Jimmy Boyd
Added
4* Orlando
DON WALLACE SPORTS
3* MINNESOTA
3* PHILADELPHIA
3* SACRAMENTO
PPP
5% Georgetown
5% SMU
4% Dallas
4% Cincy
4% WVU
4% Baylor
4% Marshall
4% Oregon
Maddux Sports
Added
10 Units Ark Pine Bluff +8
RAS
Nicholls St/McNeese St Under 126
Dr Bob
College Opinions/Possible Best Bets
Baylor (-6½) over Oklahoma
Baylor has been a disappointment this season (7-15 ATS) but the Bears apply to a 33-8 ATS conference tournament situation and they’re 35-16-1 ATS under coach Scott Drew following consecutive losses (2-0 ATS this season). Oklahoma, meanwhile, is only 11-32-1 ATS under coach Jeff Capel as an underdog of more than 2 points away from home (4-8 ATS this season). Unfortunately, my ratings only favor Baylor by 6½ points and using conference games only would favor the Bears by just 5½ points – so the line is a bit high. I’ll lean with Baylor at -6½ or -7 points and I’d take Baylor in a 2-Star Best Bet at -6 points or less.
West Virginia (-2½) over Marquette
Marquette won the regular season meeting over West Virginia 79-74 at home, but West Virginia applies to a very good 40-3-2 ATS conference tournament revenge situation tonight. My ratings favor the Mountaineers by 1½ points and unfortunately the line has gone up from -1½ to -2½ points. I’ll lean with the Mounties at -2½ or -3 points and I’ll take West Virginia in a 2-Star Best Bet at -2 or better.
Houston (+8½) over Marshall
Houston has lost 11 of their last 12 games but the Cougars apply to a 35-5 ATS subset of a 55-12 ATS conference tournament situation. Unfortunately, my ratings favor Marshall by 9½ points so I’ll just lean with Houston at less than +9 points. I’d take Houston in a 2-Star Best Bet at +9 or more.
Larry Ness
9* Tourney Bailout Blowout Oregon
Oregon opened Pac 10 play 1-5 but from Jan 2 through Feb 19 went 6-2 (7-1 ATS) and many considered Dana Altman's team a Pac-10 tourney dark horse. However, the Ducks lost their final four games, covering only the final one at Arizona as a big underdog. ASU opened Pac 10 play 1-12 with that lone win coming at Oregon, 60-55. However, the Sun Devils played better their last five, going 3-2 including a 73-53 rout of Oregon in Tempe on Mar 3. Arizona State has never won this event (owns a poor 5-12 record over the years) and now must beat Oregon for a third straight time, meeting the Ducks leas than a week removed from that 20-point win in Tempe. Is that good or bad news? Arizona State was the lowest-scoring team in the Pac 10 this season with just 63.8 PPG (293rd overall). ASU shot 42.6% from the floor (241st) and a woeful 62.9% from the FT line (321st). The backcourt is OK with Lockett (13.1-5.3), Abbott (12.8) and McMillan (7.0-3.9 APG) but the frontcourt features just 6-6 senior Kuksiks (10.4) and 6-7 freshman Cain (5.5-5.5). Now the only team which shot worse from the floor than ASU in the Pac 10 was Oregon (41.8%). Oregon's backcourt features two-school transfer Strowbridge (10.0), who leads the team's perimeter group in scoring by coming off the bench. Armstead (8.1-4.3 APG) and Sim (8.0) are the best of the rest. Oregon's frontcourt though, could cause some problems for ASU with the 6-6 Catron (15.3-6.3), the 6-6 Singler (10.7-5.7) and the 6-8 Nared (5.5-3.7). Dana Altman teaches a demanding, pressure style of paly and as of yet, doesn't have his type of players in Eugene. However, let name note that while Oregon was awful its last four games, including that 20-point loss to ASU, look closer. In Oregon's three losses besides ASU, the Ducks allowed 86.3 PPG on 56.8% shooting. Despite losing by 20 to ASU, the Ducks did hold them to 73 points on 47.2% shooting. Both of those numbers are WAY lower. ASU is NOT much of a team and I'll take Altman over Sendek any day on the sidelines. Playing with double-revenge and coming off a 20-point blowout loss less than a week ago, I'm looking for the Ducks to Q-U-A-C-K!