Wednesday's Best NCAAB Bets
Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina State Wolfpack (+10, 151)
The defending national champs have proven to be human in recent weeks, dropping from their No. 1 ranking and failing to cover the spread in three straight outings.
The Duke Blue Devils are 2-1 SU in that span, defeating Virginia (+21.5) by only four points and Maryland (+14.5) by just seven points on January 9. Sandwiched in between those slight wins is a 66-61 loss to Florida State (+7).
That has the Wolfpack licking their chops heading into Wednesday’s North Carolina rivalry. NC State is happy to be home after two straight ACC road losses and is hoping to build on its recent history against the Blue Devils.
"Morale is good, effort is good, and the energy is good," head coach Sidney Lowe told the News Observer following his team’s loss to FSU. "They're certainly disappointed in the loss, but they understand we really have a lot of games to go, and things can happen."
The Wolfpack have played their state neighbors tough in recent years, posting a 2-3 record versus Duke since March 2007, with a 4-1 mark against the spread in that span. North Carolina State defeated the Blue Devils 88-74 as an 11.5-point home favorite in their most recent clash, back in January of last year.
Pick: North Carolina State
Duke seeks revenge at NC State
By: Brad Young
Fourth-ranked Duke (16-1 straight up, 8-8 against the spread) remains in a three-way tie atop the Atlantic Coast Conference. The defending national champion Blue Devils were the top-ranked team in the country before suffering their lone setback last week against Florida State.
North Carolina State (11-6 SU, 7-6 ATS) remains in the pack with a 1-2 conference record, tied for seventh with Miami, Maryland, Virginia and Georgia Tech. The Wolfpack have seen the ‘under’ go 8-3 their last 11 home endeavors.
Duke rebounded from its lone setback of the season to upend Virginia as 21 ½-point home ‘chalk,’ 76-60. The combined 136 points eclipsed the 134-point closing total, ending a string of back-to-back ‘under’ outings.
The Blue Devils actually trailed by 10 points late in the first half before outscoring the Cavaliers over the last 16 minutes, 43-18. Duke finished the contest with advantages in rebounding (40-25) and assists (13-8), while shooting 47 percent (27-of-58) from the field and 25 percent (5-of-20) from behind the arc.
Nolan Smith led all scorers with 29 points and seven rebounds, while Andre Dawkins added 14 and Kyle Singler provided 13. Forward Mason Plumlee only had five points, but he did grab 16 rebounds.
NC State is currently mired in a two-game SU and ATS losing streak after Sunday’s setback to Florida State as a 7 ½-point road underdog, 84-71. The combined 155 points soared ‘over’ the 135 ½-point closing total, helping the ‘over’ improve to 3-1 the previous four outings.
The Wolfpack managed just 19 points at halftime, and finished the game by shooting 39 percent (24-of-62) from the field and 40 percent (6-of-15) from 3-point land. NC State won the rebounding battle, 34-29, but the defense allowed the Seminoles to shoot a blistering 55 percent (30-of-55) from the field.
Forward Tracy Smith paced the Wolfpack offense with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while guard Ryan Harrow added 17. Forward C.J. Leslie had 10 and nine rebounds in the loss, while forward Scott Wood netted 10.
NC State won the lone encounter with Duke last season as an 11 ½-point home underdog, 88-74. The combined 162 points sailed well past the NCAA odds, helping the ‘over’ improve to 9-1 the previous 10 meetings. The Wolfpack are 4-1 ATS the last five games versus the Blue Devils.
Duke point guard Kyrie Irving remains ‘out’ indefinitely due to a toe injury. The Blue Devils follow this matchup with a road game against Wake Forest. Duke has seen the ‘under’ go 35-16 its previous 51 conference games.
NC State hosts Miami after this game before embarking on a two-game ACC road trip against Clemson and North Carolina. The Wolfpack have seen the ‘under’ go 10-3 their past 13 conference clashes.
ESPN will provide coverage of Wednesday’s ACC contest beginning at 4:00 p.m. PT from Raleigh’s RBC Center in Raleigh.
Texas A&M puts streak on line at Texas
By: Stephen Nover
Quick, name the only team besides Pittsburgh to win an NCAA Tournament game during each of the past five seasons.
Go to the head of the class if you managed to come up with Texas A&M.
The Aggies are tough again this season winning 16 of their 17 games and tied for first in the Big 12 Conference at 3-0. The 11th-ranked Aggies take on 10th-ranked Texas in Austin Wednesday night at 6 PT with ESPN2 televising.
Texas is determined to do better than last season when it lost 10 of its final 17 games, including a first-round NCAA Tournament game to Wake Forest. The Longhorns are 14-3, 2-0 in the Big 12. They have covered in nine of their 12 ‘lined’ contests, including five of the past six.
The Longhorns’ record is impressive considering they’ve played the toughest non-conference schedule of any Big 12 team having faced Illinois, Pittsburgh, USC, North Carolina, Michigan State and Connecticut.
Texas A&M leads the conference in rebounding margin, while the Longhorns are No. 1 in overall rebounds.
The Aggies pride themselves on their tenacious defense. They led the Big 12 in scoring defense last season holding foes to 65.8 points per game. This season the Aggies are even better.
Texas A&M is allowing only 57.6 points a game, ninth-best in the nation. The Aggies rank 26th in defensive field goal percentage limiting foes to 38.8 percent shooting from the floor.
Texas is right there defensively yielding 61.4 points a game – 36th-best in the nation – and ranking fifth in defensive field goal percentage. Opponents are hitting only 36.8 percent from the field against the Longhorns.
The ‘under’ has cashed in seven of Texas’ last nine ‘lined’ matchups. The ‘under’ is 6-2-1 in the Aggies’ nine ‘lined’ contests.
Both meetings last season between the two schools went ‘under.’ Texas won the first matchup last year, 72-67, in overtime laying 14 ½ at home. The combined 139 points went ‘under’ the 152 ½-point total.
Texas A&M won the rematch at home, 74-58, as one-point underdogs. The combined 132 points went ‘under’ the 140-point total.
Texas sophomore wing Jordan Hill is showing signs he could be the school’s next NBA lottery selection. Hill has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, scoring at least 16 points during the past seven games.
Hill had 17 points and six rebounds in pacing Texas past Oklahoma, 66-46, this past Saturday. The Longhorns just covered as 19-point favorites.
Texas held the Sooners to 39.2 percent shooting from the field. It was the 11th time the Longhorns have held a foe under 40 percent shooting, including their past four opponents.
The Longhorns shot 45.3 percent from the floor, marking the fifth time in a row they’ve converted 45 percent or better.
Freshman Tristan Thompson has been stepping up for Texas averaging 17 points and eight rebounds during his past six games.
Texas A&M enters this matchup off a 91-89 home win in overtime against No. 13 Missouri. The Aggies were favored by five. The combined 180 points sailed ‘over’ the 140 ½-point total. Khris Middleton led Texas A&M with 28 points.
The Aggies committed a season-low nine turnovers against the Tigers, who entered the matchup leading the Big 12 in forcing turnovers. The Aggies had a 40-35 rebound edge. Texas A&M came into the game with a plus 11.6 rebound margin. The Aggies haven’t been out-rebounded yet this season.
The victory was Texas A&M’s 13th straight. The Aggies are 3-0 in conference for only the second time in their history.
Wednesday Wagers
By Brian Edwards
North Carolina beat Clemson in Chapel Hill last night. In other words, the Tar Heels showed up and the Tigers didn't miss their flight. UNC now owns a 55-0 all-time record against Clemson at home. After losing by 20 at Ga. Tech on Sunday, Roy Williams's team beat Clemson 75-65 as a 5 1/2-point favorite.
Moving on, tonight's college basketball card is stacked with games galore, including another ACC road test for Duke. In the Big 12, Texas will take on once-beaten Texas A&M in Austin. Also, there are crucial clashes in the Big East (Louisville at St. John’s and Cincinnati at Notre Dame), SEC (Arkansas at South Carolina and Ole Miss at Vanderbilt) and Big Ten (Iowa at Ohio St. and Penn St. at Purdue).
Duke at North Carolina State
As of early this morning, most betting shops had Duke (16-1 straight up, 8-8 against the spread) installed as a 10-point favorite with a total of 151. Gamblers can take Sidney's Lowe's team to win outright for a plus-450 payout (risk $100 to win $450).
Duke has failed to cover the number in three straight games and five of its last seven. The Blue Devils went down for the first time last Wednesday, dropping a 66-61 decision at Florida St. as seven-point road favorites. They bounced back for a 76-60 win Saturday over Virginia, but the Cavaliers easily took the cash as 21 ½-point road underdogs.
Nolan Smith enjoyed one of his better career efforts in the win over UVA, tallying 29 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. Andre Dawkins and Kyle Singler added 14 and 13 points, respectively.
North Carolina State (11-6 SU, 7-6 ATS) has lost back-to-back games, including Saturday’s 84-71 loss at FSU as a 7½-point underdog. Even though the Wolfpack was catching the Seminoles in a classic letdown situation, it couldn’t keep pace with them, falling behind by nine at halftime and trailing by as many as 22. Tracy Smith had 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the losing effort.
N.C. St. has won eight of its nine home games, compiling a 3-2 spread record in the process.
N.C. St. has covered the spread in three consecutive head-to-head meetings with Duke. The Wolfpack beat the Blue Devils 88-74 as an 11 1/2-point home underdog on Jan. 20 of last season.
The ‘over’ is 7-5 overall for N.C. St., but the ‘under’ is 3-1 in its four home games with a total.
The ‘over’ is 9-7 overall for Duke.
The ‘over’ is 9-1 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings between these ACC adversaries.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
Texas A&M at Texas
As of early this morning, most books were listing Texas (14-3 SU, 9-3 ATS)as a seven-point favorite with a total of 130 1/2. Bettors can take the Aggies on the money line for a plus-250 return (risk $100 to win $250).
Texas has won its first two Big 12 games, spanking the league’s two worst teams by lopsided margins. The Longhorns hammered Oklahoma by a 66-46 count Saturday as 19-point home favorites. Jordan Hamilton dropped 17 points on the Sooners, draining 5-of-8 attempts from 3-point range. Hamilton also had six rebounds and four assists, while Tristan Thompson finished with 15 points and eight boards.
Texas A&M (16-1 SU, 6-2-1 ATS) won its 13th straight game Saturday by capturing a 91-89 win over Missouri as a five-point home favorite. Khris Middleton was the catalyst for the Aggies at crunch time, producing several key baskets en route to a 28-point effort.
Texas A&M is in its first underdog spot of the season. The Aggies have played five RPI Top 100 teams, collecting four wins over the likes of Temple, Washington, Oklahoma St. and Missouri. They suffered their lone loss to Boston College by a 67-65 score as six-point favorites way back on Nov. 25.
The ‘under’ is 7-4 overall for Texas, 3-2 in its five home games with a total. The Longhorns are 10-1 SU and 4-2 ATS at home. They lost to UConn 82-81 in overtime as 8 ½-point home favorites on Jan. 8.
The ‘under’ is 6-2-1 overall for the Aggies. The ‘under’ is also on a 4-1 run in the last five head-to-head meetings between these schools.
ESPN2 will have the telecast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets
Ohio State will puts its No. 1 ranking and unbeaten record on the line tonight vs. Iowa. Most spots opened the Buckeyes as 20-point home favorites. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. Eastern on the Big Ten Network.
Indiana's Maurice Creek went down with a second serious injury in a 13-month span during Saturday's blowout win over Michigan. Creek, who is done for the season with a stress fracture in his right patella, was averaging a team-high 16.4 points per game when he broke his kneecap on Dec. 28 of 2009. He had averaged just 8.6 PPG this year.
Ole Miss will be in desperation mode tonight in Nashville. The Rebels, who have been to the NIT semifinals twice but never to the NCAA Tournament under Andy Kennedy, have lost their first three SEC games. As of early this morning, they were 11-point underdogs against the Commodores, who are coming off a tough loss at Tennessee.
Speaking of the Vols, they captured a 57-55 win at Georgia last night as five-point underdogs. UT hooked up money-line backers with a plus-175 return at the Las Vegas Hilton. Brian Williams scored on a putback bucket at the buzzer that was upheld after officials looked at the TV replay. What was not considered on further review, however, was whether or not Williams should've been whistled for an over-the-back foul on UGA's Chris Barnes.
Alabama also pulled a moderate upset in SEC play last night, holding off Kentucky 68-66 as a 4 1/2-point home underdog. The Crimson Tide let a 20-point lead get away and had to hold off a furious UK rally until the buzzer sounded. Anthony Grant's squad improved to 11-7 overall and 3-1 in the SEC.
Auburn has shut down junior guard Frankie Sullivan for the rest of the season due to a lingering knee injury.
Wesley Witherspoon has been suspended by Memphis head coach Josh Pastner for tonight’s game at So. Miss. Witherspoon averages 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who were six-point underdogs this morning.
Northwestern let a golden opportunity get away Saturday in East Lansing when it couldn’t close the deal against Michigan State. The Wildcats led 23-18 at intermission and had a 60-58 advantage until Draymond Green hit a pair of free throws with 10 ticks left. They led 65-62 at the 3:02 mark of overtime, only to get outplayed from there in a 71-67 loss. If John Shurna gives Bill Carmody anything, his team emerges from Breslin Center with a three-game winning streak in Big Ten play. Instead, Northwestern fell to 2-4 in the league going into three consecutive home games. The Wildcats, with an RPI of 61, will play five of their next six games at home with chances for quality wins against Michigan (1/19), Wisconsin (1/23), Ohio St. (1/29) and Illinois (2/5). If Carmody is going to get NW to its first NCAA Tournament, it will have to take advantage of being at home the next two weeks and change. UPDATE: NW beat Michigan 74-60 last night, taking the cash as a seven-point home 'chalk.'
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College basketball Knowledge
St John's lost four of last five games vs Louisville, losing last three trips here by 24-10-7 points. Red Storm is 4-2 in league, losing at Syracuse by 17, Notre Dame by 15- they're 2-1 on road, 2-2 as underdog. Louisville was down 18 with 5:44 left Saturday but rallied to nip Marquette- they are Big East home favorites of 7+ points are 11-7 against the spread.
Cincinnati lost two of last three games after 15-0 start, losing by 15-11 points at Syracuse/Villanova. Home side won last four UC-Notre Dame games; Bearcats lost last two visits here, by 17-18 points. Notre Dame is 3-0 at home in league, winning by 14-3-15 points- they're 0-3 on road in league. Big East home favorites of less than 5 points are 8-3 vs spread.
James Madison lost 12 of last 14 games vs Old Dominion, losing six of last seven visits here, with losses by 14-33-13-18-27-2 points. JMU is on 9-game win streak, with wins at So Florida/Kent/Wm Mary- they're 4-0 as an underdog this season. ODU won four of last five games, is 2-4 as a CAA favorite. CAA home favorites of 7+ points are 7-6 vs spread.
Memphis won its last 13 games vs Southern Mississippi, sneaking by in LY's games, by 2-7 points, but Tigers are ranked #92- lowest they were ranked in last eight years was #55. USM won its two league games by 12-17 points- they're 2-1 as league favorite. C-USA home favorites are 8-6 vs spread. Memphis is 0-2 on road, losing by 20-6 points.
Indiana State won three of last four games vs Missouri State, with both games LY going OT; Bears lost last two visits here by 7-5 points. MVC home underdogs are 3-8 vs spread. ISU won its last five games; they are 4-0 ar home in MVC (2-1 as HF) winning by 14-15-25-2 points. Bears are 7-0 in Valley, with four of the seven wins on foreign soil.
Ball State lost eight of last ten games vs Eastern Michigan, losing three of last four visits here; Cardinals won last five games, are 3-0 in MAC, winning by 5-9-9 points. Eagles are 1-11 vs D-I teams, 1-2 in its MAC games, losing by 2-17 points. MAC home teams are 6-12 vs spread, 0-2 as underdogs. Ball State is 3-2 on road, losing at Butler/Valparaiso.
Boston College won three of last four games vs Virginia, splitting pair in ACC tourney last two years; Eagles are 3-1 in ACC, 2-0 as home fave, winning by 11-9 points at home. ACC home favorites of 7+ points are 4-5 vs spread. Cavaliers are 3-0 as ACC underdog, losing at Duke by 16 (up 6 at half), winning at Va Tech, losing at home to UNC by 6.
Xavier won last eight games vs St Bonaventure, winning last three trips to Olean by 16-26-20 points; Musketeers are 3-0 in league, winning by 27-29-5 points. 72-45 win at URI was their first in four road games. St Bonaventure is 5-3 as underdog this year, losing last game by a point at URI. A-14 home teams are 8-15 vs spread, 2-3 as underdogs.
Duke lost 88-74 to NC State here LY, ending 7-game series win streak; Devils are 3-1 in ACC, losing only road game by 5 at Florida State- they are 0-4 vs spread, with wins by 11-7-16 points. Wolfpack lost last two games by 9-13 points; home teams/favorites covered all three of State's league games. ACC home underdogs are 3-1 against the spread.
West Virginia won last four games vs instate rival Marshall by 14-2-11-8 points; only one of previous eight series meetings was decided by more than 11 points. Big East non-conference home favorites of 10-17 points are 11-9 against spread. Marshall is 4-2 vs spread as an underdog so far this season. C-USA double digit underdogs are 8-4 vs spread.
Home side won last seven Northern Iowa-Wichita State games; Panthers lost last three visits here by 3-8-9 points- they beat Shockers by 15 in MVC final last March. UNI won its last three games, allowing 57.7 ppg; they're 3-2 as an underdog- their MVC losses are by 1-2-25 pts. MVC home favorites of 8-13 points are 4-1. Wichita is 6-1 an an MVC fave.
Texas won four of last five games vs Texas A&M, winning seven in row here, by average of 16 points, but they won LY's meeting here by 5 in OT. Longhorns won eight of last nine games, taking first two conference games by 31-20 points. Aggies are 3-0 in Big 12, winning at Oklahoma in only road game. Big 12 home favorites of 8 or less points are 6-2-1.
Florida State won eight of last nine games vs Miami, winning last three by average score of 71-64; Seminoles won four of last five visits to this gym, winning by 3-8ot-7-1 point. Home teams are 9-4 vs spread in ACC games where spread is single digits. FSU is 3-1 in ACC, but lost by 12 at Va Tech in only road game. Miami is 1-2, in ACC, nipping BC by point for its first win Saturday.