Thursday's Best NCAAB Bets
No. 10 Georgetown Hoyas at Temple Owls
This is a battle of two teams who have never heard of style points.
In their two losses, the Owls failed to score more than 51 points and lost by a total of just 10, both on neutral floors. The undefeated Hoyas have rolled most opponents at home and on neutral courts, but have come closest to losses in a three-point victory at Old Dominion and needed a miracle finish in regulation before hanging on for an overtime ‘W’ at Missouri.
When the teams met last year, the Hoyas survived a 46-45 thriller as both teams shot below 36 percent and combined to make just 6-of-41 three-pointers.
"Our team has done and is doing a good job of taking what the defense gives you. We don't have to make the 3s to win games," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "Our goal offensively is to get a good shot, I don't care whether it comes in three seconds or 33 seconds."
They will get plenty of points against the Owls and should have enough fire-power to pull away for a solid win.
Pick: Hoyas
Butler Bulldogs at Xavier Musketeers
It’s more than just the loss of Gordon Heyward that is affecting Butler. The Bulldogs have been pretty awful on defense this season.
The trademark Butler ball control and defensive dominance have been MIA this year, as opponents are averaging 67.1 points per game against the Bulldogs, the 172nd worst mark in the league. Other teams also are making 42.7 percent of their shots against the defending Horizon League champs, 184th worst.
Xavier also is pretty pathetic on defense, coughing up 69.7 points per game and allowing opponents to make 41.7 percent of their jumpers.
Combined, the teams have seen the over go 8-4 this season.
Offensively, Xavier doesn’t shoot threes well, so it loves to get up and down the floor for fast break baskets, making 45.2 percent of its shots. When Butler has the ball, it loves to play a methodical offense that attacks down low and the wings, making 42.1 percent of its shots and 38.3 percent of its threes.
Neither teams defend well and both can get hot. Look for an expected defensive battle to devolve into a shootout.
Pick: Over
Georgetown at Temple on NCAA betting slate
By: Willie Bee
A couple of teams that have been beating the odds to start the 2010-11 college basketball season square off in Philadelphia on Thursday when the Temple Owls host the Georgetown Hoyas. ESPN2 will broadcast the contest from Temple's Liacouras Center starting at 6 p.m. PT.
The interconference rivalry dates back over 80 years. Last year's contest from DC's Verizon Center likely ranks as the ugliest display of basketball in the 35 previous matchups.
One excuse for the poor performances by both squads was it came very early on the slate (Nov. 17, 2009) with both squads playing just their second games of the '09-'10 campaign. Georgetown closed as a 10-point favorite on its home court and needed a late bucket to hold off Temple, 46-45. The Hoyas took a 19-13 lead into the locker room half and built a 12-point lead in the second half before the Owls mounted their rally.
Temple and Georgetown combined to hit just 33 field goals, and sinking only six of their 41 shots from long range, while turning the ball over 26 times. The Owls' 6-for-13 performance from the charity stripe cost them a chance for a fourth consecutive win over the Hoyas.
Thursday will find Temple trying to improve on a 21-14 all-time series lead.
The Owls began the year ranked in the top 25 before a pair of losses in the Old Spice Classic during the Thanksgiving holiday pushed them outside the two polls. Temple dropped a 57-50 decision to Cal as 4½-point chalk on Turkey Day, then fell 54-51 to Texas A&M three days later as a one-point underdog.
Those are the only two losses the Owls have suffered on the court and at the window with Fran Dunphy's squad 5-2 straight up and against the spread.
Temple cashed this past Sunday as a 5½-point 'dog, grabbing the straight-up upset over Maryland, 64-61. The Owls nearly blew a 15-point advantage in the BB&T Classic at Verizon Center that had a partisan Terps crowd in attendance. Ramone Moore led four Owls in double-figures with 16 points, scoring half his points at the charity stripe.
Free throws have been a bit of a problem for the Owls who rank near the bottom of the country scoring just 9.7 points per game from the line, connecting 63 percent of the time. Hitting three-point shots is also a shortcoming with Temple next-to-last on the NCAA charts at 23.4 percent.
The Owls will need to post better marks in both columns or Georgetown is very likely to run the Owls off their own floor. The Big East power is sinking 51 percent from the field, ninth best in the nation, and popping 44 percent of their three pointers. Georgetown is also among the better squads at the line with a 71.6 percent mark there.
The Hoyas enter this battle a perfect 8-0, ranked nine by the AP and a stellar 6-1 against the spread to begin their schedule.
John Thompson III's troops have also proven they can beat a good team on the road after taking down Missouri in Kansas City last week, 111-102, an overtime contest that closed as a pick at the sports books. The Hoyas stormed out of the gate to build an 18-point lead in the first half before the Tigers battled back. Missouri held a 94-91 lead with 15 ticks left, but Georgetown's Chris Wright nailed a three just before the buzzer to force extra play.
Jason Clark hit a trio of three's in overtime to give the Hoyas the hard-fought triumph.
Georgetown followed that up with a 68-51 win at home this past Saturday over Utah State. The Hoyas were favored by 10½ to notch their fifth-straight cover. Wright led all players with 21 points, the only player to score at least 10 in the game.
The Hoyas head back home after this one for a Sunday matchup with Appalachian State, so there shouldn't be much danger in them looking past the Owls. Temple will be hosting Akron that same day.
College Basketball Knowledge
Florida is 6-2 this season, playing the #53 schedule, but is 0-5 vs spread as a favorite; underdogs covered all six of their lined games. Gators have scored just 58.7 ppg in their last three games. Kent State lost both road games its played, 69-66 at Cleveland State (+4), 75-59 at UAB (+6). Florida is ranked 288th in pace, which can't make Donovan happy.
Butler is just 4-3, losing last two games to Evansville/Duke, but they've played 2nd-hardest schedule in country to date. Bulldogs beat Xavier in last two meetings, 69-68 at home LY, 74-65 here two years ago. Xavier is 5-2 but is down two starters for rest of season; they've lost two of last three games, with only win in triple OT vs Wofford.
Georgetown is one of six unbeaten teams left in Big East; they've won at Missouri in OT, won at Old Dominion by 3, beaten NC State on neutral court and whipped Utah State at home. Hoyas nipped Temple 46-45 in an early season slugfest LY. Owls are 5-2 against #52 schedule, losing to Texas A&M/Cal down in Orlando; they're 1-1 as an underdog. Unlike his dad, Thompson III plays tough schedule-- Hoyas are 8-0 against the #33 schedule so far this season.