Thursday's Best NCAAB Bet
Virginia Tech Hokies at Maryland Terrapins (-5, 134)
The Hokies have been known for their physical defense and bruising play during their recent run of success in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But thanks to a spate of injuries and uninspired play, the team is zoning it up.
"We have eight guys," Virgina Tech coach Seth Greenberg told reporters. "I'm not going to spend any time throwing a pity party. We play at 8, and that's what it is, and we're going to play our tails off. We can't change it, so let's go out and play some ball."
And that’s just what a team missing guard Dorenzo Hudson and forwards Cadarian Raines, Allan Chaney and J.T. Thompson for the season have done.
The team planed to mix in a 2-3 zone, but it enabled the team to force 19 turnovers in a 12-point win at Florida State, and then allowed the team to race out to a 16-point lead at North Carolina the cold-shooting Hokies couldn’t hold onto. Either way, the team’s lack of scholarship players and scoring will keep it in a zone and force the team to slow things down on offense.
And that’s not good news for Maryland. The team simply has poor jump shooters. This season, the Terrapins are making a mere 32.6 percent of their three-pointers – the 234th worst mark in the country. In an eight-point loss at Villanova on Saturday, the Terps failed to pull the upset because they made just 2-of-11 shots from beyond the arc.
Don’t expect them to magically find their range.
Pick: Virginia Tech
NCAA Betting Preview: Florida at Auburn
By: Joe Freda
The Florida Gators have a 3-2 spread record in their last five games, with the ‘over’ cashing at 5-0. Billy Donovan’s squad heads north for Thursday’s matchup against the Auburn Tigers, who are 1-2 ATS against Southeastern Conference foes.
Florida ended a five-game winning streak with Saturday’s 72-69 loss as an 11 ½-point home favorite against the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Gators nearly erased a 10-point halftime deficit, rallying to trail, 63-62, with 1:55 remaining.
Gators guard Erving Walker notched a team-high 17 points, while adding four boards. The New York native drained 3-of-6 beyond the arc as part of his 6-for-12 day from the field.
Florida’s Vernon Macklin logged his first double-double in six games, finishing with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. The senior center added two of his team’s five blocks.
The contest’s combined 141 points leaped above the ‘total’ of 134. Florida shot a scarce 12-for-22 at the foul line, while being outrebounded by South Carolina, 36-32.
The Gators are 4-1 against the spread in their five ‘board’ games away from home, with the ‘under’ going 3-2. Macklin and Co. have allowed a stingy 58.8 PPG in that span.
Auburn picked up its third straight loss in Sunday’s 85-66 defeat as a 10-point road dog against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Tigers were held to 35.8 percent field shooting, while allowing Mississippi State to connect at 62 percent.
Tigers guard Earnest Ross put up a team-high 15 points, while finishing with four assists. The sophomore added six boards and one of his squad’s seven steals.
Auburn’s Kenny Gabriel and Adrian Forbes each notched a team-high seven rebounds off the bench. The two forwards united to hit 7-of-16 from the field en route to 20 points.
The lopsided affair’s combined 151 points soared above the ‘total’ of 135. Both squads struggled from the charity stripe, uniting to sink 27-of-50 free throws.
Auburn is 2-3 ATS in its five home ‘board’ dates, with the ‘under’ collecting at 3-2. Tony Barbee’s troops have scored 68.8 PPG in that stretch.
Florida is 4-2 ATS in its last six meetings against the Tigers, with the ‘total’ splitting at 3-3.
The Gators won last March’s SEC tournament battle between the foes at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, 78-69, as a 5 ½-point favorite. Auburn shot a meager 4-for-25 from three-point land, while the Gators drained a stellar 7-of-15.
Thursday’s tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. (PT), with ESPN providing the national television coverage.
Both squads will have one day off before resuming action as part of Saturday’s college hoops slate. Florida returns home to face the Arkansas Razorbacks, while Auburn hosts the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Washington, Arizona meet in Seattle
By: Brad Young
Top-25 teams Arizona and Washington collide Thursday night with first place in the Pac-10 Conference at stake. This matchup will feature two of the best players in the league, Wildcats power forward Derrick Williams (19.7 points per game, 7.3 rebounds) and Huskies guard Isaiah Thomas (16.5 ppg, 5.4 assists).
Arizona (15-3 straight up, 9-7 against the spread) entered the polls for the first time since the end of the 2007 calendar year compliments of its current three-game SU winning streak. The 25th-ranked Wildcats have seen the ‘over’ go 6-2 the previous eight conference games. Arizona enters this matchup ranked 15th in the country in field-goal percentage (.487).
Washington (13-4 SU, 10-5-1 ATS) sits atop the Pac-10 just a half-game ahead of the Wildcats. The 20th-ranked Huskies lead the conference in eight major statistical categories, including scoring (80.8), rebounding margin (plus 9.5) and turnover ratio (1.25-to-1).
Arizona thumped Arizona State Saturday as 11 ½-point home ‘chalk,’ 80-69. The combined 149 points soared past the 128-point closing total, helping the ‘over’ improve to 3-1 the last four outings. The Wildcats have now failed to cover their past four games.
Arizona entered halftime with a nine-point advantage, 43-34, and finished the contest with a sizeable advantage in rebounding, 31-19. The Wildcats shot 47 percent (25-of-53) from the field, and 33 percent (4-of-12) from behind the arc. Coach Sean Miller’s team won the game at the free-throw line, converting 26-of-31 attempts.
Williams led all scorers with 31 points and 10 rebounds, collecting 15 of his points at the charity stripe. Forward Jesse Perry provided 13 in the victory, while forward Solomon Hill was the only other player to reach double digits in scoring with 11.
Washington rebounded from its lone conference setback to rout California Sunday as a six-point road favorite, 92-71. The combined 163 points eclipsed the 147-point closing total, enabling the ‘over’ to improve to 3-1 the last four games.
The Huskies jumped out to a 15-point halftime advantage, 48-33, and never looked back. Washington finished the game with advantages in rebounding (38-25) and assists (20-14), while shooting a robust 52 percent (34-of-65) from the field and 45 percent (13-of-29) from 3-point land.
Thomas scored 18 of his season-high 27 points in the first half while also delivering 13 assists. Forward Matthew Bryan-Amaning accounted for 22 and 11 rebounds in the triumph, while forward Justin Holiday added 23.
The home team has won the previous seven meetings in the Arizona-Washington series, while the Wildcats are 7-1 ATS the last eight encounters. The ‘over’ has cashed the past four meetings, but this is the first matchup this season.
Arizona follows this contest with Saturday’s road game versus Washington State before returning home to host UCLA and USC. The Wildcats have not beaten a ranked team this season, losing to second-ranked Kansas and ninth-ranked Brigham Young.
Washington point guard Abdul Gaddy is ‘out’ for the season due to an ACL injury to his knee. The Huskies host Arizona State after this game before embarking on a three-game road trip against Washington State, Oregon State and Oregon.
FOX Sports Net will provide coverage of Thursday’s Pac-10 clash beginning at 7:30 p.m. PT from Washington’s Bank of America Arena in Seattle.
Thursday's Hoops Action
By Judd Hall
If you’re looking for games in college hoops to get your betting action on, then Thursday night won’t disappoint. There are plenty of tilts on hand in the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-10. Let’s take a look at a pair of tests that feature some ranked squads.
Indiana at Wisconsin
As of Thursday morning, the Badgers are listed as 13½-point home favorites with a total of 127½.
It’s been another tough year for Tom Crean and Indiana (10-8 straight up, 4-7 against the spread). Yet things have not been terrible in Big Ten play for the Hoosiers. Crean’s club lost their first four conference games by an average of 10 points, but there was reason to believe things were about to change. It just turns out that they needed some time off for things to come together.
The Hoosiers had six days off when they took on Michigan in Bloomington. That time off paid off with a dominating 80-61 win as two-point home favorites. Indiana shot 67 percent from the field and held a 33-17 rebound advantage of the Wolverines. And they won this game in spite of turning the ball over 16 times. Verdell Jones III came up huge with 24 points, four boards and four assists.
While this was Indiana’s first win since Dec. 19, it’s the second time in its last three games to cover the number. The ‘over’ is 3-1 in its last four Big Ten tests.
You would think that league games would be a boon for Wisconsin (13-4 SU, 9-4 ATS) after a strong non-conference schedule. That hasn’t been the case for the Badgers as they’ve alternated wins and losses over their last four Big Ten dates. The plus side is they’ve covered the spread in their past three matchups, which has to make gamblers happy.
The Badgers are coming into this game after five days off from a 76-66 win over Illinois as six-point home favorites. Jon Leuer was the top target for Wisky against the Illini, putting in 26 points and grabbing nine boards.
This series has been extremely lopsided with Wisconsin going 6-0 SU and ATS since 2008. The over/under has posted a 3-3 mark in that stretch, but the ‘over’ is 2-1 in the last three head-to-head meetings.
The Hoosiers do not do well on the road this season, having gone 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in four true road tests. The ‘over’ is 3-1 in those battles.
The Kohl Center has been very kind to Wisky this season as they’re 10-0 SU. Plus, they were 5-1 ATS in the six games that were on the board.
Arizona at Washington
The Huskies have been listed as nine-point home faves with a total of 154 this morning.
We’re not hearing a lot about them here on the East Coast, but the Wildcats have been one of the better teams in the Pac-10. Arizona (15-3 SU, 9-7 ATS) has rolled off three straight wins in league action, but have not covered the spread in any of those tests.
The ‘Cats are coming into this game after a 80-69 win over Arizona State as 11 ½-point home favorites. Arizona was outshot by the Sun Devils (52%-47%), but connected on 84 percent of its free throw to push by a hated rival. It also doesn’t hurt that Derrick Williams tied a career-high with 31 points, 10 boards and two assists.
Williams has been on another level over Arizona’s last four games, averaging 23.0 points per game with 8.3 rebounds per games.
Washington (13-4 SU, 10-5-1 ATS) will have its work cut out for them against Williams, but they’re up for the challenge. The Huskies bounced back from a two-point loss at Stanford in a big way on Sunday with a 92-71 beatdown of California as 6 ½-point road favorites. Isaiah Thomas paced UW with 27 points and 13 assists. But he was just one of three players for the Huskies that scored at least 20 points against Cal (Matthew Bryant-Amaning, 22 points, 11 rebounds; Justin Holiday, 23 points).
The Huskies’ success does primarily focus on how that trio fares on the hardwood. In the loss to Stanford they scored 37 points combined, while turning the ball over eight times.
This series has been shaded heavily towards the home teams, evidenced by their 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS. Arizona is on a 4-0 ATS run against the Huskies right now. The ‘over’ has also hit in the last four meetings.
Washington has not had any problems at home in Seattle this season with a 9-0 SU and 6-2 ATS. The ‘over’ is 6-2 in those games that were on the board.
Arizona hasn’t had many true road games this year, but they have made the most of them. The Wildcats are 3-1 SU and ATS away from Tucson. The Wildcats are also 0-2 SU and 1-1 ATS as underdogs this season.
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College Basket Knowledge
Florida won eight of last nine games vs Auburn, winning last three here by 6ot-25-3 points; Gators are 4-1 in true road games, winning by 4-19-4-6 points- they're 2-7 vs spread as a favorite. SEC underdogs are 14-7 vs spread, 4-1 at home. Auburn is 0-3 in SEC, losing by 7-24-19 points; they're 3-2-1 as an underdog, with a baffling upset of Florida State.
Detroit swept Cleveland State LY after losing previous five meetings in series; Titans lost five of last six visits here, losing by 7-6ot-2-4-17 pts. Vikings are 5-2 in Horizon, 2-0 as home favorite, winning by 18-24 at home- home side covered their last five games. Horizon home favorites of 6+ points are 11-3. Detroit won both its Horizon road games.
Arkansas State lost five of last six visits to Denver, with losses by 14-17-8-7-9 points; Pioneers are 5-0 in Sun Belt, 2-1 as home favorite, with home wins by 13-2-9ot points. Home side won all six of ASU's (4-2) league games, with State losing its road games by 5-4 points. Sun Belt home favorites of less than 6 points are 4-5 against the spread.
Home side won six of last eight Virginia Tech-Maryland games; Hokies lost three of last four visits here, losing by 15-7-10 points. Tech is 2-2 in ACC, with both losses by 3 points, at Carolina/vs Virginia. ACC home favorites of 8 or less points are 7-4-1 vs spread. Maryland lost two of last three games- they lost only ACC home game, by 4 to BC (-7.5).
Arizona State swept Washington State LY, after losing previous six in series; ASU lost six of last seven visits here, losing by 7-8-15-20-12-2 points. Dogs are 5-0 vs spread in ASU's Pac-10 games- they lost three games in row, by 14-4-11 points. Wazzu PG Moore is back from a suspension here. Double digit home faves are 2-4-1 vs spread in Pac-10.
Portland won its last four games vs San Francisco by an average score of 73-61; Dons lost last two visits here by 5-16 points. USF covered six of its last seven games- they're 2-0 as a WCC dog. Portland is 4-2 on road, winning by 13-4-7-11 points. WCC home underdogs are 0-4 vs spread. Both teams are 2-1 in WCC; Dons' only loss was by 14 at St Mary's.
Nevada-New Mexico State split last six games, after Wolf Pack had won previous six meetings; two of State's three wins came in WAC tourney. Aggies lost four of last five visits here, losing by 4-22-13-8 points. Wolf Pack lost three of last four games- they're 0-3 in WAC if they give up 70 or more points. State won its last three games, scoring 80 ppg.
Home team won last 11 Stanford-USC games; Cardinal lost its last five visits to USC, by 11-4-13-1-5 points. Stanford scored just 57 ppg in its last four games; they're 3-1 as Pac-10 underdog, with conference losses by 10-3 points. Trojans allowed 56-52 points in its two Pac-10 wins, an average of 73.7 ppg in three losses. Pac-10 home favorites are 5-7-1.
Cal won its last two games vs UCLA by 13 points each, after dropping 10 of previous 11 vs Bruins; Bears lost three of their last four visits to Westwood, losing by 10-1-15 points. Faves are 5-0 vs spread in Bruins' league games, with UCLA winning by 9-5-8 points when favored. Pac-10 single digit home favorites are 3-3 against the spread this season.
Home side won last seven Arizona-Washington games; Wildcats lost last three visits here, by 9-5-6 points- average total in last eight series games is 162.1. Wildcats are 4-1 in Pac-10, with only loss by point at Oregon State; they're 1-1 as dog this season. Huskies are 5-1 in Pac-10, winning home games by 18 vs Oregon, 31 vs OSU- they're 3-3 as Pac-10 fave.
Western Carolina is 3-2 in last five games vs Charleston, after going 0-7 in seven previous games; Catamounts lost four of last five visits here, by 16-9-12-11 points. Cougars are 2-1 as home faves, winning home games by 9-8-21 points. SoCon home favorites of 9+ points are 7-3 vs spread. Western won its last four games, scoring an average of 77.8 ppg.
Chattanooga is double digit dog here despite being 7-0 in SoCon, winning four times as an underdog; Mocs split last six visits here, losing by 8-3-7 points. UTC's last six wins are all by 6 or less points. Wofford is 5-1 in SoCon, 2-1 as home favorite, winning its home games by 22-18 points with loss to Charleston. SoCon home favorites of 10+ points are 5-2.
Visitor is 7-0 vs spread in Tennessee Tech's OVC games; Tech is 3-0 as road underdog, - their OVC losses are by 2-12-7 points- they won two of three vs Austin Peay LY, winning by 3 in OVC tourney, after losing previous four series games; Tech lost three of last four visits here, losing by 4-16-5ot points. Double digit home faves are 1-5 vs spread in OVC.