In the Paint - Week 5
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com
Super 'Nova Wildcats
The defending national champion Villanova Wildcats ascended to the top spot in the AP Top 25 and Coaches' Poll, sitting at 8-0 SU on the season. While they have been winning, they're struggling a bit against the number, going just 2-2 ATS over the past four, and 3-3 ATS over the past six. They host cross-city rival La Salle at the Palestra Tuesday night, an Explorers team which is 3-0 SU and 1-0 ATS over the past three while averaging 87.0 points per game (PPG). The 'under' is 7-3 in the past 10 meetings in this series, with the favorite 3-0-1 ATS in the past four. Villanova will also face Notre Dame on a neutral court before a date with Temple next Tuesday.
Powerhouse Bruin
The UCLA Bruins are fresh off a victory at Rupp Arena in Lexington against the previously unbeaten Kentucky Wildcats, as freshman Lonzo Ball continues to be the real deal. UCLA is nipping at the heels of Villanova for the top spot in the rankings. Not only is UCLA winning, but they have covered six in a row. UCLA will have a full week to rest before they host the Michigan Wolverines at Pauley Pavilion. The Wolverines enter the new week with wins in just two of their past four, and they have failed to cover each of their past two.
Bearing Down
The Baylor Bears won a battle of Top 10 teams against Xavier, blowing them out 76-61 for another cover. The Bears have covered five straight, and they ran their record to 8-0 with impressive wins over Louisville, Michigan State and Oregon already. After a taxing out-of-conference schedule early on, Baylor will take it easy now until conference play starts, facing the likes of Southern, Jackson State, John Brown and Texas Southern until Dec. 30 when they head to Oklahoma.
Bedeviled
The Duke Blue Devils coasted to a 39-point win against visiting Maine over the weekend, taking a break from a taxing early-season schedule. Duke already has wins against Top 25 teams Michigan State and Rhode Island, although they also had a loss on a neutral-site court against Kansas. The Blue Devils are struggling against the number going 3-4 ATS in their past seven games. Duke has been popular at the betting window, with the 'under' going 7-1 in their past eight games. Duke will face Florida on a neutral-site court Tuesday for the first meeting between these schools in 15 1/2 years. Florida is 0-7 ATS in their past seven games as an underdog, and 0-5-1 ATS in their past six neutral-site games as a 'dog. Duke has struggled on neutral-site courts, too, going 2-10 ATS in their past 12 while posting a dismal 5-11 ATS mark in their past 16 games overall.
Going, Going...Gonzaga
The Bulldogs will host Washington at 11 p.m. ET Wednesday night at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, as these two Evergreen State rivals battle for the second time in two seasons. It was Gonzaga winning 80-64 last Nov. 25, as the Huskies shot just 25.7 percent from the floor. Washington is just 3-8 ATS in their past 11 non-conference battles, and 1-4 ATS in their past five road outings. Gonzaga, on the other hand, has covered 10 of their past 13 games overall, five of their past seven at home, and eight of their past 10 against teams with a straight-up winning record. The 'Zags have dominated this series against the number, covering five in a row, with the favorite cashing in four of those games.
Other Teams to Watch
Temple has fired out to a 6-1 ATS mark in seven games this season with the 'over' 4-1 in the past five. They will host George Washington Wednesday before a neutral-site battle with DePaul next Saturday. ... Providence picked up an impressive win over Rhode Islands Dec. 3 despite entering as a 3 1/2-point underdog. The Friars have recorded four straight covers. Providence is popular at the betting window for totals, too, as the 'under' is 7-1 in eight games overall. ... If you like to bet smaller schools, bet against Sacramento State. They're 0-6 ATS so far this season with a road game at South Dakota coming up Saturday. The Coyotes of USD are an impressive 6-2 ATS so far this season. ... Staying in California, UCSB has been awful so far. They're 0-5 SU/0-4 ATS against Division I teams, and they have been within 14 points in just one of those five outings. ... Indiana State sits with a 6-1 ATS mark through seven games, while the 'under' is 4-1 in their past five. They have a big measuring stick game against Butler Wednesday night. ... Jacksonville State of the Ohio Valley Conference has covered five straight games heading into their road game at Louisiana-Monroe Saturday. ULM has dropped five of their past six games overall.