TONY GEORGE
Kansas State vs. West Virginia
Play: West Virginia -6
The second upset of this tourney right after Kansas went down to TCU Thursday was Baylor going down to Kansas State in the late game. Rest assured Huggy Bear will his team riled up for this one as a clear path to the title is easier with mighty Kansas out of the picture. Remember Kansas State who got beat by 30 against Oklahoma about a week ago? West Virginia owns edges is stats in scoring, FG%, defense, rebounding, depth and turnovers, not to mention you are catching a team off a huge upset win, which is usually a fade the next game, especially the day after.
I expect K State to drained here and for the full press and defense to takes it toll on the Wildcats tonight and for West Virginia to pull away late in the game.
CHIP CHIRIMBES
Alabama vs. South Carolina
Play: Alabama +5
After starting the season 17-1 South Carolina have returned to the pack by losing five of their final eight including a four-overtime loss to the Tide 90-86. Alabama will be pleased to hear that the underdog is 6-2-1 ATS in the last nine meetings and that the Gamecocks are 1-8 ATS in their last nine contests. It was the Crimson's defense that made the difference in the first meeting hold the 'Cocks to 26.1% field goal shooting.
TONY KARPINSKI
Seton Hall vs. Villanova
Play: Over 135
Although Villanova and Seton Hall can each play at mixed tempos, both are at their best in the open floor. When they meet Friday in the Big East semifinals, more free-flowing offense should be in store. The Wildcats had six players in double figures in their rout of St. John's, while the Pirates had five in their win over Marquette. Both teams have athletes that are still better-suited to a fast pace.
BLACK WIDOW
Golden State Warriors -5.5
Bets on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after being beaten by the spread by 48 or more points total in their last ten games against an opponent that went under the total by 48 or more points total in their last seven games are 72-33 ATS since 1996. This situation's record is 4-1 ATS this season alone. I think the price if finally right to back the Warriors after they have failed to cover the spread in seven of thier last eight. They'll be motivated to bounce back from an upset loss to the Celtics last time out.
DAVE PRICE
North Carolina -4
The Key: UNC made easy work of Miami 78-53 yesterday after receiving a double-bye as the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament. The Tar Heels are fresh and ready to go tonight. The same cannot be said for Duke, which will be playing its 3rd game in 3 days after back-to-back narrow wins over Clemson (79-72) and Louisville (81-77). That game against the Cardinals yesterday especially will have taken a lot out of the Blue Devils. They aren't a very deep team to start with, so this is a very difficult situation for them. The Blue Devils are 5-16-2 ATS in their last 23 games following a ATS win. The Tar Heels are 19-5-2 ATS in their last 26 neutral site games as a favorite.
JIMMY BOYD
Iowa State -4½
I really like the value here with the Cyclones as a relatively small favorite against TCU in the Big 12 Tournament Semifinals. The Horned Frogs knocked off Oklahoma on Wednesday and then upset Kansas yesterday, thanks in large part to the Jayhawks not having Josh Jackson. That win took a lot out of TCU and I think they are getting too much respect here against a dangerous Iowa State team that looked sharp in a 92-83 win over an Oklahoma State team that had been playing as well as anyone in the conference the last couple months.
It's also worth noting that prior to winning their first two of the tournament, TCU had dropped their previous 7 games. That includes a 13-point loss at Iowa State. Cyclones have a big edge here in talent and rest, as they are only playing jus their 2nd game in as many days and the Horned Frogs are playing their 3rd. This will also have the feel of a Cyclones home game, as their fans always travel to this tournament.
SPORTS WAGERS
Seton Hall +10½ over Villanova
This one sets up perfectly for the underdog to not only cover but we’re also putting the Wildcats on upset alert here. The target for us is always value and in that regard, Seton Hall offers it all. To begin, Villanova’s 41-point win over the Johnnies yesterday sticks out more than any other game because the Wildcats are the defending champs and the market pays very close attention to what they do. The Wildcats not only defeated St. John’s by 41 but they also defeated Georgetown, 81-55 in their final regular season game. Villanova has won its last three games by a combined 83 points (!) and it all started about the exact same time that people who do not usually wager on college basketball start to take an interest. We promise you that those backing the favorite here are paying a serious premium to do so and if the favorite covers, so be it but we must go with the best of it and scoop up these points.
Seton Hall got by Marquette yesterday and took down one of the best offenses in America in the process. The Hall now has 21 wins on the year but this market will only see that the Pirates lost to Villanova twice already this year. No, check that, the Pirates got whacked twice by Villanova this year by scores of 76-46 and 92-70. That’s a 30-point loss and a 22-point loss to the ‘Cats and now the Hall is only taking back 10½. However, things change over time and Seton Hall might have the best big man in the country that is about to make a big name for himself.
Angel Delgado had 12 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists and one glorious gun show yesterday. He is playing on a level that makes anything possible for the Pirates. Delgado didn't just beat Marquette physically but he outsmarted the Golden Eagles, too, with passes that led to a third of his team's baskets. His performance against Marquette was his 13th straight double-double and the 12th time in 31 games that he's had more than 15 rebounds. No one in college basketball is even close to his 13.1 rebounding average. With Delgado in the lineup and Ismael Sanogo ready to go, it allows the Hall to think big. The Pirates are riding five straight victories heading into this semifinal matchup with top-seeded Villanova and they figure to be ready. It’s also worth noting that this game is in Seton Hall’s backyard so the 17,000 or so spectators will be pro-Seton Hall. The ‘Cats are a juggernaut for sure but the Halls' Angel Delgado is the X factor and just like most Cinderella teams, he has plenty of teammates that the Wildcats have to pay attention to also. Unlike the first two times these two met this year, this time around the Hall is playing with a ton of confidence and peaking at the right time.
Northwestern +105 over Maryland
Maryland is getting a ton of attention as the #3 seed because the Big 10 Tournament makes its way to Washington D.C. for the first time. The Verizon Center is just 15 miles from the Terrapins' campus, which should allow its supporters to come out in droves. It's assumed that Maryland will have a home court advantage here but the location of this game only inflates the 'Terps value. Maryland does not need to win the Big 10 Tournament to punch its ticket to the Big Dance. The 'Terps struggled down the stretch by going just 2-3 and it has also been a risky play as a favorite by going just 1-3 against the spread and losing two of those games outright. It's been suggested in the media that the 'Terps will “get right” in their own backyard, but saying that and actually doing it are two different things. After struggling down the stretch, expecting Maryland to have their “A-game” ready today might be unreasonable. We have seen dozens of examples over the years in every sport of teams’ not being able to turn back the on switch after shutting it off. Maryland is one of those teams.
Northwestern being the only power conference school to never make The Main Event has been well documented. With no post-season pedigree to speak of, there is great value on the Wildcats right now and knowing that they are going dancing by virtue of their signature win over Michigan recently not to mention a blowout win over Rutgers yesterday to open this tournament, gives NW a ton of confidence and momentum coming into this one. Northwestern is playing at a much higher level now than when they last met Maryland on February 15. At that time, the Wildcats were playing under the extreme pressure of being on the bubble. The arena was packed and the Wildcats were a little too jacked up and it led to a 10-point loss. Things are much different this time around. Northwestern will come into this game as the underdog and they’ll come in much more relaxed than they were last time they played the Terps. Northwestern has looked extremely sharp recently while the Terps have not. If we’re playing value based on market perception, current form and momentum, the dog here gets their box checked in all of the above.
Pass NHL