College Knowledge
-- Clemson (-1) held Virginia to 35%, outscored Cavaliers 19-5 on foul line in 59-44 home win over UVa Jan 12, 8th straight series win for host team. Clemson lost last six visits here, by 11-2-6-4-2-4 points. Virginia won four of last five games, is 4-0 at home in ACC, winning by 9-20-14-3 points. ACC home favorites of 7+ points are 12-6 vs spread. Clemson is 0-4 on ACC road, with three losses by 7 or less points.
-- Trap game for Indiana, in Michigan/Ohio State sandwich vs Illini club that lost six of last seven games, with last two losses by 5-6 points. Big Dozen home underdogs are 8-14 vs spread. Illinois is 5-2 in last seven vs Hoosiers; Indiana lost last three visits here, by 31-2-24 points. Illinois is getting to foul line less than any Big Dozen team in league play, making 25.4% behind arc. Indiana is #1 in league in both those categories.
-- Wright State (-3) held Green Bay to 36.2% from floor in 64-53 home win Jan 3, its 5th win in last seven series games, but Raiders lost four of last five visits here, losing by 3-11-1-2 points. Horizon home teams are 11-9 vs spread if number was 5 or less points. Green Bay won all four Horizon home games, winning by 13-6-9-27 points; this is its first home game in 19 days. Wright State lost four of its last six games.
-- UCLA lost three of last four games after 10-game win streak; they've lost last two at home, to Oregon/USC, and lost four of last five games to former Bruin aide Romar, as home teams won 14 of last 15 series games, with Washington losing five of last six visits here, with losses by 22-14-9-1-6 points. Huskies lost four of last five games, with all four losses by 9 or less points. Pac-12 home favorites of 9+ points are 3-8 vs spread.
-- Missouri has yet to win on SEC road, losing by 15-31-3 points; they are 5-0 at home in SEC, 5-4 vs top 100 teams. Bowers has 22 points in 52 minutes after missing previous five games with an injury. SEC single digit home underdogs are 8-3 vs spread. Texas A&M lost five of its last six games, splitting pair of OT tilts last two times out- they've lost last three home games, by 21-4-7 points, but they also won at Kentucky.
-- NC State (+1.5) beat Duke 84-76 in Raleigh Jan 12, holding Duke to 6 of 20 from arc (Curry was 5-10, others 1-10). but Wolfpack is 2-4 since then, losing three road games by total of six points. State lost its last six visits to Cameron by 19-13-20-17-24-5 points. Duke is 4-0 at home in ACC, with all four wins by 16+ points- they allowed 84-90 points in its two ACC losses. ACC double digit home favorites are 9-3 vs spread.
-- ASU is 17-5, 6-3 after being 10-21 LY, thats how big a difference PG Carson has been for Sun Devils, who won four of five Pac-12 home tilts, winning by 1-9-5-18 points, with loss to Arizona. Cal won its last five games vs ASU, winning by 8-4 in last two visits here; Bears won three of last four games, with all three wins by 5 or less points. Pac-12 home favorites of 5 or less points are 5-13 against the spread.
-- Colorado (+3) upset Oregon 63-62 in Pac-12 tourney LY, taking two of three from Ducks in Buffs' first year in league; Colorado lost three of four on Pac-12 road, winning at Wazzu, losing by 9-9-10-3 points. Not sure of status of Oregon's PG Artis (foot); without him last weekend, Ducks lost first two conference games of season, scoring 52-54 points. Pac-12 home favorites of 7 or less points are 10-18 vs spread.
-- St Mary's won six in row, 16 of last 17 games vs Santa Clara, winning last three visits here by 8-6-16 points; Gaels won their last seven games overall, three by 6 or less points. Santa Clara won five of last six games, but is 2-2 at home in WCC, losing to BYU by 18, Gonzaga by 7. WCC home teams are 0-8 vs spread if number was 5 or less points. Three of Santa Clara's last four series wins were by 15+ points.
-- Long Beach State is 9-1 in Big West after going 4-7 against the hardest non-conference schedule in country; 49ers won last three road games, by 7-9-10 points. Beach (-7) beat Hawai'i 76-72 at home Jan 12, making 10 of 23 behind arc, outscoring Warriors 18-7 on foul line (Hawai'i missed 8 of 15 FTs). Hawai'i is 4-1 at home in league with only loss to UC-Davis. Big West home teams are 6-18 vs spread if number is 5 or less points.
-- North Dakota State is 9-2 in Summit but lost last two road games, by 8-16 points; Bison (-11) beat Oakland 73-65 in first meeting, a game the Bison never trailed-- they shot 65% inside arc, 11-20 outside it, missed 12 of 22 FTs. Summit League home dogs of 5 or less points are 5-3 vs spread. Oakland scored 84 ppg in winning last three games; they're 4-1 at home in Summit- they try to outscore teams. Not much on defense.
-- Rider lost three of last four games, losing last two at home by 17-11 points. Niagara won five of six MAAC road games this year; they're 7-1 in last eight games overall, with last two going to OT. Eagles lost five of last six games with Rider; LY's two games were decided by total of three points, with home side winning both. MAAC home underdogs are 10-6 vs spread. Rider is turning ball over 23.5% of time (#310 in nation).
-- Murray State is 58-9 in its last 67 OVC games, now they're getting 4 points at home from Belmont, which is 10-0 in its first OVC season, 4-0 on road with three wins by 11+ points; Bruins are older club with one frosh, one soph in rotation. Murray's last four games were all decided by 9 or less points. Racers won last three home games, after getting upset at home by EKU squad that had 20-0 run at one point in game. OVC home underdogs are 7-10, but 3-2 if number is less than 5 points.
Armadillosports.com
College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
North Carolina State at Duke
NC State (16-6, 11-9 ATS) will be going for a regular season sweep of Duke (19-2, 12-9 ATS) Thursday night when they travel to Durham. Wolfpack upset Blue Devils 84-76 as 1-point home underdog in a January 12 matchup putting a small dent in NC State's 2-9 (5-6 ATS) skid vs their Tobacco Road rival. NC State ranks slightly higher on offense averaging 78.5 points per game behind five double-digit scorers led by C.J. Leslie (15.7) while Blue Devils average 78.0 points/game with Mason Plumlee (17.6), Seth Curry (16.2) leading the troops. Wolfpack going off the rails since upsetting Duke posting a 2-4 (3-3 ATS) mark including 0-3 (2-1 ATS) in conference road games have a tough one vs their ACC rival. The Blue Devils and it's high-octane offense on a 3-0 (2-1 ATS) stretch outscoring foes by 14.6 points/game are ridding a smart 60-3 (30-30-1 ATS) stretch in front of the Cameron Crazies and have won ten consecutive regular season games in Durham vs Wolfpack (6-4 ATS).
Pepperdine at Gonzaga
Gonzaga Bulldogs (21-2, 11-9-1 ATS) escaping San Diego Saturday night with a 65-63 victory to remain perfect within the West Coast Conference at 8-0 (4-3-1 ATS) return to the McCarthey Athletic Center where they will host Pepperdine (10-12, 11-6-1 ATS). Zags having little trouble putting the ball in the hoop (78.7 PPG) hitting a nation second-best 50.9% from the field should cruise against offensively challenged Wave (64.0 PPG). Zags have won 22-of-23 encounters (15-7-1 ATS) including 11-0 (8-3 ATS) on home court a venue that has seen Zags reel off a 22-1 stretch (11-9 ATS).
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. No. 4 Duke Blue Devils
The Wolfpack will be going for the regular season sweep against Duke this Thursday night after posting an 84-76 victory as one-point home underdogs on Jan.12. Since that point, NC State is just 2-4 SU and 3-3 ATS. Overall, it is 16-6 SU (11-9 ATS) on the year and 5-4 in ACC play. The Wolfpack remain the fifth-best shooting team in the country; hitting better than 50 percent of their shots from the field while averaging 78.5 points a game. CJ Leslie has led the way with 15.7 points while shooting 55.4 percent from the floor.
Duke is two games behind Miami in the ACC standings at 6-2 and 19-2 SU (12-9 ATS) overall after routing Florida State 79-60 this past Saturday as a six-point favorite on the road. The Blue Devils return home where they are a perfect 11-0 SU and 5-6 ATS this season. The total stayed UNDER the 143½-point line against the Seminoles after going OVER in their previous five games. Duke is scoring an average of 78 points a game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field. Mason Plumlee leads a group of five players scoring in double figures with a team-high 17.6 points a game.
Thursday's Top 25 NCB Betting Notes
By Covers.com
Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on all of Thursday’s ranked college basketball games:
(1) Indiana at Illinois (+7.5)
Indiana is back atop the national rankings and seeks its sixth straight victory when it visits floundering Illinois. Illinois has lost three straight games and six of seven and is a disappointing 10th in the 12-team league. The Fighting Illini have allowed an average of 76 points during the three-game skid. In Big Ten games, Illinois ranks last in the conference in both scoring defense (69.8) and field-goal percentage (45.3). The Hoosiers average a conference-best 75.8 in Big Ten play and rank second by making 47 percent of their shots. Indiana is 5-0 ATS in its last five Thursday games.
(20) Missouri at Texas A&M (+3.5)
Missouri will try to solve its road woes when the 20th-ranked Tigers visit Texas A&M for the former Big 12 rivals' first meeting as SEC opponents. The Tigers have been outstanding at home, but they are 0-4 on the road and have lost their first three conference road games. The Aggies are trying to avoid a fourth consecutive home loss after a 72-68 overtime defeat to Kentucky on Saturday. Texas A&M has scored 55 points or less in five of its past six games and is 0-4 ATS in its last four Thursday contests.
NC State at (4) Duke (-10.5)
North Carolina State suffered back-to-back losses last week and has lost four of six since knocking off then-No. 1 Duke at home on Jan. 12. NC State has suffered its last four losses by a total of seven points but has the type of inside strength to counter Mason Plumlee and Duke. The Blue Devils are connecting at a 41.1 percent clip from beyond the arc and went 11-of-18 from 3-point range in Saturday’s 79-60 win at Florida State. NC State’s defense holds opponents to 28.7 percent from beyond the arc - best in the ACC. Three-point shooting was a big part of the first meeting, when the Blue Devils struggled to 6-of-20 from beyond the arc. Duke is 0-5 ATS in its last five games following an ATS win.
Colorado at (19) Oregon (-5.5)
The Ducks look to get back on the winning track when they host Colorado at the Knight Arena, where they've won 20 straight games. Overall, Colorado hasn't won at Oregon, regardless of the arena, in 58 years. The Ducks have lost two of three since point guard Dominic Artis went down with a foot injury. Coach Dana Altman feels Artis will return soon but he is questionable for this week's action. Oregon is 0-4 ATS in its last four games overall.
Pepperdine at (6) Gonzaga (-22.5)
Gonzaga looks to extend its winning streak to five when the Bulldogs host a Pepperdine team that’s fallen out of the conference race with three straight losses. Gonzaga has won 38 of the last 43 games against the Waves, including 23 in a row. The Bulldogs will again be heavy favorites against Pepperdine, which has lost 14 straight in Spokane. Eight of the 11 Pepperdine players who will dress against Gonzaga are freshmen or sophomores. The Waves are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
Thursday's Tips
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
North Carolina State at Duke
Most books opened Duke (19-2 straight up, 12-9 against the spread) as a 10.5-point favorite.
Mike Krzyzewski’s team has posted a 6-6 spread record in 12 previous games as a double-digit favorite. The Blue Devils are unbeaten in 11 home games, compiling a 5-6 spread record at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke is second in the ACC standings, 2.5 games behind the league-leading Miami Hurricanes. The Blue Devils have won three straight games since getting blasted by a 90-63 count at Miami on Jan. 23. They have collected wins vs. Maryland (84-64), at Wake Forest (75-70) and at FSU (79-60).
North Carolina St. (16-6 SU, 11-9 ATS) is tied with FSU for fifth in the ACC standings with a 5-4 record. The Wolfpack has lost four of its last six games by seven combined points. Mark Gottfried’s team dropped a 79-78 decision at home to Miami in Saturday’s pick ‘em affair. The Hurricanes finished the game on an 8-2 run capped by Reggie Johnson’s tip-in of a Shane Larkin miss with less than one second to play. C.J. Leslie had 18 points and 12 rebounds in the losing effort.
North Carolina St. junior guard Lorenzo Brown is ‘doubtful’ at Duke due to an ankle injury that caused him to miss Saturday’s loss to Miami. Brown averages 12.7 points, 6.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Duke senior forward Ryan Kelly remains ‘out’ with a foot injury. Kelly averages 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
N.C. St. owns a 3-1 spread record in four games as an underdog this year.
The ‘over’ is 10-7 overall for the Wolfpack, 3-2 in five true road assignments.
The ‘over’ is 11-9 overall for Duke, but the ‘under’ is 6-4 in its home games with a total.
The ‘over’ is 8-2 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings between these ACC adversaries.
This game is a part of ESPN's Full-Court Package (722 on DirecTV) and will tip at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
Colorado at Oregon
Most books opened Oregon (18-4 SU, 9-11 ATS) as a six-point favorite with a total of 136.
Colorado (14-7 SU, 11-8 ATS) had won three in a row both SU and ATS until suffering a 58-55 loss Saturday at Utah as a five-point road favorite. Spencer Dinwiddie scored a game-high 18 points for the Buffs, while Andre Roberson produced 10 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots.
Dana Altman’s squad is unbeaten in 14 home games with a 6-6 spread record. Oregon has lost back-to-back games since winning nine straight. The Ducks are mired in a 1-6 ATS slide. They lost 58-54 at Cal as 1 ½-point underdogs. Tony Woods had 14 points and eight rebounds in defeat.
Colorado has been an underdog six times, going 3-3 ATS with wins over Baylor on a neutral court and at Washington St.
Oregon is 2-4 ATS as a single-digit favorite.
The 'under' is 10-4 overall for Oregon, 5-1 in its home games and 8-2 in its last 10 outings (regardless of venue).
The ‘under’ is 7-5 overall for the Buffs, 6-2 in their last eight games.
Tip-off is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU.
B.E.'s Bonus Nuggets
TCU pulled one of the biggest upsets we’ve seen all season Wednesday night, stunning Kansas 62-55 as a 17-point home underdog. Vegas books didn’t even bother to post a money line and only a few offshore books did so. 5Dimes had the Horned Frogs with 25/1 odds to win outright.
Yes, the SEC is horrible this year but that can be a good thing for sharp bettors. Without many elite scorers, especially among the bottom rung of the conference, 'unders' galore have been cashing. Three teams in particular are among the nation's best 'under' squads: Alabama (13-3), Texas A&M (11-3) and Vanderbilt (13-4).
If Iowa comes up short in its bid to get to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006, it will look back on this week as its demise. The Hawkeyes had great chances to win in back-to-back losses at Minnesota and at Wisconsin. The Badgers slipped past the Hawks last night in double overtime.
Florida power forward Will Yeguete tweeted late last night: “I can’t believe this is happening. This must be a nightmare.” Yeguete had an MRI on his injured knee Wednesday. If Yeguete is indeed out for a significant period of time, this will be a crushing blow to Florida’s national-title hopes.
Keith Appling suffered an injured shoulder for Michigan St. in its home win over Minnesota last night.
Speaking of the Gophers, they are sliding fast. Tubby Smith’s squad has lost five of its last seven games.
Indiana St. captured a monster win for its at-large hopes last night, blasting Creighton 76-57 as a five-point home underdog. The Sycamores now have neutral-court wins over Miami and Ole Miss, in addition to a win at Wichita St. (by double digits!) and last night’s triumph over the Bluejays. They also took New Mexico to overtime.
Georgia has won five of its last six games with the only loss coming against Florida. The Bulldogs won at Tennessee last night as seven-point underdogs, hooking up money-line backers with a plus-260 return (risk $100 to win $260). Mark Fox clearly doesn’t want to lose his job in Athens.
Coach of the Year Candidates:
1-Jim Larranaga (Miami)
2-Brad Stevens (Butler)
3-Dana Altman (Oregon)
4-Shaka Smart (VCU)
5-Greg Lansing (Indiana St.)