College Knowledge
-- Akron won last six games vs Toledo, winning last two here, by 9-18 points; Zips are 4-0 in MAC, winning road games at Northern Illinois by 15, Kent by 4. Toledo lost last two games by 23-9 points but won only MAC home game vs Central Michigan. MAC home underdogs are 1-4 vs spread. Zips hold teams to 41.2% inside arc (#14 in US); they've won last ten games vs teams outside top 100.
-- St Bonaventure just ended 0-30 lifetime skid at Temple; they beat St Joe's twice LY, by 5-4 points, after losing 11 of previous 12 in series- they've lost last six visits here, by 32-18-26-11-7-14 points. Before win at Temple, Bonnies had lost six games in row. St Joe's is 8-1 vs teams outside top 100, with six of eight wins by 10+ points. Atlantic 16 home favorites of 9 or less points are 10-4 vs spread.
-- Miami allowed 53.5 ppg in winning first four ACC games; Hurricanes are 13-3, scoring 55 or less points in all three losses. Duke won 11 of its last 13 games vs Miami but lost at home in OT to the 'canes LY; Blue Devils won four of last five visits here, winning by 9-7-22-10 points. Underdogs are 8-3 in ACC games with spread of 5 or less points; home dogs are 5-1 vs spread. Duke lost its only true road game, at NC State.
-- Butler had emotional home win over Gonzaga Saturday; Clarke (neck) is still out for Bulldogs, who haven't lost since Maui final vs Illinois on Nov. 21. LaSalle is 3-3 vs top 100 teams; best win is over #71 Dayton- Butler is #30. Three of Butler's last four wins are by six or less points. A-16 home teams are 10-5 in games where spread is less than 5 points. Butler is 4-1 on road, with only loss by 15 at Xavier 71 days ago.
-- Rutgers is 3-2 in last five games vs St John's after 58-56 road win two weeks ago; Red Storm shot 3-15 from arc, 15-27 from line in 4th straight series game decided by 3 or less points. Four of last five Rutgers games were decided by 5 or less points; they're 2-1 at home in Big East, with wins by 3-5 points (0-1 as HF). St John's covered three of last four as a a dog. Big East home favorites of 6 or less points are 0-11 vs spread.
-- LSU is 0-4 in SEC after playing #325 non-conference schedule; Tigers are playing #2 tempo in SEC games but are making just 30.5% from arc, 61% from line. Texas A&M won at Kentucky, then scored 47-49 points in losing next two games; Aggies are 2-1 on road overall. Underdogs are 6-4 vs spread in SEC games with spread of less than 5 points. A&M is 7-1 against teams outside top 100.
-- Indiana State won four of last five games vs Illinois State, winning the first meeting 77-75 at home, holding Redbirds to 33% inside arc. Home side won 10 of last 11 series games; Sycamores split last four visits here. Redbirds won at SIU Sunday after starting MVC play 0-6; they're 0-3 at home in Valley, 1-4 as a favorite. Sycamores lost last two road games, by 13-5. MVC home favorites of 8 or less points are 7-5 vs spread.
-- Home teams won last four Colorado State-New Mexico games; Rams lost last five visits to Pit, losing by 40-18-18-8-33 points. Favorites are 3-0 vs spread in State's MVC games; Rams lost at San Diego State by 7 in OT in only road game. Lobos had weekend off; they won/covered all three MWC games, winning by 5-27-5 points. MWC home squads are 8-4 vs spread; home favorites of 6 or less points are 4-3.
-- Home side won last eight Minnesota-Northwestern games; teams split in Big Dozen tourney last two years. Gophers lost last four visits here, by 9-3-11-11 points. Wildcats are 0-2 at home in league, losing by 28-20 to Michigan/Iowa. Minnesota allowed 88-83 points in losing last couple games after 3-0 start in league- they're 3-1 as Big Dozen favorite so far this month. Big Dozen home underdogs are 5-8 vs spread.
-- Home side won 10 of last 12 Georgia Tech-UNC games; Jackets won four of last five series games, but are 1-6 in last seven visits here, losing by 15-22-7-16-30-12 points. Tech is 0-4 in ACC, losing road games by 13-16 points at NC State/Duke; they're 1-3 as ACC dogs. Carolina won last two games, by 5-10 points; they scored 62 or less points in three of four ACC games. ACC double digit home favorites are 3-1 vs spread.
-- San Diego State was down 20-9 at half at Wyoming in last game, 2nd loss in row for Aztecs, who are 1-3 as MWC favorites, with wins by 7-3 in league play. Nevada is 1-2 in MWC, losing by 13-11 points- they lost by 11 to Wyoming in only home game. Wolf Pack is 8-2 at home, losing to Drake/Wyoming. Aztecs split last six games after 11-1 start. MWC home underdogs are 2-0 vs spread.
-- Denver won last seven games after 4-7 start, with six of seven wins by 11+ points; three of those wins were on road. Pioneers force turnovers 26.1% of time, #7 in country. New Mexico State is 4-0 in WAC home games (3-1 HF) with all four wins by 10+ points, but they're 1-5 vs top 100 teams. WAC home teams are 4-10 vs spread in games with spreads of 5 or less points.
-- Washington won 10 of last 12 games vs Oregon State, winning four of last five in Corvallis, but Beavers beat them 86-84 in Pac-12 tourney LY. OSU coach Robinson was in Washington for inauguration, so game prep was handled by assistants. Beavers are 0-5 in Pac-12, losing at home by 13-10-10 points, bad news for veteran team. Road teams are 15-1 in Pac-12 games where spread is 5 or less points.
Armadillosports.com
Wednesday's Top 25 NCB Betting Notes
By Covers.com
Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on all of Wednesday’s ranked college basketball games:
(9) Butler Bulldogs at La Salle Explorers (Pick)
Butler probably shouldn't have a problem putting Saturday’s thrilling buzzer-beating victory over Gonzaga behind it when the Bulldogs travel to La Salle. The Bulldogs’ 64-63 victory over the then eighth-ranked Zags is Butler’s 13th victory in a row, and third this season over a top 10 squad. The Bulldogs continue to play well despite not having leading scorer Rotnei Clarke, who will miss his third consecutive game with a sprained neck. The Explorers are 3-3 in their past six games, falling 70-63 most recently at Xavier. Wednesday’s game matches two of the top scoring teams in the A-10 (La Salle is third at 72.8; Butler is fourth at 72.0). La Salle is 1-5 ATS in its last six games overall.
(1) Duke Blue Devils at Miami Hurricanes (+2.5)
The Blue Devils are 16-1 this season, but lost their only previous road game against North Carolina State on January 12. Duke is allowing 88.4 points per 100 possessions this season; on pace for the team's best defensive efficiency since the 1997-98 season. The Hurricanes’ ball control could limit Duke’s easy buckets. The Blue Devils lead the ACC with 19.1 points per game off turnovers and Miami surrenders a league-low 9.6 points per game off turnovers. The Blue Devils are 1-5-2 ATS in the last eight meetings between the schools.
Penn State Nittany Lions at (8) Indiana Hoosiers (-26)
Indiana should have ample opportunity to get its slumping bench back on track when it hosts Penn State on Wednesday. The Hoosiers have gotten 11 points and 3-for-24 shooting from their reserves in the last three games, and although they won two of them, a lack of depth does not bode as the rigors of Big Ten Conference play are just getting started. The Nittany Lions have lost six straight - all Big Ten games - by an average of 13.2 points, although they came closest to snapping the skid in Saturday's 68-64 loss to Nebraska. Penn State ranks last in the Big Ten in scoring defense (66.9 points), 3-point shooting percentage (28.4) and turnover margin (minus-1.22). The Nittany Lions are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.
Colorado State Rams at (17) New Mexico Lobos (-5)
The Lobos have been off for a week since escaping with an overtime victory last Wednesday at Boise State. New Mexico leading scorer Kendall Williams returned to the starting lineup after sitting out the previous game against Fresno State for being late to a meeting for a third time this season. Colorado State is coming off an upset victory Saturday against then-No. 23 UNLV, extending its home-winning streak to 24 games. The Lobos also have a killer home advantage. New Mexico averages 14,799 fans for its home games, more than six NBA teams. The Rams are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games against Mountain West foes.
(7) Florida Gators at Georgia Bulldogs (+17)
Florida provided SEC newcomers Texas A&M and Missouri a rude welcome to the heart of SEC play last week, beating the two newest members of the conference by a combined 52 points. The seventh-ranked Gators are red hot, winners of six in a row. Georgia notched its first conference victory on Saturday, beating LSU at home 67-58 in a matchup of SEC cellar-dwellers. The Bulldogs lost their first three conference games by a combined 61 points, including a 77-44 blowout loss to the Gators on Jan. 9 in Gainesville. The Gators lead the SEC and rank third nationally in scoring defense (51.7). Florida is 5-0 ATS in its last five overall.
(12) Creighton Bluejays at Drake Bulldogs (+11.5)
Creighton, which had its 11-game win streak snapped at Wichita State on Saturday, hits the road to take on I-80 rival Drake. The Bluejays are arguably the nation's top offensive team, beginning the week leading the nation in field goal percentage (51.8), 3-point percentage (45.2) and 3-pointers per game (9.6) while ranking second in 2-point field goal percentage (56.1). The Bulldogs average 72.4 points per game but are allowing an average of 74.1 per contest and have been outrebounded by 4.1 boards per game. The Bluejays are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five road games.
(21) Wichita State Shockers at Missouri State Bears (+11)
After snapping Creighton’s 11-game winning streak with a 67-64 victory on Saturday, Wichita State looks to avoid a letdown when the Shockers visit Missouri State. Missouri State has lost three straight, including last Saturday’s 69-66 loss at Bradley. The Bears are hoping to build on their second-half effort against the Braves, when they scored 46 points and shot a season-high 58.3 percent. The Shockers boast the top defense in the conference, allowing 60.1 points per game and will be facing the lowest scoring team in Missouri State (59.7). The Bears are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.
(14) Minnesota Golden Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats (+9)
The Golden Gophers look to avoid a third straight defeat by ending a four-game road losing streak to Northwestern. The Wildcats are coming off a 67-59 home loss to then-No. 2 Indiana on Sunday, three days after beating then-No. 23 Illinois 68-54 on the road. Northwestern has been inconsistent in conference play, winning its last two road games by a total of 30 points while its losses - all at home - have come by an average of 18.3 points. The Golden Gophers are 8-1 ATS in their last nine vs. Big Ten foes.
Washington State Cougars at (19) Oregon Ducks (-10)
Oregon took over sole possession of the Pac-12 Conference lead by snapping UCLA's 10-game winning streak Saturday. The Ducks, who are 5-0 in conference play for the first time in 39 years, look to extend their own streak when they hosts Washington State. Oregon has won seven in a row and 11 of its last 12 games. It has also won 18 straight at home. The Cougars have struggled to score all season long and failed to reach 50 points for the second time this season, dropping a 58-49 home decision against Colorado last time out. Washington State ranks 266th in the nation averaging 63.3 points a game. The Cougars are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.
(25) San Diego State Aztecs at Nevada Wolf Pack (+6)
San Diego State has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, and the Aztecs are mired in a minor shooting slump after shooting 35.6 percent in their last three games. Aztecs starting point guard Xavier Thames has missed two of his last four games with a lower back strain, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be available against the Wolf Pack. Nevada’s defense ranks last in the conference, surrendering 70.2 points per game. The Wolf Pack are 1-4 ATS in their last five overall.
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
No. 3 Duke Blue Devils vs. Miami Hurricanes
Duke could very well find itself back in the top spot in the nation after hammering Georgia Tech 73-57 last Thursday as a 14½-point home favorite. It is now 16-1 SU and 3-1 SU in ACC play. The Blue Devils are 10-7 ATS this season and the total has stayed UNDER in five of their last eight games. They remain one of the top scoring teams in the country with an average of 78.7 points a game. Mason Plumlee leads the way with an average of 17.4 points and Seth Curry is a close second with 16.9 points a game.
The Hurricanes moved to the top of the standings in the ACC at 4-0 SU with last Wednesday’s 60-59 squeaker over Boston College. They could not cover as six-point favorites on the road after covering in their previous four games. Overall, Miami is 13-3 SU and a profitable 10-3 ATS. It has covered in all five of its home games with a posted line and the total has stayed UNDER in eight of its last nine games overall. The team is averaging 67.3 points a game while giving-up 58.4 points a game to its opponents.
Wednesday's College Basketball Game of the Day
Atssportsline.com
#1 Duke at Miami-Florida
#1 Duke (16-1 SU, 10-7 ATS) is coming off an easy, 73-57 win over Georgia Tech, giving 14.5 at home on Thursday. They Miami Hurricanes (13-3 SU, 10-3 ATS) is coming off five straight wins, including a 60-59 road win over Boston College on the road, laying 6. The Blue Devils travel to Miami to take on the Hurricanes at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla. at 7pmET on Wednesday.
Matchup: Last game: (2/5/12). Miami-Fla. (+12) over DUKE, 78-74ot. Duke had won five straight before last year's upset at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Latest Odds: Duke is a 2-point favorite.
Key Betting Trends:
Duke is:
9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games.
4-1 ATS in their last 5 Wednesday games.
8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
2-7 ATS in their last 9 vs. Atlantic Coast.
Road team is 5-0-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings
Miami-Florida is:
6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss.
9-2 ATS in their last 11 games following a S.U. win.
10-3 ATS in their last 13 home games.
6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 vs. Atlantic Coast.
18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games overall.
35-17-4 ATS in their last 56 games vs. a team with a winning % above .
10-1 last 11 matchups on the Over bet vs. Miami-Florida.
5-1-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
Underdog is 5-1-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
Key Injuries:
Duke:
F Ryan Kelly (foot) is out indefinitely.
Miami-Florida:
C Reggie Johnson (hand) is out indefinitely.
G Garrius Adams (knee) is out indefinitely.
Preview
This is a big game in the ACC at Miami leads the conference with a 4-0 record and Duke is third with a 3-1 mark. The Blue Devils come in averaging 78.7 points per game, good for 13th overall. But they just lost 6-11 forward Ryan Kelly to a foot injury. He averaged 13.4 points per game (3rd on the team) and 5.4 rebounds, while shooting a blazing 52.1% from three-point range.
Duke, who shoots 47% from the field and 42% from beyond the arc, is led in scoring by senior F Mason Plumlee, The 6-10 post player averages 17.4 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game to lead the Dukies. He shoots 59% from the field and leads in blocks with 29. Their guards are also outstanding as Seth Curry averages 16.9 points per game and shoots 48% from the field and 46% from beyond the arc. Freshman Quinn Cook adds 11.5 points per game, 6.1 assists per game and shoots 41% from beyond the arc. Another freshman Rasheed Sulaimon adds 11 points per game and shoots 38% from three-point range.
The Blue Devils' only loss took place on the road against NC State on Jan. 12, as they fell 84-76, giving 1.
Miami-Florida has won five straight since they lost on Christmas Day to Indiana State in overtime by two, giving 8.5. The Hurricanes win with defense as they average just 67.3 points per game. They haven't allowed over 60 points since they fell to Arizona, 69-50 on Dec. 23.
The Hurricanes also have a key player hurt in 6-10 Reggie Johnson (hand), who is out a few more weeks. Johnson averaged 12.6 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game to lead the Hurricanes. Durand Scott leads the Hurricanes in scoring with 13.8 points per game, while adding 4.5 rebounds per game. He shoots 47% from the field and 31% from beyond the arc.
Miami's best shooter is Shane Larkin, who averages 12.2 points per game and 3.8 assists per game. He shoots 41% from beyond the arc and 45% from the field.
Kenny Kadji (6-11, 245) adds size but can also shoot from the perimeter. He averages 12.6 points per game and 7.3 rebounds, while shooting 45% from the floor.