NCAAB betting trends, odds and predictions for Thursday, March 23rd, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
NCAAB Knowledge
Michigan won its last seven games, winning first two NCAA games by total of five points; they’re 12-3 outside Big 14, but did lose 102-84 at UCLA in December. Oregon won 10 of last 11 games; they scored 84 pts/game in winning pair last weekend. Ducks allowed 77.3 pts/game in last three games, w/o best shot blocker Boucher. Since 2009, 7-seeds are 4-0 in Sweet 16 games against 3-seeds; oddly, the 7-seed was favored in two of those games. Last time a 3-seed beat a 7-seed in this round was Xavier over West Va 79-75 in OT in ’08. Since ’06, Pac-12 teams are 10-6 in West Region semis/finals, but 1-11 in other regions’ semis/finals- this is Midwest Region.
Since 1999, Gonzaga is 2-5 in Sweet 16 games; they lost by 3 to Syracuse LY, beat UCLA in ’15. Bulldogs are 14-0 outside WCC- they beat Iowa St of Big X by hoop on neutral floor in November. West Virginia is 2-4 in this round, losing badly to Kentucky two years ago. WVa won five of last six games, scoring 86-83 in first two tourney games. Since ’06, 1-seeds are 8-10 vs spread when facing a 4-seed in this round, 3-0 the last two years. Overall, favorites are 13-3 vs spread in this round the last two years. Can Gonzaga handle the press? Biggest? in this game; they played South Dakota State/Northwestern last two games- this will be much different.
Purdue blew 19-point lead to Iowa State Saturday, beat Cyclones by 4; Boilers won 10 of last 12 games- they’re in Sweet 16 for first time since ’09/’10, when they lost to UConn by 12, Duke by 13. Over last decade, Kansas is 5-2 in Sweet 16 games, 3-4 vs spread. Jayhawks are 2-1 vs Big 14 teams, beating Nebraska/Michigan State, losing season opener to Indiana. Since ’06, 1-seeds are 8-10 vs spread when facing a 4-seed in this round, 3-0 the last two years. Overall, favorites are 13-3 vs spread in this round the last two years. Big 14 teams are 9-5 SU vs Big X teams this season, but are 2-4 against the spread when favored.
Sean Miller came to Arizona from Xavier; he and Chris Mack know each other well. Arizona is 3-1 in Sweet 16 under Miller; underdog covered all four of those games. Wildcats beat Xavier 68-60 (-11.5) in this round two years ago (Xavier led by 4 with 7:25 left). Arizona won 26 of last 28 games; they scored 86 pts/game in five postseason games. Xavier won five of last six games despite playing a freshman PG; they scored 83.5 pts/game in first two tourney games. Over last 5 years in regional semis, double digit seeds are 6-2 vs spread if not playing another double digit seed. Since ’10, 2-seeds are 9-7 vs spread in this round, 3-1 last two years.
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Kansas faces Purdue in Sweet 16
By: StatFox.com
Purdue and Kansas square off Thursday night in Kansas City with a trip to the Elite Eight up for grabs.
The number four-seeded Boilermakers make their first regional semifinal appearance since 2010 on the heels of a nail-biting 80-76 win Saturday over Iowa State. The Boilermakers coughed up a 19-point second half lead, before steadying the ship late for the win and a cover too (they were one-point favorites). Purdue beat the spread in both NCAA Tournament wins but have a difficult task, facing the top-seeded Jayhawks in Kansas City. No, the Sprint Center won’t have the mystique or atmosphere of Phog Allen Fieldhouse but Kansas fans will make the trip in droves to the Jayhawks’ home-away-from-home, as it’s only 35 miles from campus. Purdue has been excellent in neutral sites, with a 6-1 record (6-1 ATS), while Kansas has also been solid, sporting a neutral sites record of 6-2 (5-3 ATS). One interesting aspect of this game is that each team is coming off a win against a conference rival of their opponent. As we said, Purdue hung on against Iowa State of the Big 12 on Saturday, while Kansas rolled over Purdue’s Big 10 rival Michigan State 90-70 on Sunday. Another interesting thing to look at: common opponents. Each team has faced Indiana, Iowa State, Michigan State and Nebraska. Purdue went 5-1 against those teams, losing at Nebraska. Kansas went 3-2, losing to Indiana in Hawaii and at home to Iowa State.
Speaking of the Cyclones, Saturday’s contest was the second game in a row that Purdue outrebounded their opponents 38-28. Purdue improved to 30-1 since the start of last year when outrebounding opponents by 10 or more boards (KU is 18-1 this year when outrebounding its opponents). The Boilermakers were second in the Big Ten in rebounding margin at 7.0 RPG. Stud 6’8”sophomore Big Ten Player of the Year Caleb Swanigan (18.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 3.0 APG) corralled the biggest board in the game. With Purdue hanging on to a 78-76 lead with 11 seconds left, “Biggie” ran down Dakota Mathias’ missed free throw and junior G P.J. Thompson (7.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 4.2 assist-to-turnover ratio) converted two from the foul line, securing the win. Thompson only scored five points on Saturday but they all came down the stretch, including a big three-pointer in crunch time. Coach Matt Painter needs a more complete game from Thompson, as he will square off with National Player of the Year candidate Frank Mason III (20.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.2 APG). Mason and Swanigan each made Sunday’s four-man cut for the Naismith Trophy. With Swanigan undoubtedly a big focus of the Jayhawks defensively, it could be another opportunity for 6’8” junior F Vince Edwards (12.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.2 APG) to be a key presence on the interior. Edwards was a beast inside against Iowa State with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. It was the second game in a row in the tournament that Edwards dropped 21. Adding to the Boilermakers’ incredible size up front is 7’2” junior C Isaac Haas (12.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG), who has averaged 11.0 PPG in Purdue’s first two tourney games. On the flip side, despite possessing a roster loaded with five-star talent, the Jayhawks’ frontcourt is not their strength, with Landen Lucas being their biggest threat in the paint. It will be intriguing to see how Bill Self tries to contain Purdue’s bigs. In the backcourt, one player to keep an eye on Thursday will be freshman G Carsen Edwards (10.4 PPG, 1.8 APG). Edwards has been a spark plug for the Boilermakers of late, averaging 12.7 PPG in their last three games. He, along with the aforementioned Mathias (9.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.7 APG) will have the tall task of offsetting the Jayhawks’ loaded backcourt.
Mason obviously leads the way for the Jayhawks. He’s been a 47% shooter from behind the arc but only 33% in his past four games. Still, he is a 20-point machine and the Boilermakers will have their hands full. Josh Jackson (16.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.9 APG), Mason’s backcourt mate, is special as well. The 6’8” do-it-all freshman scores at all levels, like he did on Sunday against the Spartans, en route to a game-high 23 points. One element of his play that is starting to emerge is his post-up game. When Purdue’s twin towers of Swanigan and Haas are in the game, one of them will probably have to guard Jackson and vice-versa. Jackson only weighs 207 pounds, while Swanigan and Haas go about 250 pounds and 290, respectively. That should be intriguing to watch. Junior G Devonte’ Graham (13.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.3 APG) has been a huge catalyst for the Jayhawks as well. Graham ripped off his seventh straight game in double figures against Michigan State, nailing three three-pointers down the stretch to finish with 18 points, to go along with four assists. Junior G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (9.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.4 APG) is a tremendous deep threat at 39.5%. As a team, KU shoots threes at a 40.6% clip. The Jayhawks get 72% of their scoring from their four guards and that is likely to continue on Thursday. In a game whose focus will be on a ton of star power, expect someone else to emerge as an x-factor in this one. One candidate is junior F Dwight Coleby (1.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG), who gave Kansas a few effective minutes off the bench on Sunday to help them preserve their lead when Lucas was mired in foul trouble.
High-powered Michigan, Oregon meet in Sweet 16
By: Sam Chase
StatFox.com
Expect scoring in bunches from red-hot Michigan and a battle-tested Oregon team.
The No. 7 seed Michigan Wolverines are the hottest team in college basketball right now, as they have won seven straight games and 12 of their last 14, a run that includes a Big Ten Tournament title, two NCAA Tournament wins and a 10-4 record against the spread. They’re 26-11 on the season (17-17 ATS) after their most recent triumph, a 73-69 upset of the No. 2 seed Louisville Cardinals in the Big Dance’s Round of 32 (MICH +3). The Wolverines are a team that no one wants to play right now, but somebody has to—and that team is the Oregon Ducks. After losing 83-80 to a title-contending Arizona team in the Pac-12 Championship Game (ARIZ +1.5), the Ducks earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and have picked up a 93-77 win over No. 14 seed Iona (ORE -15) and a hard-fought 75-72 victory over No. 11 seed Rhode Island (URI +4.5), a team more talented than its seed would suggest. Oregon enters the Sweet Sixteen at 31-5 (20-13-1 ATS), and only three teams in the country have more wins. Over the last five seasons, NCAA Tournament games featuring a team that has won at least 15 of its last 20—both Michigan and Oregon have—are 57-26 Under against totals between 140 and 149.5. Michigan has been successful against the spread versus very good teams this season, going 8-1 ATS against teams with a differential of at least +8 at least 15 games into the season. The Ducks, meanwhile, won’t let Michigan’s hot shooting turn the game into a blowout—over the last two seasons, they’re 10-1 ATS against teams making more than 48% of their shots on the year. Oregon will continue to be without F Chris Boucher (11.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.5 BPG), who was one of the country’s best shot-blockers this season.
KenPom rates the Michigan offense as the third best in the nation with an opponent-adjusted efficiency rating of 123.2, and the scariest thing about them is there are four players on the team capable of dropping 20+ points against opponents on any given night. Their leading scorer is G Derrick Walton Jr. (15.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.1 SPG). The Second Team All-Big Ten selection only had 10 points (to go with seven rebounds and six assists) against Louisville, but he had scored at least 22 points in each of the three preceding games. The star against the Cardinals was German F Moritz Wagner (12.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG), who showed off a devastating arsenal of scoring moves that included three-pointers, dribble-drives and spiffy low-post footwork in scoring 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. Walton and Wagner lead the team in three-point shooting at 41.9% and 40.9%, respectively, along with reserve G Duncan Robinson (7.6 PPG, 42.5 3P%). Also known to fire away is F Zak Irvin (12.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.0 APG). After frustrating the Big Blue faithful for much of the season, he is averaging 14.1 PPG on remarkable 48-of-63 shooting in his last eight games. The most versatile player on the team may be 6-foot-10 F D.J. Wilson (11.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 BPG), who has had at least 17 points and three blocks in each of Michigan’s two tournament games so far. G Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (9.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG) starts and shoots 39.3% from three, while F Mark Donnal (4.0 PPG) is the seventh man behind Robinson.
Oregon is one of the most well-rounded teams in the country according to KenPom metrics, ranking 16th (119.0) in the nation in opponent-adjusted offensive efficiency rating and 24th in the same defensive category (95.1). While Boucher’s absence certainly worsens the team on the defensive end of the floor, a close loss to Arizona in their conference championship game, their first game without him, proved they can still compete with the best teams in the country. Plus, they still have one elite shot-blocker in F Jordan Bell (10.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 2.1 BPG), who joins Boucher in the nation’s top 40 in blocks per game. He also has logged double-digit rebounds in four straight games. Even the most casual college basketball fans are familiar with Ducks star F Dillon Brooks (16.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG), who already had a handful of memorable March moments under his belt before his junior season began in November. He hasn’t disappointed this season, winning Pac-12 Player of the Year and scoring 18.5 PPG in the team’s first two tournament games. The Ducks’ offensive star against URI, however, was G Tyler Dorsey (14.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG), who shot 9-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from three to drop 27 points on the Rams. Both Brooks and Dorsey are shooting over 40% from deep on the year. Guards Payton Pritchard (7.7 PPG, 3.8 APG, 1.2 SPG) and Dylan Ennis (10.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.1 SPG) start in the backcourt—Ennis is a 25-year-old super senior while Pritchard is a true freshman that turned 19 two months ago. G Casey Benson (5.0 PPG, 2.0 APG) and Kavell Bigby-Williams (3.2 PPG) have each played 15+ minutes off the bench in Oregon’s first two tournament games.
West Virginia, Gonzaga meet in Sweet 16
By: Zach Cohen
StatFox.com
Both West Virginia and Gonzaga will be looking to inch closer to a spot in the Final Four with a win in San Jose on Thursday.
West Virginia was dealt a pretty difficult hand this tournament, as the Mountaineers had to face a very good Fighting Irish team in the Round of 32. They were, however, up to the challenge, as they won 83-71 as 2.5-point favorites in that matchup last Saturday. West Virginia shot 50.0% from the floor in that contest, and the Mountaineers also won the battle on the glass 34-28. That will be extremely important on Thursday, as West Virginia can’t afford to be manhandled on the boards in this one. Gonzaga has, however, outrebounded its opponent in five straight games. The Bulldogs had to face Northwestern last round, and they won 79-73 in a game that almost slipped away from them late. Gonzaga was up double digits nearly the entire game, but Northwestern never went away. Now the Bulldogs will need to focus on playing a complete game. They will need to play hard for all 40 minutes or their hopes of reaching the Final Four and winning a championship will fade quickly. It’s worth noting that these teams have met three times since 1997, and Gonzaga is 3-0 both SU and ATS in those contests. The most recent meeting was, however, in 2013 and C Przemek Karnowski (12.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.0 BPG) and F Nathan Adrian (9.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG) are the only players from either of these teams that were on the court in that game. As for notable trends in this one, both teams have some nice ones working in their favor. West Virginia can look to the fact that the team was 8-2 ATS after non-conference games this season. Gonzaga, meanwhile, was 20-7 ATS after playing three straight games as a favorite on the year.
The Mountaineers played one of their better games of the year on Saturday, and G Jevon Carter (13.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.5 SPG) showed up big when his team needed him most. Every time Notre Dame appeared to be threatening, Carter came back and hit a big shot for West Virginia. He played 37 minutes in that game and scored 24 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the floor. He was also 4-for-5 from deep, and he’ll hope to stay hot in this one. West Virginia is going to have a lot of trouble handling a guy like Karnowski in the paint, so it will need to win this one from the outside. That means that Gs Daxter Miles Jr. (8.8 PPG, 1.3 SPG) and Tarik Phillip (9.6 PPG, 3.1 APG, 1.8 SPG) will also need to come up big for their team. The two of them combined to score 30 points for the Mountaineers, going 3-for-5 from the outside. It’s possible that they’ll need to be even better on Thursday. On the inside, Adrian and F Esa Ahmad (11.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG) will have their work cut out for them. They’ll be giving up a lot of size to Gonzaga’s frontcourt, so they will both need to work harder than they have ever worked to secure rebounds.
Gonzaga was everybody’s pick to be the #1 seed to lose early, but the Bulldogs have made it to the second weekend. They definitely have had their struggles, but they have also shown glimpses of the team we saw during the regular season. Perhaps a meeting with a talented West Virginia team will bring out the best in the Bulldogs, as they’ll know that any lousy stretches will really put them in a bad position. Karnowski is going to be one of the more important players for this team on Thursday. Nobody on West Virginia has his size, so he’ll really need to play well around the basket. Karnowski had just nine points on 3-for-6 shooting against Northwestern, and that type of performance is not going to work against the Mountaineers. If he struggles then head coach Mark Few will not hesitate to put freshman C Zach Collins (10.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.7 BPG) in. Collins was a beast against the Wildcats, finishing the game with 14 points, five boards and four blocks in 21 minutes of action. He is very active around the basket, and his quickness might be better suited for this matchup. As for the guard play, both Gs Nigel Williams-Goss (16.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.7 SPG) and Jordan Mathews (10.7 PPG) will need to play well here. Wiliams-Goss is going to need to continue to run the offense efficiently, even with West Virginia’s pressure right in his face. Mathews, meanwhile, will need to hit the three-ball. He’s playing well this tournament, averaging 15.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 2.0 SPG thus far.
Sweet 16 Betting Preview: Purdue vs Kansas
By Covers.com
Purdue Boilermakers vs Kansas Jayhawks (-5, 156.5)
Top-seeded Kansas boasts a lethal perimeter game and No. 4 seed Purdue owns one of the nation’s top inside threats as the teams prepare to do battle in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region semifinals Thursday in Kansas City, Mo. Senior guard Frank Mason III leads the Jayhawks, who won 10 of 11 to reach 30 victories, and Purdue leans on 6-9 sophomore Caleb Swanigan to key its offense.
“We haven’t seen that this year, a team that plays through their bigs,” Kansas coach Bill Self told reporters. “That’s how they play. Certainly, they are really good at it. … We’ve got to come up with a way to eliminate post touches and still get to their shooters because they can stretch it from all the spots to the perimeter.” The Jayhawks averaged 95 points in the first two games of the NCAA Tournament with Mason and freshman swingman Josh Jackson each averaging at least 20. Swanigan is supplying 18 points, 13 boards, 5.5 assists and two blocks per game in the Big Dance as the Boilermakers - Big Ten regular-season champions - face their biggest test just a short ride from the Kansas campus in Lawrence. “We enjoy playing on the road,” Purdue junior guard Dakota Mathias told reporters. “. … We’ve won in a lot of hostile environments, a lot of big-time places, so this isn’t going to be any different.”
LINE HISTORY: Kansas opened as 4-point favorites and the betting public hit them hard and the books bumped the line up to -5 by Monday - where it remains today. The total hit the board at 156.5 and has been fairly steady all week. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
Purdue - F Jacquil Taylor (Out For Season, ankle).
Kansas - C Udoka Azubuike (Out For Season, wrist).
ABOUT PURDUE (27-7 SU, 19-10-2 ATS, 18-12-1 O/U): Swanigan not only produces big numbers (18.5 points, 12.6 rebounds overall), but his presence creates enough openings for the Boilermakers to drain 305 shots from 3-point range with a 40.4 percent success rate. Junior forward Vince Edwards is one of five players to make at least 40 from behind the arc and is 19-of-30 from the field overall in the NCAAs, averaging 21.0 – more than eight points above his average. Junior center Isaac Haas (12.6 points, 58.8 percent shooting) gives the Boilermakers another major inside threat Kansas must handle.
ABOUT KANSAS (30-4 SU, 13-18-1 ATS, 16-16 O/U): Mason is averaging 24.2 points over the last five games to push his team-leading mark to 20.8 - to go along with 5.2 assists - and is shooting 47.2 percent from 3-point range with 76 makes. Junior backcourt mate Devonte’ Graham, who leads the team with 89 makes from 3-point range, had an outstanding start to the NCAA Tournament while averaging 17 points on 11-of-17 shooting – 8-of-13 from beyond the arc. Jackson is averaging 20 points in the Big Dance while junior guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk adds 12.5 and boasts eight of his 66 3-pointers in his last four games.
TRENDS:
* Boilermakers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. Big 12.
* Jayhawks are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite.
* Over is 8-0 in Boilermakers last 8 neutral site games.
* Over is 5-1 in Jayhawks last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
CONSENSUS: 66 percent are taking chalk with the Kansas Jayhawks and Over is picking up 61 percent of the totals wagers.
Sweet 16 Betting Preview: Michigan vs Oregon
By Covers.com
Michigan Wolverines vs Oregon Ducks (+1, 146.5)
Two of the nation's most efficient offenses will be on display when third-seeded Oregon battles No. 7 seed Michigan in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region semifinals Thursday in Kansas City, Mo. The Ducks breezed past Iona 93-77 before rallying for a 75-72 victory against Rhode Island and hope to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year by avenging a 70-63 loss to the Wolverines in the Legends Classic at Barclays Center in 2014.
"I remember those guys from my freshman year in Brooklyn," junior guard Dillon Brooks told reporters. "We want payback and revenge." Michigan won 12 of its last 14 games, including six in a row since its charter plane skidded off the runway en route to the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan outlasted Oklahoma State 92-91 in a first round shootout before exacting a measure of revenge for the loss to Louisville in the 2013 National Championship game by downing the Cardinals 73-69 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third time in five years. The Wolverines won all eight of their neutral court games in 2016-17 and hope to continue their fairy tale run by improving to 5-0 against the Ducks.
LINE HISTORY: The Sweet 16 matchup opened as a Pick 'Em but the betting public quickly pushed the spread in Michigan's direction and, as of Wednesday afternoon, the underdog Oregon Ducks were sitting at +1. The total hit the board at 146.5 and, despite a brief jump to 147, currently sits on the opening number. Check out the complete line history here.
WHAT BOOKS SAY: "On Straight bets the Action is heavy on Michigan. On Parlays and on Teasers the Action is on Michigan and the Over. The Money Line Action is on Michigan(-118)." - Oddsmaker at BetNow
INJURY REPORT:
Michigan - No injuries to report.
Oregon - F Chris Boucher (Out For Season, knee), F M.J. Cage (Out Indefinitely, knee).
ABOUT MICHIGAN (26-11 SU, 17-17 ATS, 20-12-2 O/U): Sophomore forward Moritz Wagner set a career high with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting to lift the Wolverines past Louisville for the first time in program history. D.J. Wilson continued his strong play in the tournament by scoring 17 points, including four clutch free throws in the final 30 seconds, and blocked three shots while Derrick Walton Jr. added 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists against the Cardinals. "We just always find a way and we earned 40 more minutes," Wagner told reporters. "To be able to continue this journey with this team with the way we are playing means so much."
ABOUT OREGON (31-5 SU, 20-15 ATS, 17-18 O/U): Tyler Dorsey continued his recent tear as he poured in 27 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 38.4 seconds remaining, in the comeback win against Rhode Island. Brooks scored 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds to become the Ducks' all-time leader in NCAA Tournament scoring with 123 points as he passed Joseph Young (105) and Elgin Cook (117). Jordan Bell secured a game-high 12 rebounds as the Ducks erased an 11-point deficit in the second half and matched a program record for most wins in a season.
TRENDS:
* Wolverines are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games.
* Ducks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5.
* Over is 5-0-1 in Wolverines last 6 non-conference games.
* Over is 4-0 in Ducks last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
CONSENSUS: 54 percent are taking slight chalk with the Michigan Wolverines and Over is picking up 75 percent of the totals wagers.
Sweet 16 Betting Preview: West Virginia vs. Gonzaga
By Covers.com
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs (-7.5, 145)
Top-seeded Gonzaga looks for its third trip to the Elite Eight when it faces pressure-based West Virginia in Thursday's NCAA Tournament West Region Sweet 16 contest at San Jose, Calif. Ball-handling will be of utmost importance for the Bulldogs when they face the fourth-seeded Mountaineers, who are the national leaders in turnovers forced at 20.1 per game.
West Virginia's relentless approach is known as "Press Virginia" and the squad said it feels overlooked despite the school reaching the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in 10 seasons under coach Bob Huggins. "I'm just tired of everybody doubting us," junior guard Jevon Carter told reporters. "We just go out there and prove people wrong. It just feels good." Gonzaga boasts the best record in the nation but its season will be a labeled as a disappointment if it doesn't reach the Final Four for the first time in program history. "Ultimately we're going to have to accomplish that Final Four to kind of put it to rest and all that," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said at a press conference. "I think this is the 19th straight to the tournament, which isn't easy."
LINE HISTORY: No. 1 seed Gonzaga hit the board as 3-point chalk and have been bet up to the current number of Bulldogs -3.5. The total opened at 147.5 and has been bet up one point to the current number of 148.5. Check out the complete line history here.
WHAT BOOKS SAY: "On Straight bets the action is pretty even, but with more customers on Gonzaga. On parlays the majority of the action is on Gonzaga, while on teasers the bettors are on West Virginia and the game to go Over. When it comes to the Money Line action, the betting is pretty Even, but with more customers on West Virginia." - Oddsmaker for BetNow.eu.
ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA: The Mountaineers average 10.2 steals per game with Carter, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, totaling 91 (sixth nationally) and backcourt mate Tarik Phillip adding 63. Carter (13.3) and sophomore forward Esa Ahmad (11.3) are the lone players scoring in double digits while senior forward Nathan Adrian (averages of 9.7 points and a team-best six rebounds), Phillip (a senior averaging 9.6 points) and junior guard Daxter Miles Jr. (8.8 ) also are key figures. West Virginia averaged 84.5 points in its NCAA Tournament victories over Bucknell and Notre Dame and tallied 80 or more on 23 occasions.
ABOUT GONZAGA: Freshman reserve Zach Collins is highly regarded by NBA talent evaluators and the 7-footer averaged 12 points and blocked a total seven shots in the NCAA Tournament victories over South Dakota State and Northwestern. Collins averages 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds as a frontcourt complement to senior center Przemek Karnowski (12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds) and junior power forward Johnathan Williams (10-point average, team-best 6.6 boards). Junior point guard Nigel-Williams Goss (16.7 average) will be counted on to neutralize the West Virginia pressure while senior shooting guard Jordan Mathews (10.7) supplies the outside shooting touch with 74 3-pointers.
TRENDS:
* West Virginia is 1-9-1 ATS in its last 11 games as a neutral site underdog.
* Gonzaga is 9-2 ATS following an ATS loss.
* Over is 4-0 in West Virginia's last four non-conference games.
* Under is 4-1 in Gonzaga's last five games as a favorite between -0.5 and -6.5.
CONSENSUS: The early consensus is giving the edge to the No. 1 seed in this West region semifinal with 61 percent of the public on Gonzaga. As for the total, 64 percent of wagers are on the Over.
Sweet 16 Betting Preview: Xavier vs. Arizona
By Covers.com
Xavier Musketeers vs. Arizona Wildcats (-7.5, 145)
After knocking off two higher seeds in the first two rounds, Xavier aims for another upset in Thursday’s Sweet 16 as the 11th-seeded Musketeers face No. 2 Arizona in an NCAA Tournament West Region matchup in San Jose, Calif. Xavier is back in the regional semifinals for the second time in three years following victories over Maryland and Florida State, while red-hot Arizona won 11 of its last 12 games.
Former Xavier coach Sean Miller is in his eighth season at Arizona, which defeated Oregon to claim the Pac-12 tournament title and advanced to the Sweet 16 following victories over North Dakota and Saint Mary’s. Arizona freshman guard Rawle Alkins broke his right index finger in the first half of Saturday’s 69-60 victory over the Gaels but returned to action fewer than eight minutes later and helped the Wildcats recover from an early deficit. Alkins started all but one game this season and expects to be in the lineup Thursday against Xavier, which began March in the midst of a six-game losing streak but is shooting 50 percent in postseason play. “Our guys, despite all the adversity they’ve been hit with and the social media that tells them how bad they are and how poor they are, they stayed with it and believed in themselves and our coaching staff,” coach Chris Mack told reporters. “It's a credit to them, and I’m just really proud of them.”
LINE HISTORY: The Wildcats hit the board as 7.5-point favorites and were quickly bet down to a converted touchdown. However, they have since moved back to the opening number. The total meanwhile, has slowly and continually been bet up since opening at 143.5. The current number is 145. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT XAVIER: The Musketeers struggled initially after point guard Edmond Sumner tore an ACL on Jan. 30, but junior guard Trevon Bluiett sparked the team’s postseason surge by averaging 25 points on 51.7 percent shooting in the NCAA Tournament. Forwards Kaiser Gates, Tyrique Jones and Sean O'Mara combined for 38 points against Florida State as Xavier controlled the paint against the bigger Seminoles. Gates is averaging 12.5 points and shooting 7-of-11 from 3-point range in the NCAA Tournament for the Musketeers, who will be tested again by Arizona’s imposing front line.
ABOUT ARIZONA: Center Lauri Markkanen and guard Allonzo Trier combined for 30 points and 17 rebounds against Saint Mary’s as the Wildcats took control late by slowing down Gaels center Jock Landale and shooting 59.1 percent in the second half. Trier, who missed the season’s first 19 games due to a PED suspension, scored all 14 of his points against the Gaels in the final 17 minutes and has become a more assertive scorer in recent weeks. The Wildcats’ deep frontcourt includes 6-11 Chance Comanche and 7-foot Dusan Ristic, who averaged 12.5 points and four rebounds against North Dakota and Saint Mary’s.
TRENDS:
* Xavier is 6-0 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Arizona is 5-0-1 ATS in its last six games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Xavier's last six games overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Arizona's last five games overall.
CONSENSUS: The early consensus thinks 7.5-points is too many to lay with Arizona as 61 percent of wagers are on Xavier to cover. In regards to the total, the public likes the Over in this matchup, with 69 percent of bet on it.
Sweet 16 - Midwest Regional
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 3 Oregon
As of early Wednesday night, most betting shops had Michigan (26-11 straight up, 17-17 against the spread) installed as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 147.5. The line opened as a pick ‘em with a 146-point tally.
Since its plane skidded off the runway at the Detroit airport in a terrifying incident the day before Michigan was to play Illinois at the Big Ten Tournament, John Beilein’s team hasn’t lost and has had the look of a team destined for great things. Nobody was injured physically in the accident and the Wolverines have obviously been fine mentally.
Michigan has won seven in a row while going 6-1 ATS. The lone non-cover came on a buzzer beater that we’ll get to in a moment. Going back further, Beilein’s bunch has won 12 of its last 14 contests, compiling a 10-4 spread record.
After Michigan won four games in four days over Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota and Wisconsin to win the Big Ten Tourney, it drew a tough Round of 64 game against Oklahoma State. To this minute, I believe it’s the best game that’s been played in the Big Dance. As a matter of fact, Michigan’s 92-91 win netted the most points we’ve seen in a Tourney game. This back-and-forth affair saw the Wolverines hit 11-of-15 shots from 3-point range in the second half alone. They needed everyone of them, in addition to clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch to knock off the Cowboys, who covered the number thanks to Jawun Evans’s deep trey at the buzzer. OSU was a 2.5-point underdog. The 183 combined points soared ‘over’ the 155-point total.
Derrick Walton was the catalyst against Oklahoma State, producing 26 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot. Walton drained 6-of-9 launches from 3-point land. D.J. Wilson added 19 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots, while Zak Irvin and Muhammad-Ali-Abdur-Rahkman scored 16 points apiece. Abdur-Rahkman dished out four assists without committing a turnover. The Wolverines won despite being beaten on the boards by a 34-16 margin.
Michigan drew No. 2 seed Louisville in the Round of 32. This rematch of the 2013 national-title game allowed the Wolverines to exact revenge when they captured a 73-69 victory as three-point underdogs. Moritz Wagner led the way with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field. Wilson finished with 17 points and three blocked shots, while Irvin was also in double figures with 11 points. Walton tallied 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists without a turnover. Thanks to Walton, UM committed only six turnovers against U of L’s vaunted pressure defense. We should note, however, that the Wolverines were killed on the glass against, with the Cardinals outrebounding them by a 33-23 margin.
Walton leads Michigan in scoring (15.4 points per game), assists (4.9 APG) and steals (1.1 SPG). Irvin (12.9 PPG), Wagner (12.2 PPG) and Wilson (11.0 PPG) are also double-figure scorers. Wagner is hitting 40.9 percent of his 3-balls.
Oregon (31-5 SU, 20-15 ATS) advanced to the Sweet 16 even though it lost starting center Chris Boucher to a season-ending knee injury in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals. Boucher was averaging 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game.
Oregon advanced to the Round of 32 by knocking off Iona 93-77 as a 15-point ‘chalk.’ Tyler Dorsey paced the winners with 24 points and five rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting from the field. Dillon Brooks added 18 points, four boards, four assists and a pair of blocked shots, while Payton Pritchard also scored 18. Jordan Bell recorded a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Dana Altman’s squad needed more heroics from Dorsey against Rhode Island on Sunday. His 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining put the Ducks ahead to stay, as they advanced to a second straight Sweet 16 and their third in five seasons. Dorsey was lights out against the Rams, scoring a game-high 27 points on 9-of-10 field-goal attempts. He drained 4-of-5 from downtown. Oregon trailed by eight at intermission. Brooks contributed 19 points and seven rebounds, while Bell finished with six points, 12 boards and two blocks.
Oregon’s leading scorer is Brooks, who averages 16.4 PPG and is burying 40.9 percent of his 3-balls. Bell (10.8 PPG) leads the Ducks in rebounding (8.3 RPG), FG percentage (62.6%) and steals (1.3 SPG), while Dorsey (14.0 PPG) is making 40.2 percent of his treys.
These schools last met in 2014 when Michigan captured a 70-63 win over Oregon as a four-point favorite at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Irvin scored a team-high 19 points, while Walton had six points, four rebounds and two assists without a turnover. Brooks had 14 points and seven rebounds before fouling out in the losing effort.
The ‘under’ is 18-17 overall for the Ducks, but they’ve seen four consecutive ‘overs’ and six in their last seven outings.
The ‘over’ has been a money maker in Michigan games, cashing at a 20-12-1 overall clip.
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 1 Kansas
As of early Wednesday night, most books had Kansas (30-4 SU, 13-18 ATS) listed as a five-point favorite with a total of 157. The Boilermakers were +190 on the money line (risk $100 to win $190).
Kansas has won 10 of its last 11 games with the lone defeat coming to TCU in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals when star freshman Josh Jackson was serving a one-game suspension. Five of KU’s last six wins have come by double-digit margins.
Kansas advanced to the Round of 32 by destroying UC Davis 100-62 as a 23-point ‘chalk.’ Frank Mason was the catalyst with 22 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Josh Jackson added 17 points and seven boards, while Devonte’ Graham produced 16 points, four assists and four steals. Sviatoslav Mykhaliluk also scored 16 points and blocked a pair of shots, and Landen Lucas finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Bill Self’s squad broke open a tight game in the second half to send Michigan State packing with a 90-70 triumph as a 7.5-point favorite. The 160 combined points jumped ‘over’ the 148.5-point total. Jackson scored 14 of his 23 points in the second half, while Mason had 20 points, two steals and five assists without a turnover. Graham finished with 18 points, four boards, four assists and three steals, and Lucas had 10 points and 11 boards.
KU owns a 5-5-1 spread record in 11 games as a single-digit favorite.
KU is ranked fifth in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (40.6%), 11th in FG percentage (49.1%) and 15th in scoring (83.4 PPG).
Purdue (27-7 SU, 19-10 ATS) won the Big Ten regular-season title, only to lose in overtime to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. This left Matt Painter’s team with fresh legs last week. The Boilermakers ended the nation’s longest winning streak and took the cash in an 80-70 win over Vermont as 8.5-point favorites in the Round of 64. They led by just one at halftime but took advantage of the Catamounts losing their lone senior, Kurt Steidl, to a knee injury late in the first half. Vincent Edwards paced the winners with 21 points, while Caleb Swanigan added 16 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. Dakota Mathias contributed 13 points, six boards and five assists compared to only one turnover. Carsen Edwards and P.J. Thompson scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Purdue advanced to its first Sweet 16 in seven seasons by beating Iowa State 80-76 as a one-point ‘chalk.’ The Boilermakers raced out to a 19-point lead in the second half, only to see the Cyclones rally to take the lead in the final minutes. But Thompson banged home a 3-ball to put Purdue up one and Swanigan’s ensuing bucket opened up a three-point advantage. Thompson hit a pair of clutch free throws to put the game on ice. Swanigan finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, while Edwards had 21 points, 10 boards and four assists without a turnover. Isaac Haas was also in double figures with 14 points.
Purdue has been an underdog three times this year, going winless both SU and ATS. The Boilermakers lost at Michigan, at Louisville and at home vs. Villanova.
Purdue is led by Swanigan, who averages team-bests in scoring (18.5 PPG), rebounding (12.6 RPG) and blocks (0.8 BPG). Edwards is averaging 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists while draining 42.5 percent of his 3’s.
These schools met in the Round of 32 five years ago with KU rallying to win 63-60 as an eight-point favorite. The 123 combined points fell ‘under’ the 142-point tally. The Jayhawks trailed for most of the game and overcame a 26-point effort from Robbie Hummel.
Totals have been an overall wash for KU (16-16), but the ‘over’ has cashed in each of its last four contests.
The ‘over’ is 18-12-1 overall for Purdue, cashing in its last three games and five of its last six.
Sweet 16 - West Regional
By Joe Nelson
VegasInsider.com
Gonzaga (-3) vs. West Virginia (148½)
Gonzaga’s second try as a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament has been more successful than 2013’s Round of 32 exit but it hasn’t come with the Bulldogs looking like the national title threat many expected to see.
Against South Dakota State, Gonzaga battled through a tight first half before winning comfortably by 20 with a marginal shooting performance.
The Bulldogs fell to 0-2 ATS in the Tournament after winning by just six last Saturday vs. Northwestern as a 22-point lead dissolved and the Bulldogs were aided by a controversial call late that might have led to an even closer finish.
Outside shooting has been a problem for Gonzaga as in two games in Salt Lake City the Bulldogs shot 26 percent from 3-point range while also missing 23 free throws for a just a 57 percent clip at the stripe with both figures well below the season averages for one of the most efficient offensive teams in the nation.
Gonzaga’s defense played well but the competition will only get tougher from here on out heading to San Jose for the West region semifinal matchup with West Virginia.
Gonzaga delivered non-conference wins over Florida and Arizona, two teams that are still playing in the NCAA Tournament plus another high quality win over Iowa State to avoid be penalized for its light WCC schedule the way teams from smaller conferences like SMU, Cincinnati, and Wichita State were by the selection committee.
Those wins came in November and early December however and the narrow win over Arizona came with the Wildcats missing two key players as there are valid concerns about the potential for Gonzaga to hold up this weekend, likely to playing Arizona again if they get by legendary coach Bob Huggins Thursday night.
Like Gonzaga, West Virginia has been rated as one of the nation’s elite defensive teams all season long. The Mountaineers had a huge win at Virginia in December to boost a non-conference resume that was not otherwise noteworthy.
The Big XII rated as the nation’s top conference in most measures and West Virginia went 12-6 in that difficult league including beating regular season champions Kansas once and conference tournament champion Iowa State twice. T
hree Big XII losses came in overtime as the Mountaineers weren’t far away from giving Kansas a greater push for the conference title finishing in a tie for second in the league with Baylor and Iowa State.
After losing in the Big XII tournament final the Mountaineers held on in a tougher than expected game with Patriot champion Bucknell before delivering a convincing win over Notre Dame to advance to the Sweet 16.
West Virginia impressed in that closely-lined game with the Irish leading wire-to-wire but a lot went right with an officiating crew that mostly let the teams play with a lot of physical contact allowed.
West Virginia commits fouls at one of the highest rates in the nation with its aggressive pressure on defense but in that matchup it was a Notre Dame team that rarely fouls and rarely commits turnovers that was whistled for more fouls while committing 14 turnovers, several on plays where the whistle could have been blown.
The Mountaineers also shot over 57 percent from 3-point range and hit 81 percent at the free throw line despite shooting below 68 percent at the line for the season heading into that game.
West Virginia is a tougher matchup on a quick turnaround as few teams play like they do. Gonzaga will be aided by the long layoff from Saturday to Thursday for this matchup, getting time to prepare for the pressure. With a pair of seven-footers Gonzaga should have some massive size edges in the paint in this matchup but they must be able to get the ball up the court without turnover issues, something they didn’t do in a high turnover showing vs. Northwestern.
Neither team was that reliant on outside shooting in the regular season but strong 3-point shooting has made a big difference for West Virginia in the tournament so far while Gonzaga’s struggles beyond the arc seemed to snowball into other problems in the first two games.
Ultimately whoever is able to knock down those big shots may end up moving on to the regional final vs. Xavier or Arizona.
These teams played in the 2012 NCAA Tournament with a 77-54 win for Gonzaga as a one-point favorite in a 7/10 matchup in Pittsburgh. They also met in non-conference action the following two seasons with another Gonzaga blowout in November 2012 with an 84-50 result in Spokane with the Bulldogs also winning in December 2013 in Morgantown 80-76.
Gonzaga’s once amazing spread record this season has eroded a bit of late with a 3-5 ATS mark the past eight games while West Virginia is just 2-7-1 ATS the past 10 games.
Arizona (-7½) vs. Xavier (153)
As a #11 seed Xavier is the only remaining double-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament in what has been a redemptive run for the Musketeers.
Chris Mack’s squad last season was 27-5 to earn a #2 seed in the field only to be upset by Wisconsin on a last second shot in the Round of 32.
This season’s team wound up losing six games in a row late in the season to fall to the NCAA Tournament bubble with its three previous wins only coming against lowly DePaul before the Musketeers got a critical Big East tournament win over Butler to seal a bid.
Butler is also still playing this weekend in what has been a mixed NCAA Tournament campaign for the Big East with Villanova’s early exit and Round of 64 losses for Creighton, Seton Hall, and Marquette.
Xavier drew a favorable Round of 64 draw opposite a vastly over-seeded Maryland team as the #6 seed, winning 76-65 as just a slight underdog despite the seeding. Xavier then pulled off what has been the biggest upset of the tournament by the closing spread by blowing out #3 seed Florida State with a 91-66 result as a 7½-point underdog.
The late season slide as well as this great tournament run has been without Edmond Sumner, a star sophomore guard for Xavier who was injured in late January.
Senior Trevon Blueitt also missed time on the losing streak and has carried the team of late with 50 points in the two tournament games, shooting over 53 percent from 3-point range.
Xavier has been an excellent rebounding team this season, posting an edge in the Round of 32 vs. the big and athletic Seminoles but the big difference in that game was a nearly 65 percent shooting game from 3-point range while Florida State shot 19 percent on 21 shots from beyond the arc.
Xavier shot just 33 percent in Big East play, ranking just 7th in the conference from 3-point range as that success was not the norm. Turnovers can also be a concern for this squad as they head into a difficult matchup in San Jose.
Arizona looked like a national title contender in the 2014 and 2015 tournaments but failed with a Final Four berth on the line in back-to-back seasons vs. Wisconsin. Last season’s team declined defensively in a successful but less consistent season and wound up bounced in the Round of 64 against Wichita State.
Arizona had some personnel issues early with injuries and the absence of Allonzo Trier but through some early growing pains the Wildcats wound up winning a share of the Pac-12 title while capturing the Pac-12 Tournament title.
Beating Michigan State in the opener wound up being the only non-conference victory of any quality however before Arizona finished 3-2 vs. the other two Pac-12 contenders that are also still alive in the tournament.
Arizona allowed 82 points in Thursday’s up-tempo win over North Dakota before getting a hard fought win Saturday night vs. St. Mary’s. Arizona trailed most of that game and was in a much tougher fight than the nine-point final margin indicates. A 23-8 edge at the line plus a slight edge in turnovers proved to be the difference in moving on with a few tough calls going against St. Mary’s down the stretch.
Arizona plays two 7-footers as the size on the team is excellent but this is a very young group and Xaiver has big guards and overall size if not matching the frontcourt presence that Arizona has.
The case can certainly be made that the season metrics that don’t rate Arizona as an elite contender don’t account for Trier missing 19 games and Parker Jackson-Cartwright missing six games but Arizona has actually been a much worse defensive team with Trier back.
This is an incredibly young team reliant on three freshmen with the Sean Miller and the program carrying demons from failing to make the Final Four in several past opportunities. A
rizona is likely to be the biggest favorite of the Sweet 16 games, a distinction this team hasn’t likely earned but they are facing the biggest surprise upstart in the tournament to perhaps deserve that type of favoritism.
Both teams have been on hot ATS runs with Xavier on a 6-0 ATS run since the regular season finale and Arizona 5-0-1 ATS since the regular season finale.
These teams met in the Tournament just two years ago with Arizona winning 68-60 as a 10½-point favorite in the Sweet 16 in Los Angeles in a 2/6 matchup. Xavier led 53-49 with just over seven minutes to go before Arizona closed out that game on a great run with both teams shooting terribly from 3-point range.
Only two current Wildcats played in that game for a combined total of nine minutes. Bluiett started and played 23 minutes for Xavier with J.P. Macura also contributing off the bench for a Xavier team that was led by current Musketeer Tim Stainbrook’s older brother Matt.
Sweet 16 Betting Preview
By Sportsbook.ag
The Sweet 16 has finally arrived and with four games tonight and four games tomorrow, Sportsbook.ag has you covered with any and all betting options you might be interested in for those games. For now, the focus is on the four games tonight and they should be some great ones, so let's get right to the best bets for this evening.
Best Bet #1: West Virginia/Gonzaga Under 150
The knock on Gonzaga all year long has been that they rarely played top tier competition.
They did get quality non-conference wins over Florida and Arizona (two teams in the Sweet 16 as well) early on in the year, but after that it was relatively smooth sailing for the Bulldogs and now we will really get to see how good they are the rest of the way.
But this West Virginia team plays defense like nothing Gonzaga has seen before and we shouldn't be surprised given the stakes and the style of play, that points will be at a premium early on tonight.
West Virginia's “havoc” defense should cause plenty of headaches for Gonzaga, and although the Mountaineers do foul a lot, this total is a few points too high. It opened in the 146-147 range and has been bet up to this current number thanks to 'over's cashing at a 60%+ rate this tournament, but with West Virginia's defense, and Gonzaga looking to lock down things on their own end as well, this game should top out in the low 140's.
I say that because while both teams averaged 80+ points offensively this year, it will be their respective defenses that do the talking. West Virginia only gave up 66.8 points/game on the year and that number would be much lower if they didn't commit so many fouls.
Gonzaga – against weaker competition overall – only gave up 61.1 points per contest and they have already held one opponent below 50 points in this tournament. West Virginia will easily surpass that 50-point mark, but don't expect them to get much more then 70 here as Gonzaga will look to use their size to dictate the tempo and create a slower paced game. They've seen the film of the Mountaineers scoring 80+ in both tournament games so far and will not want that to be the case tonight.
Best Bet #2: Kansas -5.5
This is another line that has moved at least a point from it's opener, but it's actually a move I agree with. Kansas has yet to be tested in this tournament with two 20+ point victories and while Purdue and containing Swanigan will be tough, the Jayhawks are more then capable of getting the job done.
Kansas is 6-1 ATS the last seven times they've been a favorite in this tournament and while media outlets will be quick to point out the Jayhawks have lost their last three games vs. Top 4 seeds, this is a much different team that isn't so reliant on one guy like they have been in the past.
Frank Mason, Josh Jackson, and Devonte' Graham are a three-headed monster on Kansas that not many teams have been able to contain, and the size of someone like Mykhailiuk should be able to battle Swanigan to a stalemate on the glass.
For Purdue, they are a team that relies heavily on the likes of one guy – Swanigan – and they do sort of go as he goes. But what may be more worrisome for Purdue fans is the fact that they allowed Iowa State to come back from being double digits down in the 2nd half last time out and were one or two missed shots away from not ending up here.
Iowa State is a quality team, but by no means are they as good as their Big 12 rivals in Kansas and that poses a huge problem for the Boilermakers. With Purdue just 2-5 ATS the last seven times they've been catching points, expect another dominant win by Kansas tonight.