College Basketball Information
Louisville won its last four games with Memphis, beating Tigers by 8-9 points the last two years. Only once in last nine series games was game won by more than nine points. This is first home game in three weeks for the Cardsinals, who force turnovers 25.5% of time (#3 in US)- they won first two AAC games by 25-7 points. Memphis got spanked in its last game by Cincy- they're 2-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 21-2-16.
Florida State won its last four games vs Clemson; their 71-66 win LY at Clemson was just their second in last 10 visits to Littlejohn. Seminoles lost ACC opener by 12 at home to Virginia; they're 2-4 vs teams in top 100, beating VCU/UMass- they turn ball over 22.2% of time. Clemson leads country with 38.9 defensive eFG%; they won ACC opener by a hoop at Boston College.
LaSalle won its last four games with George Washington, winning three games by 9+ points; Colonials lost last two visits here by 14-15 points. GW is 4-2 vs top 100 teams, losing to K-State/Marquette; they're 2-1 on road, winning at Manhattan/Hofstra, losing by 17 at K-State. LaSalle is not shooting well; their eFG% is #303 in country; they're 0-6 vs teams in top 100-- best win was over #116 Stony Brook.
Pepperdine (+7) made 13-24 from arc in 80-74 win over BYU ten days ago, its first win in five games vs BYU in WCC play. Cougars won by 38-25 points in its two games played here- they lost four of last five games overall, allowing an average of 87 ppg before whacking San Diego by 34 in its home opener in WCC play. Waves are 3-1 in WCC, losing by 10 at San Francisco in its last game.
UCLA was 3-0 vs Arizona LY, winning by 11-5-2 points, but Wildcats have PG who passes ball now, and Alford is Bruins' new coach. UCLA hammered USC by 34 in Pac-12 opener; they're shooting 40.7% from arc, are #1 in country with 58.1eFG%. Arizona won at San Diego State by 9, Michigan by 2 in its only true road games; their eFG% defense is #2 in country, so something has to give here.
Marquette is 0-6 vs top 50 teams, with five losses by 6+ points; they're 1-3 in true road games, with only win by 20 at Cal-Fullerton way back on Nov 28. Eagles' best win was over George Washington on a neutral floor. Xavier won its last seven games, winning first couple Big East tilts by 10-11 points over Butler/St John's; Musketeers are 12-3, with all the losses at Thanksgiving tourney in the Bahamas.
Michigan won its first two Big Dozen games with Nebraska by 16-15 points, as Cornhuskers adjust to new league; Wolverines won last four games, are 1-2 on road, winning by 3 at Minnesota, losing at Iowa State, Duke. Nebraska lost last three games by 15-10-31 points, losing 84-53 at Ohio State in its Big Dozen opener. when Coach Miles talks publicly about need to go out recruiting, you know Huskers are still talent-shy.
Arizona State won three of last four games with USC; last three were all decided by 5 or less points; Sun Devils are 1-6 in last seven visits here, losing by 9-14-12-10-16-1. Trojams lost by 34 to UCLA in rivalry game Sunday; they're 2-4 vs top 100 teams, beating Xavier/Dayton. ASU is on road for first time in month; they won by 6 at UNLV, at DePaul by 22 and are 1-2 in neutral court games.
LMU (-5) beat San Diego 65-62 Dec 20, despite Toreros making 10-21 from arc; USD won last three games with LMU by 3-1-8 points; Lions lost four of last six visits here, lost last four road games overall, losing by 14-5 points in first two WCC road games last week. Toreros scored 59.7 ppg in losing last three games- they're 2-6 in last eight games, losing by 34 at BYU in last game.
California won its last 11 games with Oregon, nipping Ducks twice LY, by 4-2 points; Bears lost first two road games at UCSB/Creighton, but won 69-62 at Stanford in Pac-12 opener. Ducks lost at Colorado by 9 in last game; three of their last six wins came in OT; they're making 41.1% from arc, 53.4% inside arc, but lost Cal's last five visits here. Bears are 0-3 vs top 50 teams, with all three losses by 11+ points.
Gonzaga is 20-0 vs Portland over last decade, winning last ten visits to Chiles Center, with eight of 10 wins by 12+ points. Bulldogs won first four WCC games, all by 14+ points, but they were all at home- this is their first true road game (lost to K-State in KC). Portland is playing its 5th straight WCC home game, losing three of first four, by 6-8-9 with a win over Pacific.
Quinnipiac is 3-1 in its first year in MAAC, winning last two games by 17-12 points, whacking Iona last game (up 22 at half); statistically the Bobcats are best rebounding team in country (#3 offense, #2 defense). Manhattan won its last eight games; they're 4-0 in MAAC, with all four wins by 9+ points. Jaspers scored 81.8 ppg in last four games; they are best team in country at getting to foul line, make 72.8% on the line.
North Dakota State won three of last four games with Fort Wayne, but are 2-6 in last eight visits here; Bison are 8-1 vs teams ranked below #50 with only loss by 18 at North Dakota. Fort Wayne won five of last six D-I games; they turn ball over 20.5% of time, but make 39.6% of time, #28 in country. Mastodons are 0-2 vs top 100 teams, losing by total of three points to Dayton/Illinois.
Armadillosports.com
Memphis at Louisville: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Memphis Tigers at Louisville Cardinals (-9.5)
Louisville just went through some turmoil off the court with the dismissal of Chane Behanan but looks just fine on the court after back-to-back road wins to begin American Athletic Conference play. The eighth-ranked Cardinals will play the first of three straight at home when they host No. 22 Memphis on Thursday. The Tigers are one of the few teams comfortable playing at Louisville’s fast tempo and look to shake off a tough loss.
Memphis averages 80.5 points but shot 33.3 percent in a 69-53 home loss to Cincinnati on Saturday - 20 point below its previous season low. “There is no time to have a pity party because our schedule is getting tougher and tougher,” Tigers coach Josh Pastner said. “We go on the road to play at Louisville and then at Temple. Those are going to be tough games, and we have a lot to work on before then.” The Cardinals average 84.9 points and knocked off Central Florida and Rutgers to begin conference play.
LINE: Louisville opened at -9.5 with some markets dealing -10.
ABOUT MEMPHIS (10-3, 1-1 AAC, 6-5 ATS): The Tigers lean heavily on senior guards Michael Dixon Jr., Chris Crawford, Joe Jackson and Geron Johnson, and the four combined to go 14-for-49 from the floor against Cincinnati. “Our four senior guards have to play better if we are going to win games,” Pastner said. “The big picture is that simple.” Memphis shoots just 29.2 percent from 3-point range and is at its best when the guards can get into the lane for easy baskets, something that could be easier with Behanan gone from the Cardinals.
ABOUT LOUISVILLE (13-2, 2-0, 7-6 ATS): Behanan was a big part of the Cardinals’ run to the national championship last season but began the 2013-14 campaign with a suspension and played in 12 games before being dismissed from the team earlier this week. “We lost a terrific young man in many respects,” coach Rick Pitino said. “Between the lines, he gave great effort and was a great teammate, a wonderful young man to be around.” Behanan is reportedly heading to Houston to work with former NBA coach and player John Lucas, who runs a drug and alcohol treatment program.
TRENDS:
* Tigers are 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings in Louisville.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Tigers are 7-2-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
* Underdog is 6-2-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.
TIP-INS:
1. Louisville G Russ Smith has gone over 20 points in each of the first two AAC games.
2. Jackson is shooting a career-low 24.2 percent from beyond the arc.
3. The Cardinals won at the Tigers 87-78 behind 22 points from Behanan last season.
Arizona at UCLA: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Arizona Wildcats at UCLA Bruins (+2)
Arizona should be looking for payback when the top-ranked Wildcats visit No. 25 UCLA for a Pac-12 game Thursday night. Arizona was swept in three games against the Bruins last season, but UCLA hardly had a chance to celebrate its final victory as Jordan Adams suffered a season-ending foot injury on the final play of the conference tournament semifinal. Adams is back and looking better than ever, leading the Bruins in scoring at 18.7 points and ranking third in the nation in steals at 3.5.
The Bruins were led last season by the freshmen trio of Adams, Shabazz Muhammad and Kyle Anderson and this year it’s Arizona that has put a lot on the shoulders of freshman forward Aaron Gordon. He has passed many of the tests so far, averaging 12.8 points and eight rebounds while giving the Wildcats an edge on defense they lacked last season. Muhammad has moved on to the professional ranks, but Anderson is still with the Bruins and the 6-foot-9 swingman is averaging 15.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists, numbers that have NBA scouts drooling at his potential.
LINE: The Bruins opened as 1-point home underdogs and have been bet up to +2.
ABOUT ARIZONA (15-0, 2-0 Pac-12, 10-4 ATS): Nick Johnson hasn’t had much individual success in his previous six games against the Bruins, shooting 34.5 percent from the floor, compared to 42.6 for his career. The leading scorer for the Wildcats could be in line for a breakout game after scoring a career-high 24 points in Saturday’s nine-point victory against Washington, including six in the final 3:25 after the Huskies had cut the deficit to two. Gabe York watched all three UCLA games from the bench last season but now the sophomore guard from Southern California is in the rotation, averaging 7.2 points in 19.2 minutes and should be pumped for his first action against the Bruins.
ABOUT UCLA (12-2, 1-0, 8-5 ATS): The freshmen to watch for the Bruins this season are backup guards Zach LaVine, who has risen to third on the team in scoring (12.4), and Bryce Alford, who is coming off a season-high 20 points in Sunday’s blowout win against USC to move up to fifth (7.8). They’ve taken the second- and third-most 3-pointers on the team behind Adams, with LaVine shooting 45.3 percent and Alford at 48.8. If the Bruins weren’t so deep in the backcourt with Adams, Anderson and junior Norman Powell, the freshmen would be deserving of a starting spot.
TRENDS:
* Under is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.
* Home team is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
* Wildcats are 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings in UCLA.
* Underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
TIP-INS:
1. UCLA is 14-6 against Arizona since the start of the 2005-06 season.
2. Arizona has outrebounded its opponent in every game this season.
3. The Wildcats have limited their opponents to 28.2 percent from beyond the arc this season.
College Basketball: Streaks, Trends, Notes
Sportspic.com
Arizona at UCLA
Top ranked Wildcats (15-0, 10-4 ATS) one of six undefeated teams remaining face a tough road test when they visit Bruins (12-2, 8-5 ATS) Thursday night at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins are the second-highest-scoring team in the Pac-12 averaging 87.1 points/game with Jordan Adams (18.7) leading four double-digit scorers. By contrast, Wildcats net just 74.9 points/game behind three dropping double-digits with Nick Johnson the catalyst at 16.0 points/game. However, Wildcats are remarkably consistent on the defensive end allowing opponents just 36.6% shooting and a lowly 54.9 PPG. Bruins meanwhile get torched for 70.1 per/contest on 41.0% from the field. That said, NCAA basketball handicappers will find UCLA an enticing choice. Wildcats are 1-6-1 ATS last seven away vs Pac-12 rivals, the Bruins on a 16-0 SU stretch at home cashing 10 of the 15 lined games beat Wildcats three times last season moving the record to 5-2 last seven meeting with a profitable 6-1 mark at the betting window.
Thursday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
Memphis at Louisville
These old-school rivals from both the Metro Conference and Conference USA are reunited once again in the newly-formed AAC. They still faced each other last season with U of L capturing an 87-76 win at Memphis as a four-point road favorite. Russ Smith scored 19 points thanks to 12-of-12 shooting from the free-throw line.
As of early this morning, most books had Louisville (13-2 straight up, 7-6 against the spread) listed as a 9.5-point favorite.
U of L is led by senior guard Russ Smith, who is averaging a team-high 17.7 points per game. He is also dishing out a team-high 4.9 assists per game. Smith scored a season-high 36 points in a losing effort against North Carolina on Nov. 24.
Memphis (10-3 SU, 6-5 ATS) has been an underdog three times, going 2-1 ATS with one outright scalp of Oklahoma St. as a six-point ‘dog on a neutral court.
Josh Pastner’s squad is coming off its worst performance of the season. Memphis took a beating at home from Cincinnati by a 69-53 count as a five-point ‘chalk.’ The Tigers shot an abysmal 33.3 percent from the floor and an atrocious 2-of-17 from 3-point land.
Rick Pitino’s team has an RPI of 30. The Cardinals are 1-2 against the RPI Top 50, 3-2 versus Top 100 foes. Their outright losses came at Kentucky and vs. UNC on a neutral court.
Memphis has an RPI of 33. The Tigers are 1-3 against the Top 50, 2-3 versus the Top 100. Their top wins came over Oklahoma St. and LSU.
Joe Jackson leads Memphis in scoring with a 15.0 PPG average. Missouri transfer Michael Dixon Jr. is averaging 11.4 PPG, but he’s making just 31.4 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
The ‘under’ is 7-3 overall for Memphis.
The 'over' is 7-4 overall for U of L, 6-1 in its last seven games.
ESPN will have the telecast at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Arizona at UCLA
As of early this morning, most spots had Arizona (15-0 SU, 10-4 ATS) installed as a two-point road favorite.
Sean Miller's team has covered the spread in both of its games as a single-digit favorite this year. The Wildcats did so in victories over Duke on a neutral court and at San Diego St.
Arizona is led by junior guard Nick Johnson and freshman sensation Aaron Gordon. Johnson is averaging a team-high 16.0 PPG, while Gordon averages 12.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per contest.
UCLA (12-2 SU, 8-5 ATS) had one of its best games of the season this past Sunday when it blasted arch-rival USC 107-73 as a 12.5-point home favorite. Kyle Anderson was nothing short of sensational, producing 23 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. He made 10-of-14 shots from the field. Jordan Adams added 21 points and six steals, while Bryce Alford scored 20 points off the bench. Alford, the coach's son, drained 4-of-6 from the 3-point line that his Dad wasn't able to enjoy until his senior campaign at Indiana in 1987.
UCLA is in its first home underdog situation of the season. The Bruins are 0-2 ATS as ‘dogs, losing 80-63 to Duke on a neutral court and 80-71 at Missouri.
Steve Alford’s team is unbeaten in 10 home games with a 6-3 spread record.
Adams is averaging a team-best 18.7 points and 3.5 steals per game. Anderson is the entire package, producing averages of 15.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. Anderson is making 54 percent of his shot from the field and 50 percent of his attempts from 3-point land.
The 'under' is 7-5 overall for UCLA, 4-1 in its last five games.
The 'under' is 10-3 overall for Arizona, 9-1 in its last 10 games with a total.
Tip-off is slated for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets
Vandy was already short-handed this season with the surprising loss of three likely starter over the offseason (one went pro in Europe, one transferred and one got suspended). Now Kevin Stallings's team is up against it again. Eric McClellan has been suspended for the rest of the season for a violation of the university's academic policy. McClellan was averaging 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Creighton guard Grant Gibbs has a dislocated kneecap and will be out for 4-6 weeks. The sixth-year senior was averaging 6.1 points and 4.1 assists per game. Doug McDermott was also injured in Tuesday's 81-62 win over DePaul. An MRI revealed that McDermott has a minor shoulder sprain and a bruised rotator cuff, but he plans on playing against Xavier this weekend.
Florida captured a 74-58 win over South Carolina on Wednesday night, but the Gators failed to cover the number as 16.5-point home favorites. The bigger story was Scottie Wilbekin injuring his ankle again with 2:50 remaining. The senior point guard shook off an ankle sprain quickly in early December. Wilbekin had a game-high 17 points against the Gamecocks.
In Billy Donovan’s post-game presser, he said Wilbekin was ‘questionable’ this weekend against Arkansas. He also said Damontre Harris is back in school and although he’s suspended for the rest of the year, he can earn his way back onto the team for next season. Finally, there’s nothing new on freshman Chris Walker, the McDonald’s All-American who continues to wait on his eligibility from the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Back to South Carolina, which won't have the services of senior point guard Bruce Ellington this year. Ellington has declared for the NFL Draft and decided to give up hoops.
In a 61-56 loss at UConn last night, Harvard played without leading scorer Wesley Saunders (15.7 PPG). The Crimson failed to cover for just the second time this year, and both of those ATS setbacks were crushers for their backers. Harvard, a 4.5-point ‘dog at UConn, had the ball down three in the waning seconds. However, Siyani Chambers, who scored 21 points and drained 5-of-7 from long range, was stripped in the final seconds and then committed a foul with 1.6 ticks left. Obviously, the Huskies hit both free throws for the cover. The other non-cover came in an eight-point loss at Colorado as a six-point ‘dog. Tommy Amaker’s squad led the Buffs (outright) in Boulder for the first 35 minutes before a late three-point barrage put it away.