College Knowledge
-- Villanova upset Syracuse/Louisville at home last week, is 4-3 in league despite turning ball over 24.6% of time; Notre Dame beat Wildcats last two years, by 21-4 points. Villanova split its last four visits here, losing by 3-21. Irish are 2-3 in last five games, 0-3 in league when scoring less than 66 points. Villanova is 1-2 in Big East road games, losing by 11-3 points. Big East home faves of 8 or less points are 3-18 vs spread.
-- Georgetown won four of last five games, allowing 47-51 points in last two games; Hoyas won seven of last eight games vs Seton Hall, winning three in row, by 12-5-18 points. Pirates lost last three visits here, by 10-12-12 points. Hall lost five of last six games; they're 1-3 on road in Big East play, losing by 19-7-4 points- they turn ball over 23.3% of time. Big East single digit home favorites are 7-21 vs spread.
-- Richmond is 0-3 on road in A-16 play, losing by 12-15-5 points; road teams are 0-6 in their conference games. Spiders are 4-3 in last seven games vs Temple- home teams won last five series games; Spiders lost last three visits here, by 39-9-20 points. Temple is 3-4 in its last seven games, 1-1 at home in A-16; they're making 31.8% on arc. A-16 home favorites of 8 or less points are 14-5 against the spread.
-- LaSalle won four of last five games, upsetting Butler/VCU last week; Explorers are 3-0 at home in league, winning by 12-1-2 points- they are 7-1 in last eight games vs UMass, winning last three by 21-1-7 points. Minutemen lost last four visits here, by 9-11-21-7 points. This is first UMass road game in 17 days; they've won 10 of last 12 games overall. A-16 home favorites of 8+ points are 5-8 vs spread.
-- Baylor is 3-0 at home in Big 12, winning by 7-11-10 points; Bears are 5-2 in last seven games vs Oklahoma, after losing prevous 12 games vs Sooners. OU lost last three visits to Waco by 31-13-10 points. Baylor's defensive eFG% is 44.9%, very good. Big X single digit home favorites are 5-4 vs spread. Oklahoma won six of last eight games, but lost two of three on Big X road, with losses by 9-13 points (won at West Va).
-- Oklahoma State is 10-3 in last 13 games vs Iowa State; Cyclones lost last five visits to Stillwater, by 10-12-19-9-2 points. Cowboys are 3-0 at home in Big X, winning by 18-34-14 points; they're 3-4 last seven games after a 10-1 start. Iowa State won eight of last ten games, losing by 8 in OT at Kansas, by 5 at Texas Tech; four of six league tilts were decided by 6 or less points, or in OT. Big X single digit home favorites are 5-4.
-- Florida State (+6.5) held Maryland to 37% from floor in 65-62 road win Jan 9, just second road win in last 13 Maryland-FSU games; Terps lost five of last six visits to FSU, losing by 4-11-17-3-14 points. Terps are 0-3 on ACC road, losing by 7-10-20 points. ACC home favorites of 5 or less points are 3-7 vs spread. Seminoles lost three of their last four games; their ACC wins are by 5-3-3 points.
-- Trap game for Miami, which beat Duke/Florida State by 27-24 points last week; Hurricanes won three of last four games vs Virginia Tech, but lost four of last five visits here, as home teams won last four series tilts. ACC home underdogs are 6-3 against the spread. Miami is 6-0 in ACC, winning road games by 12-1-9 points; their defensive 42% eFG% is #9 in country. Hokies are 2-4 in ACC, with three losses by 11+ points.
-- Texas lost five of last six games, losing all three Big X road games, by 7-20-6 points; they turn ball over 22.6% of time. Four of their five Big X losses were by 6 or less points, or in OT. Kansas State is 5-3 in last eight games vs Texas; Longhorns lost last two visits to Little Apple, by 9-4 points. Wildcats lost last two games, but are 2-1 at home in league, winning by 6-9. Big X home favorites of 8+ points are 6-3 vs spread.
-- Xavier is 7-4 in last 11 games vs Dayton; teams met in last three A-16 tourneys, splitting pair of one-point decisions last two years. Flyers are 0-9 in last nine visits here, losing last three years by 4-5-3 points. A-16 home favorites of 4 or less points are 9-3 vs spread. Xavier lost its last two games, scoring 57-49 points, but they won all three of their A-16 home games, by 5-15-7 points. Dayton is 1-6 vs top 100 teams.
-- Boise State misses injured sharpshooter Elorriaga (48% behind arc), who has concussion; Broncos lost three of last four games, allowing 75+ points in all three losses. Colorado State won its two MWC home tilts by 39-5 points. Home teams won last four Boise State-Colorado State games; Broncos lost by 17-11 points in last two visits here. MWC single digit home favorites are 6-4 vs spread.
-- UCLA star Muhammad was sick yesterday, is ?? for this game with stomach issue. Bruins won last four games vs USC, all by 10+ points. Trojans lost six of last eight visits here, are 1-3 on Pac-12 road, losing by 6-5-24 points, with win at Utah. UCLA lost two of last three games, is 2-2 as Pac-12 home favorite, winning home games by 14-8-10 points. Pac-12 home favorites are 11-25 against the spread.
-- Oregon is surprising 7-0 in Pac-12, but freshman PG Artis (foot) isn't playing for while; Ducks haven't lost since triple OT loss at UTEP Dec 19- they've got road wins by 13-2-9 points in Pac-12, sweeping pair in LA. Road team won four of last five Oregon-Stanford games; Ducks won by 8-4 points in last two visits here. Pac-12 home favorites of 5 or less points are 3-12 vs spread. Cardinal is 2-1 at home in conference play.
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:
Northwestern at (2) Michigan (-18.5)
The Wolverines are off to the best start in program history after their win over Illinois Sunday, but the game against the Wildcats could be a trap as a matchup at No. 3 Indiana looms Saturday. Northwestern has beaten a couple ranked opponents in Minnesota and Illinois, but lost to Nebraska and Iowa. The Wildcats need to be more consistent, as they haven't won back-to-back games since late November. Northwestern won’t get any easy buckets as Michigan fouls less than any other team in the country at 11.9 per game. The Wolverines are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Wednesday games.
Rutgers at (23) Cincinnati (-12)
Following an eight-day layoff, the Bearcats look to sweep the season series with visiting Rutgers. Cincinnati (16-4, 4-3) was riding a three-game winning streak and led by seven late in the second half before falling 57-55 at then-No. 3 Syracuse on Jan. 21. Cincinnati has won six of seven versus Rutgers, including the last two meetings at home by a combined 28 points. The Bearcats are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games.
Texas at (21) Kansas State (-8.5)
Kansas State dropped eight spots in the USA Today coaches’ poll after losing last week to then-No. 2 Kansas and Iowa State. The Wildcats struggled on the interior during the two losses, allowing a combined 23 offensive rebounds. The Longhorns will be without their top rebounder, Jonathan Holmes, who broke his right hand last week against Oklahoma. Texas is shooting 40.9 percent from the field, which ranks 279th in the nation. The Longhorns are 6-1 ATS in their last seven against opponents that boast a winning percentage above .600.
South Carolina at (4) Florida (-24)
Florida will try to win its ninth straight game for the first time since 2008-09 when the Gators host South Carolina. The Gators, who are 8-0 at home, have played suffocating defense, holding 10 opponents under 50 points and 14 under 60 points. Florida is ranked third in the country in points allowed (51.2). South Carolina has lost four of its last six games but is coming off a 75-54 home win against Arkansas on Saturday. The 21-point victory was the Gamecocks’ largest in SEC play since an 18-point win over Kentucky on Feb. 25, 2009. South Carolina is 4-0 ATS in its last four road games.
(18) Missouri at LSU (+4)
Missouri has recovered from a blowout loss at Florida to win two consecutive SEC contests, and the Tigers look to extend their winning ways when they travel to LSU on Wednesday. Missouri has yet to win a conference road game, but the team is playing better, coming off an 81-59 blowout of Vanderbilt on Saturday. LSU dropped its first four SEC games, but has shown signs of improvement in splitting its past two contests. The matchup features two of the top rebounding teams in the land: Missouri is second at 42.6, while LSU ranks 30th at 39.0. Missouri holds a decisive advantage should the game come down to free throws. Missouri leads the SEC in shooting from the line (73.6 percent), while LSU ranks 13th at 61.1 percent. LSU is 1-4 ATS in its last five home games.
(5) Duke at Wake Forest (+12)
The Blue Devils will attempt to capture their first true road win of the season on Wednesday as they pursue a regular-season sweep of Wake Forest. Although Duke tested itself with six neutral-site games during its non-conference schedule, it didn’t have to face a truly hostile crowd until Jan. 12 when it lost to North Carolina State. Two games later, Miami (Fla.) manhandled the Blue Devils on the road. Duke got back on track in Saturday’s 84-64 home victory against Maryland and will face a Demon Deacon team that is 3-0 at home in ACC play but coming off an embarrassing 82-62 road loss at Georgia Tech. Wake Forest is 5-0 ATS in its last five home games.
Missouri State at (17) Creighton (-21.5)
Creighton plays its first home game in 15 days when its hosts a young Missouri State squad that started four freshmen in its last outing. Missouri State has won six of the last eight meetings with Creighton including two in a row in Omaha. But Creighton won the first matchup between the two schools this season on Jan. 11, 74-52. The Bluejays lead the nation in field goal percentage (51.9), 3-point percentage (44.8) and is third in 3-pointers made per game (9.5). The Bears are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.
(3) Indiana at Purdue (+8)
The Hoosiers host the Wolverines on Sunday, but coach Tom Crean's team can't afford to look past the Boilermakers. Purdue has won three straight at home and four of five overall, and the Mackey Arena crowd will certainly be at full pitch for the rival Hoosiers. Indiana is going to want to get out and running, using its multiple scoring options to get to its 83.3-ppg average. Problem is, doing that against Purdue isn't going to be easy, as the Boilermakers are holding teams to 33.6 percent shooting over their last five games. The Hoosiers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall.
(15) Miami at Virginia Tech (+10)
Miami (Fla.) could not have been much better last week, pounding Duke and Florida State by a combined 51 points. The 15th-ranked Hurricanes look to avoid a letdown and extend their seven-game win streak at Virginia Tech. The Hurricanes have been outstanding defensively, allowing an average of 58.1 points and 36.6 shooting from the field. They will get a test against Virginia Tech guard Erick Green, who leads the nation in scoring. Despite Green’s consistency on the offensive end, the Hokies have dropped six of their last eight games and they stand last in the ACC in scoring defense. Miami is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games.
(22) New Mexico at Wyoming (+1)
Mountain West leader New Mexico looks to bounce back from its first conference loss of the season in the high altitude of Laramie (7,200 feet) against a Wyoming squad that has dropped two in a row. The Lobos have won nine of the last 11 meetings with the Cowboys and swept the series last year with a pair of 10-point wins. Wyoming is playing its third ranked team this season and has won both of its previous meetings against ranked squads, a 76-69 victory over then-No. 19 Colorado on Dec. 1, and a 58-45 win over No. 14 San Diego State on Jan. 19. Both of those games also were played in Laramie. The Lobos are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
(12) Oregon at Stanford (-2.5)
After recording its highest point total and largest margin of victory this season in an 87-56 victory over Utah on Sunday, Stanford looks to carry that momentum into a key matchup with Oregon. The first-place Ducks remained unbeaten in the Pac-12 with an 81-76 victory over visiting Washington on Saturday. Oregon is 7-0 in conference play for the first time since the 1925-26 season. This game features one of the best shooting teams in the conference in Oregon and the Pac-12’s worst shooting team in Stanford. The Ducks are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 road games.
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Duke bounced back from last Wednesday's stunning 27-point loss to Miami as a 2½-point road favorite with a 20-point victory over Maryland this past Saturday as a 12-point favorite at home. The Blue Devils are now 17-2 SU (10-8 ATS) and the total has gone OVER in their last four games. Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry continue to lead the way with a combined 33.1 points a game. Overall, the team is averaging 78.2 points a game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field.
The Demon Deacons fell to 3-4 SU in the ACC after losing to Georgia Tech 82-62 this past Saturday as 6 ½-point road underdogs. They are now just one game over .500 at 10-9 SU but still profitable ATS at 11-5-1. The total has gone OVER in their last two games after staying UNDER in five of their previous six outings. Travis McKie and C.J. Harris are each averaging around 15 points a game but the team as a whole is only scoring a total of 68.1 points.
Wednesday's College Basketball Game of the Day: Indiana at Purdue
Atssportsline.com
#3 Indiana (18-2 SU, 9-9 ATS) is coming off three straight wins, including a 75-70 victory over Michigan State on Sunday, giving 9.5. They have covered just once in their last eight games. Purdue (11-9 SU, 8-10-1 ATS) is coming off a 65-62 overtime win at home against Iowa on Sunday, giving 1.5. The Hoosiers travel to Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. to face the Purdue Boilermakers at 8:30pmET on Wednesday night.
Matchup: Last game: (3/4/12) INDIANA (-5.5) over Purdue, 85-74. Purdue has won five of the last seven in the series.
Latest Odds: Indiana is an 8-point favorite.
Key Betting Trends:
Indiana is:
2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games.
1-5 ATS in their last 6 Wednesday games.
0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS loss.
0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. win.
0-4 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
0-5 ATS in their last 5 vs. Big Ten.
6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Purdue.
Purdue is:
7-0 ATS in their last 7 Wednesday games.
4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
35-16-1 ATS in their last 52 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600
Key Injuries:
Indiana:
F Derek Elston (knee) is questionable.
Purdue: none.
Preview:
Indiana hasn't been dominant as of late, as they've covered just one time in their last games. They are tied for first in the Big 10 with Michigan at 6-1. With an upcoming home game against Michigan on Sunday, the Hoosiers can't afford to overlook their state rival. Purdue has won three straight at home and four of five overall, and the Mackey Arena crowd will certainly be at full pitch for the rival Hoosiers. Indiana averages 83.3 points per game, while the Boilermakers are holding teams to 33.6 percent shooting over their last five games.
Indiana ranks ninth in the country in field-goal percentage allowed (37.3) so defense is a priority. Indiana is also sixth in the country in field-goal percentage (50), led by junior Victor Oladipo, who is third in the nation at 66%, and sophomore Cody Zeller, who ranks eighth at 61%. With defenses having to worry about shutting those two down, outside shooting becomes easier for the Hoosiers' guards, especially Jordan Hulls, who is hitting 49.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Purdue will need a big game from freshman center A.J. Hammons, who leads the Big 10 with 2.9 blocks per game during conference play. The 7-footer is averaging 7.4 rebounds in league games to rank sixth in that category in the conference. Junior Terone Johnson is also a key for Purdue, with his team-leading scoring average (13.5 ppg) and ability to stretch the defense from the outside (34.9 percent from 3-point range). Freshman point Ronnie Johnson (9.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.6 apg) must be able to handle the pressure that Indiana will bring, and get the Boilermakers into their offense smoothly.
Purdue has to shoot the ball better from beyond the arc to have a chance in this game. They shoot just 27.1 percent from 3-point range in non-conference play but has connected on 34.7 percent of its three-pointers in Big Ten play.
CBB: Streaks, Trends, Notes
Sportspic.com
Miami at Virginia Tech
Miami-Florida Hurricanes (15-3, 12-3 ATS) undefeated in conference play thus far thanks to it's lock-down defense allowing opponents 58.1 PPG on 36.6% shooting put their lofty perch atop the ACC standings on the line this week with road games at Virginia Tech and North Carolina State. Virginia Tech 11-8 (7-8-1 ATS) on the campaign with an offense fueled by guard Erick Green (25.2), Jarell Eddie (14.4) netting 74.3 points/game will make it interesting for a while. But in the end Canes take care of business as they're 3-1 (4-0 ATS) last four meetings with Virginia who enter an awful 4-6 (0-9-1 ATS) at home vs ACC rivals. Another big test comes Saturday when Canes head to Raleigh to take on NC State (16-5, 11-7-1 ATS). Wolfpack with five double digit scorers paced by C.J. Leslie (15.6) are one of the nation’s most potent offenses netting impressive 78.6 PPG on a whopping 50.3% shooting. NC State recently dumped by Virginia will be tough foes as Wolfpack are 4-0 SU off a loss this season and have a smart 6-1 SU/ATS streak going against Hurricanes.
College Basketball Point Spreads and Picks
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
Eleven top-25 teams hit the court Wednesday, highlighted by No. 1 Michigan hosting Northwestern. The Wolverines top the AP poll for the first time since the Fab Five reigned two decades ago. But the Wildcats have shown they can rise to a challenge, upsetting Illinois and Minnesota in two of their last four games.
The lines below are from the LVH SuperBook as of about 9:30 a.m. PT Wednesday.
Northwestern (12-9 SU, 10-8 ATS) at No. 1 Michigan (19-1 SU, 11-6-1 ATS), 6:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
Line: Michigan -17; Total: 129
Michigan center Jordan Morgan (6.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg) is doubtful with a sprained right ankle he suffered Sunday against Illinois. While the 6-8, 250-pounder is not a prolific scorer, he protects the basket. Michigan must be careful not to look ahead to Saturday’s visit to No. 3 Indiana.
In the first meeting at Northwestern on Jan. 3, the Wolverines raced to a 20-4 lead and cruised 94-66 as 10-point road faves. It’s important to note, however, that the Wildcats didn’t have leading scorer Reggie Hearn (14.0 ppg) in that game, and Tre Demps and Alex Marcotullio were limited with injuries.
Hearn was integral to NU’s upsets of Illinois and Minnesota, but shot 2-for-11 in last Saturday’s loss at Nebraska. Northwestern will try to slow the tempo against Michigan, which ranks 12th nationally in scoring (78.5).
Trends:
Northwestern is 4-2 ATS in its last six games.
Northwestern is 4-1 ATS in its last five games following a SU loss.
Michigan is 4-2-1 ATS in its last seven games.
Michigan is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 meetings.
Under is 5-2 in Northwestern’s last seven road games.
Under is 5-0 in Northwestern’s last five Big Ten games.
Under is 4-1 in Michigan’s last five games.
Under is 4-2 in the last six meetings at Michigan.
No. 14 Miami (15-3 SU, 12-3 ATS) at Virginia Tech (11-8 SU, 7-8-1 ATS), 9 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Line: Miami -9.5, Total: 136
Beating Duke and Florida State by a combined 51 points gets people’s attention. So Miami, on a 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS run, won’t be getting any soft numbers the rest of the way. The Hurricanes held the Blue Devils to 29.7-percent shooting and the Seminoles to 30.8 percent from the floor. They’ve won their six ACC games by an average of 13.5 points.
The Hokies’ 7-0 start has proven to be a mirage; they’re allowing a whopping 74.3 points per game. They do have the nation’s leading scorer in Erick Green (25.2 ppg), but Miami will force him to take a lot of tough shots to get near his average.
Trends:
Miami is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games.
Miami is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games against winning teams.
Virginia Tech is 8-17-1 ATS in its last 26 ACC games.
Virginia Tech is 2-7-1 ATS in its last 10 games.
Under is 6-0 in Miami’s last six road games.
Over is 6-1 in Virginia Tech’s last seven games.
Miami is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
No. 10 Oregon (18-2 SU, 9-9 ATS) at Stanford (12-8 SU, 7-10-1 ATS), 11 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Line: Stanford -2.5; Total: 138.5
The Ducks are off to their best conference start at 7-0 since they won all 10 Pacific Coast Conference games in 1925-26. But Dana Altman’s team has been sloppy at times, leading to a 1-4 ATS mark the last five games. In Saturday’s 81-76 win against Washington, Oregon committed a season-high 23 turnovers and failed to cover the 7.5-point spread. Oregon’s last six wins have come by an average of five points, and the Ducks just lost freshman PG Dominic Artis for 3-6 weeks with a foot injury.
Meanwhile, Stanford is coming off its best offensive performance in Sunday’s 87-56 win against Utah. Junior forward Dwight Powell is averaging 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds in Pac-12 play. Oregon has won two straight at Maples Pavilion following a 24-game skid there that dated back to1986.
Trends:
Oregon is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 road games.
Oregon is 1-4 ATS in its last five Pac-12 games.
Stanford is 4-1 ATS in its last five home games.
Stanford is 2-6 ATS in its last eight games against winning teams.
Under is 6-2 in Oregon’s last eight games.
Under is 10-4-1 in the last 15 meetings.
Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
Here's a few more games The Linemakers have opinions on:
UMass +8.5 at LaSalle: UMass is 5-1 on the road this year, and although the Minutemen are not a great shooting team, they have a knack for winning close games. LaSalle is coming off wins over both Butler and VCU last week and could be a little flat in this spot. We think the number is too big in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Iowa State +6.5 at Oklahoma State: Iowa State beat Kansas State last weekend, and the Cyclones have won four of their last five. They are 10th in the country in scoring, and while Oklahoma State has been a good defensive team, they will still run with you. The Cowboys have won 16 straight home games versus Iowa State,; but this number seems a little on the high side. Would also tend to favor the OVER (137.5) in this spot.