NCAAB News and Notes Tuesday 3/8

NCAA Betting: Villanova Wildcats vs South Florida
By: Brad Young

New York City’s Madison Square Garden hosts the Big East Tournament this week, and the conference has a chance to advance a record 11 teams to the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

There are a couple of interesting early matchups in the bracket, with lowly South Florida (9-22 straight up, 15-13-1 against the spread) hoping to upset a struggling Villanova (21-10 SU, 11-16-1 ATS) squad.

The Big East Conference is so strong that the Wildcats are a top-25 team nationally, but just a 10th-seed entering Madison Square Garden. The Bulls are the 15th-seeded team in the 16-team conference, and their season will be over with the next loss.

Villanova travels to the Big Apple hoping to get back on the winning track after losing its last four games SU to finish the regular season. The Wildcats are also a dismal 1-11 ATS their last 12 games, and haven’t covered a contest since beating West Virginia Feb. 5 at home.

Villanova concluded its regular season with Saturday’s setback to Pittsburgh as a 9½-point road underdog, 60-50. The combined 110 points never seriously threatened the 134 ½-point closing total, ending a string of back-to-back ‘over’ outings.

The Wildcats were on the short end of rebounding (30-22) and assists (12-4), while shooting a dismal 37 percent (19-of-51) from the field and 32 percent (7-of-22) from behind the arc. Guard Maalik Wayns led all scorers with 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting, but he was the only Villanova player to reach double digits in scoring. Guard Corey Fisher provided seven in the setback, while forward Antonio Pena added six and three rebounds.

South Florida wrapped up its regular season with consecutive setbacks SU and ATS, and was listed as a double-digit underdog in both matchups. The Bulls fell to St. John’s Saturday as an 11½-point road underdog, 72-56, while the combined 128 points slithered ‘over’ the 127 ½-point closing total.

South Florida actually led by two points at halftime, 32-30, before getting dominated in the second half, 42-24. The Bulls were on the short end of rebounds (32-23) and turnovers (18-12), while shooting 41 percent (19-of-46) from the field and 23 percent (3-of-13) from 3-point land.

Forward Augustus Gilchrist paced the offense with 16 points and four rebounds, while guard Shaun Noriega had 14. Forward Ron Anderson contributed 13 and six in the setback, while forward Jarrid Famous had 10.

Villanova is 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS the previous five encounters with South Florida. The Wildcats won the lone encounter this season Jan. 6 as a 7 ½-point road favorite, 83-71, while the combined 154 points soared ‘over’ the 128-point closing total.

Villanova guard Corey Stokes is ‘questionable’ against the Bulls due to an injured hamstring, while guard Dallas Ouano (knee) is ‘out’ indefinitely. The Wildcats are presently projected to be a seventh seed for the NCAA Tournament unless the recent freefall continues.

South Florida has seen the ‘under’ go 8-3 its last 11 games overall. Outside of two SU victories over last-place DePaul, the Bulls haven’t won a game since Jan. 16 at home versus Providence.

ESPNU will provide coverage of Tuesday’s tipoff beginning at 4:00 p.m. PT. The winner of this contest will advance to Wednesday’s game against seventh-seed Cincinnati.

Butler guns for Horizon League title
By: Willie Bee

Are the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers about to toss a wrench into the works? A win in Tuesday's Horizon League Championship over the Butler Bulldogs would surely cause a dilemma for the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

It's also got to tear at the hearts of Cleveland State backers who will need to cheer on rival Butler in this one if the Vikings are going to stand even a slight chance of making it to the dance.

The selection committee isn't really facing much of a predicament when it comes to the Horizon League. No more than two schools from the bunch will head to the tournament, possibly just one if Butler takes the title match. Cleveland State's only shot will be a Bulldogs win at US Cellular Arena in Milwaukee coupled with several early exits by bubble teams in the 'big boy' conference tourneys.

Cleveland State coach Gary Waters seemed resigned to not going to the NCAA tourney following Saturday's 76-68 setback to Butler in the HL semis.

"In regards to can we go in the tournament and have success, I think we can. But the NCAA has to see that, and they like the big boys. That’s all they talk about on ESPN, so they got the right to help people move forward," Waters noted following his team's latest defeat.

While the Vikings were busy giving away the regular season conference title and No. 1 seed for this tournament by dropping four of their final eight regular season games, Milwaukee was storming into the picture. The Panthers closed on a 9-1 straight-up run, 8-2 against the spread, to force a three-way tie in the Horizon League with Cleveland State and Butler, each 13-5 in conference play. Milwaukee won the tiebreaker and with that the host rights to thsi year's league tourney.

The Panthers' stretch to end the season included wins and covers versus Butler, Cleveland State and Valparaiso, a fourth HL club that is going to see a 23-11 record relegated to the NIT.

Milwaukee took out Valpo a second time in the HL semifinals last Saturday, 70-63, as slight one-point chalk. The Crusaders were in foul trouble most of the contest, the Panthers winning the game at the line for all intents and purposes with a 24-5 advantage in charity stripe scoring.

Butler advanced to Tuesday's title game with a 76-68 win last Saturday over Cleveland State, the third time this season the Bulldogs defeated the Vikings and covered the NCAA odds for their backers. Four-point chalk, Butler took a six-point lead into the break and then relied on senior Shawn Vanzant to hold that lead in the second half.

Vanzant, fourth on the team in scoring with an 8.1 PPG average, scored all 18 of his points in the second stanza, accounting for all but 11 of the Bulldogs' final 29 points in the game.

The Bulldogs will be gunning for their seventh Horizon League tournament title, third in the past four years, so Brad Stevens' team is obviously experienced and tested in these situations. Still, there's a lot to like about the Milwaukee Panthers. Start with the fact they will be on their home floor with a very vocal crowd behind them.

Milwaukee also has a pair of outright wins over the Bulldogs this season, each as a double-digit underdog. The most recent was an 86-80 overtime win Jan. 23 on the road at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler was laying 14 in that one, the final score shooting well past the 137-point total.

The Panthers were getting 10 points at home on Jan. 3 when they trashed the Bulldogs by a 76-52 count. Butler never led in the game and had no answer for Milwaukee junior Kaylon Williams who posted a triple-double with 10 points, 10 boards and 10 assists. That contest stayed 'under' the 134½ figure.

Rob Jeter's defensive scheme keyed Milwaukee winning both regular season games, the first time since the 2004-05 season the Panthers swept Butler. The Bulldogs aren't a great shooting team to start with, but they were held under 40 percent from the field in each loss, combining to hit just 11 of their 39 long range tries in the games.

Milwaukee will need to repeat some of that – it's especially important to take Butler guard Shelvin Mack out of his game – to take a third straight from the Bulldogs. I like the Panthers if the oddsmakers are generous enough to give them five points as well as a final score in the 132-135 range.

ESPN will carry the game beginning at 6 p.m. (PT).

Big East Tourney - First Round
By Judd Hall

The first round of the Big East tournament is normally reserved for the lower tier teams that don’t have a prayer of making it to the big dance. Tuesday’s opening action at Madison Square Garden in NYC, however, gives us something different.

Villanova, Connecticut and Marquette all appear to be heading to the NCAA tournament next week. But a loss on Tuesday against the scrubs of the league can hurt seeding in the field of 68 or even get forced out of the tourney altogether.

The drama begins early with the Huskies facing DePaul, then Seton Hall will take on the Scarlet Knights to round out the day games. Primetime battles showcase the Wildcats playing South Florida, which will lead into the Golden Eagles matching up with Providence.

The betting shops aren't giving much chance to any of these teams to win the Big East tourney. After all, you must win five games in five days to do so. Sportsbook.com currently doesn't have any lines for UConn or 'Nova to win it all, lumping them into the plus-400 "field" bet (risk $100 to win $400).

Connecticut vs. DePaul – 12:00 p.m. EST, ESPN

Connecticut (21-9 straight up, 13-11 against the spread) comes into this game looking for something to stop the bleeding. The Huskies closed out the regular season with a 4-7 SU and 3-8 ATS. Jim Calhoun’s club finished up with a disappointing 70-67 loss to the Fighting Irish as a three-point home favorite. Kemba Walker put UConn on his back with 34 points and six boards. Yet he missed a key three-point attempt with eight seconds remaining in the game that would have put his Huskies up 70-69.

As bad as the Huskies think things are going for them, it’s worse to play for or on DePaul (7-23 SU, 14-14-1 ATS). The Blue Demons are on a five-game losing skid that has seen them fail to cover the spread in three of them with one push. Oliver Purnell’s team laid down last Saturday as they lost 107-59 to the Orange as a 19½-point road underdog. Only five DePaul players wound up with points against the ‘Cuse. Tony Freeland was the lone bright spot by scoring 25 points and six rebounds.

If history is to repeat itself here, then take Connecticut big in this first round test. The Huskies railed DePaul for an 82-62 win as 9½-point road favorites back on Jan. 15. Walker lit the Blue Demons up for 31 points, four boards and five assists. We shouldn’t be surprised by that win since UConn is 5-1 SU against DePaul since 2004. The Blue Demons are 3-3 ATS in that run, but 1-2 ATS over the last three games. Consider hammering the ‘under’ for this test as well as it has cashed tickets in all six of those meetings.

DePaul has been an underdog 23 times this season at the betting shops. The Blue Demons are 1-2 SU and 11-11-1 ATS in that stretch. UConn is 10-5 SU and 7-8 ATS when tabbed as a favorite.

The winner of this game will get to take on eighth-place Georgetown at noon EST on ESPN on Wednesday.

Seton Hall vs. Rutgers – 2:00 p.m. EST, ESPN2

The sheer size of the Big East makes any team in the league feel like they have a chance at getting into the big dance. That isn’t the case in this matchup as both the Pirates and Scarlet Knights are just looking to extend their respective seasons by one game.

Seton Hall (13-17 SU, 14-14 ATS) has nobody to blame but itself for not being relevant right now. After all, they have five losses on the schedule that were decided by five or fewer points. They have picked up a couple of good wins to close out the regular season. The Pirates doused a red-hot St. John’s side 84-70 as three-point home pups last Thursday. They followed that up with an 85-72 triumph over Marquette as one-point home underdogs on March 5. The win against the Golden Eagles was particularly impressive as six Seton Hall players scored at least 10 points, led by Jeremy Hazell’s 21.

I’d like to say something good about Rutgers (14-16 SU, 12-12-2 ATS) in this spot, but it’s tough to do. The Scarlet Knights closed out the year 1-5 SU and 2-3-1 ATS to help them secure the 13th place in the Big East. Rutgers actually held a 38-33 advantage at halftime against the Friars, but wound up losing 75-74 to them as a 3½-point road pup. The game could have went to overtime had Mike Coburn not missed a foul shot in the waning moments of the game.

These teams met twice this season, with the road side winning and covering on both occasions. But Seton Hall has the clear edge in the head-to-head history with a 5-1 SU and 3-3 ATS. The ‘under is 4-1-1 during that stretch.

The Pirates have been dependable favorites when tabbed as such at the betting shops, going 8-5 SU and ATS this season. The ‘over’ went 8-5 in those games as well.

Rutgers has not done fans any favors by going 3-12 SU when listed as an underdog in Big East play. However, they aren’t terrible to back to cover, evidenced by its 8-7 ATS record this season. The ‘over’ is 8-7 in those tests.

A date with St. John’s awaits the winner of this contest at 2:00 p.m. EST on ESPN the following day. I’m pretty sure that Steve Lavin wants to get another crack at the Pirates, should they win.

Villanova vs. South Florida – 7:00 p.m. EST, ESPN

If there was ever a team that looked forward to the regular season coming to a close, it has to be Villanova (21-10 SU, 11-16-1 ATS). This is a team that started the year at 16-1 SU and 8-5-1 ATS to rank seventh in the AP Poll. Then the season collapsed to an extent for Jay Wright’s Wildcats, going 5-9 SU and 3-11 ATS in the bulk of league play. That, of course, includes a 4-0 SU and ATS skid to wind down the season.

The Wildcats finished off the season with a 60-50 setback to Pittsburgh as 9½-point road pups. Oddly enough, this was a fairly good performance out of ‘Nova, who tried to slow the tempo down. What was an issue for them was Maalik Wayns being the only player to score in the double-digits with 27 points. Take Wayns out of the score sheet and the ‘Cats shot just 31 percent from the field.

There was hope to have Corey Stokes back in the lineup for this game. Stokes missed the game against Pitt with a hamstring injury and is still listed as “questionable.” That’s 14.9 points per game missing from Villanova’s lineup.

South Florida (9-22 SU, 15-13-1 ATS) wishes that it could have the same type of collapse that the Wildcats had. The Bulls have never been able to get on level footing all season. They’ve won just three Big East games all year long, two of those victories coming against DePaul. USF finished off the year with a 72-56 loss to the Johnnies as a 12-point road underdog on March 5. Ron Anderson Jr. had the most complete game of anyone on the Bulls that day, scoring 13 points with six rebounds. Augustus Gilchrist did supply 16 points of his own in the losing effort.

Villanova has won all five meetings since 2006 with the Bulls, the year they joined the Big East. Plus, the Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in that stretch of games. The ‘under’ holds a slight 3-2 edge.

While the ‘Cats dominate the history books against South Florida, current standing will make bettors shy away. Villanova is 4-6 SU and 1-9 ATS in its last 10 Big East games as a favorite. The ‘under’ is a healthy 7-3 in those contests.

South Florida is 0-15 SU and 7-8 ATS this year as an underdog in league battles. The ‘under’ is 8-6 during that run.

No. 7 seed Cincinnati will be waiting for the winner of this showdown the following night at 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.

Marquette vs. Providence – 9:00 p.m. EST, ESPN

Of any team that must advance out of the first round for a NCAA tourney berth, it’s Marquette (18-13 SU, 14-11 ATS).

The Golden Eagles have played one of the tougher schedules in college basketball, evidenced by them coming in No. 28 in strength of schedule. That’s what happens when you take on 12 ranked teams during the course of the regular season. What Marquette’s problem is that they’ve gone 3-9 SU against those teams in the AP Poll. Bettors shouldn’t give a damn about that since they’re 8-4 ATS in those ranked games. The ‘under’ is 8-4 in that group of tests.

As strong as that ATS mark is, Marquette is only as good as its last game. Unfortunately for them it was an 85-72 loss to the Pirates as a one-point road “chalk” last Saturday. The Golden Eagles couldn’t snuff Seton Hall’s offense in this battle, allowing them to hit 49 percent from the field and 57 percent from three-point land. Plus, the Pirates’ bench outscored Marquette’s reserves 33-18.

Providence (15-16 SU, 11-16 ATS) has to feel like they can make some noise in this tourney early on after beating edging the Scarlet Knights 75-74 on March 5. Marshon Brooks put in 28 points for the Friars, which helped him set the single season scoring record in Big East history with 468 points. Too bad he could score a little more as Rutgers wound up covering as a 3½-point home favorite.

These two teams should remember each other quite well, having just met back on Feb. 27. The Golden Eagles won 86-62 as 10½-point home favorites on Feb. 27. Marquette has won six straight against the Friars, covering the number five times in a row. The ‘over’ is 4-2 in those head-to-head meetings.

The Golden Eagles have been solid favorites to back this year in conference matches, going 8-3 SU and 7-4 ATS. The ‘over’ is 9-3 in those contests as well.

Providence is just 2-12 SU in Big East contests that they were posted as an underdog. It was slightly better for our purposes as the Friars went 6-8 ATS.

The Mountaineers await the victor of this contest for a 9:00 p.m. EST tip-off on Wednesday night on ESPN.

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College Basketball Knowledge

Penn (+8) lost 62-59 in OT at Princeton Feb 8, after being down 13 with 8:44 left; three Quakers played 43+ minutes in that game. Penn is 4-2 at home in Ivy, losing in double OT to Harvard, by 1 to Cornell. Princeton lost two of last three on road- they need win here to force playoff game with Harvard for Ivy title. Ivy home teams are 6-8 vs spread in games with pointspread of 3 or less points.

Big East Tournament

UConn lost four of last five games, slipping to this spot; they're 0-5 in Big East tourney last five years, figure to get healthy vs DePaul club that lost 107-59 at Syracuse Saturday. Huskies (-9) won 82-62 at DePaul on Jan 15, holding hosts to 32% from floor. UConn is 2-6 vs spread in last eight tries as favorite. DePaul is 0-3-1 vs spread in its last four games.

Road team won both Rutgers-Seton Hall games this season; Hazell made just 11-33 from floor, 3-16 from arc in those games, but Pirates hit 24-39 from arc in pair of home upset wins last week. Rutgers lost five of last six games, with four of last five road games decided by 4 or less points. Knights are 2-5 in this event last five years, but one of wins was 61-48 over Seton Hall three years ago, Rutgers' last win in this event.

Villanova lost last four games, six of last eight (0-8 vs spread); health of Stokes' hamstring is huge for them this month. Wildcats (-8) won 83-71 at South Florida Jan 6 (Cats were 9-12 from arc, Stokes 5-5)-- Villanova shot 58% from floor. Bulls lost eight of last nine games, but covered nine of last 14- they're 1-2 in Big East tourney, losing by 14-20 points.

Providence (+10.5) lost 86-62 at Marquette Feb 27, shooting 32% while Eagles shot 53%. Friars snapped 7-game skid with win over Rutgers in last home game- they're 1-4 vs spread in last five games as an underdog. Marquette is 3-4 in its last seven games, 3-5 vs spread in its last eight as a fave. Eagles are 6-4 in this event last four years, Friars 2-9 in last nine.

Sun Belt Tournament

North Texas/Ark-Little Rock are both playing 4th night in row- this is first Sun Belt title game for UALR, one of the shortest teams in country that makes 40.5% from arc (9th in USA). UNT beat Trojans twice this season, 81-69 at home (-8), 72-69 (-2) on road last Tuesday. UNT has most experienced team in USA, leads country in getting to the foul line. Thompson was 20-20 from foul line in their quarterfinal win Sunday.

Summit Tournament

Oakland won its last five games vs Oral Roberts, beating Golden Eagles twice this season, shooting 54%+ in both games, 85-77 in Tulsa Dec 30, 88-85 at home Jan 27. This is 4th Summit final for Oakland in last five years- they won this tourney LY, after ORU won previous two events. Oral Roberts won its last ten games, scoring 79.3 ppg in last six games.

Big Sky Tournament

Weber State won nine of its last ten Big Sky games- they covered four of last five as an underdog. Montana won four of its last five league games- they're 8-4 in last dozen games as favorite. Griz beat Weber State in LY's Big Sky final, after being down 20 at half; home team won both series games this year by double figures. Montana lost three of four on road.

Only once in last six years has #1 seed won Big Sky tourney, bad omen for Northern Colorado squad that won eight of last nine games- they are 3-5-1 vs spread in last nine games as a favorite. Northern Arizona is 7-1 vs spread in last eight games as an underdog. Home side won both NAU-Northern Colorado games this year; Bears lost by 11 (+3.5) in Flagstaff Jan 31, then beat Lumberjacks 72-71 at home (-5.5) ten days ago.

Atlantic 14 Tournament

St Bonaventure won/covered its last five home games, winning by 2-21-10-19-6 points- they held LaSalle to 32% from floor with +12 margin on boards in 82-61 home win over Explorers Feb 12. LaSalle covered five of last eight as an underdog, four of last six on road. LaSalle star Murray hit just 5 of 20 shots from floor (8-10 from foul line) in the loss at Olean.

George Washington (+4) won 78-71 at St Joe's Jan 8, making 9-16 from arc with +15 rebounding margin; GW won five of its last six games, with only loss at Temple- they're 4-2 vs spread as A-14 favorite this season. St Joe's split its last eight games, covered six of last nine- four of its last five road losses were by 10+ points. Colonials are 2-0 vs St Joe's in this event the last four years, winning both games by nine points.

Rhode Island (+3) won 59-57 at Saint Louis Jan 26; Billikens made just 4-22 from arc. URI lost its last two games, is 1-4 vs spread in last five as a favorite. Billikens had won three in row before 66-55 loss to Xavier at home; they're 4-8 vs spread in last 12 games as an underdog. URI is 4-6 in this event last six years- they beat Saint Louis 63-47 in tourney LY.

Dayton won at least one conference tourney game in 11 of last 12 years; Flyers (-2) lost 55-50 at UMass Jan 9, in brickfest where UMass had a 29-13 edge at foul line, with both clubs shooting under 30% for game. Minutemen are 1-8 in this event last nine years, beating Charlotte LY- they ended Fordham's 41-game A-14 skid by losing to Rams Saturday.

Horizon Tournament

Butler won its last seven games, allowing 55.3 ppg in last four, but they lost twice to Milwaukee this season, 76-52 (-10) here Jan 3, then 86-80 (-14) at Hinkle Jan 23, with Panthers shooting over 54% from floor in both games (Butler shot under 40% both games). Milwaukee won nine of last ten games, covering last six Horizon games. Butler is 2-3 last five Horizon finals, with the wins by 15-25 points.

Tips and Trends

South Florida Bulls vs Villanova Wildcats

BULLS: South Florida might just be the best team in the nation that has lost 8 of their last 9 SU. Such is life in the Big East Conference, the toughest conference in the nation top to bottom. The Bulls are just 9-22 SU this season, yet are 15-13-1 ATS. South Florida has been a profitable team to wager on this year because they are underrated and have a never say die mentality. South Florida is 1-1 SU and 2-0 ATS in true road games this year against BYU and Texas Tech. Despite going 3-15 SU in conference play, the Bulls were 10-8 ATS. South Florida averages just 61.7 PPG, which places them in the bottom 40 in the country. C Augustus Gilchrist is the only South Florida player averaging double digits in PPG this year, as he's averaging 13.2 PPG. F Ron Anderson is averaging 7.1 PPG and a team high 6.5 RPG this year. The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss. Chicago is 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 neutral site games as an underdog. The Bulls are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 neutral site games.

Bulls are 8-3 ATS last 11 games following a SU loss.
Under is 8-3 last 11 games against the Big East Conference.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 60 (SIDE of the Day)

WILDCATS: (-10, O/U 127) Villanova has dominated South Florida through the years, and they are hoping that trend continues tonight. The Wildcats have lost their last 4 games SU to end the season. The Wildcats are 21-10 SU and 11-16-1 ATS overall this year. Villanova played UCLA and Tennessee in neutral court situations, as they went 1-1 both SU and ATS. The biggest reason the Wildcats have been losing of late is because their typically prolific offense has gone awry. 4 different Wildcats average double figures in PPG this year, led by G Corey Fisher. Fisher is averaging a team high 15.5 PPG this year. F Antonio Pena is averaging 10 PPG and a team high 7.3 RPG this season. 4 different players started every game for Villanova this year. The Wildcats are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against a team with a winning percentage below .400%. Villanova is 5-17 ATS in their last 22 games following an ATS loss. The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games as the listed favorite. Villanova is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games following a SU loss. The Wildcats are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as the listed favorite overall.

Wildcats are 1-11 ATS last 12 games overall.
Under is 10-4 last 14 games following a SU loss.

Key Injuries - G Corey Stokes (hamstring) is questionable.

Projected Score: 64

Butler Bulldogs vs Wisconsin Milwaukee Panthers

BULLDOGS: (-3, O/U 137) Few can forget the March Madness run that Butler had last year. They play tonight for another Horizon Conference Tournament Championship. The Bulldogs haven't been as dominant as they were last year, but this is still an exceptional team. Butler is 22-9 SU and 14-13-2 ATS overall this season. The Bulldogs are 6-6 SU and 4-7 ATS in true road games this season. Butler is 0-2 ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or fewer this year. The Bulldogs were just 7-11 ATS against Horizon League opponents. Revenge is likely to play a factor tonight, considering 2 of the Bulldogs 9 losses this season have come against Wisconsin Milwaukee. F Matt Howard has had another impressive season, as he leads the Bulldogs with 16.7 PPG and 7.9 RPG this year. G Shelvin Mack is averaging 15.3 PPG and a team high 3.6 APG for Butler this season. The Bulldogs are 19-6-2 ATS in their last 27 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600%. Butler is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 Tuesday games. The Bulldogs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a road favorite. Butler is 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 games as the listed favorite.

Bulldogs are 0-6 ATS last 6 games following an ATS win.
Under is 7-3 last 10 games as a road favorite.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 74 (OVER-Total of the Day)

PANTHERS: Wisconsin Milwaukee has a decided advantage tonight, as they get to face Butler tonight in front of their home fans. The Panthers won both meetings against Butler this season, both games coming as a double digit underdog within a span of 3 weeks. Wisconsin Milwaukee was a 10 point home underdog to Butler on January 3rd. The Panthers are 19-12 SU and 18-13 ATS overall this season. Wisconsin Milwaukee is 10-4 SU and 8-5 ATS at home this season. The Panthers are 9-8 ATS as the listed underdog this year, including 1-0 as a home underdog of 3 PTS or fewer. F Anthony Hill has been dominant this year, as he's averaging team highs of 15.6 PPG and 6.5 RPG this year. G Kaylon Williams is averaging 8.5 PPG and a team high 5.5 APG this season. The Panthers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall. Wisconsin Milwaukee is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as a home underdog. The Panthers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a SU win. Wisconsin Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS win. The Panthers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games. Wisconsin Milwaukee is 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 Tuesday games.

Panthers are 7-0 ATS last 7 games against the Horizon League.
Over is 5-1 last 6 games as a home underdog.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 70