NCAAB News and Notes Saturday 3/5

NCAA Betting: Notre Dame at UConn Huskies
By: Stephen Nover

The Irish are right there again in the scoring column averaging 75.7 points a game, 38th-best in the nation.

But as the Irish get ready to face 16th-ranked Connecticut on the road Saturday at 11 a.m. PT on ESPN, few could have imagined Notre Dame being this strong overall.

It’s not a fluke Notre Dame is ranked eighth. The Irish are the only Big East team to go unbeaten at home posting a 17-0 mark. The Irish have won 10 of their last 11 games, with an 8-3 ATS mark, and have a chance to win the Big East.

Notre Dame is 13-4 in the conference, one game behind league-leading Pittsburgh. The Irish have won 24 of their 29 games. This is their final regular season game. Pittsburgh closes its regular season Saturday at home against Villanova.

The Irish already have ensured themselves of a double bye in the Big East Conference Tournament, which begins Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

Connecticut is in a much different situation.

The Huskies, 21-8 overall and 9-8 in the Big East, are in a three-way tie for ninth place in the conference with Marquette and Villanova. The top eight teams in the league draw a first-round bye into the conference tournament.

Jim Calhoun still is seeking his 300th Big East victory after his Huskies lost, 65-56, to West Virginia this past Wednesday night as five-point road ‘dogs. The combined 121 points dipped ‘under’ the 131-point total. It was the fifth time in their last six games the Huskies have gone ‘under’ the total.

Star guard Kemba Walker, second in the Big East in scoring, hit his season average of 22 points for the Huskies. But West Virginia helped force Walker to miss 15 of 23 shots from the floor.

Alex Oriakhi, the Huskies’ second-leading scorer at 9.9 points per game, scored four points in 36 minutes. Huskies center Charles Okwandu didn’t shoot a free throw for the seventh straight game. Roscoe Smith failed to score in 23 minutes. Smith is seven-for-27 shooting from the floor in his last six games.

It was Connecticut’s third defeat in its last four games. The Huskies could manage just two field goals against the Mountaineers during the final 10 minutes.

Notre Dame is the more rested team having last played this past Monday when it destroyed 19th-ranked Villanova, 93-72, as five-point home favorites. The combined 165 points flew ‘over’ the 140-point total.

Tim Abromaitis and Ben Hansbrough each scored 30 points to lead the Irish past the Wildcats. Abromaitis made nine 3-point shots, one off the school record set by Kyle McAlarney in 2008. Notre Dame connected on a school record 20 3-pointers, tying a Big East Conference mark. Abromaitis is averaging 26.6 points in his last three games.

Notre Dame edged Connecticut, 73-70, on Jan. 4 failing to cover as four-point home favorites. The combined 143 points went ‘over’ the 140-point total.

Hansbrough, the Irish’s leading scorer at 18.4 points per game, had 21 points against the Huskies while pulling down five rebounds and dishing off four assists. Abromaitis chipped in 19 points and seven rebounds.

Walker had his string of 11 straight games with 20 or more points snapped. The Irish held him to 19 points on eight-of-23 shooting from the field. The Irish also held Oriakhi scoreless.

Notre Dame beat Connecticut despite missing third-leading scorer Carleton Scott, who was out with a hamstring injury. Scott is averaging 11.3 points per contest.

The ‘over’ has cashed in six of Notre Dame’s past eight games.

NCAA Betting Preview: Villanova at Pittsburgh
By: Willie Bee

Saturday's matchup in Pittsburgh between the host Panthers and Villanova Wildcats has been circled on many a calendar since schedules were released last year. Co-favorites in the Big East, the Pitt, 'Nova battle was seen as the game that would decide the regular season conference champs and top seed in next week's tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Pittsburgh can still claim the crown with a win, but the game (1:00 p.m. PT, CBS) is no longer a clash of conference titans.

Villanova's demise the last six weeks or so leaves the Wildcats headed towards a second-division finish in the Big East standings. A 16-1 opening run into mid-January seems like so long ago for Villanova (21-8 straight up, 12-15 against the spread). Yes, it's a tough conference and all that rot. Jay Wright's squad has endured some personnel issues like the suspension of JayVaughn Pinkston, a toe injury that kept Corey Stokes out of the lineup for three full games recently and now has leading-scorer Corey Fisher battling nagging injuries.

Still, this is a club that was expected to be better than Notre Dame and Louisville, certainly St. John's and Cincinnati when the conference tournament rolled around and Big East seeds were handed out.

For the record, 'Nova did beat both Cincinnati and Louisville earlier this season, the Bearcats and Cardinals each ranked heading into the matchups. Those two wins are in fact the last time this Villanova team really played like its preseason hype. The Wildcats have gone 5-8 in Big East action since those triumphs, 3-10 versus the odds with spread losers in each of their last seven trips to the floor.

They were embarrassed at South Bend on Monday night, dropping a 93-72 decision to the Irish as five-point underdogs. It was just the third time this season Villanova received points in a game, the 'Cats covering the other two in January road affairs (Syracuse, UConn).

Pittsburgh (26-4 SU, 13-12 ATS) has proven itself human recently as well, but still enters this game and the conference tourney in good fashion. Tough road defeats at St. John's and in overtime to Louisville in the past two weeks have the Panthers needing this win to be the lone regular season conference champ. At worst, a loss could drop them to No. 2 in the Big East bracket next week.

The 62-59 defeat at Louisville a week ago came with the Panthers one-point road pups, also their first loss in three games receiving points. One of the other times Pitt was the 'dog was Feb. 12 at Villanova when Jamie Dixon's lads prevailed 57-54 as a 2½-point 'dog. 'Nova was still a top-10 team in that contest three weeks ago to further illustrate how quickly the Wildcats have fallen. It was also the first time in over four years Villanova had fallen to anyone on The Pavilion floor.

That win in Philly gave Pittsburgh it's second straight cover in the series, and also marked the fourth straight time a meeting between the two ended with the underdog winning straight up. The caveat to that little trend being Pitt was a slight home underdog last season when the two schools met in Iron City. The Panthers emerged with a 70-65 win, knocking off a 'Nova team that was ranked third in the country.

Pittsburgh won't be an underdog this time at home where they are officially 16-2 overall on the season, 15-1 here at Petersen Events Center and 1-1 across town at Consol Energy Center.

Oddsmakers haven't been able to set a number too low for Pitt games recently, the Panthers on a six-game stretch down low and nine of last 11. Three of Villanova's last four have gone 'over,' however.

The next time we should see either team is nest week in New York City. Villanova should be one of the Big East teams playing Tuesday as a lower-half seed while Pitt sits around until Thursday before taking on most likely the 8/9 seed winner.

Duke Blue Devils at UNC Tar Heels
By: Adam Markowitz

It feels like it's been forever since there has been this much hype around an NCAA basketball betting affair between the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The two will lock horns Saturday night (5:00 PT, CBS) in one of the biggest and most meaningful games of the entire season. The winner at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill will be the outright regular season championof the ACC and the top seed in next week's ACC Tournament.

Oh yes, and there is this matter of being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament that is still hanging out there in the backdrop as well. Duke probably has a top slot right now, and the Blue Devils know that winning the ACC would probably get the job done once and for all without any doubts.

However, losing this one would definitely bring in some questions, if for no other reason because North Carolina could win the ACC, have virtually the same record and have two wins over the Dookies on the season if these two were to meet in the ACC finale.

The Blue Devils have heard all sorts of speculation about Kyrie Irving and his potential availability any time in the near future. It's clear that he won't be back for this contest against Carolina, but his teammates are still holding down the fort without him.

Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler have been there and done that, and they are both chock full of Final Four experience from last year's National Championship team. The two are averaging a combined 38.7 PPG this season, which is almost half of what the team is accounting for on a regular basis.

North Carolina's win in Tallahassee against the Florida State Seminoles last week was a real boost for the team and really did keep its potential No. 1 rating intact, though it remains a long shot even if it does win out. The Heels only seem to be getting stronger and stronger as this season wears on. After all, they haven't lost a game outside of the Feb. 9 meeting at Cameron Indoor Stadium since January 16, and they are 9-3 ATS in this run as well.

The real difference maker? Harrison Barnes. Since the end of January, UNC has played 10 games. Barnes has averaged 17.9 PPG and 6.4 RPG, and he is legitimately rounding into the All-American quality of player that the Tar Heels thought they were getting when they recruited him for this season.

Joined with Tyler Zeller and John Henson, head coach Roy Williams knows that Barnes completes one of the best frontcourts in the entire country. These three are combining for 39.8 PPG and 22.4 RPG which, just like Duke's duo, is accounting for right around half of the scoring and half of the rebounding for the team on the season.

North Carolina played well that first time around in Durham, nearly scoring the upset as tremendous 10 ½-point underdogs on the college basketball odds. The underdogs in this series improved to 14-6 ATS over the course of the last 20 meetings between these arch rivals.

The Dookies have won three in a row SU though, and the Tar Heels would love nothing more than to make sure that that changes on Saturday, something that could go a long way to bringing the ACC title back to Chapel Hill for the first time since 2008-09.

Duke at North Carolina: What Bettors Need to Know
By Sean Murphy

Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina Tar Heels (pick 'em)

There’s no rivalry like it in college basketball.

Sure, it’s been a bit of a one-sided matchup since the start of last season, with Duke taking all three meetings, but it’s still the game everyone wants to watch.

If this season’s first installment was any indication, we could be in for another classic Saturday.

History lesson

Prior to Duke’s current three-game winning streak in the series, North Carolina had been victorious in the previous three meetings. The under has cashed in four consecutive meetings.
The Blue Devils are 3-1 ATS in their last four matchups with the Tar Heels, but last year was unique as North Carolina was in transition and not playing at the level we’ve become accustomed to seeing from Roy Williams’ squad.

The under has cashed in four consecutive meetings, with three of those falling nowhere close to the closing total. It was a different story in February, as the two teams combined to score 152 points, falling just three points short of the posted number.

Tale of two halves

Back on February 9, at Cameron Indoor Stadium, North Carolina appeared well on its way to an upset victory, leading 43-29 heading into halftime.

The Tar Heels came unglued in the second half, getting outscored 50-30 over the game’s final 20 minutes.

Poor 3-point and free-throw shooting were the major culprits in that collapse, as the Tar Heels shot just 2 of 14 (14.3 percent) from beyond the arc and 13 of 22 (59.1 percent) from the charity stripe.

Doing it with defense

They can still run you out of the gym with an offense that averages over 80 points per game, but the Blue Devils have shown a renewed commitment at the defensive end of the floor this season.

They come into this game playing some of their best defensive basketball of the year, holding their last five opponents to 56.4 points per game on 34.2 percent shooting.

Even in last Saturday’s shocking loss to Virginia Tech, Duke still managed to limit the Hokies to 39.2 percent shooting.

It should come as no surprise that the under has cashed in eight of Duke’s last nine contests overall.

Battle on the boards

If there’s one area where the Tar Heels own a distinct advantage in this game, it’s on the glass.

North Carolina is arguably the best rebounding team in the nation and it has certainly proven that fact time in ACC play.

The Tar Heels have outrebounded 11 of their last 12 ACC opponents, including a 45-40 edge against the Blue Devils in their first meeting this season.

Here at home, UNC is out-rebounding the opposition by an average of nearly 10 boards per contest.

Bulletin board material

Dexter Strickland probably didn’t do his team any favors when he all but guaranteed a victory for his Tar Heels following Wednesday’s narrow win over Florida State.

"I'm glad it's home. That will give us a little advantage. I feel like the last time we played them, we just made mental errors that can be mentally corrected. I think that on Saturday, we're going to win. I know we're going to win on Saturday. I have a lot of confidence in myself and in my teammates. And if everybody has the same attitude I do, I know we're going to win."

As if the Blue Devils needed any more reason to sharpen their focus this weekend.

Key trends

-Duke is 16-7 ATS in its last 23 lined games following an ATS loss.

-North Carolina is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games against an opponent that owns a winning record.

-The under is 41-16 in the Blue Devils’ last 57 ACC contests.

-The under is 24-9 in the Tar Heels’ last 33 games in-conference.

Saturday's Early Battles
By Judd Hall

It’s the final weekend in college basketball’s regular season and normally we’re going to see some games that really don't mean much. That isn’t the case on Saturday as we have a pair of early tilts between teams that have dreams of winning their respective conference tournaments.

It all starts off in Columbia, where 24th-ranked Missouri (22-8 straight up, 12-13 against the spread) welcomes the No. 2 Jayhawks to town at 12:00 p.m. EST on CBS.

The Tigers are no doubt looking forward to some time off before the conference tourney after their finish to the season. Mizzou comes into this game having lost its last two games. An 80-70 loss at Kansas State isn’t terrible. But a 69-58 loss at Nebraska as two-point road pups is not how the Tigers wanted to close out their Big XII road schedule. Marcus Denmon was the lone bright spot for Missouri in Lincoln, scoring 19 points with a pair of rebounds.

Kansas (28-2 SU, 15-13 ATS) has a leg up on a few teams when it comes to the top seed in the Big XII tourney. The Jayhawks also control their own destiny for a top seeding in the NCAA tournament. Of course, some believe they have it wrapped up as they enter this regular season finale. That tends to happen when you go 10-1 SU and 7-4 ATS in your last 11 games.

The Jayhawks extended their latest win streak to four games after dispatching Texas A&M 64-51 last Wednesday to clinch the regular season conference crown. Bettors that backed them shouted out a few four-lettered words after they failed to cover against the Aggies as 13½-point home favorites. It wasn’t a dominant performance for Bill Self’s crew, but Marcus and Markieff Morris both scored 13 points. Brady Morningstar also made a good contribution by scoring nine points on 3-for-3 shooting to go with two boards and four assists.

This series has been really one-sided recently as KU has gone 4-0 SU and ATS in the last four head-to-head meetings. The most recent contest resulted in a 103-86 beatdown by the Jayhawks as 10½-point home faves on Feb. 7. I’d like to say Mizzou has been competitive in the past 10 meetings, but a 1-9 SU and 2-8 ATS record tells me that Tony Danza…um…Kansas is still the boss.

What the Tigers do have going for them in this game is that they are 17-0 SU in Mizzou Arena this season. The betting public that took at them for a wager did well enough as they went 8-4 ATS. The ‘under’ went 7-5 in those home dates.

Kansas isn’t having any issues when traveling away from Lawrence this year, going 8-1 SU and 4-5 ATS. However, the Jayhawks have failed to cover the spread in their last two road games. The ‘over’ is a very healthy 8-1 in those tests.

We head out to Storrs after our trip to the heartland, where the Huskies welcome Notre Dame (24-5 SU, 14-10 ATS) for their Big East regular season finale at 2:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.

The Fighting Irish come into this game with a three-game winning streak, covering the number in their last two contests. The most recent test for Mike Brey’s team was an impressive one as they clobbered Villanova 93-72 as five-point home favorites on ESPN’s Big Monday telecast. Tim Abromaitis continues to give the Irish faithful quality performances by lighting up the Wildcats for 30 points and four assists. Ben Hansbrough also took ‘Nova to the woodshed with 30 points and 10 helpers.

With that win over the Wildcats, Notre Dame has a legitimate shot at the Big East’s regular season crown. All they need is to pick up a win against the Huskies and hope that Pittsburgh loses to Villanova. That would give the Fighting Irish and Panthers identical 14-4 records in league play. However, ND gets the nod for No. 1 as they have the 56-51 win as a 10½-point pup at Pitt back on Jan. 24.

Connecticut (21-8 SU, 13-10 ATS) will no doubt be happy to get a few days off to regroup for the tournament at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies enter this contest in the middle of the Big East pack after going 1-3 SU and ATS in their last four games.

Jim Calhoun won’t give his Huskies a dime after how they fared in a 65-56 defeat as five-point road pups to West Virginia last Wednesday night. It’s kind of a miracle that UConn was in this game as the Mountaineers held them to just 37 percent shooting from the field. Bob Huggins’s team also controlled the boards with a 30-23 rebounding advantage.

Connecticut is currently listed as a fifth seed in ESPN’s Bracketology by Joe Lunardi. That’s a total joke, in my opinion. The Huskies are getting a lot more love by people because of a bloated and ridiculously overrated Big East. The same thing is happening to Marquette, who is even worse than Calhoun’s club. And the kicker is the Golden Eagles beat UConn on Feb. 24. If you’re looking for a team that is almost guaranteed a first round exit in the big dance, it’s the Huskies.

Like I said earlier, Notre Dame can still grab a piece of the Big East’s regular season crown if they win this game. The Irish know that is doable as they picked up a 73-70 triumph over Connecticut on Jan. 4. The Huskies got the last laugh though by covering as four-point road pups. ND has won the last two head-to-head meetings, but UConn is 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS. The ‘under’ is 3-2 in the past five tests.

The Irish are just 4-4 SU and 3-5 ATS in Big East roadies this season, but they’re 4-1 SU 3-2 ATS in the last five. The ‘over’ is 3-2 in this recent five-game stretch.

Connecticut is only 5-3 SU and 3-5 ATS in its conference home battles. The ‘over’ is 5-3 in those games for Calhoun and Company.

vegasinsider.com

College Hoops Betting TV Guide
By Dave Carey

Kansas Jayhawks at Missouri Tigers (2.5, 155), 12 p.m. ET, CBS

The Tigers know they must ramp things up on offense. The team is coming off a 69-58 loss at Nebraska and committed a staggering 17 turnovers. Even worse, the squad fell to 0-19 since 2005 when scoring 60 or fewer points.

“It’s a one-game season now, and we’re going home and we have an opportunity to play at home,” Missouri coach Mike Anderson said. “We play well at home, and we’re playing against one of the better teams in the country. So it’s another opportunity. I think it’s been a season of opportunities.”

Louisville Cardinals at West Virginia Mountaineers (-3.5, 129.5), 12 p.m., ESPN

The Mountaineers have showed they have some tricks left in the bag. Trailing by one late against UConn, coach Bob Huggins threw in a bunch of surprise zone looks that baffled the backcourt of Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier, especially a unique point-drop zone. The duo finished the final three minutes just 2-of-10 from the floor as West Virginia pulled away for a 65-56 win.

"I think it frustrated them,'' West Virginia forward Kevin Jones said. "And that was our point, to keep them confused and make them take bad shots.''

Duquesne Dukes at Richmond Spiders (-3.5, 138.5), 12 p.m., CBS College Sports

It’s easy for Richmond: guard Kevin Anderson must attack the rim. In a 69-54 win over St. Joseph’s, the Spiders led just 20-19 at halftime and didn’t attempt a free throw. Anderson had a mere two points. When the game ended, Richmond was 12-of-14 from the foul line – Anderson was 9-for-9 – and dropped 22 points.

"Last game at Charlotte, our shots weren't falling as a team and I went to the hole, got a lot of easy free throws and got my team going that way," Anderson said. "Things just opened up."

Virginia Tech Hokies at Clemson Tigers (-3.5, 127.5), 12 p.m., ESPN

If the Tigers want to get back on the NCAA Tournament bubble, Milton Jennings must continue to be a force inside. The forward had 10 points and 11 rebounds in a 70-59 loss at Duke this week. Jennings needed the ball more down the stretch, however. Clemson made a mere two field goals over the final 11 minutes.

“This year, we are not stumbling into the postseason,” Clemson forward Tanner Smith said. “We are playing better than we were at the beginning of the year.”

Oregon Ducks at Arizona Wildcats (-13, 140), 2 p.m., CBS

Arizona swingman Derrick Williams has decided to take the wrap off his injured right pinkie and go with a smaller version. It could be huge for the team’s interior defense. Since he hurt it last month, big men have lit up the interior of the Wildcats: UCLA's Reeves Nelson (27 points, 16 rebounds), USC's Nikola Vucevic (25 points, 12 rebounds) and Alex Stepheson (12, 10), Washington's Matthew Bryan-Amaning (24 points, eight rebounds), Cal's Harper Kamp (33 points, 10 rebounds) and Stanford's Josh Owens (13 points, nine rebounds) all decimated the ‘Cats.

Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines (-1.5, 125.5), 2 p.m., CBS

Darius Morris is flourishing as the lead guard for the Wolverines this year due to coach John Beilein making a fundamental change in his offense. More than any other time in his career, he is using a ball screen to help free up his primary option on each play and let Morris decide to keep the rock, pull up for a jumper or kick it out to an open shooter.

“He’s got three shooters around, three shooters and a screener so the help factor is very difficult for people,” Beilein said. “Because you’re either going to stop Darius going to the lane and you might give up a three or you stay with the three’s and he can finish.”

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Connecticut Huskies (-3, 138), 2 p.m., ESPN

You can be sure UConn was working on its offensive sets all week. The Huskies fell apart against the Mountaineers zone defense late in a loss this week and there was plenty of finger pointing afterwards. The Huskies were on the short end of a 65-56 loss and coach John Calhoun blamed the team taking too many quick shots.

"I don't really understand that, in a sense," Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier said. "Everybody has to be together, everyone has to know what we're doing. … It seems like I'm trying to slow up the offense, but actually I'm trying to get all my teammates in order so we can try to score.”

South Carolina Gamecocks at Mississippi State Bulldogs (-6, 140), 2 p.m., ESPN2

Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury is taking it easy on guard Dee Bost. With Jalen Steele out with an injury and Bost hobbled by a bum hamstring, loose teeth and a strained Achilles tendon, Stansbury doesn’t have a choice. Bost averages a team-high 16.2 points per game, leads the SEC in assists (6 per game) and is third in steals (1.7 per night).

"He's got to be really hurt for me to have that feeling (to bench him)," Stansbury said. "When he gets hurting a little bit, I look the other way. I don't want to see it."

Purdue Boilermakers at Iowa Hawkeyes (9, 133), 4 p.m., ESPN

E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson get all the headlines for the Boilermakers, but sophomore forward DJ Byrd is starting to make some noise of his own. Byrd had 16 points and seven rebounds in a recent win over Illinois and is benefiting from the open looks his teammates are generating for him.

"It's easy when you have these guys on your team," Byrd said. "We threw the ball inside, and JJ got double-teamed a couple of times and kicked it out. When you have the defense on (Johnson and Moore), they will hit us when we are wide open.”

Florida Gators at Vanderbilt Commodores (-4, 137.5), 4 p.m., ESPN

Vernon Macklin is a 6-foot-10, 218-pound monster for the Gators. After notching just five points in the first half of a recent blowout of Alabama, he exploded in the final 20 minutes to finish with a game-high 19 points as he dealt with constant double-teams.

“We like our chances with ‘Vern’ on anybody in the country one-on-one,” senior forward Chandler Parsons said. “We just wanted to give him the ball and let him work.”

Villanova Wildcats at Pittsburgh Panthers (-9.5, 134.5), 6 p.m., CBS

You can be sure the Panthers have worked on their shooting this week. Pittsburgh has struggled to make baskets early, failing to crack the 30-point barrier at halftime in six of the team’s past seven games. Not surprisingly, the team is averaging a mere 62.6 points per game over that stretch – about 13 below its season average.

"We just have to come out in the first half better," senior guard Brad Wanamaker said. "The last couple of games the thing that's hurt us is the first half, playing from behind. For us to win games, we have to be prepared from start to finish."

Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina Tar Heels (N/A), 8 p.m., CBS

Harrison Barnes needs to point out just one number this season to assert his ACC Freshman of the Year candidacy: 5. As in, the number of go-ahead or game-winning shots he has made this season, including a victorious three-pointer with 3.1 seconds left in a 72-70 win over Florida State. Tar Heels coach Roy Williams has so much faith in him, he told him before the shot he was going to bury it.

"He's going to miss some one day; I know that. But I'm not surprised [that he keeps hitting winners]," Williams said. "Great players who have that kind of focus, who have that kind of ability, can make those kinds of plays."

Texas Longhorns at Baylor Bears (4, 132.5), 9 p.m., ESPN

Jordan Hamilton has lost his stroke for the Longhorns. Texas has lost three of its past four games and Hamilton, a National Player of the Year candidate, is a mere 15-of-58 from the floor in those losses. In a recent loss to Kansas State, he had 14 points but was an abysmal 5-for-18 from the field.

"I think the biggest thing is he needs to use his teammates to get him open and he needs to use his space," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "He needs to fight for his space. Early in the year, he was fighting to get possession down low. He needs to do that."

College Basketball Knowledge

Duquesne lost five of last seven games after 8-0 start in conference; they lost three of last four road games, losing by 2-1-11 points. Richmond is 7-1 in last eight games, winning/covering last three. Spiders are 10-0 vs Duquesne since 2003- they're 2-5 vs spread as home favorite this year. A-14 home favorites of less than 6 points are 11-15 against the spread.

West Virginia (+7) lost 55-54 at Louisville Jan 26, blowing an 11-point halftime lead; WVa played only seven guys- they were 5-26 from arc. Mountaineers won three of last four games- they're 4-3 as Big East home favorite. Cardinals won/covered last four games- they're 2-3 as a dog in Big East. Big East home faves of 4 or less points are 20-15 vs spread.

Missouri (+11) lost 103-86 at Kansas Feb 7; Jayhawks shot 61% for game, made 11-19 from arc. Mizzou won all seven Big 12 home games allowing just 65.6 ppg; they're 1-4 vs spread as Big 12 dog, but all those were on road. Kansas is 6-1 on Big 12 road (3-4 as road fave) with only loss at K-State. Big 12 home underdogs of 5 or less points are 9-7.

No idea what to make of Virginia Tech, which beat Duke/lost to BC in last two games; underdog is 10-4 vs spread in Hokies' last 14 games, as Tech is 3-4 on ACC road, 2-0 as road dog. ACC home favorites of 5 or less points are 4-8-1 vs spread. Clemson is 6-1 at home in ACC, losing only to North Carolina. Tigers are 4-3 as an ACC home favorite.

Michigan (+11) won 61-57 in East Lansing, making 10-21 from arc, just 5-12 at foul line. Wolverines are 9-1 vs spread in last 10 games, winning five of last seven SU, with two losses by total of 3 points. Big 11 home favorites of less than 4 points are 11-5-1 vs spread. Spartans lost six of last seven road games, but they have won three of last four overall.

Cincinnati (+6.5) won 58-46 at Georgetown 10 days ago, holding Hoyas to 25% from floor in game where Wright was hurt. Georgetown is 1-3 in last four games, losing by 8-12-7 points; they're 2-1 as league underdog. Bearcats won/covered four of last five games- they're 4-6 as a Big East favorite. Big East home favorites of 4 or less points are 20-15.

UConn (+4) lost 73-70 at Notre Dame Jan 4, as Irish held Walker to 19 points on 8-23 shooting; Huskies lost three of last four games, losing by 13-7-9 points- they lost three of last five home games. Irish are 10-1 in last 11 games, but are 1-4 vs spread in last five games as a dog- they are 4-4 on Big East road, with losses by 12-22-18-14 points.

Villanova lost last three games by 5-13-21 points- they're 0-7 vs spread in last seven games, 4-4 SU on Big East road, losing by 2-15-1-21 pts. Pitt (+2.5) won 57-54 at Villanova Feb 12, with both teams making less than 40% of their shots. Panthers are 5-3 as home favorite, winning by 15-8-21-8-12-12-13. Big East home faves of 7.5-15 points are 22-14.

Vanderbilt (+9.5) lost 65-61 in OT at Florida Feb 1, in a brickfest where both teams shot under 38%; Commodores are 1-5 as SEC home favorite, winning home games by 7-10-18-4-4 points (lost to Ark/Tenn). Gators won seven of last eight games- they're 3-0-1 as an SEC underdog, losing road games by 7-8 points. SEC home faves of 6 or less points are 8-12.

Harvard (+2) lost 65-61 at Princeton Feb 4, shooting just 3-16 from arc; Tigers win here, they win Ivy title. Princeton won its last three games by 18-5-22 points- they're 3-2 as Ivy road favorite, losing at Brown by 10 for only league loss. Harvard is 6-0 at home in Ivy, winning by 9-11-21-3-7-15 points. If Princeton loses here, they would have to beat Penn next week to force a one-game playoff with Harvard for Ivy title.

North Carolina (+10) lost 79-73 at Duke Feb 9, after leading by 14 at the half; UNC was just 13-22 from line, 2-14 from arc, but they've won six in a row since. Heels are 4-3 as ACC home favorite, winning all seven. Duke won seven of last eight games; they're 5-2 on ACC road, losing at Florida State/Va Tech. ACC home teams are 6-11-1 vs spread in games where pointspread was 3 or less points.

Baylor (+11) lost 69-60 at Texas Feb 12, game they trailed by 16 at half; Bears were outscored 22-5 at foul line. Longhorns lost three of last four games, losing at Nebraska/Colorado in last two away games. Baylor lost four of last five games, scoring just 61.2 ppg; they're 2-5 vs spread as a Big 12 dog. Big 12 home underdogs of 5 or less points are 9-7 vs spread.

Senior PG Gay drained jumper with 0:02 left, giving San Diego State (-5) 56-54 win at Colorado State Feb 2, closest Aztecs have come to losing against someone other than BYU. Rams lost three of last four games, are 4-2 vs spread as MWC dog, losing away games by 7-8-17 points. San Diego State is 3-4 as MWC home favorite, winning at home by 6-13-39-7-32-6. Double digit home favorites are 5-11 vs spread in MWC play.

Tips and Trends

Kansas Jayhawks at Missouri Tigers

JAYHAWKS: (-2.5, O/U 156) Kansas has won their past 4 games SU, all by double digits. The Jayhawks are well on their way to a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Kansas is currently 28-2 SU and 15-13 ATS overall this year. The Jayhawks are ranked #2 in the nation this week, and a win today just might be enough to bump them up to #1. Kansas is 8-1 SU and 4-5 ATS in true road games this season. The Jayhawks are 2-5 ATS as a single digit favorite this year. As a 2.5 favorite today, Kansas is facing their shortest line of the season. The Jayhawks are a prolific offense this year, averaging 83.1 PPG this season, 4th most in the nation. F Marcus Morris is averaging a team high 17.1 PPG this season, as well as 6.9 RPG. F Markieff Morris is averaging 13.6 PPG and a Jayhawks best 8.3 RPG this year. The Jayhawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games. Kansas is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against a team with a winning SU record. The Jayhawks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall. Kansas is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against the Big 12 Conference.

Jayhawks are 7-3 ATS last 10 games as a favorite.
Over is 7-0 last 7 road games against a team with a winning home record.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 75

TIGERS: Missouri would love to exact some revenge on the Jayhawks, considering they've lost each of the past 4 meetings by more than 15 PTS. The Tigers are currently ranked 24th in the nation, thanks to a 22-8 SU record. Despite their prowess at winning games SU, Missouri is just 12-13 ATS this year. The Tigers are a perfect 17-0 SU and 8-5 ATS in home games this season. Missouri is 2-4 ATS as the listed underdog this season, with today marking just the 2nd time this season they've been the listed home underdog. G Marcus Denmon leads the Tigers in scoring this year, as he's averaging 16.8 PPG. F Ricardo Ratliffe is averaging 10.9 and a team high 6.4 RPG for Missouri this season. The Tigers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Saturday games. Missouri is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600%. The Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as the listed underdog.

Tigers are 5-1 ATS last 6 home games.
Over is 9-4 last 13 games following a SU loss.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 78 (SIDE of the Day)

Villanova Wildcats at Pittsburgh Panthers

WILDCATS: Villanova is finding the end of the regular season difficult, as they've lost their past 3 games and 5 of their last 7 SU overall. The Wildcats have looked like a tired bunch of late, ultimately losing their last 2 games by a combined 34 points. Villanova is 21-9 SU this season, which has earned them a national ranking of #19 this year. The Wildcats are just 11-15-1 ATS overall this season. Villanova has lost their last 2 meetings SU with Pittsburgh, dating back to 2009. The Wildcats are 7-4 SU and 3-7 ATS in true road games this season. Villanova is 2-1 ATS as the listed underdog this year. G Corey Fisher is averaging Villanova high's of 15.7 PPG and 5 APG this season. The Wildcats are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games following an ATS loss. Villanova is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games. The Wildcats are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 against the Big East Conference. Villanova is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a SU loss. The Wildcats are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 road games.

Wildcats are 1-10 ATS last 11 games overall.
Under is 8-1 last 9 games against a team with a winning SU record.

Key Injuries - G Corey Fisher (knee) is probable.

Projected Score: 58

PANTHERS: (-9.5, O/U 135.5) Pittsburgh has alternated wins and losses over their last 4 games, as they are battling for a #1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Pittsburgh is leading the toughest conference in the nation, the Big East Conference. The Panthers are currently ranked 5th in the nation, thanks to a 26-4 SU and 13-12 ATS record. Pittsburgh is 16-1 SU at home this year, yet just 6-7 ATS. The Panthers are 1-2 ATS as a home favorite between 9.5 and 12 PTS this season. Pittsburgh is 10-7 ATS against the Big East Conference this year. Even in defeat, the Panthers are still competitive. Their past 2 SU losses have come by a total of 4 PTS, with one game even going to overtime. G Ashton Gibbs is averaging a Panthers high 16.3 PPG this year, while shooting nearly 47% from the 3 point line. G Brad Wanamaker is averaging 12.2 PPG and a team high 5.1 APG this year. The Panthers are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games as a home favorite between 7 and 12.5 points.

Panthers are 6-2 ATS last 8 home games against a team with a winning road record.
Over is 6-0 last 6 home games against a team with a winning road record.

Key Injuries - F Talib Zanna (thumb) is out.

Projected Score: 71 (UNDER-Total of the Day)

UNC-Duke opens a pick 'em
By Brian Edwards

One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports will be renewed tonight in Chapel Hill where North Carolina (23-6 straight up, 14-12 against the spread) will play host to Duke at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

As of early this morning, most books had this game listed as a pick ‘em with a total of 151. If the line moves and North Carolina becomes the favorite, it’ll be the first time Duke has been an underdog all year long.

UNC is coming off its sixth consecutive win, a 72-70 victory at Florida State on Wednesday night. Harrison Barnes buried a game-winning 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3.1 seconds remaining to lift the Tar Heels to victory. However, Barnes’ heroics weren’t enough for UNC backers who were laying 2 ½ points at most books.

The non-cover was a break from the recent norm for Roy Williams’ squad, which owns a 9-3 spread record in its last 12 games. The Tar Heels haven’t tasted defeat in 14 home games this year, compiling a 6-5 ATS mark.

Duke (27-3 SU, 16-13 ATS) has won eight of its last nine games, going 6-3 ATS, but it has failed to cash tickets in back-to-back games, including Wednesday’s 70-59 home win over Clemson as a 12-point home favorite. On Senior Night, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith combined for 39 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.

Before beating Clemson, Mike Krzyzewski’s team saw its seven-game winning streak snapped in a 64-60 loss at Va. Tech last Saturday.

When these Tobacco Road adversaries met at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 9, Duke rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to capture a 79-73 win as a 10 ½-point home favorite. Nolan Smith poured in a career-high 34 points to spark the Blue Devils comeback victory. Seth Curry added 22 points, six rebounds and five assists for the winners.

Tyler Zeller scored 24 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in the losing effort. John Henson had 14 points and 12 boards, while Barnes was held to just nine points on 3-of-8 shooting in his first taste of this rivalry.

Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving remains out with an injury to his right big toe. Irving averaged 17.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game in the first eight games of the season, but Coach K said Friday that he doesn’t expect his PG to return this season.

Krzyzewski told the Associated Press that Duke has “a responsibility that ... we take care of his future.” Irving is expected to be a one-and-doner, as he’s currently listed as the No. 2 pick in the 2011 NBA mock draft on nbadraft.net. The same website has Barnes as the No. 6 selection.

The ‘under’ has been a lucrative money maker in Duke games recently, cashing in five straight and eight of the team’s last nine. For the season, the Blue Devils have watched the ‘under’ go 16-13.

The ‘under’ is 14-11-1 overall for UNC, but the ‘over’ is 6-4-1 in its home outings.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

The ‘under’ has cashed in four straight head-to-head meetings between Duke and UNC.

Singler was an abysmal 3-of-17 from the field in Duke’s win over UNC last month. Singler is listed as the No. 25 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft at nbadraft.net, while Smith is marked as the No. 29 selection.

Alabama might catch a break today if Georgia’s Trey Thompkins can’t go at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. Thompkins, who averages 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, had a toenail removed Tuesday and was limited to just 22 minutes of playing time in Wednesday’s win over LSU. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mark Fox is seriously considering resting Thompkins so that’ll be healthier for the SEC Tournament and beyond.

Alabama is undefeated in 15 homes games with a 9-2 spread record.

Xavier will take an eight-game winning streak into today’s game at Saint Louis. The Musketeers are 6-2 ATS during this surge and they are 7-1 versus the number in their last eight road assignments. Most spots have Xavier installed as a four-point road ‘chalk.’

If Harvard beats Princeton at home tonight, the Ivy League’s NCAA Tournament bid will go to the winner of a one-game playoff that’ll be played at a to-be-determined neutral venue.

Five bubble teams most in need of a victory Saturday:
1-Alabama (vs. Georgia)
2-Baylor (vs. Texas)
3-Va. Tech (at Clemson)
4-Clemson (vs. Va. Tech)
5-Colorado (vs. Nebraska)

vegasinsider.com.

Saturday's Totals to Watch
By Bruce Marshall

Here’s a quick look at several current team "totals" trends to watch in Saturday night’s college hoops card...

UNLV at Utah... There are few recent "totals" trends worth noting in the Mountain West other than Utah’s 7-2 "under" mark its last nine games.

Arkansas at Ole Miss... The Rebels are "under" in 7 of their last 11 outings.

Villanova at Pittsburgh...One of many pronounced "under" trends in the Big East is Pitt’s current 6-0 run.

Tulane at Memphis... Memphis continues as one of the nation’s most consistent "under" teams (nine straight and 13 of past 15).

DePaul at Syracuse... Jim Boeheim’s host Orange are "under" 7-2 in their last 9 games.

Marquette at Seton Hall... Two more Big East "under" trends; Marquette 9-1 its last ten games, the Hall 6-2 its last nine.

Southern Miss at Tulsa... USM "under" 5-1 its last six games.

Oregon at Arizona... The host Wildcats are "under" in their last three games.

Air Force at New Mexico... The Force is "over" 15-7 this season.

Stanford at California...Pronounced "overs" both way with these two Bay Area, Pac-10 rivals; Tree 7-1 its last eight, Golden Bears 7-0 their last seven outings.

Southern Cal at Washington... Trojans "under" 6 of their last 8 games.

Buffalo at Bowling Green... The host Falcons are "over" in 9 of their last 11 outings.

Brown at Columbia... Conflicting trends in this Ivy clash; the visiting Bears are "over" 7 of their last 10, while Monica Crowley’s alma mater Columbia "under" in 6 of its last 7 (despite the overtime "over" on Friday vs. Yale).

Utah State at La Tech... The host Bulldogs are "under" 12-5-1 their last 18 games.

Yale at Cornell... The Eli are "over" in 8 of their last 10.

Penn at Dartmouth... Physical Dartmouth side is "over" 6 of its last 7 outings.

UCF at Marshall...In coach UCF coach Donnie Jones’ return to Marshall, note his Golden Knights are "under" in 8 of their last 9 games.

Duke at North Carolina... Coach K’s Blue Devils are "under" in 5 straight and 8 of their last 9, while Roy Williams Tar Heels trending "under" as well (5 of last 6).

South Florida at St. John’s... USF is "under" in 8 of its last 10 outings.

Oregon State at Arizona State... In this potentially-torturous affair at Tempe, note that Herb Sendek’s Sun Devils are "under in 5 of their last 6 games.

San Jose State at Boise State...The host Broncos are "under" 5-1 in their last six outings.

CS Fullerton at UC Davis... Both of these Big West reps are trending "over" lately, Titans their last 4, and host Aggies in 6 of their last games.

UC Irvine at UC Riverside... Tedious UCR is "over" its last two, but note six straight preceding "unders" by the host Highlanders.

Cal Poly SLO at UC Santa Barbara... In battle between these nearby Central Coast Big West rivals, note that the visiting Mustangs are "under" in 6 of their last 8 games.

CS Northridge at Pacific... The host Tigers are "over" in 9 of their last 12 games.

UCLA at Washington State... Note that Ben Howland’s Bruins are "under" in 14 of their last 20 games.

Hawaii at Fresno State... The mainland-visiting Warriors are "over" their last 4 and 6 of their last 7 outings.

William & Mary vs. Hofstra (Colonial Tourney)... The Tribe is "over" 5 straight, while the Pride is "over" 8-2-1 its last 11 games.

Cleveland State vs. Butler (Horizon Tourney)... Brad Stevens’ Bulldogs are "under" in their last 4 outings.

Valparaiso at UW-Milwaukee (Horizon Tourney)... Valpo is "over" 12-3 its last 15 after Friday’s explosive win over Detroit, while tourney host UWM is "over" in 4 straight games.

Troy vs. North Texas (Sun Belt Tourney)... Troy is "under" in 5 of its last 6, while Johnny Jones’ UNT is "under" three straight after an extended runs of "overs" previously (11-1-1 prior 13).

Florida International vs. Denver (Sun Belt Tourney)... Conflicting trends, with FIU "over" its last 4 and 12 of its last 13, while the Pioneers are "under" in 7 straight.

Loyola Marymount vs. Santa Clara (WCC Tourney)... Wild man HC Max Good and his LMU Lions are "over" in five straight after Friday’s surprise win over Portland.

Canisius vs. Rider (Metro-Atlantic Tourney)...The Broncs are "over" in their last 4 outings.