Michigan (7-6, 3-6 ATS) at Penn State (8-6, 5-6-1 ATS)
The day’s only game matching teams from a power conference comes from the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa., as Penn State tries again for its first Big Ten victory when it hosts the Wolverines.
Michigan has alternated SU wins and losses in its last eight games, most recently knocking off archrival Ohio State 73-64 Sunday as a two-point home favorite. The Wolverines have dropped all three of their true road games, including a 71-65 loss at Indiana as a 4½-point favorite in their Big Ten opener on New Year’s Eve.
Penn State gave Minnesota a fight in its conference debut on Dec. 29, falling 75-70 as a 13-point underdog, but then the Nittany Lions came home Sunday and got destroyed by Wisconsin 63-46 as a five-point underdog. Penn State, which won last year’s postseason NIT title, hasn’t lost three straight games since last February, a stretch of 27 contests.
The Nittany Lions’ last three-game slide began with a 71-51 loss at Michigan as a 4½-point underdog on Feb. 5. However, Penn State won the first meeting two weeks earlier, rolling 73-58 as a two-point underdog. The home team has won each of the last five in this rivalry both SU and ATS, all as a favorite, and Michigan is 0-3-1 ATS in its last four trips to State College. Going back further, the host is on an 8-0-1 ATS roll and the chalk is 13-3-1 ATS in the last 17 clashes. Also, the SU winner is 8-1-1 ATS in the last 10 series battles.
The Wolverines are on ATS runs of 5-2 in Big Ten play and 8-1 on Thursday, but they’re otherwise in pointspread funks of 2-6 overall, 16-33-3 on the highway and 2-5 after a SU victory. Penn State is 4-1 in its last five on Thursday and 7-2 ATS in its last nine against winning teams, but the Lions have failed to cash in five of their last six lined home games.
The under is 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings in this rivalry, and the under is also on streaks of 18-7-1 for Michigan on the road, 7-3 for Penn State after a SU loss and 3-1-1 for Penn State versus winning teams.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PENN STATE and UNDER
NCAAB News and Notes
Thursday, January 7
Information on the best of Thursday's college hoop games........
Xavier won seven of last nine games against LaSalle, winning last three by 11-13-20 points; they've won two of last three visits here. Explorers lost four of last five games; they're 1-4 vs spread as an underdog so far this year. Xavier is 0-3 on road, losing at K-State-Butler-Wake Forest, all good teams. Home teams are 1-3 vs spread in A-14 games.
Western Kentucky beat South Alabama three times LY, winning by 3-8-8 points; they're now 9-4 in last 13 series games, 1-2 in last three visits to Mobile. Hilltoppers won five of last six games after 2-3 start; they're 0-3 on road, losing at LSU-So Carolina-Louisville. USA won first three conference games this year. Sun Belt home underdogs are 3-1 vs spread.
Troy/Florida Atlantic split last eight meetings, with losing side scoring 80+ points in seven of the eight; Trojans won two of last three visits to FAU. Troy won its first three Sun Belt games by 2-1-18 points. Owls lost six of last seven games, blowing 10-point halftime lead in 96-93 OT loss to South Alabama in their last game Saturday.
Cleveland State won three of last four vs Loyola, after losing previous eight in series; Ramblers lost last two visits here by 8-26 points. Loyola won four of last five road games- their road losses this year are 92-54 at K-State, 90-69 at Green Bay- they're 5-2 as an underdog. Vikings are 1-6 in last seven games, snapping skid with 70-48 win at Youngstown Sat.
Home side won five of last six UIC-Youngstown games; Flames lost last three visits here by 5-12-10 points; they're 0-6 on road, losing by 19-10-21-12-5-26 points (3-3 as road dog). Penguins are 0-4 in Horizon, with all four losses by 8+ points- they were down 42-19 at half of last game. Home faves are 5-9 vs spread in Horizon League games.
Home side won seven of last eight George Mason-Northeastern games, as Patriots lost lost three of last four visits to Boston (underdog covered all four games). Mason is 3-0 in CAA, winning by 5-16-4 points, giving up average of 56.7 ppg. Huskies won last five games, giving up average of 57.6 ppg. Home favorites are 5-9 vs spread in CAA games.
Home side won last five Michigan-Penn State games; Wolverines is 0-2 in last two visits here, losing by 8-15 points. Michigan is 0-3 on road, losing by 16-11-6 points, scoring 60.3 ppg. Penn State lost first two in Big 11 by 5-17 points. Favorite is 8-2 vs spread in last 10 series games; home favorites are 6-2 vs spread in Big 11 games so far this year.
UL-Monroe is 3-0 vs Florida International in Sun Belt play, winning by hoop in only visit here; ULM is 1-7 on road, losing two conference road games by 17-22 points- they're 2-5 as a road underdog. Isiah Thomas' FIU squad lost six of last seven games, with only win at North Texas in game they led by 15 points at halftime.
Middle Tennessee won eight of last ten games vs Arkansas State, taking last three by 3-3-7 points; they're 3-1 in last four visits here, with all of them decided by 1 or 2 points, or in OT. Blue Raider had four-game win streak snapped at Vandy Monday; they're 1-5 on road, winning by five at UNO. Arkansas State is 2-0 at home in Sun Belt, winning by 8-15.
North Texas won six of last seven games vs UL-Lafayette, home teams are 9-3 in last 12 series games, but UNT won two of last three visits to ULL. Mean Green is 3-4 on road, 2-1-1 vs spread as underdog. ULL lost last six games, scoring 61.5 ppg in last two; they're 1-3 at home against D-I opponents, but beat Florida Atlantic in only Sun Belt home tilt.
New Orleans won seven of last eight games vs Denver, winning two of last three here. Denver is 3-1 in Sun Belt, winning conference home tilts by 6-18-9 points (2-1 as home fave). Privateers lost seven of last eight games, are 1-3 in conference (2-0 as underdog) with losses by 18-2-5 points. Home favorites are 9-6 vs spread in Sun Belt games this season.
Home side won eight of last nine Irivne-Northridge games; Anteaters are 0-3 in last three visits here, losing by 6-5-19 points. Northridge lost first two Big West games, both on road, by 9-12 points. Irvine is 1-3 on the road, winning at LMU, losing by 47-1-10 points. Underdogs covered the first six Big West games this season; home favorites are 0-3.
Fullerton won three of last four games over Long Beach; both games LY were decided by one point, but Titans are 1-7 in last eight games against D-I teams, going 13-28 from line in 67-63 loss to Cal-Davis in Big West opener. Underdogs are 4-1 vs spread in Long Beach's last five visits here; home dogs are 3-0 in conference games. 49ers lost last four games after being ridiculously overscheduled in pre-conference play.
Michigan at Penn St.
By Brian Edwards
With most of tonight’s gambling focus on the Alabama-Texas showdown, let’s just take a quick look at the ESPN2 game at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. That’s Michigan at Penn State in a crucial meeting for teams that currently have CBI profiles.
Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened the game as a pick ‘em, but most books had the Nittany Lions as 1½-point favorites early this morning. Look for a total in the mid-120s.
Michigan (7-6 straight up, 3-6 against the spread) bounced back from losing its Big Ten opener at Indiana by taking out Ohio St. 73-64 Sunday as a two-point home favorite. The combination of Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims dominated for the Wolverines. Harris finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Sims had 28 points and nine boards on 13-of-18 shooting from the field.
Penn St. (8-6 SU, 5-6-1 ATS) fell to 0-2 in league play Sunday when Wisconsin dealt out a 63-46 beating as a five-point road favorite. Taylor Battle had 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals in the losing effort. The 109 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 124½-point total.
The ‘over’ is 6-4 overall for PSU, 3-3 in its home games. The ‘over’ is 5-4 overall for Michigan. The ‘under’ is 6-1-1 in the last eight head-to-head meetings between these schools.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
This space has been hyping Cornell all year long and the country saw why Wednesday night. That’s when the Big Red went into historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse and led for most of the game before losing 71-66 to top-ranked Kansas. The Big Red easily covered the spread as a 21-point underdog. I like Ryan Whitman and Co. to win at least one game in the NCAA Tournament.
Bruce Pearl only had six scholarship players available last night, but Tennessee rolled to an 88-71 home win over Charlotte anyway. The Vols cashed tickets as 13 ½-point favorites. Wayne Chism scored 18 points and all six scholarship players were in double figures. We’ll see if Tyler Smith and the three other players are reinstated when Kansas comes to Knoxville this weekend.
Evan Turner was supposedly going to miss at least eight weeks after breaking two bones in his back 4 ½ weeks ago. Turner returned to the court last night and helped Ohio St. to a 79-54 home win over Indiana as a 13½-point favorite. He had eight points, five assists and four rebounds. The Buckeyes went 3-3 in the six games Turner missed.
Check out the time change for Western Kentucky at South Alabama tonight. The Hilltoppers and Jaguars will face each other at 6:00 p.m. Eastern in Mobile. Western Ky. is the two-point road favorite. The Hilltoppers have taken out a pair of SEC teams this year in Vandy and Mississippi St., while USA won at Florida.
Mark your calendars for Harvard-Cornell showdowns on Jan. 30 (at Harvard) and Feb. 9 (at Cornell). And I’m serious – both teams are solid. Question: Can these Ivy League teams be invited/included in BracketBuster Weekend?
vegasinsider.com.