NCAAB News and Notes Saturday 1/23

Saturday's Four-Play
By Judd Hall

This weekend might be reserved for the NFL’s conference title games, but then we’d be missing the action on the college hardwood. There are plenty of games on the board in college basketball on Saturday. And we’ve got three contests that are being televised that should keep you plenty interested.

Michigan State at Minnesota

It’s hard to imagine that in Tom Izzo’s 15 years with Michigan State (16-3 straight up, 7-10 against the spread) that this is the first time that he’s opened a Big Ten campaign 6-0, but it’s the truth.

What has Izzo and bettors a little leery is how the Spartans performed in their last two games. MSU beat the Hawkeyes 70-63 at home on Jan. 20, but the stats would suggest otherwise. Iowa was better at shooting three-pointers (28%-25%), at the charity stripe (77%-65%) and won the turnover battle (15-14). That uneven play hurt the Spartans at home as huge 21 ½-point favorites. It’s the second straight time Michigan State failed to cover the spread.

Minnesota (12-7 SU, 8-9 ATS) has underachieved to a degree this season in Tubby Smith’s third year running the show. The Golden Gophers have fallen prey to the bullies of Portland, Miami and Indiana this year. Right now Smith’s program is in a 1-3 SU and ATS funk in Big Ten play.

The loss to the Hoosiers was particularly hurtful to gamblers as Minnesota was a 10 ½-point road “chalk.” Yet they found themselves down 59-44 with less than 14 minutes left in the second half. The Gophers never led the game in regulation, but tied it up on a Devoe Joseph jumper with 9.6 seconds left. The Golden Gophers even had a 76-71 lead in overtime, but missed five of their last seven shots to lost 81-78 to Indiana.

This has been a decidedly one-sided affair over the past few years with Michigan State going 9-1 SU and 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings. The ‘under’ has been a quality wager here with an 8-2 record.

The Golden Gophers have played much better at home this year with a 10-0 SU mark, covering the spread in seven of those contests.

Izzo’s Spartans have kept scores low in Big Ten battles so far as the ‘under’ is 5-1.

Ohio State at West Virginia

The Buckeyes weren’t sure where they would be at right now after losing Evan Turner to a brutal back injury against Eastern Michigan on Dec. 5. Ohio State (14-5 SU, 9-6 ATS) went on to go 3-3 SU and 0-4 ATS in the time he was away from the court. Turner got back into the lineup on Jan. 6 against Indiana and has averaged 18.8 points per game. The Bucks have immediately improved with their leader on the court, going 4-1 SU and ATS since Turner returned.

West Virginia (14-3 SU, 7-10 ATS) came damn close to making a full comeback at home against the Orange last Saturday, but fell a couple second short in a 72-71 setback as a 5 ½-point favorite. That loss no doubt played a factor in a hangover 68-60 win over the Thundering Herd as a 12 ½-point home “chalk.” Bob Huggins has to be more concerned about the fact that his team shot just 37 percent from the field against Marshall before facing the Buckeyes.

Most non-conference games that are played within traditional league play are normally for bragging rights. This one has a hint of revenge for Ohio State after getting embarrassed in Columbus last year by the Mountaineers as a slight one-point home favorite, 76-48. The Buckeyes had one of the worst shooting performances that I can ever remember in that contest. The Bucks hit 31 percent from the field and only nailed two of their 18 three-point attempts against WVU in Dec. 2007. That doesn’t count the fact that they committed 12 turnovers to the Mountaineers’ seven.

If past history is an indicator, then Ohio State is in a world of hurt for this game. OSU is just 2-5 SU and 4-3 ATS in its last seven true road games against non-conference foes. West Virginia has done well since 2006 against out-of-conference competition in Morgantown, going 11-0 SU and 3-4 ATS.

What Buckeye backers can look at with some hope is that WVU is on a 1-4 ATS slump at home. That is until they realize that Ohio State is also 1-4 ATS in true road tests.

Texas at Connecticut

The Longhorns were living on borrowed time when it came to being an unblemished on the schedule. And that finally came to a head last Monday night in Manhattan when Texas (17-1 SU, 8-6 ATS) were upended by the Wildcats 71-62 as a one-point road pup. The ‘Horns didn’t have one single player to go to in order to keep the game close against K-State, as evidenced with Dogus Balbay being their lone scorer in double-digits with 11 points. Gamblers have seen this defeat coming from a mile away as Texas has failed to cover the spread in four straight matches before losing on Jan. 18.

Connecticut (12-6 SU, 6-9-1 ATS) got its first win since the beginning of the month and had to get it without Jim Calhoun condescending on the sideline with a 75-59 victory over the Red Storm as a nine—point home favorite. The win gives the Huskies a chance to get back into the AP Top 25.

This was also the first time that the Huskies saw their Big 3 come through on the ledger at one time in a while. Jerome Dyson scored 21 points, Stanley Robinson 18 and Kemba Walker dropped in 17. For those counting at home, that’s 56 of UConn’s 75 points against St. John’s.

The odds of the Huskies coming out of this game with a win are slim, given that Texas is 2-1 SU in the last three meetings of these programs. UConn does have the benefit of a 2-0-1 ATS mark against the Longhorns though.

Something else to help bettors leaning towards Connecticut is the fact that the ‘Horns have gone 7-7 SU and an improbable 3-11 ATS in true road games over the last two seasons.

Duke at Clemson

Duke (15-3 SU, 11-6 ATS) might be one of the elite teams in the ACC, but they are playing like it on the road right now. The Blue Devils fell to North Carolina State 88-74 as 11 ½-point road faves in fairly uncharacteristic effort. Duke allowed the Wolfpack to shoot 58 percent from the field, while the coughed up the ball 14 times in a tilt that they never seemed to be in. Coach K’s squad is now 0-3 SU and ATS in true road tests this season.

Clemson (15-4 SU, 9-8 ATS) enters this contest after losing a heartbreaker 66-64 heartbreaker to the Yellow Jackets as a 1 ½-point road pup. The Tigers (and gamblers hoping for them to cover) saw their hopes of winning the game evaporate when Georgia Tech’s Zachery Peacock drained two free throws with 3.2 seconds left in the second half. It’s the second straight ATS loss for Oliver Purnell’s club.

The Tigers are looking to avenge a 74-53 annihilation they suffered against Duke at the start of the New Year as 11 ½-point road underdogs. Clemson played about as bad as you can in that outing. They shot just 33 percent from the field, while giving up 23 defensive rebounds. That’s not going to get it done against anyone.

I won’t say the odds are stacked against Clemson here, but they are 1-8 SU and 4-5 ATS in the regular season against the Blue Devils. However, the Tigers did win 74-47 as four-point favorites against Duke at home last February. It was the fewest points scored by the Devs under Mike Krzyzewski since 1982.

vegasinsider.com

College Hoops Betting TV Guide
By RYAN COLAIANNI

No. 6 Michigan State Spartans at Minnesota Golden Gophers (12 p.m. ET, CBS)

Slows starts have plagued Michigan State in recent weeks despite being 6-0 in conference play. The Spartans trailed by 14 points in the first half against Illinois, by five midway through the first half against Iowa and trailed Minnesota late in the first half earlier in the season.

"You gotta just keep telling each other we gotta have better focus and we gotta come out more aggressive from game-to-game," junior guard Kalin Lucas told the Lansing State Journal.

No. 4 Villanova Wildcats at St. Johns Red Storm (12 p.m. ET, ESPN)

It was only Rutgers, but Villanova made it look easy in a 26 point rout Wednesday night. Nine of the 11 Villanova players who played in the first half scored and Scottie Reynolds did not made a field goal, yet the Wildcats still led by 22 at intermission.

"We might have put together our best 40 minutes,'' coach Jay Wright told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at No. 12 Georgetown Hoyas (12 p.m. ET Big East Network)

Georgetown may lack any semblance of a bench but it is clear that its starting five is one of the best in the country and it is getting production from a new starter almost every night. In an eight-point win over Pittsburgh Wednesday, it was guard Chris Wright who rose to the occasion, scoring 27 points. On Sunday, it was Greg Monroe scoring 29 points and two weeks ago against Connecticut, Austin Freeman scored 33 points.

Boston College Eagles at Virginia Tech Hokies (1:30 p.m. ET, Raycom Sports)

Despite averaging 4.6 points per game last season, guard Dorenzo Hudson has evolved into the second-leading scorer for Virginia Tech at 12.5 points per game. His increase of 7.9 points per game from last season is the third biggest jump in the ACC.

"I'm just playing at a high level right now," Hudson told the Roanoke Times. "There's more opportunity to score, and I feel like I got a lot better with the ball in my hand.”

No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks at Iowa State Cyclones (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

It has been a tough week for Kansas center Cole Aldrich. He lost his grandmother last week and he continued his offensive struggles scoring just 10 points in a win over Baylor Wednesday. Aldrich has averaged 9.2 points per game in his last four games. He is being less assertive on the offensive end, mainly because opposing defenses are focusing on him much more than they did last year.

Marquette Golden Eagles at No. 5 Syracuse Orange (2 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

In the Big East, any road win is a good one. Syracuse recently completed a three-game road trip with three wins to improve to 6-0 in conference play. Syracuse got wins over Rutgers, West Virginia and Notre Dame.

“The league didnt do us any favors, four out of the first six on the road,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim told the Syracuse Post Standard. “When you win ‘em, it feels pretty good, though.”

No. 21 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 11 West Virginia Mountaineers (2 p.m. ET, CBS)

It must feel like November for West Virginia. West Virginia will take on its second consecutive non-conference foe Saturday after beating Marshall Wednesday night. Leading scorer Da’Sean Butler should be rested after playing just 22 minutes against Marshall due to foul trouble. West Virginia will have to deal with improving Ohio State, which is benefiting from the return of guard Evan Turner.

Oregon State Beavers at California Golden Bears (2 p.m. ET, CBS)

California guard Jerome Randle did not do much for an encore Sunday. After scoring 39 points in a win over Washington State, Randle struggled against Washington, scoring his first bucket with just over 12 minutes left in the game. He was 0-2 and had seven turnovers in the first half.

No. 1 Texas Longhorns at Connecticut Huskies (4 p.m. ET, CBS)

After having his way with non-conference foes, including 23 points against North Carolina, Texas’ massive 6-foot-10, 290-pound Dexter Pittman has struggled in conference play, averaging just five points per game in the Longhorns first four games in Big 12 play.

"It's very clogged up down there. I don't have any room to work,” Pittman told the Austin American Statesman.

Michigan Wolverines at No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Purdue guard John Hart had scored only eight points all season until coach Matt Painter looked to him to get Purdue going in a sluggish first half against Illinois Tuesday. Hart responded by scoring 14 points to help Purdue end a three-game losing streak.

"Coming off a three-game losing streak, the coaches were telling me what the team needs to do," Hart told the Indianapolis Star. "Me not playing and just sitting back and watching the game, I was seeing what we needed. I tried to give as much energy as I could."

Virginia Cavaliers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4 p.m. ET, Raycom)

It wasn’t supposed to be this way in Tony Bennett’s first season at the helm at Virginia. The Cavaliers were supposed to struggle, not lead the ACC with a 3-0 conference start. Virginia lost to South Florida, Auburn, Stanford and Penn State in the non-conference schedule, not exactly Top-25 opponents. Yet somehow, Virginia is now in the conversation for an NCAA tournament bid.

No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers at Georgia Bulldogs (5 p.m. ET, FSN)

With junior point guard Melvin Goins and sophomore small forward Cameron Tatum back from a four game suspension, one would think that they would return to the Tennessee rotation. However, coach Bruce Pearl is going to stick with the players that went 4-0 in Goins and Tatum’s absence, including a win over Kansas. Goins and Tatum did not play in Tennessees win over Alabama Tuesday.

No. 7 Duke Blue Devils at Clemson Tigers (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

So far this season Duke has prided itself on strong defensive play. The Blue Devils held to Clemson to just 12 first half points earlier in the season and held Gonzaga to just 41 points for the game. But in an 88-74 loss to NC State Wednesday, Duke’s defense was non-existent.

"Our defense was the worst it's been all year," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told the News and Observer. "It was never, ever good tonight."

Game of the Day: Texas at UConn
By ADAM THOMPSON

Top-ranked Texas (17-1) is looking to bounce back from its first loss of the season earlier in the week. Connecticut (12-6) recently snapped a three-game losing streak with its longtime coach on indefinite medical leave.

Both teams have something to prove today when the Huskies host the Longhorns (4 p.m. ET, CBS)

Bounce back opportunity

UConn plays its second game without head coach Jim Calhoun, on leave due to health concerns. The Huskies, led by longtime assistant George Blaney, snapped a three-game losing streak by handling St. John’s 75-59 on Wednesday.

Blaney said Wednesday the Huskies have responded well without their head coach.

"The players were good. They were very surprised, but they were very good, as I would expect they would be. It's (Jim's) team,” said Blaney. “He has shown them how to deal with adversity."

After winning the first 17 games of the season, Texas suffered its first setback on Monday, losing at No. 10 Kansas State 71-62. The Wildcats won by scoring at will in the paint – post defense has typically been a strength for the Longhorns – and holding Texas to just 35 percent shooting from the floor.

Depth charges

UConn has one of the top-producing backcourts in the nation, led by the electric Jerome Dyson (18.8 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.9 rpg) and Kemba Walker (12.9 ppg, 5.9 apg, 4.0 rpg).

But the Huskies aren’t particularly deep. Dyson, Walker and Stanley Robinson (16.9 ppg) each average close to 35 minutes per game and two other starters average 28.9 and 30.3 mpg.

Texas, meanwhile, has nobody averaging more than 28 minutes. The Longhorns have a whopping 10 players averaging 12 minutes or more while in comparison UConn has six.

But Connecticut can bang, and Blaney says when the Huskies play as such, they can play with anybody.

"I was really pleased that we got into offense almost every time...if you run it full-speed, it makes it very difficult to defend,” Blaney said after the St. John’s win. “And if you run people into things, whether be into a defender, into a screen, into a referee - I don't care who you run them into, just run somebody into something - you're going to get open."

Battle in the paint

This has the makings of being a physical game.

Senior 6-7 swingman Damion James is the leader of Texas. He’s averaging 17.3 ppg and 11.0 rpg and has proven to be a tough matchup for any opponent.

James was the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week for Jan. 19 as voted by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He averaged 25.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in wins over Iowa State and Texas A&M.

Down low, 6-10, 290-pound Dexter Pittman (12.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg) will make it tough for the Huskies to slash through the lane which is one of the team’s best offensive attacks.

But in that regard, it is possible Blaney and UConn saw a chink in the armor during Kansas State’s victory.

Gavin Edwards, UConn’s 6-10 junior, has been the only reliable post presence this season (10.4 ppg).

While UConn has size in 7-footer Charles Okwandu and 6-11 Ater Majok, these players are considered raw and the team has had problems against opposition with good size. Texas, led by Pittman, is huge.

“I’m looking forward to the game because they have some talented seven-footers, so I have to go out there and play against seven-footers,” Pittman said Wednesday. “If I want to make a career out of this game, I have to go out there and show people that I can play against guys that tall.”

Closing time

One problem for the Huskies has been their inability to put teams away or hit big shots down the stretch in the big games. That isn’t lost on Blaney.

“We know we’re good and I think the kids know they’re good,” Blaney told the Journal Inquirer of Connecticut. “We’ve not played the full 40 minutes in almost every game this year, and that’s what we’re trying to correct.

“We can do it. We’ve seen it in games, we see it in practice. So it’s there, it’s just not there every possession.”

Meanwhile, Texas has shown the ability to use its depth to bury opponents. Fourteen of the team’s 17 wins have come by double-digit margins and six have been by 30 points or more.

“It’s definitely a big week for us,” UConn’s Walker said prior to the win over St. John’s. “Things could change if we get these two big wins.”

Other nuggets and trends

This is only Texas’ fourth road game and third out of the state of Texas. The Longhorns did survive a raucous Arkansas crowd for a 96-85 win on Jan. 5. Connecticut is 11-1 at home, its lone defeat coming at the hands of No. 13 Pittsburgh, 67-57.

UConn has not beaten a Top 25 team this season (0-4). Texas is 2-1.

UConn is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games.

Texas is 2-6 ATS in its last eight games vs. the Big East.

(6) Michigan State (16-3, 7-11 ATS) at Minnesota (12-6, 9-8 ATS)

The Spartans hit the road in pursuit of their eighth consecutive victory when they head to Williams Arena to take on Minnesota, 10 days after these Big Ten rivals met in East Lansing.

Michigan State fended off Iowa 70-63 Wednesday night but fell miles short as a whopping 21½-point home favorite for its second straight ATS setback, following a four-game ATS roll early on during its current SU streak. The Spartans are averaging 78 ppg for the season, while giving up 63.8, but both of those numbers come way down in Big Ten play. Tom Izzo’s troops have scored 73 or less in five of six conference starts, while holding five of six foes to 63 or less, including two in the 50s and one in the 40s.

Minnesota has dropped two in a row SU and ATS, taking a 60-53 loss at Michigan State as a 6½-point road pup on Jan. 13, then suffering an 81-78 overtime upset at Indiana laying 11 points on Sunday. The Golden Gophers are outscoring opponents by an average of about 14 ppg (77.3-63.1), but they’ve gone 1-3 SU and ATS in their last four starts (all in the Big Ten), averaging 66 ppg while giving up 70.5.

In the Jan. 13 meeting between these two, Michigan State narrowly cashed as a 6½-point chalk for its fifth straight cover in this rivalry, and the Spartans are now 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS in the last eight clashes. The SU winner is on a 9-1 ATS tear, the favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings and the home team is 13-5 ATS in the last 18 contests.

Along with their sub-par 7-11 ATS mark this year, the Spartans are on pointspread skids of 3-8 against winning teams and 2-5 following a non-cover, but they’ve gone 10-4 ATS in their last 14 Saturday outings and 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 roadies against teams with winning home marks. The Gophers have cashed in four straight Saturday games and are on a 6-1 ATS surge at home, but they are just 6-15 ATS in their last 21 Big Ten tilts and 2-6 ATS in their last eight against winning teams.

For Michigan State, the under is on streaks of 4-1 overall (all in the Big Ten) and 4-0 against winning teams, and the under for Minnesota is on rolls of 39-18 on Saturday and 4-0 against winning teams. Finally, in this rivalry, the total has stayed low in the last four meetings, with the Jan. 13 contest falling way short of the 142-point price.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

(4) Villanova (17-1, 13-4 ATS) vs. St. John’s (12-6, 9-6 ATS)
(at New York)

Red-hot Villanova goes on the highway for the third time in four games for a battle with the Red Storm, who will step away from their Queens campus to play at Madison Square Garden.

The Wildcats are on an eight-game SU and ATS tear dating to Dec. 19. They hammered Fordham and Delaware to cap the non-conference season and have opened 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS in the rugged Big East. On Wednesday at Rutgers, Villanova rolled 94-68 as a 13½-point chalk, the fifth time during its current run that it has broken the 90-point barrier. In fact, the Wildcats’ 85.3 ppg average ranks third in the nation.

St. John’s lost at Connecticut 75-59 Wednesday catching nine points, ending a two-game SU uptick and a three-game ATS surge. The Red Storm, averaging 67.7 ppg and allowing 63.3 ppg, get much of their contributions from 6-foot-6-inch guard D.J. Kennedy, who leads them with per-game averages of 15.6 points, 3.3 assists, 6.6 rebounds while shooting 48.6 percent from the field.

Villanova is on a 5-0 SU run in this rivalry (3-2 ATS), rolling in last year’s lone meeting 76-57 as a 14½-points home chalk. ‘Nova is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings overall and 5-2 ATS in its last seven trips to New York.

The Wildcats own the best pointspread record in the nation and are on further pointspread streaks of 16-5 overall, 4-0 on the highway, 6-1 after a SU win, 19-7 after a spread-cover, 6-1 in the Big East, 8-2 against winning teams and 11-4 on Saturday. Likewise, the Red Storm are on ATS upswings of 9-4 overall, 13-3 on Saturday, 8-2 after a SU loss, 6-2 following a non-cover, 8-3 against winning teams and 5-2 on the road.

Villanova is on a bundle of “over” runs, including 11-1 overall, 4-0 after a spread-cover, 10-1 coming off a SU win, 6-1 as a visitor and 20-8 within the Big East. On the flip side, St. John’s is on “under” stretches of 36-16-1 overall, 13-4 on Saturday, 44-21-1 in Big East action, 18-7-1 after a non-cover and 19-9-1 following a SU loss.

ATS ADVANTAGE: VILLANOVA

(21) Ohio State (14-5, 10-9 ATS) at (11) West Virginia (14-3, 6-10 ATS)

The surging Buckeyes step out of conference play for the last time this season, traveling to the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown to take on West Virginia.

Ohio State has been bolstered by the return of top player Evan Turner, who missed six games after breaking two bones in his back when he fell after a dunk in a 111-60 wipeout of Eastern Michigan on Dec. 5. The Buckeyes went 3-3 SU and 0-6 ATS without Turner, losing at Michigan and Wisconsin to open Big Ten play. But they’ve gone 4-1 SU and ATS since his return, including Tuesday’s 76-56 whipping of Northwestern as a 12-point home chalk.

Turner, averaging 18 points since coming back to the lineup, poured in a career-high 32 points in a 70-66 upset of then-No. 6 Purdue on Jan. 12, the team’s most recent road game.

West Virginia, which won its first 11 games (4-6 ATS in lined action), has been shaky of late, alternating SU wins and losses over its last six games while going 2-4 ATS in that stretch. The Mountaineers are wrapping up a two-game break from the rigors of the Big East, having held off Marshall 68-60 Wednesday as a 12-point chalk on a neutral court in Charleston, West Virginia.

These teams met last season in Columbus, where West Virginia pounded Ohio State 76-48 as a one-point road pup.

The Buckeyes are 0-4 ATS in their last four outside the Big Ten, 1-4 ATS in their last five road games and 2-5 ATS in their last seven outings following a SU win, but along with their current 4-1 ATS surge, they are on positive pointspread runs of 4-1 against winning teams and 4-1 against the Big East. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers are in ATS funks of 2-5 overall, 1-4 at home, 0-4 in non-conference play, 0-4 after a SU win, 1-4 on Saturday and 2-5 against winning teams.

Ohio State is on a handful of “under” tears, including 7-3 overall, 11-1 against Big East foes, 5-1 after a SU win and 37-15-1 in Saturday games. West Virginia sports “under” streaks of 4-0 overall and 5-1 at home.

ATS ADVANTAGE: OHIO STATE and UNDER

(3) Kansas (17-1, 7-7-1 ATS) at Iowa State (12-6, 8-7 ATS)

The Jayhawks look to knock off Iowa State for the eighth straight time when they invade the Hilton Coliseum for a Big 12 battle.

Kansas survived a scare on Wednesday against Baylor, escaping with an 81-75 victory for their 53rd consecutive home win, but it fell way short as a 14-point chalk. The Jayhawks are 3-0 (1-1-1 ATS) in Big 12 play, scoring 84, 89 and 81 points in the three contests. That includes an 84-72 rout of Nebraska as a 12-point favorite in their lone conference roadie.

Iowa State stumbled at Texas Tech on Wednesday, losing 78-71 as a 3½-point road underdog as it dropped to 1-2 (2-1 ATS) in conference. The Cyclones have alternated SU wins and losses in their last six games (3-3 ATS), but they’re 9-2 SU and 5-3 ATS on their home court, averaging 80.8 ppg on 50.1 percent shooting. However, one of the defeats came against then-No. 2 Texas on Jan. 13 (a 90-80 defeat as an eight-point ‘dog).

Kansas swept the season series from Iowa State last year, winning 82-67 as a seven-point road favorite and 72-55, pushing as a 17-point home chalk. The Jayhawks have won the last eight meetings in a row, all by double digits, going 5-2-1 ATS. Going back further, they’re 10-1 SU and 6-4-1 ATS in the last 11 series clashes, including five straight victories at Iowa State (3-2 ATS). Also in this rivalry, the host is on a 5-1-1 ATS roll and the favorite is 3-1-1 ATS in the last five.

The Jayhawks are just 1-4-1 ATS in their last six road games, but otherwise they’re on positive ATS surges of 33-16-2 both overall and against teams with a winning record, 18-6-2 in Big 12 action, 13-3 on Saturday and 7-1-1 when coming off a non-cover. Conversely, Iowa State is in pointspread ruts of 4-11-3 in conference, 1-9-2 on Saturday, 1-6-1 after a SU defeat and 2-7-1 after an ATS setback.

The over is on stretches of 4-1 for Kansas against winning teams, 7-3 for the Cyclones at home, 5-2 for the Cyclones in league play and 4-1 for the Cyclones against winning teams. Also, four of the last five meetings in this rivalry have topped the total, as have four of the last five clashes at Iowa State.

ATS ADVANTAGE: KANSAS and OVER

Marquette (11-7, 7-5 ATS) at (5) Syracuse (18-1, 12-3 ATS)

Fresh off three straight Big East road victories, the Orange now return to the Carrier Dome in search of their sixth consecutive win and cover when they host Marquette.

The Golden Eagles were held to a season-low 50 points in Wednesday’s shocking 51-50 loss at DePaul as a 13-point road favorite. Since starting the season with six straight victories, Marquette is just 5-7 SU (5-5 ATS), including 2-4 (4-2 ATS) in Big East action. The Eagles have lost all three league road games, but they cashed in two of those three contests.

Syracuse followed up last Saturday’s 72-71 win at 10th-ranked West Virginia as a five-point underdog with Monday’s 84-71 rout of Notre Dame, cashing as a 2½-point road chalk. Since suffering their first defeat of the season (82-72 to Pitt as an 11-point home favorite), the Orange are 5-0 SU and ATS, averaging 78.6 ppg (51.5 percent shooting) and holding opponents to 65.8 ppg (39.3 percent). Also, despite the loss to Pitt, Syracuse is 11-1 at the Carrier Dome (5-3 ATS in lined games), putting up a whopping 85 ppg on 53.8 percent shooting and yielding just 61.3 ppg (36.7 percent).

These teams have met three times since Marquette joined the Big East in 2006-07, and Syracuse has won and covered all three, including last year’s 86-79 overtime victory as a six-point road underdog.

The Eagles have cashed in six of their last eight conference games going back to last season and they’re 4-1 ATS in their last five against winning teams, but they’ve failed to cover in four of their last five on Saturday. Syracuse has the second-best pointspread mark in the country this year and Jim Boeheim’s club is on additional ATS runs of 21-5 overall, 17-5 at home, 13-3 in Big East action, 17-5 after a SU victory and 17-8-1 on Saturday.

The over is on runs of 20-6 for Marquette on Saturday, 9-4 for the Orange at home, 8-1 for the Orange on Saturday and 18-7 for the Orange after a SU win, and the last two meetings between these schools have hurdled the posted total. However, the under is 4-1 during Syracuse’s current five-game win streak.

ATS ADVANTAGE: SYRACUSE and OVER

(1) Texas (17-1, 7-7 ATS) at UConn (12-6, 7-9 ATS)

Texas attempts to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it hits the road for the second time this week, paying a visit to the XL Center in Hartford for a non-conference clash with the Huskies.

The Longhorns tasted defeat for the first time on Monday, losing 71-62 at No. 10 Kansas State as a one-point road underdog. Texas made just 36.8 percent of its field goals – missing eight of 11 from three-point land – in being held to its lowest point total of the season. In fact, the Longhorns previously had been held under 72 points just once this year (in a 69-50 win over USC). Rick Barnes’ squad has now failed to cover in five straight games after starting the year 6-2 ATS in lined contests.

Prior to Monday, Texas had won all five of its games away from home, going 3-0 in true road games but failing to cover in all three. Thus the Longhorns have yet to cover a pointspread in a true road contest this year (0-4 ATS).

Playing its first game without coach Jim Calhoun – who took an indefinite leave of absence this week because of health reasons – UConn went out and crushed St. John’s 75-59 as a nine-point home favorite Wednesday. That snapped the Huskies’ three-game SU losing skid, which knocked them out of the Top 25, as well as a two-game ATS slide. UConn is 11-1 on its own floor this year, but just 4-6 ATS despite outscoring visitors by an average of 11.5 ppg (75.7-64.2) and outshooting them 49.2 percent to 37.2 percent.

These teams met three times in the last decade, most recently in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, with Texas prevailing 82-78 and pushing as a four-point favorite. In their last trip to UConn, the Longhorns lost 77-67 as a nine-point underdog back in 2000.

In addition to failing to cover in five straight overall and four straight on the road, Texas is 2-6 ATS in its last eight against Big East squads, 3-8 ATS in its last 11 on Saturday and 1-9-1 ATS in its last 11 on the road against opponents with a winning home record. On the bright side, the Longhorns have cashed in nine of 12 non-conference contests and four of five after a SU defeat.

UConn has failed to cover in five of its last six non-league games, but otherwise the Huskies are on pointspread surges of 6-2 overall (all against winning opponents), 4-1 at home, 4-1 on Saturday, 3-1-1 against the Big 12 and 4-0 after a SU victory.

The Longhorns carry “over” trends of 4-1 on the road, 5-2 in non-conference action, 9-4 against the Big East and 4-1 on Saturday. UConn has topped the total in five straight against Big 12 foes and five straight on Saturday, but the under is 4-1 in its last five overall and 5-2 in its last seven at home.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UCONN

Oklahoma State (14-4, 7-4-1 ATS) at (10) Kansas State (16-2, 9-3-1 ATS)

Oklahoma State tries once again for its first conference road win when it visits Bramlage Coliseum for a Big 12 tussle against the 10th-ranked Wildcats, who are coming off their biggest victory of the season and have won 14 in a row at home.

The Cowboys followed up Big 12 road losses at Oklahoma (62-57 in overtime as a 1½-point underdog) and Baylor (83-70 as a six-point pup) with Wednesday’s 90-78 rout of Colorado, cashing as a 9½-point home favorite. Oklahoma State is just 1-3 SU and ATS in true road games this year, with the lone triumph being a 71-70 victory at Stanford.

Kansas State flexed its muscle Monday with a 71-62 victory over top-ranked and undefeated Texas as a one-point home favorite. The Wildcats shot just 38.5 percent from the field, including going 1-for-12 from three-point range, and they were 20-for-32 from the foul line, but they held the Longhorns to 36.8 percent shooting and a season-low in points. Since suffering its first defeat of the season – a 74-68 setback at Missouri as a five-point underdog two weeks ago – K-State has won three in a row (2-0-1 ATS).

The Wildcats are 11-0 at home this year – with an average final score 82.6-61.4 – and they’ve won 14 in a row at Bramlage Coliseum going back to last year’s nine-point loss to rival Kansas.

The home team is 3-0 SU and ATS in the last three meetings and 7-2 (6-3 ATS) in the last nine, with Oklahoma State prevailing 77-71 as a 5½-point chalk in last year’s lone battle. The Cowboys are 8-2 SU in the last 10 meetings and 4-1 ATS in the last five, but their last trip to Manhattan, Kan., two years ago ended in an 82-61 loss as an 11½-point underdog. Finally, the favorite has covered in the last three series clashes and four of the last five.

With the exception of a 1-4 ATS drought on the highway, Oklahoma State is riding nothing but impressive ATS streaks, including 18-7-1 overall, 11-3 in Big 12 play, 6-2-1 on Saturday, 15-5-1 against winning teams, 14-4-1 after a SU victory and 12-4 after a spread-cover. The Wildcats have cashed in five straight home games and they’re on additional ATS upticks of 8-1-1 overall, 5-0 at home, 36-16-2 on Saturday and 7-1-1 versus teams with a winning record. The lone negative for Kansas State: a 7-18-3 ATS slump in conference games.

The Cowboys carry “under” streaks of 6-2 overall, 5-2 on Saturday, 20-8 after a SU victory and 4-1 after a spread-cover. Conversely, K-State has hurdled the total in six of its last seven on Saturday and five of its last six after a spread-cover.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE

(7) Duke (15-3, 11-6 ATS) at (17) Clemson (15-4, 9-7 ATS)

Duke, which has yet to win a true road game this year, makes the trek to Littlejohn Coliseum in Death Valley for an ACC showdown against the Tigers, who are looking to avenge an ugly loss at Duke earlier this month.

The Blue Devils got trounced 88-74 at North Carolina State on Wednesday despite being a hefty 11½-point road favorite. Duke got outshot 58.2 percent to 38.6 percent and lost despite a commanding 38-23 rebounding advantage. The Blue Devils have been upset in their two ACC road games (including a 71-67 loss at Georgia Tech as a seven-point favorite), and while they’re 4-0 SU and ATS in neutral-site venutes, they’re 0-3 SU and ATS in an opponent’s gym.

Clemson’s three-game winning streak came to a halt Tuesday with a tough 66-64 loss at No. 19 Georgia Tech, just missing as a one-point road underdog. The Tigers are 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS in conference play, but 2-0 SU and ATS at home, winning by margins of 16 points (Boston College) and 19 points (North Carolina). For the season, they’re 9-1 at Littlejohn Coliseum (6-1 ATS in lined games) – outscoring visitors by 21.6 ppg – with the only blemish being 76-74 loss to Illinois, a game Clemson led by double digits in the second half.

Duke hammered the Tigers 74-53 as an 11½-point home favorite on Jan. 3, ending a two-game SU and ATS slide in this rivalry and improving to 23-2 SU in the last 25 meetings. In last year’s lone battle, Clemson routed the Blue Devils 74-47 as a four-point home underdog. Prior to that result, Duke had won nine straight games in Death Valley. Finally, Clemson is 5-3 ATS in the last eight meetings (all as an underdog).

The Blue Devils have failed to cover in four of their last five on Saturday and five of their last six after an outright defeat, but they’re 5-2 ATS in their last seven overall and 4-1 ATS in their last five after a non-cover. Clemson has cashed in six straight home games and seven of 10 overall, but they’re in pointspread dips of 2-5 in ACC play and 2-7-1 on Saturday.

The under is 20-8 in Duke’s last 28 conference games, and Clemson carries “under” streaks of 5-1 overall, 18-7-2 at home, 4-1 in ACC action, 11-2 on Saturday and 5-2 after a SU defeat. Also, the under is 3-0 in the last three series meetings.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

(14) BYU (19-1, 10-7 ATS) at San Diego State (14-5, 8-8 ATS)

BYU goes after its 15th consecutive victory when it travels to San Diego for a Mountain West Conference contest against the Aztecs.

The Cougars improved to 4-0 in conference play with Wednesday’s 81-66 trouncing of Wyoming, but they came up short as a hefty 23-point home favorite, ending a 3-0 ATS run. BYU has tallied at least 70 points in all but three games this year and has scored more than 80 points eight times during its 14-game winning streak. The Cougars have won four straight true road games, going 3-0 ATS in the last three. For the season, they’re 8-1 in road/neutral-site outings (6-3 ATS), putting up 77.5 ppg and shooting 50.1 percent while allowing 66.3 ppg (40.1 percent).

San Diego State is coming off Tuesday’s 70-68 win at Utah as a one-point road underdog and has now won six of its last eight but is just 2-5 ATS in lined contests during this stretch. The Aztecs (3-2, 2-3 ATS in the Mountain West) have won 14 straight games at Viejas Arena, including all nine contests this year, outscoring visitors by 17.8 ppg while yielding just 56.3 ppg (37.8 percent) on their home floor.

The Aztecs went 7-1 in Mountain West home games last year and they’re 11-1 in their last 12 league contests at home, but the one loss was to BYU, the last visiting squad to win at Viejas Arena. In that contest, the Cougars posted a 69-59 win as a one-point underdog, ending an 0-5 ATS drought in San Diego. A month earlier BYU also beat SDSU 77-71 as a seven point home underdog, but the Aztecs got revenge in the conference tournament, prevailing 64-62 as a 2½-point ‘dog.

Prior to BYU’s win in San Diego last February, the host had won eight in a row in this rivalry (6-2 ATS). The Aztecs have covered in five of the last seven battles overall, and the ‘dog is 5-1 ATS in the last six.

The Cougars are on pointspread surges of 5-2 overall, 18-7-1 on the road, 8-2 on Saturday, 5-1 against winning teams and 4-1 after a non-cover, but they’ve failed to cover in five of their last seven Mountain West contests dating to last year. Despite going 2-5 ATS in its last seven overall, SDSU is on pointspread upticks of 17-7-1 Saturday and 5-0 ATS at home against opponents with a winning road record.

The under is on streaks of 8-2 for BYU in conference play, 6-1 for BYU on Saturday, 5-1 for BYU against foes with a winning record, 38-12-1 for the Aztecs at home and 9-3 for the Aztecs on Saturday. Also, five of the last six in this rivalry have stayed low.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

NCAAB News and Notes

Saturday, January 23

Information on the best of Saturday's college basketball games........

Minnesota is without PG Nolen (grades) here; they've lost seven in row, 11 of last 12 vs Michigan State, 1-4 in last five here, with losses by 14-1-5-12 points. Gophers (+6) lost 60-53 in East Lansing 10 days ago, as State won despite shooting 36%. Spartans are 6-0 in Big 11, 2-0 as road favorite, winning away games by 21 at Northwestern, 18 at Iowa.

Iowa State F Staiger (26 mpg, 9 ppg, 42% from arc) skipped out on the Cyclones to go back to Germany and play pro ball, leaving ISU without its best 3-point threat vs team they've lost to eight times in row, losing last five here by 5-10-4-11-15 points. Kansas is 3-0 in Big 12, winning by 12-26-6 points. Both of ISU's Big 12 losses are by seven points.

Marquette is 2-4 in Big East, with the four losses by total of six points; Eagles lost last three games vs Syracuse by 12-15-7 points- they lost in OT at home LY. Road team is 5-0-1 vs spread in Syracuse's conference games. Orangemen won last four games (three by 10+ points) they have rivalry game with Georgetown Monday. Big East home faves: 16-15.

Northeastern won last ten games; they upset Rams 62-57 at VCU (+6) Jan 4, holding VCU to 38.7% from floor, 6-21 from arc. Huskies are 3-1 as CAA home favorite, winning home games by 12-25-4-23 pts. Rams won last four games; they're 2-2 on CAA road, losing at Wm Mary by a point, Drexel by 3. Rams are a CAA underdog for first time this year.

West Virginia is just 3-3 this month, as they struggle without true PG; two of their last three home games were decided by a point each. Ohio State won its last three games, allowing 57.7 ppg; they're 1-4 against the spread as a road underdog this season. Big East home favorites are 30-37 vs spread in non-league games; Big 11 road underdogs are 9-10.

Home side won eight of last ten Wichita-Drake games; Shockers lost last two visits here by 10-5 points. Drake shot 23% in 61-38 loss at Wichita Jan 1, going 2-22 from arc (Shockers had 23 turnovers). After 0-4 start in MVC, Drake won last four games (were dog in all four). Wichita is 6-1 in its last seven games. MVC home underdogs are 4-7 against the spread.

UCLA won 10 of last 11 games vs Washington State, but Coogs upset Bruins 82-81 here LY (+13); underdog is 5-0-1 vs spread in Coogs' last six visits to Westwood. Road team is 6-1 vs spread in Wazzu's Pac-10 games; Coogs won at Arizona/USC, lost at ASU. Bruins are 3-3 so far in league, but their three wins are by combined total of just four points.

Wake Forest won last three games vs Virginia; Cavaliers lost last four in this arena by 13-22-6-16 points, as home side won seven of last nine in series. Virginia won last seven games, is 3-0 in ACC, winning by 8-7-18 points with a win at NC State. Wake is 3-2 in ACC, winning at home by 8 over NC State, 2 over Maryland. ACC home favorites are 10-13.

Texas lost for first time Monday at Kansas State, now heads east to face UConn team that beat St John's by 16 Wednesday in first game this year without Calhoun as head coach. Longhorns are 3-1 on road, winning at Rice, Arkansas, Iowa State. Big East home favorites are 30-37 against the spread in non-league games. Big 12 road underdogs are 14-15.

Kansas State beat Texas Monday, now faces Oklahoma State team they lost to five of last six times, though Cowboys lost by 21 in last visit to Little Apple. Wildcats scored 82 ppg in winning last three games; they're 2-0 as Big 12 home fave, winning by 23-9 points. Home side covered all four OSU Big 12 games; Cowboys are 0-2 on road, losing by 5-13 pts.

Tennessee won last ten games vs Georgia, winning last five games here by 7-5-6-3-9 points, Vols won last seven games overall, with road wins at Memphis/Alabama. Dawgs covered eight of last nine games; they are 3-0 as SEC dog, losing all three games by 8-4-3 points, even though they led all three at the half. SEC home underdogs are 2-4 against spread.

Xavier won six of last seven games vs Rhode Island, winning two games here by 14-26 points, but last two wins were by total of six points. URI won 11 of last 12 games, scoring 87 ppg in winning last three- they are 2-0 as an underdog this year. Xavier is 5-0 in A-14, 1-1 as a home fave, winning home games by 12-4 points. A-14 home favorites are 6-17.

15-3 Marshall is 4-0 in C-USA behind shot blocking center Whiteside, winning conference home games by 13-10 points. Herd lost last game by 8 to West Virginia; they've lost five of last six games vs UAB, dropping last three by 19-2-18 points. Blazers are also 4-0 in C-USA rallying to win last two games by point each, after being down 14, 7 at the half.

Old Dominion won 11 of last 13 games vs Wm Mary, winning last five here by 16-5-9-13-12 points. Monarchs won last six games overall, are 3-1 as CAA road favorite, losing only at George Mason, winning other three by 16-18-19 points. Tribe won four of last five games; underdog is 3-1 vs spread in their CAA home games (W&M 3-1 SU at home).

Home side won last six Oregon-Stanford games; Ducks lost last six trips to Maples by 21-19-2-19-29-22 points (1-5 vs spread). Oregon lost its last four games by average of 18 points, scoring just 58 ppg. Road team is 5-1 vs spread in its Pac-10 games. Cardinal is 3-0 at home in Pac-10, winning by 1-11-24 points. Pac-10 home favorites are 8-14 vs spread.

Duke won eight of last ten games vs Clemson, waxing the Tigers 74-53 Jan 3, game they led 30-12 at halftime, but Blue Devils lost here 74-47 LY, so Tigers will be confident, especially after winning first two ACC home games by 16-19 points over BC/North Carolina. Duke is 0-3 in its true road games, losing at Wisconsin/Georgia Tech/NC State.

Arizona State won its last five games vs Arizona, after losing previous eight; Wildcats lost last two visits here by 5-2 points. Underdog is 6-0 vs spread in Arizona's Pac-10 games; Wildcats are 4-0 as road dog, with road losses by 6-3 points. Sun Devils won last four games, all by 15+ points; they won their two Pac-10 home games by 17-25 points.

Nevada won eight of last ten games vs Fresno; they're 3-2 in last five in this arena, with all three wins by 13 points- they lost here by hoop last year. Wolf Pack won four of last five games; they're 2-0 as WAC road favorite, winning by 6 at Boise, 10 at New Mexico State. Fresno lost its last three games by 8-9-26 points; they're 1-2 as a WAC underdog.

Home side won eight of last nine BYU-San Diego State games; Cougars won here LY for first time in last six visits, then got upset by Aztecs in MWC tourney. Cougars won last 12 games; they're 4-0 in MWC, with only road win by 18 at Air Force. Aztecs are 3-2 in league, winning its two home games, by 10 vs New Mexico, 5 over TCU.

Washington won eight of last 11 games vs USC, but Huskies have yet to win game outside of Seattle this season; they had hearts torn out when a UCLA sub hit buzzer beating 17-footer to win game 62-61 Thursday in Westwood. Trojans lost three of last four games after blowing 10-point halftime lead in loss to Wazzu Thursday. Pac-10 home faves: 8-14.

On-The-Rebound
By SportsPic

The Texas Longhorns off a 71-62 defeat at Kansas State take a break from Big 12 action Saturday when they travel to Storrs for a run against Jim Calhoun's Huskies of the Big East. Talent-laden Longhorns lead by four double digit scorers in Damion James (17.3), Dexter Pittman (12.4), Avery Bradley (12.2) and J'Covan Brown (10.2) have racked up a whopping 85.8 points/game in opening 17-1 going a vig-losing 7-7 at the betting window. Meanwhile, UCONN snapped a three-game slide Wednesday defeating St John's 75-59 improving to 12-6 (7-9 ATS) on 72.8 PPG with big three Jerome Dyson (18.8), Stanley Robinson (16.9) and Kemba Walker (12.9) leading the pack of Huskies in scoring. Hard to envision turnover prone (13.8) UCONN upsetting one of the finest in the country but Huskies could make it interesting at the betting window. Huskies have cashed six of their last eight on the hardwood, four straight at home while Longhorns enter on a 0-5 skid against-the-oddsmaker and just 1-9-1 ATS last eleven on the highway vs a team with a winning home record.

CBB: Streaks, Notes, Trends Jan 23rd 2010
By SportsPic

Michigan State at Minnesota

Spartans alone in first place in the Big Ten at 6-0 (4-2 ATS) after an uninspired 70-63 win over lowly Hawkeyes at home Wednesday as 21.5 point favorites take to the road for a rematch with Minnesota.

Tom Izzo's troops won the first meeting 60-53 barely covering the 6.5 point spot moving the mark to 11-1 (8-4 ATS) the last twelve encounters. Held to their lowest shooting percentage of the season (36.2%) last week by Minnesota the Spartans are in for another frustrating day. Defense is where it begins and ends with the Gophers, they lead the conference in defensive field goal percentage (.383), blocked shots (115) and steals (189).

Minnesota holding nine of this seasons ten visitors below 70 points per game in going 10-0 (7-2 ATS) puts Michigan State in dangerous betting territory, Spartans are 3-8 ATS on the road scoring <70 points and are just 3-5-1 ATS the past nine in 'The Barn'.

Duke at Clemson

Clemson battles Duke for the second time in 20 days on Saturday. Memories fresh from a 74-53 thrashing in front of the Cameron Crazies back on Jan 3rd the Tigers 9-1 (6-1 ATS) at home look to take advantage of Duke's road shortcomings.

Blue Devils once a program that thrived in hostile environments are off a 74-88 loss at N.C. State it's 2nd consecutive road loss of the season bringing the mark to 1-3 SU & ATS in true road games.

That said, you can bet coach Mike Krzyzewski has the troops primed knowing Blue Devils were handed a one side defeat on this hardwood last year (74-47) the first loss in ten visit (9-1, 5-5 ATS). Interesting to note, although Duke is great at avoiding slides being a strong 5-2 SU off a loss they're just 2-4 against-the-oddsmaker and come in 3-6 ATS last eight vs a conference rival. Tigers on the other hand have clawed their way to the cash window in 7-of-10 facing ACC foes.

Top 25 Matchups for Saturday, January 23, 2010
By Matt Fargo

Ohio St. Buckeyes (25) at West Virginia Mountaineers (12)

Ohio St. was going through some struggles to start the month but the Buckeyes are currently riding a three-game winning streak that includes big wins over Purdue and Wisconsin. This recent run has coincided with the return of forward Evan Turner who has been back for five games with Ohio St. going 4-1 in those games and Turner putting up some big numbers. The Buckeyes are 4-3 in the Big Ten and they take a break from conference action this weekend although this is hardly considered a break. Ohio St. responded with back-to-back wins over two top 15 teams in a four-day stretch two weeks ago so facing another top 15 team will not be daunting.

West Virginia raced out to an 11-0 start before the wheels started coming off. The Mountaineers lost in Purdue and then two games later lost at Notre Dame. A recovery was expected at home last Saturday but they were not able to take care of business down the stretch as they lost to Syracuse by a point. This is the second straight non-conference game for West Virginia who is coming off a win over a very good Marshall team by eight points. The Mountaineers have allowed more than 70 points only five times and they are 2-3 in those games with the wins coming by just two points over Cleveland St. and in overtime against Seton Hall. We know what it takes for them to be successful.

While the defense has been the difference, the offense has been important in determining wins and losses. West Virginia had won 27 straight games when it scored 70 or more points until Syracuse won last Saturday 72-71. Ohio St. will be playing for some revenge here following a 28-point blowout loss at home last season at the hands of the Mountaineers.

Texas Longhorns (1) at Connecticut Huskies (21)

And then there was one. Texas was one of two remaining undefeated teams entering the week but the Longhorns could not overcome the hostile environment of Bramlage Coliseum and lost to Kansas St. by nine points. They will try to bounce back in another tough road game against a pretty desperate opponent. The loss against the Wildcats seemed inevitable as Texas has not been playing as good as it did earlier in the season and it was down at halftime in the previous two games and actually did not take the lead against Texas A&M until overtime.

Connecticut had a rough couple weeks. Three straight losses against Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Michigan sent the Huskies from being 11-3 to 11-6 and then the news came that head coach Jim Calhoun would be taking a medical leave of absence. Connecticut handled the situation like a strong team should and it went out and easily defeated St. John’s after a slow start. The Huskies are 11-1 at home and 1-5 away from Storrs so the venue has played a big part in the season thus far. The Huskies will have no problem getting up for the Longhorns but depth could be a problem here.

Connecticut goes only seven to eight players deep while Texas has 10 players averaging more than 12 mpg. That will surely help the Longhorn toward the end of the game but negating that is the fact that they are shooting only 62.5 percent from the free throw line this season including 61.1 percent on the road. This could become a real issue when close games become more common.

Duke Blue Devils (6) at Clemson Tigers (16)

First it was North Carolina that was falling apart in the ACC and that seemed to give Duke the inside track toward the regular season title. Now it is the Blue Devils that are struggling although one game should not start a panic. It is just that the loss against NC State on Wednesday was the third loss in three tries on an opponent’s home floor so Duke needs to starting playing better away from Cameron Indoor. The good news is that the Blue Devils are 4-0 in neutral court games but that does little good here against a Clemson team that is 9-1 at home, losing only to Illinois by a bucket.

The Tigers are coming off a loss as well as it went down at Georgia Tech by a bucket so they will be looking to bounce back as well. The difference of course is that Clemson is playing at home. Duke won the first meeting this year by 21 points at home setting up a revenge situation for the Tigers. Last season, it was the Tigers that destroyed the Blue Devils by 27 points at home so that first game this year surely had some carry over by Duke. The big thing that Clemson needs here is a better start as it managed only 12 points in that meeting three weeks ago.

Long range shooting should be a concern for Clemson as it is shooting only 28.4 percent from behind the arc in five ACC games after hitting 41.4 percent from three-point land in 14 non-conference games. Duke will have something to say about Clemson trying to get that back as the Blue Devils are allowing opponents to shoot only 29.1 percent from behind the arc. Coincidentally, that is the same three-point percentage the Tigers allow.

Tips and Trends

Ohio State Buckeyes at West Virginia Mountaineers

Buckeyes: This is a very important game for the Buckeyes, as they have all the motivation in the world to play well. This is a revenge game for Ohio St, as they lost 76-48 at home last year to WVA. Wisconsin has won 3 games in a row, against impressive competition. Wins against both Purdue and Wisconsin SU have been season defining wins for a team that stands at 14-5 SU and 10-9 ATS. The Buckeyes are only 1-4 both SU and ATS on the road this season. Ohio St. is also only 1-5 both SU and ATS as the listed underdog this season. G Evan Turner is the clear leader of this Buckeyes team, as he also averages a team high 18.6 PPG this year. Turner is widely considered one of the best players in the country, and is the best talent at OSU since Jimmy Jackson. In games played away from home this season, Ohio St. is allowing more than 70 PPG.

Ohio State is 0-4 ATS last 4 games as a road underdog up to 6.5 points.
Under is 11-1 last 12 vs. Big East.

Key Injuries - G Walter Offutt (personal) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 60

Mountaineers (-6, O/U 132.5): West Virginia is ranked 11th in the country, but are they really playing that well right now? That's the million dollar question, as this team is only 3-3 SU over their past 6 games. Losses SU to Purdue, Notre Dame, and Syracuse have derailed what was previously an undefeated season. West Virginia has a record of 14-3 SU and 6-10 ATS. The Mountaineers are 7-1 SU and 2-5 ATS. The Mountaineers are 3-3 ATS as a single digit favorite this year. West Virginia has 3 fabulous forwards, led by Da'Sean Butler. Butler leads the Mountaineers with 15.8 PPG, and is the teams go to scorer with the game on the line. Combined with Butler, Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks have accounted for 53.3 percent of WVU’s points this year and 52 percent of the rebounds. West Virginia has only allowed 1 team to score more than 70 PTS at home this season.

Mountaineers are 17-6 ATS last 23 games as a home favorite up to 6.5 points.
Under is 5-1 last 6 games as a home favorite.

Key Injuries - G Deniz Kilicli (suspension) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 65 (UNDER - Total of the Day)

Texas Longhorns at Connecticut Huskies

Longhorns (-2, O/U 148): Texas comes into the game today as the number 1 ranked team in the country. That is going to change however, as they lost SU for the 1st time this season SU in their last game against Kansas St. After winning by double digits in 14 of their first 15 games, Texas has seemed to struggle with the expectations of being undefeated. Texas is 17-1 SU on the year, but are only 7-7 ATS. Texas is 6-1 SU and 3-4 ATS away from home including true road games and neutral court games. Texas is 3-0 ATS as a single digit favorite this season. G Damion James averages a team high 17.3 PPG this season, but was limited to just 9 PTS in their last game to Kansas St. 3 other Longhorns average double digits, including Guards Avery Bradley and J'Covan Brown. This duo combines to average nearly 23 PPG, with nearly three 3 pointers made per game. Texas struggles shooting free throws, as they shoot less than 63% as a team.

Texas is 1-9-1 ATS last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Over is 5-1 last 6 games as a road favorite.

Key Injuries - G Shawn Williams (ankle) is out.
G Varez Ward (knee) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 79 (Side of the Day)

Huskies: Turmoil is the best word to describe this UCONN team. Coach Calhoun has taken an indefinite leave, and the team has fallen out of the AP Top 25 poll thanks to 3 consecutive SU defeats. The Huskies are 12-6 SU and 7-9 ATS this season. 11 of the the Huskies 12 wins have come at home, where they are a perfect 11-0 SU, including an ATS record of 4-6. The Huskies are 2-1 ATS as an underdog this year, with today marking the 1st time this season they've been listed as the home underdog. G Jerome Dyson leads the Huskies in scoring at nearly 19 PPG this season. F Stanley Robertson and G Kemba Walker combine to average nearly 30 PPG for UCONN, with Walker shooting better than 53% from the field. The Huskies have scored more than 70 PTS in 9 of their 11 home games, while holding 9 of their 11 opponents teams under 70 PTS at home this season.

UConn is 8-3 ATS last 11 games as an underdog.
Under is 6-1 last 7 games as a home underdog.

Key Injuries - C Jonathan Mandeldove (academics) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 71