College Knowledge
-- Wake Forest won five of last six games, winning last two ACC games by 3 points; they're 1-2 on road, losing by 18 at Duke, 2 at Richmond. Wake won last three games vs Clemson, by 14-11-20 points; Deacons lost four of last five visits here, losing by 1-5-14-11 points. Clemson is 8-1 vs teams ranked outside top 100; they're 1-2 in ACC, but won by 15 over Virginia last game. ACC single digit home faves are 3-6 vs spread.
-- Notre Dame had 12-game win streak snapped at home by UConn last game; Irish won by 6 at Cincinnati in only true road game. St John's lost four of last five games, including last three at home. Home side won eight of last nine Notre Dame-St John's games; Irish lost last four visits here, by 3-6-18-3 points. ND Big East home dogs are 2-5 vs spread; home teams are 0-10 vs spread in games where spread was 5 or less points.
-- George Mason is 4-5 in last nine games, with bad loss to UNCW last game; Patriots won seven in row, 17 of last 18 games vs James Madison, winning last nine here, by 4-22-21-27-26-14-2-14-10 points. JMU won six of last eight gaes; they allowed less than 60 points in last four wins. Mason is 5-6 vs teams ranked in top 200. CAA single digit home faves are 5-7 against the spread.
-- Central Michigan is 5-0 vs teams ranked outside top 200, but three of five wins are by six or less points; Chippewas won three in row, six of last seven games vs Eastern Michigan; last five series games were won by six or less points. Eastern lost last seven games vs D-I teams; they're turning ball over 23.8% of time, making just 29.4% behind arc. MAC home teams are 2-7 vs spread in games with single digit spread.
-- Kentucky is 1-5 vs teams ranked in top 100; lone win came on Nov 9, 67 days ago (by 3 over Maryland); Wildcats won five in row, eight of its last nine games vs Tennessee. Vols lost last six visits here, by 19-6-19-11-7-25 points. Kentucky lost last game at home, after winning by only a hoop at Vandy in SEC opener. Tennessee lost last three games, by 5-18-3 points. SEC home favorites of 9+ points are 3-1 vs spread.
-- Creighton is a juggernaut, winning last ten games; four of its five wins in MVC are by 13+ points. Home teams won last five Northern Iowa-Creighton games; Panthers lost seven of last nine visits here, losing last two years by 8-3 points. UNI is 3-5 in last eight games, but three of the five losses were vs top 40 teams. Panthers routed Bradley by 31 in last game Saturday. MVC double digit home favorites are 2-6 vs spread.
-- Southern Illinois lost five of last six games, with four of five losses on road, and three of four road losses by 11+ points. Bradley lost by 31 to skidding Northern Iowa last game, Braves' third loss in row (by 6-15-31 points). Road teams won seven of last nine Southern Illinois-Bradley games, as Salukis won last three visits to Peoria, by 5-8-9 points. MVC home favorites of 8 or less points are 5-3 vs spread.
-- Cincinnati is 2-3 in last five games, with visitor winning all five games; Bearcats won last four games vs DePaul by 5-16-3-8 points, taking last two visits here, by 4-3 points. Blue Demons lost three of last four after a 9-3 start, losing last two home games. Cincy is 2-0 on road, winning at Pitt by 9, Rutgers by 10. Big East home dogs are 2-5 vs spread; home teams are 0-10 vs spread in games where spread was 5 or less points.
-- Wisconsin won its last six games, holding all six foes to 54 points or less; Badgers won last ten games vs Indiana, winning last four here, by 2-17-32-10 points- they beat Hoosiers in Big Dozen tourney LY. Indiana won its last six games, winning first three league games, by 4-23-7- they were up 23 at half on Minnesota Sunday, won by 7. Big Dozen double digit home favorites are 5-3 against the spread.
-- 13-2 Ole Miss won last five games, winning by 18-15 points in first two SEC games. Vanderbilt lost four of last five games, scoring 58-33 points in first two SEC tilts. Commodores won last five games vs Ole Miss, beating Rebels twice LY, 102-76 in regular season, then 65-53 in SEC tourney semis; Ole Miss lost last four visits here, by 22-5-10-10 points. SEC single digit underdogs are 6-3 vs spread, 1-0 at home.
Armadillosports.com
Tuesday’s Top 25 NCB Betting Notes
By Covers.com
Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on all of Tuesday's ranked college basketball games:
(20) Notre Dame at St. John’s (+5.5)
The Fighting Irish's 12-game run, which included nine victories in a row at home, abruptly ended Saturday with a 65-58 loss to Connecticut. Notre Dame was outrebounded 30-22 and made just four free throws in matching its season low for scoring and falling short of establishing the program's longest winning streak in nearly 60 years. After recording an upset win at Cincinnati on Jan. 5, the Red Storm have dropped a pair at home, including a 67-51 loss to Georgetown on Saturday. The Red Storm have been held to 58 points or less in three straight contests and are 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.
Northern Iowa at (10) Creighton (-13.5)
Star forward Doug McDermott scored a season-high 39 points in a 74-52 victory over Missouri State on Friday to boost Creighton’s winning streak to 10, including five straight conference games. Northern Iowa is coming off an 84-53 trouncing of Bradley and the 31-point victory was the school’s largest since joining the Missouri Valley for the 1991-92 campaign. The Panthers also matched a school record by sinking 15 3-point baskets in that contest. The Bluejays are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games overall.
(24) Cincinnati at DePaul (+7)
The Blue Demons will be well-rested. They have not played since a 99-78 loss at Connecticut on Jan. 8. Brandon Young scored a career-high 35 points but DePaul offered little resistance on the defensive end and was outrebounded 46-26. The Bearcats rank second nationally with 43.4 rebounds per game. They are third in the country with a total of 267 offensive boards. Cincinnati is 0-5 ATS in the last five meetings.
Wisconsin at (2) Indiana (-11)
Two teams with six-game winning streaks battle for first place in the Big Ten when Indiana hosts Wisconsin. Wisconsin is allowing just 50.2 points during its winning streak and only 47.7 during its three Big Ten contests. Indiana has won 18 consecutive home games and has topped 80 points 13 times. The Hoosiers play a vastly different style than Wisconsin and are averaging 87.1 points per game. Indiana is outscoring its opponents 333-166 from the free-throw line and shooting a blistering 51.1 percent from the field. The Badgers are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers
The Badgers remained undefeated in Big Ten play with a huge 74-51 victory over No.12 Illinois this past Saturday as 6 ½-point favorites at home. The win raised their overall record to 12-4 SU but they are still 5-9 ATS. This was the just the second time in Wisconsin's last seven games that it was able to cover the spread. The total has stayed UNDER in five of those seven games. It is a perfect 10-0 SU against Indiana in the past 10 meetings and 8-2 ATS.
Indiana posted its sixth-straight victory with Saturday's 88-81 win over Minnesota, but it failed to cover as an eight-point home favorite. This leaves the Hoosiers 15-1 SU and 9-4 ATS with the total going OVER in four of its last seven games. They continue to lead the nation in scoring with an average of 87.1 points a game while shooting a deadly 51.1 percent from the floor. Cody Zeller has led the way with 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds a game.
College Basketball: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Wisconsin at Indiana
The Badgers dismantling No. 12 Illini 74-51 within the friendly confines of the Kohl Center this past weekend head to Bloomington Tuesday where they'll try to knock-off No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers. Tough for any team to win at Assembly Hall as Hoosiers are a perfect 11-0 (7-2 ATS) in front of the home crowd this season and have run the mark to an impressive 29-1 (17-4 ATS) dating back to last season. Plenty of reason to stick with Hoosiers but don't discount Badgers. If any team has the tools slow down the highest scoring team in college basketball (87.1 PPG) it's Wisconsin with stingy defensive play allowing opponents 54.7 PPG on 40.1% shooting. Keep in mind Badgers are on a 10-0 (8-2 ATS) stretch vs Hoosiers including 4-0 SU/ATS on Assembly Hall hardwood.
Tuesday’s College Basketball Point Spreads and Betting Guide
By: Larry Hartstein
Sportingnews.com
It’s not your imagination. Scoring in college basketball is down this season.
In fact, teams are on pace to score the fewest points in 60 years, Ken Pomeroy told USA Today. We’ve seen a 37-36 final (Georgetown over Tennessee) and plenty of halftime scores like Saturday’s 21-11 Arkansas lead over Vandy.
Division I teams are averaging 68.13 points, down from 68.73 at this time last season.
“That 68.13 number is expected to drop throughout conference play, likely dipping below last season's 68.01 end-of-the-season average,” according to USA Today. Teams have scored at least 68 points per game in every season since 1953.
Coaches offer varying explanations for the drought. But how is it affecting totals?
UNDERs hit at a 52 percent clip through Sunday, with non-overtime games staying UNDER 53.5 percent of the time.
Notre Dame and Bowling Green have been the best UNDER bets, cashing 10 of 12 times apiece.
Books obviously have adjusted, given there’s no big disparity in OVERs and UNDERs, said Pete Korner, founder of The Sports Club oddsmaking service.
“If the scores are going lower, then our totals go lower without thinking about it,” said Korner, who was unaware of the season's historic pace. “We still make totals according to how they play. We don’t use last year’s or any other year’s statistics.”
Korner noted Georgetown-Tennessee opened at 124 and was bet up to 127. The game stayed UNDER by a mere 54 points!
Quick Hits on Tuesday’s betting board
Tennessee (8-6 SU, 6-6 ATS) at Kentucky (10-5 SU, 5-7 ATS), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Line: Kentucky -12.5, Total: 135
Desperation will permeate Rupp Arena. Coming off their first home SEC loss in John Calipari’s four-year tenure, the Wildcats should be focused. And they’ve won five straight (4-1 ATS) over the Volunteers. But they’re just 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Volunteers are trying to avoid their first 0-3 SEC start in 15 years. They’re shooting a horrific 59.5 percent from the foul line in conference play.
Trends:
Tennessee is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games.
Tennessee is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 SEC games.
Kentucky is 0-5 ATS in its last five SEC games.
Kentucky is 5-1 ATS in its last six games following a double-digit home loss.
Under is 8-0 in Tennessee’s last eight games vs. winning teams.
Under is 6-0 in Kentucky’s last six games vs. winning teams.
Home team is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.
Tennessee is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games.
Tennessee is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 SEC games
The Linemakers’ take: The Wildcats are just 5-7 ATS this season, and every time we think they’ve made a step forward, they come back with a poor performance. While the young group will improve as the season goes on, it’s not there yet. Tennessee is offensively-challenged but is well coached under Cuonzo Martin and plays great defense.
Northern Iowa (9-8 SU, 7-9 ATS) at No. 12 Creighton (16-1 SU, 12-3 ATS), 8 p.m. ET
Line: Creighton -13
Creighton All-American forward Doug McDermott has his way with most opponents, like Friday when he poured in 39 against Missouri State, including the Bluejays’ first 18 second-half points. But in five career games against Northern Iowa – the school he originally committed to – McDermott is averaging just 15.4 points. That’s eight below his season average (23.6). The Panthers enter Tuesday’s game off Saturday’s 84-53 win over Bradley in which they tied a school record with 15 3-pointers. No team shoots treys better than Creighton, which leads the nation at 45.2 percent. The Bluejays rank second nationally in overall field-goal percentage (52.2).
The last three meetings have been decided by exactly three points.
Trends:
Northern Iowa is 4-10-2 ATS in its last 16 road games.
Northern Iowa is 2-5-2 ATS in its last nine Missouri Valley games.
Creighton is 4-1 ATS in its last five Missouri Valley games.
Creighton is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 home games.
Under is 7-2 in Northern Iowa’s last nine Missouri Valley games.
Over is 4-1 in Creighton’s last five home games.
Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
Wisconsin (12-4 SU, 5-9 ATS) at No. 2 Indiana (15-1 SU, 9-5 ATS), 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Line: Indiana -11 Total: 133
Indiana has lost 10 straight to Wisconsin, covering only twice. These Hoosiers lead the nation with 87.1 points per game, while the Badgers have allowed the fewest points in the Big Ten (54.7) and only 47.7 in three conference games. Wisconsin, which plays grinding halfcourt defense, held six of its last nine opponents below 39 percent shooting. So tempo will be critical. Each team is on a six-game win streak.
Trends:
Wisconsin is 0-4 ATS in its last four road games.
Wisconsin is 2-7 ATS in its last nine games against winning teams.
Wisconsin is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings with Indiana.
Indiana is 19-7 ATS in its last 26 home games.
Over is 4-1 in Indiana’s last five home games.
Over is 7-3 in Wisconsin’s last 10 road games.
Wisconsin is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in Bloomington, Ind.
The Linemakers' take: Both teams have won six straight. The Badgers blew out Illinois on Saturday and have won 10 straight times in this series. It's a contrast of styles and wills. Wisconsin wants to keep the game lower scoring (they are 11-0 when allowing 60 points or less), and Indiana wants to run it up and down the floor. We think Indiana will get over 60, but that the Badgers will still keep it close enough to cover the double-digit spread.
Notre Dame (14-2 SU, 8-5 ATS) at St. John's (9-7 SU, 4-7 ATS), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Line: Notre Dame -6, Total: 133
The Linemakers' take: Notre Dame had its 12 game win streak snapped by UConn, 65-58, over the weekend. They have played just one true road game, which they won, 66-60, at Cincy. St John's also won at Cincy and then lost their next two at home, to Rutgers and Georgetown. The Red Storm have trouble scoring, and their poor free throw shooting could cost them in this one.