College Basketball Information
Wright State (-7) shot 65% inside arc in 76-64 home win vs Oakland Jan 2, teams' first Horizon meeting; this is first game in 8 days for Raiders squad that lost four of last five games, losing last three on road by 1-4-7 points. Horizon home teams are 6-21 vs spread in games where spread was 5 or less point. Oakland won rivalry game in OT Friday vs Detroit, snapping 3-game losing kid- their last three wins are all by one point.
Michigan (+7.5) won 77-70 at Wisconsin Jan 18, making 7-13 from arc; just second series win in last 14 games for Wolverines. Michigan is 4-1 as home favorite, winning home games by 23-13-8-9-29 points- they're 2-2 in last four games overall, after winning 10 straight. Big Dozen home favorites of 4 or less points are 7-5 vs spread. Wisconsin won three in a row after losing five of its previous six games.
SMU (-13) held Temple to 30.3% from floor in 75-52 home win 10 days ago; Mustangs won last four games, nine of last 10- they won three of last four road games, winning by 12-7-12 points. AAC single digit home underdogs are 5-9 vs spread. Owls lost four in row (all by 14+), 12 of last 13 games, with only win at home vs Rutgers; they've lost conference home games by 7-10-4-16-24 points.
Oregon State (+3) survived 20 turnovers (-9) in 80-72 home win over its rival Oregon Jan 19, game they led by 16 in first half, its first win in last four games vs Ducks. State is 1-5 on Pac-12 road, with three losses by 6 or less points (only win at Wash State). Oregon lost eight of its last ten games- they're 1-3 at home in Pac-12, with only win vs USC. Pac-12 home favorites of 9+ points are 14-9 vs spread.
Creighton (+6.5) was ridiculous 21-35 from arc, scoring 1.45 ppp in its 96-68 win at Villanova Jan 20; Bluejays won 15 of last 17 games, are 6-0 at home in Big East, with four wins by 12+ points. Underdogs are 11-7 vs spread in Big East games where spread was 4 or less points. Villanova won last six games, last four by 16+ points; they're 6-0 on road in Big East- their only road loss all season was by 16 at Syracuse.
Notre Dame (-6.5) beat Boston College 76-73 in OT Feb 1, despite being outscored 20-9 on foul line; Irish lost eight of its last 11 games, with last two wins in OT- they're 0-5 on ACC road, with all five losses by 8 or less points. ACC home teams are 11-26 vs spread in games with spread of 5 or less points. BC lost four in row, 14 of last 17 games; they're 1-4 at home in ACC, with only win against Virginia Tech.
Northwestern (+10.5) won 55-54 at Minnesota Feb 1; Andre Hollins did not play that day. Wildcats are 6-4 in last ten series games, winning last five played here by 9-3-11-11-7 points. Big Dozen home underdogs of 5 or less points are 6-7 vs spread. Gophers lost last five road games, four of last five overall, with three road losses by 4 or less points or in OT. Hollins is back in lineup, scoring 22 points vs Wisconsin in last game.
Georgetown (-7.5) was up 42-16 at half in 77-60 win over St John's Jan 4; Hoyas made 9-13 from arc, outscored Red Storm 22-10 on line in its 6th straight series win- they won last two visits here by 20-16 points. Big East home favorites of 4 or less points are 3-5 vs spread. St John's won seven of last eight games, winning last two by total of six points- they're leading Big East in both blocked shots and steals.
Colorado (-11.5) waxed USC 83-62 at home Jan 18, big man Scott had 20 points in 24 minutes for Buffs, who are 3-0 vs USC in Pac-12 play, winning by 24-6-21 points. Pac-12 home underdogs of 5 or less points are 12-7 vs spread. Shorthanded Colorado (down three guys) lost its last four road games, all by 12+ points. Trojans lost last five games, four by 8+ points- their only conference win was a home upset of California.
Drexel (-4) won 77-74 at Hofstra Jan 29, making 10-21 from arc in game it trailed by 5 with 9:01 left; Dragons won last six series games, winning last two played here, by 9-11 points. CAA home favorites of 9+ points are 2-5 vs spread. Hofstra lost six of last seven games, losing last four on CAA road, by 18-18-8-6 points. Drexel is just 5-6 in CAA, but won its last two home games, by 11-18 points.
Monmouth (+6) lost 75-73 at Marist Jan 30; Red Foxes made 11-26 on arc in game they trailed by 11 in first 10:00. Marist is 10-6 in its last 16 games after an 0-9 start; they won four of last five, but is just 1-6 on the road in MAAC, with only win at Rider. MAAC home teams are 13-17 vs spread in games where spread was 4 or less points. Monmouth lost its last six games, but five of those were on road- they're 3-3 at home.
Canisius has long road trip after winning rivalry game at Niagara Friday; they beat Siena 93-78 (-6.5) in first meeting Dec 8, making 15-26 on arc in game they led 57-36 at half. Griffins lost last seven visits to Albany, with five losses by 11+ points. Siena lost in last minute at Marist in its last game Friday, but they've won three of their last four home games. MAAC home underdogs of 5 or less points are 4-9 vs spread.
Quinnipiac is 11-4 in its first year in MAAC, but they lost 74-67 (-4.5) to Peacocks Jan 12 in Jersey City, shooting 33% from floor in game they trailed 32-20 at half. Bobcats won last four games, are 7-1 at home in its MAAC games, with only loss to Canisius. MAAC home favorites of 8 or less points are 16-21-1 vs spread. St Peter's lost six of its last eight games, losing last four on road by 7-17-15-3 points.
Armadillosports.com
Sunday's Tip Sheet
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
The Big East underwent some major changes this past offseason and many college basketball experts questioned just how competitive this former power conference would be after suffering some major defections. This Sunday, we will get a good look at just how strong its top two teams really are when the No. 6 Villanova Wildcats and the No. 18 Creighton Bluejays clash at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
No. 6 Villanova Wildcats vs. No. 18 Creighton Bluejays
The Wildcats come into this matchup with a straight-up record of 22-2. Other than a 78-62 loss to No. 1 Syracuse on Dec. 28 as four-point road underdogs, their only other setback was a 96-68 beatdown at the hands of Creighton as 6 ½-point home favorites on Jan. 20. The total went OVER the 147½-point closing line in that game. Revenge may be a motivational factor in this game, but Villanova's current form could be its biggest strength with double-digit victories in its last four outings as part of a six-game winning streak since that ugly loss.
Against the spread, the Wildcats have now covered in nine of their last 11 games and they are a profitable 17-5 ATS on the year. They are 6-3 ATS on the road this season and the total has gone OVER in eight of the nine games. Villanova has covered in eight of 11 conference games with the total going OVER in eight of those contests.
The Wildcats are one of the higher scoring teams in the nation with an average of 80.7 points and they are shooting 46.7 percent from the field. Much of its success can be attributed to the play of James Bell (16 points and 5.9 rebounds) and JayVaughn Pinkston (14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds); however, Darrun Hilliard II remains the team's best pure shooter especially from outside the perimeter with a shooting percentage of 39.8 from two-point range. Villanova is pulling down 37.8 rebounds a game and holding teams to 66.7 points on defense.
Creighton is 10-2 SU in conference play after suffering a few bad setbacks of its own. The first was a 13-point loss to Providence on January 18 as a four-point road favorite followed by last Sunday's 70-65 loss to St. John's as once again a four-point favorite on the road. This past Thursday, the Bluejays squeezed past Butler, 68-63 as eight-point road favorites and they have now failed to cover in their last four games.
Overall, Creighton is 13-9 ATS this season with a 7-4 mark ATS at home. The total has stayed UNDER in its last five games overall, including its last three home games. Against their new conference (after leaving the Missouri Valley Conference), the Bluejays are 6-6 ATS and the total has stayed UNDER in seven of those 12 games.
Wooden Award contender Doug McDermott put up 26 points in Thursday's win over Butler to become the 15th-highest scorer in NCAA history with a total of 2,824 points. He is far from done and obviously expecting another big game this Sunday after scoring 23 points against the Wildcats the first time they met. The big star of that first meeting was Ethan Wragge, who led the Bluejays with nine 3-pointers to account for a game-high 27 points. Creighton matches up well in this showdown with an average of 80 points a game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field. It is shooting 41.8 percent from 3-point range, which is the third-best percentage in the nation. The Bluejays are pulling down 36.4 rebounds a game and holding teams to an average of 65.7 points.
Creighton is favored by 3½-points at home to pull off the season sweep against the Wildcats and move into first place in the Big East standings.
The first game between these two was the only meeting in recent history, as the Wildcats are 22-8 ATS in their last 30 games against a team with a SU winning record and the Bluejays are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS loss.
Bonus Games
Georgetown Hoyas vs. St. John's Red Storm
Something has to give in this matchup with both Georgetown and St. John's knotted at 6-6 SU in Big East play. The Hoyas have extended their current winning streak to four games after losing their previous five contests. They have covered in their last five outings to improve to 12-11 ATS on the year.
The Red Storm started conference play with five straight losses, but since that dismal run they have gone 7-1 SU with a 6-2 mark ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last six games. St. John's is 10-13 ATS overall that includes a 6-6 ATS record at home.
Head-to-head in this matchup, Georgetown has won seven of the last eight meetings SU including a 77-60 romp as a 7½-point home favorite in the first meeting this season on Jan. 4. The Hoyas are 5-1 ATS in the last six contests against the Red Storm and the total has gone OVER in three of the last four. St. John's has been opened as a 4½-point favorite for Sunday's game.
Colorado Buffaloes vs. USC Trojans
Colorado is coming off a 92-74 thrashing at the hands of UCLA this past Thursday as a 9½-point road underdog. It is now 7-5 SU in the Pac-12 with a 5-7 record ATS. The Buffaloes are 18-7 SU overall with a 13-11 record ATS. They have gone 4-5 ATS on the road this season with the total staying UNDER in five of seven road games with a posted line.
The Trojans find themselves bringing up the rear in the Pac-12 with just one SU victory against 10 losses. Their current losing streak reached five games with a 79-71 loss to Utah as 4½-point home underdogs this past Thursday. USC is 9-12-1 ATS this season with a 6-5 ATS record at home. The total has gone OVER in six of its last eight games overall.
The Buffaloes could be without their second-leading rebounder, Wesley Gordon, who is listed as questionable for Sunday with an ankle injury. They have won all three previous meetings since joining the conference in 2011 including an 83-62 romp on Jan. 18 as 11-point home favorites. Colorado is 2-1 ATS in this series and the total has gone OVER in two of the three games. This time around the Buffaloes will go in as three-point road favorites over the Trojans.
Wisconsin at Michigan
By Sportsbook.ag
Wisconsin Badgers (20-5 SU, 12-12-1 ATS) at Michigan Wolverines (18-6 SU, 12-9 ATS)
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Michigan -4½
Two of the best teams in the Big Ten due battle on Sunday as No. 21 Wisconsin visits No. 15 Michigan.
The Badgers and Wolverines played in Madison on January 18, and it was Michigan stealing a rare road victory against Wisconsin, winning 77-70. In that game, SG Nik Stauskas scored 23 points as Michigan was able to win in this series for just the second time in 14 tries (6-8 ATS). The Wolverines connected on 55 percent of their shots that night, while also making 7-of-13 from the three-point line. Michigan (12-9-1 ATS overall, 4-5 ATS on road, 8-4 ATS in Big Ten) has been on a tear as of late, winning 12 of its past 14 games (9-4-1 ATS).
The Badgers appear to have gotten things rolling again with three straight wins following a stretch of five losses in six games. Wisconsin (11-12-2 ATS, 5-8-1 ATS at home, 4-7 ATS in Big Ten) has done a very good job against ranked teams this season, going 4-1 with the lone loss being a one-point defeat to Ohio State on Feb. 1. In Wisconsin’s most recent victory over Minnesota on Thursday, the Badgers went 30-of-36 from the free throw line. Bo Ryan has as much offensive talent as he has had in recent memory, but his club must become better at sharing the ball with each other. The Badgers had only eight assists on 21 field goals on Thursday, as they try and go one-on-one too much. While it worked against Minnesota, the Michigan defense will not be that easy to score on.
The Badgers enter Sunday's game ranked 124th in the nation in scoring (73.0 PPG), 248th in assists (11.9 APG) and 268th in rebounding (33.2 RPG). But they still rank second in the nation in turnovers (8.6 per game) and limit opponents to a mere 53.0 PPG on 42.3% FG and 32.8% threes. Wisconsin has a balanced offensive attack, as four players average double-figures in scoring.
SF Sam Dekker (13.4 PPG, 47% FG, 6.0 RPG), SG Ben Brust (13.2 PPG, 40% threes, 4.7 RPG), C Frank Kaminsky (12.5 PPG, 41% threes, 6.0 RPG) and PG Traevon Jackson (10.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.9 APG) all are capable players that can contribute in many different ways. Dekker is one of the most difficult matchups in the Big Ten. At 6-foot-7, the small forward can score off the bounce, but will take a smaller defender in the post.
As a team, the Badgers shoot 37.1% from the three-point line. SG Josh Gasser (8.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG) is the best long-range shooter on the team (42% threes), and is just another shooter that the Wolverines will have to worry about. This starting five scored 63 of the 70 points when these teams met on Jan. 18 with Gasser scoring 16 points (4-of-5 threes), Brust and Kaminsky netting 14, Dekker posting a double-double of 10 points and 10 boards and Jackson shooting poorly (3-of-11 FG), but still contributing seven points, five assists and three rebounds.
Michigan has 75.5 PPG (78th in Div. I) this season, shooting the ball at a 48.2% FG clip (20th in nation). This club is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, hitting at a rate of 39.3% (26th in Div. I). However, like Wisconsin, it has really struggled on the glass (33.0 RPG, 274th in nation).
A big portion of that is because of the injury to PF Mitch McGary (8.3 RPG), who was lost for the season with a back injury. Although the Wolverines don’t generate many blocks (2.8 BPG, 270th in Div. I) or steals (5.4 SPG, 265th in nation), they allow just 64.4 PPG (46th in Div. I) on 43.5% FG and 33.0% threes. SG Nik Stauskas (16.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.5 APG) has gone from talented role player to a guy that is capable of leading a team. He is still a devastating three-point shooter (45% threes), but he is also able to get to the rim and finish. That versatility in his offensive arsenal has made him extremely difficult to stop.
With PF Glenn Robinson III (12.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG) and SG Caris LeVert (12.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.8 APG), Michigan has a trio of scorers extremely tough to contend with. Robinson scored 14 points (6-of-8 FG), but had zero rebounds in 31 minutes in last month's win in Madison, while LeVert piled up 20 points, seven boards, four assists and four steals in that victory.
PG Derrick Walton Jr. (8.8 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.7 RPG) is continuing to improve as a freshman point guard. He is shooting 41% from the three-point line, making defenses have to respect him from the outside. He is tremendous off the bounce, where he is able to finish at the rim, or hit the open guy for the perimeter shot. Both of these teams are able to knock it down from deep, but this game will come down to which one of these poor rebounding teams can take control on the glass.
Check out more College Basketball Odds and Props at Sportsbook.ag!
Game of the Day: Villanova at Creighton
By Covers.com
Villanova Wildcats at Creighton Bluejays (-3.5)
In its first meeting against Villanova on Jan. 20, Creighton drilled a Big East- and school-record 21 3-pointers while handing the Wildcats their worst home loss since 1980-81. No. 6 Villanova, which hits the road Sunday in a showdown between the top two teams in the conference, holds a half-game lead over the 17th-ranked Bluejays and has won six straight since their 28-point setback. "I think a lot of people watched that game and learned how not to play them," Wildcats coach Jay Wright said.
Wright suggested the Wildcats’ overall aggressiveness worked against them in the first meeting and perhaps no Creighton player benefited more than Ethan Wragge, who tied a school record with nine 3-pointers. Villanova began its three-game road trip with an 87-62 win over DePaul on Wednesday, but faces a difficult challenge against the Bluejays, who have won four of five since routing the Wildcats. Creighton, which posted a 20-win season for the 16th time in 17 years with Thursday’s five-point win at Butler, is looking for its 16th straight home victory.
LINE HISTORY: The Bluejays opened as 3.5-point home faves.
COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Villanova (-16.4) - Creighton (-14.3) + Home Court (-3.0) = Creighton -0.9
WHAT BOOKS SAY: "This is a revenge game for Nova, who got smoked by Creighton at home earlier this season. The Wildcats have been playing much better recently going 4-0 ATS in their past four games, while the Bluejays are struggling at 0-4 ATS in their last four." Mike Perry, Sportsbook.com
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "The Bluejays did a terrible job of getting the ball to Doug McDermott down the stretch at St. John's. Villanova is on a wicked 15-4 ATS run." Covers Experts' Doc's Sports
WHY BET VILLANOVA (22-2 SU, 17-5 ATS, 15-7 O/U): The Wildcats took a page out of the Bluejays’ book in the win over DePaul, knocking down a season-high 15 3-pointers while leaving Wright pleased with his team’s focus. “I know they're going to concentrate on (Sunday), but for a team to go in and concentrate like they did against DePaul is impressive to me," Wright told the school’s official website. Villanova has also picked it up at the defensive end, allowing 61.4 points over its last five games after surrendering 96 to Creighton and 85 five days later at Marquette.
WHY BET CREIGHTON (20-4 SU, 13-9 ATS, 8-13 O/U): In addition to passing Allan Houston and Kevin Bradshaw on the NCAA's career scoring list against Butler, Doug McDermott delivered his second game-winning basket in the Bluejays’ last three games and third of the season after never having done so previously. Incidentally, McDermott’s go-ahead 3-pointer sparked a game-ending 7-0 run and gave coach Greg McDermott (Doug’s father) his 100th career win at Creighton. Greg McDermott needed only 134 games to do so, allowing him to reach the benchmark quicker than all but one coach in school history.
TRENDS:
* Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games.
* Bluejays are 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall.
* Wildcats are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 vs. Big East.
* Bluejays are 30-10 ATS in their last 40 Sunday games.
College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Wichita St. at Evansville
Wichita State's perfect 26-0 record is on the line when Shockers travel to Evansville Sunday for a Missouri Valley Conference tilt with Aces. No likely upset in the making. Although Wichita State has killed the Sportsbooks beating the betting lines 69.5% of the time (16-6-1) including a near perfect 8-1 on the road you bet Shockers at your own risk vs Evansville. Shockers missing the cash as -19.5 point favorites earlier this season vs Aces' are now 1-10 ATS in the last 11 meetings, 0-6 ATS last 6 encounters as visitor in the series.