College Knowledge
-- Ole Miss made 38-44 from foul line, won 92-74 at Tennessee 15 days ago; Rebels are 4-0 in SEC, with all four wins by 10+ points- they're 2-0 as SEC home favorites, winning by 15-12 in Oxford. Vols are 2-0 as road dogs in SEC play, losing by 3 at Alabama, 10 at Kentucky; they've lost four of last five visits here, by 2-14-16-17 points. SEC home favorites of 8+ points are 8-4 vs spread.
-- VCU won seven of last eight games vs Richmond, but lost by 12 last time they visited here; Rams had won previous three visits to Richmond by 12-1-14 points. VCU is 4-0 in first year in A-16, winning road games by 7 in Olean, 27 at Duquesne- they're 2-2 as A-16 favorites. Spiders are 2-0 at home in league, but lost road games by 12-15 points. A-16 home teams are 6-10 vs spread when number is 6+ points; home dogs are 4-5. This is a local rivalry. Pressing team vs a Princeton team. Good stuff.
-- Home team won 14 of last 19 Clemson-Florida State games, but State won first meeting 71-66 at Littlejohn, making 10-23 from arc. Tigers lost four of last five visits here, losing by 9-7-6-8 points; they're 0-2 on ACC road, losing by 4 at NC State, 28 at Duke. Seminoles lost last two games, scoring only 36 points in last game, at Virginia. ACC home favorites of 5 or less points are 2-5 vs spread.
-- Western Kentucky won five of last seven games with South Alabama, but are 2-3 in last five visits here, with losses by 2-4-5 points; they've lost four of last five games overall, losing last two road games by 8-14 points. USA split its last six league games after starting Sun Belt play 3-0; they're 4-2 as a Sun Belt favorite, 2-1 at home. Sun Belt home faves of 6 or less points are 9-3 against the spread.
-- Home sides won seven of last eight UCLA-Arizona games; Bruins lost last four visits to Tucson by 12-5-11-2 points. UCLA won its two road tilts in league play by 4-3 points; they covered only game as Pac-12 dog, winning 78-75 (+2.5) at Colorado. Wildcats are 1-4 as Pac-12 favorites, 0-2 at home, winning by 9ot-3 points- this is their first home game in 19 days. Pac-12 home favorites are 7-22 vs spread this year.
-- UNLV won 17 of last 20 games vs Wyoming, winning last nine regular season visits here, by 11-13-18-17-7-10-12-12-15 points, but Rebels are just 2-2 in league this year, beating Air Force in OT in only home game. Underdogs are 4-0 SU/vs spread in Wyoming's league games; Cowboys are 2-0 as underdogs- their MWC losses are by hoop to Boise, by 13 at Fresno. MWC single digit home favorites are 4-3 vs spread.
-- Stanford beat Colorado twice LY, by 20-24 points, in Buffs' first year in Pac-12; Cardinal is 0-2 on Pac-12 road, losing by hoop at USC, by 8 at UCLA- home side covered four of their five league games. Buffs split first two Pac-12 home games, beating USC by 6, losing by 3 to UCLA. Pac-12 home favorites are 7-22 vs spread this year, 1-11 if laying 5 or less points. Colorado is 2-4 in conference, Stanford 2-3.
-- Underdogs are 6-0 vs spread in USC's league games; Cantu's first two games as interim HC were decided by total of three points. Home side won 10 of last 12 USC-Arizona State games; Trojans lost five of last six visits to Tempe, losing by 10-14-12-5-4 points. ASU lost last two tilts after 3-0 start in league; they're 2-1 at home, winning by 1-9- dogs have covered three of their four league games. Pac-12 home favorites are 7-22 vs spread this year, 1-11 if laying 5 or less points.
-- Gonzaga had tough non-league loss at Butler last game; they're 4-0 in WCC, winning only home game by 5 over St Mary's. BYU is 3-2 in true road games, losing by 21 at Iowa State, 15 at Baylor. Home side won both BYU-Gonzaga games LY, with Cougars losing in Spokane by 11, in their first trip around WCC. Zags also beat BYU by 19 in conference tourney. WCC single digit home favorites are 3-5 vs spread.
-- Road team covered all five of St Mary's WCC games; Gaels are 0-2 as home favorites, beating LMU by 13, USF by 6- dogs are 4-1 vs spread in their league games. San Diego is 4-1 in WCC, losing by 17 at BYU; they're 2-1 as WCC road dogs. St Mary's won seven of last eight games vs USD, winning last five here, by 7-4-15-11-11 points. WCC home teams are 5-11 vs spread; double digit home favorites are 2-2.
-- Home side won seven of last eight Tennessee State-EKU games, with State losing last four visits here, by 18-8-14-5 points. Both sides have one OVC loss, to Belmont; State covered its last six games- they're 2-0 as OVC road dog. EKU is 1-2 as home favorite, winning all three games, by 11-6-7 points. OVC home faves of 6 or less points are 4-6 vs spread. State won at Tennessee Tech/Jacksonville State, lost at Belmont by 12.
-- Morehead State is 0-5 vs top 100 teams, losing by 22-11-12-20-36 points, but Eagles are 4-2 in OVC, losing by 3 at Austin Peay, by 7 at EKU. First road game in 19 days for Belmont squad that won its first two OVC road games, by 11 at Jacksonville State, 31 at Tennessee Tech; all six of their OVC wins are by 7+ points. OVC home underdogs are 3-7 vs spread. In Morehead's 69-62 loss at EKU, they were down 20 with a little less than 4:00 left.
-- Weber State won 10 of last 12 games vs Montana State, winning four of last five visits here, with wins by 2-20-4-9 points; battle of unbeaten Big Sky teams looms Saturday in Missoula, Weber better not look past this game- they're 2-2 as road favorites, winning road games by 21-4-16-7 points. Montana State won its two Big Sky homegames by total of 5 points- they were favored both games. Big Sky home underdogs are 4-5 against the spread.
Armadillosports.com
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:
Purdue Boilermakers at (3) Michigan Wolverines (-16.5)
Purdue has won three consecutive games and six of eight after a shaky start. The Boilermakers routed West Virginia 79-52 in a non-conference contest in their last outing. Purdue is 2-2 on the road, including a conference victory over Nebraska. Michigan’s only home loss last season was to the Boilermakers. The Wolverines are 11-0 at Crisler Arena with seven of the victories coming by 28 or more points. Michigan is scoring nearly 20 points more a game – 79.3 to 59.5 – than it is allowing.
(16) VCU Rams at Richmond Spiders (+8.5)
Virginia Commonwealth has taken the conference by storm in its first year since its move from the Colonial, winning its first four conferences games. The Rams have also won 13 straight contests overall. Richmond, meanwhile, snapped a two-game slump by beating Charlotte at home on Saturday. The Spiders’ offense focuses largely on perimeter shooting as Richmond is second in the country in 3-pointers per game and 29th in the nation in 3-point percentage (38 percent). Virginia Commonwealth forces an average of about nine more turnovers than it gives up per game. The Spiders are 0-6-1 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win.
Tennessee Volunteers at (24) Ole Miss Rebels (-8.5)
The Volunteers have some extra motivation heading into this one. Not only did the Rebels score a 92-74 victory in their Jan. 9 meeting, but Marshall Henderson vexed the Vols late in the game by openly boasting he was going to score 30 points. Henderson, the SEC's leading scorer and the reigning SEC Player of the Week, finished with 32 points. Since beating the Vols on the road, Ole Miss has entered the national rankings--and rides a seven-game win streak into this rematch. Meanwhile, Tennessee just snapped a four-game losing streak with Saturday's win over Mississippi State. The Rebels are 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall.
UCLA Bruins at (6) Arizona Wildcats (-10)
UCLA hasn’t won in Tucson since the 2007-08 season, which also marks the last time the Bruins defeated a ranked team on the road. That victory came at Washington State on Feb. 7, 2008. Bruins freshman forward Kyle Anderson missed Tuesday’s practice with a stomach virus and freshman guard Jordan Adams also was experiencing similar symptoms. Coach Ben Howland is hopeful both players will be on the floor against Arizona. Anderson has six double-doubles and leads the team in rebounding (9.1) to go with a 9.9 scoring average. Adams averages 15.2 points, second on the squad behind freshman forward Shabazz Muhammad (17.9). UCLA is 1-4 ATS in its last five road games.
BYU Cougars at (10) Gonzaga Bulldogs (-10)
The Bulldogs are the lone unbeaten team in conference play and the Cougars would be unblemished as well if not for a recent one-point loss to Saint Mary’s. BYU Sophomore guard Tyler Haws has scored 20 or more points in seven consecutive games after pouring in 25 during the victory over San Diego. Haws has 14 20-point outings on the season and has failed to score in double digits just once all season. Gonzaga is 1-4 ATS in its last five home games.
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 5 Michigan Wolverines
The Boilermakers have won their last three games to move back over .500 on the year at 10-8 SU. They are 7-10 ATS this season but have covered in four of their last six games. Purdue is 2-2 both SU and ATS on the road this season and the total has gone OVER in four of its last five games. This team has really struggled at times shooting the ball and is hitting just 42.3 percent of its shots from the field. Terone Johnson is Purdue’s leading scorer with 13.3 points a game.
Michigan moved to 4-1 SU in Big Ten play with an 83-75 victory over Minnesota last Thursday as a 2½-point road underdog. It is now 17-1 SU and 10-6 ATS with the total going OVER in six of its last eight games. The Wolverines are a perfect 10-0 SU at home and 5-4 ATS. They come into this matchup ranked 10th in the nation in scoring with an average of 79.3 points a game. They are the fourth-best shooting team in the country; hitting 51 percent of the shots from the field.
UCLA at Arizona
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
With Oregon setting a frenetic pace in Pac-12 play, Arizona and UCLA will collide tonight in a crucial conference showdown. The Wildcats and Bruins, with one league loss apiece, don’t want to fall two games behind the Ducks.
As of early this morning, most betting shops had Arizona (16-1 straight up, 8-7 against the spread) installed as an 8½-point favorite with a total of 147. Gamblers can expect to see the money-line price for Ben Howland’s squad to be in the plus-350 range.
Sean Miller’s squad is No. 2 in the RPI Rankings thanks to five wins over RPI Top 50 schools and eight victories over those in the Top 100. Arizona has quality wins over the likes of Miami, Florida, Colorado, San Diego St. and So. Miss.
Since suffering a 70-66 loss at Oregon following a 14-0 start, the Wildcats have won back-to-back games at Oregon St. and Arizona St. Mark Lyons dropped a game-high 24 points on the Sun Devils in a 71-54 victory to hook up ‘Zona backers as a 6½-point ‘chalk.’
Lyons, the transfer from Xavier, is averaging a team-high 15.4 points per game. Solomon Hill is scoring at a 13.6 PPG clip while shooting 43.5 percent from 3-point land. Nick Johnson also averages double figures, scoring 12.7 PPG.
UCLA (15-4 SU, 7-11 ATS) saw its 10-game winning streak halted in Saturday’s 76-67 loss to Oregon as a five-point home favorite. The 143 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 146½-point total.
The Ducks broke open a close game with a 14-6 run to finish the game. They outscored the Bruins 38-24 in the lane and won the battle of the boards by a 37-28 margin.
UCLA freshman sensation Shabazz Muhammad used poor shot selection and finished with 10 points, eight below his average. Muhammad was benched and missed the first five minutes as punished for being late to Friday’s practice.
Travis Wear scored 17 points in the losing effort. Kyle Anderson produced 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Norman Powell was also in double figures with 11 points.
Muhammad is averaging 17.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The freshman from Las Vegas is stroking treys at a 45.8 percent clip, but he has an abysmal 13/30 assists-to-turnovers ratio.
The Bruins rely heavily on freshmen. In addition to Muhammad, Jordan Adams and Anderson are key ingredients. Adams is the team’s second-leading scorer with a 15.2 PPG average, while Anderson averages 9.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.
UCLA has only been an underdog once this year, winning a 78-75 decision at Colorado as a 2 ½-point ‘dog on Jan. 12. The Bruins
The ‘under’ is 9-2-1 overall for Arizona, 3-1 in its home games with a total. The ‘under’ is 7-5 overall for UCLA, 5-1 in its last six games. The ‘under’ has cashed in four straight head-to-head meetings between these Pac-12 rivals.
Arizona won two of three games against UCLA last season, including a 66-58 win as a three-point underdog at the Pac-12 Tournament.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.
B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets
Gonzaga will take on BYU tonight as a nine-point home favorite in a key WCC showdown. ESPN2 will provide television coverage at 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
Miami made a huge statement with Wednesday’s never-a-doubt 90-63 win over top-ranked Duke as a 2 ½-point underdog in front of a raucous crowd in Coral Gables. The loss was the third-worst defeat by a No. 1 team in NCAA history. The Blue Devils hadn’t lost by this many points in the regular season since 1984. This was a beatdown for Duke like none seen since UNLV was destroying it in the finals of the 1990 NCAA Tournament in Denver. The Hurricanes improved to 14-3 thanks to a 25-point effort from senior guard Durand Scott. Kenny Kadji added 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field.
Miami got a big pre-game boost when senior center Reggie Johnson returned early from a broken thumb suffered on Dec. 18. Johnson, who was expected to miss at least another week or two, had two points and five rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
Oregon leads the Pac-12 and is 6-0 in league play for the first time in 39 years. The Ducks improved to 17-2 overall with last night’s 68-61 win over Washington St. The Cougars took the money as 10½-point road underdogs.
Florida never led in the first half and trailed 27-24 at halftime in Athens last night. But the Gators poured it on Georgia in the second half en route to a 64-47 win as 15 ½-point favorites at Stegeman Coliseum. They hooked up their backers for second-half wagers as 10-point favorites. Scottie Wilbekin matched his career-high with a team-high 17 points, while Kenny Boynton and Erik Murphy chipped in with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
UC-Santa Barbara will be without its best player indefinitely. Sophomore center Alan Williams, who averages 17.4 points, 9.9 boards and 2.4 blocked shots per game, is out with a knee injury.
Butler tasted defeat last night for the first time since losing 78-61 to Illinois in the Maui Classic finals on Nov. 21. The Bulldogs had their 13-game winning streak snapped in a 54-53 loss at LaSalle. However, they still covered the number for a fifth straight time as 2 ½-point underdogs. Brad Stevens’s team now owns a 7-1 spread record in eight underdog situations.
Miami had seen all 10 of its totals stay ‘under’ before last night’s 153 combined points hurdled ‘over’ the 132-point total.
Even though it couldn’t throw it in the ocean from the charity stripe, Northwestern picked up a huge win for Bill Carmody by knocking off Minnesota 55-48 last night. The Wildcats won outright as eight-point home ‘dogs, hooking up money-line supporters with a plus-320 payout. Jared Swopshire was the catalyst with 16 points and eight rebounds.
NCAAB: Streaks, Trends, Notes
Sportspic.com
Purdue at Michigan
Michigan rebounded from it's loss at Ohio State by defeating Gophers 83-75 in Minnesota last time out moving the mark to 17-1 (10-6 ATS) on the campaign. Michigan with four double digit scorers lead by Trey Burke (18.0) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (16.4) are having little trouble putting the ball in the net averaging 79.3 points/game on a smart 51.0% shooting from the field. Meanwhile, Boilermakers (10-8, 7-10 ATS) hitting just 42.3% of their shots are averaging just 66.8 points/game. Michigan the superior team owning a solid 25-1 (13-9 ATS) stretch in Ann Arbor the past two seasons won't lose this game. That sole loss came at the hands of these Boilermakers right here on Senior Night last season. It's pay-back time. Win yes but covering the whopping 16-point spot will be a chore. Wolverines are just 2-6 ATS last eight at home vs Purdue and Boilermakers hit the hardwood a smart 11-2-1 ATS as double dogit road underdogs.
Game of the Day: UCLA Bruins vs. Arizona Wildcats
Atssportsline.com
UCLA vs. #6 Arizona
UCLA (15-4 SU, 7-11 ATS) had a 10-game winning streak snapped on Saturday, falling at home to Oregon, 76-67, giving 5. They take on an Arizona (16-1 SU, 8-7 ATS) team that has won two straight, including beat rival Arizona State, 71-54, giving 6.5. UCLA travels to the McKale Center in Tuscon, Arizona to take on the Wildcats at 9pmET.
Matchup: Last game: (3/8/12). ARIZONA (-3) over Ucla, 66-58. Arizona has won two straight SU.
Latest Odds: Arizona is a 9.5-point favorite.
Key Betting Trends:
UCLA is:
13-5-1 ATS in their last 19 Thursday games.
4-9 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.
Arizona is:
9-2 ATS in their last 11 Thursday games.
1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win.
1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. Pacific-12.
Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
5-2 ATS last 7 at home in series
Key Injuries:
UCLA:
F Ryan Kelly (foot) is out indefinitely.none.
Arizona:
none.
Preview:
Arizona's Mark Lyons wants to be regarded as the nation's top point guard. UCLA's Larry Drew II might be a better true point man, though he's probably not even the best player on his own team.
That distinction goes to Shabazz Muhammad, who could atone for a forgettable game - one which cost the Bruins the Pac-12 lead and their Top 25 spot - by leading his team to a road win over the sixth-ranked Wildcats on Thursday night.
Lyons is the reigning Pac-12 player of the week after matching a season high with 24 points Saturday, including 15 in the decisive second half of a 71-54 win at archrival Arizona State.
UCLA's last game did not go so well, having a 10-game winning streak snapped with a 76-67 loss to then-No. 21 Oregon on Saturday.
While Drew had eight assists and scored the Bruins' only six points in the final three minutes, Muhammad was shut out in the second half after scoring 10 in the first.
Muhammad, averaging a team-high 17.9 points, was benched for the first five minutes for being late to practice the previous day.
That defeat dropped UCLA (15-4, 5-1) from the AP poll after a one-week stay and out of a tie for first place with the Ducks.
While Arizona (16-1, 4-1) suffered its only loss at Oregon on Jan. 10, the Bruins have won their only two true road games - at Colorado and Utah - but those schools have a combined 3-9 conference record.
UCLA is facing an Arizona team which is 9-0 at home before heading north Saturday to visit the Sun Devils, who were 11-1 in home games before losing to the Wildcats.
That could be particularly true for Muhammad, who has totaled 20 points in two road games while shooting 9 for 29. UCLA is 7-0 when he scores at least 20.
Fellow freshman Jordan Adams is 1 for 12 from the field and has scored nine points over the past two games.
Adams is averaging 15.2 points, just as Lyons is. However, Arizona's senior guard has stepped up in conference play, scoring 19.4 per game.
Drew also has been in many big games, having spent three seasons with North Carolina, but he's never played in Tucson, and UCLA has dropped four straight there. He ranks among the Division I leaders with 8.1 assists per game - Lyons is at 3.3 - and Drew leads the country by a wide margin in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.67).
UCLA has dropped six of nine to the Wildcats, including a 66-58 loss in last year's Pac-12 tournament.
Arizona's Solomon Hill had 25 points and 12 rebounds in that matchup and is averaging 16.7 points in his last six games.
College Basketball Point Spreads and Picks
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
Two games out west highlight Thursday night’s college basketball betting card, with UCLA at Arizona (-8.5) in the Pac-12, and BYU at Gonzaga (-9.5) in a West Coast Conference matchup.
The lines below are from the LVH SuperBook as of about 9:30 a.m. PT Thursday.
Here’s a look at the point spreads, totals and key trends for tonight’s top 25 action and more, with a few wagering recommendations from The Linemakers on Sporting News.
UCLA vs. No. 6 Arizona – 9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Line: Arizona -8.5, Total: 147
The Linemakers’ take: We think this line should be more like 3 or 3.5, which means a lean toward the Bruins, who had a 10-game winning streak snapped last Saturday by Oregon. UCLA is 1-3 ATS on the road this season, but Arizona has been in a lot of close games and is a middling 4-4 ATS at home. Expect another close one Thursday.
Trends:
• Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
• Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
• Favorite is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
• Over is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Arizona.
• Bruins are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Arizona.
BYU vs. No 10. Gonzaga – 11:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Line: Gonzaga -9.5, Total: 149
The Linemakers’ take: At first glance, the spread here looks like a big number. But if BYU tries to run with Gonzaga (not a good idea), this game could get out of hand. Look for these teams to score in the 80s or 90s, and such a tempo clearly favors Gonzaga.
Trends:
• Favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
• Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
• Bulldogs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
• Under is 35-14-2 in Bulldogs’ last 51 home games.
• Under is 29-14-1 in Bulldogs’ last 44 overall.
Stanford vs. Colorado - 10:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Line: Colorado -4.5, Total: 134
The Linemakers’ take: Stanford has won five straight in this series, and that would suggest taking the points tonight. However, this Stanford squad does not shoot well, and it's a big-time payback spot for Colorado, as the Cardinal won both meetings last year by over 20 points. Colorado is 39-5 at home under coach Tad Boyle, and Stanford is just 9-29 in their last 38 conference road games.
We believe the Buffaloes have the edge in the backcourt and are going to come up with a big performance tonight.
Trends:
Cardinal are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games
Cardinal are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games
UNDER has occurred Buffaloes’ last 6 home games against teams with losing road record.
Purdue vs. No. 2 Michigan – 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
Line: Michigan -14.5, Total: 132.5
Trends:
• Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
• Boilermakers are 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings in Michigan.
• Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
• Road team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
No. 19 VCU vs. Richmond – 7:00 p.m. ET, CBSSC
Line: VCU -8.5, Total: 137.5
Trends:
• Home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
• Favorite is 8-1 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
• Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
• Rams are 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings.
Tennessee vs. No. 23 Ole Miss – 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: Mississippi -8.5, Total: 141
• Trends:
• Under is 4-0-1 in the last 5 meetings in Mississippi.
• Over is 3-1-1 in the last 5 meetings.
• Underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
• Road team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.