College Basketball Knowledge
Georgia Tech won six of its last eight games but is 1-2 in true road games, with only win at Tulane by 8- they lost by 8 at UNC, at Georgia by 14. Pitt won both ACC matchups with Tech, by 7-5 points; Panthers won last eight games; they're 1-1 vs top 100 teams, beating Syracuse at home by 11, losing at Purdue by 13. Pitt played #321 schedule to this point. ACC home favorites are 2-3 vs spread.
Duke won 10 of last 11 games with Wake Forest, winning last two, by 8-13 points; Blue Devils won three of last four visits here, with wins, by 8-5-8 points. :Last 3+ years, Duke is 7-13 vs spread as ACC road favorite, winning by 17 at BC in first true road game Saturday. Deacons lost by 8 to Louisville Sunday, getting outscored 9-1 over last 2:31- they're much improved but very young. ACC home underdogs are 3-2 vs spread.
Seton Hall/Villanova split last six games after Villanova had won 10 in a row in series; Pirates lost last seven visits here, with four of last six by 10 or less points. Seton Hall won last seven games, scoring 80.5 ppg in first two Big East games- they also beat Wichita St at home. Villanova scored 92 ppg in winning first two league games, by 31-14 points- they're #1 in country, shooting 63.1% inside arc. Big East favorites are 8-5 vs spread.
Florida won its last four games with Tennessee, but lost two of last three visits here. Gators are 5-0 vs teams outside top 100, with all five wins by 18+ points; they're 1-2 in true road games, losing at Miami/Michigan St, winning at Navy. Tennessee is 0-4 vs top 100 teams, losing by 2-3-8-7 points; Vols are 7-0 at home, 0-6 everywhere else. SEC home underdogs are 2-1 against the spread.
Northern Illinois won 70-60 at Ohio U LY, ending its 7-game series skid; Bobcats won last four visits here, all by 9+ points. Huskies are 11-2 but have four non-D-I wins; they've played schedule #334 so far- their only top 200 win is over #175 Wright State. Ohio U split its two true away games, losing by 13 at St Bonaventure, winning at Cleveland St- Bobcats are 1-3 vs top 200 teams, with best win over #187 Marshall.
Wichita State won 10 of last 12 games with Evansville, winning last five, all by 14+ points; Purple Aces are 1-11 in last 12 visits here, losing last two by 14-19 points. Shockers are healthy now; they've won six of last seven games, won first two Valley games by 20-27 points. Evansville is 13-2 vs schedule #307; they lost by 13-10 to Providence/Arkansas- its best win is over #96 Cal-Irvine. MVC home favorites are 4-3 vs spread.
Texas A&M won its last four games by 10+ each, all at home, since loss at Arizona State in its only true road game so far; Aggies won three of four SEC games with Mississippi State, with three of four decided by 4 or less points or in OT; teams splt couple of games here, with both going OT Miss State is 7-5 vs schedule #310 in Howland's first year; Bulldogs lost by 26-24-2 points in three top 100 games. SEC favorittes are 5-3.
Iowa State won six of last eight games with Texas Tech, winning 75-38 in last meeting LY; Red Raiders lost last four visits to Ames, three by 18+ points. Cyclones split last four games after 9-0 start, losing at Oklahoma 87-83 Saturday in high-level game. Tech won last ten games since neutral court loss to Utah 55 days ago, but this is their first true road game this season. Big X home favorites are 4-3 vs spread.
Ohio State is 18-1 in last 19 games with Northwestern, winning last 10 in row, with four of last six by 10+ points; Buckeyes won last five visits to Evanston, three by 1 or 2 points. Wildcats got hammered by Maryland after starting season 12-1 vs non-league schedule #338- they'll need good wins to make NCAAs for first time. Big 14 favorites are 6-1 vs spread in games with spread of 6 or less points.
Oregon is 4-3 in last seven D-I games after losing Civil War to Beavers Sunday night; Ducks won 80-69 at Cal LY, snapping 12-game series skid; Bears won last six visits to Eugene. Cal won eight of its last nine games; they're 1-1 in true road games, with both games going to OT- they lost at Virginia, won at Wyoming. Oregon is 9-0 at home, with wins over Valpo, Baylor. Pac-12 home teams are 7-2 against the spread.
Young, talented UNLV lost four of its last six games; they're 1-2 in true road games, winning at Cal-Riverside, losing at Wichita/Arizona. Home side won last eight UNLV-Colorado State games; Rebels lost last four visits here, by 7-5-11-18 points. Colorado State lost six of last seven vs D-I teams; Rams' best scorer is out for year (hand). Mountain West home underdogs are 0-3 against spread this month.
Fresno State is 3-5 in last eight D-I games, losing last two at home; they force turnovers 22% of time, they're #12 in experience, but shoot 30.2% on arc. Nevada is 1-5 in true road games with only win in two OTs over Pacific. Fresno won last three games with Nevada by 8-3-4 points; Wolf Pack won three of last four visits here. Nevada is shooting 29.3% on arc, 45.7% inside it; their eFG% is #308.
Oregon State scored 77.5 ppg in winning last four games; they won their rivalry game with Oregon Sunday night. Beavers are shooting 39.7% on arc- they have #53 eFG% defense. Stanford won its last six games with Oregon State; Cardinal won seven of last nine visits to Corvallis. This is Stanford's first true road game; they're 2-5 vs top 100 teams, with their last two losses by total of three points. Pac-12 home favorites are 2-1.
Armadillosports.com
Game of the Day: Duke at Wake Forest
By Covers.com
(10) Duke Blue Devils at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+7.5, Off)
Duke figures to face a stiffer road test Wednesday night when the 10th-ranked team in the nation visits in-state rival Wake Forest. The Blue Devils won their first true road game of the season Saturday at Boston College, knocking off an undermanned Eagles team 81-64 in the ACC opener for both teams.
Star freshman Brandon Ingram made a big splash in his ACC debut with 25 points and nine rebounds while Grayson Allen stayed hot with 17 points for the nation's fourth-ranked scoring attack. The Demon Deacons opened conference play with a 65-57 loss at then-No. 18 Louisville on Sunday, suffering through their lowest-scoring game of the season. Offense usually is not much of an issue for Danny Manning's squad, but it entered Monday ranked last among ACC teams in scoring defense (77.1) and field-goal percentage defense (44.4 percent), which could present issues against the high-scoring Blue Devils. Duke won the previous meeting last March by a 94-51 margin and has claimed 10 of the last 11 encounters.
LINE HISTORY: The Westgate LV Superbook opened the Blue Devils as 7.5-point favorites. The total is off the board.
INJURY REPORT:
Duke - F Amile Jefferson (Out indefinitely, foot).
Wake Forest - N/A
ABOUT DUKE (12-2 SU, 6-6-1 ATS, 8-5-1 O/U): Allen was held without a 3-pointer for just the third time against Boston College but he had nine rebounds, five assists and three steals in a season-high 39 minutes, putting forth one of his most active efforts of the season. "(He's) powerful, and then he's fearless. So he goes with a little bit of a reckless abandon,'' coach Mike Krzyzewski told the media. ''He usually is either knocked to the floor or he falls to the floor because of those Herculean plays that he makes." Freshman guard Luke Kennard chipped in 17 points and is averaging 15.8 points in the five games since forward Amile Jefferson was sidelined with a broken foot.
ABOUT WAKE FOREST (9-4 SU, 5-6 ATS, 4-7 O/U): Devin Thomas remains the rock for the Demon Deacons as one of two qualified ACC players averaging a double-double (16.4 points, 10.2 rebounds). However, the senior doesn't do anything from beyond the arc and the squad has only three legitimate options in that regard, getting 24 3-pointers apiece from Bryant Crawford, Konstantinos Mitoglou and Mitchell Wilbekin. The rest of the team has combined to make just 11-of-64 long-range attempts and the Demon Deacons' 32.9 percent mark is 13th in the conference.
TRENDS:
* Home team is 22-6 ATS in the last 28 meetings.
* Blue Devils are 2-6 ATS in the last eight meetings.
* Blue Devils are 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings in Wake Forest.
* Over is 5-0 in Blue Devils last five overall.
Wednesday's Tip Sheet
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
Wednesday’s college hoops schedule features a pair of interesting matchups in the ACC involving two of the six nationally ranked teams in that conference.
With both tips set for 7:00 p.m. ET, the No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers will play host to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets while the No. 14 Duke Blue Devils go on the road to square-off against the in-state rival Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers
Opening Odds: Pittsburgh -9
Betting Matchup
Georgia Tech opened play in the ACC with a 86-78 loss to North Carolina this past Saturday, but it did manage to cover against the spread as a 14½-point road underdog. The Yellow Jackets had failed to cover in their previous two games as part of a straight-up record of 10-4 with a 7-5 mark ATS. The total went OVER 154 ½ against the Tar Heels after staying UNDER in their previous three contests.
Senior guard Marcus Georges-Hunt leads a trio of Georgia Tech players scoring in double figures with an average of 15.3 points per game and in the loss to North Carolina he led all scorers with 25 points. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 77.7 PPG, but defense has not always been their strong suit with a points-allowed average of 69.9. They have done a decent job under the boards with 40.9 rebounds a game.
The Panthers are riding a SU eight-game winning streak that includes a 72-61 victory against Syracuse as 7½-point home favorites in their conference opener. They have gone an even 6-6 ATS the spread this season and the total has gone OVER in three of their last four games with a closing betting line. Pitt falls to 4-6 ATS in 10 home games this year.
This is another team that boasts a trio of double-digit scorers led by junior forward Michael Young’s 16.9 PPG. He is also Pitts’ top player under the boards with 7.4 rebounds a game. The Panthers have the edge in this matchup in scoring with an average of 85 PPG and they are pulling down 42.7 rebounds while holding opposing teams to just 62.7 points.
Betting Trends
The Yellow Jackets have covered ATS in their last seven Wednesday games and they are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a SU loss. The total has gone OVER in 15 of their last 20 road games.
The Panthers have failed to cover in five of their last six ACC games and they are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 home games against a team with a SU losing record on the road. The total has stayed UNDER in 10 of their last 14 Wednesday games.
Pittsburgh won both games last season SU with Georgia Tech covering ATS each time. The total went OVER in both meetings.
No. 14 Duke Blue Devils at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Opening Odds: Duke -8½
Betting Matchup
Duke got off to a solid start in the ACC with this past Saturday’s 81-64 rout over Boston College as a 14½-point road favorite. It has now gone 3-0 both SU and ATS since suffering a stunning 77-75 loss to Utah on Dec. 19 as a seven-point favorite at home. The Blue Devils are 12-2 SU on the year with a 7-6 record ATS. The total has gone OVER in six of their last seven games.
The Blue Devils remain one of the highest scoring teams in the nation with 88.4 PPG. They have actually picked-up the pace over their last five games with an average of 92.6 points. Sophomore guard Grayson Allen has been a big part of Duke’s early success with 20.6 points and 3.6 assists a game. All told, the Blue Devils have six different players averaging at least nine points, but Amile Jefferson (11.4 PPG) remains out of the lineup with a foot injury.
The Demon Deacons have dropped two of their last three games SU including a 65-57 loss to Louisville in their ACC opener this past Sunday. They were able to cover as 15-point road underdogs, but they are still just 2-4 ATS in their last six games with a posted betting line. The total has stayed UNDER in their last three outings.
Senior forward Devin Thomas and freshman guard Bryant Crawford are the team’s top two scorers with a combined 30.2 PPG as part of Wake Forest’s overall scoring average of 77 points. The top pure shooter on the team is freshman forward John Collins with an impressive 61.8 conversion rate from the field. The issues in their erratic 9-4 SU (5-7 ATS) record have been at the other end of the court with a defense that is also allowing 77.1 PPG.
Betting Trends
The Blue Devils are 14-5-1 ATS in their last 20 games following a SU win and they have covered in five of their last six conference games. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five road games.
The Demon Deacons are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games in the ACC and they have failed to cover in their last six games played at home. The total has gone OVER in 15 of their last 22 conference games.
Head-to-head in this matchup, the underdog has covered in six of the last eight meetings and the total stayed UNDER in both meetings last season. Duke has failed to cover in its last four road games against Wake Forest.
Wednesday's Tip Sheet
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
Wednesday’s college hoops schedule features a pair of interesting matchups in the ACC involving two of the six nationally ranked teams in that conference.
With both tips set for 7:00 p.m. ET, the No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers will play host to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets while the No. 14 Duke Blue Devils go on the road to square-off against the in-state rival Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers
Opening Odds: Pittsburgh -9
Betting Matchup
Georgia Tech opened play in the ACC with a 86-78 loss to North Carolina this past Saturday, but it did manage to cover against the spread as a 14½-point road underdog. The Yellow Jackets had failed to cover in their previous two games as part of a straight-up record of 10-4 with a 7-5 mark ATS. The total went OVER 154 ½ against the Tar Heels after staying UNDER in their previous three contests.
Senior guard Marcus Georges-Hunt leads a trio of Georgia Tech players scoring in double figures with an average of 15.3 points per game and in the loss to North Carolina he led all scorers with 25 points. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 77.7 PPG, but defense has not always been their strong suit with a points-allowed average of 69.9. They have done a decent job under the boards with 40.9 rebounds a game.
The Panthers are riding a SU eight-game winning streak that includes a 72-61 victory against Syracuse as 7½-point home favorites in their conference opener. They have gone an even 6-6 ATS the spread this season and the total has gone OVER in three of their last four games with a closing betting line. Pitt falls to 4-6 ATS in 10 home games this year.
This is another team that boasts a trio of double-digit scorers led by junior forward Michael Young’s 16.9 PPG. He is also Pitts’ top player under the boards with 7.4 rebounds a game. The Panthers have the edge in this matchup in scoring with an average of 85 PPG and they are pulling down 42.7 rebounds while holding opposing teams to just 62.7 points.
Betting Trends
The Yellow Jackets have covered ATS in their last seven Wednesday games and they are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a SU loss. The total has gone OVER in 15 of their last 20 road games.
The Panthers have failed to cover in five of their last six ACC games and they are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 home games against a team with a SU losing record on the road. The total has stayed UNDER in 10 of their last 14 Wednesday games.
Pittsburgh won both games last season SU with Georgia Tech covering ATS each time. The total went OVER in both meetings.
No. 14 Duke Blue Devils at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Opening Odds: Duke -8½
Betting Matchup
Duke got off to a solid start in the ACC with this past Saturday’s 81-64 rout over Boston College as a 14½-point road favorite. It has now gone 3-0 both SU and ATS since suffering a stunning 77-75 loss to Utah on Dec. 19 as a seven-point favorite at home. The Blue Devils are 12-2 SU on the year with a 7-6 record ATS. The total has gone OVER in six of their last seven games.
The Blue Devils remain one of the highest scoring teams in the nation with 88.4 PPG. They have actually picked-up the pace over their last five games with an average of 92.6 points. Sophomore guard Grayson Allen has been a big part of Duke’s early success with 20.6 points and 3.6 assists a game. All told, the Blue Devils have six different players averaging at least nine points, but Amile Jefferson (11.4 PPG) remains out of the lineup with a foot injury.
The Demon Deacons have dropped two of their last three games SU including a 65-57 loss to Louisville in their ACC opener this past Sunday. They were able to cover as 15-point road underdogs, but they are still just 2-4 ATS in their last six games with a posted betting line. The total has stayed UNDER in their last three outings.
Senior forward Devin Thomas and freshman guard Bryant Crawford are the team’s top two scorers with a combined 30.2 PPG as part of Wake Forest’s overall scoring average of 77 points. The top pure shooter on the team is freshman forward John Collins with an impressive 61.8 conversion rate from the field. The issues in their erratic 9-4 SU (5-7 ATS) record have been at the other end of the court with a defense that is also allowing 77.1 PPG.
Betting Trends
The Blue Devils are 14-5-1 ATS in their last 20 games following a SU win and they have covered in five of their last six conference games. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five road games.
The Demon Deacons are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games in the ACC and they have failed to cover in their last six games played at home. The total has gone OVER in 15 of their last 22 conference games.
Head-to-head in this matchup, the underdog has covered in six of the last eight meetings and the total stayed UNDER in both meetings last season. Duke has failed to cover in its last four road games against Wake Forest.
Cal, Oregon hook up
By Sportsbook.ag
CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (12-3) at OREGON DUCKS (11-3)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Oregon -3.5, Total: 142
California looks to continue its success in Eugene as the team travels to face Pac-12 foe Oregon on Wednesday night.
Eugene, Oregon is supposed to be home of the Ducks – but you wouldn’t know it given California and Oregon’s recent history in Pac-12 play. 15-5 SU (12-7-1 ATS) over their past 20 meetings since 2006, California hasn’t lost a road game to Oregon since Jan. 2008 (6-0). What’s more, the Golden Bears are also a staggering 6-0 ATS in Eugene. California was a road favorite in three of those aforementioned six games, however, their most recent two wins in Eugene have found them as six-point underdogs in each game. The Golden Bears have found a way to win in low scoring (48-46, Feb. 2013) and high scoring (96-83, Jan. 2014) affairs in each of the last two games played in Eugene.
It isn’t all bad for coach Dana Altman’s Ducks. Going into last season’s lone matchup, Oregon was a loser of 12 straight to California (Oregon, 3-9 ATS in that span), however, the Ducks finally were able to defeat the Golden Bears, 80-69 (Oregon +2) last February.
Both squads will be coming off two day’s rest, California having opened up conference play with home wins over Colorado and Utah, respectively, while Oregon having dropped their first conference game at in-state rival, Oregon State.
With two day’s rest, the Golden Bears are 3-2 SU (3-2 ATS) while the Ducks are 6-0 SU (5-1 ATS). Oregon is 9-0 at home this season (10-2 ATS dating back to last season at home), while California is 1-7 SU in its last eight games away from home (2-5 ATS in their last seven). In the Golden Bears’ two true road games this year, they won at Wyoming 78-72 (failing to cover at -7.5) and lost at Virginia 63-62 (covering +12.5). The total has gone UNDER in five of the last seven games between these two teams in Eugene.
At 64.3 PPG allowed, California has a stellar defense that stifles opponents to 36.9% FG (8th NCAA). The Golden Bears have been even better in their last three, holding opponents to 33.5% FG, and it should come as no surprise that six of the last seven California games have had a total of UNDER. The Golden Bears are the best team in the nation at defending two-point shots (37.2% FG), a stark improvement from the 45.6% 2-point FG they surrendered last season.
While coach Cuonzo Martin’s squad boasts tons of length on the perimeter, one can point to the addition of two stellar freshmen: F Ivan Rabb (12.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 64% FG, 1.5 BPG) and F Jaylen Brown (14.3 PPG, 6 RPG) as two guys who make an impact for Martin on both ends of the floor.
The 6-foot-11 Rabb has been a stalwart inside, as even with his lean 220-pound frame he was able to hold his own against Utah for 19 points and 10 rebounds in their win on Sunday (going head-to-head with probable NBA lottery pick, Jakob Poeltl).
Brown had a string of six straight double-figure games snapped in the win over Utah, but powered California to their first Pac-12 win with 17 points and 11 rebounds last Friday against Colorado.
The Golden Bears stellar rebounding (41.7 RPG, 19th NCAA) doesn’t just fall on Rabb and Brown, as do-everything senior G Tyrone Wallace grabs 5 rebounds per contest (in addition to his 15 PPG and 4.7 APG), but Wallace had pulled down 7 rebounds per game last season without Brown and Rabb. The influx of talent in Berkeley has meant a more efficient Wallace, who has curbed his attempts per game and seen his FG% rise from 42% to 46% this season.
G Jordan Matthews (13.7 PPG, 43% 3PT) provides the Golden Bears’ best threat from beyond the arc, and he’s been feeling it lately, averaging 18.5 PPG in his last four games, hitting 4.3 threes per game in that span (53% 3PT). Unlike Oregon, California would rather suffocate you with half-court defense than create a turnover, as the Bears rarely take the ball away (3.8 SPG, 346th NCAA).
After early-season success with a patchwork rotation, the Ducks fell flat at the worst possible time in their first game with a truly healthy roster, throwing up a 70-58 dud (Oregon -2) against their hated rivals in Corvallis. The Ducks shot 35.8% FG (28% 3PT) in the loss, while getting outworked on the glass by the Beavers (32 rebounds tied for a season-low).
Coach Altman is working veteran G Dylan Ennis, who averaged just under 10 points and 3.5 assists per game at Villanova last season, back into the rotation after missing most of non-conference play with injury. Solid minutes from Ennis will take a load off of freshman G Tyler Dorsey (14.6 PPG) who’s struggled recently in the Ducks’ last two games against D-1 competition (4-17 FG), and really isn’t a natural point guard.
F Dwayne Benjamin (8.9 PPG) was fantastic in last season’s matchup against the Golden Bears (17 points, 10 rebounds, 7-10 FG), but has been ice cold his last six games – failing to hit double figures in all of them. Benjamin hit rock bottom on Sunday night going 1-10 FG in the loss to the Beavers.
Oregon’s team strength, both offensively and defensively, lies in their frontcourt, as they (like California) play very good defense in the paint, while also having guys that like to attack the rim on offense. Leading an efficient attack that averages 75.5 PPG (1.09 points per poss, 45th NCAA) is sophomore F Dillon Brooks (16 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 47% FG). The Canadian forward is very adept at using his body to make all sorts of tough shots in traffic and will also post-up smaller players. Brooks is money from the charity stripe at 82.5% FT.
Senior F Elgin Cook (13.5 PPG) registered 17 points last season against the Golden Bears, but he’s also been feast-or-famine this season, lately failing to come up big against Power Five opponents and not using his trademark aggressiveness and athleticism (15 points versus Alabama and Oregon State combined, 0 FTA).
Oregon gets their hands on shots and passes, alike (5.9 BPG, 10th NCAA; 7.9 SPG, 39th NCAA), which leads to a very solid scoring defense (66.2 PPG allowed, 60th NCAA). Both F Chris Boucher (11.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 3.1 BPG) and F Jordan Bell (8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.8 BPG) are the main culprits for teams having a tough time scoring inside, while Bell’s 1.8 SPG lead the team and place him amongst five Ducks who pilfer more than one steal per game.
Steve's Screenshot
By Steve Merril
Duke (-8, 158.5) at Wake Forest
Wake Forest will continue their gauntlet of opponents here against Duke. So far this season, the Demon Deacons have faced Indiana, Vanderbilt, UCLA, Xavier, LSU, and Louisville. They had to play all but one of those games on the road; they only lost by 8 points to Xavier at home. Duke is 12-2 SU on the season with their two losses coming to Kentucky and Utah in overtime.
Duke is 7-1 SU versus Wake Forest the past four seasons, but Wake has been competitive in those games, going 6-2 ATS. However, tonight's pointspread is much lower than those recent meetings as Duke was at least a 12-point favorite or higher in each of those past eight head-to-head games.