College Basketball Knowledge
Providence lost four of last five games; only win was 73-69 two weeks ago at Georgetown, when PC outscored Hoyas 24-10 on foul line. Friars won four of last five series games, winning last two here by 18-3 points. PC is just 2-4 at home in Big East, beating Butler/St John's. Georgetown lost four of last six games, including last three on road, by 6-11-8 points. Big East home favorites of 6 or less points are 7-8 vs spread.
South Carolina is 5-0 at home in SEC, with four wins by 9+; they're #1 in country at getting to foul line, but only make 67.8%. Kentucky won eight of last nine games with Gamecocks; Wildcats won three of last four visits here, winning by 9-34-15 points. Kentucky is 2-4 in last six away games, losing last two road games, at Kansas/Tennessee. SEC home underdogs of 3 or less points are 5-10 vs spread.
LSU won five of last six home games, losing only to Oklahoma; they lost 71-57 at Texas A&M Jan 19, in brickfest where teams shot a combined 12-44 on arc. Aggies won last three series games, by 3-6-14- they've lost four of last five games overall after a 17-2 start, losing by point last game when 90% free throw shooter missed two FTs with 0:02 left. SEC home favorites of 5 or less points are 9-4 vs spread.
Kansas is 14-2 in last 16 games with Oklahoma, but lost twice in its last three visits here, losing by 6-2 points. Jayhawks beat Sooners 109-106 in triple OT Jan 4; both teams led by double digits, Sooners led by 5 in OT. OU was 16-33 on arc, Kansas 11-22. Big X home favorites of 6 or less points are 7-5 vs spread. Kansas lost three of last four road games, with win at TCU. Sooners won all six conference home games.
Washington beat Colorado 95-83 at home Jan 20, scoring 1.22 ppg; they won four of last six games with Buffs, losing two of its three visits here. Huskies lost four of last six games, losing last two on road by 10-8; they are 6-2 in Pac-12 games decided by 5 or less points or in OT. Colorado won its last five home games, beating Wazzu here Thursday in double OT. Pac-12 home favorites of 4 or less points are 5-6 vs spread.
Xavier made 10-21 on arc, drilled Butler 88-69 at home Jan 2, they're 5-1 vs Bulldogs in Big East play, splitting pair here. Musketeers are 4-2 on Big East road, losing last gam at Creighton- best league rival they beat on road is Providence. Big East home favorites of 6 or less points are 7-8 vs spread. Butler won its last three games, scoring 85.7 ppg, after starting Big East play 3-6; they won their last three home games.
Oakland made 13-22 on arc, shot 56% inside arc in 111-95 win Jan 23 at Green Bay- they scored 62 points in second half. Teams split couple of Horizon meetings here. Oakland is 9-4 in Horizon, but 3-4 at home; they had 6-game win streak snapped Thursday. Horizon home favorites of 7+ points are 13-7 vs spread. Green Bay is playing 5th straight road game, its last one of year- they're 4-4 on Horizon road, winning 2 of last 3.
James Madison lost PG/leading scorer Curry to knee injury Thursday, doubt he plays here. Dukes lost 78-73 at home to NC-Wilmington Jan 28-- Curry was 13-16 on line, other Dukes just 15-30. Seahawks won last three series games by 12-20-5 points. UNCW won 10 games in row, winning last four at home, none by more than 10. CAA home favorites of 7 or less points are 9-16 vs spread. JMU is 6-1 on CAA road, with only loss by 6 at Wm & Mary after they led by 12 at half. .
Notre Dame-Louisville split their last 10 meetings; Cardinals lost four in a row in South Bend, by 16-33-10-3 points- last visit here was in 2013 Hard to tell Louisville's mindset after postseason ban and loss at Duke. Cardinals split last six road games. ACC home teams are 10-8 vs spread in games with spread of 3 or less points. Notre Dame won its last five at home, including win over North Carolina last Saturday.
UL-Lafayette lost 77-57 at Little Rock Jan 7, its first loss in last four series games; Trojans lost last three visits here, by 9-6-6 points- two of last four series games went OT, home side won six of last seven. UALR is 4-2 on Sun Belt road, with two losses by total of 7 points. ULL won its last nine games; they're 7-0 at home in Sun Belt, with six wins by 10+ points. Sun Belt home favorites of 5 or less points are 5-9 vs spread.
Duke-Virginia split last four meetings; Cavaliers are 0-8 in Durham over last 12 years, losing last two visits here by 4-3 points. Blue Devils won last three games, scoring 80 ppg; they're 3-2 at home in ACC, losing to Syracuse/ND. ACC home teams are 10-8 vs spread in games with spread of 3 or less points. Virginia won its last seven games, including a win at Louisville; they're shooting 40.4% on arc, #12 in country.
Belmont shot 70.8% inside arc in 73-67 home win over Morehead State nine days ago, Bruins' 6th win in seven OVC meetings- they lost 73-71 here LY. Bruins split last four games; they're 4-1 on OVC road, losing last road game at Tennessee Tech. Morehead split its last eight games; all three losses were by 6 or less points. Eagles are 5-1 at home, losing to Jacksonville State. OVC home favorites of 4 or less points are 6-8.
Iona won its last seven games with Siena, winning last four here by 4-19-14-4 points. Gaels won last four games (three on road); they won six of seven home games, losing only to Monmouth. MAAC home favorites of 7+ points are 10-12 vs spread. Siena split its last four games; they're 3-4 on MAAC road, with three losses by 6 or less points. Saints turn ball over 22% of time, #339 in country- 22.2% of time in conference play.
Armadillosports.com
Saturday's Early Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
Kentucky at South Carolina
South Carolina, Kentucky and LSU are in a three-way tie for first place in the SEC standings with identical 8-3 records. They lead a pair of teams in Texas A&M and Florida, both of whom are one game behind with 7-4 league ledgers. As of early Friday afternoon, one offshore book had tabbed the Wildcats as 1.5-point road favorites.
The national media has seemingly been slow to recognize what South Carolina (21-3 straight up, 16-5 against the spread) is accomplishing in Frank Martin’s fourth year at the helm. I must admit that I thought Martin would get USC’s basketball fortunes turned around much sooner, but the Gamecocks have yet to taste a postseason bid of any sort since his arrival. That’s about to change, however. Yes, USC played a weak non-conference schedule, one that ranks No. 322 in the country. Furthermore, USC has played just one game against an RPI Top-25 foe and four against Top-50 opponents. Therefore, the Gamecocks weren’t even ranked coming into this week.
Loyal readers know how I feel about college basketball rankings. They’re dead to me. The only ranking system of any merit is the one released by the committee on Selection Sunday. If there’s any poll to pay attention to this time of year, I would say it’s KenPom or the RPI. Nevertheless, we’ll note that USC will enter the national rankings if it can knock off Kentucky at home Saturday.
South Carolina captured a 94-83 win Wednesday over LSU as a 4.5-point home favorite. The 177 combined points soared ‘over’ the 153.5-point total. Sindarius Thornwell was the catalyst with 24 points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal and one blocked shot. Michael Carrera added 16 points, six boards and three steals, while Duane Notice scored 15 points thanks to 4-of-8 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. P.J. Dozier contributed 12 points, including several key buckets at winning time.
South Carolina is unbeaten in 13 home games with a stellar 8-2 spread record.
Carrera leads USC in scoring (14.2 points per game) and rebounding (7.2 RPG).
Kentucky (18-6 SU, 11-13 ATS) responded to back-to-back losses at Kansas (in overtime) and at Tennessee (after leading by 21 at one point) by smashing Florida and Georgia in consecutive contests at Rupp Arena. UF went into Lexington last Saturday and was throttled by an 80-61 count as a seven-point road underdog. Jamal Murray dropped 35 points on the Gators thanks to 8-of-10 shooting from downtown. Tyler Ulis added 18 points, 11 assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals.
John Calipari’s squad is a youthful one, which is to say that it struggles mightily on the road. As a matter of fact, the Wildcats have lost five of seven road games both SU and ATS.
Murray is averaging a team-best 18.5 PPG. The freshman shooting guard is hitting 40.2 percent of his attempts from 3-point range. Ulis, the dynamic sophomore point guard, is scoring at a 16.2 PPG clip and has a 148/44 assists-to-turnovers ratio.
Alex Poythress had minor knee surgery earlier this week and will miss the next two weeks. Poythress is averaging 10.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for the ‘Cats.
The ‘over’ is 11-10 overall for USC, 7-3 in its home games.
Totals have been an overall wash for UK (12-12). The ‘over’ is 4-3 in its seven road tilts.
Tip-off is slated for noon Eastern on ESPN.
Purdue at Michigan
These schools are tied for fourth in the Big Ten standings with identical 8-4 league records. They are two games back of the conference’s co-leaders, Indiana, Iowa and Maryland, who are all 10-2 in Big Ten play. As of early Friday afternoon, one offshore shop had Purdue listed as a one-point road favorite.
Purdue (20-5 SU, 12-9 ATS) is No. 18 in the RPI, going 3-3 versus the Top 50 and 7-4 against the Top 100. The Boilermakers own quality wins at Pitt, vs. Michigan State and vs. Florida on a neutral court. They also have home scalps over Vanderbilt, Michigan and Ohio State in addition to a road win at Wisconsin. They have one loss outside of the Top 100, falling 84-70 at Illinois.
Purdue owns a 4-3 SU record and a 3-4 ATS mark in seven road assignments this season.
Purdue could be in a bit of a letdown spot here after winning an 82-81 decision over Michigan State in overtime Tuesday night. The Boilermakers failed to cover the number as three-point favorites, and those gamblers had to be livid with the Spartans for inexplicably opting not to foul when A.J. Hammons gathered a loose ball in traffic with several seconds remaining. The total was a nail-biter as well. A Purdue layup with 1:04 remaining in regulation created a 72-72 tie and sent the score ‘over’ the 143.5-point total.
Purdue blew a 16-point halftime lead against Michigan State Senior guard Rapheal Davis had 19 first-half points, but he went 1-of-12 from the field in the second half and the extra session. However, with the game tied in the closing seconds, Davis drove to his left and MSU star Denzel Valentine opted not to go under a ball screen and bumped Davis with 4.6 seconds remaining. In the double bonus, Davis made the first free throw before missing the second, which led to the loose-ball scramble won by Hammons. Speaking of the senior seven-footer, Hammons produced 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots. Valentine countered with 27 points, 10 assists and eight boards in the losing effort.
Hammons is averaging 14.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game.
Michigan (18-7 SU, 12-11 ATS) is 11-3 SU and 6-7 ATS at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.
Michigan’s season has been hampered by injuries. Senior PG Spike Albrecht, who had the unforgettable performance in the first half of the national-title game against Louisville three seasons ago, was forced to retire in early December due to a hip injury. Caris LeVert, the team’s star who is listed as ‘doubtful’ Saturday vs. Purdue, hasn’t played since Dec. 30 due to a leg injury. In the first 14 games, LeVert was averaging 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
Michigan is No. 60 in the RPI, limping to a 2-7 record against the Top 50. To their credit, the Wolverines haven’t lost any games to foes outside of the Top 50, but they’re still in dire need of multiple signature victories in order to be considered for an at-large bid.
Michigan is mired in a 2-6 ATS slump. John Beilein’s squad avoided a three-game losing streak (SU) by knocking off Minnesota by an 82-74 count Wednesday night at The Barn. The Wolverines took the cash as seven-point road favorites. Derrick Walton Jr. paced the winners with 26 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a pair of steals. Walton drained 5-of-8 attempts from 3-point range.
Walton is averaging team-highs in scoring (12.3 PPG), rebounding (5.7 RPG), assists (4.0 APG) and steals (1.6 SPG).
Purdue owns a 6-0-1 spread record in its last seven games against Michigan. When they met in West Lafayette on Jan. 7, Purdue cruised to an 87-70 victory as a nine-point home ‘chalk.’ Hammons led the way with 17 points and four blocks, while Davis finished with 16 points, five rebounds and six assists without a turnover. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman had a game-high 25 points for Michigan.
The ‘over’ is 7-2 in the last nine head-to-head meetings between these Big Ten rivals.
The ‘over’ is 16-7 overall for the Wolverines this year, 20-7 dating back to last season. They have seen the ‘over’ hit at an 8-4 clip at home.
The ‘under’ is 11-10 overall for Purdue, 4-3 in its road contests.
Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.
Kansas at Oklahoma
Not only is this a rematch of the best regular-season game of the year to date, it’s also a showdown for Big 12 supremacy. Kansas owns an amazing streak of 11 consecutive Big 12 regular-season championships. The 2015-2016 title won’t be decided Saturday, but it is certainly a crucial contest for those purposes. KU, OU and West Va. are currently in a first-place tie with 8-3 records. Five teams are separated by merely one game, as Baylor and Texas are also in the mix with 7-4 ledgers. One offshore had OU as a 4.5-point home ‘chalk’ as of early Friday afternoon.
When these teams met in Lawrence on Jan. 4, KU captured a 109-106 win in triple overtime. The Sooners covered the number, however, as seven-point underdogs. Perry Ellis scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the winners. Devonte’ Graham finished with 22 points and seven boards, while Wayne Selden Jr. contributed 21 points. Frank Mason had 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. For the Sooners, Buddy Hield scored a game-high 46 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists. The Wooden Award favorite knocked down 8-of-15 from beyond the arc. Jordan Woodard played all 50 minutes and tallied 27 points and seven assists, while Ryan Spangler had 14 points and 18 boards.
Oklahoma (20-3 SU, 10-11 ATS) is undefeated in 12 home games with a 5-5 spread record.
Hield is second in the nation and tops in the Big 12 with his 25.7 PPG average. Cousins (13.6 PPG) averages 4.6 RPG, buries 46.8 percent of his treys and has an outstanding 105/43 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Cousins and Hield have 32 steals apiece.
Kansas (20-4 SU, 14-8 ATS) is 3-3 both SU and ATS on the road.
Since losing at Iowa State on Jan. 25, Bill Self’s squad has won four consecutive games both SU and ATS, including Tuesday’s 75-65 win over West Va. as a seven-point home favorite. Ellis led the way with 21 points, while Landen Lucas contributed nine points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Kansas has only been an underdog once this year, losing 85-72 in Ames to the Cyclones.
Ellis paces KU in scoring (16.9 PPG), rebounding (6.5 RPG) and field-goal percentage (53.0%).
The ‘under’ is 14-7 overall for the Jayhawks, 5-1 in their road games.
The ‘over’ is 13-8 overall for OU, 7-3 in its home outings.
ESPN will have the broadcast at 2:30 p.m. Eastern.
B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets
Florida will take on Alabama at 5:30 p.m. Eastern in a key SEC showdown. The Crimson Tide moved up to No. 39 in the RPI on the heels of Wednesday’s 63-62 home win over Texas A&M. Avery Johnson’s team now owns four wins over Top 50 teams and three over Top 25 clubs. In addition, the Tide has a non-conference win over Clemson, and it has only one bad loss (at Auburn). In other words, a win at Florida on Saturday puts Alabama very much in the thick of the bubble conversation. Meanwhile, Florida is in decent shape with its No. 25 RPI rating, but it can certainly use a Top-50 scalp over Alabama. The ‘over’ is on a 6-2 run in UF’s last eight games. The Gators have seen the ‘over’ go 8-3 in their 11 lined home contests.
Houston’s Robert Gray Jr. is ‘out’ Saturday against UCF with a sprained ankle. Gray (17.3 PPG) will miss his fourth straight game.
Nebraska’s best player Shavon Shields (concussion) is ‘questionable’ for Saturday’s home game against Penn State Shields averages 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
The ‘over’ has cashed at a lucrative 14-5-1 overall clip for the Cornhuskers, who have seen the ‘over’ go 7-3 in their home games.
Did you catch the end of Boise State at Colorado State late Wednesday night? If not, we have a legit candidate for Bad Beat of the Year and a nominee for a Bad Beat All-Timer. BSU had the ball at halfcourt with 0.8 seconds remaining in the first overtime. Anthony Drmic inbounded to James Webb III, who initially cut to the basket for a lob that wasn’t there. Therefore, he broke back towards the ball and sprinted to the wing, where Drmic hit him in stride. Webb caught, elevated and released in one fluid motion and kissed home the game winner off the glass. The shot was a 3-pointer that would’ve give the Broncos a win by three. The line closed at 3.5, but some gamblers may have bought the half-point to three and some books spent time with the line at three at various points Wednesday. Also, trailing by two at intermission, BSU was a three-point ‘chalk’ for second-half bets, meaning Boise State -1 adjusted for those bettors (hand raised). The ball was clearly in the air as the clock was at 0.2, 0.1 and then all zeros. There wasn’t even anything to review! Nevertheless, the Mountain West refs went to the scorer’s table and…(check this out) determined the clock (operated by the home team!) didn’t start quick enough. Now here’s where things got real interesting. These refs decided to break out a stopwatch and time what happened on their own. (THEY DID WHAT?!?!) From there, the refs determined that Webb took too much time to release the game winner and, therefore, the game was headed toward double overtime (even though nearly all of the CSU fans had already exited the building). You know what’s next – CSU scored the first nine points of double OT and won, 97-93.
Saturday's Late Tip Sheet
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
This Saturday afternoon’s college basketball schedule is loaded with some great matchups and fortunately for sports bettors looking to extend the action into prime time there are trio of night games to pique your interest.
First up is a Big East clash between St. John’s and the top team in the nation Villanova in an 8:00 p.m. (ET) start.
Moving to the Big 12 in an 8:30 p.m. tip, No. 24 Texas will tangle with No. 14 Iowa State in the final head-to-head matchup of the day between nationally ranked teams.
The West Coast Conference’s Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Mustangs of SMU out of the AAC close things out in an inter-conference clash at 10:00 p.m. ET.
St. John’s Red Storm at No. 1 Villanova Wildcats
Opening Odds: Villanova -27
Betting Matchup
St. John’s has sunk to the bottom of the Big East standings with 12 straight conference losses and it is 7-18 straight-up overall. It has been a bit better against the spread in those 12 losses at 5-7 as part of a 9-16 record ATS on the year. The total has stayed UNDER in three of its last five games. The Red Storm have been dreadful on both ends of the court with a scoring average of 66.7 points trying to keep pace with a defense that is allowing an average of 75.9 points per game.
The Wildcats ascended to the top spot in both major national polls on the strength of last Saturday’s 72-60 victory over then-No. 11 Providence as five-point road favorites. An 86-59 romp against DePaul on Tuesday as a 14½-point favorite on the road raised Villanova’s SU record in the Big East to 11-1, but it is still just 6-6 ATS. The Wildcats are only ranked fifth in the Big East in scoring with 75.9 PPG, but they are ranked eighth in the nation in points allowed (61.0).
Betting Trends
The Red Storm are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games and they are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 road games against a team with a SU winning record at home. The total has gone OVER in nine of their last 13 games on the road.
The Wildcats are 19-8 ATS in their last 27 conference games and they have covered in nine of their last 13 games played on Saturday. The total has stayed UNDER in nine of their last 13 home games.
The favorite in this matchup is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings and the total has gone OVER in eight of the last 11 games. Villanova beat St. John’s 68-53 on Jan. 31, but it could not cover the 20-point spread as a road favorite.
No. 24 Texas Longhorns at No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones
Opening Odds: OFF
Betting Matchup
Texas gave Oklahoma all it could handle this past Monday in a tough 63-60 loss as a 7½-point road underdog. This was just the second SU loss in the Longhorns last nine games and they have now covered the spread in their last seven outings. The total stayed UNDER 147½ points in Monday’s loss and it has stayed UNDER in their last five games. Junior guard Isaiah Taylor scored a team-high 19 points against the Sooners and he continues to lead Texas in points (15.4), shooting percentage (44.1) and assists (4.9).
The Cyclones have now lost three of their last four games (SU and ATS) following Wednesday’s stunning 85-82 defeat against Texas Tech as 2½-point road favorites. The total went OVER the closing 149½-point line in that game after staying UNDER in six of their last seven contests. Iowa State is hoping to have junior forward Jameel McKay back in the lineup for Saturday’s matchup after sitting out the last two games due to a team suspension. Senior forward Georges Niang is putting up a team-high 19 PPG as part of the Cyclones’ scoring average of 82.2 points a game.
Betting Trends
The Longhorns have covered in seven of their last 10 Saturday games and they are a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last six games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in their last five road games.
The Cyclones are 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight home games, but they have covered ATS in 11 of their last 15 Saturday games.
Head-to-head in this Big 12 tilt, the home team is 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight meetings and the total has gone OVER in six of the last seven meetings at Iowa State. Texas knocked-off the Cyclones on Jan. 12 in a thrilling 94-91 overtime victory as a 1½-point home underdog.
Gonzaga Bulldogs at No. SMU Mustangs
Opening Odds: SMU -5½
Betting Matchup
Gonzaga has risen to the top of the WCC standings at 12-2 as part of an overall SU record of 20-5. The Bulldogs are an even 7-7 ATS in those 14 conference games, but they have been able to cover in three of their last four outings. The total went OVER 157 in Thursday’s 92-66 romp against Portland as 10½-point road favorites and it has gone OVER in three of their last five games. Senior forward Kyle Wiltjer hit five three-point shots as part of his 21 total points in Thursday’s win. He leads the team in scoring this season with 21.8 PPG while shooting 50.5 percent from the field.
The Mustangs are 20-3 SU on the year and their 9-3 record in conference play has them tied with Temple for the lead in the AAC. However, they have now lost three of their last five games SU with a 2-4 record ATS in their last six contests. SMU is still a very tough out on its home court. It is 12-1 SU as part of a 46-4 record at home dating back to the 2013/2014 season. Senior guard Nic Moore leads the team in both points (16.3) and assists (4.9) and he is coming off a 27-point night in a losing effort against Tulsa.
Betting Trends
The Bulldogs are 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 road games and they have gone just 0-6-1 ATS in their last seven nonconference games. The total has stayed UNDER in nine of their last 11 games played outside their conference.
The Mustangs have failed to cover in six of their last seven games played at home, but they are 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight games played on a Saturday. The total has gone OVER in five of their last seven nonconference games.
Gonzaga rolled to a 72-56 victory last season as a nine-point home favorite in the first ever meeting between these two teams and the total stayed UNDER the closing 141½-point line.
Top 25 Betting Cheat Sheet
Covers.com
No. 21 Kentucky Wildcats at No. 20 South Carolina Gamecocks (+2, OFF)
* The Wildcats are still learning how to close out games, which should become easier with their youthful backcourt maturing as the season progresses. Freshman guard Jamal Murray (18.5 points) leads the team in scoring, but sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis (16.2 points, 6.4 assists) has shown an ability to shine on the big stage, averaging 21.7 points and 7.3 assists against ranked opponents.
* The Gamecocks are 13-0 at home, and the sellout crowd should be especially raucous with so much at stake. South Carolina feeds off the energy of senior forward Michael Carrera, who leads the team in scoring (14.2) and rebounding (7.2) and has averaged 20.2 points and 9.2 boards over the past five contests.
Trends:
* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Over is 5-0 in South Carolina's last five home games.
* South Carolina is 14-3 ATS in its last 17 home games.
TCU Horned Frogs at No. 10 West Virginia Mountaineers (-17.5, OFF)
* The Horned Frogs got caught in the teeth of the Big 12 schedule with seven straight conference losses – five against ranked teams – before coming alive in the second half against the Cowboys on Monday.
* The Mountaineers dropped into a three-way tie for first place with Oklahoma and Kansas after a loss at the Jayhawks on Tuesday. Jonathan Holton was reinstated on Thursday from his indefinite suspension for violating team rules after four games and is expected to be back in the lineup on Saturday.
Trends:
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* TCU is 1-6 ATS in its last seven road games.
* West Virginia is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 home games.
* Under is 6-1 in West Virginia's last seven home games.
Georgetown Hoyas at No. 17 Providence Friars (-4, OFF)
* Sitting a game up are the Hoyas, who snapped a three-game losing streak of their own with a 92-67 rout of St. John's on Monday. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera produced 24 points as Georgetown reached the 90-point mark for the second time this season - both coming against the Red Storm.
* The Friars were at 6-3 after winning 73-69 at Georgetown on Jan. 30, but they have dropped three straight after a double-overtime setback at Marquette on Wednesday. The lack of supporting cast for Bentil and guard Kris Dunn has been well-documented, and the shooting numbers for those extras continue to suffer.
Trends:
* Under is 7-0 in the last seven meetings in Providence.
* Over is 5-1 in Georgetown's last six versus the Big East.
* Georgetown is 1-5 ATS in the last six games overall.
* Providence is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
Northern Iowa Panthers at No. 24 Wichita State Shockers (-14, OFF)
* Wichita State puts the nation's longest active home-court winning streak of 43 games on the line and tries to match a school record with its 25th consecutive Missouri Valley Conference regular-season home victory Saturday.
* The Panthers defeated Missouri State 83-69 on Wednesday for their fifth straight victory. The Panthers' success can be traced to defense (average of 59.4 points allowed in the last five contests) and taking care of the ball as they record the eighth-fewest turnovers nationally at 9.9 per game.
Trends:
* Northern Iowa is 5-0 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Wichita State is 4-0 ATS in its last four home games.
* Over is 4-1 in Wichita State's last five games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game.
* Over is 4-0 in Northern Iowa's last four road games versus a team with a winning home record.
No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies at LSU Tigers (-1, OFF)
* The Aggies have lost three straight games and four of their past five and are one game behind the three co-leaders - South Carolina, Kentucky and the Tigers. Three of Texas A&M's four losses during the recent skid have been by three points or fewer, including Wednesday's 63-62 loss to Alabama.
* Freshman forward Ben Simmons had just 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting in last month's loss to the Aggies but has been stellar since with four 20-point outings in six games and an average of 19.3 points during the stretch. Simmons leads the Tigers in scoring (19.4), rebounding (12.1), assists (5.1) and steals (44) and has 15 double-doubles on the season.
Trends:
* Under is 5-0 in the last five meetings at LSU.
* Under is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings.
* Texas A&M is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Home team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
No. 16 Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan Wolverines (OFF)
* The Boilermakers pulled out an 82-81 overtime victory over ninth-ranked Michigan State to beat a top-10 team for the first time since 2011 and move back into contention for the Big Ten title. The Boilermakers sit two games behind No. 5 Iowa at the top of the conference standings with six games remaining and hope to close the gap by sweeping the season series with the Wolverines following an 87-70 win on Jan. 7 at Mackey Arena.
* Michigan snapped a two-game losing streak by fending off struggling Minnesota 82-74 on Wednesday. The Wolverines knocked down 14 3-pointers and have made at least 10 triples in 17 games this season as they improved to 49-0 when scoring 80 or more points under head coach John Beilein. Michigan is just 2-5 against teams currently ranked in the top-25 with all five losses coming by double digits, but can leapfrog Purdue in the conference standings with their third consecutive home win in the series.
Trends:
* Purdue is 1-5 ATS in the last six overall.
* Michigan is 0-4 ATS in its last four home games.
* Over is 13-3 in Michigan's last 16 versus Big Ten opponents.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
No. 4 Xavier Musketeers at Butler Bulldogs (-3.5, OFF)
* The fourth-ranked Musketeers try to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since last February after getting upset at Creighton on Tuesday night. The Musketeers have four players averaging in double figures led by sophomore guard Trevon Bluiett (15.2), who also is third on the team in rebounding (6.7).
* The Bulldogs are tied for sixth place with Providence starting the weekend but have won three straight and four of their last five. Four players average in double figures, including senior guard Kellen Dunham (16.1) and senior swingman Roosevelt Jones (14.3) -- both of whom were preseason first team all-Big East picks.
Trends:
* Xavier is 9-1-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Under is 8-2 in Butler's last 10 games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Xavier's last five road games.
No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks at No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners (-5, OFF)
* Back on Jan. 5, Kansas prevailed against Oklahoma in a triple-overtime game that left Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III telling reporting, "Craziest game I've ever been a part of." The Jayhawks pushed their winning streak to four games Tuesday with a 10-point victory over West Virginia as the team's frontcourt took center stage.
* Sooners coach Lon Kruger added "I don't know that I've been in one better" after his team fell despite Buddy Hield's career-high 46 points. The senior guard has emerged as the favorite for National Player of the Year and scored 27 points in Monday's three-point win over Texas as the Sooners rebounded from a disappointing loss to Kansas State.
Trends:
* Kansas is 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Over is 6-0 in the last six meetings.
* Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings at Oklahoma.
* Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
No. 12 Oregon Ducks at Stanford Cardinal (+7, OFF)
* The Ducks saw their six-game winning streak come to an end Thursday at California. Oregon beat Stanford 71-58 in Eugene on Jan. 10 and will be heavy favorites against an injury-plagued Cardinal team that has dropped four straight.
* Leading rebounder Reid Travis will miss his 15th straight game Saturday with a stress reaction in left leg while forward Michael Humphrey remains limited due to a bruised thigh after scoring six points in 20 minutes in Thursday’s loss to the Beavers.
Trends:
* Oregon is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss.
* Stanford is 0-5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Oregon's last four road games.
* Under is 3-0-1 in the last four meetings in Stanford.
No. 7 Virginia Cavaliers at Duke Blue Devils (-2, OFF)
* The seventh-ranked Cavaliers eye an eighth straight victory Saturday. The Cavaliers recorded a fourth consecutive double-digit victory Tuesday, defeating Virginia Tech 67-49 to remain one-half game behind conference-leading North Carolina. The Cavaliers, who led the nation in scoring defense a season ago, have moved up to third in the country this season (ACC-low 59.6 points) after holding each of their last four opponents to 50 points or fewer.
* The Blue Devils are tied for eighth in the country in scoring offense (ACC-best 84.3 points), relying heavily on a six-man rotation led by the conference's second-highest scorer in Grayson Allen (20.8 points) and seventh-highest scorer Brandon Ingram (16.9). Allen, who has drained his last 19 free throws and is 15-of-23 beyond the arc over his last four contests, has tallied at least 27 points in three of his last five outings.
Trends:
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Virginia is 4-0 ATS in its last four meetings at Duke.
* Under is 4-0 in Virginia's last four overall.
* Duke is 7-0 ATS in their last seven home games versus a team with a winning road record.
Wisconsin Badgers at No. 2 Maryland Terrapins (-9, OFF)
* The Badgers are playing their way off the bubble and into strong at-large NCAA Tournament position with a six-game winning streak that includes victories over Michigan State and Indiana, but they fell just short in their first meeting with Maryland. The Badgers are beating opposing defenses from deep and are 24-of-45 from 3-point range in the last two games.
* Maryland has won five games in a row to ascend to No. 2 in the country and the top of the Big Ten. Terrapins star Melo Trimble buried a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left at Wisconsin on Jan. 9 and finished with 21 points in the 63-60 triumph. Trimble got most of the night off as Maryland took a break from Big Ten play and cruised past Bowie State but should be back to his 35-plus minutes against the Badgers.
Trends:
* Wisconsin is 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Maryland is 4-1 ATS in their last five home games.
* Under is 5-1 in Wisconsin's last road road games.
* Under is 12-3-1 in Maryland's last 16 overall.
Texas Tech Red Raiders at No. 19 Baylor Bears (-9.5, OFF)
* The Red Raiders nearly upset three ranked league opponents - including Baylor in January - before knocking off No. 15 Iowa State on Wednesday. "We've been able to compete with most teams in the league, just about everyone," Red Raiders coach Tubby Smith said Wednesday. "I like our guys' attitude and I'm sure this is a real morale booster for us."
* The Bears needed a Lester Medford 3-pointer at the buzzer to escape Texas Tech with a 63-60 win on Jan. 16. Baylor snapped a two-game skid by beating Kansas State on Wednesday without senior forward Rico Gathers and starts the weekend a game back of league-leaders Oklahoma, Kansas and West Virginia.
Trends:
* Texas Tech is 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Baylor is 0-4 ATS in its last four home games.
* Under is 4-1 in Texas Tech's last five Saturday games.
* Over is 5-1 in Baylor's last six games versus a team with a winning % above .600.
St. John's Red Storm at No. 1 Villanova Wildcats (-27.5, OFF)
* After a strong opening statement in defense of its No. 1 ranking, Villanova takes aim at its 14th win in 15 games Saturday. Villanova is a relatively mediocre team offensively, but the team ranks eighth in the nation (entering the weekend) in scoring defense with an average of 61 points allowed. Hart paces the team with 15.5 points per game, while Arcidiacono averages 12.3 but enters mired in a four-game shooting slump (9-of-33).
* Since respectable efforts against Villanova and Xavier (another top-10 team), St. John's has lost its last two against Butler and Georgetown by a combined 58 points. Forwards Christian Jones (14 points, nine rebounds) and Kassoum Yakwe (12 points, two blocks) were the only two bright spots against the Hoyas, as the team's perimeter players combined to miss 13 of their 17 3-pointers.
Trends:
* St. John's 1-4 ATS in their last five Saturday games.
* Villanova is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games versus a team with a winning % below .400.
* Over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.
* Under is 8-2 in Villanova's last 10 games versus a team with a winning % below .400.
No. 25 Texas Longhorns at No. 15 Iowa State Cyclones (-5.5, OFF)
* The Longhorns fell by three points at No. 3 Oklahoma on Monday to end a four-game winning streak. The Longhorns shot 40 percent from the field, made just 6-of-23 from behind the 3-point arc and leading scorer Isaiah Taylor (15.4 per game) recorded 19 to lead the way against the Sooners.
* Iowa State lost at Texas Tech in overtime Wednesday for its third defeat in four outings. Jameel McKay, who averages 12.4 points and a team-best nine rebounds, sat out his second straight game for disciplinary reasons Wednesday but has been cleared to return to the lineup Saturday.
Trends:
* Texas is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games overall.
* Underdog is 3-0-1 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings at Iowa State.
* Under is 7-0 in Texas' last seven games overall.