College Knowledge
-- Penn State is 0-12 in Big Dozen, with one of five road losses by more than 18 points. Michigan lost three of its four games, all vs teams ranked in top 13; they drop way down in class here, facing Penn State squad they've won six of last seven against, winning last two visits here, by 7-18 points. Five of Wolverines' eight league wins are by 15 or less points. Big Dozen home favorites of 13+ points are 8-5 vs spread.
-- Ohio State won three of last four games vs Wisconsin; their 58-52 win here LY ended losing skid here at 7+ games, with five of last six losses in Madison by 6 or less points. Buckeyes (-6) beat Wisconsin 58-49 Jan 29 at home, in game where Badgers didn't take any foul shots (Ohio St. was 9-12). OSU is 3-3 in conference road games, with losses by 19-3-2 points. Big Dozen home favorites of 6 or less points are 10-6 vs spread.
-- Louisville (-18) hammered South Florida 64-38 Jan 12; it was 38-15 at half, as Cardinals beat USF for 11th time in last 12 meetings- they won last five visits here, with four wins by 14+. Big East home underdogs are 14-17 vs spread, 2-4 if getting 8+ points. Bulls lost last seven games in a row, losing last three at home, by 8-23-10 points. Louisville lost three of last four road games, with only win in that span by 20 at Rutgers.
-- Milwaukee (+1) beat Cleveland State 69-57 at home Jan 17, making 12 of 25 behind arc in only win for Panthers in 15-game span vs D-I teams; home side won last 12 series games. Milwaukee lost last five visits here, by 10-9-1-4-26 points- they are 0-6 on Horizon road, with five losses by 10+ points. Horizon home favorites of 7 or less points are 6-11 vs spread. Cleveland State lost last three games, allowing 79.3 ppg.
-- Green Bay (-7) beat Youngstown State 67-58 at home Jan 17, holding Penguins to 30.5% from floor, 27.8% inside arc; Phoenix won seven of last nine series games, but lost last two visits here, by 30-17. Green Bay is 8-3 in last 11 games, winning three of last four on road. Horizon home underdogs of 5 or less points are 9-7 vs spread. Youngstown won five of last six home games, with only loss in triple OT to Ill-Chicago.
-- Minnesota (-10) beat Iowa 62-59 at home two weeks ago; 7th win in last nine series game for Gophers, who hit 54.5% inside arc, but none of their subs even took a shot in 32 minutes of action. Iowa won last three home games, by 4-9-14 points; 7 of their 12 league games were decided by 4 or less points. Big Dozen home teams are 11-14 if spread was 6 or less points. Gophers lost their last four away games.
-- Arizona (-19) snuck by Utah 60-57 Jan 5, despite shooting 36% from floor; Wildcats are 3-0 vs Utes in Pac-12 games, winning 77-51 in LY's win here. Arizona lost last two games after a 20-2 start; they're 4-2 on Pac-12 road, losing at Oregon/Colorado. Utah is 3-9 in league but beat Buffs/ASU in last two home games. Pac-12 home underdogs are 11-4 vs spread. Three of last four Arizona games went over the total.
-- Miami has 3-game lead in ACC with 11-0 record, winning road games by 13-9-1-9-1-6 points; their 76-73 win over Clemson LY ended 5-game skid vs Tigers. Miami lost last four visits here, by 4-10-8-7 points. Four of last five Miami games went over total. ACC home underdogs are 15-5 vs spread. Clemson lost three of last four games, but won four of its last five at home- their home losses are by 5 (FSU), 1 (NC State).
-- Northwestern (+10) won 68-54 at Illinois Jan 17, making 8-15 on arc, 26-31 on foul line; Wildcats are 4-2 in last six series games, winning two of last three played here, which were decided by total of 7 points. Illini won its last three games, beating Indiana/Minnesota after 3-8 skid- they are 2-4 on road, beating Gophers/Nebraska. Big Dozen home underdogs of 5 or less points are 5-7. Wildcats lost four of their last five games.
-- James Madison (-1.5) beat Delaware 64-50 Jan 23, holding Blue Hens to 28.9% from floor in its third series win in last four games. Dukes split last four visits here, are 6-2 in last eight games overall, but they're 1-5 in last six road games. CAA home favorites of 6 or less points are 11-17 vs spread. Delaware won six of last seven games, winning last two by hoop each- they won last three home games, by 10-15-2 points.
-- Wichita State (-8) beat Illinois State 74-62 Jan 16, holding Redbirds to 33% from floor, Shockers' 7th win in last eight series game, but lone loss was 65-64 in LY's MVC tourney. Shockers are 10-4 in Valley, but lost last two road games. Seven of last nine Wichita games stayed under total. MVC home teams are 21-5 vs spread if number is 5 or less points. ISU won seven of its eight games since the loss at Wichita.
-- Cal (+1) won 72-64 at USC Jan 5; Trojans were 2-11 from arc, 8-18 at foul line in third straight series loss (by 4-26-8 points). Bears won four of last five games, won last four at home- they were up 47-22 at half vs UCLA Thursday. USC won last four games (three by 4 or less points); they've lost four of last five visits here. Four of last five Cal games went under total. Pac-12 home favorites of 6+ points are 8-21 vs spread.
-- Appalachian State (-5.5) beat NC-Greensboro 83-70 at home Jan 14, making 28-34 on foul line- they avenged 65-55 loss to Spartans in LY's SoCon tourney. ASU's last four visits here were all decided by 6 or less points, with two going to OT. SoCon home favorites of 5 or less points are 4-8 vs spread. UNCG lost four of its last five games, with only win over #338 Furman. ASU lost five of its last six on road.
-- Niagara (-8.5) outscored Manhattan 38-13 from foul line in 64-60 win at home Jan 19; Eagles were 38-49, Jaspers 13-20 on charity stripe in a game where Manhattan also turned ball over 20 times. Jaspers won last four games after starting season 6-15. Niagara lost three of its last four games; their last three wins are all by 3 or less points. MAAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 7-13 against the spread.
-- Marist is 7-19, but its last six games were all decided by 6 points or less; Red Foxes (+2.5) lost 64-58 at home to Rider Feb 3, making 11-20 on foul line. Broncs won 10 of last 11 games vs Marist, winning four in row in this gym, by 11-4-14-13 points. Foxes' last two road games both went to OT. Rider won three of its last four games. MAAC home favorites of 8+ points are 12-7 against the spread.
Armadillosports.com
College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Arizona at Utah
Despite struggling to get wins in the Pac-12 with only three in twelve tries the Utes have proved to be a resilient bunch. Utes losing the first meeting by just three points cashing as 19-point road underdogs will be motivated to avenge their previous loss to Wildcats. Utes scoring 64.8 PPG, Wildcats having little trouble putting the ball through the hoop (74.5) an outright upset may not be in the works. But, Utes chances at the betting window look promising as they're 13-6 ATS vs the Pac-12 including 6-3 ATS on home court, Wildcats are 2-9-1 ATS it's last twelve vs the conference.
Miami Florida at Clemson
Miami's 74-68 win at Florida State Wednesday ran Canes streak to 12-0 (9-2-1 ATS) overall while remaining undefeated in the ACC at 11-0 (8-2-1 ATS). Canes try to remain flawless in within the conference when they visit Clemson on Sunday. Canes defined by it`s play at the defensive end limiting foes to a mere 59.4 PPG, on 38.2% shooting are scoring 70.6 points per game, fueled by four double-digit scorers. Tigers snapping a three-game skid with it's win over Georgia Tech stand at 13-11 (12-8 ATS), 5-7 (6-6 ATS) in the ACC. Tigers are scoring 62.8 points/game and like Canes are solid on the defensive end allowing 58.6 PPG on 40.3% from the field. The Tigers woes this season aren't likely to change with red-hot Hurricanes coming to town. Miami simply the better team stay undefeated in ACC but Canes are in dangerous betting territory vs defensive minded Tigers. Canes are already 1-3 ATS this season scoring =<60 points and they're on a 1-5 SU/ATS skid vs Clemson. The kicker, Tigers are a perfect 6-0 ATS in games where both teams score 60 or less points a likely situation with two solid defensive teams running the hardwood.
Sunday's Tip Sheet
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
The men's college basketball season enters the second half of February with many more questions than answers in trying to determine which teams are true contenders or hanging on as pretenders when it comes to winning a national title. The following is a brief handicapping guide for a few of the top matchups on Sunday's schedule that might help shed some additional light on the situation.
Game of the Day
No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 20 Wisconsin Badgers
Buckeyes bounced back from consecutive losses to Michigan and Indiana with a 69-59 victory over Northwestern this past Thursday as 17-point home favorites. They are now 18-6 straight-up on the year and 8-4 in Big Ten play. Ohio State has gone 1-3 against the spread in its last four games and 12-9-1 ATS overall. The total has gone OVER in its last three games after staying UNDER in its previous six outings.
Deshaun Thomas continues to play at a very high level with an average of 20.2 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent from three-point range. Lenzelle Smith Jr. has been effective as well with 10.3 points and 5.3 rebounds a game and hitting an impressive 40 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. Overall, Ohio State is averaging 71.6 points a game and shooting 46 percent from the floor.
Wisconsin has been in and out of the Top 25 all season long but it may be on its way back out after dropping a 58-53 decision to Minnesota in overtime as a five-point road underdog this past Thursday. The loss leaves it 17-8 SU and 8-14-1 ATS this season. It was the Badgers' third-straight overtime game after coming out on the winning end against Iowa and Michigan in the previous two. They are 8-4 SU in conference play this season including a 58-49 loss to the Buckeyes on Jan.29 as 5½-point underdogs on the road.
To have any shot at avenging that loss, Wisconsin will once again rely on a defense that is holding opponents to an average of 56.5 points a game, which is ranked 11th in the nation. It also has a trio of players scoring in double figures led by Jared Berggren's 11.7 points a game. Ben Brust is a close second with 11.2 points and Ryan Evans is averaging 10.6 points a game.
The favorite in this matchup is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in nine of the last 12 games. Ohio State has won five of the last eight meetings SU including the nine-point victory earlier this season.
The Best of the Rest
No. 9 Arizona Wildcats vs. Utah Utes
Arizona is 20-4 SU this season but two of the losses have come in their last two games. A 71-58 setback to Colorado this past Thursday as a 1½-point road favorite dropped it to 2-5 ATS in its last seven games and to 10-12 ATS overall. The total stayed UNDER the 135.5-point line against the Buffalos after going OVER in four of its previous six outings. The Wildcats are averaging 73.8 points a game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field. Mark Lyons leads the team with 15.2 points and 3.1 assists a game.
The Utes took Arizona to wall on the road earlier this season in a tight 60-57 loss as prohibitive 19-point underdogs. Since then it has been a rough ride with just three victories in the Pac-12 verse eight additional losses. Utah is 11-13 SU overall but a profitable 14-7-1 ATS. It is 3-1 ATS in its last four games with the total going OVER in three of its last five games. Jordan Loveridge leads a trio of players averaging right around 12 points a game while also leading the team in rebounds with 6.8 a game.
No. 3 Miami Hurricanes vs. Clemson Tigers
Miami is one of those teams trying to establish itself as a legitimate No.1 seed for the NCAA Tournament and is doing a good job so far at 20-3 SU overall and a perfect 11-0 SU in the ACC. It is 9-1 SU and 6-2-1 ATS on the road this season to complement a very profitable 15-4-1 record ATS overall. The total has gone OVER in five of its last seven games. The Hurricanes have five different players on the roster scoring at least nine points a game with Durand Scott and Shane Larkin leading the way with a combined 27.4 points a game.
The Tigers' 1-3 SU slide in their last four games has taken them below .500 on the year in ACC play at 5-7. They are now 13-11 SU overall and 12-8 ATS with the total going OVER in four of their last six games. Clemson is averaging 62.8 points and 34.3 rebounds a game. Devin Booker remains the team's biggest scoring threat with 12.3 points a game while shooting 54.8 percent from the floor, but overall the Tigers are hitting just 43.1 percent of their shots from the field and 32.6 percent from three-point range.
Sunday's Top 25 NCB Betting Notes
By Covers.com
Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Sunday’s ranked college basketball games:
Penn State at (5) Michigan (-23.5)
Losers of three of four, the Michigan Wolverines have an excellent opportunity to right the ship when they host last-place Penn State. The Nittany Lions came close to their first conference win Thursday, falling 74-72 to Iowa. Penn State has lost 14 consecutive road games in the Big Ten but at the very least, it might be getting closer, as three of the Lions' last four games have been decided by single digits. The Wolverines are 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall.
(14) Ohio State at (19) Wisconsin (-2)
When Ohio State and Wisconsin played on Jan. 29, the Buckeyes used a second-half tear to pull out a win. But Sunday's rematch in Madison features a much-improved Badger squad that has gone 3-1 since that defeat, including a win over then-No. 3 Michigan. Both these teams, as well as Michigan, are two games behind Big Ten co-leaders Indiana and Michigan State. The loser of this game will have its conference championship hopes essentially dissolved, while the winner lives to see another day. The Badgers have won nine of their last 10 at home against the Buckeyes, with the lone Ohio State victory since 2000 coming last season.
(12) Louisville at South Florida (+13)
Louisville recovered from its epic 104-101 five-overtime loss at Notre Dame last weekend, defeating St. John’s 72-58 at home. The Cardinals are back on the road on Sunday, visiting the South Florida Bulls, who haven’t won in seven games. Louisville has outscored its opponents 975-767 in the second half this season and is holding foes to 39.6% scoring from the field. The Cardinals are 8-0 ATS in the last eight meetings.
(9) Arizona at Utah (+9)
When Arizona defeated Utah in early January, the Wildcats were in the midst of a run where just about everything was going their way, especially late in games. Arizona hopes to recapture some of the same magic to avoid its first three-game losing streak in nearly three years when they visit the Utes. Arizona improved to 14-0 with its Jan. 5 victory over Utah, capping a three-game stretch in which it won each game in the final seconds or overtime. The Wildcats are 6-4 since that contest and have dropped two straight following a four-game winning streak. Utah is 2-2 over its last four after losing seven of eight to begin conference play. The Utes have won both of their home games in February and are coming off a 60-55 victory over Arizona State. The road team is 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.
(4) Miami-Florida at Clemson (+7)
Miami was unranked as recently as four weeks ago, but turned heads with a 27-point victory over then-No. 1 Duke on Jan. 23. Historically, the Hurricanes have struggled at Clemson, owning a 1-5 all-time record, but Miami has had no problems playing on the road this season. They’ve won nine straight away from home, which is tied for the second-most road wins in the nation heading into the weekend. Clemson is coming off a 56-53 win Thursday against Georgia Tech but the Tigers are 0-4 against ranked teams this season. The Hurricanes are 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings.