01-26-13 |
New Mexico +4.5 v. San Diego St |
|
34-55 |
Loss |
-106 |
16 h 37 m |
Show
|
New Mexico was impressive in their last game against a very good Colorado St team. The Lobos only won that game by 5 points (66-61) on the scoreboard, but they actually led that game by 20 points in the second half before allowing a late run by Colorado St. The Lobos have now won and covered their first four conference games, and a lot of that has to do with their defense. New Mexico has held all four opponents to 63 points or less in regulation time while holding those teams to just 38.6% (86-223) shooting from the field. New Mexico
|
01-26-13 |
Northern Iowa +1 v. Indiana St |
|
58-59 |
Push |
0 |
14 h 2 m |
Show
|
This is the second meeting of the season between Northern Iowa and Indiana St; the Sycamores beat the Panthers 65-61 as 7
|
01-24-13 |
Stanford +4.5 v. Colorado |
|
54-75 |
Loss |
-109 |
11 h 43 m |
Show
|
These two teams have been heading in opposite directions since conference play began. Stanford has played the much better basketball on both ends of the court in conference games even though they only have a 2-3 record. The Cardinal own three close losses by a combined 15 points, but they all came in quick turnaround spots. Stanford has had four full days to get ready for this game in Colorado so they
|
01-24-13 |
Wyoming +9 v. UNLV |
|
50-62 |
Loss |
-110 |
10 h 59 m |
Show
|
Wyoming continues to fly well under the radar. The Cowboys are 15-2 on the season with both of their losses coming in conference play. Wyoming
|
01-24-13 |
UCLA +8.5 v. Arizona |
|
84-73 |
Win
|
100 |
10 h 43 m |
Show
|
UCLA comes into tonight
|
01-23-13 |
Colorado St +5 v. New Mexico |
|
61-66 |
Push |
0 |
10 h 26 m |
Show
|
Colorado State has played outstanding basketball under head coach Larry Eustachy this season. The Rams come into tonight
|
01-22-13 |
Kentucky v. Alabama +4 |
|
55-59 |
Win
|
100 |
9 h 21 m |
Show
|
Kentucky is a talented team, but we have to remember they are loaded with inexperienced freshman. This year
|
01-21-13 |
Oklahoma State +4.5 v. Baylor |
|
54-64 |
Loss |
-110 |
7 h 6 m |
Show
|
Oklahoma State started the season by going 10-1 over their first eleven games. The Cowboys followed that by going just 1-3 over their next four games. And because of that, they used their week off to get back to the basics; they called it
|
01-19-13 |
Gonzaga -2.5 v. Butler |
|
63-64 |
Loss |
-112 |
22 h 48 m |
Show
|
This will be an electric scene on Saturday night in Hinkle Fieldhouse when Butler hosts Gonzaga in this much anticipated showdown. The two teams played last season and it was never close as Gonzaga beat Butler by 16 points (71-55). While we do not expect the margin to be that big in the rematch tonight, we believe Gonzaga will win comfortably once again. The Bulldogs have played outstanding basketball this season as they are averaging 79 points per game on an incredible 50.5% shooting from the field and 35.6% from three-point land. With such a high-scoring team, you
|
01-19-13 |
Ohio State +2 v. Michigan State |
|
56-59 |
Loss |
-109 |
17 h 48 m |
Show
|
There may not seem to be too much that separates these two teams on the surface, but we believe Ohio St holds some clear edges over Michigan St. The Buckeyes come into tonight
|
01-19-13 |
Oregon +5.5 v. UCLA |
|
76-67 |
Win
|
100 |
15 h 49 m |
Show
|
This is a big game in the Pac 12 as both Oregon and UCLA come in without a loss in conference play. Oregon has quietly played some terrific basketball this season. The Ducks come into today
|
01-17-13 |
Valparaiso +3.5 v. Detroit |
|
89-88 |
Win
|
100 |
8 h 47 m |
Show
|
Valparaiso and Detroit are the two best teams in the Horizon League by a wide margin, and tonight
|
01-16-13 |
Xavier +2.5 v. St Bonaventure |
|
66-64 |
Win
|
100 |
9 h 46 m |
Show
|
Xavier has quietly turned the corner in conference play. The Musketeers had lost 5 of their previous 6 games before opening Atlantic 10 play with consecutive wins over Temple and George Washington. Xavier is doing it with defense as they
|
01-13-13 |
Maryland Terrapins +6 v. Miami (Fla) |
|
47-54 |
Loss |
-106 |
9 h 60 m |
Show
|
Maryland is a much improved team this season. The Terrapins come into tonight
|
01-12-13 |
St. Louis +4 v. Temple |
|
54-64 |
Loss |
-106 |
8 h 8 m |
Show
|
Saint Louis is flying well under the radar this season. The Billikens come into this game with a 12-3 record; they are on a 9-game winning streak. Saint Louis has shown amazing strength this season; it would have been easy for them to sink after coach Rick Majerus passed away. But the Billikens have become a stronger team, and their close bond cannot be underestimated. Saint Louis has played tremendous basketball on both ends of the court. They are highly efficient on offense as they shoot 45.6% from the field and 36.6% from three-point land. Their defense has been tough to score on as they are holding opponents to just 55.5 points per game. Temple
|
01-12-13 |
Oklahoma State +1.5 v. Oklahoma |
|
68-77 |
Loss |
-106 |
5 h 8 m |
Show
|
This is always a heated rivalry series so we can expect both teams to bring their best efforts this afternoon. Oklahoma St comes in with an 11-3 record with one of those losses coming at Kansas St last Saturday. The Cowboys were extremely competitive in that game as they only lost by 6 points; the game was tied with less than 3 minutes to play. That was a very encouraging game by Oklahoma St because it was their first conference road game of the season in a hostile environment. The Cowboys are young, but they are ultra talented, so the fact that they showed well in that Kansas St game gives them plenty of confidence for this game. Oklahoma St beat NC State on a neutral floor and they only lost to Gonzaga by a single point; those two games show how good the Cowboys are.
Oklahoma comes into this game with a 10-3 record with some ugly losses on their resume. They lost to Stephen F. Austin at home, and they also lost at Arkansas. They got blown out by Gonzaga; they lost that game by 25 points (72-47). So if we compare Oklahoma St and Okalahoma based on the Gonzaga results, we can see that the Cowboys are the better team. Oklahoma St has played the better basketball on both ends of the court as the Cowboys shoot 44.7% and allow just 37.4% shooting from the field. Oklahoma shoots 42% and allows 40.1% shooting from the field. This game will be close throughout, but since Oklahoma St is the better team, we expect them to grab the road win over their rival on Saturday afternoon.
9* Play OKLAHOMA STATE (+).
|
01-10-13 |
Miami (Fla) +4.5 v. North Carolina |
|
68-59 |
Win
|
100 |
10 h 55 m |
Show
|
Miami is flying well under the radar this season. The Hurricanes come into tonight
|
01-09-13 |
Minnesota -1.5 v. Illinois |
|
84-67 |
Win
|
100 |
22 h 56 m |
Show
|
Minnesota has played tremendous basketball this season. The Golden Gophers come into tonight
|
01-06-13 |
Oregon -2 v. Oregon State |
|
79-66 |
Win
|
100 |
10 h 13 m |
Show
|
Oregon has quietly played some terrific basketball this season. The Ducks come into tonight
|
01-02-13 |
Creighton -2 v. Illinois State |
|
79-72 |
Win
|
100 |
8 h 47 m |
Show
|
Creighton has played outstanding basketball this season. The Bluejays come into tonight
|
12-29-12 |
Butler -5.5 v. Vanderbilt |
|
68-49 |
Win
|
100 |
7 h 44 m |
Show
|
Butler has been highly impressive this season. The Bulldogs come into tonight
|
12-29-12 |
Washington +7 v. Connecticut |
|
53-61 |
Loss |
-110 |
6 h 19 m |
Show
|
This game is being played in Hartford and not on the campus of Connecticut which limits the Huskies home court edge just a bit. Washington will be playing just their fourth game away from home this season so the Huskies are not road weary like a lot of teams are during this time of the season. Washington has played a tough schedule so far this season with the likes of Ohio State, Colorado State, and Saint Louis. The Huskies do two things extremely well: they rebound and get to the free throw line. Washington grabs 11.2 offensive rebounds per game and they average 24 free throw attempts per game. Those are two areas in which Connecticut struggles; that means Washington holds two major match-up advantages in this game.
Connecticut has played an extremely weak schedule so far this season. Aside from Michigan St in their season opener, the Huskies have faced just one good team (NC State) over their last ten games. Despite that, Connecticut has been out-rebounded in 10 of their 11 games this season; they average just 30.3 rebounds per game which ranks them 323rd in the country. Washington also has the size edge in the backcourt with their guards so they hold the height edge inside the paint and outside on the perimeter. There
|
12-22-12 |
Evansville +10.5 v. Butler |
|
67-75 |
Win
|
100 |
13 h 46 m |
Show
|
Evansville is playing sneaky good basketball this year. The Purple Aces come into this game at 7-4 with every loss coming by 12 points or less, including three losses by 9 points or less. Evansville has had plenty of success against Butler in recent years; the Purple Aces have won the last two meetings and they only lost by 4 points in the game prior. Their offensive system is what Butler has trouble with:
|
12-19-12 |
Marquette -8 v. Wisconsin-Green Bay |
|
47-49 |
Loss |
-110 |
8 h 50 m |
Show
|
Marquette comes into tonight
|
12-19-12 |
Canisius +10.5 v. Temple |
|
72-62 |
Win
|
100 |
7 h 49 m |
Show
|
Canisius only won 5 games last season. But under new head coach Jim Baron, the Golden Griffins are already 7-2 this year. Baron brought his son along with him to run the point, and Billy Baron figures to have a big match-up edge in tonight
|
12-18-12 |
Denver +8.5 v. Wyoming |
|
61-71 |
Loss |
-105 |
10 h 36 m |
Show
|
This series has been highly competitive, and we expect another close game tonight. Denver has won 5 of the last 9 meetings between these two teams and they have covered the pointspread in 7 of those 9 games. The reason is because both teams play at an extremely slow pace and it
|
12-15-12 |
Creighton v. California +3 |
|
74-64 |
Loss |
-110 |
12 h 28 m |
Show
|
Creighton has played terrific basketball so far this season. The Bluejays come into tonight
|
12-15-12 |
Louisville v. Memphis +4 |
|
87-78 |
Loss |
-110 |
4 h 59 m |
Show
|
Louisville is obviously an outstanding team. The Cardinals come into this game at 8-1 with their lone loss coming to Duke. However, this will be just their second true road game of the season and it
|
12-08-12 |
Butler +1.5 v. Northwestern |
|
74-65 |
Win
|
100 |
9 h 57 m |
Show
|
Butler is playing much better now than they were earlier in the season. It took the Bulldogs a few games to get their rotation in order, and a recent lineup change by HC Brad Stevens figures to make Butler a more difficult team to prepare for. Stevens altered his second unit, and the move paid dividends right away in Butler
|
12-05-12 |
Ohio +5.5 v. Memphis |
|
58-84 |
Loss |
-110 |
17 h 36 m |
Show
|
Ohio returns all five starters from last year
|
12-04-12 |
Texas +6.5 v. Georgetown |
|
41-64 |
Loss |
-110 |
5 h 29 m |
Show
|
Texas came into this season with lofty expectations. But those were made assuming point guard Mych Kabongo would be playing. He is still ineligible to play while the NCAA investigates his dealings with a pro agent. As it is, Texas has had to move on and play with the guys they have. And that group is extremely talented, even without Kabongo on the floor. Texas comes into tonight
|
12-01-12 |
San Diego St +2.5 v. UCLA |
|
78-69 |
Win
|
100 |
9 h 32 m |
Show
|
This game is being played at the Honda Center in Anaheim so neither team will have the home court edge. San Diego St has been waiting for this game forever; the Aztecs always got shot down in their attempt to schedule a game against UCLA. Well their wait is over and it
|
11-27-12 |
North Carolina State +6.5 v. Michigan |
|
72-79 |
Loss |
-110 |
7 h 20 m |
Show
|
NC State has struggled in their last two games, and those struggles have created some value on the Wolfpack in this game tonight. They got blown out by Oklahoma St (76-56) and won their last game by just 2 points over N.C. Ashville (82-80). But there were two fundamental problems with NC State in those games; they turned the ball over too much and they missed a lot of free throws. When you do those two things in the same game, you are going to have your struggles. But the Wolfpack actually get a favorable match-up in this game with Michigan because their weaknesses are not strengths of the Wolverines.
Michigan is not a team built on forcing their opponents to turn the ball over and they do not get many steals. So NC State
|
11-23-12 |
Virginia Commonwealth v. Duke -5.5 |
|
58-67 |
Win
|
100 |
7 h 5 m |
Show
|
VCU has played shockingly well so far this season. There wasn
|
11-21-12 |
Delaware +8.5 v. Kansas State |
|
63-66 |
Win
|
100 |
6 h 10 m |
Show
|
This game is being played at Madison Square Garden so neither team has the home court edge. We
|
11-17-12 |
Davidson -7 v. Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
|
68-73 |
Loss |
-106 |
9 h 40 m |
Show
|
Davidson has their entire team back from last year
|
11-15-12 |
Villanova +2 v. Purdue |
|
89-81 |
Win
|
100 |
9 h 2 m |
Show
|
This game will be played at Madison Square Garden so neither team will have a true home court edge. However, Villanova certainly has the geographical location edge and they
|
11-15-12 |
Alabama v. Oregon State +2.5 |
|
65-62 |
Loss |
-109 |
7 h 32 m |
Show
|
This game will be played at Madison Square Garden so neither team will have the home court edge. Alabama comes in at 2-0 after beating South Dakota St and Division II West Alabama. The Crimson Tide struggled in their game against the Jackrabbits as they only won 70-67 while getting out-shot 50% (25-50) to 48.1% (25-52). Alabama figures to struggle for the majority of this season, especially early on as they lost a lot of talent from last year
|
11-14-12 |
Wisconsin +6.5 v. Florida |
|
56-74 |
Loss |
-106 |
18 h 51 m |
Show
|
Wisconsin will be one of the best defensive teams in the country once again this season. The Badgers opened their season strong with a 40-point win over Southeast Louisiana. While the Lions were an inferior opponent, Wisconsin still held them to just 47 points on 35.2% (19-54) shooting from the field and 35.7% (5-17) shooting from three-point land. The Badgers also out-rebounded that opponent by 30 which shows the Badgers have big bodies inside the paint. That is critical for this game as Florida
|
11-13-12 |
Kentucky v. Duke -3 |
|
68-75 |
Win
|
100 |
10 h 36 m |
Show
|
Kentucky is in the unenviable position of having to replace all five starters from their championship team of a season ago. While the Wildcats reloaded with some more incredible talent, they are not comparable to last year
|
11-13-12 |
Delaware +6 v. Virginia Cavaliers |
|
59-53 |
Win
|
100 |
7 h 6 m |
Show
|
We played Delaware last night in their 84-69 win over Pennsylvania, and we
|
11-12-12 |
Pennsylvania v. Delaware -9 |
|
69-84 |
Win
|
100 |
11 h 26 m |
Show
|
Pennsylvania comes into tonight
|
04-02-12 |
Kansas v. Kentucky -6 |
|
59-67 |
Win
|
100 |
35 h 19 m |
Show
|
Kansas survived yet another game on Saturday night when they beat Ohio State 64-62. The Jayhawks trailed by 13 points on five separate occasions in that game and they took their first lead of the game with just over 2 minutes left to play. Their win was more of a function of Ohio State
|
03-31-12 |
Ohio State -2.5 v. Kansas |
|
62-64 |
Loss |
-102 |
51 h 11 m |
Show
|
Kansas has not played good basketball in three of their four tournament games, especially their offense. Kansas shot just 38.6% (68-176) from the field in their first three tournament games. And that is concerning since they faced three of the worst defensive teams in the entire NCAA tournament. Kansas scored 65, 63, and 60 points in those three games despite facing defenses that allowed an average of 1.00 points per possession. Kansas
|
03-31-12 |
Louisville +9 v. Kentucky |
|
61-69 |
Win
|
100 |
48 h 11 m |
Show
|
Louisville is playing some of the best basketball of any team remaining in the tournament. The Cardinals have been on a major role since the Big East conference tournament when they won four games in four nights to take home the title. Louisville has won and covered the pointspread in 8 consecutive games, and there
|
03-29-12 |
Stanford +1.5 v. Minnesota |
|
75-51 |
Win
|
100 |
6 h 55 m |
Show
|
Both teams got hot just at the right time; Stanford has won six of their last seven games while Minnesota has also won six of their last seven games. The teams took opposite paths to reach New York in this tournament. The Cardinal was fortunate enough to play all three of their tournament games on their home court so they weren
|
03-27-12 |
Minnesota +1 v. Washington |
|
68-67 |
Win
|
100 |
9 h 8 m |
Show
|
Minnesota fooled us a couple of times in this tournament as we failed to accept their reversal of form. The Golden Gophers struggled during the regular season, but ever since the Big 10 conference tournament, this team has played terrific basketball. Minnesota is 5-1 over their last six games with their only loss coming in overtime to Michigan by 4 points. The Golden Gophers have also covered the pointspread in seven consecutive games with five straight underdog wins. Minnesota
|
03-27-12 |
Massachusetts +2.5 v. Stanford |
|
64-74 |
Loss |
-104 |
6 h 23 m |
Show
|
Massachusetts has been playing some terrific basketball since the beginning of March. The Minutemen have won six of their seven games this month while covering the pointspread in five of those games, including a 4-1 ATS record as an underdog. The most impressive part of their run is the fact that they
|
03-25-12 |
Kansas v. North Carolina +2 |
|
80-67 |
Loss |
-110 |
7 h 12 m |
Show
|
Kansas was in a prime spot on Friday night to blowout NC State. But the Jayhawks failed to do that, and to us, that
|
03-25-12 |
Baylor v. Kentucky -7.5 |
|
70-82 |
Win
|
100 |
4 h 27 m |
Show
|
Baylor survived yet another game on Friday night when they beat Xavier 75-70. The Bears are more talented than Xavier, yet they let them hang around to the end which shows that the Bears simply get by on their raw talent alone. They are not well-coached in our opinion as Scott Drew doesn
|
03-24-12 |
Ohio State v. Syracuse +2.5 |
|
77-70 |
Loss |
-102 |
9 h 47 m |
Show
|
After watching these two teams play on Thursday night, we are not that surprised that Ohio St is the favorite in this game. The Buckeyes were more impressive in their 81-66 blowout win over Cincinnati than the Orange was in their 64-63 survival win over Wisconsin. However, Syracuse had the much more difficult match-up against a very good Wisconsin team. Syracuse does not like to play slow, half-court basketball and they were simply facing a difficult opponent. Yet they still won the game, and to us, that was more impressive than Ohio St
|
03-24-12 |
Florida v. Louisville +1.5 |
|
68-72 |
Win
|
100 |
6 h 12 m |
Show
|
Louisville is playing some of the best basketball of any team remaining in the tournament. The Cardinals have been on a major role since the Big East conference tournament when they won four games in four nights to take home the title. Louisville has won and covered the pointspread in 7 consecutive games, and there
|
03-23-12 |
NC State v. Kansas -8 |
|
57-60 |
Loss |
-110 |
14 h 47 m |
Show
|
NC State is playing with house money. The Wolfpack were extremely fortunate to get an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament; their narrow loss to North Carolina in the ACC tournament got them in. But in reality, this team does not belong in this tournament, and the fact that they are still playing is sort of unbelievable. They beat a flawed San Diego St team in their opening game after shooting 58.5% (31-53) from the field, and then they beat an over-seeded Georgetown team despite shooting just 37% (20-54) from the field. NC State is not a deep team at all as they play just a 7-man rotation with their two reserves playing right around 15 minutes each per game. Their short rotation was able to survive their first two opponents because both of them are slow, half-court teams. That will not be the case tonight against an up-tempo Kansas team that should run NC State right out of the gym.
Kansas has had tough match-ups in their first two games. They had to face Detroit in their first game, and the Titans were an extremely strong 15-seed. Kansas then had to face an experienced Purdue team that was one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country this season. The Boilermakers hit 44.4% (8-18) from three-point land in that game, but Kansas was able to overcome it and sneak by with a 63-60 win. The Jayhawks finally get an easy opponent, and their superiority will show throughout this game. The way to beat Kansas is by hitting three
|
03-23-12 |
Ohio +10.5 v. North Carolina |
|
65-73 |
Win
|
100 |
11 h 57 m |
Show
|
Ohio has been impressive in both of their tournament games; the Bobcats beat Michigan 65-60 as 5
|
03-23-12 |
Xavier +6 v. Baylor |
|
70-75 |
Win
|
100 |
10 h 28 m |
Show
|
Xavier has a ton of experience playing this deep into the tournament; the Musketeers are playing in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time over the last five years. And while Xavier was probably a questionable at-large bid, they
|
03-22-12 |
Cincinnati +7.5 v. Ohio State |
|
66-81 |
Loss |
-101 |
13 h 59 m |
Show
|
Cincinnati has played ultra-competitive basketball all season as 8 of their 10 losses have come by 7 points or less, including four losses by 4 points or less. Cincinnati is a few plays away from having an outstanding record, and they played the last half of the season with a tournament mentality.
|
03-22-12 |
Louisville +5 v. Michigan State |
|
57-44 |
Win
|
100 |
11 h 59 m |
Show
|
Louisville is playing some of the best basketball of any team remaining in the tournament. The Cardinals have been on a major role since the Big East conference tournament when they won four games in four nights to take home the title. Louisville has won and covered the pointspread in 6 consecutive games, and there
|
03-22-12 |
Wisconsin +3.5 v. Syracuse |
|
63-64 |
Win
|
100 |
10 h 30 m |
Show
|
Wisconsin continues to fly well under the radar in this tournament. The Badgers own one of the best defensive teams in the country; they allow just 52.9 points per game on 38.5% shooting from the field and 28.8% from three-point land. Only 20.1% of the points allowed by Wisconsin
|
03-21-12 |
Minnesota v. Middle Tennessee St -3 |
|
78-72 |
Loss |
-107 |
9 h 21 m |
Show
|
Minnesota has won two road games in the NIT so far, but we expect their mini win streak to stop tonight. The Gophers were one of the worst teams in the Big 10 this season; Minnesota struggled to score points and their defense was easy to score upon. We view their two wins over La Salle and Miami (Fla) as aberrations; the Gophers
|
03-19-12 |
Wyoming +2.5 v. Washington State |
|
41-61 |
Loss |
-102 |
11 h 26 m |
Show
|
Wyoming has played terrific basketball this season; the Cowboys come into tonight
|
03-19-12 |
Middle Tennessee St +5.5 v. Tennessee |
|
71-64 |
Win
|
100 |
8 h 27 m |
Show
|
Middle Tennessee St was the overwhelming favorite to win the Sun Belt tournament, but the Blue Raiders lost in their first game as a 10-point favorite. That loss prevented them from making the NCAA tournament, and so they continue their season in the NIT. The Blue Raiders beat Marshall at home in the opening round, but now they must travel to
|
03-19-12 |
Princeton +7 v. Pittsburgh |
|
61-82 |
Loss |
-109 |
8 h 27 m |
Show
|
Princeton has the exact profile we look for when backing a lower-tier conference team in a tournament game. The Tigers play at a very slow pace which allows them to hang around in games where they are the less talented team. Princeton has held 29 of their 31 opponents this year to less than 70 points in regulation time, and that fact alone makes them a dangerous underdog in this pointspread range. Princeton
|
03-18-12 |
Lehigh Mountain +4 v. Xavier |
|
58-70 |
Loss |
-110 |
10 h 59 m |
Show
|
Lehigh comes in off their big
|
03-18-12 |
Ohio +3 v. South Florida |
|
62-56 |
Win
|
100 |
9 h 8 m |
Show
|
Both teams come in off underdog wins on Friday. Ohio beat Michigan 65-60 as 5
|
03-18-12 |
St. Louis +7.5 v. Michigan State |
|
61-65 |
Win
|
100 |
5 h 10 m |
Show
|
Saint Louis came through for us on Friday when they defeated Memphis 61-54 as a 3-point underdog. We have no hesitation in taking the Billikens once again, even against top-seeded Michigan State. We like Saint Louis in this game for similar reasons, especially since they are a difficult to team to play because of the system they run under head coach Rick Majerus. The Billikens run complex offensive sets that just frustrate opponents into half-court games. And Saint Louis is most effective when they are playing a team that likes to get out in transition. Michigan State is that type of team, but the Spartans will be forced to grind this game out on both ends of the court which will make it extremely difficult for them to win this game by a big margin.
Michigan State also has a terrific tournament coach in Tom Izzo. This game will be a chess match between the two tacticians, but since Saint Louis is getting a decent amount of points, we see some tremendous value with the Billikens, especially since they are 3-0 ATS as an underdog this season. Majerus is too smart of a coach to allow his team to get caught-up in a running game today, and he
|
03-17-12 |
Iowa State v. Kentucky -11 |
|
71-87 |
Win
|
100 |
12 h 53 m |
Show
|
Iowa State had a terrific season and the Cyclones notched an easy win (77-64) over Connecticut on Thursday night. But their season will end tonight as Kentucky simply has way too much offense and defense for Iowa State to be competitive. The Cyclones
|
03-17-12 |
Vanderbilt v. Wisconsin +1.5 |
|
57-60 |
Win
|
100 |
10 h 8 m |
Show
|
Vanderbilt won and covered on Thursday after beating Harvard 79-70. The Commodores had a tremendous amount of success from beyond the arc in that game as they shot 44.4% (8-18) from three-point land. Vanderbilt also got to the free throw line a whopping 30 times (just 14 for Harvard), and they hit 21 of those attempts. In all, Vanderbilt scored 45 of their 79 points from the free throw line and from beyond the arc. That is not going to happen tonight against a Wisconsin team that does not foul often and guards the three-point line very well. Vanderbilt
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03-17-12 |
Murray State +5.5 v. Marquette |
|
53-62 |
Loss |
-109 |
9 h 13 m |
Show
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Murray St won their game by 17 points (58-41) on Thursday over Colorado State despite not playing a good game at all. The Racers shot just 39.2% (20-51) from the field and 29.4% (5-17) from three-point land. Murray St also hit just 50% (13-26) from the free throw line. Despite the bad play, they still won the game in hand. Murray St is a very good team, and knowing that they played well below their ability in their last game sets them up very well for this game against Marquette. The Racers do not play at a fast pace, and their strong play in the half court bodes well for them in this match-up. Murray St
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03-16-12 |
St. Louis +3 v. Memphis |
|
61-54 |
Win
|
100 |
16 h 22 m |
Show
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Saint Louis is a difficult to team to play because of the system they run under head coach Rick Majerus. The Billikens run complex offensive sets that just frustrate opponents into half-court games. And Saint Louis is most effective when they are playing a team that loves to run up and down the court at a frenetic pace. Majerus is too smart of a coach to allow his team to get caught-up in a running game tonight, and he
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03-16-12 |
Belmont +4 v. Georgetown |
|
59-74 |
Loss |
-110 |
13 h 41 m |
Show
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Belmont was everybody
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03-16-12 |
St. Bonaventure +6.5 v. Florida State |
|
63-66 |
Win
|
100 |
12 h 16 m |
Show
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St. Bonaventure stole a bid when they won three games in three days to take the A-10 conference tournament. However, their run in that tournament wasn
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03-16-12 |
Virginia Cavaliers +4 v. Florida |
|
45-71 |
Loss |
-110 |
12 h 41 m |
Show
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Virginia has had a tremendous season, but the Cavaliers stumbled down the stretch as they lost three of their last four games and six of their last ten games overall. However, the majority of those losses were close, and in fact, an incredible seven of their nine losses this season have come by 3 points or less. Virginia
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03-15-12 |
South Dakota St +8 v. Baylor |
|
60-68 |
Push |
0 |
19 h 32 m |
Show
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South Dakota State is a sneaky good team that should give Baylor all they can handle. The Jackrabbits went 27-7 this season and they were a profitable 18-7-1 ATS in their lined games. South Dakota State also has one of the best players in the country that you
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03-15-12 |
Harvard +6 v. Vanderbilt |
|
70-79 |
Loss |
-110 |
16 h 32 m |
Show
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Harvard has the exact profile we look for when backing a lower-tier conference team in the NCAA tournament. The Crimson play at a very slow pace and that allows them to hang around in games where they are the less talented team. Harvard has won 87% (26-4) of their games this season, including a 46-41 win over Florida State who is a #3 seed in this tournament. Harvard has held all 30 of their opponents to 70 points or less this season, and that fact alone makes them a dangerous underdog in this pointspread range. The Crimson also knock down their free-throws; they hit 75% from the line. Harvard
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03-14-12 |
Minnesota v. La Salle -2.5 |
|
70-61 |
Loss |
-101 |
7 h 22 m |
Show
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The pointspread on this game is based more on the conference affiliation and the name on the front of the jerseys, and not on the merits of the two teams. The Big 10 has been hailed the best conference in college basketball this season. But the league is top heavy, and a team like Minnesota is getting respect, not because of their on-court play, but because of the conference they played in. Minnesota was one of the worst teams in the Big 10 this season; the Gophers struggled to score points and their defense was easy to score upon. Minnesota just played in two overtime games in the Big 10 conference tournament and now they must travel to Philadelphia and take on a pretty good La Salle team.
La Salle played in the underrated A-10 this season. The conference was strong across the board, and the Explorers had a positive efficiency margin. La Salle also plays on a very strong home court where they went 14-2 this season with their two losses coming against Temple in overtime and Saint Louis; those two teams are in the NCAA tournament. La Salle
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03-13-12 |
Marshall v. Middle Tennessee St -5.5 |
|
78-86 |
Win
|
100 |
12 h 11 m |
Show
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Both of these teams had legitimate chances to make the NCAA tournament, but they both came up short in their conference tournaments. Middle Tennessee St was the overwhelming favorite to win the Sun Belt tournament, but the Blue Raiders lost in their first game as a 10-point favorite. Marshall made a deep run in the CUSA tournament and they made it to the final before getting blown out by 26 points (83-57) by Memphis. That deep run by the Thundering Herd took a lot out of them, and with a quick turnaround game on the road, Marshall is in a terrible scheduling spot for this game. Marshall will be playing their fifth game over the last seven days, and since they played a triple overtime game during that stretch, the Herd should be gassed in the second half of this game, especially against a fresh Middle Tennessee St team.
Middle Tennessee St hasn
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03-11-12 |
Vanderbilt +8 v. Kentucky |
|
71-64 |
Win
|
100 |
4 h 31 m |
Show
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This is the third meeting of the season between these two teams; Kentucky won at home 83-74 and at Vanderbilt 69-63. Both games were close and competitive, and we expect a similar game this afternoon. Vanderbilt is an extremely dangerous opponent for any team as they have experience, depth, and they can the shoot the ball from anywhere on the court, especially from three-point range. Those are key ingredients a team must have when playing for an upset and Vanderbilt excels in all three areas. Vanderbilt matches up very well against Kentucky because they are big and athletic in the front court and big in the back court. Not many teams can say that when playing the Wildcats, but Vanderbilt can.
Kentucky is the most talented team in the country, but because of that they have to pay a pointspread tax in almost every one of their games. The Wildcats have dropped two straight games ATS in this tournament, and they are just 2-5 ATS over their last seven games overall. Vanderbilt has covered the pointspread in both of their tournament games, and they
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03-09-12 |
Georgia v. Vanderbilt -7 |
|
41-63 |
Win
|
100 |
12 h 27 m |
Show
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Georgia comes in off a 71-61 upset win over Mississippi State last night. The Bulldogs were a 5-point underdog in that game against an underachieving team, but tonight they are only getting two points more against the second best team in the SEC. Aside from Kentucky, the Commodores have the most talented team in the league and they
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03-09-12 |
Mississippi v. Tennessee -3 |
|
77-72 |
Loss |
-110 |
8 h 20 m |
Show
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Mississippi played last night and the Rebels notched a 68-54 win over Auburn. But that win is nothing to brag about since Auburn was terrible this season and they were also dealing with the news about a point-shaving scandal involving their starting point guard a couple of days ago. Auburn was ripe for the picking, and the Rebels took advantage. Tonight
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03-08-12 |
Stanford v. California -4 |
|
71-77 |
Win
|
100 |
11 h 14 m |
Show
|
This is a rematch game from just four days ago; Stanford won that game 75-70. In fact, this will be the third meeting between Stanford and California this season; the Golden Bears won the first game 69-59. California was in a terrible scheduling spot for their last game at Stanford as it was their third straight road game and they were also playing the Cardinal in their last home game of the season. Despite all the negatives they were up against, California still played a very good game as they out-rebounded and got to the free throw line eight more times. Those are two areas in which teams lose their way when in terrible situational spots, but the fact that California did not and actually won those areas is an extremely positive sign for tonight
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03-08-12 |
Oklahoma State v. Missouri -11.5 |
|
70-88 |
Win
|
100 |
8 h 58 m |
Show
|
Oklahoma State played last night and the Cowboys got an easy 76-60 win over Texas Tech. However, the Red Raiders are the worst team in the Big 12 and Oklahoma State
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03-08-12 |
East Carolina v. Southern Miss -6 |
|
78-81 |
Loss |
-109 |
5 h 37 m |
Show
|
This will be the third meeting of the season between these two teams with Southern Miss owning a 2-0 record against East Carolina; they are also 8-2 ATS in this series versus today
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03-04-12 |
Over v. Under +1 |
|
70-75 |
Win
|
100 |
8 h 28 m |
Show
|
This is a rematch game from late January when California beat Stanford at home 69-59. Even though they lost, Stanford
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03-04-12 |
Virginia Cavaliers v. Maryland Terrapins +4 |
|
75-72 |
Win
|
100 |
6 h 58 m |
Show
|
Virginia comes in off a terrible home loss to Florida State in their last game. The Cavaliers were in a terrific scheduling spot for that game, and they held a 10-point lead with just over three minutes left to play. But they collapsed down the stretch and got out-scored 16-3 by the Seminoles and lost that game 63-60 on a last-second three. That type of loss will leave Virginia with a hangover, and since they already beat Maryland by 27 points this season (71-44), we do not expect much intensity out of the Cavaliers in this game this afternoon. Virginia also has a thin roster (just 8 scholarship players):
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03-04-12 |
Kentucky v. Florida +5.5 |
|
74-59 |
Loss |
-110 |
4 h 59 m |
Show
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Kentucky is the most talented team in the country, there
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03-03-12 |
Baylor v. Iowa State -1.5 |
|
72-80 |
Win
|
100 |
11 h 24 m |
Show
|
This is a rematch game from three weeks ago when Baylor beat Iowa State 79-64 on their home court. The Bears were in a terrific situation for that game as they came in off back-to-back blowout losses to the two best teams in the Big 12; they lost at home to Kansas 68-54 and they lost at Missouri 72-57. Baylor was catching Iowa State off a 23-point win over Texas A&M after they came off a road loss at Oklahoma State. Everything was lined up for Baylor to get a solid win in that game, and they did just that. But the roles are reversed for tonight
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03-03-12 |
Louisville +9 v. Syracuse |
|
49-58 |
Push |
0 |
6 h 18 m |
Show
|
Louisville was on a 6-game winning streak heading into their game against Syracuse back on February 13th; the Cardinals lost that game at home 52-51. Since that game, Louisville has alternated wins and losses in their last four games. They come into this game off an ugly 58-51 home loss to South Florida on Wednesday night. Head coach Rick Pitino has said that he will alter the lineup for this game because he was unhappy with the effort of his players on the defensive end of the court. That projected move caught the attention of the players, and reports have indicated that Louisville is sitting on a big effort. Overall, the Cardinals do play outstanding defense as they hold opponents to just 62 points per game on 37.8% shooting from the field and 32.2% shooting from three-point land. Louisville has held 23 of their 30 opponents to less than 70 points this season, and a low-scoring, half-court game is not what Syracuse wants.
Syracuse comes into today
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03-03-12 |
Georgetown v. Marquette -4 |
|
69-83 |
Win
|
100 |
6 h 56 m |
Show
|
Georgetown comes in with an impressive 22-6 record, but the Hoyas have played an extremely easy schedule as of late; 10 of their last 12 opponents represent the bottom half of the Big East. On the road, Georgetown has struggled this season and they are just 1-3 SU away from home their last four tries, including two losses by 12 points or more. Their overall numbers take a major dip on the road, especially their defense. Overall, Georgetown allows 58 points per game on 38.3% shooting from the field and 27.8% shooting from three-point land. On the road, those numbers fall to 65 points per game on 41.9% shooting from the field and 29.7% shooting from three-point land. Their offense also struggles to score consistently; they
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03-03-12 |
Southern Miss v. Marshall -2.5 |
|
75-79 |
Win
|
100 |
6 h 34 m |
Show
|
If you just look at these two teams at face value, then you may be inclined to think that Southern Mississippi is the superior team. The Golden Eagles come into today
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03-02-12 |
Drake v. Creighton -8 |
|
61-68 |
Loss |
-106 |
7 h 16 m |
Show
|
This is a conference tournament game being played in St. Louis and not on the home floor of any team. The Missouri Valley is a top heavy conference with the two best teams way ahead of the others. Wichita State and Creighton were the two best teams in this league all season, and we can expect that to show once again in this tournament. Creighton went a terrific 25-5 during the regular season, including a 14-4 record in conference play. Their offense is spectacular as the Bluejays average 79.7 points per game on 50.8% shooting from the field and 42.8% shooting from three-point land. Creighton
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03-01-12 |
Florida State v. Virginia Cavaliers -4 |
|
63-60 |
Loss |
-105 |
11 h 8 m |
Show
|
This is a rematch game from early February when Florida State beat Virginia 58-55. But the Seminoles were playing much better basketball back then as they came into that game on a 6-game winning streak. Things are different tonight as Florida State comes into this game on a 2-game losing streak. The Seminoles
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02-29-12 |
UNLV v. Colorado St +3 |
|
59-66 |
Win
|
100 |
12 h 16 m |
Show
|
UNLV comes into tonight
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02-29-12 |
Marquette v. Cincinnati -1.5 |
|
61-72 |
Win
|
100 |
11 h 13 m |
Show
|
Marquette comes in off a draining comeback win at West Virginia in their last game. The Golden Eagles trailed that game by 19 points in the second half but they rallied for the improbable 61-60 win. What
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02-29-12 |
Buffalo v. Akron -6.5 |
|
74-70 |
Loss |
-101 |
9 h 2 m |
Show
|
This is a rematch game from mid-January when Buffalo beat Akron 82-70. The Bulls were coming off a 2-game road losing streak while the Zips came into that game on a 4-game winning streak with three of their wins coming on the road. That was a terrible spot for Akron and a terrific spot for Buffalo, and the Bulls took advantage as they brought their best effort and won the game. Tonight
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02-28-12 |
Florida v. Vanderbilt -3 |
|
67-77 |
Win
|
100 |
13 h 9 m |
Show
|
The SEC is a top-heavy basketball conference this season. Kentucky is the best team in the league, and then Florida and Vanderbilt make-up the second tier with everybody else filling out the rest. This will be the second meeting of the season between the Gators and Commodores; Florida won at home 73-65 earlier this month. With tonight
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02-27-12 |
Notre Dame +6.5 v. Georgetown |
|
41-59 |
Loss |
-105 |
10 h 9 m |
Show
|
Notre Dame has seemingly come out of nowhere this season. The Irish were supposed to be in a down year, a rebuilding season after losing a lot of their key personnel from last year
|
02-26-12 |
California v. Colorado +3 |
|
57-70 |
Win
|
100 |
8 h 57 m |
Show
|
This is a rematch game from early January when California beat Colorado at home 57-50. Even though they lost, Colorado
|
02-26-12 |
Wisconsin +9.5 v. Ohio State |
|
63-60 |
Win
|
100 |
7 h 41 m |
Show
|
Wisconsin has been more inconsistent this season than they
|
02-25-12 |
UTEP +7 v. Central Florida |
|
45-63 |
Loss |
-110 |
9 h 25 m |
Show
|
If you just look at these two teams at face value, then you may be inclined to think that Central Florida is the superior team. The Knights come into tonight
|
02-25-12 |
Temple v. St. Josephs +2.5 |
|
72-82 |
Win
|
100 |
9 h 9 m |
Show
|
This is a Big 5, in-city rivalry game (154th meeting) that has been lopsided recently. Temple has won the last ten meetings between the two teams as the Owls have simply had the much better team in those games. But that
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