Tuesday's Tips
By B Edwards
Gamblers have 13 board games in college hoops tonight. Providence has a chance to make a major splash if it can knock off top-ranked Pitt, while Big East counterpart Syracuse can’t afford a loss at St. John’s.
Ohio St. and Penn St. are both bubble teams that will face each other. Nebraska and Texas A&M will collide knowing that a loss will destroy their already-extremely-slim hopes of earning at-large consideration. LSU and Florida are set to tangle in a crucial game for both schools. Let’s take look at a pair of the televised games and a bunch of Bonus Nuggets.
**Penn State at Ohio State**
--Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Ohio St. (17-8 straight up, 12-9 against the spread) as a six-point ‘chalk’ for this Big Ten battle between bubble teams.
--Penn St. (19-8 SU, 12-7-1 ATS) shook off a three-game losing streak both SU and ATS to collect a pair of timely wins last week. First, the Nittany Lions beat Minnesota 68-63 as 2 ½-point home favorites. Then last Wednesday, they knocked off Illinois 38-33 in a defensive struggle as 9 ½-point underdogs. With road wins over Michigan St. and Illinois, the Lions now have a couple of nice pieces to go on their resume that doesn’t otherwise offer much in terms of non-conference victories.
--Ohio St. faces a quick turnaround in this spot after dropping a 70-68 decision Sunday to Illinois. The Buckeyes took the outright defeat as 2 ½-point home favorites. Evan Turner had 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the losing effort.
--Ohio St. has an RPI of 43, while PSU is No. 62 in the RPI ratings. The Lions are fourth in the Big Ten with an 8-6 record, while OSU is 7-7 in league play.
--Penn St. owns a 5-4-1 spread record in 10 games as an underdog this year.
--Thad Matta’s squad is 13-3 SU and 6-6 ATS at home this year. The Buckeyes are 2-3 ATS as single-digit home favorites.
--The ‘under’ is 11-9 overall for Ohio St., but the ‘over’ is 6-5 in its road games.
**Florida at LSU**
--LVSC opened LSU (23-4 SU, 10-9 ATS) as a three-point favorite with a total of 144. As of early this morning, most spots had the Tigers favored by four.
--After dropping back-to-back road games by five combined points, Florida (21-6 SU, 8-11-1 ATS) bounce back nicely with a pair of home wins this past week. The Gators easily took the cash in Saturday’s 82-68 win over Vandy as 8 ½-point home favorites. Freshman point guard Erving Walker came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points.
--Trent Johnson’s team has won eight consecutive games since losing at home to Xavier. The Tigers clinched the SEC West by capturing a 79-72 win Saturday night over Auburn, but they failed to hook up their backers as eight-point home favorites. Marcus Thornton led the way with 25 points and seven rebounds for the winners.
--Billy Donovan’s team went to nine straight NCAA Tournaments before being left out of last year’s field. In Monday’s latest “Bracketology” report released by ESPN.com’s Joe Lunardi, UF was listed as a No. 10 seed (that would face seventh-seeded Arizona). As for LSU, it was listed as a No. 8 seed that would face Ohio St. in an 8/9 matchup.
--Since losing its SEC opener at Alabama when Ronald Steele was still with the Crimson Tide, LSU has won 11 straight conference games. However, the Tigers aren’t getting much respect from the RPI ratings (or Lunardi, see above) with their No. 33 ranking. That’s because they lost by double-digit margins in non-conference games to Utah, Texas A&M and Xavier. UF has an RPI rating of 41.
--LSU’s Thornton is the SEC’s second-leading scorer, averaging 20.5 points per game. Tasmin Mitchell is eighth in the conference in scoring with a 16.8 PPG average. He has scored in double figures in 16 straight games, including a career-high 41-point effort in a win at Mississippi St. two weeks ago.
--Nick Calathes is the catalyst for Florida. The sophomore guard is fifth in the SEC in scoring with an 18.6 PPG average. Calathes leads the league in assists (6.4 per game) and is second in steals and minutes played. He also pulls down 5.3 rebounds per game.
--LSU is 18-1 SU and 6-5 ATS at home in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center this season.
--LSU has watched the ‘over’ go 11-8 overall, 7-4 in its home assignments. Meanwhile, UF has seen the ‘over’ hit at a 10-9 overall clip. The ‘over’ has been more prevalent for the Gators recently, cashing in six of their last eight games.
--ESPN will have the telecast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
--If I had a vote for first-team All American, Kansas guard Sherron Collins cemented his spot on my team with last night’s ridiculous performance. Collins carried the Jayhawks to an 87-78 win at Oklahoma as 2 ½-point underdogs. He scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half when he caught fire and buried several deep 3’s at crunch time.
--Blake Griffin, another first-team All American, sat out for the Sooners due to the concussion he suffered in Saturday's loss at Texas. I think he’ll get his shot at the Jayhawks in the Big 12 Tournament.
--The ‘over’ has hit in six straight Pitt-Providence games. As of early this morning, most sports books had the Friars listed as eight-point home underdogs. They are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games.
--Georgetown is now playing for its seed in the NIT. The Hoyas had back-to-back home games against Marquette and Louisville, and they couldn’t even get into the win column once. We can put their NCAA Tournament hopes to bed now.
--San Diego State's Billy White is "out" for tonight's key Mountain West showdown against BYU. White averages 9.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Aztecs, who are hoping to bounce back from Saturday's blowout loss at New Mexico. Steve Fisher's team has seen the 'under' cash in four straight and go 14-6 overall, 9-2 in its home games.
--Lunardi had FSU as a No. 4 seed in his latest pairings. The ‘Noles are 2 ½-point ‘dogs tonight at BC. They are 8-3-1 ATS in 12 games as underdogs this season.
vegasinsider.com
PITTSBURGH (25 - 2) at PROVIDENCE (16 - 11)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 14-7 ATS (+6.3 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 14-7 ATS (+6.3 Units) in all lined games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PROVIDENCE is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
PROVIDENCE is 37-60 ATS (-29.0 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
PROVIDENCE is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
PROVIDENCE is 37-58 ATS (-26.8 Units) in home games after a conference game since 1997.
PROVIDENCE is 20-35 ATS (-18.5 Units) in home games off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
PROVIDENCE is 20-41 ATS (-25.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
PROVIDENCE is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
PROVIDENCE is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
PROVIDENCE is 1-1 against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 2-0 straight up against PROVIDENCE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
SYRACUSE (19 - 8) at ST JOHNS (13 - 14)
Top Trends for this game.
ST JOHNS is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
ST JOHNS is 3-0 against the spread versus SYRACUSE over the last 3 seasons
SYRACUSE is 2-1 straight up against ST JOHNS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
PENN ST (19 - 8) at OHIO ST (17 - 8)
Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 37-23 ATS (+11.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
OHIO ST is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
PENN ST is 2-1 against the spread versus OHIO ST over the last 3 seasons
OHIO ST is 3-0 straight up against PENN ST over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA ST (9 - 19) at WICHITA ST (14 - 14)
Top Trends for this game.
WICHITA ST is 18-33 ATS (-18.3 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA ST is 3-2 against the spread versus WICHITA ST over the last 3 seasons
WICHITA ST is 3-3 straight up against INDIANA ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
TULANE (11 - 15) at SOUTHERN MISS (14 - 12)
Top Trends for this game.
SOUTHERN MISS is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
SOUTHERN MISS is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
SOUTHERN MISS is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
SOUTHERN MISS is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SOUTHERN MISS is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SOUTHERN MISS is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) in home games after scoring 60 points or less since 1997.
SOUTHERN MISS is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) in all games this season.
SOUTHERN MISS is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
SOUTHERN MISS is 3-2 against the spread versus TULANE over the last 3 seasons
SOUTHERN MISS is 3-2 straight up against TULANE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
CREIGHTON (23 - 6) at MISSOURI ST (11 - 17)
Top Trends for this game.
CREIGHTON is 35-22 ATS (+10.8 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MISSOURI ST is 9-17 ATS (-9.7 Units) in all games this season.
MISSOURI ST is 9-17 ATS (-9.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
MISSOURI ST is 7-20 ATS (-15.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MISSOURI ST is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) against conference opponents this season.
MISSOURI ST is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
CREIGHTON is 6-0 against the spread versus MISSOURI ST over the last 3 seasons
CREIGHTON is 6-0 straight up against MISSOURI ST over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
N IOWA (18 - 10) at ILLINOIS ST (22 - 6)
Top Trends for this game.
ILLINOIS ST is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
ILLINOIS ST is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.
ILLINOIS ST is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ILLINOIS ST is 3-3 against the spread versus N IOWA over the last 3 seasons
ILLINOIS ST is 3-3 straight up against N IOWA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA (21 - 6) at LSU (23 - 4)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 182-144 ATS (+23.6 Units) in all games since 1997.
FLORIDA is 182-144 ATS (+23.6 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
LSU is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
LSU is 2-0 against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
LSU is 2-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
BAYLOR (16 - 10) at IOWA ST (13 - 14)
Top Trends for this game.
BAYLOR is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) against conference opponents this season.
BAYLOR is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) after a conference game this season.
IOWA ST is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) after a conference game this season.
IOWA ST is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
IOWA ST is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
IOWA ST is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
IOWA ST is 2-0 against the spread versus BAYLOR over the last 3 seasons
IOWA ST is 1-1 straight up against BAYLOR over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA ST (21 - 6) at BOSTON COLLEGE (19 - 9)
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA ST is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all games this season.
FLORIDA ST is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON COLLEGE is 2-0 against the spread versus FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON COLLEGE is 2-1 straight up against FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
TEXAS A&M (19 - 8) at NEBRASKA (16 - 9)
Top Trends for this game.
NEBRASKA is 36-19 ATS (+15.1 Units) in home games off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
TEXAS A&M is 48-32 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS A&M is 48-32 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS A&M is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS A&M is 41-25 ATS (+13.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS A&M is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEBRASKA is 1-1 against the spread versus TEXAS A&M over the last 3 seasons
NEBRASKA is 1-1 straight up against TEXAS A&M over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
TCU (14 - 13) at NEW MEXICO (17 - 10)
Top Trends for this game.
TCU is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) after scoring 60 points or less this season.
TCU is 90-119 ATS (-40.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
NEW MEXICO is 37-19 ATS (+16.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 37-19 ATS (+16.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 19-5 ATS (+13.5 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW MEXICO is 3-3 against the spread versus TCU over the last 3 seasons
NEW MEXICO is 3-3 straight up against TCU over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
BYU (20 - 6) at SAN DIEGO ST (18 - 7)
Top Trends for this game.
BYU is 38-73 ATS (-42.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
BYU is 24-41 ATS (-21.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
SAN DIEGO ST is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in home games revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
BYU is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in road games this season.
BYU is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in road lined games this season.
BYU is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BYU is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO ST is 4-2 against the spread versus BYU over the last 3 seasons
BYU is 4-2 straight up against SAN DIEGO ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
PENN STATE vs. OHIO STATE
Penn State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Ohio State
Penn State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Ohio State
Ohio State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Ohio State is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
PITTSBURGH vs. PROVIDENCE
Pittsburgh is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Providence is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Providence is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
SYRACUSE vs. ST. JOHN'S
Syracuse is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against St. John's
Syracuse is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against St. John's
St. John's is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. John's last 9 games
TULANE vs. SOUTHERN MISS
Tulane is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Southern Miss
Tulane is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Southern Miss
Southern Miss is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games
Southern Miss is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
CREIGHTON vs. MISSOURI STATE
Creighton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Creighton is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Missouri State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Creighton
Missouri State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Creighton
INDIANA STATE vs. WICHITA STATE
Indiana State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Indiana State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Wichita State is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Indiana State
Wichita State is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing Indiana State
NORTHERN IOWA vs. ILLINOIS STATE
Northern Iowa is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Illinois State
Northern Iowa is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Illinois State
Illinois State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Illinois State is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games at home
TCU vs. NEW MEXICO
TCU is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New Mexico
TCU is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New Mexico
New Mexico is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
New Mexico is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
BAYLOR vs. IOWA STATE
Baylor is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Baylor is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Iowa State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Baylor
Iowa State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Baylor
FLORIDA vs. LSU
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Florida's last 8 games on the road
LSU is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Florida
LSU is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Florida
FLORIDA STATE vs. BOSTON COLLEGE
Florida State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Florida State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Boston College is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Boston College is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games
TEXAS A&M vs. NEBRASKA
Texas A&M is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Nebraska
Texas A&M is 10-2-1 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
Nebraska is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Nebraska is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
BYU vs. SAN DIEGO STATE
BYU is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
BYU is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games on the road
San Diego State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against BYU
San Diego State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against BYU
Tips and Trends
Penn State at Ohio State
Penn State: The Nittany Lions can reach the 20-win plateau for the first time in eight years with one more victory, but whether or not that comes on Tuesday remains to be seen. They also have not made the NCAA tournament since they last won 20 games and clearly find themselves on the bubble going into this crucial conference showdown with another bubble team. “I think the biggest thing for us is to win games,” Penn State head coach DeChellis said. “Then the pot of gold will be at the end of the rainbow.”
Road team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
The OVER is 6-2-1 in Penn State's last 9 Tuesday games.
Key Injuries - F Billy Oliver (concussion) is OUT.
PROJECTED SCORE: 64 (OVER - Total Play of the Day)
Ohio State (-6, O/U 126.5): The Buckeyes seemed to be closing in on an NCAA tournament berth but have taken a step backward following three straight losses. They suffered a tough 70-68 setback at home to Illinois on Sunday following back-to-back road losses at Wisconsin and Northwestern but may have received a motivational boost with David Lighty returning to practice. While Lighty is still not ready to play in a game, the energy surrounding the team has changed, according to head coach Thad Motta. “It was the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in my life,” said Matta.
Ohio State is 7-1-1 ATS in its last 9 Tuesday games.
The OVER is 7-2 in Ohio State's last 9 Tuesday games.
Key Injuries - G David Lighty (foot) is OUT.
PROJECTED SCORE: 70
Florida at #18 LSU
Florida: The Gators are in a three-way tie atop the East Division in the SEC and face a tough stretch to end the regular season, starting with this visit to LSU. After this game, they host Tennessee on Sunday and then visit Mississippi State before closing out at home against Kentucky. “We’re really excited and up for the challenge,” Florida forward Alex Tyus said. “We’re really going to see where we’re at as a team. We might have been unsure earlier, but now we know we can do it. We have a lot of confidence. We feel like we’re coming on.”
Underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
The UNDER is 6-2 in Florida's last 8 road games.
Key Injuries - F Allan Chaney (heel) is OUT.
PROJECTED SCORE: 71
LSU (-4, O/U 151): The Tigers can clinch at least a share of the SEC title on Tuesday, as they own a three-game lead on the Gators in the race for the regular-season conference championship. LSU has won 11 straight games in league play following a loss to Alabama in the conference opener and clinched the West Division title with a 79-72 win over Auburn on Saturday. “There is more out there for us to accomplish,” Tigers head coach Trent Johnson said. “Nobody in the locker room wanted to cut down the nets. They were very subdued and relaxed. It was a businesslike approach. We just want to win the next game.”
LSU is 0-3 ATS in its last 3 home games.
The OVER is 6-2 in LSU's last 8 home games.
Key Injuries - NONE
PROJECTED SCORE: 80 (Side Play of the Day)
NCAAB Today
Notes on today's games.............
Pittsburgh won its last six games (4-2 vs spread); they're 2-2 as favorite in Big East road games, winning away games by 6-16-12-23-8 pts. Pitt was held to 57-63 points in its two losses. Providence lost five of its last seven games, allowing 86+ points in all five losses- they're 3-5 vs spread as Big East, 0-2 at home, losing home games by 9-3-19 points.
Syracuse lost six of last eight games, losing three of last four times they scored 85+ points- favorites are 6-1 vs spread in their Big East games on road, with Orange losing last five road games. St John's lost four of last five games; they're 2-8 as Big East underdog, 1-2 on road, losing at home by 12-11-13 points (4-3 SU). Big East home underdogs are 11-20.
Ohio State lost its last three games by 5-3-2 points; they're 3-2 as Big 11 home favorite, winning home games by 3-24-18-8-6 points, losing only to Michigan State, Illinois. Penn State won last two games, allowing 63- 33 points; they're 3-3 as Big 11 road dog, losing away games by 4-20-14 20 points. Big 11 home favorites are 29-23 against the spread.
Wichita State's only MVC road win is 64-58 at Indiana State (even) Feb 4, but Sycamores won last five games since that loss, and they were dog in four of the five wins. ISU is 6-2 as MVC road dog, losing away game by 19-6-12-11 points- they won last three on road. Shockers won seven in row at home, by 13-6-1-16-18-11 points (2-4 as MVC home fave).
Southern Mississippi (-4) won 61-54 at Tulane Jan 14, holding Wave to 33.3% from floor, 0-13 from arc. Golden Eagles lost six of its last seven games, are 2-2 as C-USA home favorite, winning home games by 7-5-10 points (3-3 SU). Tulane lost five of last seven games, are 2-3 as road dog losing away games by 2-9-20-3-19 points.
Creighton won its last eight games, covering six of last seven; they beat Missouri State 75-51 (-10.5) Jan 31, holding Bears to 302.% from floor, 4-21 from arc. Bluejays are 5-1 as MVC road favorite, winning on road by 18-9-22-11-6-22 points, losing at Illinois State, Wichita. Missouri St lost four of five, seven of nine; they're 3-6 as an MVC underdog.
Illinois State (+3.5) lost 59-55 at Northern Iowa Jan 28, making 2-7 on foul line (UNI was 9-16); Redbirds are 3-5 as MVC home favorite, with home wins by 30-22-4-12-7-4-15 points. UNI lost four of its last five games, dropping last three by 8-1-6 points; they're 6-0 as road underdog in Missouri Valley, but they lost last two road games by 8-6 points.
LSU won its last eight games and 11 of last 12, the last four all by seven or less points; they are 3-3 as home favorite, winning at home by 17-24-10-14-7-7 points. Florida lost its last three road games by 16-3-2 points they're 1-1 as an SEC underdog- they scored 82+ points in six of their last eight games. SEC home favorites are 26-21 against the spread.
Baylor lost seven of last eight games, losing last four road games by 19-17-7-10 points; they allowed 75+ points in all seven losses- they're 1-11 vs spread in Big 12 games, 0-6 as a favorite. Iowa State lost nine of last ten games, four of last five at home- they scored just 56 ppg in last three games. Big 12 home underdogs are 10-13 against the spread.
Erratic Boston College lost three of last four games, but the win was vs Duke; BC is 3-3 at home- favorites covered four of their last five games. Florida State won five of last six games; they're 5-1 as an ACC road dog, losing away games by 6-23 points (4-2 SU). Seminoles are 9-2-1 vs the spread in league play. ACC home favorites are 20-28 against the spread.
Texas A&M covered seven of last eight games, including last four on the road; they're 3-2 as Big 12 road dog, losing away games by 11-20-9-6-4 points, with a win at Texas Tech in last road games Saturday. Nebraska is 4-2 at home in Big 12, winning by 5-22-3-5 points, losing to Kansas, Oklahoma State. Big 12 home favorites are 20-20 against the spread.
New Mexico (-2.5) won 69-52 at TCU Jan 24, shooting 57% from floor, 7-9 from arc; Lobos are 8-3 in last 11 games, 4-1 as MWC home favorite with home wins by 17-19-18-29-4-26 points. Horned Frogs lost seven of last eight games, losing last four on road by 17-6-14-5 points- they're 1-3-1 as MWC road dog. Mountain West home favorites are 21-9.
San Diego State (+7) lost 77-71 at BYU Jan 24; Cougars shot 56% from floor, 11-21 from arc- they had a five-game win streak snapped 75-74 at UNLV Saturday (+2.5). San Diego State is 5-0 at home in MWC, with wins by 9-5-17-31-11 points. Cougars lost last five visits to San Diego by 4-2-27-12-4 points. Home side is 10-1 in last 11 series games.
Searching for college basketball's tough spots
By Marc Lawrence
With the clock on the NCAA tournament down to three weeks, the noose begins to get tighter and tighter for teams with Big Dance dreams.
Adding to the burden are teams facing schedules with history clearly working against them. Take a look at the chore at hand of these three games.
Tuesday, February 24
Creighton at Missouri State
On the surface this looks to be a Missouri Valley mismatch with the first-place Bluejays (23-6, 12-5) taking on the conference cellar-dwelling Bears (11-7, 3-13). Appearances can be deceiving, though.
Creighton is just 6-12 SU on this court and 6-12 ATS as conference road chalk when playing off a win against an opponent also off a win (Missouri State upset Tennessee-Martin as 8-point road dogs in a Bracket Buster game over the weekend).
To further complicate matters, the Bears are an eye-popping 16-2 SU and 12-6 ATS on this floor when playing off a SU underdog win in their last game. With the Bluebirds eying up second-place Illinois State (22-6, 11-5) in its season finale at home Saturday, expect a bump in the road for Creighton here tonight.
PITTSBURGH at PROVIDENCE
PITTSBURGH: 7-1 ATS off an Under
PROVIDENCE: 2-8 ATS as an underdog
SYRACUSE at ST JOHNS
SYRACUSE: 2-10 ATS after scoring 75+ points BB games
ST JOHNS: 23-6 Under at home if the total is 140 to 149.5
PENN ST at OHIO ST
PENN ST: 13-3 Under when the total is 120 to 129.5
OHIO ST: 21-9 ATS off home game
INDIANA ST at WICHITA ST
INDIANA ST: 14-2 ATS off SU win/ATS loss
WICHITA ST: 12-4 Under off non-conf game
TULANE at SOUTHERN MISS
TULANE: 14-32 ATS off BB ATS wins
SOUTHERN MISS: 24-11 ATS as favorite
CREIGHTON at MISSOURI ST
CREIGHTON: 17-6 ATS Away off DD wins
MISSOURI ST: 1-7 ATS off ATS win
N IOWA at ILLINOIS ST
N IOWA: 7-0 Over off BB SU losses
ILLINOIS ST: 7-1 Over off non-conf game
FLORIDA at LSU
FLORIDA: 12-4 Under Away off SU win
LSU: 15-27 ATS as favorite
BAYLOR at IOWA ST
BAYLOR: 2-10 ATS vs. conference
IOWA ST: 8-2 Over after a combined score of 125 points or less
FLORIDA ST at BOSTON COLLEGE
FLORIDA ST: 9-1 ATS when the line is +3 to -3
BOSTON COLLEGE: 11-1 Over as a home favorite of 6 points or less
TEXAS A&M at NEBRASKA
TEXAS A&M: 13-4 Under Away vs. conference
NEBRASKA: 8-1 Under when the total is 120 to 129.5
(TC) TCU at NEW MEXICO
TCU: 0-6 ATS Away revenging DD home loss
NEW MEXICO: 15-2 ATS after allowing 55 points or less
BYU at SAN DIEGO ST
BYU: 47-73 ATS as an underdog
SAN DIEGO ST: 11-4 ATS as favorite
** (TC) Denotes Time Change