College Knowledge
-- Georgetown won three in row, nine of last 12 games with St John's, but lost two of last three visits here; Hoyas lost last game at home by 28 to Pitt, their worst home loss since '71, after losing 49-48 in game before that, so they're struggling. St John's lost three of its last four games, with last three all decided by 2 or less points, or in OT. Big East home teams are 0-7 vs spread this month when spread is 5 or less points.
-- Minnesota won its last 11 games since losing to Duke, its only loss-- they've won games at Florida State/USC/Illinois. Gophers won six of last nine games with Indiana; with road squad winning both games LY- they split their last four visits here, with both losses by 3 points. Indiana is 4-1 vs top 100 teams; they've won last five games, winning at Iowa by 4 in only game that wasn't against team outside top 190. Big Dozen home favorites are 4-3 vs spread.
-- Northeastern won its last four games with Towson State, winning by 25-9 points in last two visits here; Huskies are 3-0 in CAA, with wins by 10-4-5 points, after 5-7 start to season. Tigers are much-improved, going from 1-31 LY to 8-8, 3-0 in CAA- they also won at Oregon State. CAA home favorites are 5-7 vs spread; home team are 2-5 vs spread if number is 4 or less points.
-- First true road game for Duke squad that won three in row, 10 of last 11 games vs NC State, winning four of last five visits here, winning by 12-23-1-14 points, but Kelly (foot) is out, which hurts. Wolfpack won last nine games; best team they've beaten is #49 Stanford- they lost to Oklahoma State/Michigan, two top 20 teams. Duke has four top 20 wins, but last one was Nov 24- their last eight wins are by 13+ points. Dogs are 5-2 vs spread in ACC game when spread is 7 or less points.
-- Butler won its A-16 debut by 6 at St Joe's, solid win; Bulldogs won four of five vs top 70 teams, with loss by 17 to Illinois on Maui. A-16 home teams are 5-1 vs spread if number is 5 or less points. Dayton lost three of last five games; they're 7-2 at home, with both losses by point. Flyers are 1-4 vs top 100 teams, with only win by 5 at Alabama.
-- Florida State is 3-2 in last five games vs North Carolina, waxing UNC 90-57 here LY; Tar Heels are already 0-2 in ACC, scoring 52-59 points in pair of 9-point losses. FSU turns ball over 22.3% of time, but they've won six of last seven games; Seminoles are 5-2 vs top 100 teams, taking first two ACC games by 5-3 points. UNC is surprising 1-5 vs top 100 teams. ACC home favorites of 7 or less points are 1-4 vs spread.
-- UCLA beat Colorado 77-60 in LA LY, in teams' only meeting as rivals in Pac-12; Bruins won last eight games, winning by 4 at Utah in its first true road game- their last loss was Dec 1 to San Diego State in Anaheim. Colorado is 7-0 at home; they beat USC by 6 in Pac-12 home opener, after losing twice in Arizona last week. Underdogs are 8-0 vs spread in Pac-12 games if number is 6 or less points.
-- Wisconsin won three in row, 10 of last 14 games vs Illinois, winning four of last five here, with wins by 10-13-10-14 points. Badgers won last five games, but #142 Green Bay was best team of those five. Illini is 2-3 in last five games, 1-2 in league, losing by 7 at Purdue, its first loss in three road games (won at Gonzaga/Hawai'i). Big Dozen home favorites are 4-3 vs spread. Wisconsin is 0-4 vs teams ranked in top 70.
-- Home side won last seven OSU-Oklahoma games; Cowboys lost last eight visits to Norman, by 10-1-7-3-4-5-3-13 points. Sooners allowed 54.4 ppg in last five games, winning four, but they've also lost at home to SF Austin. 11-3 State lost two of last three games (Gonzaga/K-State); their last top 100 win was Nov 18 vs NC State. Road teams covered seven of first eight Big X games this month.
-- VCU won its last ten games after 3-3 start; they lead country, forcing turnovers 31.1% of time. Rams are 3-0 in true road games, but none of those teams are ranked in top 240. St Bonaventure lost last four games, all by 19+ points, allowing 87.5 ppg- they're 0-4 vs top 100 teams, with losses by 5-19-19-21 points. A-16 home teams are 6-3 vs spread, home underdogs are 2-0.
-- Temple won last six games vs Saint Louis, with five of six wins by 6 or less points; Owls just lost road games at Kansas/Xavier- they're 6-1 at home, with strange loss to Canisius. Billikens won last nine games after 3-3 start, and haven't lost since coach Majerus passed away-- they lost by 5 at Washington in only true road game Nov 28. A-16 home favorites are 4-3 vs spread.
-- San Diego State won 11 of last 12 games vs Colorado State, winning last eight played here, by 7-8-5-24-9-13-18-8 points; Aztecs are 1-2 vs top 50 teams, losing to Syracuse on a ship, then by point to Arizona on Diamond Head. Rams are #5 experienced team in country; they're 2-2 on road, with losses at UIC/Colorado, both by nine points. Home team covered three of first four MVC games.
-- Washington won eight of last nine games with Stanford, winning two of last three visits here, with only loss by hoop two years ago; Huskies are playing 4th straight road game after opening league play with wins at Wazzu/Cal (lost by 8 at UConn). Stanford is 3-5 vs top 100 teams, 1-2 in league play; five of their six losses are to top 40 teams. Pac-12 home favorites are 3-9 vs spread.
Armadillosports.com
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
No. 9 Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers
Minnesota is off to a 2-0 start in the Big Ten heading into Wednesday’s road game against No. 11 Illinois. The Golden Gophers are 14-1 SU (9-4 ATS) overall and the total has stayed UNDER in three of their last four games. Andre Hollins and Rodney Williams are each averaging 13 points a game and Minnesota as a team is pulling down an average of 41.3 rebounds a game.
Indiana’s last outing was a 69-65 victory over Iowa as a seven-point road favorite on Dec. 31 to improve to 13-1 SU on the year. It faces Penn State this Monday night before Saturday’s contest. The Hoosiers are 8-4 ATS and the total has gone OVER in three of their last five games. They are ranked first in the nation in scoring with an average of 87.9 points a game while shooting an impressive 51 percent from the floor.
College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Duke at N.C. State
Blue Devils (15-0, 9-6 ATS) look to stay undefeated when they take on Tobacco Road rival Wolfpack (13-2, 7-6 ATS). Blue Devils with five double digit scorers led by Mason Plumlee (17.7) and Seth Curry (16.0) are averaging 79.3 points/game. On the defensive end, Duke surrenders 60.3 per/contest holding opponents to just 37.8% shooting. Blue Devils opening ACC play with consecutive blowout wins over Wake Forest, Clemson face a bigger test here. Wolfpack with five double digit scorers of there own have one of the nation’s most potent offenses netting impressive 81.3 PPG. Paced by C.J. Leslie (15.6), Lorenzo Brown (13.1) and Richard Howell (12.7) the Wolfpack offense shoots a nation best 53.0% while allowing the competition 69.7 PPG on 40.1% from the field. Winners of nine straight and on a 9-0 (5-2 ATS) stretch on home court Wolfpack have the tools to become the first team to upend Blue Devils while putting a dent in their current 1-9 (4-6 ATS) skid vs Duke.
Minnesota at Indiana
Minnesota (15-1, 10-4 ATS) behind Joe Coleman's career-high 29 points and Andre Hollins chipping in 22 points the Golden Gophers toppled No. 12 Illinois Wednesday to win their 11th straight and stay undefeated in the Big Ten. Not much rest for Gophers as they travel to No. 5 Indiana (14-1, 9-4 ATS) to take on the highest scoring team in college basketball (87.0 PPG) led by sophomore forward Cody Zeller (16.5). Tough for any team to win at Assembly Hall as Hoosiers are a perfect 10-0 (7-1 ATS) in front of the home crowd this season and have run the mark to an impressive 28-1 (17-4 ATS) dating back to last season. Indiana's home history points to a Hoosier win. However, they're lone blemish was a stunning 77-74 loss to these same Gophers last January. Minnesota may not upset the apple cart this time around but should keep within cover range as Gophers are a smart 8-3 ATS L11 on the road, 6-3 ATS on the road vs the conference and on a profitable 5-2 ATS away as underdogs.
Saturday's Top 25 NCAAB Betting Notes
By Covers.com
Saturday's college basketball board is packed with marquee conference matchups. Get the inside scoop on all the Top 25 showdowns:
Georgetown Hoyas at St. John's Red Storm (+1.5, 121)
Georgetown returned to the court after a two-week absence - and has looked rusty while dropping its last two contests. The 22nd-ranked Hoyas will look for a better showing on Saturday when they visit Madison Square Garden to face St. John's. Otto Porter Jr. was held to just nine points as Georgetown was on the receiving end of a lopsided 73-45 setback to Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Ironically, the last time the Hoyas were beaten so soundly came at the hands of the then-Redmen of St. John's, who posted a 107-67 rout on Dec. 7, 1971. The current Red Storm dropped a 58-56 decision to Rutgers on Wednesday.
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Indiana Hoosiers (-8, 143)
In what is shaping up to be the deepest conference in college basketball, No. 5 Indiana and No. 10 Minnesota are among the Big Ten’s six ranked teams. On Saturday, two of the four teams that remain undefeated in Big Ten play with battle it out in Bloomington as the Golden Gophers meet the Hoosiers. Since an overtime loss to Butler on Dec. 15, Indiana has won five straight – including four by at least 23 points – and enters a favorable part of its schedule with four of its next five games at home after winning road games against Iowa and Penn State. The challenge gets much more difficult against Minnesota, which is in the midst of an 11-game winning streak after thumping No. 13 Illinois 84-67 on the road Wednesday.
Villanova Wildcats at Syracuse Orange (-17, 139)
Syracuse left a lot to be desired in its last game, but emerged victorious nonetheless. After shooting a moribund 3-for-21 from 3-point range, the seventh-ranked Orange will look for a better showing on Saturday afternoon when they host Big East rival Villanova. C.J. Fair collected 23 points and 11 rebounds and Michael Carter-Williams added 17 points as Syracuse recorded its fifth straight victory with a 72-66 triumph over Providence on Wednesday. The Wildcats posted their seventh win in a row with a 61-53 triumph over South Florida on Wednesday.
Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina State Wolfpack (+5.5, 150)
Unbeaten Duke has gone well over a month since it found itself seriously tested. That could change Saturday when it travels shorthanded down the road to take on No. 21 North Carolina State. The top-ranked Blue Devils, who just lost sharpshooting senior Ryan Kelly to a right foot injury, have won eight straight games by at least 13 points, and lately they've locked down on defense in impressive fashion. Duke held Clemson to just 10 first-half points in a 68-40 home win Tuesday, recording its sixth 15-0 start under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Quinn Cook led the way with 27 points. Although many of their games have been tighter, the Wolfpack are streaking as well. They've won nine in a row after an 83-70 triumph over Georgia Tech on Wednesday. It marked the 10th time in 15 games that N.C. State, which still leads the nation with 53 percent shooting from the floor, has scored at least 80 points.
Kansas State Wildcats at West Virginia Mountaineers (-1, 122)
Kansas State seeks its sixth straight win when it visits former head coach Bob Huggins and West Virginia on Saturday in a Big 12 battle. The 23rd-ranked Wildcats soared through the back end of their non-conference slate with four straight victories, including one over then-No.9 Florida, before opening league play by knocking off then-No. 21 Oklahoma State. It was the Rodney McGruder show as the senior scored a season-high 28 points to pace Kansas State, which will be making its first trip to Morgantown since 1949. Huggins, who coached the Wildcats to their first postseason berth in eight years in 2006-07, guided the Mountaineers to their first Big 12 victory with a 57-53 overtime triumph at Texas on Wednesday. West Virginia erased a 10-point deficit in the final three-plus minutes of regulation and limited the Longhorns to just one basket in overtime.
Butler Bulldogs at Dayton Flyers (Pick, 133)
After winning its Atlantic 10 debut against Saint Joseph’s last Wednesday, No. 17 Butler visits Dayton in search of its 11th straight victory. The Bulldogs are off to their best start since 2008-09, when they won 19 of their first 20 games. Dayton is facing its second straight ranked opponent after falling 74-62 to No. 24 VCU on Wednesday. The Flyers have lost three of their last five games, but they’re 7-2 at home this season. Butler was somehow picked to finish sixth in the A-10 preseason poll, have held three of its last four opponents under 60 points. The Bulldogs also lead the conference in rebounding margin at plus-8.3.
UConn Huskies at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-8.5, 138)
With all five starters returning, No. 16 Notre Dame was expected to make some noise in the Big East this season. On Saturday, the Fighting Irish look to extend their home-court dominance and give the school its longest winning streak in the Mike Brey era when they host Connecticut. Notre Dame notched its 12th straight win on Monday with an efficient 66-60 victory at No. 20 Cincinnati, matching the run made by the 2006-07 team. While the Irish have some work to do before matching the school’s longest same-season winning streak of 18 – set during the 1953-54 campaign – they will face a much different challenge than the defensive-minded Bearcats when they square off against a surging Huskies squad that is coming off a 99-78 home win over DePaul – their fifth victory in their last six contests.
Illinois Fighting Illini at Wisconsin Badgers (-6, 128)
Wisconsin will try to add to its season-high five-game win streak and continue its unbeaten start to Big Ten Conference play when it hosts No. 13 Illinois on Saturday afternoon. The Badgers have started conference play with wins over Penn State and Nebraska, and they're after their first 3-0 start in the league since 2008-09. It's the first of back-to-back matchups with highly-ranked opponents for Wisconsin, which travels to No. 5 Indiana on Tuesday. The Fighting Illini have dropped three of five since their 12-0 start under first-year coach John Groce, but two of the three defeats have come against ranked teams and a blowout of then-No. 8 Ohio State was interspersed. The Badgers have won the past three meetings, including a season sweep a year ago, and 10 of the past 14.
USF Bulls at Louisville Cardinals (-20, 122)
Fourth-ranked Louisville is enjoying its best start to a season in nine years and will attempt to notch its 10th straight win on Saturday when they host South Florida. Despite the absence of starting forward Chane Behanan and poor offensive games from Russ Smith and Peyton Siva, the Cardinals moved to 14-1 for the third time in the Rick Pitino era with a 73-58 victory at Seton Hall thanks in part to center Gorgui Dieng’s 16 points and 14 rebounds – both season highs. With wins in 11 of its last 12 meetings against South Florida, Louisville appears to be in good shape to win for the ninth time in as many home games against the Bulls, who have struggled to score in dropping both of their conference games at home.
Kansas Jayhawks at Texas Tech Red Raiders (+17, 144)
Kansas takes a 12-game win streak on the road to Texas Tech on Saturday. The sixth-ranked Jayhawks needed Ben McLemore's 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left to force overtime in Wednesday's Big 12 Conference-opening win against Iowa State. McLemore and teammate Jeff Withey were both named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 on Thursday. The Red Raiders had a season-low production in a 82-48 loss to Baylor on Tuesday.
VCU Rams at St. Bonaventure Bonnies (+8, 144)
Virginia Commonwealth joined the list of ranked programs earlier this week for the first time this season and goes after its 11th consecutive victory when it visits St. Bonaventure in Atlantic 10 play on Saturday. The No. 24 Rams haven’t lost since Nov. 24 against Missouri and have won nine of their last 10 games by double digits, including a 74-62 victory over Dayton in their first-ever A-10 game on Wednesday. “We do know that it puts a bigger target on our back and we have to be at the top of our game every time out if we expect to win,” coach Shaka Smart said of being ranked. VCU played well against the Flyers by forcing 26 turnovers. St. Bonaventure has lost four consecutive games and suffered a 78-59 loss to George Washington on Wednesday. The Bonnies are 5-1 at home, the loss being a 19-point drubbing at the hands of Iona.
Florida Gators at LSU Tigers (+10, 136)
After a blowout win in its Southeastern Conference opener, No. 9 Florida makes its first conference road trip of the season when it faces Georgia on Saturday afternoon. The Gators have won three straight since a loss to Kansas State in Kansas City, including a 77-44 laugher at home against Georgia to open conference play Wednesday. The Tigers are a pedestrian 3-3 since their 6-0 start, and they opened league play with a 68-63 loss at Auburn on Wednesday - but LSU is a perfect 8-0 at home. Florida has won the past three meetings by an average of 11 points, including a 68-61 victory in its last trip to Baton Rouge.
Wyoming Cowboys at Nevada Wolf Pack (+2.5, 125)
Off to its best start in program history, No. 25 Wyoming had precious little time to celebrate its new status as a ranked team before suffering a gut-wrenching defeat in its last game. The Cowboys will try to bounce back on Saturday when they travel to Nevada to meet the Wolf Pack for the first time in over 13 years. Ranked for the first time since the 1987-88 season, Wyoming entered Wednesday as one of the last four unbeaten teams in Division I until Boise State sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the Cowboys to their first loss of the season. Nevada began its inaugural season in the Mountain West on a sour note on Wednesday, suffering a 78-65 setback at Air Force.
Cincinnati Bearcats at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+4, 131)
Rutgers has won two of its first three league games for the first time since 2005-06 after a big victory over St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The Scarlet Knights look to build off that with three of the next four at home, starting with a visit from No. 20 Cincinnati on Saturday night. Rutgers is 7-1 at home this season and has beaten four of the last six ranked teams to visit the Rutgers Athletic Center. The Scarlet Knights have played well on the offensive end much of the season and Cincinnati will present a challenge with a defense that allows 36.5 percent shooting from the field, second in the Big East. The Bearcats are struggling a bit with three losses in their last four games, but two were by a point. Cincinnati has five of the next seven games away from home, where it is 5-0.
Missouri Tigers at Mississippi Rebels (-4, 157)
Missouri plays its first game without star forward Laurence Bowers when the No. 12 Tigers visit Ole Miss in SEC play Saturday. Bowers, who was leading the Tigers in scoring (16.8) and second in rebounding (6.9), sprained the MCL in his right knee in Tuesday’s 84-68 victory over Alabama. Bowers will miss at least two games and be re-evaluated at the end of next week. Ole Miss is coming off its first road victory over Tennessee in 22 years 92-74 on Wednesday.
Colorado State Rams at San Diego State Aztecs (-7, 133)
San Diego State is viewed nationally as the top team in a stacked Mountain West Conference and Colorado State is among the schools poised to knock the No. 15 Aztecs off the throne. The Rams bring a seven-game winning streak into Saturday’s contest at San Diego State and have had a full week to prepare while the Aztecs opened conference play with a 65-62 win at Fresno State on Wednesday and then took a six-hour bus trip back to San Diego. “Now is the time to tee it up with the big fellas and take it a game at a time,” first-year Colorado State coach Larry Eustachy said. “We’ve put ourselves in position RPI-wise and record-wise. The whole thing is to try and win a championship and get into the NCAA tournament.” San Diego State is off to the second-best start in school history behind the 2010-11 squad that opened 20-0. The Aztecs are 7-0 at home.
Arizona Wildcats at Oregon State Beavers (+8.5, 149)
Arizona and Oregon State will be trying to bounce back from disappointing losses when they meet Saturday night in a Pac-12 game in Corvallis, Ore. The No. 3 Wildcats hope to avoid a Northwest sweep after getting just six points from their bench Thursday night in a 70-66 loss at Oregon, dropping them from the ranks of the unbeaten. The Beavers lost one of their top players to suspension prior to their game Thursday night against visiting Arizona State and their lack of depth showed in the 72-62 loss to the Sun Devils. Eric Moreland, a 6-10 sophomore center, was fifth on the team in scoring (10.8) and second in the Pac-12 in rebounding (11.1), but was suspended indefinitely for violating team rules. Heading into the Arizona State game, the next highest scorer behind Moreland is 6-9 freshman forward Olaf Schaftenaar (3.1), who scored eight against the Sun Devils.
Air Force Falcons at UNLV Runnin' Rebels (-16, 143)
No. 19 UNLV looks to get back on the winning track when it hosts Air Force in a Mountain West Conference game at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Runnin’ Rebels dropped their conference opener 65-60 on Wednesday night at New Mexico. UNLV got just 12 points from freshman star Anthony Bennett who battled foul problems in the tight affair. Air Force posted a rare MWC opening win when it defeated Nevada 78-65. The Falcons got 30 a career-high points from Mike Fitzgerald who made four of Air Force’s 10 3-pointers in the game. Air Force trailed by three at the half but then built a 20-point second-half lead as Fitzgerald scored 23 points after the break. The Falcons improved to 9-24 all-time in conference openers.
Saturday Noon Tips
By Vegasinsider.com
DUKE BLUE DEVILS (15-0) at NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK (13-2)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Duke -3.5
Without senior forward Ryan Kelly (foot), No. 1 Duke will look to stay undefeated Saturday as they visit the ACC's second best team, No. 20 North Carolina State.
The question is in this game if Duke can replace Kelly (13.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG) who had been carrying the team offensively in the team's past few games, averaging 17.3 PPG over the past three contests. Last season, Kelly was injured in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments, a span in which Duke went 1-2 SU, notably losing to Lehigh in the Round of 64 in the Big Dance. The Wolfpack haven't lost since November, going 9-0 SU (4-3-1 ATS) in the past nine games. As easy as it is to be scared of Duke sans Kelly, the Blue Devils are 6-0 ATS in non-home games this year and are much better equipped to deal with his absence this season, compared to the 2011-12 campaign. Kelly is just one of five double-digit scorers on the Blue Devils and the bench has top recruits such as Amile Jefferson, Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee who can replace his production.
The one man who might have to step up in Kelly's absence is National Player of the Year candidate PF Mason Plumlee (17.7 PPG, 11.4 RPG), who is already in the middle of a great season. Although he has struggled a bit lately (10.3 PPG last three games) he has the potential to be a beast on the boards, which will be crucial against the talented Wolfpack frontcourt. SG Seth Curry (16.0 PPG) has been tremendous this season despite dealing with a nagging foot injury. Curry has had incredible nights and off nights all season. In his past four games, he has eight-point and six-point efforts, but also 22 points and a 31-point outburst. Freshman SG Rasheed Sulaimon (11.2 PPG) joins him on the wing, while PG Quinn Cook (11.4 PPG, 6.1 APG) is coming off a career-high 27 points.
NC State has a talented and veteran frontcourt that will look to exploit the absence of Kelly. C.J. Leslie (15.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG) leads the team in scoring while his partner in crime Richard Howell (12.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG) is averaging nearly a double-double. Overall, this team scores a ton, averaging 81.3 PPG (8th in Division I) with six double-digit scorers. Lorenzo Brown (13.1 PPG, 6.7 APG) is one of the top point guards in the ACC and is coming off a phenomenal performance against Georgia Tech, recording 21 points and 10 assists. Freshman G Rodney Purvis (10.0 PPG) has been heating up lately with 32 points (11-of-18 FG) over his past two contests, while fellow first-year player T.J. Warren (12.5 PPG) has cooled down after a sizzling start, though he's still making an incredible 67.5% of his shots. And then there's the reliable senior sharp-shooter Scott Wood (12.1 PPG), who is hitting 2.6 threes per game on a healthy 43.3% clip.
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (15-1) at INDIANA HOOSIERS (14-1)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Indiana -8
Two of the top teams in the nation square off on Saturday afternoon when No. 8 Minnesota visits No. 5 Indiana.
Both schools have just one SU loss on the season, while Minnesota is 10-4 ATS (3-0 ATS on road) and Indiana is 9-4 ATS overall, including 7-1 ATS at home. The Golden Gophers are riding an 11-game SU win streak (7-3 ATS) since their lone loss to No. 1 Duke, while the Hoosiers have won five straight (3-2 ATS) since their lone defeat to No. 14 Butler in overtime by two points. These schools have split their past six meetings, with the road team winning both matchups last season. Both of these teams are very deep, but Indiana has more star power with preseason All-American C Cody Zeller and versatile G Victor Oladipo, who are shooting 63% FG and 67% FG, respectively, this season. And enough cannot be said here for home-court advantage, where the Hoosiers have beaten teams by a ridiculous +37.1 PPG margin at home this season.
Minnesota has run an efficient offense this season with 76.0 PPG on 47.3% FG (32nd in D-I) and 16.6 APG (23rd in nation). The Gophers have also outrebounded each of their past eight opponents, posting a whopping +13.6 RPG margin during this stretch. Although PF Trevor Mbakwe ranks fifth on the team in scoring (9.3 PPG), he is the Gophers best player, shooting 59% FG and pulling down 7.9 RPG in just 20.1 MPG of action. His minutes have been limited after he tore his ACL last season, but Mbakwe finally logged 30+ minutes in his last game, responding with 19 points and 11 rebounds in an 84-67 victory at No. 12 Illinois. PG Andre Hollins (team highs 13.7 PPG, 3.7 APG and 43.3% threes) was also outstanding against the Illini with 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. But his offense has been wildly inconsistent during his team's 11-game win streak with four 20-point games with four games of eight points or less. Senior SF Rodney Williams (12.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG) has been much more consistent with at least eight points in 15 of 16 games this season. SG Austin Hollins (10.8 PPG, 38% threes) is starting to heat up with 12.3 PPG on 52% FG (9-of-15 threes) in his past three games. And Hollins was the hero in last year's upset at then-No. 8 Indiana with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
Indiana leads the nation with 87.0 PPG thanks to a 51.1% FG clip (6th in D-I) and 17.3 APG (11th in nation). The Hoosiers also know how to crash the boards with 41.9 RPG (12th in D-I), but they were outrebounded in Monday's 74-51 win at Penn State. Four players scored in double-figures in that victory -- PF Christian Watford (16 points), C Cody Zeller (15 pts), PG Jordan Hulls (14 pts) and SG Victor Oladipo (10 pts). This foursome has been carrying this team all year with Zeller scoring 16.5 PPG on 63% FG and Oladipo pumping in 13.3 PPG on 67.2% FG, good for 8th in the nation. Zeller has scored at least 15 points in seven straight games, averaging 18.1 PPG on 62.1% FG during this run. He also scored 23 points in the home loss to Minnesota last season, but was limited to seven points in the win in Minneapolis. Oladipo, Watford and Hulls all scored 12 points in that 19-point rout over the Gophers last February. Oladipo has scored at least 10 points in 13 straight games (14.5 PPG), while Watford currently has a run of five straight double-digit outputs (14.0 PPG). Hulls is shooting 52.1% (38-of-73) from three-point land this season, and has committed just 18 turnovers in 15 games (1.2 TOPG) spanning 413 minutes (27.5 MPG).
College Basketball Point Spreads, Lines and Leans
By: Larry Hartstein
Sportingnews.com
When a college basketball total moves seven points before tipoff, Jay Kornegay knows he posted a “bad number.”
Bad numbers, obviously, are bad for the LVH SuperBook’s business. So Kornegay, the director, stopped posting totals on every game. On a massive Saturday betting board, the LVH now will post about 20 totals—mainly on higher-profile TV games—instead of 80 or 100.
“With 100-game schedules, probably 95 percent are solid numbers, but the five or six that ran several points, the [sharps] were right more times than they were wrong on those kind of movements. Those were just plain bad numbers,” Kornegay said. “It’s not in our best interest to continue what we did last year.”
Wynn Las Vegas’ Race and Sports Book has offered limited totals for at least five years. The book stays away from low-profile games bet mostly by professionals.
“There will be one mistake up there and that’s the one they’ll go for,” director John Avello said. “When you put something up, you need to cater to the masses. If you put up the whole slate, a lot don’t get bet and one gets hit hard.”
In fact, Wynn doesn’t even offer spreads on every game in the betting rotation.
“I’m not interested in putting up games that most of our customers aren’t interested in,” Avello said, mentioning teams like IUPUI and Southeast Missouri State. “I don’t book every game.”
The LVH SuperBook doesn’t go that far. Kornegay and three other oddsmakers post lines on every game in the rotation. On many weeknights, they post totals on every game.
“It just depends on the time we have,” Kornegay said.
The book didn’t lose on totals last season, Kornegay said, but made a “very, very low” profit. This season has been a bit better, with far fewer cases of drastic line movement on totals.
In general, Kornegay said, sharps “somehow have a better feel on a total than a side, so therefore when you put up 100 games, they’re able to pick apart your weak numbers.”
Saturday’s games
Twenty-one of the nation’s Top 25 teams are in action Saturday, including top-ranked Duke visiting an NC State team that has won nine straight.
No. 1 Duke (15-0 SU, 9-6 ATS) at No. 20 NC State (13-2 SU, 7-6 ATS), Noon ET, ESPN
Line: Duke -3.5. Total: 149
The Blue Devils’ seven-man rotation suffered a big blow when senior forward Ryan Kelly (13.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) was lost with a foot injury in Tuesday’s drubbing of Clemson. He was shooting 52.1 percent from 3-point range for the season, including 15-of-20 over the last five games. Junior Josh Hairston and freshman Amile Jefferson should get more playing time in Kelly’s absence. The Wolfpack lead the nation with 53 percent field-goal shooting and have broken 80 points 10 times, but they’re prone to slow starts. State also has dropped 39 of its last 46 games vs. Duke.
Trends:
Duke is 1-6 ATS in its last seven ACC games.
Duke is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 road games.
NC State is 6-1-1 ATS in its last eight ACC games.
NC State is 0-8 ATS in its last eight home games vs. teams with winning road records.
Under is 5-1 in Duke’s last six games.
Over is 6-0 in the last six meetings in Raleigh.
Over is 12-3-1 in the last 16 meetings.
No. 10 Missouri (12-2 SU, 6-4 ATS) at Ole Miss (12-2 SU, 6-3 ATS), 8 p.m. ET, FSN
Line: Ole Miss -5. Total: 151.5
This should be an entertaining game between high-scoring teams. Missouri will play its first game without star forward Laurence Bowers, the team’s leading scorer (16.8 ppg) and second-best rebounder (6.9 rpg). He sprained an MCL in his right knee Tuesday and will miss at least two games. Plenty of Tigers are capable of picking up the slack, starting with preseason SEC Player of the Year Phil Pressey, Alex Oriakhi (five double-doubles), Oregon transfer Jabari Brown (coming off career-high 22 points) and Earnest Ross (19 points in Tuesday’s dismantling of Alabama). The Rebels are fourth nationally in scoring (83.7 ppg) and riding high after their first road win over Tennessee in 22 years. They haven’t been 1-0 in the SEC since 2005-06. Now they have a chance to make a national statement. Ole Miss will look to senior forward Murphy Holloway (15.7 ppg, 11 rpg) to take advantage of Bowers’ absence.
Trends:
Mizzou is 6-0 ATS in its last six road games.
Mizzou is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 Saturday games.
Ole Miss is 6-1 ATS in its last seven home games.
Ole Miss is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games overall.
Over is 9-0 in Mizzou’s last nine vs. the SEC.
Over is 4-0 in Ole Miss’ last four home games.
Over is 18-7-1 in Mizzou’s last 26 games overall.
Saturday's Linemaker leans
Illinois at Wisconsin (-6): Illinois has wins over Butler, Gonzaga and Ohio State, but it was just beaten badly at home (84-67) by Minnesota. The Badgers have won five straight but they have no marquee wins this season. They have lost to Florida, Creighton, Marquette and Virginia. It's time for them to step up in conference play, Madison is a very tough place to visit. We’re looking for a big effort from Wisconsin.
Saint Louis at Temple (-4.5): The Billikens have won nine straight, but all of those victories have been at home. They have played one true road game this season and lost it, 66-61, at Washington, which is not the same team as recent editions. The Owls come into this Atlantic 10 matchup off back-to-back losses, by seven at Kansas and by five at Xavier. They do have a win over Syracuse, however. We like the Owls on their home floor Saturday.
Missouri at Mississippi (-5): Missouri will be without Laurence Bowers, which is a big loss. In addition, Phil Pressey has been struggling shooting the ball. This is Andy Kennedy's best and deepest team at Ole Miss. The Rebels are led by Marshall Henderson (19.1 ppg) and Murphy Holloway (15.7) and are unbeaten at home (8-0). Ole Miss has always had one of the biggest homecourt advantages in college hoops, and Smith Coliseum is not a place where teams want to play when shorthanded. We have to like Mississippi here.