College Knowledge
-- VCU forces turnovers on 30.7% of possessions, #1 in country; they won last nine games, allowing 55.7 ppg in last sis- this is their first game in A-16. Rams are 4-3 vs top 100 teams, winning by 13-10-19-4 points. Dayton is 10-4; its last three losses are by combined total of four points. Flyers are 1-1 on road, losing by 2 at USC, winning by 5 at Alabama.
-- Syracuse won its last five games vs Providence, winning 87-73/99-85 in last two visits here; Orange won by 9 at Arkansas, 11 at So. Florida in its two road games. 12 of its 14 wins are by 11+ points. Providence uses seven guys; they lost last four games, losing first two conference tilts by 18-10 points. Big East underdogs are 7-5 vs spread, 1-1 at home.
-- Home side won last four Rutgers-St John's games; Scarlet Knights lost last two visits here, 58-56/70-59. Rutgers upset Pitt in last game; they're 2-2 on road, losing by 13 at OleMiss, 25 at Syracuse. Red Storm is 1-3 vs top 100 teams, with only win as 13-point underdog at Cincinnati in last game. Big East home favorites of 5 or less points are 0-4 vs spread.
-- Louisville won last three games vs Seton Hall by 6-9-19 points; Hall coach Willard is former Pitino assistant. Cardinals won last eight games; they force turnovers 29.6% of time (#2 in country). Hall is 12-3, losing by 11 in OT vs Washington, 5 at LSU (fell apart vs Tigers' press), 21 at Notre Dame- they turn ball over 22.8% of time, bad sign here.
-- Butler's first A-16 game is at St Joe's team that won last three games after 5-4 start; Hawks are 3-3 vs top 100 teams, with best win over #20 Notre Dame. Butler won last eight games, allowing 50 ppg in last three; Bulldogs are 2-1 on road, losing at Xavier, winning at Northwestern by 9,at Vandy by 19. Butler's last loss was to Illinois on Maui Nov 21.
-- Home side won 11 of last 12 Florida State-Maryland games; State lost last six visits here, by 16-9-10-18-2-11 points. Seminoles split first two true road games, losing by 6 at Auburn, winning by 5 at Clemson- they turn ball over 22.6% of time. Terps won last 13 games, with only wins in top 100 by 20 over #99 Northwestern, by 7 over #91 Stony Brook.
-- Georgia Tech is 3-2 in last five games with NC State; Jackets lost by 13 at Illinois in only true road this season- they're 2-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 11-13-13 points. Wolfpack won its last eight games; they are 2-2 vs top 100 teams, winning by 9 over Stanford, 4 over UConn- they are shooting 57.5% inside arc (#2 in country), 39.2% outside it (#20).
-- Minnesota-Illinois split last six meetings with both games going to OT last year; Gophers lost three of their last four visits here, losing by 9-11-9 points. Minnesota grabs 49.7% of its own missed shots (#1 in nation); they've won last 11 games, last seven by 10+ points- they're 2-0 in true road games, winning by 9 at Florida State, 14 at USC. Illinois split last four games but walloped Ohio State by 19 in last game. .
-- Virginia beat North Carolina at home Sunday nite, now has trap game on road; Wake Forest won five of last six games with Virginia; Cavaliers lost last seven visits here, by 5-12-16-6-22-13-4 points. Deacons are 0-5 vs top 100 teams, losing by 6-26-2-4-18 points, though they did beat #109 Xavier last home game. Wake is #3 in country at getting to the foul line, but shoot just 67.6% there, still scoring 25% of points on FTs
-- Wyoming is one of four unbeaten teams left in country; they're 3-0 vs top 100 teams, winning by 7-10-14 points. Cowboys beat Boise twice LY, in Broncos' first year in MWC, by 11-10 points. Boise is 3-2 on the road, losing by 4 at Michigan State, 21 at Utah- they also are only team to beat Creighton (83-70). Boise forces turnovers 22.7% of time.
-- UNLV is 8-5 in last 13 games vs New Mexico, but lost two of three to Lobos LY; Rebels are 2-3 in last five visits to Pit, losing by 20-4-14, as two of the five went OT. UNLV is 3-1 on road, winning tight games at Cal/UTEP, losing at North Carolina by 6. New Mexico lost two of three games since 12-0 start, but last win ended Cincinnati's home win streak.
-- Washington won four of last six games with Cal; they've split last four visits here, winning last one by 21. Huskies are playing #177 pace so far this year, after being top 30 team last four years, so they've slowed pace a lot. Cal is 3-5 in last eight games, 2-3 in last five at home- they're 7-0 vs teams outside top 100. Washington is ranked #103 right now.
-- Murray State won last seven games with Eastern Kentucky, winning last four here by 14-10-2-5 points. Racers are only using seven guys, so guarding vs Princeton offense could be problem, as far as guys tiring out late in game. EKU split last six games after 9-0 start; they're 0-2 against teams in top 180, losing at Illinois by 13, at West Virginia by 7.
Armadillosports.com
Games to Watch
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. No. 2 Michigan Wolverines
The Cornhuskers have lost back-to-back games to Ohio State and Wisconsin to stumble out to a 0-2 start in Big Ten play. They are now 9-6 SU on the year and 6-7 ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in their last four games with a posted line. Nebraska is ranked near the bottom of Division I in scoring with an average of just 59.1 points a game.
Behind blow-out victories over Northwestern and Iowa the Wolverines have jumped-out to a 2-0 start in conference play and an overall record of 15-0 SU. They have gone 4-1 ATS in their last five games to improve to 9-4 ATS on the year. The total has gone OVER in six of their last seven games. Trey Burke leads the team with 18.2 points and 7.5 assists a game with Tim Hardaway Jr. chipping-in another 16.4 points and 2.9 assists.
Wednesday's Top 25 NCAAB Betting Notes
By Covers.com
Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on all of Wednesday's ranked college basketball games:
Iowa State Cyclones at Kansas Jayhawks (-13.5, 149)
Winners of 11 in a row, No. 6 Kansas will attempt to extend the nation’s second-longest home winning streak on Wednesday when it hosts Iowa State in the Big 12 opener for both teams. The Jayhawks collected their 30th straight win at Allen Fieldhouse in Sunday’s 69-62 victory over Temple to improve to 12-1 or better for the third time in four seasons. Kansas outshot its opponent for the 11th time and has outrebounded all but one of its foes this season – the latter of which may get tested against the Cyclones, who are surprisingly one of the best rebounding teams in the nation. Iowa State has won four straight but is 0-2 against ranked teams this season and will need to play better than it did last Tuesday when it trailed Yale at home for most of the game before securing an 80-70 win.
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Michigan Wolverines (-24, 127)
It’s been more than a month since second-ranked Michigan has been in a real close battle, winning by an average of almost 25 points in its last eight games. The Wolverines look to continue their focused, efficient play and match the best start in the program’s history (1985-86) with a victory over visiting Nebraska on Wednesday. Michigan is coming off scoring at least 90 points in back-to-back league games for the first time since 2000 and has four players averaging in double figures, led by reigning Big Ten player of the week Trey Burke. Nebraska must find a way to limit the Wolverines from beyond the 3-point arc where they are among the best in the nation at 42.3 percent. The Cornhuskers have lost three of their last four and could be without two regulars.
Louisville Cardinals at Seton Hall Pirates (+9, 138)
Fourth-ranked Louisville seeks its ninth consecutive victory when it visits Seton Hall in Big East play on Wednesday. The Cardinals are off to their third-best start in coach Rick Pitino’s 12-season tenure and are excelling on the offensive side, scoring 80 points on eight occasions. But the defense has frustrated Pitino despite the fact the Cardinals are allowing just 57.5 points per outing. “We’re continuing to win with offense, protecting the ball and not turning it over and scoring the ball well,” Pitino said. “Our defense is nowhere near where we want it to be. Once our defense catches up with our offense, we have a chance to be a special team.” Seton Hall lost 93-75 to Notre Dame on Saturday to end a seven-game win streak. The Pirates are 8-0 at home against a slate of light foes.
Syracuse Orange at Providence Friars (+10, 134)
While No. 7 Syracuse possesses one of the top offenses in the nation, its defense might ultimately be responsible if it challenges for its second national championship. The Orange visit Providence on Wednesday and should have little trouble with the Friars, who have lost four straight. Syracuse, which has won four in a row since its 83-79 loss to Temple on Dec. 22, began the week 14th in the country in scoring at 79.9 points and tied for 18th in defense at 57.1 while yielding 48.8 points in its last four games. Those numbers also produce the No. 2 scoring margin in the nation and have many believing the Orange will be one of four teams still playing in April.
Butler Bulldogs at St. Joseph's Hawks (-3, 125)
Butler makes its Atlantic 10 debut when it travels to face preseason conference favorite St. Joseph's on Wednesday. The Bulldogs have been very successful in the non-conference portion of their schedule, upsetting then-No. 1 Indiana among their victories and sitting No. 17 in this week's Top 25 poll. The Hawks have struggled at times heading into the conference campaign, but playing at home against a nationally-ranked foe will certainly bring out the best in Phil Martelli's squad, which comes into the game with a three-game winning streak. Butler has a nine-game winning streak, dating back to November when it fell to Illinois in the final of the Maui Invitational.
Georgia Bulldogs at Florida Gators (-22, 117)
Since losing two close contests to Arizona and Kansas State in an eight-day stretch, Florida has returned to its winning ways with two consecutive victories. The ninth-ranked Gators host a hot Georgia team on Wednesday in the SEC opener for both teams. Senior guard Kenny Boynton ranks 15th in the SEC in scoring and leads the conference in free-throw percentage, fronting a balanced scoring attack. Florida leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally in scoring defense (52.7), which figures to cause problems for the Bulldogs. Georgia ranks 13th in the conference and 306th nationally in scoring (60.6). The Bulldogs come in riding a season-best four-game winning streak.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at North Carolina State Wolfpack (-10, 133)
N.C. State continued its winning ways into ACC play on Saturday, and the 21st-ranked Wolfpack look to extend their win streak to nine when they host Georgia Tech on Wednesday. N.C. State, the nation’s best shooting team from the field at 53.1 percent, was held under 80 points for the first time in seven games but outlasted Boston College 78-73 to open its conference schedule. The Yellow Jackets’ ACC opener was far less pleasant, Miami pulling away to hand Georgia Tech a 62-49 home loss on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets bring the ACC’s second-best defense into the matchup, allowing just 54.2 points.
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Illinois Fighting Illini (+3, 137)
For the first month of the season, No. 13 Illinois was one of the biggest surprises in college basketball. However, No. 10 Minnesota can put the Fighting Illini into an early hole in the Big Ten conference race on Wednesday when the Golden Gophers attempt to match their best start in conference play in nearly 40 years. Illinois began its campaign with 12 straight wins – including victories over Butler and Gonzaga – but dropped two of its next three before recapturing its early-season form by pounding No. 14 Ohio State 74-55 on Saturday to remain undefeated at home this season. The Illini will face their third ranked opponent in five games when they meet the Gophers, who have won 10 in a row for the first time in four years. Minnesota overcame a slow start to defeat Northwestern 69-51 on Sunday.
UNLV Runnin' Rebels at New Mexico Lobos (-3, 140)
It’s just the conference opener but there’s plenty at stake when New Mexico hosts No. 19 UNLV in a Mountain West game at The Pit. The Running Rebels have won 11 of their last 12 games while the Lobos posted a head-turning one-point win at No. 8 Cincinnati a week ago to crack the Top 25. New Mexico suffered an ugly loss at Saint Louis last time out where they fell behind by 20 points in the first half. Coach Steve Alford was ejected in the contest, the first time in his 22 year coaching career he has been tossed. The loss also knocked the Lobos out of the Top 25. Both teams expect to challenge preseason favorite San Diego State for the MWC title. Surprising Wyoming is one of four undefeated teams in the country as play begins in a conference that is gaining plenty of respect around the country. In fact, the Mountain West is ranked third in the RPI behind only the Big Ten and the Big East.
Boise State Broncos at Wyoming Cowboys (-4.5, 125)
An early-season showdown in the Mountain West Conference finds Boise State traveling to undefeated Wyoming on Wednesday night. The two teams are a combined 25-2 on the season and considered top contenders for the MWC crown. The Broncos come in winners of six straight, all by at least 10 points. The Cowboys are off to the best start in school history and are ranked nationally (No. 25) for the first time since the 1987-88 campaign. This game should be an interesting contrast, with Boise State averaging a league-best 79.1 points per contest while Wyoming holds opponents to just 54.6 points per game, ranking eighth in the country.
San Diego State Aztecs at Fresno State Bulldogs (+8.5, 120)
San Diego State looks to secure its place as the favorite in the Mountain West when it visits Fresno State in the conference opener for both teams. The Aztecs, ranked 15th in the nation, are off to a fine start with its only losses coming against top 10 teams Syracuse and Arizona and look to win a Mountain West-record sixth consecutive league-opening game. Fresno State will be looking to break the Aztecs' 31-game winning streak against California teams in its Mountain West Conference debut. The Bulldogs, formerly of the WAC, snapped a four-game slide with a win over Division II Sonoma State last game. Prior to that Fresno State, which is averaging just 62 points a game, lost to a trio of Pac-12 teams and Cal-Irvine. The Bulldogs are just 3-3 at home with only one victory coming against a Division I team.
Michigan Tries To Remain Undefeated
Sportspic.com
The Michigan Wolverines have the look of a Final Four team and Big Ten champion this year. They don't want to get sucked into any more drama than necessary against Nebraska.
Betting line: Michigan -22
Why Nebraska Will Win
If you want to make a winning bet on this game, it's going to be hard to find a lot of different ways in which Nebraska can come out on top, but there is one clear avenue for the Huskers in Ann Arbor against unbeaten Michigan: make the game ugly. Nebraska dragged Wisconsin – an annual NCAA tournament team – into the muck this past Sunday, limiting the Badgers to only 47 points. Yes, Nebraska scored only 41 points in its own right, but the larger point is that the Huskers were able to slow down an opponent, play at their preferred pace, and nearly pull off an upset in the process.
If Nebraska can play Michigan in the 50s, it will have a chance to stay close to the Wolverines and ambush the Maize and Blue with a late surge. New head coach Tim Miles does offer Nebraska the benefit of a fresh voice in courtside huddles and strategy sessions during games. The team consistently fell short under former coach Doc Sadler. Having the younger and more energetic Miles on the bench could breathe new life into this team, giving the Huskers the optimism and hopefulness that can lead to improved performance in the heat of battle.
Why Michigan Will Win
While NFL betting students assess various factors and try to offer a path to victory for the various teams in the NFL playoffs, the task of college basketball betting analysts is much easier on Wednesday night. Michigan is unbeaten at this point in the season, and the reasons are simple. The Wolverines have elite talent, with guard Trey Burke – only a sophomore – staking a claim to being one of the very best point guards in the nation. Burke's ballhandling skills, quickness, and overall playmaking ability give head coach John Beilein – one of the best and most resourceful coaches in the country – a high-end talent at the most important position on the floor. Beilein is noted for taking average talent and generating above-average results with it.
Now that Beilein has above-average talent, he has produced an unbeaten team, a Big Ten favorite that has every chance of getting a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. This is Michigan's best team since the 1993 squad that reached the national championship game in New Orleans and lost to North Carolina on Chris Webber's infamous last-minute timeout. Michigan should not be remotely tested by Nebraska. These two teams exist in very different weight classes and own completely different levels of athleticism on the wings. Michigan can play above the rim, while Nebraska finds it hard to do so.
Who Will Win
This game is a mismatch. In Nebraska, this contest might be remotely close for the game's first 35 minutes. In Ann Arbor, Mich., the home team should flourish. The Wolverines should win this game by at least 18 points if not more.
Pick: Michigan
College Basketball Point Spreads, Picks and Betting Guide
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
LAS VEGAS -- MGM Mirage sports books would like to erase the first half of the college hoops season.
“We’ve been getting killed on college basketball,” book manager Jeff Stoneback said.
Sharp bettors’ success in non-conference play, plus some key public favorites coming in, has made for a rough start, at least from Las Vegas' point of view.
“There’s a higher percentage of professional play early in the season, and the lines aren’t as sharp,” Stoneback said. “Conference play will be better for us, as the lines are more solid. And the public gets more involved later in the season. There’s not a whole lot of play at this time on basketball.”
Football remains king. But with college football over and only two weeks left of NFL playoff action, expect the public to start shifting its wagering dollars toward hoops.
Here are some quick hits on Wednesday's college hoops betting board.
No. 14 Butler (12-2 SU, 7-5 ATS) at Saint Joseph’s (8-4 SU, 4-5 ATS), 7 p.m. ET
Line: St Joseph's -2
On a nine-game win streak, the Bulldogs make their Atlantic 10 debut at conference preseason favorite St. Joe’s. Butler didn’t look like itself in Saturday’s 57-44 win over lowly New Orleans. It was Butler’s lowest point total and shooting percentage (40.5) since November.
After early struggles, Phil Martelli’s Hawks enter on a three-game win streak. Three of their four losses have come by seven points or fewer, and the Hawks sport the balanced scoring (four players averaging in double figures) needed to deal with Butler’s fundamental defense. St. Joe’s shouldn’t put Butler on the foul line too much, either; the Hawks commit 12.6 fouls per game, fourth-fewest nationally.
Trends:
Butler is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games.
Butler is 3-13-2 ATS in its last 18 games after allowing under 50 points in its previous game.
St. Joe’s is 1-4 ATS in its last five games.
St. Joe’s is 2-6 ATS in its last eight games following a SU win.
Over is 5-1 in Butler’s last six road games.
Over is 9-2 in St. Joseph’s last 11 games.
TCU (9-5 SU, 3-6 ATS) at Oklahoma State (10-3 SU, 7-4-1 ATS), 8 p.m. ET
Line: Oklahoma State -20
Why does Cowboys star Le’Bryan Nash disappear so often? The NBA-bound 6-7 sophomore has scored a total of 20 points in the last three games while getting to the foul line just twice. Oklahoma State is coming off losses to Gonzaga (69-68) and at Kansas State (73-67).
There’s almost no danger of the Cowboys losing here, but the Horned Frogs play a methodical pace that has them 11th nationally in points allowed (55.1). This line opened at 21.5 and has dropped as many as 2 points at some books.
Trends:
TCU is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games following a SU loss.
TCU is 1-5 ATS in its last six Big 12 games.
Oklahoma State is 40-16-3 ATS in its last 59 home games.
Oklahoma State is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games following an ATS loss.
Under is 5-1 in Oklahoma State’s last six games.
Under is 17-5 in Oklahoma State’s last 22 home games.
No. 8 Minnesota (14-1 SU, 9-4 ATS) at No. 12 Illinois (14-2 SU, 6-7 ATS), 9 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
Line: Minnesota -1.5, Total: 141.5
The Illini bounced back from a bad string of play (2-2 SU, 0-4 ATS) with a resounding 74-55 home win over Ohio State on Saturday. Illinois was a 3-point home dog in that one, and is getting 1.5 points here. Note that home teams have won all but four games in Big Ten play so far.
The Golden Gophers have won 10 in a row. They lead the nation in offensive rebounding and outrebounded opponents by 11.1 per game. They’re also 12th in steals.
To stay undefeated at home, the Illini must shoot better than 30 percent from beyond the arc – something they’ve managed only once in the last six games.
Trends:
Minnesota is 8-0 ATS in its last eight road games.
Minnesota is 6-0 ATS in its last six Big Ten games.
Illinois is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games against teams with .600-plus winning percentages.
Illinois is 2-7 ATS in its last nine games following an ATS win.
Over is 5-1 in Minnesota’s last six road games.
Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.
Favorite is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.
The Linemakers have leans on several games tonight. Take a look:
Florida State at Maryland (-6.5): Maryland lost the season opener to Kentucky by three. They have since won 13 straight, with 10 wins by double digits. The fact that they are just 5-2 ATS shows they haven't really played anyone. The competition gets tougher with the Seminoles, but we think this is a good matchup for the Terps. They hold opponents to 35.2 percent shooting, and that is Florida State's weakness. We’ll lay the points with Maryland.
West Virginia at Texas (-4.5, 126): Two teams that have not lived up to expectations. Texas does have the nation’s top-ranked defense in terms of field goal percentage, and they are 7-0 at home. They routed North Carolina on this floor but lost two of their next three. WVU has started to play better of late, as the transfers and freshmen get comfortable. The Mountaineers are just 2-8 ATS, but those things tend to even out. We expect a tough defensive battle here and favor the points. West Virginia is the play.
Minnesota (-1.5, 141.5) at Illinois: Illinois is undefeated at home (8-0). They just beat Ohio State, 74-55, last weekend. Minnesota has won 10 straight games, but this is just their third true road game. Illinois leads the country with 150 3s on the season. The Gophers have made just 75. The key stat is that Illinois is 11-1 on this floor vs. Minnesota since 2000. The value is with the points and Illinois on their home floor.
UNLV at New Mexico (-3.5, 138.5): Richie Baccellieri made this line 4, but it’s still a bit higher than we expected it to be. UNLV has not been good on the road under coach Dave Price. Now, the Runnin’ Rebels go into The Pit, one of the more difficult places to play in the country, and they better make their 3s if they want to stay in this game. New Mexico’s loss against St. Louis was an aberration. We like New Mexico here.