College Basketball Hot & Not
By Mike Rose
VegasInsider.com
Winning and losing in college basketball betting is often a fine line. There are a number of teams in the nation who have been at the top of their games for the last three weeks, covering at least five games in a row. Check out the list here at VegasInsider.com!
Southern Utah Thunderbirds (7-0 ATS L/7) - Ok, so the Thunderbirds are 1-19 SU this season. So what? The team has covered seven games in a row, and it has come awfully close in just about all of those games to pulling off upsets. Southern Utah has lost its last six games by seven points or fewer, and for a team that has been a dog by at least eight points in its last nine games, that's a heck of an accomplishment that's done nothing but line its supporters' pockets with cash.
Duke Blue Devils (7-0 ATS L/7) - The Dookies really started going when they returned form off a loss at Littlejohn Coliseum, where Clemson clocked Jabari Parker and his mates by two touchdowns. They didn't cover their first game off of that stretch when they beat UVA at home, but since that point, seven games have resulted in seven covers. Expect Duke to be a Top 10 team once again this week after destroying both BC and Wake Forest, marking the sixth time in the team's last seven games which it beat an ACC foe by at least 15 points.
Long Beach State 49ers (6-0 ATS L/6) - The Big West is littered with garbage this year, but the 49ers are threatening to make a real run here in conference play. They have won five of their last six games and have covered all six, and now, they might have some clear sailing to get back above .500. The team is a whopping 8-2-1 ATS on the road this year, and LBSU could definitely be a team to watch out for going forward.
Wofford Terriers (6-0 ATS L/6) - The Terriers are largely in the same shape that the 49ers are in. Neither team is all that good, but both play in really bad conferences. Wofford has won six straight games and covered all six, and it will get its way up to seven wins in a row after the team takes on Hiawassee College this week on Tuesday in a really oddly placed non-conference and non-Division I game on the slate.
Cleveland State Vikings (6-0 ATS L/6) - The Vikes have been doing this all year long. They have six straight wins, and when they score 70 points or more, they win and they cover. In fact, three of their failed attempts at covering games this year have come when they have failed to reach the 70-point plateau, and they only have five ATS defeats on the whole campaign. After winning four straight on the road, four straight are coming at home for Cleveland State, and the club could be set to soar to the top of the Horizon League as a result.
North Carolina Tar Heels (5-0 ATS L/5) - We've already talked about one team on Tobacco Road, and now, we get to talk about the other. The Tar Heels have covered five games in a row as well, and interestingly enough, they draw Duke this week on Wednesday. The difference has been G Marcus Paige, who has really rounded into one of the best point guards in the country. He's averaging 17.0 points per game, and he is also a fantastic distributor of the rock.
Murray State Racers (5-0 ATS L/5) - The Racers are 7-1 ATS at home this season, and the only games which they have lost since the start of the year have come on the road against Belmont and Eastern Illinois. Only that loss to the Bruins looks shaky, and the defeat by three was nothing in comparison to the eight-point spread. With three straight home games coming up, there is a real chance for the Racers to continue their good fortune, and they very well could end up back on this list in a couple weeks with nine straight covers.