Mid-Major Report
By Nick Parsons
Covers.com
The beginning of the year always means fewer football games to bet and more eyes starting to watch college basketball scores scroll on the bottom ticket.
Conference play is underway in several big-boy conferences, but our focus here is always on the mid major programs.
Best Value: Arkansas-Little Rock
Casual fans and bettors know all about the good things Murray State and Harvard are up to but fewer are aware of what’s happening in Little Rock. At just 5-10 overall and with an offence that ranks 258th, the Trojans are one of the best cover and over teams in the nation.
They’ve yet to be favored, but they managed to end the year with six straight covers and a 6-1 over straight to boot. The Trojans were impressive in their first two Sun Belt games, winning both straight up as +6.5 underdogs against North Texas and +13.5 dogs against Denver.
The club is getting 27.5 points Tuesday against the Kentucky Wildcats. Coach John Calipari kids are just 3-9-1 against the number this season.
Worst Wager: Butler
They lost Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack, but the memory of back to back Finals appearance made them an overvalued team to start the season. The Bulldogs have only managed to cover the spread twice this season and in a battle of mid-major powerhouses they lost 71-55 against Gonzaga.
Butler is struggling offensively shooting 39 percent as a team and with its leading scorer, Andrew Smith, averaging just 9.8 points per game.
The pendulum may start to swing the other way for Butler in the new calendar year. The Bulldogs managed a 71-66 road win over Stanford as +12.5 underdogs and are currently on a three game winning streak.
Top NBA Talents
Alex Young, INDPU
The 6-foot-6 senior swingman is currently the only projected mid-major prospect expected to be taken in the first round. After losing four straight in early December, Young came to the rescue against Western Kentucky where he scored 43 points and had 9 rebounds in an 84-76 win. The Jaguars ended the year winning every game after that, both straight up and ATS.
Damiam Lillard, Weber St.
The Oakland native is currently the NCAA leading scorer at 25.2 points per game and he will no doubt be the focus of Big Sky defenses. Lillard suffered a mild setback against California where he scored just 14 points in a 20-point loss, but the Wildcats have recovered by winning their next four games.
Jarrod Jones, Ball State
The 6-9 center is having a solid senior campaign so far, averaging 18.1 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game. He is projected to go early in the 2nd round and in a weak offensive conference such as the MAC, he will no doubt play a key role in the outcome of many wagers.
Orlando Johnson, UC Santa Barbara
It is doubtful that Orlando Johnson will surpass Jim Rome as the Gauchos' most famous alumni, but the 6-5 guard should help his school make a push for the Big West title. He is averaging 20.2 points per game this season and was impressive in OT losses to San Diego State and UNLV where he scored 26 and 36 respectively.