Saturday's Best NCAAB Bets
By Covers.com
Fordham Rams at Syracuse Orange (-26, N/A)
Syracuse heads into its home opener with high expectations – the Orange check in at No. 5 in the AP and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls. And for good reason.
They did lose Ricky Jackson (who picked up All-Big East Second Team honors), but the rest of the club remains relatively intact from last season. Sophomore big men Fab Melo and center Baye Moussa Keita hope to ease the loss of Jackson while Kris Joseph tries to build upon a solid but not spectacular season that saw him average 14.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Syracuse opens the doors to Fordham Saturday and the Rams are pretty pumped up for this one. Fordham returns eight players from last year but this club has a long way to go. AP picked them to finish last in the A-10.
“When I scheduled this game, I wanted it to be our first game because it could be a great point of reference for the rest of the year,” Fordham coach Tom Pecora told reporters. “Not only playing a top-five team, but the environment that we are going to play in. So after you’ve been in that environment, you shouldn’t be getting rattled much the rest of the year, because you’ve been exposed to worse.”
Hard to eat this type of chalk in the first game of the season, but the Rams are in over their heads here.
Pick: Orange
Northern Iowa Panthers at Old Dominion Monarchs (-4, N/A)
It looks as though Old Dominion will have a huge part of its team in the lineup Saturday.
The team’s leading scorer, Kent Bazemore, underwent surgery over the summer to repair a stress fracture in his foot but is about a month ahead of schedule in his recovery. The Monarchs are going to need him too as they have just two returning starters.
"I think Kent is physically catching up," coach Blaine Taylor told reporters. "I think his conditioning and his rhythm are catching up. I think mentally he's real steady. He has a certain calm about understanding the situation he's in and not overreacting to the fact that maybe he's not in as good a shape and maybe he's not quite where he could be yet.”
Bazemore played six minutes in an exhibition game last week, so it might be a stretch to expect his best effort Saturday. The 6-foot-5 senior averaged 12.3 points per game last season and should at least give the Monarchs an emotional boost.
Pick: Monarchs
HARTFORD vs. PENN STATE
No trends available
Penn State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Penn State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
SAVANNAH STATE vs. GEORGETOWN
No trends available
Georgetown is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Georgetown is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
KENNESAW STATE vs. WISCONSIN
No trends available
Wisconsin is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Wisconsin's last 11 games
NICHOLLS STATE vs. LSU
No trends available
LSU is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 games
LSU is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games
SOUTH ALABAMA vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE
South Alabama is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of South Alabama's last 5 games on the road
Mississippi State is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Mississippi State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
SPRING HILL vs. SOUTHERN MISS
No trends available
Southern Miss is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Southern Miss is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
EAST TENNESSEE STATE vs. VIRGINIA TECH
No trends available
Virginia Tech is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Virginia Tech is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
SW MINNESOTA STATE vs. WISC-MILWAUKEE
No trends available
Wisc-Milwaukee is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
Wisc-Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
MISS VALLEY STATE vs. NOTRE DAME
No trends available
Notre Dame is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games
Notre Dame is 21-2 SU in its last 23 games at home
LEHIGH vs. IOWA STATE
No trends available
Iowa State is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Iowa State's last 6 games
WESTERN ILLINOIS vs. DAYTON
No trends available
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Dayton's last 10 games
Dayton is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON vs. PROVIDENCE
No trends available
Providence is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
Providence is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
WESTERN MICHIGAN vs. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Western Michigan is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Western Michigan's last 8 games on the road
No trends available
NJIT vs. MANHATTAN
No trends available
Manhattan is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games
Manhattan is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games
FLORIDA ATLANTIC vs. PORTLAND
No trends available
Portland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Portland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
BUTLER vs. EVANSVILLE
Butler is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Butler's last 9 games on the road
Evansville is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Evansville's last 5 games
FORDHAM vs. SYRACUSE
Fordham is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Fordham is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Syracuse is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Syracuse's last 5 games
EASTERN KENTUCKY vs. WINTHROP
Eastern Kentucky is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Eastern Kentucky is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
No trends available
PRESBYTERIAN vs. DUKE
No trends available
Duke is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Duke's last 7 games
CS BAKERSFIELD vs. OREGON STATE
No trends available
Oregon State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oregon State's last 7 games
SAN JOSE STATE vs. CAL POLY
San Jose State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose State's last 7 games on the road
Cal Poly is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games
Cal Poly is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
GEORGIA STATE vs. WASHINGTON
Georgia State is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Georgia State is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Washington is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
ST. THOMAS (FL) vs. CENTRAL FLORIDA
No trends available
Central Florida is 5-15-1 ATS in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Central Florida's last 13 games
WAGNER vs. PRINCETON
No trends available
Princeton is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games
Princeton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
IDAHO vs. LONG BEACH STATE
Idaho is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Idaho is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Long Beach State
Long Beach State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Long Beach State is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games
HIRAM vs. AKRON
No trends available
Akron is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Akron's last 10 games
NORTHERN IOWA vs. OLD DOMINION
Northern Iowa is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Northern Iowa's last 6 games on the road
Old Dominion is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games
Old Dominion is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
WILLIAM & MARY vs. HAMPTON
William & Mary is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of William & Mary's last 10 games on the road
No trends available
VERMONT vs. SOUTH FLORIDA
No trends available
South Florida is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of South Florida's last 5 games
ST. FRANCIS NY vs. SETON HALL
No trends available
Seton Hall is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Seton Hall's last 21 games
FERRIS STATE vs. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
No trends available
Central Michigan is 5-11-3 ATS in its last 19 games
Central Michigan is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
BRYANT vs. UC DAVIS
No trends available
UC Davis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
UC Davis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
GRAMBLING STATE vs. HOUSTON
No trends available
Houston is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
YOUNGSTOWN STATE vs. SAMFORD
Youngstown State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Youngstown State's last 5 games on the road
Samford is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Samford is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
NEW ORLEANS vs. RICE
No trends available
Rice is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Rice is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
UPPER IOWA vs. DRAKE
No trends available
Drake is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Drake's last 6 games
OHIO DOMINICAN vs. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
No trends available
Southern Illinois is 4-13-1 ATS in its last 18 games
Southern Illinois is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games
ARMY vs. THE CITADEL
No trends available
The Citadel is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The Citadel is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games
NORTHERN ARIZONA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Northern Arizona is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Northern Arizona's last 9 games on the road
San Francisco is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games
NEW MEXICO STATE vs. NORTHERN COLORADO
New Mexico State is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
New Mexico State is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Northern Colorado is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Northern Colorado is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
POMONA PITZER vs. PEPPERDINE
No trends available
Pepperdine is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Pepperdine is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
WESTERN STATE vs. WYOMING
No trends available
Wyoming is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Wyoming is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games
SOUTHERN UTAH vs. SAN DIEGO STATE
No trends available
San Diego State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego State's last 6 games
VMI vs. AIR FORCE
No trends available
Air Force is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Air Force's last 7 games
NORTH DAKOTA STATE vs. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
No trends available
Louisiana-Lafayette is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Louisiana-Lafayette's last 10 games
FORDHAM (7 - 21) at SYRACUSE (27 - 8) - 11/12/2011, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FORDHAM is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FORDHAM is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
FORDHAM is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
FORDHAM is 11-27 ATS (-18.7 Units) in November games since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
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IDAHO (18 - 14) at LONG BEACH ST (22 - 12) - 11/12/2011, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IDAHO is 47-26 ATS (+18.4 Units) in road games on Saturday games since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
LONG BEACH ST is 1-0 against the spread versus IDAHO over the last 3 seasons
LONG BEACH ST is 1-0 straight up against IDAHO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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SAN JOSE ST (17 - 16) at CAL POLY-SLO (15 - 15) - 11/12/2011, 5:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
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N IOWA (20 - 14) at OLD DOMINION (27 - 7) - 11/12/2011, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
N IOWA is 1-0 against the spread versus OLD DOMINION over the last 3 seasons
N IOWA is 1-0 straight up against OLD DOMINION over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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BUTLER (28 - 10) at EVANSVILLE (16 - 16) - 11/12/2011, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 33-18 ATS (+13.2 Units) in November games since 1997.
BUTLER is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
EVANSVILLE is 2-0 against the spread versus BUTLER over the last 3 seasons
EVANSVILLE is 1-1 straight up against BUTLER over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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S ALABAMA (12 - 16) at MISSISSIPPI ST (17 - 14) - 11/12/2011, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MISSISSIPPI ST is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points over the last 3 seasons.
MISSISSIPPI ST is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in November games over the last 2 seasons.
MISSISSIPPI ST is 1-11 ATS (-11.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MISSISSIPPI ST is 1-11 ATS (-11.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
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N DAKOTA ST (14 - 15) vs. LA-LAFAYETTE (14 - 15) - 11/12/2011, 11:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
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N ARIZONA (19 - 13) at SAN FRANCISCO (19 - 15) - 11/12/2011, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
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BRYANT (9 - 21) vs. CAL DAVIS (10 - 20) - 11/12/2011, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
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SOUTHERN UTAH (11 - 19) at SAN DIEGO ST (34 - 3) - 11/12/2011, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
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FLA ATLANTIC (21 - 11) vs. PORTLAND (20 - 13) - 11/12/2011, 2:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 37-19 ATS (+16.1 Units) in November games since 1997.
PORTLAND is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a neutral court underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 1-0 against the spread versus FLA ATLANTIC over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 1-0 straight up against FLA ATLANTIC over the last 3 seasons
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GEORGIA ST (12 - 19) at WASHINGTON (24 - 11) - 11/12/2011, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
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YOUNGSTOWN ST (9 - 21) at SAMFORD (12 - 19) - 11/12/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAMFORD is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAMFORD is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SAMFORD is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
SAMFORD is 3-15 ATS (-13.5 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
SAMFORD is 3-15 ATS (-13.5 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
SAMFORD is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
SAMFORD is 0-0 against the spread versus YOUNGSTOWN ST over the last 3 seasons
YOUNGSTOWN ST is 1-0 straight up against SAMFORD over the last 3 seasons
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NEW MEXICO ST (16 - 17) at N COLORADO (21 - 11) - 11/12/2011, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW MEXICO ST is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
N COLORADO is 1-0 against the spread versus NEW MEXICO ST over the last 3 seasons
N COLORADO is 1-0 straight up against NEW MEXICO ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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PRESBYTERIAN (13 - 18) at DUKE (32 - 5) - 11/12/2011, 4:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.