College Basketball Betting News and Notes Saturday, February 15

College Basketball Information

LaSalle won four of last six games with St Joe's, but Explorers lost five of last six games overall, are 1-2 as home favorites, 3-2 SU at home, with home wins by 4-10-8 with losses to VCU/St Louis. A-13 favorites are 12-9 vs spread in games with spread of 3 or less points. Hawks are 7-2 in last nine games, 3-2 as A-13 underdogs- they've been off for week, a good thing for team playing a six-man rotation.

UConn (+6.5) won 83-73 at Memphis Jan 16, making 64.9% of shots inside arc, overcoming -6 (15-9) turnover ratio. Huskies won five of last six games, are 4-0 as home favorites, with four wins by 23+ points and a loss to Louisville. Memphis won five of last six games, is 4-1 on road in AAC, with only loss by 15 at SMU- they won at Louisville. AAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 7-3 vs spread.

North Carolina got snowed out Wednesday; they've won/covered five in a row, winning last four home games by 11-19-14-12 points. Pitt had its heart torn out by last-second 35-footer Wednesday; they're 2-3 in last five games (0-5 vs spread) but all three losses were at home. Pitt's last four games were all decided by 3 or less points, or in OT. ACC home favorites of 5 or less points are 4-13 vs spread. UNC is 3-2 as a HF.

Home side won 11 of last 13 Iowa-Penn State games; Hawkeyes are 1-5 in last six visits here, winning by hoop LY. PSU is 4-2 in last six games after starting 0-6 in league play; they're 2-4 at home- its last three home losses were by 3-3-5 points. Iowa is 3-3 in last six games, with two of three losses at home; they're 2-0 as road favorites, with all three road wins (3-2) by 7+ points. Big Dozen home underdogs are 8-9 vs spread.

Oklahoma State lost by 19 at Texas in first game of Smart's suspension; Cowboys lost last five games, are 0-6 vs spread in last six- they lost at Oklahoma 88-76 (-4) Jan 27; Sooners were 30-42 on line, State 15-22. OSU lost last two home games; they're down two starters and a backup PG. Oklahoma lost three of last four games- they're 4-2 as a road dog. Big X home favorites of less than 5 points are 6-2 vs spread.

Saint Louis beat VCU twice LY in Rams' first year in A-13, winning by 14-6 points, including win in A-13 tourney finals. Billikens won all nine A-13 games- they're 2-2 as home favorites, winning home games by 6-22-20-6 points. VCU avenged a loss to GW with Wednesday's win, its 7th win in last eight games; Rams are 2-2 on A-13 road, losing last home game to St Joe's. A-13 home favorites of 5 or less points are 11-9.

George Washington is 5-0 SU/ATS at home in A-13, with all five wins by 10+ points; Colonials are 3-2 in last five games with UMass, but lost to Minutemen in A-13 tourney LY. UMass is 3-4 in its last seven games after a 16-1 start; star G Williams got hurt last game, is a ? here. A-13 home favorites of 5 or less points are 11-9 vs spread. Minutemen lost three of last four A-13 road games with lone win at URI.

Middle Tennessee won its last six games (4-1-1 vs spread); they've won last four home games, all by 16+ points, are 4-2 as home favorites in its first year in C-USA. Southern Miss had its 7-game win streak snapped at UAB Thursday; they're 3-2 on road, with all three wins by 10+; other loss was at Tulsa. C-USA home teams are 17-15 against the spread, in games where spread was 5 or less points.

Buffalo won five of last six games, is 5-0 as home favorites, with four of five wins by 11+ points, but they've lost six games in row to Ohio, with Bobcats winning last three visits here by 3-7-11 points. Ohio lost two of last three games, is 1-4 vs spread in last five, losing last two road games, by 16 at Western Michigan, 6 at Toledo. Bobcats are 2-1 as underdogs. MAC single digit home favorites are 12-18 vs spread.

Green Bay won its last four games vs Cleveland State, winning 66-55 at home Jan 2 (-7.5), game they trailed by 6 at half; its 66-59 win here LY ended 0-5 skid in this gym. Vikings were just 3-21 from arc in that game. Green Bay is 3-2 in last five games, 1-5 vs spread in last six. Horizon home favorites of 5 or less points are 4-14 vs spread. Vikings won and covered last six games; they won four of last five home games.

Missouri snapped 3-game skid with hectic 86-85 win over former coach Anderson's Razorbacks Thursday; Tigers won three of last four at home, losing to Georgia/Kentucky at home this year- they're 1-3 as favorites at home. Tennessee lost two of last three games, is 3-2 on SEC road, but they've had two extra days to prepare for this game. SEC home teams are 22-11-1 vs spread in games where spread was 5 or less points.

BYU (-6) beat St Mary's 84-71 at home two weeks ago, after trailing by 14 in first half; it was Cougars' first win in five games vs St Mary's- they lost last two visits here, by 16-7 points. BYU is 2-5 on WCC road, with losses by 4-15-7 in last three. WCC home favorites of less than 4 points are 8-5 vs spread. St Mary's won last three games, is 3-3 as home fave, with three of five wins in Moraga by 12+ points.

Florida is 11-0 in SEC with only three wins by 6 or less points; Gators lost six of last seven games with Kentucky, losing last five visits here, with four losses by 8 or less points. Florida won its last 16 games- last loss was Dec 2 by point at UConn. Kentucky won its last four games; they're 5-0 at home in SEC- its losses are by 2 at Arkansas, at LSU by 5. SEC home favorites of 5 or less points are 10-5 vs spread.

Armadillosports.com

Saturday's Top 25 NCAAB Cheat Sheet: Early Games
By Covers.com

Here's a quick look at the marquee early games on Saturday's NCAA basketball schedule:

Virginia Cavaliers at Clemson Tigers (+4.5)

The conference championship very well could come down to Virginia's showdown with the visiting Syracuse Orange on March 1. But the Cavaliers have made it known they aren't looking past anyone - putting together its best start in conference play since opening 12-1 in 1981-82. Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdon has scored in double digits in 12 consecutive games.

K.J. McDaniels has been the lone offensive star on a Clemson squad that has struggled to score all season. He's the only player on the team to average double digits in points (17) and also leads the club in rebounding (7.5), steals (1.1) and blocks. The Tigers shoot just 41.1 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from beyond the arc but limit opponents to 38.2 percent from the floor.

TRENDS

* Cavaliers are 6-0 ATS in their last six road games.
* Tigers are 7-0 ATS in their last seven Saturday games.
* Under is 5-1 in Virginia's last six games.
* Home team is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.

Memphis Tigers at Connecticut Huskies (-5)

Named to the Wooden Award midseason list, Memphis' Joe Jackson leads the conference with an average of two steals while also remaining atop the club in points (14.6), assists (4.5) and minutes (32). While the senior guard's presence is felt in every contest, freshman reserve forward Dominic Woodson will sit out as he serves a one-game suspension for inappropriate language.

The Huskies' Shabazz Napier also was named to the Wooden Award midseason list, which consists of the top 30 players in the nation. The guard leads the conference in assists (5.5) while also topping his own team in points (17.3) and rebounds (5.9). Guard Ryan Boatright is dealing with an admittedly injured shoulder but sits one point shy of reaching 1,000 for his career.

TRENDS

* Tigers are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS win.
* Huskies are 6-0 ATS in their last six games.
* Under is 10-4 in Memphis' last 14 road games.
* Over is 19-9-1 in Connecticut's last 29 games following a win of more than 20 points.

Pittsburgh Panthers at North Carolina Tar Heels (-3.5)

Even though they went to both overtime and double-overtime in their last five contests, the Panthers only are averaging 57.4 points during that stretch. Talib Zanna broke out of a slump with 16 points and 14 rebounds against Syracuse, but Patterson - the team's leading scorer at 17 points - continued to struggle from the field. Patterson is shooting just 28.5 percent over the last five games.

The Tar Heels have been remarkably consistent during their five-game winning streak, as they've scored between 73 and 84 points in each game while allowing between 61 and 70. Of course, Wednesday's postponement means North Carolina has not played in a week since posting a 73-62 road win over Notre Dame. James Michael McAdoo led the team with 18 points in that contest.

TRENDS

* Panthers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games.
* Tar Heels are 5-0 ATS in their last five games.
* Under is 4-0 in Pittsburgh's last four games.
* Over is 5-2 in North Carolina's last seven games.

Iowa Hawkeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions (+7)

The Hawkeyes, who have alternated wins and losses in the last six games, are third in the standings with trips to Indiana, Minnesota and Michigan State on the horizon - along with a home game versus Wisconsin. Devyn Marble made six 3-pointers in last weekend's win against Michigan and averages 16.5 points to lead the team. Aaron White is the only other player averaging in double figures (13.2)

The Nittany Lions forced 20 turnovers in Wednesday's victory at Indiana, where they finished the game with a 15-2 run and denied the Hoosiers a field goal over the final five minutes. D.J. Newbill, who averaged 23 points in two games against Iowa last season, leads Penn State in scoring (17.2) and Frazier is next (16.1) while topping the Big Ten with six assists per game.

TRENDS

* Hawkeyes are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 Saturday games.
* Nittany Lions are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games.
* Over is 9-2 in Iowa's last 11 games following an ATS win.
* Home team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.

Texas Tech Red Raiders at Iowa State Cyclones (-10)

The Red Raiders scored 30 points in the paint Monday and are averaging 35.4, ahead of the school-record pace set in 1995-96 (34.3). Texas Tech’s ability to score inside has overshadowed its woes from the 3-point line during its three-game winning streak, during which time the Red Raiders are shooting 23 percent beyond the arc. Jaye Crockett leads the team in scoring at 14.5 points per game.

The Cyclones remained the only team in Division I to score at least 70 points in every contest, but little else went right two days after conference player of the year candidate Melvin Ejim exploded for a Big 12-record 48 points against Texas Christian. Ejim managed only six points in a game coach Fred Hoiberg called “the worst effort we have had by far this season”.

TRENDS

* Red Raiders are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games.
* Cyclones are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games.
* Under is 7-0 in Texas Tech's last seven Saturday games.
* Favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.

Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys (-2.5)

Buddy Hield leads the fourth-place Sooners with 16.4 points but was held to single-digits for just the second time this season. Ryan Spangler adds 10.4 points and 9.8 rebounds after being held to five points and four rebounds. Cameron Clark has back-to-back 16 point games, hitting 13-of-16 shots during that span, and averages 15.8 points.

Markel Brown averages 16.7 points and Phil Forte adds 12.2 points after scoring eight in his first start. Le'Bryan Nash, who adds 14.8 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds, has shot 50 percent or better in his last six games and is averaging 19.5 points during that span. Kamari Murphy averages 6.1 points and 5.8 rebounds after his first double-double of the year.

TRENDS

* Sooners are 6-0 in their last six games following an ATS loss.
* Cowboys are 1-6 ATS in their last seven Saturday games.
* Under is 4-1 in Oklahoma's last five road games.
* Over is 6-0 in the last six meetings in Stillwater.

VCU Rams at Saint Louis Billikens (-4.5)

The Rams feature three double-digit scorers in guard Treveon Graham (15.6 points, 6.9 rebounds), forward Juvonte Reddic (12.4 points, 8.3 rebounds) and guard Melvin Johnson (10.7). Guard Rob Brandenberg (9.4) had failed to reach double digits in five of six games – including back-to-back 3-point outings – before breaking out with 15 points in the victory over George Washington.

The Billikens allow just 58.8 points per game and limit opponents to 39 percent shooting from the field but also possess two potent offensive players in forward Dwayne Evans (14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds) and point guard Jordair Jett (13.2 points, 4.9 assists). Jett scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half against La Salle and ranks fifth in school history with 375 career assists.

TRENDS

* Rams are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 road games.
* Billikens are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss.
* Under is 7-1 in Saint Louis' last eight Saturday games.
* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.

Houston Cougars at Cincinnati Bearcats (-15)

Cougars forward TaShawn Thomas averages 16.2 points and 8.8 rebounds but has occasionally been passive in games and the coaching staff urged him to be more aggressive against Temple and he responded with 25 points and nine rebounds. Guards Danuel House (12.9) and Jherrod Stiggers (10 per game) also average in double digits.

Cincinnati's Sean Kilpatrick scored 22 points against SMU for his fourth 20-point outing in five games but was just 5-of-18 from the field. The senior guard is averaging 22.9 points over the last eight games and was named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30 list Thursday. Forward Justin Jackson averages 11.4 points and seven rebounds.

TRENDS

* Cougars are 1-5 ATS in their last six games.
* Bearcats are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games.
* Under is 40-11 in Cincinnati's last 51 games.
* Home team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.

N.C. State Wolf Pack at Syracuse Orange (-14)

Since missing a game due to a sprained ankle, Wolf Pack standout T.J. Warren (23.1 points, 7.4 rebounds) has posted an average of 26.4 points and 7.6 boards over his last five contests. Warren has shot 58.4 percent during that stretch, including a 15-of-26 performance en route to a career-high 34 points in Tuesday's 15-point win over Wake Forest.

The 58-56 win over Pittsburgh gave Syracuse its 24th straight victory - a new school record - as the team erased a six-point deficit in the final two minutes. The Orange won despite the absence of center Baye Moussa Keita, a stalwart in the middle of Jim Boeheim's 2-3 zone defense, and the senior's status is up in the air for Saturday.

TRENDS

* Wolfpack are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 Saturday games.
* Orange are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a win.
* Over is 4-1 in N.C. State's last five games.
* Road team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.

Saturday's Top 25 NCAAB Cheat Sheet: Late Games
By Covers.com

Here's a quick look at the marquee late games on Saturday's NCAA basketball schedule:

TCU Horned Frogs at Kansas Jayhawks (-24)

Kyan Anderson continues to be the bright spot in the Horned Frogs' struggling offense, averaging a team-high 16.3 points after scoring at least 20 points in four of his last six games. Amric Fields has scored in double figures in 13 of his 16 appearances and averages 13.6 points and 6.1 rebounds. The Horned Frogs are ranked last in the Big 12 in scoring, field-goal percentage and rebounding.

Freshman Andrew Wiggins leads the first-place Jayhawks with 16 points and Perry Ellis adds 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds. Ellis has had two double-doubles in the past three games for Kansas, which is 9-2 at home. Joel Embiid averages 10.7 points, a team-high 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 22.3 minutes but has been limited to 7.5 points in 17.3 minutes the past three games.

TRENDS

* Horned Frogs are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games vs. Big 12 opponents.
* Jayhawks are 5-0 ATS in their last five games vs. teams with losing records.
* Under is 4-0 in TCU's last four games following an ATS loss.
* Over is 8-0 in Kansas' last eight Saturday games.

Maryland Terrapins at Duke Blue Devils (-13.5)

The Terrapins put up a fight before fading in the second half of a 61-53 loss at Virginia on Monday, two days after putting up 83 points on one of the best defensive teams in the ACC in a win over Florida State. Seth Allen went for a career-high 32 points in the victory over the Seminoles and had 15 against the Cavaliers on 7-of-14 shooting.

The Blue Devils know a few things about getting hot from 3-point range and lead the ACC with a 3-point field-goal percentage of 42. Duke went 11-of-21 from beyond the arc in last Saturday’s 89-68 win at Boston College but freshman Jabari Parker did not need any 3-pointers to post season highs of 29 points and 16 rebounds. Parker has 21 or more points in three of the last four contests.

TRENDS

* Terrapins are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Saturday games.
* Blue Devils are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games.
* Under is 4-0 in Maryland's last four road games.
* Favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.

West Virginia Mountaineers at Texas Longhorns (-6)

West Virginia's Juwan Staten scored 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting but the rest of the team struggled to 30.9 percent shooting in the loss to Texas, with Terry Henderson and Eron Harris combining to go 1-of-13 from 3-point range. Staten’s 19 points against Iowa State snapped a string of three straight games reaching at least 20. He had 23 in the first meeting with Texas.

The Longhorns were missing leading scorer Jonathan Holmes on Tuesday but Javan Felix picked up the slack with 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. The sophomore guard was 6-of-24 from 3-point range over his previous five games but got help from a sagging defense and confidence from his teammates. Texas suffered a 57-53 overtime loss at home to West Virginia last season.

TRENDS

* Mountaineers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a win.
* Longhorns are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 Saturday games.
* Over is 4-0 in West Virginia's last four games.
* Over is 13-6 in Texas' last 19 games vs. the Big 12.

Ohio State Buckeyes at Illinois Fighting Illini (+4.5)

The Buckeyes allowed 70 or more points for only the fourth time this season against Michigan to stall their momentumt. Ross leads the team in scoring (14.6), followed by Lenzell Smith Jr. (12) while point guard Aaron Craft stirs the pot for the Ohio State, averaging 9.3 points, 4.7 assists and 2.5 steals. Ohio State C Amir Williams leads the league in field goal percentage at 61.8 and paces the Buckeyes in rebounding (6.2).

Guard Rayvonte Rice has been a bright spot during a rough stretch for the Fighting Illini, reaching 20 points in three of the last five games while leading the team in scoring (16.8) and rebounding (six) at 6-4. Illinois’ only win during its slump came Feb. 9 at Penn State, but followed that up with a 67-58 loss at Nebraska on Wednesday. Joseph Bertrand, 2-of-8 shooting the last two games, had 19 points against Ohio State

TRENDS

* Buckeyes are 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games.
* Fighting Illini are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games.
* Under is 7-1 in Ohio State's last eight games following an ATS loss.
* Home team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.

Loyola Marymount Lions at Gonzaga Bulldogs (-17.5)

The Lions opened West Coast Conference play with consecutive victories but have since dropped 11 of 12, including a 10-point decision to the visiting Bulldogs on Jan. 18. Anthony Ireland leads the team in points (18.4) and assists (5.5) but is just 15-for-44 from the field over his last three games and is shooting just over 30 percent from 3-point range for the season.

Gonzaga bounced back nicely from a six-point loss at Memphis, shooting 52.5 percent while placing four players in double figures en route to a 15-point victory over Pepperdine. Junior guard Kevin Pangos paces the team in scoring at 15.1 points per game, but had averaged just 8.3 over a four-game stretch before breaking out with 18 against the Waves.

TRENDS

* Lions are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games.
* Bulldogs are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games.
* Under is 9-1 in Loyola Marymount's last 10 games vs. teams with winning records.
* Under is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings.

Air Force Falcons at San Diego State Aztecs (-17.5)

The Falcons held San Jose State to 30.2 percent shooting Wednesday and edged the Spartans 51-48 for their first victory in nearly a month. Leading scorer Tre' Coggins returned to the starting lineup for the first time since serving a three-game suspension and finished with three points on 1-of-12 shooting. Coggins averages 16.8 points while shooting 47.1 percent from the field.

The Aztecs’ dynamic frontcourt has become even stronger in recent weeks with the emergence of forward Dwayne Polee II, who made three 3-pointers and scored 15 points against Wyoming. Polee was one of the few bright spots against the Cowboys, whose zone defense frustrated Thames and forced 13 turnovers. San Diego State has won 10 of the last 12 games against Air Force.

TRENDS

* Falcons are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games.
* Aztecs are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games.
* Under is 13-3 in San Diego State's last 16 home games.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.

Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats (-2)

Florida enters this game on a 16-game winning streak. Patric Young will move into a tie for eighth for the most games played at Florida (136) when he takes the floor against Kentucky. The Gators will be trying to snap an opponent's home-winning streak of at least 20 games for the second time this season after ending Arkansas’ 25-game streak with an overtime win Jan. 14.

Many expected Willie Cauley-Stein to continue in his starting role after he took over for Noel following his injury last season, but Johnson stole the job in the preseason and the 7-foot Cauley-Stein hasn’t done much to prove he belongs with the starting five. Cauley-Stein has been held to single digits in eight of the last nine games, scoring three points or fewer in five of those contests.

TRENDS

* Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games.
* Under is 10-2 in Gators' last 12 Saturday games.
* Under is 4-1-1 in Kentucky's last six Saturday games.
* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

Saturday's Tip Sheet
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com

The NBA All-Star break is this weekend and the NHL is in the middle of a two-week hiatus for the Winter Olympics, so men’s college basketball should have the betting public’s full attention this Saturday. Lucky for them there are a number of intriguing matchups on the schedule starting with No. 20 Memphis on the road against No. 24 Connecticut in a high noon clash in the AAC.

No. 20 Memphis Tigers at No. 24 Connecticut Huskies

There is a logjam in the AAC at this point of the season with half the teams in the conference ranked in the Top 25. The Tigers are right in the thick of things with an 8-3 straight-up record and they are 19-5 overall. They have been busy the past few days starting with last Saturday’s 60-54 nonconference victory over then-No. 23 Gonzaga as four-point home favorites followed by a tight 76-70 win against Central Florida as 13½-point favorites at home on Wednesday night.

Memphis has gone 5-2 against the spread in its last seven games to improve to 13-8 ATS on the year. It is a profitable 8-2 ATS on the road this season and the total has stayed UNDER in three of its last four road games.

The Tigers have relied heavily on an offense that is averaging 79.7 points a game and shooting 48.1 percent from the field to help cover up some issues with a defense that has allowed 68.7 PPG to its opponents.

Earlier this month, they tagged Rutgers with 101 points in a 32-point romp but this was after giving up 87 points to SMU in a 15-point loss in their previous outing. The duo of Joe Jackson and Shaq Goodwin has done most of the damage with a combined 28.1 points a game.

Connecticut shocked the Tigers in mid-January with an 83-73 victory in the first meeting this season as a seven-point road underdog. Since that point, the Huskies have lost to Louisville and Cincinnati in their only other two games against a ranked opponent as part of an overall SU record of 7-4 in conference play. Despite this up and down play on the court, Connecticut has been one of the most profitable plays in the AAC lately with an 8-1 record ATS in its last nine contests.

Overall, the Huskies are 19-5 SU with a 13-9 record ATS. They have covered in eight of 12 home games this season and the total has stayed UNDER in eight of 11 games at home with a posted line. The total has now stayed UNDER in their last four contests.

Shabazz Napier and DeAndre Daniels have been the big two for Connecticut this season with a combined 30.8 points and 11.4 rebounds a game. The team is averaging 75.6 PPG while shooting 46.5 percent from the field. It has picked things up a notch or two in its last two games by outscoring Central Florida and South Florida by a combined 63 points. The Huskies have done a good job on the other end of the court as well by holding teams to an average of 63.4 PPG. They have played even better defense at home with this average dropping to 59.2 PPG.

Connecticut opened as a 3 ½-point home favorite to pull-off the season sweep over the Tigers on Saturday.

Other than this year’s first tilt, the only other time these two met in recent memory was Memphis’s 81-70 victory in the 2007-08 season as a 7½-point home favorite.

Bonus Games

No. 17 Virginia Cavaliers at Clemson Tigers

The Cavaliers have been rolling along with eight-straight victories since a four-point loss to Duke on Jan. 13. This run includes wins over North Carolina and Pittsburgh both SU and ATS. They are now just one game in back of Syracuse in the ACC standings at 11-1 SU and they are 20-5 SU overall.

Virginia has covered in its last six road games and it is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 matchups in the ACC. Despite this impressive run both SU and ATS, there has to be some genuine concern heading into this Saturday’s game as a 3½-point road favorite. The Cavaliers have gone 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings and they have failed to cover in their last four trips to Clemson.

The total has stayed UNDER in five of the last seven meetings.

No. 16 Iowa Hawkeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions

Iowa trails both Michigan State and Michigan in the Big Ten standings by two games with a SU conference record of 7-4. After losing to both of these teams as part of a 2-3 SU slide, the Hawkeyes served notice that they are still a factor in the Big Ten regular season title race by hammering the Wolverines 85-67 this past Saturday as 5 ½-point home favorites.

The big question for this game is can Iowa maintain the momentum from that victory or does it suffer a letdown as a 7½-point road favorite? Recent betting trends suggest the latter when you consider that the home team in this matchup is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings. Making matters worse is the fact that the Hawkeyes are just 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings and 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games against Penn State.

Florida at Kentucky
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Florida can make the SEC regular-season race a landslide if it can go into Rupp Arena and win Saturday night for the first time since 2007. Billy Donovan's team travels to Kentucky with a two-game lead over the Wildcats in the league standings.

Most betting shops opened Kentucky (19-5 straight up, 11-9-2 against the spread) as a 2.5-point home favorite.

While a Florida (22-2 SU, 10-9-1 ATS) victory would basically end the SEC race, a win by Kentucky would allow it to control its own destiny to capture yet another conference title.

John Calipari's team is unbeaten in 14 home games with an 8-4 spread record. As for UF, it has won six of its eight true road games while posting a 4-3 spread record.

Kentucky has only been a single-digit home favorite once, failing to cover in a win over Tennessee.

Florida has been an underdog three times this year, going 1-2 SU and 2-1 ATS. The Gators won outright at Arkansas as 3.5-point underdogs, lost on a buzzer-beater but covered at UConn and dropped a 59-53 decision at Wisconsin as 5.5-point road 'dogs.

We should add that this is the first underdog situation for Florida with its entire roster healthy and eligible. In the loss at Wisconsin, Dorian Finney-Smith, Scottie Wilbekin and Chris Walker were out. Kasey Hill was out against the Huskies and Wilbekin was injured in the second half and couldn't play at crunch time.

Walker hasn't been getting much playing time in his first three games. The McDonald's All-American out of Bonifay has played just 16 minutes. Walker has scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots. He has made 4-of-5 shot attempts from the field.

UF has won 16 in a row and hasn't tasted defeat since a Dec. 2 loss at UConn. The Gators are coming off a solid road win Tuesday over Tennessee.

Florida beat the Volunteers by 26 in Gainesville a few weeks ago, but it was a different story at Thompson-Boling Arena. UT led by one at intermission and trailed by just a point with 4:32 remaining.

But Michael Frazier II and Scottie Wilbekin drained back-to-back 3's to stretch the lead to seven and UF pulled away for a 67-58 win as a two-point road 'chalk.' Wilbekin finished with 21 points, six assists and four steals. Frazier finished with 11 points, while Casey Prather had nine points and eight rebounds.

Since losing at LSU on Jan. 28, Kentucky has won four consecutive games while compiling a 3-1 spread record. The Wildcats won 64-56 Wednesday at Auburn, hooking up their backers as 7.5-point road favorites.

Andrew Harrison led the way against the Tigers with 16 points. Julius Randle added 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Randle is UK's go-to guy on a team that consists mainly of freshmen and sophomores. He is averaging 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

Randle has a size and strength advantage over just about all defenders that go against him, but that won't be the case with Patric Young. In fact, Young will have the advantage in the muscle department.

From the fourth row behind the Kansas bench at the The O-Dome in December, I saw first-hand how Young's muscle rendered KU's Joel Embiid completely ineffective.

Florida likes to play a lot of zone and I'm sure that'll be the case Saturday night. Kentucky struggles from the perimeter, ranking No. 272 in the nation in 3-point percentage (32.2%).

Since Calipari was hired by UK, the 'Cats have won eight of 10 meetings against Florida. The long-time rivals split a pair of regular-season meetings last year, with UK winning a 61-57 decision at home.

The 'under' has cashed in five of the last six head-to-head encounters between these schools and is 8-3 in the last 11.

The 'under' has been a winner in three straight UK games to improve to 12-8-1 overall. The 'under' is 7-3-1 for the 'Cats in their home games.

The 'under' has been a major money maker in Florida games all season. The 'under' is 14-5-1 overall for the Gators, 5-2 in their road assignments.

GameDay will be in Lexington and tip-off on ESPN is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

B.E.'s Bonus Nuggets

Michigan State senior center Adreian Payne is back and 100 percent healthy (and lethal) after missing seven games. Payne led the Spartans to Thursday's 85-70 home win over Northwestern by scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Payne scored 24 points in last Sunday's loss at Wisconsin. Tom Izzo is happy to have Payne back, but he's now without starting guard Keith Appling, who has a wrist injury that has forced him to miss the first three games of his career. Appling averages 15.0 points and 4.9 assists per game. He continues to get treatment but is probably at least a week away from returning. Branden Dawson remains out (hand) and won't be back for at least two more weeks.

Kansas freshman center Joel Embiid is listed as 'questionable' for Saturday's home game vs. TCU, but I'll be very surprised if he plays. Bill Self clearly indicated after Monday's loss at Kansas St. that Embiid needed some rest before the stretch drive. Embiid has been bothered by a sprained knee and an ailing back, and his presence certainly isn't required against the Horned Frogs. Embiid averages 10.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game. Also, the status of Jamari Taylor is in question after Self benched him at KSU due to an off-the-court issue. Taylor averages 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Texas forward Jonathan Holmes (13.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG) is a question mark for Saturday's home game versus West Virginia. Holmes injured his knee in last Saturday's loss at Kansas St. and did not play in a win over Oklahoma St. earlier this week.

UMass stud point guard Chaz Williams is questionable Saturday against George Washington due to a hip injury. Williams is the catalyst for the Minutemen, averaging 15.7 points and 7.3 assists per game.

I'm wondering if the court at Thompson-Boling is ok after taking that crash landing from Patric Young's body Tuesday night? With UF leading by six at the 1:32 mark, Young missed a shot that went off the rim and bounced toward the sideline. Two Tennessee players were in better position to grab the rebound, but Young wanted it more. The senior center fully extended his 6-foot-9, 240-pound frame to dive at the ball. His momentum was carrying him out of bounds, but he immediately threw the ball to a teammate and the Gators got a fresh 35 seconds. Donovan called it 'the play of the year.'

I'll be filing Thursday's finish of Boston College at Ga. Tech as one of my top miracle covers of all-time. At the same time, those backing BC will add it to their list of bad beats. Hopefully those of you on the Eagles got a push, as Ga. Tech was favored by 2.5 early Thursday but eventually moved to three. BC took a one-point lead with 3.4 seconds remaining on a baseline jumper from Olivier Hanlan. Ga. Tech had no timeouts remaining, but it caught a monster break when Steve Donahue inexplicably decided to call a timeout. Why, you ask? Well, of course, to make sure his defense was so prepared for the play the Yellow Jackets now had time to draw up. Donahue did such a good job of prepping his players that they committed the most cardinal sin possible --fouling a 3-point shooter -- in this scenario. Marcus Georges-Hunt buried the trey with 0.7 seconds remaining to put Ga. Tech up by two. In this situation, especially when given the amount of time that was available since the refs had to go to the monitor and review where the clock should've stopped after Georges-Hunt's 3-ball, Ga. Tech head coach Brian Gregory should've advised Georges-Hunt to miss the free throw on purpose. As long as he hit the rim, this would've resulted in BC having to attempt a heave from 80-plus feet. This is an absolute no-brainer coaching move, but Gregory and his staff fell asleep at the wheel. Therefore, when Georges-Hunt made the free throw, Ga. Tech backers were able to cash the miracle winner. Also, BC had a decent look at a potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it was off the mark. I'm glad it didn't go in, but it sure would've been fitting because Donahue and Gregory both did an abysmal job of handling the clock and their timeouts at crunch time of this scrub game that I'll never forget.

College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com

Virginia at Clemson

Virginia Cavaliers (20-5, 13-8 ATS) have won eight consecutive games and will try for 9 straight when they visit the Clemson Tigers (15-8, 10-7-1 ATS) in an early tip-off Saturday. Not known for offensive firepower netting just 66.2 PPG the Cavaliers do it behind the nation's top scoring defense allowing 55.5 points/game while holding opponents to 38.3% shooting. Cavaliers 11-1 (10-2 ATS) in ACC action will be looking to snap a four-game SU/ATS skid playing in Clemson's back yard. Tigers, like UVA have trouble putting the ball through the hoop averaging a lowly 62.3 points/game and are ranked right behind Cavaliers scoring defense at 55.7 points/game allowing foes 38.3% from the field. Tigers on a two game slide hit the hardwood 6-5 (5-5-1 ATS) this season within the conference, 6-10 (5-9-2 ATS) the past sixteen vs an ACC rival. Two lock-down defenses total players will be counting on a sixth straight series 'Under' in Clemson.

TCU at Kansas

College Hoops takes center stage Saturday with five of the top-10 teams in action including a mismatch at Allen Fieldhouse when seventh-ranked Jayhawks (18-6, 12-11-1 ATS) host TCU Horned Frogs (9-14, 9-9 ATS). Coach Bill Self's troops reeling from an 85-82 OT loss at K-State Monday night will be eager to get back into the win column. Jayhawks lead by freshman Andrew Wiggins (16.0) along with three other players dropping double-digits netting 79.5 points/game won't let this one slip away as they'll face little resistance against a TCU team allowing 70.4 points/game. Kansas manhandling TCU 91-69 in an earlier meeting cashing as 14.5 point road favorite expect a repeat performance. Consider Kansas knowing Jayhawks sport a sparkling 37-2 (21-16-1 ATS) stretch on home court, the Horned Frogs are winless in Big 12 play this season (0-11, 4-7 ATS) netting 59.1 PPG and have a 1-19 (6-14 ATS) slide the last twenty vs Big 12 opponents averaging just 57.8 per/contest.

Maryland at Duke

When NCAAB Handicappers look at the Duke Blue Devils, they're not only going to see a team playing its best basketball of the 2013-14 campaign compiling a 7-1 SU record with a perfect 8-0 mark at the betting window but also one of the more prolific shooting teams in the country averaging 82.2 points/game with freshman forward Jabari Parker leading the way at 19.2 points/contest. Given it's recent success and sturdy 16-8 ATS mark overall laying lumber when Blue Devils host Terrapins at Cameron Indoor Stadium has merit. Coach K's troops are 6-0 (5-1 ATS) at home vs Terrapins