College Basketball Knowledge
Georgetown won 81-72 at Xavier Jan 19, scoring 1.21 ppp, making 10 of 25 on arc, 61.6% inside arc- they're 2-4 in series, splitting pair here, but Hoyas are 2-6 overall since that win, beating Creighton/St John's at home. Musketeers won seven of last eight games, winning three of last four on road, with only loss by 14 at Creighton. Big East home dogs of 5 or less points are 3-5 against the spread.
Duke lost Jones (ankle) Wednesday, will likely use max of six players in this game (3 guys played 39:00+ vs UNC); they beat Louisville 72-65 in first meeting 12 days ago, outscoring Cards 15-7 over last 5:36 after they blew 15-point lead. Louisville split last six games; they can't go play in postseason- this is their Super Bowl. Cardinals 6-1 at home in ACC- the only loss was to Virginia. ACC home favorites of 7+ points are 19-20.
North Carolina is 2-3 in last five games after losing to Duke in last game; Tar Heels lost four of last five series games- 'canes won 68-59/63-57 in last two visits here. UNC was 1-13 on arc Wednesday; they won six of seven ACC home games (1-4-1 as HF). Miami won its last five games, with wins at Florida St/Ga Tech; their three road losses are by 8-11-16 points. ACC home favorites of 6 or less points are 13-11 vs spread.
Baylor is 2-3 in last five games, losing 67-59 at home to Texas Feb 1st, its 5th loss in last seven series games- they shot 35.2%. Bears lost last three visits here, by 9-5-2 points. Baylor is 4-2 on Big X road, losing at Kansas/WV. Big X home favorites of 5 or less points are 8-4 vs spread. Texas lost two of last three games but is 7-0 at home in Big X, winning by 10+ points in three of their last four home games
Villanova is 5-0 vs Butler in Big East play; they beat Bulldogs 60-55 in first meeting Jan 10- Butler led 27-21 at half in brickfest where teams hit combined 7-30 on arc. Bulldogs lost previous two visits here, by 19-12 points. Villanova won its its last six games, is 15-1 in its last 16- they're 2-4 as home favorites. Butler won four of last five games, is 3-4 on road in conference. Big East double digit home favorites are 9-8 vs spread.
Kentucky won its last four games, all by 10+ points, since losing pair of road games at Kansas/Tennessee; Wildcats won three of four vs Texas A&M in SEC play, winning both visits here in OT. Kentucky is 3-3 in SEC road games. Aggies lost five of last seven games, but only one of the losses was at home (81-78 to South Carolina). SEC home teams 17-14 vs spread in games with spread of 4 or less points.
Illinois State won eight of last nine games; they beat Northern Iowa by 9 at home Jan 23, making 12-30 on arc. UNI shot 60% inside arc but lost- they've won four of last five games with ISU, which lost last ten visits here, last four by 8+ points. Panthers won six of last seven games, with three straight home wins, by 9-3-14 points. MVC home favorites of 6 or less points are 6-10 against the spread.
Home side won last six Oklahoma-West Virginia games; Sooners lost by 5-21 in last two visits here. Oklahoma lost three of last four games after starting season 19-2; they beat West Virginia 70-68 at home Jan 16. OU outscored Mountaineers 27-13 on line in game they trailed by 7 early in second half. West Virginia is 5-5 in its last 10 games after starting year 15-1; they're 5-1 at home in Big X, with only loss to Texas. Big X home favorites of 4 or less points are 6-2.
Cincinnati won six of last eight games, winning 58-57 at UConn Jan 28, outscoring Huskies 5-0 over last 1:27 of game. Huskies are 4-2 in last six series games, but lost last three visits here, by 5-5-12 points. Cincy won its last six home games since losing to Temple. UConn is 4-2 on road in AAC; they've won five of six games since loss to Cincy. AAC home favorites of less than 5 points are 6-2 against the spread.
Purdue won its last three games with Indiana by 18-16-4 points; this is only meeting of year between in-state rivals. Purdue split its last four games; they lost three of last four on road, with win by 4 at Minnesota. Hoosiers are 4-3 in last seven games; they're 7-0 at home in conference, 5-2 as home favorites. Purdue is 0-2 as a Big 14 underdog. Big 14 home favorites of less than 5 points are 7-5 vs spread.
Gonzaga lost 70-67 at St Mary's Jan 21, blowing 15-point second half lead; Zags shot 67.6% inside arc, but lost for first time in last eight tilts with Gaels, who lost last four visits to Spokane by 14-5-22-21 points. Zags lead St Mary's by game in WCC. St Mary's is 3-2 in last five games after starting season 18-2. Gonzaga won seven of last eight games; they did lose at home to BYU in a WCC game last month. WCC home faves of 7 or less points are 7-15 against the spread.
Cal-Irvine lost 74-52 at Hawai'i nine days ago; Rainbows made 14-30 on arc in game they led 38-21 at half. Hawai'i lost two of three visits here, losing by 4-15 points. Anteaters are 4-1 at home in Big West, with four wins by 9+ points- loss was to UCSB. Big West home favorites of less than 5 points are 4-9 vs spread. Hawai'i is 5-0 on road in Big West; they won their last five games and 13 of last 14, losing to Long Beach State.
Tennessee Tech outscored Belmont 34-15 over last 11:17 to beat Bruins 89-79 at home Jan 30; their 2nd win in seven OVC games with Belmont. Bruins won tough game at Eastern Kentucky Thursday; Tennessee Tech hasn't played in a week- they lost last three visits here, by 22-2-18 pts. . OVC home favorites of 8+ points are 12-10 vs spread. Belmont split its last six games. Tech lost three of last five road games, losing by 6-7-30.
Armadillosports.com
NCAAB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
St. Bonaventure at Dayton
The 13th-ranked Dayton Flyers are coming off a humbling loss the last time out, but that just makes them more attractive and value-packed in the online sportsbook odds. They’re heading into Saturday’s showdown against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies.
Let’s find out why Dayton looks like a value-packed pick in this contest! Also, check out the recap of when these two last met which was on January 19th.
Why Bet The St. Bonaventure Bonnies
St. Bonaventure (17-7 SU, 12-7-1 ATS) had their five-game winning streak snapped in their humbling 71-64 loss against lowly LaSalle on Wednesday night while failing to cover the spread as a 9-point road dog to fall to 1-3 ATS over their last four games.
The Bonnies had a one-point lead late in regulation, but LaSalle took control in the final two minutes to get the win. Marcus Posley scored a team-high points and drained five three-pointers, but the Bonnies shot just 37 percent in the loss while allowing the Explorers to snap their 10-game losing streak.
Why Bet The Dayton Flyers
The Flyers (21-4 SU, 12-12 ATS) had their nine-game winning streak snapped in their convincing 79-70 loss to St. Joe’s on Wednesday night while failing to cover the spread as a 1-point road dog to fall to 0-2-1 ATS over their last three games.
Junior guard Charles Cooke led the Flyers with a team-high 16 points, but Dayton made just eight of their whopping 31 three-point attempts against a St. Joe’s team that is clearly underrated.
“That to me is as good of a team as we’ve seen this season,” Dayton coach Archie Miller said. “They’re a different type of team because of the way their skill level is. I think Coach has got them clearly from an offensive perspective really in a great rhythm because of their movement. They’re hard to guard. I thought the thing that was really surprising to me though was how they overpowered us for about 40 minutes. Physically I thought they dominated us. They were commanding in how they approached the game.”
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
While the odds for this matchup aren’t out just yet, I’m expecting Dayton to be favored by somewhere between 6-8 points. I also like the Flyers to get the SU win and ATS cover because of their loss to St. Joe’s. Dayton has won nine of their last 10 meetings against St. Bonaventure including their 85-79 road win on Jan. 19 as a 3-point road favorite.
While the Flyers average 2.3 fewer points per game than the Bonnies, they also limit their opponents to 6.5 fewer points per game defensively and rank 28th in the nation in points allowed.
The Flyers are 5-1 ATS in their last half-dozen games against the Bonnies and I expect them to improve on that mark after getting humbled the last time out!
Final score prediction Dayton 78 St. Bonaventure 70
NCAAB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Oklahoma at West Virginia
Both West Virginia Mountaineers and Oklahoma Sooners look to get back in the win column when the schools tip things off at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown Saturday. Mountaineers fell to 20-6 (14-9 ATS), 9-4 (8-5 ATS) in the Big-12 with its 85-78 loss at Texas Wednesday night. Mountaineers no slouches when it comes to scoring (80.0) are one of the best at keeping the ball out of their own basket giving up just 65.6 points/game on 42.1% from the field, 31.1% from long range.
Sooners unable to solve Texas Tech in their last game walking off at the wrong end of a 65-63 decision fell to 20-5 (10-13 ATS) on the campaign, 8-5 (4-9 ATS) within the conference. Sooners one of the better teams in the country on offense hitting 46.4% from the filed along with a nation best 43.6% from outside net 82.8 points/game. Sooners are a work in progress on the defensive side as they allowing opponents 71.4 per/contest.
Sooners have dominated this series since Mountaineers joined the Big-12 winning 6-of-8 meetings (5-3 ATS) including a 70-68 victory, non-cover when the teams collided in Norman earlier. Expect a little pay-back as home court advantage will play a significant role in West Virginia winning this contest.
The Mountaineers have won 11-of-12 in front of the friendly crowd with a profitable 7-2 ATS record in lined games. Mountaineers also enter on a solid 12-2 stretch at home hosting a Big-12 rival (10-4 ATS) including a win/cover last time Sooners visited Morgantown. Another positive for West Virginia backers, the Mountaineers have cashed 4-of-5 tickets following a loss its previous effort. The fact Oklahoma has not been a good bet on the road in conference play recently (2-8 ATS) and just 1-3 ATS after a SU loss adds fuel Mountaineers are the choice.
NCAAB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Purdue at Indiana
In one of Saturday’s most-interesting matchups between ranked opponents, the No. 17 Purdue Boilermakers and the No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers will be locking horns in Bloomington, as both teams seek to finish the season strongly and earn a top seed on Selection Sunday. For the conference-topping Hoosiers, the game will particularly come with extra pressure, given the manner in which the likes of Iowa and Maryland are breathing down Indiana’s neck in the Big Ten standings. Can the Hoosiers hold serve at home in the college basketball lines, or will the Boilermakers come up big with an upset? Read on as we take you through this game’s betting guide, complete with free NCAAB betting tips and picks.
Why Bet on Purdue (21-6, 9-5 Big Ten)
It was far from perfect in their last outing, but the Boilermakers played well enough to beat Northwestern on Tuesday, 71-61, marking the fourth win in their last six outings. The biggest game-changer against Northwestern was the fact that the big physical Purdue players, who are second in the Big Ten with 42.3 RPG, had 45 rebounds while limiting their opponents to just 27. This enabled them to claim the win in spite of shooting 38.3 percent from the field and committing nine turnovers.
To beat the Hoosiers and their red-hot offense, the Boilermakers will once again need to dominate the boards, on top of figuring better in scoring. This essentially means that Purdue’s leading scorer A.J. Hammons (14.6 PPG along with 8.2 RPG) will need to lead his teammates into a strong road effort this Saturday.
Why Bet on Indiana (21-6, 11-3 Big Ten)
Like the Boilermakers, Indiana is 4-2 SU in its last six games, including the 80-64 drubbing of Nebraska on Wednesday. As we’ve seen severally this season, Indiana banked on its lethal offense—12th in the nation in scoring (83.4 PPG) and 24th in the nation in assists (16.5 APG)—to overwhelm the Cornhuskers in a very one-sided affair. Getting into rhythm early in the game against Purdue will be extremely important, as the Boilermakers have a solid defensive unit that allows just 63.5 points per game on 38.3 percent shooting from field, ranking 16th and 10th in the country in the two respective areas.
In the defense, the Hoosiers haven’t been that solid (allowing 69.4 PPG), but you can expect the always-charged-up crowd at Assembly Hall to factor into the game, revving up Indiana players for a strong defensive showcase.
Purdue at Indiana College Basketball Picks
The fact that the Boilermakers are 3-0 SU/ATS in their last three meetings with Indiana (dating back to 2014) means they should not be discounted from being able to pull an upset here. That said, the Hoosiers are impressively 10-0 SU and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games, underlining the strong home court they’ve been known to have over the years. And because of the latter reason, we believe the Hoosiers should be your preferred pick on both the Moneyline and point spread.
Game Total: OVER, Final Score Prediction: Indiana 86, Purdue 80
Saturday's ACC Tips
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
Duke at Louisville
This is a vintage letdown spot for Duke after pulling out an improbable comeback win over North Carolina on Wednesday night in Chapel Hill. The Blue Devils captured a 74-73 win as 8.5-point underdogs thanks to a pair of clutch free throws for Grayson Allen in the final seconds. UNC elected not to a call a timeout on its final possession and Joel Berry’s shot in the lane was rejected by Duke freshman Derryck Thornton. Allen finished with 23 points and seven rebounds, while freshman star Brandon Ingram contributed 20 points, 10 boards, four assists, two blocked shots and one steal. Duke was already down starting forward Amile Jefferson, then it lost starter Matt Jones to a sprained ankle in the first half. Nevertheless, despite trailing nearly the entire game, the Blue Devils managed to pick one of their best regular-season wins in the history of this storied rivalry.
Louisville (20-6 straight up, 11-11 against the spread) has won 16 of its 17 home games, producing a 9-4 spread record. Rick Pitino’s squad avoided a three-game losing streak by beating Syracuse 72-58 Tuesday as a nine-point home favorite. The Cardinals trailed by nine in the first half, but they rallied late in the stanza and took a one-point lead to halftime. U of L broke things open early in the second half and cruised to the finish line. Lee led the way with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Chinanu Onuaku had 13 points and 15 boards.
As of late Friday afternoon, one offshore book had U of L favored by five points.
Duke (20-6 SU, 12-12 ATS) owns a 5-2 record both SU and ATS in seven road assignments.
Duke has been an underdog three times, going 1-2 both SU and ATS.
Duke is No. 9 in the RPI Rankings, compiling a 4-5 record against the Top 50 and a 12-6 ledger versus the Top 100.
Allen is averaging team-bests in scoring (20.7 points per game), assists (3.6 APG) and field-goal percentage (48.4%). Ingram is averaging 17.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
U of L is No. 25 in the RPI, going 3-5 against the Top 50 and 7-6 versus the Top 100. The Cardinals’ top wins have come at home against Pitt, UNC and the ‘Cuse.
Lee is averaging team-highs in scoring (16.5 PPG) and steals (1.6 SPG).
When these schools squared off at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 8, Duke collected a 72-65 win as a 3.5-point home ‘chalk.’ The 137 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 147-point tally. Ingram led the winners with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Allen scored a game-high 19 points by draining 4-of-6 from 3-point range. In the losing effort, Donovan Mitchell had a team-best 17 points for U of L. Damion Lee was limited to 10 points and had an awful shooting performance, going 3-of-15 from the field and 0-of-5 from downtown.
Jones (11.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.4 APG) is ‘out’ Saturday at U of L.
The ‘under’ has cashed in three in a row and five of the last six for Duke. The Blue Devils have seen the ‘under’ go 13-12 overall, 4-3 in their road outings.
The ‘under’ is 12-9-1 overall for U of L, 8-4-1 in its home games.
Tip-off is slated for noon Eastern on ESPN.
Miami at North Carolina
As of late Friday afternoon, one offshore shop had North Carolina (21-5 SU, 10-15 ATS) installed as a 6.5-point home ‘chalk.’ CBS will have the telecast at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
In Wednesday’s loss to Duke at home, Brice Johnson scored 29 points and pulled down 19 rebounds. However, Justin Jackson was the only other UNC player in double figures with 13 points and eight boards. Marcus Paige had a miserable night with the same amount of turnovers (three) as assists (three). The senior guard was held to seven points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field. Paige missed all six of his attempts from 3-point range.
Johnson is averaging team-highs in scoring (16.9 PPG), rebounding (10.4 RPG), field-goal percentage (62.3%) and blocked shots (1.2 BPG).
Miami (21-4 SU, 15-8 ATS) has won five of its eight road games, but it has struggled to a 3-5 ATS ledger in those contests.
Miami has won eight of its last nine games. Since losing 85-69 at North Carolina St. on Jan. 30, the Hurricanes have won five in a row while going 4-1 versus the number. They are off a 65-49 win over Va. Tech on Wednesday as 15-point home favorites. Angel Rodriguez was the catalyst with 14 points, four assists and three steals.
Miami has been an underdog only twice this year, going 1-1 both SU and ATS. The ‘Canes lost at Virginia but won at FSU as ‘dogs.
Sheldon McClellan leads UM in scoring with a 16.1 PPG average. Rodriguez (11.5 PPG) averages team-highs in assists (4.4 APG) and steals (1.6 SPG).
The ‘over’ is 14-12 overall for UNC, 8-6 in its home games. However, the Tar Heels have seen the ‘under’ prevail in five consecutive games and eight of their last nine.
The ‘under’ is 13-11 overall for UM, 4-4 in its road assignments. The Hurricanes have seen the ‘under’ hit in four straight and seven of their last nine.
The ‘under’ is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings in this rivalry.
Miami had won four in a row over UNC both SU and ATS until last season’s lone meeting in Coral Gables, where the Tar Heels captured a 73-64 victory as one-point road favorites. Johnson had a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Paige added 17 points for UNC. Rodriguez left the game with an injury just three minutes into the first half and did not return. McClellan was limited to 11 points.
Miami is No. 7 in the RPI, posting an incredible 7-1 record against the Top 50 and an 11-3 ledger versus the Top 100.
UNC is No. 13 in the RPI, going 3-4 versus the Top 50 and 11-4 against the Top 100.
Saturday's Pac-12 Tips
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
The struggling No. 16 Oregon Ducks will look to get back on track against the rival Oregon State Beavers in the featured Pac-12 matchup on this Saturday night’s college hoops schedule. On the undercard of this conference triple-header, Stanford will go on the road to face the Washington Huskies in an 8 p.m. (ET) tip and the late-game on the slate is an 11 p.m. start at Pauley Pavilion between the Colorado Buffaloes and the UCLA Bruins.
Oregon State Beavers at No. 16 Oregon Ducks
Opening Odds: Oregon -10½
Betting Matchup
Oregon State’s three-game winning streak both straight-up and against the spread came to an end last Saturday in a 83-71 loss the California Golden Bears. The total went OVER 137½ points in that game after staying UNDER in three of its previous four outings. The Beavers are 12-11 ATS overall with a 3-6 record ATS on the road. Freshman forward Tres Tinkle scored a team-high 22 points in the loss to Cal while senior guard Gary Payton II added 10 points and five rebounds. This season, these two have combined for 28.6 of the team’s 71 points a game.
The Ducks stumble into this game following back-to-back losses to California on the road as 1½-point underdogs and Stanford on the road as 6½-point favorites. In last Saturday’s 76-72 loss to the Cardinal, the total went OVER 143½ points. It also went OVER in their 83-63 loss to Cal against a closing line of 144½ points. Sophomore forward Dillon Brooks scored 24 points in Saturday’s losing effort and he continues to lead the team with 17.2 points per game. Oregon shot 43.1 percent from the field against Stanford after hitting 42.6 percent of its shots against the Golden Bears.
Betting Trends
The Beavers are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 road games and they are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 road games against a team with a SU winning record at home. The total has gone OVER in 10 of their last 12 games following a SU loss.
The Ducks are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home games against a team with a SU losing road record and they are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 home games overall. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six games at home.
Head-to-head in this bitter rivalry, the home team is 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings and the total has gone OVER in the last four meetings at Oregon. Oregon State stunned the Ducks 70-57 on Jan. 3 as a 2½-point home underdog. The total stayed UNDER the 146½-point closing line.
Stanford Cardinal at Washington Huskies
Opening Odds: Washington -6
Betting Matchup
Stanford followed-up its big win against Oregon with a 72-56 romp over Washington State this past Thursday as a 2½-point road favorite. This two-game run (SU and ATS) followed a 1-5 SU (0-5-1 ATS) slide in its previous six contests. The total has stayed UNDER in three of the last four games. The Cardinal are averaging just 69.9 points per game and they are ranked well down the list in Division I in rebounds with 34.7 a game.
The Huskies were the latest Pac-12 team to fall victim to a suddenly hot Cal Golden Bears in Thursday’s tight 78-75 loss as two-point home favorites. This was Washington’s fourth SU loss in a row while going 2-2 ATS. It is now an even 7-7 SU in conference play with a 9-5 record ATS. The total has gone OVER in five of its last seven games. The Huskies are ranked sixth in the nation in scoring with 84.3 PPG, but this average has fallen to 77.3 points during this four-game slide. Senior guard Andrew Andrews continues to lead the team with 20.5 PPG.
Betting Trends
The Cardinal are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games and they are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five games on Saturday. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five Saturday games.
The Huskies have covered ATS in six of their last seven games following a SU loss and the total has gone OVER in eight of their last 11 home games.
Washington has a 5-2 edge ATS in its last seven home games against Stanford and the total has stayed UNDER in eight of the last 11 meetings overall.
Colorado Buffaloes at UCLA Bruins
Opening Odds: UCLA -5
Betting Matchup
The Buffaloes are coming off a 79-72 loss to USC this past Wednesday to fall to 2-3 SU in their last five games. After closing as 7½-point road underdogs, it was the first time they covered during this five-game stretch. The total stayed UNDER 152½ points in that loss and it has stayed UNDER in four of their last six games. Senior guard Josh Scott came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points in Wednesday’s loss and he continues to lead the team in scoring with 16.7 PPG. He is also Colorado’s top shooter with a 56.2 field goal percentage.
Thursday’s 75-73 loss to Utah as a slight 1½-point home favorite dropped UCLA to just 2-5 SU (3-4 ATS) in its last seven games. The Bruins are now 5-8 SU in conference play while going 6-7 ATS. The total has gone OVER in nine of those 13 games. They are fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring with 78.8 PPG, but they have had their issues at the other end of the court with a defense that is giving-up 76.6 points a game. Thursday was the first time they held an opponent to fewer than 80 points in their last six losses.
Betting Trends
The Buffaloes are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games played on Saturday and the total has stayed UNDER in their last four road games.
The Bruins are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games, but they have covered in six of their last eight Saturday games. The total has gone OVER in five of their last six home games.
The home team has won the last three meetings both SU and ATS with the total staying UNDER in the last two games. UCLA has a 5-1 edge ATS in the last six meetings.
Top 25 Betting Cheat Sheet
Covers.com
Florida Gators at No. 23 South Carolina Gamecocks (-2.5)
* Florida is coming off a 57-53 win at Georgia on Tuesday and knows it will face an even tougher environment at South Carolina, but have won seven straight meetings dating to Jan. 15, 2011, and they haven’t lost at South Carolina since 2010.
* South Carolina has lost two straight – a blowout home loss to Kentucky and a stunning 72-67 defeat at Missouri on Tuesday – and needs to get back on track to buoy its postseason prospects. The Gamecocks are slumping at the offensive end, having shot just 33.1 percent in their back-to-back losses.
Trends:
* Florida is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings at South Carolina.
* South Carolina is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 home games.
* Over is 5-0 in Florida's last five home games.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings at South Carolina.
No. 19 Duke Blue Devils at Louisville Cardinals (-7)
* The Blue Devils have ripped off five straight victories - the last three of which have come against three of the teams vying for the ACC title (Louisville, Virginia and North Carolina). The shorthanded Blue Devils sustained yet another injury Wednesday - this time to starting guard Matt Jones - yet somehow managed to sneak out of Chapel Hill with their second straight one-point win.
* The Cardinals overcame a two-game slide that began with the loss to Duke and staged arguably their finest performance in conference play, defeating Syracuse 72-58 on Wednesday.Chinanu Onuaku (9.7 points, 8.6 rebounds) led the interior effort with 13 points, a career-high tying 15 boards and four assists, producing his ninth double-double of the season.
Trends:
* Duke is 0-4 ATS in its last four games following an ATS win.
* Louisville is 5-1 ATS in its last six home games.
* Under is 5-1 in Duke's last six games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Louisville's last six games overall.
No. 7 Xavier Musketeers at Georgetown Hoyas (+4.5)
* Xavier is in a lookahead spot Saturday versus Georgetown with a huge battle with No. 1 Villanova on the dockett next weeek. The Musketeers’ 11 wins are already the most in three seasons in the Big East and they can point to depth and balance as the key ingredients to success, with six players recording at least 9.4 points per contest.
* Georgetown dropped a 72-64 decision Wednesday against Seton Hall for its fifth loss in six games, falling to .500 in the league. The Hoyas lost senior center Bradley Hayes (broken left hand) indefinitely and 6-10 freshman Jessie Govan has started in his place the last two games, scoring a season-best 27 on Wednesday.
Trends:
* Xavier is 4-1 ATS in its last five road games.
* Georgetown is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games versus a team with a winning SU record.
* Under is 5-1 in Xavier's last six road games.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
St. Bonvaventure Bonnies at No. 13 Dayton Flyers (-8)
* St. Bonaventure needs to do some work if it wants to get on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble and it did not do itself any favors on Wednesday, when its five-game winning streak came to an end with a 71-64 loss at last-place La Salle.
* The Flyers had their own lengthy winning streak come to an end when a 79-70 setback at St. Joseph’s on Wednesday snapped a nine-game streak. The Flyers dropped back into a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 with St. Joseph’s and VCU with Wednesday’s loss.
Trends:
* Over is 4-0 in Dayton's last four games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Road team in 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* St. Bonaventure is 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings.
No. 10 Miami Hurricanes at No. 4 North Carolina Tar Heels (-6)
* The Hurricanes dominated Virginia Tech in the second half on Wednesday night to win 65-49 and set up a showdown for first place. Senior guard Sheldon McClellan, who leads the Hurricanes in scoring (16.1 on 52.1 percent shooting), has come up big against the best - averaging 17.3 points on 57.1 percent shooting against the five ranked foes Miami has beaten.
* North Carolina doesn't have any time to feel sorry for itself after its painful loss to rival Duke on Wednesday with first place in the ACC on the line Saturday. Johnson leads the Tar Heels in scoring (16.9 points per game), is first in the ACC in field goal percentage (62.3) and tied for first in rebounds (10.4).
Trends:
* Under is 6-0 in the last six meetings at North Carolina.
* Miami is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Under is 5-0 in North Carolina's last five overall.
* North Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
No. 22 Baylor Bear at No. 25 Texas Longhorns (-5)
* The Bears, who are a Big 12-best 4-2 in road conference games, face the league's top four teams in the final weeks. Taurean Prince leads the Bears with 15.1 points and is the only player in the Big 12's top 12 in scoring, rebounding (5.8) and steals (1.3).
* Texas meets its fourth straight ranked opponent and is 3-0 at home against Top 25 teams this season. The Longhorns, who swept West Virginia and are looking to sweep Baylor, also have a chance to avenge losses to Oklahoma and Kansas. Texas has won five of seven against Baylor, including a 67-59 victory earlier this month.
Trends:
* Baylor is 0-5 ATS in its last five games following a straight up win.
* Texas is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games overall.
* Baylor is 4-0 in Baylor's last four games overall.
* Under is 6-0 in last six games following a SU win.
Butler Bulldogs at No. 1 Villanova Wildcats (-10.5)
* The Bulldogs have won four of five with their only loss in that stretch coming against a quality Xavier team. The team is coming off a 13-point home win against Creighton behind 21 points and eight rebounds from Kelan Martin.
* The Wildcats appear headed toward a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with 15 wins in their last 16 games. The Wildcats disposed of Temple by 16 points their last time out with Jalen Brunson pacing the team with a career-high 25 points.
Trends:
* Under is 3-0-1 in the last four meetings.
* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Butler is 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Under is 5-1 in Butler's last six road games.
No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners at No. 11 West Virginia Mountaineers (-2.5)
* No. 3 Oklahoma suddenly appears very vulnerable, especially on the road. The Sooners will try to avoid a third straight loss overall and a third straight road setback on Saturday. The slump has dropped the Sooners into third place in the Big 12 standings, one game behind the Mountaineers and two back of the Jayhawks with five games remaining in the regular season.
* West Virginia had a chance to make its own case for the top spot in the Big 12 but sandwiched road losses at Kansas and at Texas around a home win over TCU. The Mountaineers are searching for healthy bodies on the perimeter with guards Daxter Miles Jr. (hamstring) and Jaysean Paige (ankle) both nursing injuries.
Trends:
* Oklahoma is 0-4 ATS in its last four games overall.
* West Virginia is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games following a SU loss.
* Under is 4-0 in Sooners last four games versus a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 7-1 in West Virginia's last eight home games.
No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks at Kansas State Wildcats (+5.5)
* The second-ranked Jayhawks eye their seventh straight victory Saturday. Entering the weekend, Kansas sits a game up on West Virginia for first place in the Big 12 standings.
* Kansas State is near the bottom of the league standings and had a hard time keeping up with the Jayhawks when the teams met earlier this month. The Wildcats defeated TCU by 14 their last time out, while the Jayhawks crushed Oklahoma State by 27.
Trends:
* Kansas is 6-0 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Kansas State is 0-4 ATS in its last four games a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1 in Kansas' last seven road games.
* Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings at Kansas State.
No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats at No. 24 Texas A&M Aggies (Pick'em)
* Jamal Murray is averaging 28.3 points over the past four games - the Wildcats won each by an average of 22.5 points - and is averaging a team-best 19.2 entering Saturday. The Wildcats will be without senior forward Alex Poythress (10 points, 6.6 rebounds) for the fifth straight game due to a knee injury, and junior forward Marcus Lee (6.6 points, 6.2 rebounds) is questionable after injuring his lower back against Tennessee.
* Texas A&M started 7-0 in SEC play, and the win over the Rebels halted a five-game conference losing streak. The Aggies are 14-1 at home with the lone defeat coming against South Carolina on Feb. 6.
Trends:
* Kentucky is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games versus a team with a winning SU record.
* Texas A&M is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Over is 13-5 in Kentucky's last 18 road games.
* Under is 10-1 in Texas A&M's last 11 games overall.
TCU Horned Frogs at No. 15 Iowa State Cyclones (-17.5)
* No. 15 Iowa State looks to avoid its fifth loss in seven games Saturday. The Cyclones stand among the top 20 in the nation in scoring (82.6) and were third in field goal percentage (50.3) going into the weekend, but struggled on the defensive end in a 100-91 overtime loss at Baylor on Tuesday.
* TCU has dropped four of its last five contests and must contain productive senior forward Georges Niang, who went over 2,000 points in his career last time out. The Horned Frogs are better on the defensive end – 69.1 points per game against – than on offense, where they are last in the league at 40.6 percent from the field and in scoring (66.2).
Trends:
* TCU is 1-7 ATS in its last eight road games.
* Iowa State is 4-1 ATS in its last five Saturday games.
* Under is 4-0 in TCU's last four versus Big 12 teams.
* Under is 4-1 in Iowa State's last five Saturday games.
No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+2)
* Notre Dame puts an impressive three-game winning streak on the line Saturday. The 18th-ranked Fighting Irish have knocked off then-No. 1 North Carolina, Clemson and Louisville in succession to climb into an enviable position in the ACC, as they enter the weekend in position to gain a double-bye in the upcoming conference tournament.
* The Yellow Jackets are looking to climb at least one spot in the standings in order to avoid having to play in the first round of the ACC tourney, which includes only the bottom four seeds. They have won two of their last three after an 86-80 win at Florida State on Wednesday.
Trends:
* Notre Dame is 0-5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Georgia Tech is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Notre Dame's last four road games.
* Under is 5-1 in Georgia Tech's last six games overall.
No. 16 Purdue Boilermakers at No. 21 Indiana Hoosiers (-4)
* No. 21 Indiana looks to take sole possession of first place in the Big Ten Saturday. Indiana controls its own destiny in the quest for its second Big Ten title in four years, but has struggled recently against its bitter rival, and hopes to beat the Boilermakers for the first time since Feb. 16, 2013.
* Purdue bounced back from a disappointing 61-56 loss to Michigan with a 71-61 win over Northwestern to move within two games of Iowa and Indiana with four regular-season contests remaining. The Boilermakers are a sparkling 15-1 at home but have dropped three of their last four road games and are averaging just 58.5 points in their last two defeats away from home. Purdue has enjoyed some recent success against the Hoosiers, winning the last three games in the series, including a 67-63 victory in Bloomington on Feb. 19, 2015.
Trends:
* Purdue is 0-4 ATS in its last four games overall.
* Indiana is 5-1 ATS in its last six home games.
* Under is 13-3 in Purdue's last 16 Saturday games.
* Over is 4-1 in Indiana's ;ast five games versus a team with a winning SU record.
Oregon State Beavers at No. 17 Oregon Ducks (-10.5)
* Oregon State won the first meeting between these teams earlier this season, which followed a 13-day layoff for the Beavers and broke a four-game losing streak against the Ducks. Gary Payton II continues to lead Oregon State in scoring, rebounding and assists, but the 6-foot-3 senior guard has been less active on the boards lately, finishing below his 7.7 rebounding average in six straight games and eight of the last nine.
* Oregon shot poorly while losing back-to-back games in the Bay Area to California and Stanford last week and needs a win to keep pace with No. 12 Arizona for the conference lead. Dillon Brooks continues his breakout season for Oregon, as the 6-6 sophomore wing is averaging 23.7 points over the last three games to raise his scoring average to a team-high 17.2.
Trends:
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings at Oregon.
* Home team is 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Oregon State is 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings.
Saturday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
DUKE BLUE DEVILS (20-6, 9-4 ACC) at LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (20-6, 9-4 ACC)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Louisville -6.5
Two ACC title hopefuls will meet for the second time in two weeks on Saturday when No. 20 Duke visits No. 18 Louisville.
The red-hot Blue Devils (12-12-1 ATS overall) are unbeaten this month, as their 74-73 upset at 8.5-point favorite North Carolina on Wednesday makes them a perfect 5-0 SU (3-2 ATS) in February. Each of the past three wins has been versus a top-15 team in the nation, including a victory over the Cardinals (11-11 ATS), who they beat 72-65 on Feb. 8 in Durham. Louisville also lost its subsequent game at Notre Dame, but bounced back with a 72-58 home victory over Syracuse on Wednesday.
These schools are meeting for just the third time in ACC play, with the Blue Devils also prevailing at Cameron Indoor Stadium last season, 63-52, and they also split a pair of neutral-court meetings three seasons ago with the Cardinals rolling to an 85-63 blowout in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight to avenge a 76-71 loss four months earlier.
Both sides have positive betting trends to wager on. Duke has been a very good road team recently at 11-2 SU in its past 13 games, including 5-2 (SU and ATS) this season. But beating Louisville at home has proven to be a difficult task this season, as the school is 16-1 SU (9-4 ATS) at the KFC Yum! Center, where they are destroying opponents by an average of 25.1 points per game.
The only major injury concern is Blue Devils G Matt Jones (11.2 PPG), who severely sprained his ankle during Wednesday's win and is doubtful to return on Saturday.
Duke is always known for its high-octane offense, and this season is no exception as the group is averaging a robust 83.1 PPG on 47.3% FG and 39.1% threes. This is a decent foul-shooting team (72.5% FT) that rarely turns the ball over (10.0 TOPG), but has a pedestrian +2.3 RPG margin this season, as top rebounder Amile Jefferson (11.4 PPG, 10.3 RPG) hasn't played since Dec. 5 due to a broken foot. This offense needs to be super efficient, because its defense is not strong with 71.0 PPG allowed on 47.3% FG and 33.8% threes.
In addition to Jefferson, four other Duke players average at least 11 points per game, led by G Grayson Allen (20.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.0 SPG) and F Brandon Ingram (17.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.5 BPG, 1.1 SPG). The sophomore Allen has scored at least 15 points in 15 straight games, where he has averaged 21.1 PPG while getting to the foul line exactly 100 times (83% FT, 83-of-100).
Allen has been especially hot during his team's five-game win streak with a whopping 22.4 PPG on 45% FG and 50% threes (16-of-32). This stretch includes when Allen lit up Louisville for 19 points on 4-of-6 threes.
The 6-foot-9 Ingram is also on fire, recording 19 straight games of 13+ points, where he's averaged 19.7 PPG (49% FG, 45% threes) with 8.0 RPG. This run included a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Feb. 8 win over the Cardinals.
The other two healthy double-digit scorers on this team are freshman F/G Luke Kennard (12.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG) and junior G Matt Jones (11.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG). Kennard can hurt opponents from anywhere on the court, and loves getting to the foul line where he is nearly automatic at 91% FT (74-of-81). He scored 11 points versus Louisville two weeks ago and also came up big at North Carolina on Wednesday with 15 points on 6-of-9 FG (3-of-4 threes).
With Jones not likely to play with his sprained ankle, the team will rely heavily on freshman G Derryck Thornton (8.0 PPG, 2.7 APG), who was forced to play 39 minutes on Wednesday. Thornton is a quality shooter at 37% threes and could be the team's best perimeter defender with eight steals over his past four games.
Louisville leads the nation in scoring margin at +17.0 PPG, as its offense puts up 77.7 PPG on 47.8% FG and 36.2% threes, while the elite defense allows only 60.7 PPG on 38.1% FG and 31.3% threes. This team is relentless on the glass with its +8.7 RPG margin and 14.1 offensive RPG, and forces many more turnovers (14.4 TOPG) than it commits (11.8 TOPG). The biggest weakness for the team is foul shooting (69.3% FT), but that number has risen to 73% FT (88-120) over the past seven games.
Louisville has three main scorers that pace the offense in G Damion Lee (16.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.6 SPG), G Trey Lewis (12.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG) and C Chinanu Onuaku (9.7 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.0 BPG). The senior Lee has scored at least 10 points in every game except for two, but made only 3-of-15 shots in the loss at Duke. He has been much better in two games since that defeat though, including a well-rounded stat line of 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in Wednesday's victory over Syracuse. Lee, who played his first three collegiate seasons at Drexel, is shooting a career-best 45% FG to go along with strong rates of 37% threes and 86% FT.
Lewis, who is also a senior transfer, has scored 11+ points in four straight games, including 11 points on 5-of-10 FG at Duke and 14 points on 6-of-11 FG on Wednesday. He is knocking down 38% threes and 85% FT this season after draining 42% threes at Cleveland State last season. The 6-foot-10 Onuaku is coming off a huge performance against the Orange with 13 points (6-of-9 FG), 15 rebounds and four assists, but was a complete non-factor at Duke two weeks ago. In that defeat, the sophomore managed only two points and three rebounds in 22 foul-plagued minutes, but he did block three shots.
Another key to the Cardinals' success is the play of G Quentin Snider (9.6 PPG, 3.7 APG), who carries a stellar 2.9 Ast/TO ratio this season with 97 assists and 33 turnovers. Snider had a strong effort at Duke when he scored 12 points (4-of-9 FG, 2-of-5 threes) in 25 minutes before fouling out, but has made only 5-of-19 shots (2-of-10 threes) over the past two games.
Steve's Screenshot
By Steve Merril
Oklahoma at West Virginia (-4, 152)
Oklahoma suffered a hangover after their second loss to Kansas this season as they also lost on Wednesday at Texas Tech as a 4-point road favorite. The Sooners are just1-3 SU (0-4 ATS) in their past four games overall. However, the Sooners are still ranked #3 with a solid 20-5 SU record, but have gone just 10-13 ATS. They only beat West Virginia by 2 points (70-68) on their home court last month as a 6-point favorite.
The #11 ranked Mountaineers (20-6 SU, 14-9 ATS) come in off a loss at Texas, so they’ll be primed for a peak performance in this game today on their strong home court where they stand 11-1 SU this season. In fact, both teams have been much stronger at home this season (23-2 SU combined) compared to playing on opponents' courts (10-8 SU combined).
West Virginia played short-handed Wednesday as guard Daxter Miles did not play due to a hamstring injury. Miles had scored just 3 and 2 points in the previous two games after scoring 20 and 11 points in the two games prior to that. Overall this season, Miles is third on team with 10.1 points per game. However, his loss might be a bit overrated as he is a poor shooter, hitting only 27.6% from three-point range and just 60.8% from the free throw line this season. He is listed as questionable today.
Guard Jaysean Paige left the Texas game with a sprained ankle, but he is expected to play today. Paige is tied as the Mountaineer's leading scorer (13.5 ppg) and is shooting 47.5% FG and 36.4% from three-point range this season.