-American candidate, is averaging 13.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Although it is way early to be talking about earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Kansas is well on its way thanks to a plethora of quality wins. The Jayhawks have won seven of eight games against teams with an RPI of 39 or better. They are 10-1 against teams with an RPI of 69 or better. Their best wins came vs. Belmont, vs. Colorado, at Kansas St. and at Ohio St.
West Va. (9-10 SU, 5-10-2 ATS) has only been a home underdog once this season, losing a 65-64 decision to Kansas St. as a one-point puppy.
Bob Huggins’s squad has lost four of its last five games, including Saturday’s 80-66 loss at Oklahoma St. as a 9½-point underdog. Eron Harris, a freshman guard from Indianapolis, scored a team-high 17 points in the losing effort. Harris buried 5-of-8 shots from 3-point land. Junior center Aaric Murray, a transfer from LaSalle, had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
WVU has won six of its eight home games but has limped to a 1-4-1 spread record in Morgantown.
How challenged is WVU offensively? Nobody on the team is averaging in double figures.
The ‘under’ is 9-8 overall for WVU, but the ‘over’ is 4-2 in its six home games with a total. Also, the ‘over’ has hit in three straight games for the Mountaineers.
The ‘under’ is 8-7 overall for KU, 3-1 in its four true road games. The Jayhawks have seen the ‘under’ cash in five consecutive games.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
Monday's Top 25 NCB Betting Notes
By Covers.com
There only a pair of Top-25 college basketball matchups on Monday. Check out our betting news and notes for those contests.
Pittsburgh at (5) Louisville (-6)
Two Mondays ago, Louisville was anointed the nation’s top-ranked team for only the second time in school history. Now the No. 5 Cardinals are soaring down the rankings with a three-game losing skid entering Monday’s home contest against Pittsburgh. Losses to Syracuse, Villanova and Georgetown have created a sense of unexpected urgency as Louisville went from best team in the nation to being tied for fifth place in the Big East. The Panthers have won four consecutive contests. Pittsburgh routed DePaul 93-55 on Saturday and leads the Big East in scoring defense at 54.5 per game. The Panthers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a win.
(2) Kansas at West Virginia (+9)
This is the third time in the last four seasons the Jayhawks have started 18-1 or better and the fifth time in 10 seasons under head coach Bill Self. Kansas isn't exactly sliding by in those wins either, averaging 74.6 points per game while allowing 58.8 for a Big 12-leading 15.8 scoring margin. The Mountaineers are 6-2 at home this season but have dropped two of their last three to Kansas State and Oklahoma. Ten different WVU players average 12-plus minutes per game and all 10 have started at least two games. West Virginia is outrebounding opponents 38.1 to 35.2 and also averages 7.4 steals per game. The Mountaineers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven home games.
CBB: Streaks, Trends, Notes
Sportspic.com
Pittsburgh at Louisville
It was not a good week for Louisville as Cardinals lost three in a row for the first time in nearly three years. Louisville has fallen to Syracuse, Villanova and Georgetown moving to 16-4 (10-10 ATS) on the campaign 4-3 (3-4 ATS) within the conference. It isn't going to get any easier for Louisville when Pittsburgh (17-4, 6-8 ATS) pays a visit to the KFC Yum! Center. The Panthers are brimming with confidence having won four straight Big East games allowing just 55.8 PPG while holding conference rivals to 37.4% shooting. Cardinals have a huge home-court advantage as they're 9-1 at home but Pitino's deflated troops struggling with their shots hitting just 38.6% of their attempts facing Panthers lock-down defense are in dangerous betting territory. The Cardinals enter this conference tilt on a 1-7 ATS skid scoring =< 65 points/game, 0-3 ATS slide after running the hardwood with Hoyas. With Cardinals cashing just 4 of 10 tickets at home this season, Panthers ridding a profitable 13-5 stretch as underdogs of six or less consider sticking with Pittsburgh on Monday night.
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Kansas continued its climb to the top of the rankings with a 67-54 pasting of Oklahoma this past Saturday as a 12½-point home favorites. It is now 18-1 straight-up on the year and a perfect 11-0 SU at home. The Jayhawks have gone 9-9 against the spread and the total has stayed UNDER in six of their last seven games. They are averaging 74.6 points a game while shooting a rock-solid 48 percent from the field. Ben McLemore leads the team with 16.2 points a game and Jeff Withey is pulling down a team-high 8.4 rebounds while chipping-in another 13 points a game.
The Mountaineers fell to 9-10 SU on the year and 5-10-2 ATS with an 80-66 loss to Oklahoma State as 9 ½-point underdogs on the road in their last outing. It was their fifth SU loss in their last seven games and they are now 2-4 in conference play in their first season in the Big 12. West Virginia is averaging 67.2 points a game and ranked near the bottom of Division I with a dismal shooting percentage of 39.5 percent. Their top two scorers are both averaging less than 10 points a game.
College Basketball Game of the Day: Pittsburgh at Louisville
Atssportsline.com
Pittsburgh (17-4 SU, 6-8 ATS) has quietly had a strong season, going 5-3 in the league after starting out slow. They average 73ppg and shoot 49% from the floor. Pittsburgh is coming over four straight wins including an easy victory over Depaul on Saturday, 93-55, giving 16. Louisville (16-4 SU, 10-10 ATS) has lost three straight, including a 53-51 loss at Georgetown on Saturday, giving 5.5. They are shooting just 32.6% from beyond the arc. Pittsburgh visits KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. to take on the Cardinals at 7pmET.
Last game: (2/26/12). LOUISVILLE (-8) over Pittsburgh, 57-54
Latest Odds: Louisville is a 6.5-point favorite. Total: 123.5.
Key Betting Trends:
Pittsburgh is:
4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game.
20-8-2 ATS in their last 30 Monday games.
4-9 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win.
1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win.
2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.
Louisville is:
15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 Monday games.
1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a S.U. loss.
Key Injuries:
Pittsburgh:
none.
Louisville:
G Mike Marra (knee) is out for the year.
Preview:
From No. 1 in the country to the verge of its longest losing streak in nearly nine years, Louisville has coach Rick Pitino declaring Monday night's home contest with Pittsburgh a must-win.
The Cardinals (16-4, 4-3 Big East) beat Connecticut 73-58 in their first game as the nation's top-ranked team Jan. 14 before falling 70-68 at home to then-No. 6 Syracuse on Jan. 19.
They proceeded to fall at Villanova 73-64 on Tuesday prior to Saturday's 53-51 loss at Georgetown.
Louisville hasn't lost four straight since Feb. 12-25, 2004, and it hasn't lost four straight Big East games since joining the conference in 2005-06.
Pitino already made a change to his lineup Saturday, starting Luke Hancock in place of leading scorer Russ Smith.
Smith, averaging 18.4 points, came off the bench for only the third time this season and scored 12 points on a season low-tying nine shots. He scored a season worst-tying eight points and shot 2 for 13 against Villanova and is hitting 33.3 percent from the field over his last six.
Hancock scored 12 points in his first start since Nov. 15 and Pitino plans to start him again versus Pittsburgh, which has won four straight and is coming off a 93-55 rout of DePaul on Saturday.
No one played more than 24 minutes as the Panthers (17-4, 5-3) set a season high for points.
Pittsburgh ranks among the nation's leaders with only 10.4 turnovers per game even after finishing with a season-worst 18 on Saturday. Louisville leads the conference and ranks among the best in the country by forcing an average of 19.5.
The Panthers use a balanced scoring attack, with no one averaging more than forward Talib Zanna's 11.5 points. Trey Zeigler scored a season-high 18 off the bench Saturday.
Louisville has won three straight in this series since Peyton Siva became a starter, but the senior point guard may need to play better for that streak to continue. He went scoreless and took only two shots Saturday - the second game during the Cardinals' slide in which he's scored three points or fewer.
Smith scored a game-high 18 points in Louisville's 57-54 home win over Pittsburgh in the most recent meeting Feb. 26.
College Basketball Point Spreads and Picks
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
What’s wrong with Louisville?
That’s the pressing question on Monday’s short college basketball card. The Cardinals have dropped three straight (0-3 ATS), their longest skid since January 2010, and senior point guard Peyton Siva was held scoreless Saturday for the first time since his freshman year. Coach Rick Pitino calls Monday’s visit from Pittsburgh “a must game.” Louisville hasn’t lost four straight Big East games since joining the conference seven years ago.
Leading scorer Russ Smith, shooting 33.3 percent over his last six games, will come off the bench for the second straight game and fourth time this season. Smith has been taking bad shots, Siva has been committing silly fouls, and the Cardinals have been missing free throws late. They clanked six of 10 in the second half on Saturday’s 53-51 loss at Georgetown.
Pittsburgh has a better scoring differential than Louisville and commits just 10.4 turnovers per game. That ball security should come in handy against the Cardinals’ full-court press. The Panthers have won four straight (2-2 ATS) and are coming off a 93-55 rout of DePaul in which they shot 49.3 percent and had 23 assists.
The lines below are from the LVH SuperBook as of about 8:00 a.m. PT.
Pittsburgh (17-4 SU, 6-8 ATS) at Louisville (16-4 SU, 10-10 ATS), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Line: Louisville -6, Total: 123
The Linemakers' take: Pitt has won four straight, while Louisville has dropped three in a row after becoming No. 1 in the country, losing to Syracuse, Villanova and Georgetown. Russ Smith did not start at Georgetown, and Peyton Siva was held scoreless for the first time. Pitt's defense is No. 1 in the Big East, giving up only 54.5 points per game. The Panthers attack is very balanced. Expecting a tough defensive battle. The value is in taking the points. Pitt +6 is the play.
Trends:
Pittsburgh is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games against winning teams.
Pittsburgh is 2-8 ATS in its last 20 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.
Louisville is 15-5-1 ATS in its last 21 Monday games.
Louisville is 4-1 ATS in its last five home games against teams with winning road records.
Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Louisville.
Over is 22-8 in Pittsburgh’s last 30 games.
Under is 11-4 in Louisville’s last 15 Big East games.
Kansas (18-1 SU, 9-9 ATS) at West Virginia (9-10 SU, 5-10-2 ATS), 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Line: -8.5, Total: 130
Kansas, which leads the nation in field-goal percentage defense (34.8) and ranks second in blocks (7.6), has cashed five straight UNDERs by an average of 21.9 points. The Jayhawks have won 17 straight and are on a 3-1 ATS run; they barely covered at home Saturday against Oklahoma, however. The Mountaineeers shoot 39.5 percent, which ranks 314th nationally. No Mountaineers average in double figures. Frustrated coach Bob Huggins, looking for an offensive spark, has started 12 different players. This is Kansas’ first visit to the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.
The Linemakers’ take: Kansas seems to play down to its level of competition, but does have an ability to pull out wins, last week in front of a raucous Kansas State crowd, for example. But tonight, the Jayhawks visit one of the toughest places to play in the country — and one with which they're unfamiliar, since this is the Mountaineers’ first season in the Big 12. West Virginia has struggled this season, but Huggins’ group is a different beast at home. And we’ve been saying this all season — this is a good Kansas team, not a great one.
Trends:
Kansas is 19-8 ATS in its last 27 Monday games.
Kansas 6-2 ATS in its last eight games against losing teams.
West Virginia is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games.
West Virginia is 1-5-1 ATS in its last seven home games.
Under is 5-0 in Kansas’ last five games.
Under is 15-4-2 in Kansas’ last 21 road games.
Over is 5-1 in West Virginia’s last six home games.
South Florida (10-9 SU, 7-11 ATS) at Marquette (14-4 SU, 7-7 ATS), 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Line: Marquette -10.5, Total: 121.5
South Florida is cratering, having lost six of seven to fall into last place in the Big East. The Bulls are getting killed on the boards. In Saturday’s home loss to Notre Dame, they were outrebounded, 34-17. And coach Stan Heath sounds like there’s nothing he can do about it.
“I think it’s obvious we lost some experience on the front line (from last season),” Heath told the Tampa Tribune. “(Ron) Anderson really controlled the middle and communicated so well. (Augustus) Gilchrist was 6-10, 240 and gave us some muscle and scoring inside. Hugh (Robertson) was a lockdown defender. Some of the things that are happening now, guys couldn’t get those looks (last season) because Hugh could just take a guy out.
“Experience and size are valuable commodities. We don’t have a lot of size or a lot of experience on the front line.’’
Marquette is plus-4.6 in rebounding margin, while USF is minus-4.8, worst in the Big East. The Golden Eagles are 11-0 at home, but just 3-4 ATS after covering eight points in Saturday’s 81-71 win over Providence.
The Linemakers' take: South Florida has struggled to a 10-9. Expectations were much higher, but they did beat Georgetown on Jan. 19th, so it's clear they can play. The have lost three of their last four by single digits. Marquette tends to play close games and is shooting only 28.3 percent from 3-point range in conference play. The Warriors' six league games have been decided by a total of 29 points. We expecting a similar result here, and think this is too many points to be giving the Bulls. Take South Florida +11.
Trends:
South Florida is 2-6 ATS in its last eight Big East games.
Marquette is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 Big East games.
Under is 17-5 in South Florida’s last 22 road games.
Under is 19-7 in South Florida’s last 26 Big East games.
Under is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
South Florida is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.