College Knowledge
-- Detroit won seven of last eight games vs Youngstown, winning four in row in this gym, by 4-8-4-2 points; Titans won seven of last eight, with only loss at Syracuse by 4- they won first two Horizon games, by 15-8 points- their only win in six road games was at #295 Alcorn by 16. YSU split first two Horizon games, losing by 5, winning by 2 (both on road).
-- Home team won last seven Temple-Xavier games; Owls lost last three visits here, by 8-9-11 points. Temple is 3-1 on road, winning at Kent St, Buffalo, Villanova, losing by 7 at Kansas- they're 8-1 vs teams outside top 100. Xavier lost last four games, scoring 51.5 ppg; they've won four of six home games, losing to Vandy/Wofford by total of three points.
-- Michigan State won nine of last ten games with Iowa, winning four in row, by 19-5-34-17 points; they've won two of last three visits to Iowa City, also beat Hawkeyes in last two Big Dozen tourneys. Spartans are 11-0 when they score 64+ points, 1-3 otherwise; they're 2-3 away from home. Iowa opened league play by losing to Indiana (4), Michigan (28).
-- North Carolina is 1-4 vs teams in top 150, with only win over UNLV by 6 at home; Tar Heels won nine of last ten games vs Miami, winning last four here, by 41-17-7-17 points. 'canes are 4-1 on road, with loss at Florida Gulf Coast by 12- their last six wins are all by 13+. Carolina is #306 in experience; they shoot 63.7% from foul line (#300 in country).
-- Kentucky won five of last six games, but they're 1-4 this year vs clubs in top 200; Wildcats won six of last eight games vs Vanderbilt, winning three of last four here, with wins by 13-2-6 points; Vandy beat them LY in SEC tourney. Commodores are 0-5 vs teams in top 100, losing by 26-13-10-4-19 points; two of those (Villanova/Butler) came at home.
-- UCLA won last seven games, last three vs top 70 teams; this is first true road game of year for Bruins, who whacked Utah 76-49 in LA LY, in teams' only meeting. Utes lost four of their last five games, with five losses all by 5 or less points; they lost two games in Arizona last week by total of 4 points. UCLA is 302nd in country in terms of experience.
-- 14-0 Arizona has two road wins, by 28 at Texas Tech, at Clemson by 12; Wildcats won six of last seven games with Oregon, but got upset at home by Ducks 59-57 LY, in teams' only meeting. 12-2 Ducks split pair in Vegas, only two top 100 games they've played, beating UNLV by 4, losing to Cincinnati by 11. Arizona won its last three visits to Eugene by 10-14-19 points.
-- USC has played #25 schedule to this point; they're 0-3 on road, with losses by 12-8-8 points. Colorado lost twice in Arizona last week; they got hosed in Tucson, am curious to see how they bounce back at home. Buffs are 6-1 vs squads outside top 100; they hammered USC 74-50 in LA LY, in teams' only meeting. USC is 3-5 vs teams in top 100, losing games by 30-6-8-14-8 points.
-- Denver won last three games, by 15-11-25 points; they're 1-5 on road, with only win by 15 at Texas-Arlington, in last road tilt. Idaho opened WAC play with 2-1 road trip, losing in OT at league kingpin Utah State; Vandals are 0-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 15-9-10 points- they force turnovers only 13.1% of time, less than any team in country.
-- Santa Clara lost twice to LMU LY, by 12-3 points, after going 7-2 in previous nine series games; Broncos are 3-2 in last five visits here. LMU is 0-4 vs top 100 teams, losing by 3-21-41-13 points, but big losses all came on road. Broncos are 3-1 in true road games, winning by 12-21-4, with loss at Duke. LMU hasn't beaten a team ranked higher than #230.
-- St Mary's won eight of last nine games-- only one of those eight wins was over top 150 team; Gaels are 2-1 on road, losing at Northern Iowa by 7. Gonzaga won its last six games, with four of those by 7 or less points; Zags are just 3-4 in last seven games vs St Mary's, but Gaels lost eight of last nine visits here, with five of eight losses by 11+ points.
-- Oregon State lost eight of last nine games vs Arizona State, going 1-3 in last four played here; overall, Beavers lost two of last three, falling to Towson State/rival Ducks at home- their last seven wins are all vs clubs ranked #186 or lower. ASU won nine of last 10 games; they won by 15 at Texas Tech, in only true road game. Frosh PG Carson is huge plus.
-- South Dakota State is 1-7 in last eight games vs Oakland, but won by 12 in Grizzlies' last visit here; Jackrabbits just finished 3-3 month-long road swing- this is their first home game since Dec 9. Oakland is 3-10 on road, losing by 20 at Alabama Saturday; they've only played four home games this year. Teams shoot 59% inside arc vs Oakland, the 2nd-worst percentage in country.
Armadillosports.com
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
No. 3 Arizona Wildcats vs. Oregon Ducks
Arizona continues to find ways to win to remain undefeated at 14-0 SU. After a controversial 92-83 overtime victory over Colorado last Thursday as a 12 ½-point home favorite, it squeaked by Utah this past Saturday 60-57 as a 19-point favorite at home. The Wildcats are 7-5 ATS and the total has stayed UNDER in six of their last eight games.
The Ducks got off to a solid start in Pac-12 play with a 79-66 romp over Oregon State this past Sunday as one-point home favorites. They are now 10-2 SU overall and 7-5 ATS with the total staying UNDER in four of their last five games with a posted line. Oregon is averaging 77.5 points a game while shooting 46.7 percent from the field.
Thursday's Top 25 NCAAB Betting Notes
By Covers.com
Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on all of Thursday’s ranked college basketball games:
(18) Michigan State at Iowa (+1)
The Spartans look for their first league win away from home when they visit Iowa. After falling at Minnesota on New Year's Eve, Michigan State was able to rebound at home with an easy 84-61 triumph over Purdue on Saturday. The buzz surrounding the Hawkeyes was somewhat warranted when they took the Indiana Hoosiers to the wire in their Big Ten opener on New Year's Eve. However, Iowa was no match for the Wolverines on Sunday, falling 95-67 in Ann Arbor. Michigan scored 76 points in the final 26 minutes, showcasing several highlight-reel plays that embarrassed the young Hawkeyes. Iowa is 6-1 ATS in its last seven overall.
(3) Arizona at Oregon (+1)
The Wildcats are off to their best start since the 1931-32 squad opened the season with 16 consecutive victories. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. Arizona shot just 36.2 percent from the field in a close call against Utah last time out. Oregon is 10-0 at home and has won 16 consecutive games at Matthew Knight Arena dating back to last season. Arizona is just 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
St. Mary’s at (8) Gonzaga (-11)
Gonzaga has lived up to the hype after being touted as a potential Final Four team in the preseason, while Saint Mary’s cruised through a fairly easy nonconference schedule. This game features two of the WCC’s marquee players in Bulldogs junior forward Kelly Olynyk and Gaels senior point guard Matthew Dellavedova. The 7-foot Olynyk was named the WCC Player of the Week after averaging 23.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in victories at Oklahoma State, Pepperdine and Santa Clara. Gonzaga leads the WCC in scoring (80.7) and points allowed (63.1). The Gaels are 1-4 ATS in their last five games.
Notable non-Top 25 games:
Kentucky at Vanderbilt (+11.5)
John Calipari's defending national champion Wildcats have already lost twice as many games as they did last season and are 0-2 on the road, while the Commodores snapped a two-game losing streak with a 64-50 victory over William & Mary on Jan. 2. Vanderbilt blocked a season-high 10 shots in that win and held the Tribe to just 34 percent shooting. The Commodores are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
UCLA at Utah (+5)
UCLA, which has won seven straight games overall, hasn’t played a true road game this season but will get its first taste of hostility when they travel to Utah on Thursday in what will be the first high-altitude experience for most of its freshman-laden roster. The Bruins enter as the Pac-12’s top scoring team (79.9 ppg) with the conference’s best shooting percentage (.480), while Utah has improved its national ranking in opponent field goal percentage from 321st in the nation last season to 22nd so far this campaign. All six of Utah’s losses this season have come by seven points or less, while the Bruins are 4-1 in games decided by five points or fewer. The Utes are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games.
Arizona State at Oregon State (-4)
Arizona State won its first two conference games for just the fourth time in 35 seasons and seeks a 3-0 start in Pac-12 play when it visits Oregon State. This will be only Arizona State’s second road game – the Sun Devils beat Texas Tech on Dec. 22. Oregon State lost its Pac-12 opener to Oregon in a contest in which the Beavers were outplayed on both ends of the court. The Beavers have struggled in the interior since losing starting center Angus Brandt to a season-ending knee injury and are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games.
Miami-Florida at North Carolina (-5)
North Carolina started the season ranked 12th in the nation, but an unranked Tar Heels’ squad looks to avoid a 0-2 start in ACC play when it hosts Miami. Virginia held North Carolina 29 points below its season average in a 61-52 loss on Sunday in the conference opener. The Tar Heels were outscored 11-2 in the final three minutes, losing for the second time in four games. Miami experienced a much more enjoyable start to conference play, beating Georgia Tech 62-49 on Saturday. The Hurricanes have won two in a row since ending December with losses to then No. 5 Arizona and Indiana State.
Thursday Late Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Conference play in college hoops is picking up in the second week of January with teams playing their second and third games. A handful of teams in the Pac-12 played their rival this past weekend, while the other eight schools got two opportunities on the court. UCLA pulled off a sweep of the Bay Area schools, as the Bruins travel to Utah for a battle with the Utes. All eyes in the conference will be on Eugene as Arizona attempts to stay unbeaten against an underrated Oregon squad.
Arizona at Oregon
The third-ranked Wildcats have escaped in each of their last three games, squeezing out victories over San Diego State, Colorado, and Utah to improve to 14-0 on the season. Arizona makes the trek through the Beaver State over the next three days, although it doesn't face Oregon State until Saturday. The first leg of the trip takes Sean Miller's squad to Oregon, as the Ducks own a perfect 10-0 record at Matthew Knight Arena.
Arizona could easily be 1-1 or even 0-2 in Pac-12 play, as the Wildcats needed a late rally to force overtime against Colorado last Thursday. The Buffaloes believed they were robbed on a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, as officials reversed the call, thus allowing Arizona to win in overtime, 92-83. The Cats failed to cover as 12½-point favorites, then couldn't cash as 19½-point 'chalk' two days late against Utah in a 60-57 victory. Arizona shot just 36% from the floor, but led the entire game until the Utes made it interesting late.
Oregon took care of rival Oregon State in Corvallis on Sunday night, 79-66 as 1½-point favorites. The Ducks trailed by six at the half, but Dana Altman's club outscored the Beavers, 51-32 in the second half. Last season, Oregon won seven of nine Pac-12 home contests, while covering six times. The Wildcats didn't visit Eugene last season due to conference expansion, but Oregon did upset Arizona as 8½-point road underdogs, 59-57 last January.
UCLA at Utah
The Bruins are rolling right now with seven consecutive victories, while knocking off Cal and Stanford to open Pac-12 play at 2-0. UCLA heads to the Mountain Time Zone for a pair of games, starting with a trip to Utah. The Utes cashed in losses at Arizona State and Arizona, improving to 5-0-1 ATS on the road this season.
Utah has put together a 7-2 record at home, but the two losses are to questionable opponents as Sacramento State and Cal-State Northridge shocked the Utes. The only quality home win for the Utes came against Boise State as 5 ½-point 'dogs in early December, as Utah has scored 60 points or less five times this season. Utah covered six of nine conference games last season, even though five of those ATS wins came as double-digit 'dogs.
Ben Howland's Bruins are playing their first true road game of the season, as UCLA failed to cover in four neutral-site contests (2-2 SU). UCLA didn't perform well last season against conference foes on the highway by compiling a 3-6 SU and 4-4-1 ATS record. The Bruins are making their first trip to Salt Lake City, as UCLA dominated Utah last January, 76-49 at Pauley Pavilion.
St. Mary's at Gonzaga
The late-night chase game comes from Spokane with the top two teams in the West Coast Conference hooking up. The 'Zags picked up two solid road victories to start WCC play at Pepperdine and Santa Clara in high-scoring affairs, while going 5-2 to the 'over' in the last seven lined games. The Gaels enter Thursday's contest on a four-game winning streak, but St. Mary's failed to cover each of the last three victories.
To be fair to Randy Bennett's team, St. Mary's was laying at least 12 points in wins over Yale, Harvard, and Loyola-Marymount. In the home victory over Loyola-Marymount, the Gaels turned a three-point halftime lead into a 13-point triumph, as St. Mary's shot 50% from the floor. St. Mary's took two of three meetings from Gonzaga last season, including an overtime win in the conference championship to secure the automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga owns a 7-1 SU record at home, but the Bulldogs are 0-3 ATS in their last three lined contests in Spokane. Mark Few's club won all eight WCC home games last season, while their two non-covers came as favorites of least 15 points. The 'under' cashed in 13 of 16 conference games last season, but the first two WCC contests finished 'over' the total.
College Basketball Point Spreads and Betting Guide
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
There are three top 25 college basketball games Thursday night. The Linemakers on Sporting News offer trends to consider and leans on that trio, as well as some other of tonight’s college hoops wagering options.
No 22 Michigan State vs. Iowa – 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: Michigan State -2
Total: 136.5
Trends:
Under is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Iowa.
Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Spartans are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Iowa.
Spartans are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games.
Spartans are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Spartans are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games.
Under is 4-1 in Hawkeyes' last 5 home games.
The Linemakers’ take: This is a brutal stretch for the young Hawkeyes. They lost their last two, against Indiana and Michigan. They do have the home floor vs. Michigan State, but the Spartans have won 10 of the last 11 in this series.
No 4 Arizona vs. Oregon – 9:00 p.m. ET
Line: Arizona -1
Total: 141.5
Trends:
Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Wildcats are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
Wildcats are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Oregon.
Road team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Ducks are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games overall.
Ducks are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 vs. Pacific-12.
Ducks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games.
The Linemakers’ take: Arizona is 2-0 on the road and has been winning close games. The Ducks are undefeated at home (10-0) and have five players averaging double-figure scoring. But Arizona has played well on this floor, winning four of the last five here. Despite Arizona coach Sean Miller saying, "We are not playing well," we think the overall talent of the Wildcats will prevail.
St Mary’s vs. No. 9 Gonzaga – 11:00 p.m. ET
Line: Gonzaga -10
Total: 149
Trends:
Under is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in Gonzaga.
Gaels are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Bulldogs are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Bulldogs are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 home games.
Under is 7-0 in Gaels' last 7 road games.
Over is 6-2 in Bulldogs' last 8 overall.
Under is 35-14-2 in Bulldogs' last 51 home games.
More leans from The Linemakers:
Miami at North Carolina (-4): The Miami backcourt is solid, led by Durand Scott (14.7 point per game), but with center Reggie Johnson out, the Hurricanes could be at a disadvantage up front against UNC. The young Tar Heels are still very tough at home. We think Carolina will wear down Miami and pull away late.
UMass (+11) at Saint Louis: UMass has won seven straight and is 4-0 on the road; Saint Louis has won eight straight and is 10-1 at home. Something has to give. UMass has a knack for winning close games, and the thought here is that this is just too many points for the Billikens to be laying.